PHILIPPINE ADVENTURES

“Your ancestors dragged these black people from their homes by force; and in the white man’s quest for wealth and an easy life they have been ruthlessly suppressed and exploited, degraded into slavery. The modern prejudice against Negroes is the result of the desire to maintain this unworthy condition.” -Albert Einstein- Continue reading →

Fireworks are legal in Curacao. Revelers shoot off rockets on New Years Day. During my last visit I went to a store that specialized in rockets. The solid fuel models ranged in size from pencil thick to a hand held missile. If I had more time and didn’t have to have to been home before New Years I would have purchased the largest one! The projectile stood nearly four feet on its fins and was over two inches wide. That thing was capable of reaching the South American mainland 40 miles away in mere minutes! Glad they don’t sell them in Chicago; imagine the carnage those things would cause if our street gangs had them! Continue reading →

Gone are the days of black face minstrel shows ‘Amos & Andy’ and ‘my name Jose Jimenez the Mexican astronaut;’ where have those racist caricatures gone? If you watch the Super Bowl you probably seen the commercial sponsored by a famous foreign furniture company. Their commercial had a white male throw a Black woman on a small table. The couple simulated the sex act! The commercial’s ‘message’ was for viewers to buy their tables. Continue reading →

We left The Pas by the lone road that led to the village; a red clay dirt ‘road’ that zigzagged through a forest so dense that even light would have had a tough time penetrating. Our destination was the almost inaccessible Native village of Sturgeon Landing. The trip was rough enough but was made more arduous when it suddenly started to rain. Continue reading →

“But with love, we are creative. With it, we march tirelessly…we are able to sacrifice for others.”
-Chief Dan George- Continue reading →

Some of the best art professionals anywhere reside at Happy Valley. As an artist (former ceramicist/current pencil artist) I was overjoyed when I found out. I’m happy that I can call all of them colleagues. Though I’ve been trying for years to get them all together and form an arts association I’ve been woefully unsuccessful with each attempt. Artists are solitary individuals I guess myself included. Continue reading →

“Dupa ploie, vine sore (After rain, comes sunshine.)” -Romanian proverb-
Finding decent senior housing is a roll of the dice; some buildings are comfortable homes others hell holes. Life after retirement can be blessing or bust depending upon two variables. Point—when I taught school the kids would ask me what was my recipe for success. I told them “don’t get sick and don’t go broke.” Continue reading →

I love food; my picture proves it. My initial culinary ventures into the art of Romanian cuisine wasn’t much to ‘rah-rah’ about but don’t let my limited experiences scare you off. If you visit Romania I’m sure the local chefs won’t disappoint; use your search engine and type in ‘Romania’s restaurants in Bucharest’ for a wide selection to choose from. Also check out ‘Romanian recipes;’ you’ll be amazed at the good eats you’ll find and may want to prepare some yourself. Continue reading →

I’ve always had a fondness for Romania. There’s something about the place that I find exotic, fascinating, mysterious though a bit morbid. I remember the neighborhood kids and I used to flock to local movie houses every Saturday for the customary triple feature. We’d get our fill of those old Christopher Lee horror flicks that usually centered around one or another Eastern European country mostly Romania with its’ creepy Transylvanian Alps the home of vampires, ghosts, goblins and sexy sirens. Continue reading →

Humanity must develop technologies to travel to the stars; it’s our only hope to stave off extinction. Books have been written, popular science magazines illustrate reasons, science fiction movies and television programs opine that humanity’s ultimate survival depends on colonizing habitable exoplanets. Continue reading →