HBD Canada!

Happy 145th Canada!


We took advantage of the gorgeous summer weather to take a jaunt down to Sarnia for an impromptu Sunday Picnic and Swim.


A tasty picnic at Mike Weir Park...

Beach Chat...

Wanna play? (Like my Rock of Ages hairdo?!)

Hold on - who's the one fetching?

Keir and Mum in the sun!

Saturday Sip

One of the perks of our new locale is that our very favourite Niagara area wineries are only a 40 minute drive away.

A few weekends ago we took a few hours to Sip 'n Shop at a few favourites: Tawse, Thirty Bench and Hidden Bench.


Thirty Bench (with Toronto hazy-lazy in the background!):

Tawse:

Hmmm...seems I forgot to get a photo of the ever lovely Hidden Bench....perhaps I should have been doing less tasting and more photo taking!

What with these great wineries so close we were able to pop over in the late morning and be back mid-afternoon - time enough for a nice sweaty bike ride along the Rail Trail!

Man! On A Wire!

Kitchy or not (ummmm, it totally was...) we made the trek to Niagara Falls to see Nik Wallenda make his now-famous walk.


A little self portrait of our motley crew...

The flying (well, carefully walking) Wallenda...

Now, if only I'd remembered to snap a pic of the calf tattoo (it was of Jesus - BBQ-ing and drinking a beer) that was on the guy standing in front of us....

Ontario Strawberries

One of the things that Ontario does very best of all is strawberries, and thankfully, it is that time of year.

Strawberry season is full swing. On Thursday my friend Faye, her two boys and I went picking (I was kicking myself that I forgot to bring the camera 'cause nothing says summer fun like a 1 1/2 year old covered in dirt 'n berries!) and then made some freezer jam.

I had just enough berries left over for this strawberry pie...


Before glaze:

After glaze:

Hmmmm...different light sources...the glazed photo doesn't really look all that appetizing so you'll just have to take my word for it that IT IS!!!!

The pastry recipe is from Lucy Waverman and James Chatto's delectable cookbook A Matter Of Taste and the strawberry pie recipe was shared with my mum from the original owner of Billy's Downtown Deli in London, Ontario. Billy's has since changed owners, but we hear that it is still the place to go to sample to fresh Ontario flavours of this pie!


Now...all we need is some fresh whipped creme...

A little hit of summer

Peppery summer garden cress from the Thursday afternoon Dundas Farmer's Market!

Rhubarb Pocket Tarts

Fresh from our garden...

and then hot from the oven!

Sadly, they aren't as "pretty" as I would have liked them to be. They look a bit gritty due to the spelt/gluten free flour combo I used. Gotta keep working on that!

Fortunately, they ARE still mighty tasty!

Perspective can be everything

Interested in a little lunchtime viewing perhaps?

In this TED talk, Rory Sutherland suggests that "the circumstances of our lives actually matter less to our happiness than the sense of control we feel over our lives". That, with just a "small change of posture" (I love that image!), one can completely reinvent the interpretation of how something is perceived/received. It truly is up to us. So, had a bad day? Frustrated with someone? See if you can't find a different perspective to take on the situation.

As Keir and I continue to navigate our way through our own job search process (or as Mr. Sutherland puts it "explore the hidden shallows of the human perspective"),  this talk is a great reminder to stay positive and keep exploring those "shallows"!

A Call To End Silly Interview Questions!

As we embark on finding jobs in our decided local, part of our process has been to talk about and practice interviewing. Being people who are interested in growth and development, interviews fascinate us. We see interviews not just as opportunities for a company/organization to learn more about us, but for us to "try them on" as well — a dual-interview if you will. That framework seems to take any interview jitters out of what can sometimes be a very nerve wracking situation!

When we were first entering the work force (all those years ago!!!), our goal was always to try and make ourselves fit to the job/organization that we were applying to work for. Now we are looking for jobs/organizations that we can work WITH —  places that are inspiring, places that are progressive and nurture growth, and places that are continually looking to define the meaning of "team". We are looking for places that embrace compassion, innovation and creativity — places that are committed to making a difference in their communities and the world at large. 

