spring is in the air

These are pretty and delicious pictures. The whole idea is to create a beautiful and inspiring blog with everyday life. This is the life I live away from work. Work is very different. I work in Skid Row; the neighborhood is completely the opposite of how I live.
But I bring to my work the same creativity I live with. It only looks different outside. I care very deeply about my work; I care very deeply about the people I serve at work, the homeless, the paroled felons and the mentally ill. Serving them brings great joy to my life. I wouldn't work any where else.



It is finally here, well, in Southern California, it comes early. I spend most of my free time outdoors in my backyard wearing my old straw hat that I bought 10 years ago from Walmart. It's seen me through 2 houses. I just came back from the Santa Monica farmers' market. I bought some flowers (Peonies and Tuberose), raspberries, raisins, baby Brussels sprouts and a loaf of raisin-pecan bread. I went through my old magazines and selected a stack of old English magazines and I'm going to read them again in the backyard with a cup of tea. I love foreign magazines, French or English. I might walk down to Venice beach and hang out there for a bit.

roughing it- in Europe

I have stayed in expensive hotels in Paris, Venice and Avignon. The European taste is so different and much more charming. American hotels tend to uniformed and stuffy. I've stayed in very cheap lodgings too. By far I enjoyed the cheap lodgings more. Each one is so different; you never know what to expect and that makes it so much fun. One place had the toilet wedged in the stairwell in between floors; you have to watch your step when you leave; you might fall down the stairs. Another place is a big old house run by a very nice young French couple. I always choose places where the guidebooks describe as friendly. The friendliness makes up for the rusticness. Rustic- that's the word for it, it sounds better than dumpy. These pictures were taken in Carcassonne, France. It's someone's loft which was painted pink and had lots of colorful provencal fabrics. It was cheap and delightful. The kids loved it. We stayed right in the center of the medieval city and cheaply too; 64 euros per night for the 4 of us. The balcony looks out into old and moldy buildings and the turrets and crenellations of the ancient city walls. The kids want to return to Carcassonne.

The high cost of vacations

With the high cost of fuel every expert is advising the public to take vacations closer to home. I have seen a little of the USA and have loved the sights. Yellowstone comes to mind and it is an absolutely fantastic place; a national treasure. I do strongly recommend visiting Yellowstone. However if one doesn;t go to Europe, One misses out too. Vistas like these are only found in Europe whether it be the Grand Canal in Venice or the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. There are hundreds of years of history in the sights in Europe and it is mind boggling. Venice is so different and so fantastic. You don't have to be on a honeymoon to visit Venice. There's no other place like it. The Alhambra was built by the Moors when they conquered Spain. When Spain was retaken by the Catholic Kings, Isabella and Ferdinand lived there and raised their children there. Their oldest daughter, Catherine was the first wife of King Henry VIII. In historical tales of Henry VIII, they make mention of Catherine as having grown up in the Alhambra. It's so full of historical significance. There are so many other places. One cannot see them all in one's lifetime. Venice was once a very prosperous city as evidenced by the gorgeous palazzos built in the water. I remember my first visit. As the train drew closer, I strained to see the city on the water. I couldn't see it, it took the train a long way into the water before I caught my first glimpse. It was magical. I stepped out the train and on to a vaporetto, a water bus. It zigzagged its way over the Grand Canal and to my hotel stop. I want to be beck there again and soon. There are so many other magical places in Europe.

the first time

Everybody remembers their first time. I'm not writing about that first time. I'm writing about my first time in Paris. It was the winter of 1998. I remember getting a week off at Christmas. I decided to spend Christmas with family in London. Family members encouraged me to take a couple of days of that trip and head over to Pairs on Eurostar. It takes 3 hours. I remember getting out of my aunt's house at 7 am on a cold, wet and dark wintry London morning; took a bus and the underground to Waterloo train station. Aunt Mary lives in North London. First class on Eurostar is a fantastic experience. During mealtimes, there's a waiter who waits on you and you get proper cutlery. It's very pleasant. I've been on second class since then. You pack a lunch or you buy something from the dining car. Before I embarked on that trip I bought a stack of this Christmas card to send to friends. At the back it read, "The raven" by Monet; courtesy of Musee d'orsay, Paris. I knew I would be near this museum in Paris. I remember rushing over in the late afternoon on my last day. I searched all over the museum for that painting but couldn't find it. Finally I asked for help and found it on the first floor. I still remember that sense of marvel. A few weeks before, the decision being made at a Barnes & Noble to see this painting live and there I was standing in front of it in Paris.......

camino santiago de compostela

It is a 500 mile pilgrimage from St Jean pied de port in France to Santiago de compostela in Northern Spain; one can walk, ride a mule, a horse or a bike. I was going to walk the last 60 miles but changed my mind. I trained for it though. For 5 months I walked for 8 hours, 3 days a week. I started walking 2 hours a day the first few days and by the second month I was walking 6 hours and over the next week' was walking 8 hours, sometimes 2 days in a row. I didn't get any blisters on my feet but I remember my calf muscles took a beating. They were so tense that at a slightest misstep I would feel tremendous pain, so much pain that I limp some days. I just walked and walked, some days with a packed backpack just to simulate the actual pilgrimage. I went to a walking store and got a pair of cute hiking boots that set me back $200 and a cool backpack that cost another $200. I bought a plane ticket and was ready to embark on the adventure when my sister called and changed my mind for me. She was afraid I wouldn't come back. The Tsunami in Asia had just happened and lots of Americans didn't come back from their vacation in Asia. I had to make changes to my itinerary. Since I was booked to fly to Santiago de Compostela, I did and stayed 2 days, visiting the cathedral and watched the pilgrims come in. Then I took the train to Bayone, France and onward to St Jean pied de port from where most pilgrims start their 500 mile walk up the Pyrenees to Spain and across Northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. I was on the train with about 2 dozen pilgrims. I went to the pilgrim office and saw them get instructions and off they went. That was last year. I still get pilgrim news from the British Confraternity of St James and American pilgrims on the road. Would I attempt it again? I doubt it. I don't have the patience to train again. Looking back I don't know how I mustered the patience to train. But I need to find another use for my boots and backpack. I need to go on a trek, maybe to Tibet or China or Nepal.

