When I’m feeling down, I sometimes listen to beautiful music to help lift my spirits. Among the most beautiful is In the Light of Love, sung/chanted by Deva Premal and Miten. Manose, a Nepalese who plays a bamboo flute, accompanies them. In the Light of Love incorporates a Sanskrit healing chant, Om Shree Dhanvantre Namaha–Om and salutations to the divine healer. [...]
How Much Do We Owe the Early Chinese in Canada? Maybe a lot. Mr. Doug Hum, from the Ontario Coalition of Chinese Head Tax Families, recently spoke in Victoria about the issues the movie Iron Road raises. It’s about the Chinese who helped build the Canadian Pacific Railway in British Columbia. He asked a thought-provoking question: “Without [...]
Photograph by David R. Spencer For there was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run When the wild majestic mountains stood alone against the sun Long before the white man and long before the wheel When the green dark forest was too silent to [...]
Here it is September, my favourite month. Is it because it’s the month of my birth? I don’t know. Maybe, but it’s certainly not the only reason. Though it’s a busy month with school starting and people back to work after the long days of summer, I notice myself easing into a peaceful, reflective state [...]
Not missing the boat with your own life means awakening to the dream in your heart, following its wise guidance and breaking free of the confines of your little self! When you do this and get that your life is important— that you matter in the big picture—then you are set to make a difference in the world that [...]
Dr. Grant Stewart, retired trauma surgeon from Vancouver, and Dr. John Ducas, cardiologist from Winnipeg, with Zhen Yi and his dad in 2012 If you’re like me, you’ll cry when you find out. It makes me wonder about making a difference in someone’s life, especially a child’s. Can we ever know the extent of [...]
Chinese New Year’s Eve 2005, Meizhou, China, photo by Anthony Hartman February 19-24, 2015, is the duration of this year's Chinese New Year (Spring Festival) celebrations. Before the holiday is over, I'd like to share an interesting article on the Spring Festival designed to help anyone curious about the cultural significance of this most colorful of holidays. [...]
Is it the Chinese Year of the Goat, Sheep or Ram? The Chinese word 羊 (Yáng) is somewhat generic, referring to goats or sheep of either gender, so you can take your pick. And by the way, “Spring Festival,” I’ve been informed, is the more accurate name for the holiday. A festival sounds more fun to me than [...]
The sun shines down on everyone, no exception. Scary things are afoot. I’m fortunate not to live in an area of high terrorist threat. I can sleep at night. That’s not the case for people in Nigeria, France and lots of other places. Like many other concerned citizens of the world, I want [...]
Although I am aware of distressing news events as reported in the media, I rarely write about them. The extra dwelling on the awfulness makes me feel, well, awful. This time, I feel the need to write. The Charlie Hebdo massacre of journalists in Paris has roused a lot of disquiet in me. I extend my [...]
