Baby Steps for Adventures Far-Flung and Close

I did not travel outside of my home province, Ontario Canada where I was born, until when I was 25 years old. It was a train trip to Quebec City with a sister. I can’t even remember if we stopped in Montreal on our way into la belle province, Quebec. So, no de rigeur European…

Historic Neighbourhood of Stories

Who would ever tell their 10 year-old child, how much their house costed? My father did. It was $19,000 back in 1968. It was a throwaway fact he told me after our whole family moved there .  Nothing more said. Home for Growth.. and Repair It was a bargain price because this 1883 house (year…

Bumping into the Personal: From Museum Exhibits to Identity, Anti-Asian Sentiment and Activism. Part 2.

Just for a flicker moment, I felt like a pseudo-hippie, a relic from the 1960’s, a helping hand for social justice on equity and race relations. But not at all. I was there in the 1980’s in Toronto. A few months ago, I was interviewed by a Canadian history professor, Angie Wong who will have…

From Museum Exhibits, Personal Stories to Anti-Asian North American Sentiment in 21st Century. Part 1

This year, I biked through a bunch of peaceful activists gathering for anti-racism public rally. I felt quite guilty I didn’t stop for a few minutes to show my support for them. After all, my personal history includes volunteer work for several years in Toronto on social justice, anti-racism and equity matters. Toronto rally by…

Self-Care or Self-Indulgence

For nearly the past year, our world has been flipped upside-down.  At times, it’s hard to know if habits now are truly self-care, or upon guilty reflection, self-indulgence. For now, I’d take the slothful route of self-righteousness:  it’s primarily self-care. Featured photo:   Lovely gently liquor soaked cherry gourmet cake with passion fruit outer layer and…

Gathering Cosy and Safe for Christmas

It seems quaint now, to see photos of being caught up in last year’s bustle of holiday crowds in cafes, stores and yes, even the hotel that hosts for the public, gingerbread collection of cookie, candy and sugar dusted winter tableaux and figurines. At the time, we thought the gingerbread cruise liner ship with onboard…

Daily Life Lessons During Covid-19 Pandemic

For some folks, a global plague highlights a lot what they took for granted since this past March.  Or confirmed what one knew or decided long ago: Mask-Wearing for Hours is Hot I mean kind of sweaty.  My double-sided, non-medical cloth mask is hot to wear for several hours at room temperature. When reading a…

Touch My Seoul and its Strength

Oddly, the official tourism sites for Seoul seem to be tepid and lack lots of dynamic photos for this great vibrant and historic city in South Korea. It’s only 20 km. away from DMZ, or demilitarized zone by North Korea. Seoul and South Korea – Not Same Romanticization as Japan Maybe Seoul or indeed South…

Awestruck on La Rambla and Beyond: Barcelona, Spain.

Barcelona, Spain is like Vancouver, British Columbia  –millions of tourists pour into each city every year.  After four days, we still had not exhausted its rich treasure chest of sights and experiences.  Inevitably visitors end up crossing or on its main pedestrian street, La Rambla. It was my first time in Spain whereas for Jack,…

Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Tracing German Medieval, Reformation Restraint and Northern Renaissance

We’re not purists when we travel overseas to see “perfectly”, preserved towns. Others may scoff  for being too touristy.  To me, it’s all part of the same culture –the well-kept heritage, the tourist-kitschy and ordinary messiness.  Rothenburg ob der Tauber was a charming, historic town of 11,000 that ostensibly relied on its tourist economy.  No problem. …

A Candle for Canada’s 150th Birthday

This blog post is light and small like a cupcake. 2017 is Canada’s 150th year as a country. Sure, the country did exist centuries before, as a collection of different nations of native Indian and Inuit peoples.  That memory and consciousness is still with us today alongside with Canada – in their voices, in names of some…

Where Was I? During History in the Making

Women’s March –  Jan. 21, 2017 This  peaceful protest march caught like a firestorm with over 160 sister city marches across the world.  I didn’t join our local city march which attracted over 4,000 people.  Instead I was having a hair cut. The massive  march was galvanized first, by American women in protest of their newly sworn-in President Trump, known for his…

Teenager Helps Father Sponsor Relatives to Immigrate to Canada

That Ontario teenager was myself.  I don’t have a photo like what you see in some recent newspapers: Smiling Canadians posing in photos with Syrian refugees as they arrive at our major city airports.  My experience is not about helping refugees. Humdrum Insider View:  Helping Others Immigrate Let me give you our family’s insider view. …

Easy-Peasy or Daunting: Getting to Local Art and Attractions by Bike, Foot, Transit

A long while ago, I was  volunteer blogger for Tourism Vancouver’s blog, Inside Vancouver.  My special self-chosen niche, was flogging outdoor Vancouver attractions, reachable by bike, foot or transit. So I zoomed into fabulous outdoor art, parks and scenic vistas.  Metro Vancouver is abundant with an array of  jaw-dropping scenery, galleries and historic sites clustered…

That Train in My Canadian Cycling Horizon

Every few weeks when I’m cycling, a major train pops up on the horizon with dinging bell, 1 or 2  red locomotive engines, pulling a serpentine string of cargo train loads and tanks.  The train is either the Canadian National Railway or the Canadian Pacific Railway. Like any cyclist, I just hope the frickin’ train is…

Canadian Canoe Museum : Plying Waters of Culture, History and Geographic Exploration

I’ve only canoed once in my life.  My day of canoeing was semi-mandatory at a day school camp for physical education and science class when I was 10 years old.  I haven’t gone into the waters since then, because I don’t know how to swim. Canoe and Kayak- Icons in Canadian Cultural History So why…

Flying 50 Years for Canada- Celebrating the National Flag

I was just 6 years old when Canada welcomed its first national flag in Feb. 1965.  Although Canada became an independent country on July 1, 1867, our previous flag was still a carryover as a former British colony, with the Union Jack. Yes, Canada’s flag is only 50 years old this year. Flag Enthusiasm Fused with Canada’s 100th…

More than Just Dragons- Art on Chinese-Canadian Experience

Don’t get me wrong: I love dragons. A dragon pops up often enough:  whenever there is a celebration or poster flogging a Canadian Chinatown event or something involving Chinese-Canadian history or culture. I love the dragon for its aesthetic drawing power –in parades, dance, paintings, textiles, rugs, sculpture and jewellery. Dragons in Canada- Convenient Icon? However, I…