next 2022/10 ― Ray dusted off his vintage Sensory Chess Challenger 9 which he bought way back in the ’70s when he used to play a lot. Well, the machine still worked perfectly and it certainly was challenging. It pinned my knight and it even attacked my queen. I just wouldn’t have any of that!
Asian Food
next 2022/09 ― Raymond has a sweet spot for Asian food. He finds that eating is more of an experience than a necessity when the dishes are Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, hotpot, do-it-yourself rice paper wraps, sushi, dim sum, or gogi gui. Initially, he might forget his manners in the excitement by spinning the Lazy Susan […]
Human Anatomy
next 2022/08 ― I had the pleasure to visit what is arguably the oldest university in the world. It is the University of Bologna, which was founded in 1088. I was in the room where medical students used to sit on the benches around a table on which the medieval teacher dissected corpses that had […]
Vroom! Vroom!
next 2022/07 ― Vroom is the sound that this 74 Plymouth ‘Cuda made when I stepped on the gas. This model is super cool and I must say, it really blew my hair back. My brother Yvon, the owner, insisted that it had a 360 V8, bored and stroked to a 410 with an aggressive […]
Bike Ride
next 2022/06 ― Raymond hopped on his bicycle and went for a ride. Usually, he follows the Rideau canal, locks the bike at the Rideau Center and goes for a walk around the Byward Market.
Getting the Swing of it
next 2022/05 ― I’m starting to get the swing of this retirement life. My new favorite hangout is in the backyard where there are recently laid patio stones, a new deck and this freshly-assembled four-seater swing set. Here I am resting with a beer in hand after watering the grass.
Fighting Sri Lankan Corruption
next 2022/04 ― Raymond joined tens of thousands of protesters in Galle Face Green, Colombo to demand the resignation of the corrupt Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who bankrupted the country. The protesters have been camping in tents for over a week. The country is experiencing shortages of gasoline, electricity, food and medicine. GoHomeGota2022 #GoHomeGota […]
Eating Candy in Kandy
next 2022/04 ― In Kandy, Sri Lanka, I ate candy―with a Java coffee. I also drank a Java coffee when I was in Java, Indonesia. One day, I will go to Ireland and I will drink an Irish coffee, and when I go to Scotland, I plan to have a Scotch. When I went to […]
At the Piano
next 2022/03 ― As a child, I wanted to play the piano but I did not get that opportunity. Now, I started self-teaching from a book stored away in the piano bench. My dream is to learn Theme of Love Story and Beethoven’s Für Elise. If this works out, I might even add the violin […]
March for Ukraine
next 2022/02 ― On February 27, Raymond and Mayra marched to protest against Putin’s invasion. Thousands in Ottawa and millions around the globe came out to support Ukraine. They are such a brave nation. (Thirteen Ukrainian soldiers on Snake Island preferred death to surrendering to a Russian warship.)* A Ukrainian lady put sunflowers seeds in […]