Rediscovering My Stuff

December 9, 2020 //

I really enjoyed opening up the boxes and seeing what was in each – even if it made a big mess…

Almost seven years ago I packed my belongings and put them into storage while working abroad. At that time it no longer made sense to keep a home in Vancouver as I wasn’t going to be there for a year and a half. I had no idea then that my stuff would be in storage for so long.

Having decided to make Montreal home (for now…), it was time to have all that stuff taken out of storage and delivered. Time for me to look through the boxes and remind myself what was in there. For the most part I knew what was there – it’s just that when you haven’t seen something for a while, well, it’s exciting to see it again. After all, I gave away or threw away a lot, and packed only the items I really wanted to keep.

In no particular order…here are the items I found myself most excited to see again.

I’m not sure if it is funny or sad that I was (and am) so happy to have my vacuum cleaner again. My home has hardwood floors, as you can see. I know plenty of people prefer a broom and a swiffer or mop, but not me. To me a broom just moves dust and dirt around. I much prefer watching the vacuum suck it all up. Knowing that this was on its way I didn’t want to buy another, so I made do with a broom until it got here. Now I can vacuum to my heart’s content!

What feels like a few lifetimes ago, I worked for the Buschlen Mowatt Gallery in Vancouver. My years there saw me work most closely with a handful of artists from France, and one from Montreal. I knew these pieces were safely tucked away and one of the reasons I wanted to paint all the walls before the shipment arrived was so that I could unpack and put these up immediately. During my time at the Gallery I was fortunate enough to travel to Paris and other parts of France to visit the five artists we represented. Bernard Cathelin was one of those artists, and a generous soul. It was impossible to leave a meeting or visit without him insisting on gifting a piece, or two. I have a few framed and up on the walls, and these two are among my favourites – a little burst of colour in the kitchen, and a little café corner, which reminds me of the many wonderful times and meals shared with Bernard and his wife Régine.

Then there’s Chaki. He was really the only Canadian artist I worked with regularly, as most of my time was focussed on international artists. Lucky for me, Chaki’s studio is about a 10-minute walk from my apartment here. I always visit him when I am in Montreal, and now it’s so easy….well, when COVID-19 doesn’t throw a wrench into things…. I can’t visit him these days, but I stay in touch. Chaki recently had a show open at the Musée des Beaux Arts here in Montreal. Unfortunately it had to be a virtual opening, however the plus side of that is you can all have a look. This is important work and near and dear to someone that is near and dear to me. I won’t say any more here, as I could never do it justice.

Then there’s that one piece that I took out of a box and thought…what? Why is that here? It’s not mine….Yikes! I took and photo and sent it to my friend Sherri and asked her if she was missing her piece. Long story about how it got mixed up with mine. All I will say here is that it was a big surprise, and made me laugh. Now all I have to do is get it back to Sherri in Vancouver.

Fond memories of buying the three photos on the left with my brother J while in Merida, Mexico. An amazing city! I literally walked around a corner and almost bumped into a woman who looked exactly like the one in the top photo. Gorgeous. And the photo on the right was taken by an extremely talented photographer, whom I was lucky enough to work with on a few occasions, Rick Collins. This image is from a trip he made to Pakistan. I LOVE it.

I met Corrine Hunt while working for Vancouver 2010. She created the artwork that was used as the design on the Olympic and Paralympic medals. We also ended up gifting the athletes a printed piece – that way if you were an Olympian competing at Vancouver 2010, you received the print in your room at Olympic Village. Then if all went well on the day of your competition, you received a medal with a crop from the print. Each medal was a different crop. Oh man the lengths we went to (just ask the designer who had to create all those crops…)! All worth it though, for sure! I finally got these two prints framed and now they are on the wall, along with another Corrine piece called Flow, that she created for my super-talented film writer and producer friend Carla, to help fund the making of her short film Bona Fide. Clearly I now need to take Flow to the frame shop to have the glass replaced with anti-reflection glass so we can actually see this piece!

And there are more pieces – more art – each with its own story. What a gift.

I am also really happy to see my kitchen stuff again. I didn’t keep a lot – good pots and pans, some wine glasses, my cutlery – you get the idea.

I’m not sure what it is about these dessert cups….but for whatever reason they just bring a smile to my face.

My Starbucks mugs – I have more, but they are at my brother’s in Germany… One day I will be able to go back for a visit, and pick them up.

My wine jug from Pizzeria Da Baffetto in Rome! I love this little beauty – and the restaurant, which was recommended to me by a friend who grew up in Rome. I clearly enjoyed it a lot as I have written two posts on my experiences there. Here’s the first one, in case you want to have a boo. It was amazing watching the pizzas being created.

The Tequila bottle is from my trip to Guadalajara to visit with my friends Ale and Pedro (we have worked together a few times while on events abroad). We took a little road trip to Tequila and visited the Jose Cuervo distillery for a tour and a tequila tasting. The tasting took place in a cellar, it was so cool. Cuervo has an artist create a design for their reserve vintage box, and my friends were so gracious and generous and bought me this bottle. It’s nice to finally have it properly displayed.

Every now and then I like a little champagne (Veuve Clicquot s’il vous plait!), sipped in the old, traditional glasses.

As the quote on the package of bath salts says, sometimes you just need to take the plunge! A friend gave me these and yes, I’ve used the bath salts. I hold onto the packaging because it is beautiful, and a good reminder to be someone who takes the plunge instead of wades…

Although my Vancouver 2010 torch and medals tray weren’t in boxes in storage, they were in my friends’ attic. Good to see they have found a proper home. The memories and emotions they conjure up are multiple. The carpet – well, that’s a little different. Totally against Olympic branding rules, it was a gift from the local company we hired to produce the carpets we needed for the medal ceremonies for figure skating, hockey and curling. It would have been very rude to say no when it was given to me, and now it just really makes me laugh and smile.

A few random pieces: my Charlie Brown tree – does anything really need to be said about that?
A bag from Korea, given to me by my brother Y and his wife when I visited while they lived there – I love the Korean/English and used this as my lunch bag for years!
Books from the M. Sasek “This Is” series – if you haven’t seen these, have a look. They are fun, interesting and beautiful.
A couple of recipes from my former mother-in-law. I’m going to have to make these as her stuffing and scalloped potatoes are the best!
And a buddha couple from Bali. They now preside from atop a bookshelf in my dining room.