That's quite a shift in perspective! 

As an exercise, we've been taking a few minutes out of each day to ask each other sample job interview questions. Our questions range from the very mundane (read: standard/typical/uninspired) interview questions to the types of questions we would really LIKE to be asked in an interview situation. 

In our career histories, we've both had many different types of interviews for many different types of companies and organizations. We both have many examples of questions that we feel are ridiculous to be asked in an interview — questions that don't reveal anything useful about who we are as people or employee's (think along the lines of "What is your greatest weakness" questions). 

Interestingly, we came across this article in the Globe and Mail today, This One Question Kills A Good Interview And Reveals Absolutely Nothing and liked the line of questioning (and reasoning) that author Lindsay J. Westley puts forth.  

Keir and I  believe deeply that a Big Shift is starting to happen in how people see and define "good education" and "meaningful work". It is ideas such as the ones put forth in Westley's article that confirm for us that The Shift  is already underway!

Heart & Mind

A hunter goes hunting

Suppose a hunter in the Amazon rainforest is having difficulty finding game.  If he goes to a shaman to deal with the situation, neither the hunter nor the shaman look anywhere but within the hunter himself for the solution to the problem.  It never occurs to them to say something like, “There’s no game out there,” because they know there is.  The problem is that something within the hunter is preventing him from finding the game.  Maybe something in the hunter is even driving away the game? So the shaman asks the hunter to participate in the ritual that is designed to change what is in the hunter’s heart and mind because it is the heart and mind that control the external reality.  


When we find ourselves looking at the world and saying, “There’s nothing out there for me,” we should probably also look into our hearts and ask, “If there’s nothing out there, is there anything in here?”  


Deepak Chopra reminds us how it is.

Be Patient

Starting up will take time. We invested in ourselves because we wanted something different—to grow inside and grow together. We took a responsible risk and chose the road less travelled, which can bring with it second guessing and doubt. This choice means not knowing. It means moving forward in the face of resistance and uncertainty and trying not be daunted. It means ignoring criticism and not being swayed by outside influences. It means listening to your instincts, watching for signs and trusting your hunches.  This is what it is to live a full life—not always being comfortable and set, but challenging yourself and taking risks. Putting it all out there and living with a certain amount of unpredictability, trusting it all will come together.

A Call For A Different Way

A compelling article from Greg Smith, a former executive director at Goldman Sachs, who decided to leave his post upon realizing the work environment had become "destructive and toxic."

This is the shift in work/life values we're talking about.

It takes courage to walk away.  It takes guts to call out your former employer in a national newspaper.

Education can be so much more

The topic of "what are we going to do for work?" is back in the forefront as we get ready to launch ourselves full throttle back into the employment search. To be fair to Our Shift, the topic has never really been on the back burner, but rather bubbling away in the pot continuously since we both left our previous work.

With years of experience in the field of education, teaching is a subject that is very near and dear to us, and we have such a clear vision of how we believe it should be. Interestingly, we saw this poignant article from the Globe and Mail's Margaret Wente today. She has some very well articulated points to make on the structure of education in Canada - points we have discussed at length ourselves.

Education can be, and should be, SO MUCH MORE.

Dim Sum Tums

You can't visit Hong Kong and NOT eat dim sum! Our highlight today is a visit to the infamous Maxim's at City Hall. When we arrive, there is already a queue (is there ever NOT?!?). It moves quickly and soon we are ushered inside the giant ballroom to a table for 6. We are barely out of our jackets when trolleys are flying by. Curtis, our experienced Dim Sum-er, has our table loaded with goodies before we manage to sit down. What a feast!




It is fabulous and we leave terrifically stuffed, or as Keir says, "with our dim sum tum's" !!




We take the double decker Stanley Express city bus over to the southern most peninsula and the residential village of Stanley where we wander through the market, walk down the pier, and visit the old pirate-hideout-turned-temple at Tin Hau.










The beach at Repulse Bay is a great place to park ourselves in the sand and watch the water (and the "mainlanders" take photos and try to avoid getting soakers).










