Category: travel

Book review – Chase of the Rising Sun – Colin Rink

I grew up out in the countryside listening to the national broadcaster of Japan, NHK, on the shortwave spectrum. In the 1970’s, international broadcasting was about to enter its peak before a swift decline in the 1990’s. Inasmuch as I knew about Japan, from what I was taught in school, watched on television (with the…

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Staying sharp, on the edge, where you have to be – with Cutluxe knives.

Life is a series of celebrations, transitions, reflections and predictions. And if all these things have one thing in common it would be the daily cooking rituals that we look forward to. For me, the food experience is 1 part doing to 2 parts preparation to 4 parts planning. It is a rhythm as reliable…

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Sea to Sky series Chapter 1 – with Bush pilot Ryan from Papua New Guinea

I’ve often thought that God has to have a sense of humour. Moments after creation, the supreme being paused for a moment, and during a millisecond of pique, created Papua New Guinea as an exercise in extremes. For Papua New Guinea is a land of unapologetic beauty, impossibly isolated mountain ranges, with waterfalls emptying into…

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American Falernum and the continuing rise of artisanal spirits

A long, long time ago (before COVID19) Andrea and I sat at Don the Beachcomber, the legendary Kona, Hawaii bar at The Royal Kona Resort off of Alii Drive. Between sips of Mai Tai and savoury nibbles out of a bucket of shrimp, we were regaled by a passionate and knowledgeable bartender on the subject…

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Last call from Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart waded into the Pacific Ocean and climbed into her downed and disabled Lockheed Electra. She started the engine, turned on the two-way radio and sent out a plea for help, one more desperate than previous messages. The high tide was getting higher, she had realized. Soon it would suck the plane into deeper…

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Book review – Straddling the Hound – The Curious Charms of Long-Distance Bus Travel

When humanity first put one foot in front of the other and locked its gaze on the horizon, the force of curiosity and exploration would inevitably build nations. Without a curious nature and desire to follow the sun, we would be an entirely different people living in an entirely different world. Retired medical doctor, Trevor…

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Americans and their guns at the Canadian border.

Americans love their guns… so… much… And as an article on Vice.Com reveals: “Peter Thorn, a lawyer from Hampton, New Brunswick, told the Canadian Press Americans continue to sneak their guns into Canada with “alarming frequency during the summer months.” Gun seizures at the border have increased over the last few years, with 671 guns…

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Cajun Oyster Jambalaya – a slight variation

I love the complex, sometimes rich and exotic flavours of Cajun cooking. Unique to Louisiana, it features French, African, Spanish and Native American influences – depending on liberal application of regional spice blends and with the availability of wonderful fresh shell fish these dishes really shine! Preparation time: 45 minutes Cooking time: About 70 minutes…

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Katie and her World of beautiful cards for all occasions

Katie is a lovely 19 year old girl who has Cerebral Palsy. Together with her mom, Sue, they have been making stamped cards since 2007. Prior to receiving assistive technology, Sue used to help her daughter stamp the images on the cards. Katie has a head controlled stamping machine made for her four years ago…

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French toast in the comfort of your country kitchen

I have this thing… about French toast… and I am not even French. I have searched nation wide and out into the Pacific for the perfect serving of French toast – and I have found it in places like Hawaii, on the Big Island… like the Holualoa Cafe . But here in Victoria? Not so…

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