Aerial Flowers

Our weekly pleasure

Faking Fun!

Lindsay and I acting British.  "D'you drink tea? Nooooo, I don't even like the smell of it!" I guess the Habs t-shit kinda kills the whole British thing eh? BUT....it's always better the Habs than the Leaflets...ahhhhhhh!

Heads and a sunset

I am playing photographer again. Sunset, Shelley through amy's triangular shaped arm, taking a photo and I'm obviously behind Amy taking a picture. The interesting thing here is that Jim Dale was on the left taking an angled shot at the same time. I thought it was a cool shot...maybe I had too many Carlsbergs?

Bookstore

There are plenty of good bookstores here in South East Asia. Some, like the one below, even let you know before you enter, that they don't have the book you are looking for, it's stated in the name... Innovative eh? Saves time...everytime!

Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra

We spent last Sunday afternoon, soaring with the sounds of Halvorsen's Passacaglia, Schubert's String Quintet in C, and Saint-Saens' Violin Sonata No.1 in D minor. Violins, Cellos, Violas and a Piano played by excellent and passionate musicians. It was a relaxing, yet exciting concert. Before the show, we enjoyed the Traders Hotel buffet. It was splendid! Sorry, no photos here. They don't allow it, so, you will need to come to Malaysia for a visit and we'll take you to a show. Deal? This Sunday we will see Scaling Heights at the same venue. Canadian pianist Alain Lefevre will be featured.

My Red & White Connection!

My brother-in-law, Kevin, made my day, my month and my year. He sent me a reminder of my home and native land for my Birthday. Thanks Kev. You rock!

My brother-in-law Rick, brought us a suitcase full of stuff only available in Canada, when they came for Christmas. "Secret" for example, you know...strong enough for a man but made for a woman...a good cooking knife, and, among other items, 13 DVD's of my children growing up. He had a good buddy transfer 13 VHS videos to DVD. Now that's a friend.

Titanic & Popcorn Combo

A cop in Thailand, with a gun, a radio and a mask. I didn't know if he was gonna hit a local 7/11 or do the Moonwalk. Ok, maybe it's a smog issue. Bangkok Dangerous...that's all I have to say about that!

We took a boat to Ko Lanta. Midway, in the middle of the sea, three smaller boats pulled up against our much bigger boat; the driver yelled the name of some remote island resort, then they began tossing luggage and passengers in to the smaller boats. They were headed to secluded spots on the island. The waves were chucking us about like kernels of popcorn in a roaster. Some luggage landed in the sea. Some passengers almost landed in the sea. It was scene from a movie...I think I heard a husband yelling "Rose...Rose", and she yelled back "Jack?".

Electric Eel & Ummmm...

Having a moment in the calm Langkawi water...deciding which shark to tackle next. Maybe I'll look for Moby Dick again. I did see an electric eel though. I grabbed it by the tail and shut it's current down...or did I send it down current...gee I can't remember...what's that disease where you loose your...whatddya call it again...Ummmmmm

Snuggling!

Some good ol' snuggling! Never gets boring.

Cement Galoches...Yikes!

I'm heading back to my old hood around June 19. I think the boys from my old crew are looking to fit me with a pair of cement galoches because I left.

Well...BRING IT I say, cause I'll be packin some Malaysian Durian Fruit...the smell alone will make them "book it" quicker than Bill Clinton during a Monika Lewinsky deposition. See ya soon fellas!

Valentine's Day 2010 KL Malaysia

Valentine's Day was simply the best for us. We went down to KL., watched the Chinese Dragon Dance. They leapt around these small pillars...yikes. Two guys manhandled a dragon suit as they jumped around these very small platform areas, in sync. It was awesome!

From there we, spontaneously, walked by the Red Box Karaoke club. So...naturally we checked it out. Well needless to say, we signed up for a three hour, private session which included two free drinks, a buffet meal, three microphones, and an amazing song list in a sound proof booth to ourselves. We sang our valentine's hearts out for three hours.

We left our karaoke session and went to Chinatown, our favourite spot in KL. We played rummy, sitting at an outside cafe (Malaysia style) and did some people watching. Then we joined Steve and Pam at the No Black Tie club and enjoyed some of the finest Brazilian Samba Bossa Nova while sipping Cosmopolitans’. What an awesome day. We concluded our lovers day by coming home and watching some good old "Frasier" until we both fell asleep on the couch.  It is Love!!!!

Chanty, Bayon & Rick

My sister Chantalle posing like a flight attendant.

This Bayon, at Angkor Thom in Cambodia, had a rock solid grip on his facial reflexes. However, I tickled his nose and he busted up laughing...get it? busted. Ok! Ok ! It's lame.. but I'm French!

Our pilot look alike Rick, also decided to join us on our whirlwind tour.  Here, he was having problems finding a parking space for his plane...the lady at customs was checking available spots.

We didn't see Lara Croft...or Angelina Jolie at Angkor Thom, but these faces are much prettier anyhow!

The Killing Fields/S21

I stepped back when I saw this picture at S21 in Cambodia. This young boy looks identical to my son Mitchell when he was young, and even today. However, this nameless young boy didn't get the same opportunity that my Mitchell has. This young boy was murdered under Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge savage regime. He would have been tossed into the air and caught on the end of a bayonette or he would have been hit behind the head with a steel bar. He was killed for no reason other than he belonged to a parent or family, that Pol Pot considered an enemy. This young boy's photo, is one of thousands, displayed at the S21 Torture Museum in Cambodia.

These are some of the thousands of innocent, beautiful young children who were murdered for no reason, and dumped into huge graves in the Killing Fields of Cambodia's country side.