There are so many photos and photo albums. Seriously, they deserve their own blog post. So I’ll just focus on a few here.
It is always heartwarming to see photos of my childhood: top left photo – I’m the one in the middle, with my older brother and sister at my sides; middle image – I am running with my brother L, and I love this photo.
Same goes for seeing photos of my friends – particularly those who do not live in Montreal, which means I don’t get to see them in person.
And then there’s the time my brother D gave me a frame filled with all his elementary school photos for Christmas. I’ll need to find a way to display the entire piece.
My kindergarten photo is the ONLY school photo I actually like. (If you saw the others you would understand why…)

This one both warms my heart and makes me giggle. Oh to be 19 and living in London! What a year that was. I turned 20 while there, and found out that those whacky Brits like to celebrate Guy Fawkes (who tried to blow up parliament) with fireworks on November 5th. Worked well for me as it meant there were fireworks on my birthday, marking the end of my teens with a bang! As I write this, I think I should go back to London for my birthday again – maybe the next milestone one. I mean, why not take advantage of the fireworks!

After posting this photo on social media a friend called and told me how much he loved my “Duran Duran” photo. Funny, and fitting, as I taught myself how to put on eye makeup by looking at photos of their keyboardist Nick Rhodes. True story people, true story.

And that is pretty much it for the items I “rediscovered” while opening my boxes. Thanks for the trip down memory lane (or lanes….).

It seems that COVID-19 has made us pause, look, listen and reflect a little as our “normal” daily life has been interrupted, upset, stalled, sent into spiralling — some or all of that and more. Looking through my stuff intensified the reflection – both on what was, and on what might be going forward.

Most of all, it’s been another great reminder of how privileged and lucky I have been to have a kick-ass family, amazing friends, the opportunity to work in really creative industries, and to travel for both fun and work. I am humbled and grateful. #charmedlife for sure.

Tags Random Thoughts, rediscovery, settling in

Categories Random Thoughts

Tokyo Times, Part 2

December 2, 2020 //

About time I came back for part two of my time in Tokyo isn’t it? This woman’s been busy… 🙂

Everyone always talks about the “quirky” nature of Japan. I think that if you live in a society where everyone pretty much wears the same clothes throughout school and is then expected to fall in line with the ‘norms’ while working…it’s no wonder they get creative whenever and however they can. Friends and I marvelled over the fact that when you walk by a dry-cleaner what you see in the window is ALWAYS the same – white shirts, dark suits. ALWAYS. It was so exciting for me when one of the people I worked with wore bow ties instead of a regular tie. He found a way to show his creative side, even in serious meetings. Thank you bow-tie-guy!

Another thing you always hear about are Japanese gardens. And yes, they are beautiful.

I love how they find ways to ensure there are peaceful gardens and green spots in the middle of the towers. No matter where you live, you can find a little respite from all the crowds and the hubbub. They also build around old temples – they don’t destroy them.

Luckily for me Shiba Park is right beside where I lived. It provided me with a wonderful place to go run through, walk through, sit in, and just go to when I wanted to get away from my computer, work and apartment. It was a lovely way to start the day, take a breather, or end the day.

Speaking of work and home….That was pretty much all in the same, roughly 400-square-foot, apartment.

Small, yes. Super-functional, definitely. I actually quite loved this little space. I have to say they really know how to make the most of every square inch – no wasted space here at all. Even though I spent most of my work time here (except for meetings with the local agencies), it really was my little sanctuary.

For the last three months of my time in Tokyo, I had a co-worker (she lived in the apartment below mine). That’s right – two of us working at that little table-come-desk all day long! Thank goodness we are friends as well as co-workers.

I found this place through a company called In The Hood. They were amazing. Extremely helpful in finding the right apartment and ensuring that I had all I needed. As their name suggests, they want to create a neighbourhood of travellers – enabling those who have common interests to meet and exchange ideas, conversation, travel experiences and generally fun times. Having traveled a lot themselves, they understand what people are looking for. On top of all that, when I traveled away from Tokyo for more than a few weeks, they stored my luggage and rented out the space to someone else – saving me from paying rent while I wasn’t there. If you, or anyone you know, are looking for a furnished apartment in Tokyo, I highly recommend In The Hood.

I was in the Higashi-Azabu area. Very central, easy access to the metro system (which is simple to use and amazing), and a great mix of both local and international inhabitants. Everything I needed was close by, including three grocery stores and a multitude of restaurants. There was this little spot that always had a line-up around lunch time – and I mean little – two customers at a time at most. So one day we decided to go check it out. It ended up being a little bakery/dessert spot. We still have no idea why people lined up to get in though. Let’s just say that with all the great food in Tokyo…dessert is not their forté. At least not that I could find. When I did, it was a “French” bakery…

My favourite neighbourhood restaurant. Sushi rolls are not the norm in Japan, so the fact that this tasty little treat was in my neighbourhood was definitely a nice surprise, and perk.

I just loved that their lunch specials sign had the titles in English and all the detail in Japanese. Um, I’ll have one of those?

And right around the corner was this place. The hairdresser was a very cool looking, long-haired, well-dressed man. So I decided to give it a try. Let me tell you….it is custom in Japan that when they wash your hair during your appointment they also give you a really lovely head massage. I could have gone every day…and when I told him that he laughed. Most people think it would have been really expensive, however my first trip to a hairdresser in Montreal cost me more….What’s up with that???

Up the hill from my place you will find a very busy tourist attraction….

The “Tokyo Tower” – which is actually a small version of The Eiffel Tower. You would be amazed at how many people visit that place. Still makes me laugh. It did look pretty at night though. It’s not just a tourist attraction either, it’s a functioning communications tower. They decided to make the towers in the city a design feature (some better than others, for sure!)

As you saw in my Tokyo Times Part 1 post, I didn’t spend ALL of my time in my neighbourhood. I even had some guests come to town. One of the first places everyone wanted to see was Shibuya Crossing.

And this isn’t at a terribly busy time…at night there are even more people crossing every which way. You’d think there would be tons of people bumping into each other, but no. Somehow it all just works.

Once you are done having fun in the crazy crosswalk, there are a myriad of little streets and alleys to explore. It is very easy to get lost. Luckily it is also very easy to find fun spots and great food.

Funky little alleys everywhere. And in them you find gems like this little bar that seated four. Our limited Japanese and the bartender’s lack of English made it fun. Plus, I don’t think they see too many women in these places – at least not this particular spot!

Shibuya Crossing at night. There’s definitely something about night time – an additional layer of energy provided by the dark skies and flashing neon lights.