The spirit of adventure

Being an independent traveler, making up your own itinerary and your own travel arrangements takes a lot of motivation. It's very stressful before and during the trip. I'd like to stay longer in some places but time and money doesn't always, in fact, never allow it. There's so much of the world left to see. I started traveling late in life and only in the last 6 years. So I have a lot of ground to make up for. No matter, it is still very exciting and well worth doing. The other alternative is to sit at home and wonder what it is like to be going to those strange, different and wonderful places in the world. I live each day of my life with the same sense of wonder. I am curious about people. I am daring in my profession. If it's not done before, I want to do it. I want to practise my profession in a new and different way. I want to care more about people, put my heart and soul into any task. Even in this blog, I'm putting in a lot of effort; I'm always on the look out for inspirational things to write about. I can spend hours going through old photographs to find inspiration. I remember on a recent trip to Naples' I met 2 young Japanese girls at a hostel. One of them spoke a spattering of English, both spoke no Italian. They were headed for the Isle of Capri and the Blue Grotto. We went sightseeing together for most of the day. They flew in from Osaka into Rome, took the train from Rome and arrived in Naples at 10.30pm the night before. The hostel where we stayed was in front of the train station and was in a seeded part of town. It's scary in the daytime. They arrived at night. They were headed back to Rome that night and onto Venice, Trieste and Llubjana and then Osaka. Wow! I didn't even know where Llubjana was then. Now I know it's in Slovenia. I told Sophie, my sister in law, I want some of their spirit to rub off on me. She said, "you already have that spirit". I love Mark Harris' new song, "Find your wings". Part of the chorus goes like this,
I pray that God will fill your life with dreams
And faith will give you courage to dare great things.
While I try to inspire others, I let others inspire me also.

creative doodling

I have this book called "Living out loud". Once in a while when I am in need of inspiration I read again. I found some inspiring things in it,

Court uncertainty
Live on purpose
Pretend more
Proceed fearlessly
Laugh recklessly
Invoke magic
start by collecting information, quotes
Living with less and enjoying it more

I added my own doodling

Madrid Salamanca Toledo Avila
Barcelona Montserrat Andorra
Latour de Carol Perpignan Marseilles Nice
Bilboa St Jean de Luz Lourdes Pau
Malaysia Singapore
China
Tibet Nepal India

creative doodling

farmer's markets- abroad

It's the most fun thing when you arrive at a town in France and their farmer's market falls on that day. I remember my first encounter, it was in Aix en Provence. It had everything; produse, household linens, mattresses, brocante, olives, cheeses and sausages. Then there's that ubiquitous paella. I had paella for breakfast at the market in Sarlat. The saturday market in Sarlat is pretty well known. It's walnuts and goose country. There's walnut everything for sale- walnut cookies, walnut cakes, candied walnuts and walnut wine. I remember a purveyor of walnut wine handing me a sample; he must have been sipping a lot of his own stuff. He was a little tipsy. It was sweet and good. We went round every stall sampling everything walnut. There was duck and goose foie gras as well. We had roast chicken for lunch and we fed the bones and leftovers to a stray dog who followed us around. Sarlat is very pretty. Isle sur la Sorgue has a very big and renown brocante and farmer's market. In fact they have it every sunday but twice a year in April (Easter) and August, they're exceptionally huge. I made it to the Easter market 2 years ago. I've read so much about it. It was fun to actually see it in person. I've been reading about christmas markets in Europe and would love to attend one in the near future. I remember eating the most delicious home made sausage once. It was fat and juicy. I bought some home made rasin walnut bread from a vendor. That was my lunch. I found a park bench and ate them. This was in Aix en Provence. I've had lots of picnic lunches since then while traveling in Europe. I remember the Arancini I had in Naples. Arancini are fried risotto balls. In Siena, my sister and I ate salami, bread and pickles at the famous piazza. Sophie, my sister in law and I went into a Salumeria and loaded up with cheese, Mortadella and Calamari salad. We always pack food when we're on the train evn though most trains have a dining car or they have people puching a cart down the train aisle.

farmer's markets- at home

armloads of lilac blssoms at the Santa Monica farmer's market. Sweet peas growing up against a chainlink fence.

farmer's markets... at home and abroad 1

I am blesses to live so close to Santa Monica. They have a bi-weekly farmer's market which are both awesome; the wednesday one is more so than the saturday one. I try not to miss the wednesday market. I go every week with great anticipation as each week or every other week brings its suprises- a parade of seasonal fruits, vegetables and flowers. Last week I saw the first cherries. In France its "le temps des cerises". Here in Southern California the time of cherries comes earlier. There's always the ubiquitous strawberry that California is known for. We've just finishes eating apples and mandarins and we're anticipating the arrival of apricots. Apricots have softer skins and are picked when pretty green and sold in the stores. They are not worth eating. To eat a good apricot you must look for them at farmer's markets where they are ripe, sweet and juicy. For this reason, I never miss a farmer's market during the short apricot season. Next comes the nectarines and peaches especially the white varieties. They are to die for. In fall I eagerly await the "Autumn Royal" grape that is so sweet and awesome. I saw a guy buying 4 lbs once. I asked him how many people he was buying for; he said, for one. Then we see the seasonal vegetables, the baby artichokes, calabrese broccoli, all kinds of salad greens, heirloom tomatoes; the kind you see in seed catalogs. Also we see a progression of seasonal flowers. A few weeks ago most shoppers have been walking home with armloads of lilacs and apple blossoms. I stop every time to smell the multi-hued pea blossoms. As the weather warms up, the different summer flowers will come in season even faster. I see stuff found only in European markets; wild asparagus, white asparagus, purple potatoes, baby potatoes of every shape and alpine strawberries. I love both the red and white alpine strawberries and the red and yellow raspberries. I eat them dipped in Lite Cool Whip. I go through a few tubs of Lite Cool Whip every year. The L Brea bakery makes a brioche that is comparable to the ones I have eaten in France. I am always munching on a brioche when I'm at the Santa Monica farmer's market on wednesdays. I love living where I live; its a short bus ride sway from Santa Monica. It costs $1.25 per ride, a bargain in today's world.