This is S21 (Tuol Sleng ), the high school turned into a torture site where Pol Pot's soldiers extracted bogus confessions from innocent women, children, and men of all ages. From here they were trucked, blindfolded, to the killing fields. These were innocent civilians, guilty of nothing. I walked through each torture room; I wasn't the only visitor shedding a silent tear.

The killing fields were the final resting place for some 2 million innocent Cambodians. Piled into pits and burried.

Despite their atrocious past, Cambodians are very peaceful and receptive.

Angkor Wat is a beautiful place. The grandeur and atmosphere of the site really left an impression on me. I'm eager to return.

Moby Dick & Tartar Sauce

Our outfits almost matched at the Royal Palace in Thailand.

He looks much sharper than I do!

Yeah...these chickens are alive, driving to their destinty...a plate, knife and fork..or fingers...or chopsticks...depending whom they visit. The ones closest to the muffler kept trying to raise their head away from the heat. I guess you could call it a practice round for what's yet to come. This was a sight to see!

We were hunting Moby Dick on the Tonle Sap. When I told our tour guide how big Moby Dick is, he asked me to drive. Rick sat behind me, navigating me right into MOBY DICK's direction. We felt so brave that day that I packed the tartar sauce in my pocket.

I looked far and wide, but no sign of Moby Dick. He was afraid! I guess the locals let him know that Rick and I were in town to kick some whale behind. Moby scampered, like the weak whale that he is.

I left my heart in Angkor Wat...That's all I have to say about that!

This is sunrise, six thirtyish; it only got better by the minute.

Water action!

The local clothing store on Cambodia's Tonle Sap River.

I kept Amy from turning around by telling lame jokes and acting like Jerry Lewis while our tour guide bailed the bottom of the canoe. My God if we sank, and if Amy only knew that we were in the middle of crocodile waters, infested with giant  lizards, blizzards, alligators and Nessie from Scotland...YIKES! Thankfully our canoe guide bailed fast enough to keep us afloat. I think I wet my shorts though! 

This shot speaks for itself eh!

Gotcha! Nooooooo...I "gotcha" first... WRONG, I "gotcha" way before you got me! Well fine...but my camera is faster than yours...so there. Whatever! dimple dweeb...just so you know my lens is way stronger than yours. Yeah..well my canoe driver is quicker than...yeah well my uncle can...Oh yeah? My great-grandfather....you're sinking...you're ugly...Riiiiiick, whack him with your oar when we get close okay!

These children come to school everyday, by small boat. They are dropped off by their parents or a sibling.  They are happy children, regardless their situation. They made our day, it was moving and humbling to go into their school on the upper deck of a boat on the Tonle Sap River in Cambodia.

 I listened as this young girl read to me in her language. From time to time she would stop or slow down and the other children would press her to continue. She looked back at them, looked at me and then she would pick up her pace again. It was an awesome experience. Life on Cambobia's Tonle Sap really humbled me.

Macarena Cambodia Style

Chantalle in Siem Reap and a little Macarena with a couple of tourists, I tried to join in but I could not multitask at all. The whole hand movements and dancing at the same time didn't work. I can either move my hands OR dance...not both.

Some shots you just gotta take. What a sweetheart!

In Ko Lanta, at the Castaway Beach Resort, this local, seemingly gypsy beach merchant, came by everyday, hoping someone would by his hand made art. It was between 28-32 degrees everyday, look at the attire. That's what "need" can do to a person. I bet he'd happily accept a job at Tim Horton's or McDonalds.

Negotiations in Chinatown (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) are a riot; though we are never disrespectful to the vendors. The vendor usually sets his/her first price at about 5 times what you end up paying. So the games begin. You come back with a really lowball price, the vendor says " Cannot Lah", which means " Listen you western, hustler, I'm not budging from my price unless you start walking away, then I'll chase you and take your best offer, which is my worst price"..."Ok Lah". Then we exchange a smile; two competitors who know they will meet again. In this photo, the vendor just hit Amy with the proverbial high price for an item she esteemed; notice that “ I don’t think so" look on her face...or maybe she was thinking

"Cannot Lah".

Life in Cambodia!

Home on Cambodia's Tonle Sap River. That's it...this is home for them!

The local corner store...on the river. Imagine doing business like this, everyday! Tonle Sap River, Cambodia.

A carpet of dried shrimp, in the middle of the street; this batch will feed the community. Upon our arrival, my sister was the first one to "enter" town. Busy looking at the homes on stilts, she walked right onto their food supply. A smiling Cambodian man, yelled and pointed down while make an eating motion with his hands. He smiled again as my sister hustled in a backward walk, after crushing a bit of their shrimp supply. It was a tad funny after the fact, but she felt bad. No one steals from the supply which is left to dry in the sun.

City on stilts, hand tied together; during the rainy season, the water will rise to the base of those homes, then the people live in boats until the water level drops again. That little girl, on the bottom right of the screen, will not be walking there when the rain comes. The water will rise to four times her height, right where she stands.

Batu Prayer

Rick prayed to the Gods that we wouldn't make him climb those stairs behind him..the Gods were sleeping that day.

The Royal Palace in Thailand

Ronald McThailand

I finally met Ronald McDonald in Thailand. We prayed together. I had to do all the talking though, he's quiet and shy.

What a guy!

Home...on the Tonle Sap River

This is home to some of the residents we met as we coasted along Cambodia's Tonle Sap River in our tour boat.  I was really embarrassed about the many times I had complained in my life.

Buckley's and Ceramics

This ceramic statue at the Royal Palace in Bangkok, looks like he just swallowed a gulp of Buckley's', pardon his expression. He is one of many awesome looking ceramic statues to be admired on the site.