Another popular spot was Team Lab. They have a few locations, and Borderless is my favourite. I first went with a friend who had lived in Tokyo for 12 years, and wanted to make sure I saw it while she was in town. Just about everyone who visited while I was there wanted to go, which means I went four times. I also saw their larger installation once, and didn’t enjoy it as much — too many different rooms, no real path to follow which meant you ended up in the same place more than once. I think it was just sensory overload as well.

If you want to calm your senses…I recommend Meiji Shrine and the surrounding parkland and woodland. There is just something about walking amongst tall, majestic trees, green space and flowers, that both calms and feeds the soul. Being a Shinto shrine, we are able to enjoy the pure, simple beauty of it all.

Little adornment means a simple, elegant beauty.

One really could go on and on and on about Tokyo. Wait…maybe I already have! 🙂

So, I will close again with some random fun photos to give you more of a feel for some of the experiences I have been lucky enough to have. #charmedlife for sure.

The best things really are found off the main roads, in the back alleys and around major metro/train stations – so many little shops, restaurants and bars tucked into those spaces. I also loved seeing the tapestry created by all the wiring and electrical lines intertwined with signage and buildings.

9am = lineup for the office elevator. Crazy. But that’s what happens when everyone arrives at the same time…

Spring = blue skies and cherry blossoms.

And if you have made it this far down the blog post – thank you! You deserve something extra-special for that. I present you with……The Robot Restaurant!

Thank you Tokyo. Such good times with some amazing people. As much as I wish I hadn’t been feeling like such crap most of the time I was there (I alluded to this in my Why I Run post), I really did enjoy discovering as much as I did. Thank you to LH for bringing a much-needed breath of fresh air to my last three months there, and to AK and SG for your constant support.

See you again Tokyo…one day….

Tags HigashiAzabu, Japan, Meiji Shrine, Shiba Park, Team Lab Borderless, The Robot Restaurant, Tokyo, Tokyo Tower

Categories Travel

HGTV Persona Unleashed

November 25, 2020 //

Those of you who know me know that I love me some HGTV. I am always happy to watch a good renovation show. My faves are:

#HomeTown – really makes me consider actually living in a small town in Mississippi!
#GoodBones – love that this is a mum and daughter team, and they run the rehabs.
#FixerUpper – although that’s only reruns now as Chip and Joanna expand their little empire to include their own channel, “Magnolia”, which will debut in January 2021. I’ll be watching you Chip & Jo!
#RestoredByTheFords – Leanne’s designs are just crazy cool.
#StoneHouseRevival – Um, yes please. Jeff Devlin and beautiful old homes. #Winning!
#LoveItOrListItVancouver – Jillian and Todd are just cute. Plus I like seeing the various parts of Vancouver and guessing where the houses are.
#PropertyBrothers and all their various spin-offs. In fact, “Property Brothers – Forever Home” is streaming as I write this.

That’s a lot of favourites, I know. I can’t help myself.

I think this love of home renovation shows was seeded when I was young. My dad used to have books and catalogues of home designs and floor plans. I have fond memories of sitting on his lap and looking through them with him. I’d even look at them on my own. I still love looking at house plans. So clearly, my love of housing projects comes quite naturally.

It’s funny then that I haven’t really ever done anything other than paint some walls.

Until now!

Now don’t get too excited. I haven’t gutted and completely redone a house – we are talking baby steps here.

First up – the leaky kitchen sink. When I got to my initial Montreal home, there was a bucket under the pipes of the kitchen sink, and it required emptying regularly. A quick look revealed a pipe was slipping, not remaining properly tightened to the copper pipe coming down from the sink. One of my brothers was by and tightened it. But that didn’t last. Clearly I needed to replace part of the pipe. Now, I don’t have any tools and wondered if I would need a wrench to be able to take it apart. I figured I’d give it a shot and see. It didn’t really want to move. But I wasn’t going to give up that easily, so I told myself to properly get down on the floor so I could really put some strength into it. A few minutes, and it was off.

Luckily there is a Rona store close to me. I walked over with the piece in hand. I was greeted by someone asking what I was looking for and then directed to the counter downstairs where someone could help me. Knowing really nothing about anything when it comes to plumbing, I showed the man the piece and told him I needed a new one. He wanted a little more information, so I told him the top bit wasn’t staying tightened to the copper pipe. He looked at me, said he wasn’t sure they had the exact piece (yikes!) and asked me to wait for a moment.

I watched as he looked at some little pieces in small shelving units behind the counter. He then handed it back to me telling me he had replaced the “washer”, as it was stripped. This should work. He even told me I didn’t need a wrench or anything to tighten it, that it just needs to be securely tightened using regular old arm strength. The replaced washer cost me $3.43. Now that’s my kind of solution to a plumbing problem! I came home and then struggled to get the damn thing on. It has to be a tight fit, but man, I thought it wasn’t going to fit at all. Again, I was determined. I properly got down on my knees, fiddled and finally, it went on. I tightened it at both ends, and Voila! I’m happy to report that there has been absolutely no leaking since.

And best of all, not even a hint of “plumbers crack” was seen. Phew!

Next up: dining room chairs. There are six and only two were solid. The other four had issues with either the seat, the back or both. I saw clamps in the closet and picked up some wood glue. I used a generous amount of glue, some new, longer, joint inserts (those provided with the chairs were short and I thought the piece should actually fill the joint holes), put on the clamps and let it sit for a good 12-24 hours.

One of the chairs also had an issue with the legs – the support piece that runs horizontal was out. I found a random piece of wood, picked up the hammer and gently got it back into place by hammering the random piece of wood placed on the chair leg – so I didn’t damage the actual chair. We now have 6 usable chairs!

If only I could have people over for dinner…. Although this was a super easy fix, it really felt very satisfying. All we have to do now is wait and see how long it lasts. These chairs look good, but they are not exactly solidly made.

Then I moved to the apartment above, which is where I am now. Why I moved from the second-floor apartment to the third-floor apartment is a story for another day. All I’ll say now is I’m very lucky.

Having been renovated some 20 years ago, the apartment is in pretty good shape, but needs a bit of a refresh.

One of the dining room walls had been painted a dark chocolate brown by a previous tenant. Why??? This place gets some really lovely light, especially when the afternoon sun floods into the living and dining rooms. But even that light just died when it reached the wall. It was a dark space in the middle of the afternoon. No thanks. It needed to be white. Then I realized the other walls were taupe and the ceiling an off-white. So that meant a complete paint job.