saints' bones

The folk tales associated with the christian faith is not new but when we hear about the conspiracy theories in the Da Vinci code, we think this is something new. All through the history of the christian church all kinds of tales and fables have been circulated. The remains of saints and apostles are supposed to be sacred and to be venerated and can perform miracles. Therefore the places that housed these bones and remains are places of pilgrimage; Rome is a holy site because the apostles Paul and Peter died there. Venice has St Mark's bones. In ancient times churches even steal bones from each other. There are other tales being weaved about the travels of some of the figures in the bible. Mary Magdalene supposedly left Jerusalem and saied in a boat and somehow landed in the coast in the south of France. She became the patron saint of the gypsies. In a monastery in the Dordogne area of France the remains of a little girl is encased in gold and encrusted with jewels. Her name is St Foy and the place is Conques. Her bones are supposed to be able to perform miracles. All kinds of books have been written about her. This place has been a place of pilgrimages. I have made a pilgrimage there, not because I believed in the miracle properties of bones and remains, but because Conques is a beautiful place. It is remote and still very unspoiled though there are pretty and expensive lodgings next to the church. It's not easy to get to Conques. I took a train to Rodez, a town nearby and hired a car and driver to take me there. It cost me 200 euros. It cost me another 5 euros just to go into the room to see this golden figure. We are right now up in arms over the Da Vinci code. There are numerous other tales and fables associated with the christian faith over the centuries. It will continue till we meet the Lord face to face. Then only will know the completely.

nice ville

Back to the French Riviera; having been in Nice 3 times, I've seen quite a bit of its environs. I have taken the narrow gauge train from Nice to Digne les Bain to see the lavender fields. It's a long 3 hour train ride each way. It passes Entrevaux, a lovely medieval town. I didn't have time to stop. I've been to many of the hill towns outside of Nice including Grasse, Eze, St Paul de Vence and Vence. I've also been to Monte Carlo and Menton. The coastline between Nice and Menton is spectacular. I love old Nice. I've never stopped and visited any of the towns south of Nice, only saw them from the train as it passes them on my way to Marseilles and beyond, whether it be Avignon or Toulouse. I visited Marseilles in my earlier forays to Europe when I was so scared and unsure of myself. Today I am much traveled and much more intrepid. There is a cute little restaurant in old Nice near Cours Selaya. It's not a fancy restaurant. I can't afford Michelin starred hotels or restaurants. It's decor is down home provencal farmhouse. They have long pine tables with all kinds of confitures laid out. We had breakfast there one morning. I had a cafe noir and muesli with yoghurt. I love French yoghurt. It's creamier. I tried to eat my muesli with yoghurt at home. It just didn't taste the same. We had breakfast there 2 mornings in a row. I still think of that place. I remember my first time in Nice 4 years ago. I walked into a travel agent to inquire about tours around the area. The travel agent told me to go to the bus station across the street. I did and found buses going everywhere in Europe and also local buses that went to all the hilltowns around Nice. For a little more than 1 euro each trip I took the buses all over. What a bargain! Nice has an airport and the train station is a major hub. You can take the plane or the train to anywhere in Europe. The city is not so big. It's manageable. I love Nice. It's got cheaper accomodations around the train station. I've stayed in that area. I remember getting out at 7am to take the TGV to Avignon. It was still dark and cold in March. I had only to walk 5 minutes to get to the train station.

The French and Italian Riviera

Last year I visited the Pyrenees and for months after I came home, I read everything I could find written about the Pyrenees. Since way back I had always wanted to travel the coast from Nice to Rome. In March this year, I actually went from Rome to Nice, spending a little time in a few places along the way. Right now and for the next few months, I'll be reading everything I can find written about the French and Italian Riviera. I know I still want to travel the coast from Nice to Rome, stopping in places I missed on my trip from Rome to Nice. Right now I'm reading Carolyn Mackenzie"s book, "Portraits of the Riviera". It's about a woman from New Zealand who moved to Italy to teach English and who bought an apartment in Ventimiglia, Italy. Ventimiglia is an Italian town near the French-Italian border. She documented the purchase and renovation of the apartment and how she amuses herself by exploring the environs of Ventimiglia, both in Italy and in France. It makes me nostalgic for both the French and Italian Riviera. These feelings will accompany me the rest of the year till I visit another place in the world. Next year I go to Sicily and I've already read, "A house in Sicily", "The Stone Boudoir" and many others. I hope to visit China also and there are books about people who spent extender periods in various places in China.

heroes

Who are our heroes? Who is my hero? I have a new one. It is the New Testament scholar, the late William Barclay. Recently I went on the net and acquired most of his books. He is a New Testament scholar but his knowledge of the Old Testament is so vast, he may as well be an Old Testament scholar. He is easy to read. One colleague wrote of him, that Barclay was already typing at 7 in the morning when this colleague came into work and the sound of typing from Barclay's office went on well past midnight. He loved the Lord and the word of God so much that he spent his whole life expounding on it. I have a vast collection of works by scholars like him. Modern scholars lack the depth and dedication that these older scholars have. Modern writing is at best pithy. Our lives would vastly improve if we would avail ourselves to these scholars whose dedication is beyond ours. Right now I'm reading Barclay's "The promise of the spirit". And I quote from it, "The christian is a Spirit-anointed, Spirit-dipped, Spirit-saturated, Spirit-dominated man. And the drabness of life, and the inadequacy of life, and the futility of life, and the earthboundness of life, which characterize so many of us, all come from the failure to that baptism of the Spirit which Christ alone can give".

