The weather has not been the best recently in Hawaii.  I mean, rain and wind is what we consider bad weather.  And yes, it does seem cold!  Regardless of this bad weather, Sid and I were determined to get out and do our hike as planned to the Lulumahu Falls.  Our journey on Sunday was much shorter than we had planned.  

It had been a long time since my love and I had a date night and we decided we would experience Chef Chai’s for the first time.  I had heard good things, but the first time I saw the menu, nothing really jumped out at me, until I saw some pictures on Instagram that had me dreaming of Chai’s. 


They brought us chicken satay with a creamy, nutty, peanut sauce.  Great little starter. 

I hate to admit, but Saturday (4/19/2014) was the first time I went to the Lighthouse since moving to Hawaii in 2003.  I had seen it from a sail boat but always wanted to be closer.

There are so many great hikes on Oahu. Problem is, some of the best ones are illegal and on private property! I am not one to do things illegally unfortunately.

There were a number of locals and tourists taking advantage of the sweeping views that this hike has to offer.  It is a gradual incline the whole way up, really working out the legs, but not difficult.  At only 2 miles (round trip), there is a lot to see, with a different view of the east side of the island, and not strenuous.  

What is home?

Since this is the Nomad Perspective…let’s talk about what makes home, home. 

If you asked me when I was 11 where home was, I very confidently would have replied, Calgary and more importantly, my house on Chatham Place.  At that time there was no doubt in my mind that I would live there until university.  So, when my family and I moved to the other side of the world, to a strange, unfamiliar place, Bangkok, Thailand, I started to question where home was.  Could Calgary still be my home even though I didn’t live on Chatham Place? 

Well, now that I am older (no need to specify how much older), I can say that I feel that I have many homes.  Can we have more than one home?  Is the only place we can call home, the place where our permanent address is?

There is that saying, “Home is where the heart is”.  Well based on that, my heart is in many different places.  I have family that live all over the world and I feel that my heart is also with them.  Parents in one time zone, a brother in another and then other family members scattered about.  I feel at home at my parents place in Thailand.  I feel at home in my hometown, Calgary, Alberta, and I feel at home in Honolulu, HI.  I also feel at home in Hilo, HI. 

I have moved houses, cities and countries many times.  Moved houses in the same city more than three times, in 5 years!  

I have learned how to not become attached to “things”, instead to focus on the intangibles, what I cannot see and touch, the things that I can feel and remember.  “Things” unfortunately get lost when you move around so much and a lot of the time there isn’t enough space to take all of the “things” with you, but that is not what is important.  This is not to say that I do not have “things” or don’t like “things” because I very much like “things” (shoes, bags, books) but it is much easier for me to part with them. 

At the end of the day, I feel that home is a place/environment where I have a connection with the place, with the people, with the culture – including food and history, and is where I feel comfortable and happy!  This sense of home, at this point in my life, is not associated with a specific structure but rather with the emotions and the memories created. 

What is your definition of home? 

Best, 

MJ

When a man loves a woman, he builds a magnificent building in memory of her! If there has ever to be any symbol of love, the Taj Mahal is it.  (Sorry to all the men out there, nothing will prove love quite like this!) 

The second I arrived in Delhi, I started to feel overwhelmed with the history and culture (and smells) of India.  As a mixed up, I mean of mixed heritage (Canadian, Indian, Italian, French, Portuguese, and Scottish), going to India, seeing where my mom grew up was very exciting and helped me better understand all of her wonderful stories.

This was my brother's and my first trip to India.  We had to go see the Taj Mahal.  So from Delhi we took a van to Agra, a ride that was definitely intriguing with dancing bears and some close calls with other vehicles along the way.   

Once we arrived at the Taj Mahal site, it was busy with people and vehicles.  The moment when I walked up to threshold (the main, southern gate), where I caught my first glimpse of the absolutely magnificent structure, everything went silent. I was mesmerized by its sheer beauty and size.  I had seen pictures, however, the scale of the white marble mausoleum was breath taking. 

As if it wasn't enough to just be able to admire the Taj Mahal from afar, but to touch and feel the cold white marble transported me into a dream where this would be my palace!  Up close the workmanship was perfection.  

When someone pays you a compliment, we have all at one time or another deflected it or we have just embraced it and accepted it.

It is hard to know what you should do. Michelle compliments Del,  "You look great today!" Del could respond to the compliment in many different ways.  One option would be to deflect the compliment by playing it down, "Oh this old thing." Or she could just say "Thank you!"  Which do you think is the most appropriate response?  

There are many interesting dimensions to how and why we receive compliments in a certain way.  There are also a variety of motivations for giving a compliment.  

The proper way to receive a compliment was definitely not taught at school!  There is a perception that if you just accept a compliment you are possibly vain or full of yourself, as some how "Thank you" translates to "Yeah, I do look good!"  However, it is about time to discuss whether this is a reasonable perception or not.

We all like to receive compliments.  It is positive reinforcement that we have done something "good" and that it is being recognized by our peers.  Whether you are looking for that positive reinforcement or not, having someone say something nice to you makes a person feel good.