Landschlacht, Switzerland, 25 May 2017 We live in an age where we take for granted many things and we only seem to question things when they don’t happen as we think they should. We live in an age where we casually accept what is, without questioning how it came to be. The older I get,… Continue reading Canada Slim and the Great Expedition
Category: Travel
How to Train a Dragon: Canadians in China
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 23 March 2017 The further away a country is, the harder it is to know and understand that country. China is such a country. So it is with caution that I express my opinion of the events that have so far transpired with China and its relations with the rest of the world.… Continue reading How to Train a Dragon: Canadians in China
The great adventure
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 21 February 2017 Sometimes words flow out of you, rushing and pouring out of your heart and soul like a waterfall that can´t be stopped. Other times ideas and thoughts trickle down into words upon a screen like a desiccated desert drain from which only gasping drops remain. And then there are moments when… Continue reading The great adventure
Out of the Shadows
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 2 February 2017 Sometimes inspiration flows like sap through a maple tree. Sometimes it is as slow-moving as molasses in January. Those who read this blog (both of them!) or follow me on Facebook (the rest of their families!) are aware that I work…a lot. Between working as an English teacher during the… Continue reading Out of the Shadows
Canada Slim and the Promised Land
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 21 January 1858 “I am astonished more and more at the stupid extravagance… Fashion rules so absolutely… The people in the house would lend me any amount of flower garden bonnets if I would but go out in them. This is so like the Americans… They are generous and kind but… Continue reading Canada Slim and the Promised Land
The cure for Wanderlust?
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 28 January 2017 As those already acquainted with myself already know, I earn my income in two ways: I am a Canadian, resident in Switzerland, working as a freelance English-as-a-second-language teacher and part-time Starbucks barista. And while both physical and psychological health remain I wish to continue to do both jobs for a… Continue reading The cure for Wanderlust?
The sorrow of Batman
Istanbul, Turkey, 10 September 2016 In Istanbul, extraordinary experiences are found around every corner. Here, dervishes whirl, müezzins call from minarets and people move between continents multiple times a day. Istanbul is home to millenia-old monuments and cutting edge art galleries – sometimes on the same block. It is an utterly beguiling city full of… Continue reading The sorrow of Batman
Canada Slim and a Matter of Perspective
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 30 December 2016 There are many things that are unpleasant about getting older: diminishing senses, unflattering changes to one´s body, memory lapses, acquisition of a world-weariness… But for myself, especially in 2016, it has been the loss of one’s heroes. Yet another musical legend passed away over Christmas: George Michael, age 53. Famous for… Continue reading Canada Slim and a Matter of Perspective
Canada Slim and Last Year´s Man
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 19 December 2016 Now, Belgians love a good celebration, but a big night in the Belgian boozers often leads to mornings of regret and grim reflection. Being the chaste daughter of an English curate, nights in a bar were probably not part of Charlotte Bronte´s story, but her unrequited love for a married… Continue reading Canada Slim and Last Year´s Man
Canada Slim and the Days Confused
Landschlacht, Switzerland, 19 December 2016 Time changes a place. A place changes a person. I think back to the little town of Lachute, Quebec, Canada, where I went to high school. Many of the people I remember and much of what I knew is gone. “Progress” has arrived in the form of shopping malls and… Continue reading Canada Slim and the Days Confused