england and food

Is England or the English known for its food? Yes, only known for how bad the food is. I certainly had my fill of bad English food during my many trips there. When I think of England I think of the clotted cream ice-cream that is so wonderful; of the cream teas found everywhere- fresh baked scones, chunky strawberry jam and thick clotted cream...mmmmmm. I think of crusty Cornish Pasties. One doesn't have to go to Lands' End or Penzance in Cornwall to eat tasty Cornish Pasties. I found a great stall in Victoria station that sells great Cornish Pasties. I'm going to be there pretty soon and I know I will make a beeline for the Cornish Pasties stall. I have a food story associated with London. I spent a Christmas in London a few years ago and just before I was to leave, an email from my cousin said, "mum said don't forget the beef". They haven't had beef in a few years because of mad cow disease and I was to bring with me a frozen rib roast. I went to our local market, found a 10 lb rib roast and hauled it in my checked in luggage all the way to London. We had roast beef, yorkshire pudding and roasted parnips for dinner that Christmas. It was a very memorable Christmas. I want to spend Christmas in London again soon.

british programs on pbs

One of my favorite British shows on PBS is Rosemary and Thyme. Last saturday's show was shot in Sicily and I missed where in Sicily it was shot. I think its Milazzo. I'm going to Sicily next year (07). The scenery in last weeks' show was so beautiful. I can't wait to be there. I went on their website http://www.rosemaryandthyme.tv to try to find where in Sicily it was but have no luck. Anyway it doesn't matter. I've just finished reading Daphne Phelps' book "A house in Sicily" about an English woman who inherited a house outside of Taormina, Sicily. It's an interesting account of the English expatriate community in Sicily after WWII. I'm reading everything I can about Sicily including its history both ancient and mideaval. I have my itinerary already planned out.

england 1

I'm playing with old pictures. These wer taken 4 years ago in England, Stratford upon Avon, to be exact. This is Anne Hathaway's house and garden. She was Shakespeare's wife. Most of my pictures of England were taken of gardens, as England is known for her English gardens. On my first trip to London, only 7 years ago, my aunt took me to Kew garden. That was a marvelous place. Few people visit Kew garden these days. It is very accessible on the underground and is within walking distance from the underground station, I forgot which one. On the same trip my cousin took me and my aunt to Sissinghurst. It was raining the whole time we were there but still it was a lovely visit. I saw their famous white garden. I have heard about it and even before I saw it, I planted my own white garden. It was on the same London trip that I visited the Cotswolds. I remember taking pictures of English gardens through closed fences and open garden gates. It was a very simple and wonderful trip'y first trip to London.

The holy spirit

This morning, as I was reading my bible, a thought came to me that was so enlightening. The Holy Spirit, at work in us, has greater impact than we can even understand, greater than our own experience of its work. We can't comprehend the extent of its impact. It is far more reaching than we can ever know. It is the Spirit of God Himself, in us. In creation God spoke and things came into existence. It is the same power in our lives. When we love God, when we acknowledge Him, when we desire Him, He comes in and inhabits us. As scripture says, "in Him we move and have our being". It is God at work in us, giving us the desire and fulfilling that desire. In the world we see the capriciousness of people. I meet a lot of people who has expressed all kinds of wishes from, "I'm going to change job one day", "I'm going to eat healthy"' "I'm going to save money", "I'm going to travel". How many actually put these plans into action? Our desire and willpower, at best, is very shallow. We have a million wishes but have no power to work them out. It is the Spirit of God that helps us to desire deeply and to empower us to make our dreams come true. We have a desire so deep that we do make concrete plans for its fulfillment. The Holy Spirit in us, draws to us the wherewithal to bring our dreams into fruition. This morning I looked at my life, at the things I have accomplished and at the things I still want to do and I marveled. I don't even understand the empowering of the Holy Spirit. I don't even comprehend the impact it has and is having in my life. I plan a trip and the next thing I know I'm on my way. I want to put money away and next thing there's a big pot in my bank account. I want to buy a house and next thing I'm signing escrow papers. I love the Lord so much and I love the life He has given me and I go on to honor Him by making my life into a masterpiece. I don't have wish washy dreams, I have solid desires and with the empowering of the Holy Spirit, I set out to make them come true. Our lives ought to be a living testament to God; a living witness so evident of the abiding presence of God. Someone said, " your action speaks so loud the I can't hear what you are saying".

Around town 2

The learning Garden at Venice High School, Venice, California. It's across the street from where I live. I spent yesterday going around the neighborhood taking pictures. It's hard to believe that this is city living but we have pockets of rural scenes in this neighborhood. When I was looking for a place to relocate to, it was the little pockets of rural scenes like this that drew me to this neighborhood. The Learning Garden is a community garden and right now it's ablaze with color. I saw some teachers there yesterday and I asked if I could come in and take some pictures. She said, "help yourself". She and all who worked on the garden were pleased to show off their hard work. They were thrilled that I asked to come in to admire their handiwork. Next I went to another community plot and there were a number of older folks working on their plots. Some were going home with baskets full of fresh plucked produce and flowers. They smiled when they saw I had a camera. Everyone's happy. I walked to all these places. Imagine, they are all within walking distances from where I lived. It was free and I didn't use my car. I came home and downloaded these pictures into my PC from my camera and am now using them. What are you doing for fun?

