Never judge a book by its cover…. our room was clean, big, it had a fridge, microwave, coffee maker, big screen telly and internet. Oh and two big queen size beds. It was just off the big super highway when we turned off on to hwy 15 going into Kingston. This was our view from the balcony ..it wasn’t the time year to be sitting on the balcony but.. wanted to share this with you. The road you see there is the hwy. where you can’t see off to the left is the super one. Yes, we were constantly hearing cars, trucks etc. driving past. In the morning, we were treated to the activity of the heavy equipment being started up. It was all good, we enjoyed ity all.
The pictures were taken early morning, the day following our arrival. Kingston is a popular tourist attraction especially in the summer, and it is not only a military base, but swarming with the activity of the Universities and the buzz of student life. for more on the city you can check out this link
http://http://tourism.kingstoncanada.com/en/index.asp
As wonderful as the city is, we were there to treasure hunt and chill. Eartha (name changed to protect the innocent) and I were on an adventure, and yes we included some craft shopping (Michaels) We were in our glory, on the days we were there we encountered nothing but discount days, one store had 75% off, another 50% then the next day or was it the day before it was 40%. It is not the you spend a lot, it is the thrill of the hunt. Some of you will get this, others I know will just shake their darling heads (Hello B!)
Everything was a positive. The internet was iffy in our lodgings, but we were still able to have a giggle, and what messages I did retrieve were so appreciated. We had been told to expect snow, rain, freezing rain, but all day everywhere we were the sun shone down on us, blessing our day with warm sunshine, blue skies, friendly people, we laughed, we talked, and we ate.
We found this restaurant called the Mandarin (no it was not lost) it was just new to us. =^_^=…. Chinese New Year as most of you know by now is coming up Feb. 7 in China, 8th here. Already the celebrations have begun. It is a big restaurant (franchised) that means the different Mandarins, for example there is a big one near here in Orleans, are owned by different people. This one, was in full-blown celebration mode, with the red lanterns and the red symbols of good luck, prosperity, health and happiness festooned all over in all the rooms.
Yes, there were different rooms with different themes, on our last day we sat in the Fish room. Huge divider of tropical fish and Chinese wall mural of fish. The servers and attendants were all in smart well pressed uniforms of Chinese red, the ladies sported tops in Chinese brocade, everyone had training in how to greet guests, the special bow, the hot towels prior to eating and then another fresh hot towel after the meal. the service was 1st class excellent! The owner made the rounds, welcoming everyone, and offering the traditional red envelopes. A grand experience.
It was a wonderful time away, it wasn’t the destination, but the getting there. Once there it wasn’t our physical environment, but the sense of happiness and friendship that carried us through the various things we did. The discoveries we shared. We didn’t think about tomorrow, we lived the moments and therefore, we were constantly celebrating the “wonders ” of the day.
The start of a new year should always be a celebration of new beginnings and the renewal of the joy in our hearts. We sweep out the old and bring in the new. According to Chinese tradition, a red envelope is a symbol of luck. When we give someone a red New Year envelope, we are wishing them good health, wealth and luck for the coming year.
We got two on our trip. yahhhhhhooooo, double luck! KUNG HEI FAT CHOY !!!
namaste – oyashikiri
PL Precept # 21 Live in Perfect LIberty
PL Principle # 12 I will get up pleasantly in the mornings
PL Precept # 2 I will not have complaints about others, matters, nor the weather. Rather I will always be creative and will look for shortcomings in my own thinking and actions.
By now you know that I love to sometimes just drive, and let the road take me to wherever it leads. I don’t mind taking a turn I’ve never taken before, or even stop on a side street, just to feel that ambiance of the area I am in, It is interesting that when out, I can chit-chat and happily chatter away with total strangers. yet when I come home, shut the door to the outside, I can do a total 360 degrees. Turn off the phones, and just bury myself in the quiet of the creative happenings in my studio/office.
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