“I love the weather…different types of fruits – mangoes, pineapple, watermelon, oranges and more. It’s just like Jamaica. The people are friendly, welcoming, and most speak English,” says Trevor Silvera Sr. when asked what he likes about living in the Philippines. To be completely transparent, he is Uncle Trevor to me, someone whose physical prowess I’ve…
“I love it”, is the response of a retired friend who sold his condo, car and moved to Bangkok. He likes the culture, food and the people. He lives on less than 2000 Canadian dollars per month in a nice two-bedroom condo in the city. He eats out more than he cooks because it’s so cheap and healthy. Thailand, known for its rich culture, diverse landscapes, and warm hospitality…
Panama is a small but diverse country in Central America, best known for the iconic Panama Canal, which links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. But beyond its famous waterway, Panama offers a rich mix of tropical nature, modern cities, indigenous culture, and coastal beauty. With lush rainforests, mountain retreats, and over 1,500 islands, it attracts travelers looking for both adventure and…
In recent years, there have been quite a few Canadian snowbirds flocking to Costa Rica for various reasons – affordability, safety and culture. And as luck would have it, I know a couple of them, and asked what they thought of Costa Rica. Yoga instructor, Maxine Choy, didn’t spend an entire winter but co-hosted a yoga retreat. Her reply, “The people stood out to me the…
When the temperatures dip below freezing and snow piles high, many people dream of heading south. For snowbirds—those who spend winters in warmer climates—that dream becomes a lifestyle. While the obvious perk is trading icy sidewalks for sandy beaches, the snowbird life offers far more than sunshine. From better health to financial savings and cultural discovery, wintering elsewhere can…
It’s common to hear over-50-year-olds complain about aches, pains, and some hormone imbalances. You go to sleep feeling good, and wake up with some kind of noticeable pain out of the blue. It’s true that we’re getting older, and our bodies aren’t as resilient as they once were to withstand the misuse, mistreatment, poor nutrition, lack of sleep, or lack of exercise. But all is not lost…
There is an older woman at my gym (late 70s to mid 80s maybe), she is Asian (I believe Chinese), she doesn’t speak English, and I don’t speak Mandarin or Cantonese (I believe she speaks one of those languages). Somehow, we’ve developed a connection. We speak to each other, she in Cantonese or Mandarin and I in English. Although I don’t understand a lick of what she says…
I don’t know when it came to my awareness, but the saying “prevention is better than cure” has been a lifelong motto. It influenced my lifestyle and everyday habits. Perhaps it was a natural outcome of being raised by a father who had me reading the ingredients on food labels since I was about eight years old. Maybe it was in my early teens when I first began working out with the…
The impact of COVID’s lockdown continues: inflation worldwide, the surge of divorces and a generation of young people learning to deal with the anxiety and depression it caused. However, amid the pandemic, people were forced to sit still. Life was not business as usual. They reflected on life choices and made changes. They also had to take notice of the injustices, and the brutality of…
Wow, the taste. Who would have thought that homemade almond milk could taste so good? I did not. It felt like I was tasting the added nutrients in its delicious creamy texture. Let’s be honest, almond milk is an acquired taste, but this is as delicious as almond milk gets. It had a consistency unlike I’d tasted with any store-bought almond milk before. There is no going back.
I…