Luckily I enjoy painting!

“The wall where all light goes to die” is what one of my brothers called it.

So I headed back to Rona and bought some painting supplies – including a primer for the chocolate wall.

Then I picked up some more of the pure white paint that had been used for the second floor apartment (why not use the same?). And you can see here why the ceiling really needs to be painted white as well…..

I have time and am not in a rush. The thing is though, when I start something I generally really like to just get it finished. So it’s a challenge for me that I’m not yet done (there are other things that need to be tended to!), but I’m liking the results so far. All the walls and the columns are done, and next week I will be able to tackle the ceiling. It will be fun dealing with all the beams!

White is starting to take over!

One of the things I needed to do which took me away from the painting was …. the shower stall. It will eventually be redone, and although it’s still in pretty good shape, it really needed cleaning up. I’ll let the videos speak for themselves…

Shower stall – before….

Shower stall – after

Okay, it’s not a brand new shower – but it is soooooo much better!

The hose and shower head also had a fair amount of mineral deposits and residue from the water on them. Rather than going out and buying a new one, I decided to remove it and throw it in the bathtub with some warm water and vinegar. This worked really well and all that mineral deposit is gone.

I have to say, I felt pretty good about that one too! It doesn’t take much folks, it doesn’t take much…. 🙂

I’m now wondering what I will do once I have painted the ceiling and the bedroom. Well, other than sit back and wait for HGTV to offer me my own show (obviously!!!)….

PS: Shout out to the Rona on Notre Dame. The staff is incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and so very nice. They don’t wait for you to come to them to ask for help, they make sure you are taken care of.

Tags Fixer Upper, Good Bones, HGTV, Home Renovation, Hometown, Love It Or List It Vancouver, Property Brothers, Restored By The Fords, Stone House Revival

Categories House and Home, Random Thoughts

Anton and his Accordian

November 17, 2020 //

And now time for something a little different….

I have been playing around with some creative writing recently. As part of this, I picked an image and made up a little story about it. Here it is.

Nobody understands why I sit here and play the accordion all day. I see you walk by and look at me with pity. A pity I neither deserve nor need. If only you knew. If only you knew.

The flurry of people calms me. This is what gets me out of bed every day. It has been years since I felt the warmth of a woman beside me. Our actions have consequences, and I know I deserve no more than I have. I haven’t always been the quiet man sitting at the corner, with a perpetual smile, a hello to passers-by, and a song to share.

Sometimes it feels like it was someone else’s life. The dark secrets, the travel in the night, the lies and half-truths, the deceptions. All in the name of “a greater cause”, the security of my country and my people. The things I was asked to do….the things I did do….would anyone understand? It was a younger man’s game, a younger man’s fight. A younger man’s delusion.

A delusion. Were my actions for the greater good? Are people safer now because of them? I am not convinced. And yet, most days I wake up with adrenaline coursing through my veins, eager for the fight. Some days I even wake up in a full sweat, in the midst of a flash-back to times I slipped away from the knife at my throat or the gun pointed in my direction. It’s an odd thing to both want and not want to be that man again, and to see the faces of those whose lives I cut short every time I close my eyes.

My greatest delusion was that I could be that man and keep you safe, keep you away from the dangers I danced through daily. Blinded by arrogance, I did not see that they would to get to me by finding the one I cherished above all others. Anastasia, can you forgive me for the lies and the way in which you left this world? Do you know that my greatest truth was the amount to which I loved you, and still do? I wish I could regret having stepped into your world and thereby ensuring you would never live to be old and grey. My selfishness prevents me from doing so. I never deserved you and for that you paid the price. Forgive me.

So I come here every day. To the place I first saw your smile. To where we shared our first kiss. And I play the songs to which we spent many evenings dancing under moonlit skies. I try to hold onto those moments where time stood still and I knew I was the luckiest man in the world.

And I pray for a salvation I know will never come.

******

I hope you enjoyed that. I know I enjoyed writing it.

A special thank you to A Simple Sketchbook for reinterpreting the photo into a lovely sketch so I could have an image to accompany this post.

Tags Creative Writing

Categories Creative Writing

Betsy the Bike

October 20, 2020 //

Meet Betsy. She’s a beauty!

I decided to add cycling to my regular thing this summer. With all the bike trails in the Eastern Townships, and easy access from where I was staying at the time, it was a temptation I could not resist!

I was already using the trails to run, and wanted to go further afield – literally, in fields, in the countryside, which was so nice.

And I’m not a serious cyclist. Nope. I want to meander around on my bike and explore the area. That is why I chose a classic cruiser. There’s nothing quite like having the wind on your face as you ride down paths and the feeling of freedom as the wheels glide below you – especially when you are heading downhill. All of this surrounded by Mother Nature’s beauty.

There is an estuary you can ride around, a lake, a river and farmland. Stopping at the bench on the top photo was one of my favourite things to do.

Cycling is also a great balance to the running – working the inner thigh muscles which helps support my not-so-great knee joints. Running builds the outer thigh muscles, so this is a good way to try to even things out, or at least build up some inner thigh muscle strength.

But really…it’s about feeling free and light when on the bike. And about discovering lovely little spots like this one:

Sitting on a rock at the river’s edge, listening to the sounds of the water flowing by and the birds singing…aahhh, so peaceful. As I watch this video and hear the sounds, I’m transported back. No wonder the first humans (and non-humans for that matter) who found this spot decided to settle close by.

Luckily there is much to discover along these bike paths. On weekends there can be a lot of people around as families and cycling groups take advantage of the sunny skies and warm temperatures. It was fun to see everyone take advantage of the trails. I even started to feel like a local when people asked me for directions!

Some days the water was a clear mirror, providing beautiful reflections of the fluffy white clouds. And I loved riding across the bridge. There’s just something about a nice little wooden bridge – fun to ride or over and beautiful to look at.

There are also a number of sculptures along the paths, a nod to the industrial beginnings of this area. Industry isn’t what it used to be as times change and different priorities come into play. I do like that the city has included these in its art programme.

When I came to Montreal at the beginning of August I replaced the bike paths in the estuary and countryside with those of the Lachine Canal. I’m not super comfortable riding my bike on busy streets, so haven’t done much of that. Although I did ride all the way to Verdun (not terribly far), using as much as the canal path as I could, then riding in the bike lane on the city streets. I stuck to the less traveled roads and was really quite proud of myself.“Look at me! I’m riding on the city streets!” Some days it doesn’t take much…ha!