rosemaryandthyme.tv

I love British shows on PBS. A few weeks ago, I watched "Bleak House" by Charles Dickens. The newer series on their lineup is a show called "Rosemary and Thyme". It's about 2 ladies who works on gardens and solves murder mystery in the process. The location is usually some large estate in England with a large garden that needed work. Last night's show was different, they went to Sicily. The scenes were magnificent; I 'm trying to get a copy of the DVD if they have it. I'm planning to go to Sicily next year. I can't wait. I never knew it would be so beautiful. Right now I'm reading anything I can get my hands on about Sicily. Last year when I watched the movie, "The passion of the Christ". I thought the location was hauntingly beautiful. A little research and I was there in Matera, Italy in March this year. Matera is truly unusual and beautiful. I do recommend visiting Matera to see the Sassi caves and to stay at a Sassi hotel. It's not easy to get to Matera. I went from Rome to Bari and from Bari, a little train will take you to Matera. Bari has 4 train companies leaving at the same train station. Look it up on "Lets'go" or "Lonely Planet". If you stay a few days in Bari, you can take daytrips to Alberobello, Leece, Martina Franca or Locorotondo, all are very beautiful and interesting places. Head south, young people .... and older folks.

around town

What do I do for fun when I'm not at work or traveling? It's expensive to do anything. Gas prices are through the roof. So I must devise some fun that costs nothing. Surely living in Mar Vista with its proximity to such neighborhoods in West Los Angeles as Venice Beach, Marina del Rey and Santa Monica, there must be a lot of fun things to do and to see. I decided from now on I'm not going out without my camera. I went out today and started snapping pictures. It's a gorgeous spring day, breezy and cool and absolutely beautiful. It's why I pay so much to live in this neighborhood. Winter is mild and wonderful; summer temps never get too hot. The house across the street, 2 bedroom, 1 bath and a converted garage, like mine is being listed for M$1.15. I hope they sell it at this price. What is this thing about a housing bubble bursting? There is no available space in this neighborhood; its a stone throw to the Pacific Ocean. I was able to take some lovely pictures which I'll post in this blog over the next few weeks. These 2 happen to be in my yard. I took the bus to Santa Monica to shop at the farmer's market. At $1.25 a ride, its the best deal in town. I bought some strawberries and have been feasting on them dipped in Lite Cool Whip. Last week I bought some raspberries and ate them dipped in Lite Cool Whip. How great is that? I wish I could bottle the weather and sell it. Some days I walk to Venice Beach and hang out there. Mostly I hang out in Santa Monica. I just sent my car to be serviced at the Toyota dealership in
Marina del Rey. I love this neighborhood. It's the best thing I ever did, buy a house in this neighborhood. What do they say in Real Estate? Location, location, location!

around town

What do I do for fun when I'm not at work or traveling? It's expensive to do anything. Gas prices are through the roof. So I must devise some fun that costs nothing. Surely living in Mar Vista with its proximity to such neighborhoods in West Los Angeles as Venice Beach, Marina del Rey and Santa Monica, there must be a lot of fun things to do and to see. I decided from now on I'm not going out without my camera. I went out today and started snapping pictures. It's a gorgeous spring day, breezy and cool and absolutely beautiful. It's why I pay so much to live in this neighborhood. Winter is mild and wonderful; summer temps never get too hot. The house across the street, 2 bedroom, 1 bath and a converted garage, like mine is being listed for M$1.15. I hope they sell it at this price. What is this thing about a housing bubble bursting? There is no available space in this neighborhood; its a stone throw to the Pacific Ocean. I was able to take some lovely pictures which I'll post in this blog over the next few weeks. These 2 happen to be in my yard. I took the bus to Santa Monica to shop at the farmer's market. At $1.25 a ride, its the best deal in town. I bought some strawberries and have been feasting on them dipped in Lite Cool Whip. Last week I bought some raspberries and ate them dipped in Lite Cool Whip. How great is that? I wish I could bottle the weather and sell it. Some days I walk to Venice Beach and hang out there. Mostly I hang out in Santa Monica. I just sent my car to be serviced at the Toyota dealership in
Marina del Rey. I love this neighborhood. It's the best thing I ever did, buy a house in this neighborhood. What do they say in Real Estate? Location, location, location!

My aunt, who lives in London, emailed me this photo. It must be at least 100 years old of my grandmother's family and she was about 20 at that time. She passed away at 94 some years ago. Though fade, you can still see the outlines of palm trees. It was an idyllic time in North Borneo where a lot of Chinese imigrants find themselves. I've been reading this old book about how the Chinese ended up all over the world. It's a fascinating account. There's a certain beauty in this picture. Alas my cousins are all half English and doesn't appreciate images like this. So my aunt have to share this with me even though I live half a world away. I'm in and out of London when I go to Europe, so I see her at least once a year. She's getting on in age like my own parents, so the time spent with all of them are really precious. I don't get to see much of London when I'm there because all my time is spent with my 2 aunts who live there. I'm running errands for one of them, going to Soho to buy Chinese groceries mostly. London Heathrow has become like LAX, very familiar places and I love airports. It means I'm either going somewhere or coming home, both of which I love to do.

Technology

A techie, I'm not but I love new technology even though I'm almost the last to own some of these new stuff. This could be a digital camera, a DVD player or anything. I have a lot of pictures because of my travels. Not all of them were taken by a digital camera, in fact I've only learned how to use my digital camera the last few trips. So I have lots of trips when I've missed photo ops and I have lots of pictures that were taken with a cheapie 35mm film camera. I had trouble finding film in France the last trip and when I found them they were exorbitant. For this reason I loved my color scanner printer. I can scan some of my pictures into my PC and then use these pictures. Take this picture, it was taken with a Kodak Advantix. The developed picture was scanned into my PC and I just uploaded it for use in this blog. I told a friend about how to do this and it sounded like I am this great tech wizard. I can scan pictures from books and magazines and use it like I would with this picture. This is a back alley in Venice, far from the madding crowd. Every nook and cranny in Venice is a photo op.

