Canada is amazing, and our prairie hometown of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada, is beautiful. In addition to wide open spaces and smiling faces, we have some of the best sunsets in the world, and unlike those tropical sunsets which are indeed stunning, our sunsets are equally dramatic, but last for hours in the summer evenings which also extend long into the night, as we are the land of the midnight sun. The prairie people are amazing and enduring as well, always exceptionally generous and ready to lend a helping hand; they are strong, down to earth people, and are some of the best musicians in the country. That strength of character and sense of community is undoubtedly attributed to the harsh winters we have learned to live with and survive together, where temperatures can dip to 50 ... read more

I alluded in the previous entry to spending a lifetime looking for my yoga teacher, my guru, and having finally found what I was looking for. This was not an exaggeration, as I was first introduced to yoga in the early 70's, and Yoga has been a part of my life ever since. In the process I have been exposed to a variety of yoga forms have studied with a number of yoga teachers. However, I have never felt I had found "my guru". I have for years wanted to immerse myself in a yoga course somewhere in the world, but I just could not put it together before. As one who believes that everything happens for a reason, I do not believe it is coincidence that I "happened" to find this particular yoga Shala. And ... read more

2014 has been a rather spectacular year for us, as we have now brought in the New Year for the third time in as many months. On Canadian soil, just prior to departing on this adventure, we celebrated New Year's Eve on December 31st, as per usual. Then, a month later, on February 1st, when we arrived in Kuala Lumpur, we discovered it was the Chinese New Year. The celebrations and decorations were everywhere, as there is a very significant Chinese population in Malaysia, and in particular in Kuala Lumpur. We also learned that the Chinese New Year celebrations go on for exactly fifteen days, so the Chinese New Year was still being celebrated when we arrived in Borneo, Malaysia. And now, on March 30th and 31st, we have had the opportunity to bring in a ... read more

Unless you are a surfer seeking out the world class breakers of Bali's Ulawatu Beach, Kuta is the most popular beach strip tourist destination in Bali. That is, if you are looking for a location which provides sun, sand, and seaside beach culture, as well as a zillion shopping opportunities from low to very high end, and a full range of spas, restaurants, and bars, all congested together in a strip of land that borders the ocean for more than a few kilometres. Every inch of land space in Kuta, Bali, is developed, and its beaches are similarly covered three umbrellas deep as far as the eye can see. If I could take you back, just for a moment, to recall the family of goats and herd of water buffalo that passed by "my office" at ... read more

Our five day boat adventure concluded when we were taxied to the doorstep of the Segare Anak Bungalows in Kuta, a seaside community on Lombok's very scenic stretch of southern coastline, famous for its world class surf and stellar white sand beaches. Kuta, Lombok, is not to be confused with the more renowned Kuta, Bali, which is an entirely different, more commercially developed, and very busy experience. Remember what I had said in an earlier blog? Lombok is often referred to as Bali's shy but beautiful sister. That descriptor definitely applies here. Our hotel is situated facing and maybe a hundred metres from the beach. The narrow, one lane beach road directly in front of the hotel, is used primarily by motor scooters and the occasional mini van or taxi, with rare appearances by the odd ... read more