As I mentioned in my *Why I Run* post, the Five Roses sign is a classic. It is very much an iconic Montreal landmark. I was pleased to find the bench that provided such a great view.

What I also like about riding and running along the canal is that you see the old industrial buildings – some of which have been converted to condos, event spaces, and restaurant. And at times you get both a glimpse of this history and of the high-rises downtown (which are certainly increasing in number these days).

The city has provided some Muskoka chairs – a comfortable seat with a view!

The canal is also a great way to get to Old Montreal. It’s about a 45-minute walk, and maybe 20 minutes by bike (depending how often I stop to enjoy the views).

It seems like every big city has a large ferris wheel these days. As much as it looks nice in photos, you won’t find me riding it…no thanks!

Old Montreal wasn’t bustling with activity this summer, thanks to Covid and a drop in tourism. Meandering the cobble-stone streets admiring the beauty of the old buildings was quieter than it would normally be in summer.

As fall sets in I know my bike rides are numbered and Betsy will soon be coming indoors. When that happens, I will look at her and long for the days I can ride again.

Beautiful autumn colours. With cooler temperatures it’s now time to enjoy wearing sweaters and cozying up indoors. A few more bike rides first though!

PS: for those cyclists who ride these trails and fancy themselves in the Tour de France…. You are NOT. I know that’s a shock to the system, but it is true. So settle down, chill. There’s no need to cut people off. And when you get to a foot bridge that has a very clear sign that you are to dismount and walk your bike across. Just get off your damn bike and walk!

Tags Cruiser bike, Eastern Townships, Get out in nature, health and wellbeing, Nature, Outdoors

Categories Health & Wellbeing

Tokyo Times

September 3, 2020 //

A city of high-rises. The view from one of the office buildings I went to regularly.

I have been back in Canada for five months now…clearly about time I wrote about my Tokyo Times. I was in the city on and off between May 2019 – April 2020 for work, and although I wasn’t always feeling my best (I touched on this somewhat in my post on Why I Run), I did manage to have some pretty awesome experiences.

The question is … where do I start? I think it’s taken me so long to write because I was overwhelmed by this question. Tokyo offers so much that it’s hard to wrap my brain around it all. I think the best thing to do is start with a few of my favourite experiences and observations, including some of my favourite spots to take visitors.

When I first arrived, I spent my free time just walking around different areas of the cities – this wasn’t always easy and comfortable, given the almost 100-degree temperature with 100% humidity (or close to it!). I joked that everyone was just going to have to accept that from May to September 2020 I was going to be a walking ball of sweat… Obviously that’s not quite how 2020 turned out.

So as I sit here miles and miles away from Tokyo and think back on my time there, here’s what comes to mind.

The food! Clearly the best place to start is with the food. So much amazing food – even if you don’t eat fish (which I do). From sushi to ramen to pizza (yes, pizza) to tempura to steak to gyoza to soba noodles to sandwiches from the 7-Eleven (really very good, particularly the egg salad). One of my favourite things to do was visit the food level at a department store late afternoon as they markdown the sushi which needs to be sold quickly. Super fresh and well priced. Yummy! I wasn’t adventurous enough to try out the many strange looking “sweets” – to be honest, they just didn’t appeal to me, they didn’t look like they were meant to be eaten.

Nissan Crossing. One of the first places I took visitors to was Nissan Crossing – the Nissan feature store in Ginza. Sounds strange, I know…however, on the 2nd floor they have a café. Not just any old café though. Here you can have a photo printed onto the foam of your coffee or hot chocolate (or iced chocolate). Then you get to watch yourself melt away as you drink. I even saw teenagers asking for a photo of their K-pop idol on their drink! Just a fun thing to do while catching up and deciding where to go next. My friend B. introduced me to this place, and I took everyone who visited – whether they were in Tokyo for work or for play. I still think that if I had enough of these photos they’d make for a fun poster.

Asakusa. This is another area that B introduced me to, and to which I kept going back (with or without visitors!). It was fortuitous that my friend B (who I met while doing my yoga teacher training) happened to be in Tokyo two weeks after I first landed. She and her husband lived in Tokyo for many years and it was wonderful to have her show me around. There were many gems in her tours, and one of them was Asakusa.

We went to Asakusa with some of B’s friends who still live in Japan on the weekend of its neighbourhood celebration. This is a three-day celebration where local residents parade items from the local temple through the streets to bless the area. All neighbourhoods do this. Asakusa’s was a real eye-opener!

I was quite surprised to see men walking around baring their butts. When I asked one of my new friends why they were doing this I was informed that it’s a tradition for areas by water to also take the temple items into the water to bless it and pray for good fishing. Okay, I get that, it’s amazing. However….nobody here was going into the water… It also cracks me up that this man looks so happy and proud of himself, all while getting a wedgie…

Asakusa is a very popular destination for locals as well as tourists, and was usually teaming with people there to see the temple, shop at the little kiosks, and eat lots of food. On weekends you see a good number locals wearing traditional kimonos which are so beautiful.

While walking around Asakusa I would head over to Kappabashidogugai street which is a very long street filled with kitchen supply stores. Here you will find everything from ceramics to glassware to pots and pans to restaurant uniforms to utensils and wonderfully sharp Japanese knives. A number of my friends bought some lovely ceramic bowls and I always meant to go back and do that eventually, but I never did.

I did, however, buy me some sharp Japanese knives! Luckily for me I have friends who love to do a lot of research before they travel somewhere and they did the leg work on finding the best knife store. Kama-Asa. They sell much more than knives, but that’s what I was there for and that’s what I brought a few people there for. Some bought gifts for others, some bought gifts for themselves.

And one of the cool things is they will engrave your name or whatever you want on the knives in Japanese and in English. All done free-hand. So impressive!

It’s amazing to me how quickly and perfectly the woman does this – and the scripty English is all done free hand! I had her put my name on these two knives and then went back later for a more traditional Japanese vegetable knife and had her put “chop chop” on that one. This made her laugh. I can not take credit for it though as my friend V who bought these 2 knives as well had “chop” and “pare” put on her knives, so I stole the idea from her 🙂

And that, my friends is only a little insight to Asakusa. A few other interesting tidbits:

I was told that the Yakuza (mafia) have their head office in the area. As far as I know I didn’t see it, however during the neighbourhood celebrations you did see people walking around showing their tattoos, which are traditionally representative of being part of the Yakuza. When you go to pools or spas you generally see signs saying tattoos are not permitted or have to be covered. This poses an interesting challenge for the Japanese tourism industry as more and more international visitors have tattoos – and aren’t part of a crime syndicate.
The first “western style” bar that opened in Japan is said to be in Asakusa as well. Kamiya bar – I nearly went in….but we opted for something else that day.