reading

I've been ordering a lot of books from Alibris.com. It's a used book outlet who has access to all the used books on the market. I'm surprised that the books I want to read are mostly out of print. I just received from them, Vincent Cronin's book, "The Golden Honeycomb". I've yet to find out why Sicily is referred to as the golden honeycomb. I'm really excited about reading this book and finding out more about Sicily. I'mm planning to go there in March 2007. I plan all my vacations a year ahead, usually reading as much as I can about the place so I can maximize my trip. I read that this is a timeless book, first edition was in 1954 and have had several editions since and is still consulted as a travel guide to Sicily. Wow! What a honor to have one's work outliving one's life. My best loved books are books like this. Maybe it's because they didn't have TV, they didn't spend most of their waking moments in front of the TV screen. I grew up at a time when we were so poor we didn't have TV. When I was a kid we had to amuse ourselves in other ways. I read most of the time and dreamed a lot. Growing up on the island of Borneo, I dreamt of far away places. Little did I knew then that I would eventually live in a far off land and also to travel to other far off lands, even lands associated with Homer.

traveling cheaply 2

8 grand puits, Carcassonne, France. Nicole, the owner of the building owns a little boutique at the bottom floor, she lives on the floor above the shop. She rents out the floor above the floor she lives in. It's right in the middle of the medieval city. A room at a regular hotel costs a lot more, more like 150euros per person per night. Of course the bed sheets are not made or changed everyday, neither are yours at home. I read the sheets on sleeper trains in China are only changed every 4 persons. That was 20 years ago. I don't know about today. I'm going to Sicily next Spring and to China next Fall. So I'm reading up about both Sicily and China. I usually read up before taking the trip. I want to maximise my time there. It costs so much and it takes up a lot of effort. It's hard work. It's intense living, a lot of living compressed into 2 weeks. Last
year I was supposed to walk the Camino Santiago de Compostela. I trained for it for 5 months but changed my mind. I still took the trip to Santiago de Compostela in Norther Spain. I'm in the middle of writing about the trip before it becomes a distant memory. Already it is fading. Every place I go to becomes a new favorite for me. Right now I'm enamored by little pastel colored fishing villages in the Italian Riviera and also by Baroque churches and architecture. It used to be Gothic till I discovered Baroque. Life is good. Goethe said, whatever you dream of doing, begin, boldness has power, magic and genius in it. I have loved this saying and have lived by it ever since I discovered it. If this blog inspires you, let me know. If you need to know more about how to live the good life, let me know. The kids wants to go back to Carcassonne, of all the places, not Paris, not the Loire.

traveling cheaply

That's an oxymoron statement. With oil prices the way it is, there are no cheap flights anymore or even off season prices. But there are still ways to lower the cost of a trip. If we have a more flexible mindset we can even have fun. In Europe a lot of families rent out rooms in their homes especially when they live in a historic town. All over the Cinque Terre we saw signs of rooms to rent. There are not many hotels in the Cinque Terre. So when one comes to town especially during the busy summer months one can inquire at tourism offices. When I was there in March this year, I rented someone's apartment. I found it on Rick Steves' guide book and I emailed the owners. They wanted to know when I'll be arriving. I logged on Trenitalia and found their schedule and I was able to give them an eta. Someone was waiting for me when I arrived to give me the key and for me to hand over the money, 46 euros per night which was a good deal for a room with an attached bathroom. I paid 80 euros for a room at a hostel in Rome with no toilet or bathroom. In Carcassonne, France I paid 64 euros for a loft in the medieval city for 4 people. We lived in a top floor room with a kitchenette and bathroom and we look out over towers and turrets. The kids loved it, it was like living in a castle. I prefer these down home places to stay. It makes for a more memorable stay. In Naples I paid 25 euros for a dumpy hostel. They provided breakfast which was a coffee and a packaged roll. It sustained us the whole morning till lunch. I didn't mind, I saved a lot of money. The owner was nice in a european way. When I started going to Europe six years ago, the exchange rate was better, I stayed in more expensive hotels. I remember this pretty chateau I stayed in, in Avignon. It was the most charming and french place. Today I stay in more down home (dumpy) places. When I pick a place from a guide book I pick friendly. It it says, nice and friendly staff, then that's where I'll stay. Not just friendly, I have to add, safe. Safe and friendly, in european terms are different from american. Be flexible and keep an open mind, as Rick Steves said, be militantly positive. And you will have a lot of fun and come home with a lot of happy memories. And you can't wait to go back again for more.

boos etc

Books can give us ideas on how we want to live. It can help us set new goals and help us achieve them. The bible is full of encouragement and assurances. With all kinds of knowledge we can nevr fail to live life at a different and higher level. I can say at this moment that this is how I have always wanted my life to be. I am not sitting on my laurels. I want more and the quest goes on. I am excited about getting up in the morning and I do not want the day to end. I am surrounded by books and I want to write some of my own. Sometimes I forget but writing this blog has helped remind me of how wonderful life is. We watch too much TV. We can make our lives to be far more than the most fascinating life we see on TV or the tabloids. A life filled with meaningful work, wonderful and informative books and interesting people. In the book of Deuteronomy, " it's the Lord that gives us the power to get wealth" The Lord is your exceeding great reward. God is spirit and we must worship Him in spirit and in truth. The Lord is spiritual ideas, fresh and new. Ideas that are worked out to bring prosperity. Job said, "assign your gold and silver to the dust, let the Lord be your gold and silver." If God is your source, what else would you need. Assk today for the spiritual solutions that will prosper you. What are the needs in your life? Better yet, what are the goals in your life? Ask today that you will prosper beyond measure.

