[caption id=“attachment_479” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Rosh Hashanah”][/caption] I know a number of people who are now celebrating Rosh HaShanah which is the Jewish New Year. This collage is one big greeting card to all of them. The images here were taken at a local bookstore and are actually from greeting cards used at this time of year for this celebration. I took these photos yesterday. L’shana Tova means “for a good year.” Many people just say Shana Tova. ...
[caption id=“attachment_420” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Winery - Niagara Region”][/caption] It was a pleasure for me to visit one of the wineries in the Niagara region two weeks ago. It was one of the stops on our day tour. This was a trip going to the Peach Festival held at Niagara-on-the-Lake which is a picturesque and charming little town. The trip included several stops, one of which, was this winery. I took all the images while we were there and thoroughly enjoyed myself. ...
[caption id=“attachment_368” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] “CATS”[/caption] You now have learned enough to see That Cats are much like you and me And other people whom we find Possessed of various types of mind. For some are sane and some are mad And some are good and some are bad And some are better, some are worse — But all may be described in verse. T. S. ELIOT, “The Ad-dressing of Cats,” Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats ...
[caption id=“attachment_343” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Moroccan-style Birthday[/caption] My Birthday was last Wednesday and I wanted to celebrate in grand style. This birthday was special because my brother and his wife were spending it with me and they don’t come very often from Australia. I chose this Moroccan Restaurant because I had gone there before and thought it would be a suitable venue for my special day. The images in this collages were taken there. ...
[caption id=“attachment_335” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Taste of Thailand”][/caption] We went to one of the summer events at Nathan Philips Square in Toronto last weekend. In this multicultural City of Toronto, there are many such wonderful open-air festivals taking place. Although it was called “Taste of Thailand,” it wasn’t just about tasting Thai food. Getting a “taste” of a people or a country involves all the aspects of the people and their culture that it is possible to represent. We did have some nice Thai food to eat, and on an open stage, we saw some beautiful tango dancing. There was also a demonstration of Muay Thai Boxing. Many Thai arts and crafts were on display and available to buy. There was also a Thai fruit carver demonstrating her skill and showing off some carvings she made. ...
[caption id=“attachment_257” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Canada Day[/caption] Canada’s Birthday - 145 years old. Celebrations everywhere. Lots of parties, birthday cake, and pride everywhere. The photos in this collage were taken over the last two days and hopefully represent the Canada that exists today even if just a little bit. I attended a Canada Day party on Friday at which there was a BBQ, birthday cake, and watermelon, as well as a live three-piece band. Many people were tapping their feet to the music or swaying with it even if they were too old to dance. Everyone stood proudly for the band’s rendition of “O Canada” as it was sung beautifully by the vocalist for the band. ...
[caption id=“attachment_237” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Sari embellishments[/caption] ”It would be a loss to the whole world if the Indian woman should cease to wear her native costume. India is practically the only civilized country where one can see on living models how woman can and should dress“. (Carl Jung) It is possible to live in Toronto and have never visited certain places. It was my pleasure to take one such person to “Little India” for a visit. We had a buffet lunch at the Gautama Restaurant which is one of the finest on this little strip now. The food was excellent. This lovely lady and I also went into almost all the stores there and she found herself fascinated with all things East Indian, from saris and sari fabric, to statues and other paraphernalia. Like myself, she likes to enjoy what she sees with the naked eye and then take a picture so she can revisit the moment later. Although I have been to “Little India” on numerous occasions, her enthusiasm and delight made me feel as if this was my first time there. ...
[caption id=“attachment_213” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Pottery by Jason L’Abbe[/caption] Birthdays are wonderful celebrations and especially milestone ones like a 60th. It was with great joy that I attended and celebrated my cousin’s 60th birthday with her recently. There was lots of good food, family and friends to eat all of it, and we all had fun together. The birthday cake always brings these special occasions to an exceptionally “sweet” culmination. ...
[caption id=“attachment_201” align=“aligncenter” width=“584”] Tapestry[/caption] A few weeks ago, my friend and I visited a fabulous fabric store in Toronto. She likes to sew and was looking for some fabric. The photos in this collage were taken there. It was delightful to admire all the tapestries with their beautiful colours and diversity of patterns. Quite suddenly, I thought of the weavers who had spent countless hours to produce these priceless works of art. ...
[caption id=“attachment_192” align=“aligncenter” width=“584” caption=“Chao Phraya River - Thailand”][/caption] My first visit to the Chao Phraya River in Thailand was thirty-two years ago and was amazing. My second visit was thirty years later and was a different experience. The photos in this collage were taken on my first visit to Thailand. We passed this river many times as we were taken around to visit many of the popular sites. It runs through Bangkok. The city itself is fascinating and I observed the Thai people to be very hard-working and very good cooks. I loved Thai cooking from that visit even when it wasn’t a popular cuisine in the Western world as it has become now. We visited Wat Arun and the Grand Palace which are architecturally very beautiful. As with most conducted tours, we stayed in fine hotels and were shown everything that was fine of the Thai way of life. ...