I feel like this is already a fair amount of information. And really, Tokyo deserves more than one blog post – being the big, beautiful, complex, interesting city that it is. So I’ll save some for Part 2 and leave you with a few random sitings.

Suntory Hall – I happened by it one day to see the announcement that doors were opening – pipes emerge from above the Suntory hall sign, playing music to let everyone know it is time to come in. Lovely.

One of the main streets in Ginza is shut down to traffic on weekends, opening it up for people who are wandering the area, shopping, and yes, showing off their dogs wearing lion wigs. They were certainly the stars of the show that day!

You had to know there would be a “Japanese toilet” image of some sort! The seats are warm, it’s a toilet and a bidet all in one, with various degrees of water pressure – basically everything has a control. Mine at home even flushed automatically as soon as you stood up. But this one, this one may have gone too far……”wand clean”???? Um, I’m not entirely sure what they mean – and I did NOT want to find out.

Riding the monorail. I may or may not have been pretending to drive..

What time is that first train? Clearly I am just supposed to know… 🙂

Tags Asakusa, Japan, Japanese knives, Kama-Asa, Nissan Crossing, Sushi, Tokyo

Categories Travel

Hello Universe, It’s Me, Lise…

August 27, 2020 //

How many times have you looked up at the sky and wondered what else is out there? Or just stood there in awe thinking about how vast it all is? Have you ever felt so small looking up at a night sky filled with stars, and at the same time felt so connected to something far greater than yourself? I know I have.

And recently I came across two news articles that brought these questions up again.

Closest Photo Of The Sun Ever

One was about how we have received photos from the European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter satellite mission – the closest photo of the sun ever taken. The photo in question was taken a mere 77 million kilometres from the sun’s surface (we are about 150 million kilometres away). The image is quite spectacular, showing a number of smaller fires within the sun’s sphere.

Scientists are hoping to understand more about the sun’s environment by obtaining more images over the next two years. They also hope to be able to understand why the sun’s outer atmosphere (called the ‘corona’….yikes!) is hundreds of times hotter than the actual surface. I am looking forward to seeing more photos as they are made public, and to reading about the findings.

If you are interested, here is a link to the article: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/this-photo-of-the-sun-is-the-closest-ever-taken/

China Mission To Mars

The other piece that caught my attention was about China’s first solo mission to Mars. If successful, the mission will collect information about how water ice is distributed on the planet and its physical evolution and habitability over time. Scientists believe that water once flowed on Mars’ surface, and hopefully the data this mission collects will be able to confirm that.

It is amazing to me that someone out there (or rather, a team of someones) can figure out how to send a spacecraft, lander and rover to Mars, have it hover in its orbit until a safe time and place to land present themselves, and then land safely. I mean, wow, what kind of brain works all those details out? Certainly not mine!

And I love the spacecraft’s name “Tianwen-1”, which means “quest for heavenly truth” (also translated as “questions to heaven”).

“Tianwen-1” was launched on July 23rd, and is scheduled to arrive in Mars’ atmosphere in February 2021. Here’s to hoping the mission is success so we can see what images and information comes of it.

And from what I’ve just read, this is only one of the missions to Mars currently happening – so hopefully lots of new information will be coming our way.

If you want the full article, you can find it here: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/chinese-spacecraft-poised-for-first-mars-mission1/

And here’s another article with more details about what the mission hopes to accomplish as well as info on the other Mars missions: https://www.space.com/china-tianwen-1-mars-mission-launch.html

An Early Childhood Question

Like many, I am intrigued by the thought of there being other habitable planets out there, and other living beings. I grew up watching Star Trek and have enjoyed movies like The Martian (though I’m not a big fan of Planet Of The Apes). And my favourite cartoon character is Marvin The Martian.

My Marvin The Martian keychain – I have had this baby for many years now and it has held onto keys from many homes around the globe.

Lately though news like this leads me to thinking about the bigger questions of “who are we, really”, “what else is out there”, “how do we fit in all of this” and ultimately “what does it all mean?”. I wonder if it’s because of my age – is it a question that we ponder more and more the more birthdays we see?

Or maybe it’s not that unusual for me. I had similar thoughts early in life – and I do mean early!

I think I was about seven years old when my older sister brought home her school class’ pet hamster. I’m not sure how long we had it, I think it was over a summer, but my memory is a little foggy on that. What remains clear in my head is that one morning I found myself looking at the hamster as it ran on its wheel in its cage. And what thought pops into my little head? Well, it was…..

”I wonder if we are all just running on a big wheel that someone or something else has put in a cage. What if we are just someone else’s ‘hamster’?”. Holy crap.

I have no idea where that thought came from, but it scared the living daylights out of me. I ran out of the room and pretty much stayed away from that hamster from then on. I didn’t say anything to anyone, didn’t ask my parents what they thought, nothing. I shoved it aside – it was way too much for my little head.

That memory and thought remained locked away in the back of my mind for some time before it resurfaced.

Now I think back on that memory and laugh – I mean really, how many other seven year-olds ask themselves that question??? When I start telling people about this most think I’m going to say that I wondered if the hamster was going to die…nope. Not me. I came up with an existential question.

Existential Questions Make My Brain Explode

So as space missions get closer to other planets, moons and the sun and bring back more information about our galaxy, the universe, and whatever else is out there, I find myself wondering again…how does this all work? Who are we? What does it all mean? What? How? Why?

Then my yoga teacher training and related courses kick in and there’s another voice in my head that says “it doesn’t mean anything”, “none of it is real”, “don’t be attached to any of it”.

And I realize that the hamster wheel is quite firmly located between my two ears….working hard and running fast….

Time to be back on my yoga mat and meditate to calm myself down!

What about you? Are these thoughts you have or do you steer clear of them? Any comments, feedback, thoughts, anecdotes are welcome.

Live Long And Prosper!