books, more books

My favorite bookstores are used book stores. I've been known to spend up to $100 at a time at any used bookstore. I love used book stores especially online used books outlets like Alibris.com. My bill at Alibris.com can rival my bill at Amazon.com. Right I'm reading about Sicily because I am making plans to visit Sicily next year. The offerings at Amazon is pretty thin but at Alibris, it's a different story. I love books by older authors. Clearly some of the best books were written by authors who lived long ago. My first book on Metaphysics was written by James Allen, "As a man thinketh". He opened the door to the vast collection of other writers in that genre including Ralph Waldo Emerson. It has given me power I have never felt in my life. It opened up new understanding, well, it was new to me. With greater understanding I am less puzzled. Being puzzled and being in the dark is a very painful thing. I came to understand myself and that is a freeing experience. I am no longer shackled to ignorance. It is a very powerful experience. I can be what I want to be. I can live how I want to, go where I want to and I'm doing just that. We are limited in our knowledge and experiences. Through reading we have access to other people's knowledge and experiences. With that knowledge, we can say to ourselves, I can do that and do it.

creative licence

This is what books can do for you. This is what a book did for me. I bought a book on how to give myself creative licence and guess what I've been discovering the artist in me. I always have color pencils and drawing paper with me especially when I travel besides my camera. Jim Rohn said in his book, take pictures, take lots of pictures. I do. He also said, read a book, read 2 books, have a library. Get a good idea from a book, get a few good ideas. I say, do something, start saving, start dreaming. Mary Engelbreit said, if you don't start, how are you going to get there? When you read, when you start doing something, you will discover your passion. Rick Steves took his first trip to Europe right after High School and discovered his passion, 30 years later his travel business does M$20 a year. Sometimes I'm afraid to look at my bank statements, not lately, not that there is more money but I want to face the issue of money head on. If there is a problem I don't want to defer it. Who's going to solve it but me? The sooner I do the better. It's the same with my expenses, my budget and my credit card statements. Make the money, save the money, having a little bit more money will allow you more creative licence.

favorite books

Again in "The adventure of Living", Paul Tournier said, God is a God of adventure and man is made in the image of God. It is only to man and not to other animals that God has imparted this spirit of adventure. And for life to be meaningful, it must be lived in this same sense of adventure. It is only a life lived in the Holy Spirit; it is only a life "hid in Christ" that this sense of adventure is sustainable. Often with earthly adventures, we soon get bored. The adventure is not sustainable. With the Holy Spirit, it is "each morning, new mercies we see!" The Holy Spirit renews and refreshes. Emmett Fox said, "the Holy Spirit doesn't do anything twice". I used to travel with a mind to see the world's oldest monument. I didn't think I would have fun just seeing cute little pastel colored buildings perched up against rocky hillside. Little did I know I would become enamored with the Italian Riviera.

books, books, books

Those who don't read will serve those who read.
I don't remember where I found these words. I should not only write down the quotation but also write down the source. I have notes everywhere just as I have books everywhere. I counted I have at least 700 books and the collection is growing. Reviewing my notes I have these written down, embolden, encourage, energize, comfort, Wow! Are these not powerful words? One book, besides the bible, is intrumental in changing my life dramatically. It motivated me to walk out of a marriage . I literally packed my bags and left and have never looked back however hard it was initially. That book is "The adventure of Living" by Paul Tournier. It's out of print but you can still find it in used book sources. I've owned 3 copies in my life and have 2 in my possession now. He said God is a God of adventure and it is only to man that He has given this instinct, not to the other animals. I began to question my own life, where is the adventure? Since then my quest in life is to seek the adventure of living and to continue living from one adventure to another.

not so cheap thrills

Here we are at the entrance of the Blue Grotto near the Isle of Capri, Italy. The row boats are collecting money. Then we were transferred to the row boats and taken into the grotto. It was thrilling but not cheap. I'm setting Microsoft Word to type out details of my trip and inserting this and many other photos. I think the photos are priceless. I've worker hard and saved hard to make trips like this possible. I'm now preparing for next year's trip to Sicily. It's been an incredible learning experience. Before I left on this trip I watched Rick Steves's program on Cinque Terre and then in less than a week's time I was there. I saw pictures of Matera and I was breathless when I actually stepped into the Sassi village. Years ago I watched Globetrekkers's program on PBS when one of their travelers went to Southern Italy and to Alberobello to see the trulli village. Little did I think then I would one day be at the same place. It's almost surreal. Five years ago, some friends and I decided we'll all go together to Provence. When the day came, one by one cancelled. I found myself going alone. Since then I've not stopped. This was my 10th trip in 6 years. Cin! Cin! Here's to life.

Cinque Terre, Italy

This was one of the highlights of my trip to Italy last March. It rained on and off and it was freezing cold. I love this kind of weather. It makes for more comfortable traveling. Southern Europe at this time is already warming up and it is as spectacular. The vistas were beautiful, the food fresh and excellent, the people were wardm and friendly. We stayed at hostels and at hotels, if possible we shared a common bathroom, toilet and shower. I'm not a young person but it didn't bother me to share accomodations with very young people. The US dollar is not worth much in Europe and airfares are high. So the only way to travel is as cheaply as possible, staying near train stations and taking the trains and going second class. This is so that I bring home pictures like this, quaint little Italian fishing villages, ancient ruins and Baroque churches. An american sitting next to us said the last time he was in Europe was 10 years ago. I couldn't make it through 10 months without being in Europe. I like Let's Go guide books. I use the internet all the time to make reservations and I take with me intructions on how to get to the hotel/hostels. I've always found them, after asking many questions. French rails have preprinted schedules which is very handy. You can find out when your stop is. Italian rail is different, if you haven't found out beforehand the name of the stop before yours, you'll be at a lost. Each time the train slows down I have to get up to ask a local the name of the stop, I do this till I find my stop. Sometimes there is an English speaking passenger on board who cold tell me how many stops more before mine. Traveling independently means one has to be outgoing, not afraid to make a fool of oneself. After 10 trips to Europe the past 6 years I have developed a very thick skin. As a whole having lived this long, I have developed a relatively thick skin. I'm loving it.

