I was an adult when I gained my Jewish stepdad, Bob. I called him Bob TC (the suffix short for “The Chosen”), the nickname he gave himself after I told him that Jews are God’s chosen people. When I would arrive at the Amtrak Station on Kettner Blvd, he and Mom were usually holding hands…
Month: October 2017
Trump and Neverland: Two Tea-for-Two’s, Vancouver
The imposing facade spells modern luxury. Situated in the heart of downtown Vancouver’s Golden Mile, the recently (2017) opened Trump Hotel offers a snazzy Afternoon Tea at the lobby just next to Mott 32. Lisa and I arrived at 4:11pm. “Our Afternoon Tea just ended at 4 o’clock. Can you come tomorrow?” the host courteously…
Mott 32 Vancouver
The year is 1851. The first Chinese convenience store in New York City opened on 32 Mott Street. From that address developed present-day lively, bustling NYC Chinatown celebrating Chinese culture, tradition, and cuisine offshore among people from all over the world. The symbolism of that address inspired the name of the luxury Chinese restaurant, Mott 32 in…
Anh and Chi Vietnamese, Vancouver
Anh and Chị [/ aĭŋ / ænd / ţi /] in English is “elder brother and elder sister; a respectful form of address for a friend or a even a stranger, man or woman respectively, generally above one’s age; address for fellow members of the same community.” It is also the name of a chic Vietnamese…
The Empress Afternoon Tea, Victoria, British Columbia
If you come to Victoria, you must try the world-renowned Tea at The Fairmont Empress (fondly called “The Empress”), one of Victoria’s oldest hotels. Because of her national signficance, The Empress has been designated as a National Historic Site of Canada. When she became weary around 1965, there arose a debate to either tear down…
The Best Things In Life Are Free
Victoria and Vancouver are such beautiful cities. A mere stroll across four days within a very small radius provides a feast for the eyes and senses. This is a sampling of the landscape, architecture, sights, and vibe. Apart from God’s beautiful creation, it cost someone to pay for the buildings, plants, labor. But it’s free…
Butchart Gardens Afternoon Tea at the Dining Room
The original family home of Robert Pim Butchart and his wife, Jennie, has been converted into The Dining Room where you can enjoy afternoon tea or meals. Set in the Butchart Gardens, now a National Historic Site of Canada, The Dining Room is where the family used to live… …and the adjacent Rose Garden used…
Butchart Gardens, Victoria
I didn’t get to see Arashiyama on my last trip to Osaka but my marshmallow test reward gave me something I like even better! Victoria, the capital of the Canadian province, British Columbia! Thank You, Lord for the blessing that comes with obedience to You! It started with a 35-minute seaplane ride from Vancouver Harbor,…
Making Amends with Siopao and a Humbled Attitude
I really dislike having to back up into a garage from a small street. The street outside my work studio is one example. When the neighbor across doesn’t maximize the available parking space outside their gate, half their car grazes loosely into the street and my car tires draw a zipper path on the road as…
Grief 101 with Cathy Babao
Good grief! Have you suffered a loss lately? Cathy Sanchez-Babao may be able to help. Mother; storyteller; newspaper columnist; author, corporate communications consultant; sometime teacher; mental health, women, and children’s health advocate, Cathy is also a Grief Coach who journeys with the grieving person through the method called “companioning.” After her son, Migi, died in 1998, Cathy went…
BUTTERFLY IN THE SPRING 