Getting back on my mat helps calm the hamster in my brain

PS: if you are interested in reading about my yoga teacher training experience, here’s my post about that: https://lisezfaire.com/2019/01/30/a-broad-abroad-yoga-teacher-training-and-life/

Categories Random Thoughts

Why I Run

August 20, 2020 //

Running Wild…

A little over a year ago I experienced something totally new. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, I had massive feelings of overwhelm and anxiety. Crazy butterflies and unease in my solar plexus and belly, loud heartbeats, excess ‘electricity’ coursing through my system, and heaviness in my chest. I have NEVER felt that before. I am, and have been, someone who is pretty calm, cool and collected, and who doesn’t stress much.

Then all of a sudden…WHAM!

Let me tell you I did not enjoy it – at all.

I knew well enough that what I was feeling wasn’t about what was happening in my life – every feeling was disproportionate to what was going on. Extremes like I have never experienced before.

So I did all the things I know of — reached out to my Five Element acupuncturist to do some energy clearing, saw my Traditional Chinese Doctor, started taking herbs, saw my chiropractor (she does much more than adjust my skeleton), did yoga, breath work, meditated, and started working with a hypno therapist. Basically – anything to NOT feel this way (well, except for drugs and alcohol – that’s a firm no for me!).

Bear with me – I know it’s a long intro to get to the running bit. I just wanted to be clear what was happening.

During one of the treatments with my Chinese Doctor, she told me that she really felt what was happening was physical – I wasn’t doing anything wrong or making bad life-decisions. I can not tell you what a relief it was to hear her say that. She also told me that I needed a lot of cardio…that I needed to move my body more.

And that’s what I did. I headed back to Tokyo, where I was working, and made sure I ran every morning. Even if I had only 15 minutes, I headed down to the gym (I was still living in a hotel at that time) and ran. I quickly understood and felt how much this helped. That little bit of cardio in the morning helped moved energy through my nervous system, which in turn meant I felt better.

Shiba Park, Tokyo. I was lucky enough to move into an apartment close by and be able to run through here and see colourful beauty.
Not quite “Rocky Stairs”, but they certainly did the trick!
My morning temple stop = a quick prayer and acknowledgement of gratitude.
These trees – a daily reminder that no matter the storm, you can weather it all and continue to stand tall. I thanked them every day for their inspiration and strength.

This isn’t the first time I’ve run regularly, but it had been a while. And I have definitely been running more consistently than ever. Over the years in Vancouver I ran three half marathons (each one slower than the previous one…what??? That’s not the way it is supposed to go! Ha!).

During my first half marathon the leaders of the actual, full, marathon came running by, leaving me in the dust. I was amazed at how they seemed like they weren’t really touching the ground…such a smooth, gliding stride.

Let’s be clear – I am NOT that. I am ‘heavy’ on my feet, I step with purpose. I don’t really enjoy running itself, but I like how I feel once I am done. So I do it. And a lot of times it’s a constant mental battle to keep going and ignore the “why am I doing this?”, “I’m so slow”, “I suck at this”, etc. going through my mind.

I love running along the dyke in Richmond – with views of airplanes coming and going from Vancouver International Airport, the mountains, sea planes, birds – all of it on a dirt path which is much better for my knees.

When I first started running in Vancouver it was with a group of friends. We met on either Saturday or Sunday morning, ran, and then went for brunch. It was really all about the brunch… Lots of laughs, long talks, ups and downs (and that’s not just the terrain). I miss my Vancouver running buddies. The half marathons I ran were with them.

This time however, it’s me running on my own.

On the plus side, it’s a great way to clear the mind, work out any frustrations, and help balance out my nervous system and hormones.

It is also a fabulous way to discover new cities – or rediscover familiar ones.

Granby has a wonderful bike/walk/run trail system.
Beautiful colours!
Granby has also done a lot to improve accessibility to the river and lake side.

Watching Mother Nature do her thing is also a benefit to running regularly. It has been a while since I spent time somewhere with such distinct seasons and I loved seeing spring turn into summer.

It is amazing to see the transformation and growth – all within a few weeks.

One of the advantages of being in a small town, surrounded by countryside is that you sometimes end up with running mates…

Careful…duck crossing!
I am the tortoise…joined by the hare

As my work has had me travelling regularly over the past year, I was able to use running as a way to see and experience new routes in new cities.

I had the opportunity to spend time in Lausanne – and running along Lake Geneva (Lac Leman to the French) was a treat.

The International Volley Ball Federation – I mean really, what kind of money does an international sport federation have to be able to call a place like this “home office”? And what you can’t see here is the tunnel that was created from the office to the lakeside path. Crazy!

I was also able to combine my trips to Lausanne with visits to my brother and his family in Germany. A different terrain, and equally as beautiful.

I have left Granby and am back in Montreal now. And I am happy to be living close to the Lachine Canal, which means I can continue to run by water. I’ve come to realize that I need some kind of nature on my runs – and if at all possible, water. As thankful as I am to the big beautiful trees in Tokyo, I always have loved the water. One day I will find the perfect combination of both big trees and water!

The Five Roses flour sign is a classic and always brings a smile.
Lachine Canal and the Atwater Market

As much as I hated the overwhelming and sometimes somewhat debilitating anxiety, I am thankful it lead me back to running. Oh, and did I mention the anxiety was replaced by very deep dark sadness for a while?Ya, that was fun. And when I say dark, I mean dark… Ugh. I was constantly reminding myself to just keep going, that this wasn’t permanent and that it would pass.

Thankfully the darkness has gone and the anxiety is also pretty much gone.

Running is now firmly part of my morning routine and one that I have come to cherish – time in nature, moving my body, moving energy, and feeling better all around.

Do not misunderstand me, there are NO plans for half marathons or anything of that sort. Just a regular shortish (4-7km) run. That’s all I need and want.

All of the above said…I have a bone to pick with Mother Nature, the Universe, God…all of them. First you say “no Lise, you can not have children”, and then you say “but you still have to go through the crazy hormonal shifts”. I cry foul! That is one warped sense of humour…

I will continue to run. Run through the wild ride that life throws my way. Keep my body moving and in good shape so that I can keep mobile and healthy as long as possible.

Run baby run – one step at a time.

P.S. I have been in Ottawa the past few days for family reasons. A great example of getting out for a run and rediscovering a city I once lived in.

It’s all about perspective – from here the bridge looks so far away, and yet, I ran over and back…and it didn’t take long.
Heading back across the bridge, from Quebec
The Fairmont Chateau Laurier
Parliament Hill

I was lucky enough to run by the Rideau Canal locks when they were at work, letting two boats through. Fun to watch – and I was okay with the little break from the run 🙂

Tags Five Element Acupuncture, Running, running to stay sane, Traditional Chinese Medicine

Categories Health & Wellbeing

White Butterflies

August 12, 2020 //

What do they Signify?