cinque terre, Italy

Vernazza, a really pretty fishing village in the Italian Riviera, and part of the cinque terre, a collection of 5 fishing villages, all linked by a hiking trail. It has been designated by UNESCO as a world heritage site. It's becoming popular among Americans after being publicized by 2 travel writers, Rick Steves and Rudy Maxa. On the day we were in Vernazza, there were a lot of Americans. We walked the whole 7 mles linking all 5 villages. Cinque terre actually is 5 lands in Italian. The first 2 trails linking Monterosso and Vernazza and Corniglia were extremely gruelling. The fact that it rained didn't help because it made the trails muddy and slippery. It was the most beautiful hike. I strongly recommend visiting and walking the whole hike. The hike from Corniglia to Manarola is easier. The hike from Manarola to Riomaggiore is the easiet and is dubbed "the lover's lane". The views are superb, the seafood is fresh caught and the wines are world class. It's a wonderful place under heaven. The people were really nice, they love visitors and what visitors does for their economy. It's also a national park and a fee has to paid to walk the trails and use the train service. Only the cinque trains can stop at 4 of the 5 villages.

Europe

I love Europe. I was in Italy and France last month, my 10th trip in 6 years. With each trip I get more daring and now look for more off the beaten path places in Europe. I went to Southern Italy, to the Adriatic coast. I feel I can now tackle Palermo and Sicily. So I'm going to save for Sicily next March. I bought this card at a little hilltop village outside of Nice. The town was St Paul de Vence. I remember my first trip to Nice, 5 years ago. I was scared to death and did not know what to do. I went into a travel agency to ask if they offered tours for the city. The lady told me in a very indignant manner to go to the bus station. She pointed in some direction. I went and found buses that went everywhere. I took the bus to Menton at the French/Italy border, to Monte Carlo and to the little hilltop villages outside of Nice, just for a little over 1 euro. The bus station in Nice was the best travel bargain in my books. This trip we took the train, an Italian train from Genoa, right into France and into Nice. How great is that, to have a Trenitalia train rolled right into Nice, France. Colleagues at work think I'm very rich. Rich, I'm not. I told them I'm on a Ramen diet so I can afford all these experiences. I don't go to the mall. I don't watch much TV. They say watching too much TV increases your appetite for buying thing. I remove all temptationof shopping from my life. I work in a drugstore and wear a white smock, so I spend very little on clothes, a few pair of knit pants and T shirts from Lands' End will last me a long time. I shop at TJ Max or Ross stores most of the time and even when I do I usually only check out their clearance racks. I'm so cheap, I just realize that. How else am I going to afford such wonderful European experiences? Have you seen the price of gas lately? The US dollar is like a third world currency abroad. It's nothing compared to the euro and the pound. I came back with a treasure trove of memories. For my recent itinerary and details, read my previous blog on how to obtain it. I shall be writing later on how to travel cheaply in Europe. The internet is a wonderful tool for trip planning. I'm not tech savvy. But I love the internet. I'm struggling with Word 2003 trying to write down details of the trip.

italian vacation

Here am I in Sorrento, Italy in March 2006. This is one of the results of hard work in saving and budgeting. Living a planned and deliberate life pays dividends that are so magnificent and sweet. The food was great. I've never tasted vegetables that were so wonderful. Carrots, tomatoes and lettuces tasted so sweet. They came straight from the fields nearby. Even a simple meal of Calamari Brace (grilled squid) tasted so wonderful. It was the first time I had Arancini. I found it at a road side stand in Naples. It's actually a Sicilian dish. All it is fried rice balls with stuffing in it usually a meat sauce stuffing. It cost around 1 euro. Two of them makes a meal. The sights were magnificent, the Sassi caves in Matera, the trulli villages of Alberobello and the Baroque churches of Lecce leaves one breathless. Not to mention the energetic hikes of the Cinque terre. We stayed in hostels wherever we can. For some reason we seem to think that as we age we should travel in greater style. I've read articles where the traveler stayed in hotels costing $200. Maybe they can because the magazine pays their expenses. To the rest of us who has to foot the bill ourselves, hostelling is the way to go especially with the shrinking value of the US dollar. For details on how to travel cheaply and how to live with more dash than cash, continue reading my blog.

books/words

People read too many dull and trashy magazines and books. How do you find and use your inner power?
How do you prosper with such a poor diet of words? How do we find if all we read is about celebrities? How is Paris Hilton's daily escapades going to change your life? How are you going to make those glorious changes to your life? By reading. Someone once said, you are what you read. You are what your mind thinks about all the time. You need a good diet of words every day. This is more important than food and clothing. You need a diet of bible verses every day that can empower and embolden you. Without it, you'll be lost in this world of negativity. The word of God becomes a shield to protect you against negativity and becomes a weapon to rid your life of entrenched negativity. God then inhabits you to bring into your life the glorious fruits of your labor. You can than become a spiritual warrior.

vacations

Vacations. My most favorite subject. I scrimp and save all year long just so I can afford at least one European trip a year. I just came back for a 2 and 1/2 week jaunt in Italy and France taking me to the south of Italy and the south of France. It's been an amzing and exhausting trip so full of new experiences of food, people and places. I met with locals and other fellow travelers and all are as inspiring as the other. I ate food that I've never had before or even food that I had before tasting so much better because of the simplicity and freshness. I love Europe. They take less for granted. They make do with what they have and that's really the epitome of fine european style. We pay a lot of money to imitate that lifestyle. Theit furniture is naturally old andchipped while we distress new furniture to make it look old. It's quite laughable. For a detailed description with pictures send $10 to Anne, 3782 Moore St, Los Angeles, Ca 90066. For this trip I probably spent $2,000, airfares and train and ferry included and had fun and experiences that far exceeds $2,000 worth. It's confidence building. This was my 10th trip tp Europe in 6 years. Do it yourself travel is very exhausting and not for everybody but if you are willing to take up the challenge you won't do it any other way. A caveat. Do it alone or with just one other person. Too many people traveling at different paces will ruin the fun.