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.