I have been going out for a run or bike ride pretty much every morning since my return from Tokyo. I spent the first four months back in Canada in the Eastern Townships, in Granby. It was wonderful to enjoy spring and summer and discover parts of the the area I’m not super familiar with, even though I lived there as a child (I didn’t get out much then). Watching mother nature do her thing and bring green, flowers, leaves to life has also been amazing. It has been a while since I lived somewhere where the seasons are so pronounced.

I have kept up the running and cycling since my arrival in Montreal. New location, new discoveries.

On many occasions I have had white butterflies cross my path. I started wondering what their meaning is and so I did a little research.

The first few results of my search were:

In Chinese symbology a white butterfly symbolizes the soul of a departed one. It also means angels are watching over you and that you are being protected.
Other mythologies say that if a white butterfly crosses your path or enters your home it will bring good luck and is a sign that you will have a good life.

Given the nature of the butterfly and its transformation from a caterpillar, I had expected to find more about it being a symbol of transformation.

Butterflies, in general, are thought to represent embracing change and new ways of being – which at this point in my life would definitely apply. This Covid-19 pandemic has given me the gift of time on my hands and has lead me to trying new things and taking some writing classes (which I have wanted to do for a while). It also lead to me deciding to make Montreal my home base – at least for now.

Some of my findings, well…I’d rather not go with – in some areas it is believed that if a white butterfly flies into your home it is a sign that someone in the family will die.

Nope, no thank you.

At least I haven’t seen any fly into the apartment in Granby, nor into my current abode, so that’s good. One can never be too careful. Ha!

Overwhelmingly though, the meaning attached to white butterflies is one of peace, tranquility, happiness, good fortune (as in you will have a good life, you are on the right track) and connection to loved ones lost.

There’s even a Christian point of view on this beautiful little creature. It is said to represent the angelic forces we hold in our hearts, and that they are connected to our own internal peace and tranquility. I like the sound of that!

So…if a white butterfly wants to fly alongside me as I run again (really…they have been at my side for a good 200-300 metres before flying off!), what I will choose to believe is that my spirit guides are close by (I have and do feel them…a lot!), continuing to keep an eye out on me and telling me that all is and will be well. That I will continue to have a good life – whatever I choose for it to be.

Hard to get these guys to pose for a photo! And my mobile doesn’t ever do it justice. I can only seem to get a photo when they are still, feeding off flowers.

Tags spirit guides, white butterflies

Categories Random Thoughts

Say What Now?

August 6, 2020 //

I finally started going through my photos of Japan in preparation for a long overdue post about my time there. As I went through the myriad of images, I found some that remind me of one of the things I love about travelling.

I can not express how much joy I have in discovering signs that make me scratch my head wondering “whaaaat???”, remind me that I am far from home, make me laugh, or at the very least put a smile on my face.

On my first walk around Doha – definitely a reminder that I was very far from home. And I really like the image.

Seeing the photos I took of signs in Japan made me think of some that I have come across in other parts of the world – like South Korea where a sandwich board outside a pub, shaped like a big frothy pint of beer, said “Live Beer”. Unfortunately that photo is deep in storage so I can not share it with you today – but I still remember it and it always makes me smile.

So I thought I would share some of my favourites from the past few years.

Some are “typos” or give you an idea of some of the local language challenges (like the letter ‘L’ in Japan).

There are some that I have difficulty understanding – or rather figuring out what they really mean.

In Istanbul I was introduced to “Birdshit’ ice-cream. What? What the heck is that??? Not sure I want some. But then, how do you not order it? Turns out it was pistachio….apparently the colour of pistachios is reminiscent of bird shit.

Ya…no clue here. What is “Hot water crack” or “Hot water crack of buckwheat”? For that matter, what is “Shochu”?

Okay…I can figure this one out – as long as they are not actually going to serve me a roasted vegetarian, that is.

Menus can be a fabulous source of smiles…or WTF’s… I mean, as much as I love wine, I’m not sure I want to “chug” it. I also don’t know that I want an “ice cream burger”. I can say that the pepper dressing is indeed “very delicious”, and I am not sure why their other dressings were not labeled as such. And then there’s my favourite Turkish breakfast egg dish – menemen. I have often said that I love “men-E-men” for breakfast, but this is the first time I saw it on the menu as “Men & Men”.

Every now and again I come across signs that are just really very clever. I always appreciate those and want to congratulate whoever thought them up.

Yes. Yes it does. 70% chocolate (don’t mess it up with other stuff) fixes everything. Not surprising to find this sign in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Buy some brownies and earn some brownie points 🙂 Cute little brownie shop I stumbled across in London.
Oh Vancouver….this made me laugh so much. And so very Vancouver.
Ace Hotel, New York City. I love staying here, and this kind of cheeky, fun sign in the bathroom is just one of the reasons. A Manhattan attitude.

Then there’s the time I was with friends in Amsterdam. We were walking around and wanting to find a little coffee shop to sit in and chat over coffee or tea.

But apparently a ‘coffee shop’ in Amsterdam isn’t necessarily serving you coffee. Oops…sometimes I really just do not have a clue. I finally asked why we were walking by all these coffee shops (thinking my friends were being super picky). Ha!

When you do touristy things you can be met with many signs designed to help you – some do and some don’t. While traveling in China with two of my brothers we went to the Great Wall (so beautiful). When we got there we had the choice of taking a little cable car up, or the ever popular “stair way of mounting the Great Wall”. Again, unfortunately that photo is in storage, but clearly the sign left it’s mark!

At the train station in Kyoto. I’m pretty sure they are saying that only adults can enter the smoking room – not that there is a separate smoking room for children….pretty sure…

Always nice to be reminded that I am “ordinary”. Hehehehe

I do hope that these signs never get “fixed” or have their grammar corrected. For me it is definitely part of the charm of visiting and discovering new places and cultures. It can also give you an indication of how the local language is structured which comes in handy when trying to speak it. Part of the lure of travel is to experience something new, different from home. As much as it can be nice, and sometimes comforting, to see English (or French), let’s hope it doesn’t all become one consistent, sterile, grammatically correct world.

Finishing off with one of my faves. I always chuckle when I see this photo.

Tags Adventure, Funny signs, Love Brownies, Travel

Categories Travel