We return to Parkview where we opt to take advantage of the luxurious amenities. We visit the "roman baths" for a swim, steam, sauna, and whirlpool and before cleaning up for a deluxe meal out with Karen and Curtis. What a treat!




Before returning to the apartment, we take in the on site art gallery. No joke here. The owner of the complex also happens to be an avid collector and has many works on display in the second and third floor galleries. Karen is convinced that he built the entire complex simply as a place to store and display his collection.

The art here includes pieces by Monet, Pissarro, Warhol, Picasso, Moore, Dali, Miro, Matisse, Klee and includes an entire room of ancient Buddhas from over the centuries (maybe some of those missing Angkor Wat heads?!?)

We cap off our fabulous evening out with a round of Monopoly - the Hong Kong Edition of course! Keir is the land baron of the evening.

What a fun way to end off our tour of South East Asia!

Everybody Wan Chai Tonight!

Two small boys in the house (no, I don't mean Curtis and Keir!!) means an early start to our Hong Kong adventures. We seem to have rid ourselves of the effects of the Cambodian heat are are feeling markedly better — ready to take on the day!

We start off with a ride on the Star Ferry from Hong Kong Island over to Kowloon — the four kilometre strip of land on the Chinese mainland also snatched up by the British in 1860 and still part of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong. Our Big Bus tour tickets are also valid for today so we do the "blue route" tour of Kowloon.




We tour up busy Nathan Street, hop off in the Mong Kok area to walk around and then bus it over to see the tallest building in Hong Kong.




The Kowloon area is closer to the authentic Asia we have been seeing for the past month with buildings and streets closely packed together and possessing a more urban Chinese atmosphere. There are lots of alleys jammed with stalls, markets are everywhere and heaps of crazy neon signage fill the few remaining spaces.







Hong Kong is known for its culinary variety. We hit a Japanese spot for lunch, a place recommended to us by my dad. It is incredibly flavourful and we are glad we called in.







We take the Star Ferry back across the bay and zip over to The Peak tram. With a clear sky being a rarity in HK's winter months, we want to make sure we can take in the views from Victoria Peak before the fog rolls back in.

It's a little steep going up...




But, the 360 view from the Sky Terrace is worth it!




Waiting for the tram back down to the bottom, we bump into David and Sylvia from our Intrepid tour who also happen to be in Hong Kong for a few days. Our unplanned meeting results in the only possible option.... A reunion photo!




Before heading back to meet Karen, we stop in to see the Man Mo Temple over in Soho. It is a quick stop as both of us have trouble breathing in the incense laden space. All those incense coils are smoking us out!













We pick up Karen and head back into town. It's a boys night-girls night out tonight!

After dropping off Keir to meet up with Curtis, Karen and I hop the ferry back across to Kowloon and enjoy a dinner at her favourite restaurant. Although the evening light show over the harbour is old news to her, I am impressed by the colorful skyline.

We walk up to Soho where she has thoughtfully booked us in to enjoy foot massages at Dragonfly. Down comforters, choose you own pillows, fresh tea and the most outstanding foot massages ever ensure we both fall asleep in the deluxe care of this swanky place!

Meanwhile, Keir and Curtis are club hopping over in the Wan Chai district. They hit Agave for dinner then enjoy drinks at the historic "Pawn" before checking out the live music, club scene and police raids at Neptune II and Amazonia.

Everybody Wan Chai tonight!

Good Times In Hong Kong

One of the must do's when visiting HK is to hop the VERY steep Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak and take in the panoramic view of the city and harbour. Friday, the temps soar, the sun comes out and the mist clears, providing excellent views. Up we go!














The very best dim sum (according to our Ryan family hosts who know the HK scene) is served at city hall in a vast restaurant called Maxim's. On Saturday afternoon, we catch the bus into town, endure a short wait for a table and then tuck in to the full dim sum experience.
















It's fast and furious as the carts of food roll by. Grab some more veggie dumplings!




Paying tribute to Hong Kong action star, Bruce Lee!