Family on the move

Did it again. Went from winter to summer in a few hours and yes, it feels good.

Yesterday, we drove to Montreal to see our daughter, who had just completed her last universtiy exam of the year. We navigated deep mounds of snow, as workers did their best to clear the snow from side streets. Montreal's narrow roads quickly become congested when so much snow is on the ground. Driving is challenging, as many cars seem abandoned on side streets, too snowed-in to be moved. Meanwhile, large snowplows work night and day to clear the roads before the next storm hits. The city is postcard beautiful. Walking is recommended at this time of the year, though.

This morning, we began a few days of rest and recreation. We were up at 4 am and out to the airport. We flew to Orlando. In the space of a few short hours, we found ourselves in the greenery of central Florida, with palm trees swaying under a summer-like breeze. This is an odd way of spending Christmas, but very welcome. This reminds me of several such holidays my brothers and I experienced growing up in Africa.

After fighting a cold for a few days, the warm weather feels like a gentle tonic to the system.

It's the season to be jolly

Since pictures are usually better than words, I'm getting into the mood of the season by posting these photographs.

Hope you like them too.


They're from the stock.xchng.

Now curl up with a good book by the fireplace and enjoy a warm drink or two!

The shopping season

Here we go.

It seems like it's practically Christmas. Now that Thanksgiving has passed, communities right across North America are launching full speed into the Christmas season with ceremonies launching holiday lights, parades and window decoration unveilings. I like all of that.

What I don't like is what happens on television, on the radio, on billboards and in the shopping malls with the constant barrage of messages to buy, buy, buy... I work in commercial television and our company does benefit from seasonal advertising, of course, and I recognize the importance of the season to all businesses, television included. But its still November, for crying out loud.

I realize some people love shopping and get excited about it. I, on the other hand, am not a very good shopper. I lack ideas and creativity. But I don't mind that too much, because I find ways to come to terms with it. Over a period of a few weeks, I eventually find ways to select items for the people on my list. But what really irks me is how I feel herded and pressured, cajoled and increasingly put off by the constant barrage of advertising.

Granted, in the first week the ads sound interesting and new. But by the time Christmas Day arrives, the holiday spirit can seem like used plastic in the recycling bin.

It's spoiling the season for me. If you try to live up to the ideals portrayed in all the ads, if you listen to all of the messages (and often there is no way to avoid it), you realize pretty soon that reality never comes close. Reality starts to look a little drab in comparison, and that's a subconscious "downer".... but I have to remind myself that all of the messages are themselves an artifice, a sham of Styrofoam snow, and smiling actors who wore coats in August to record these Christmas commercials.

In order to make the season memorable, I wish we could forget about all of this crazy buying and just focus instead on connecting with people. Instead of rushing around looking for gifts and fighting the crowds, I'd like to have coffee with friends, dinners with family, and maybe, just maybe, spend some time reflecting on the origin of the season. It should be a time for some introspection and connection.

I realize we all have the power to make choices about what to do during the season, to take the best of the season and hold onto that. I know, I know. But we're caught up in a tidal wave of messaging (brainwashing?) that is getting increasingly loud and sometimes even offensive, don't you think?

The difference between the idyllic world and reality is a formula for depression in so many people. I don't want to read about domestic tragedies this year.

I'd like a warm cup of chocolate, a warm fireplace and meaningful acts of goodwill. How hypocritical we must look to followers of other faiths.

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The photograph is of a church in Baranya, Hungary, courtesy of the stock.xchng.

Planning a Christmas trip? Consider warm-hearted Munich

As autumn approaches for those living in the northern hemisphere, now may be the time to think about booking winter holiday travel.

You might wish to consider a Christmas visit to Germany.

Here's a travel diary from a trip to Munich that I wrote and posted on Helium.com.



"I had a feeling this was going to be a good business trip when in the crowded cab one of our co-workers told the driver, with a wink to the rest of us, that our female colleague had just been released from prison. Nodding at me, he added, "And the guy in the back there is enjoying his second day of wearing men's clothes."

Through the laughter, we were taking in the sights of Munich at Christmas time.

Lying close to the Bavarian Alps on the Isar River, Munich is an enchanting city in December. Our destination was the Marienplatz, in the center of town; a venerable old square. In a tradition that dates back to the 14th century, people come from all over to shop in the unique Christmas market in the square. If you want to get in the festive spirit and are looking for a few stocking stuffers, this is the place to do it. Under a gigantic Christmas tree, vendors sell hand-crafted nativity figures, Christmas candles and painted wooden decorations. At night the stalls are brightly-lit and the atmosphere is so friendly one almost forgets it's wintertime. People stroll around with mugs of mulled wine to ward off any remaining chill.



The square is a gigantic salon, a meeting place for teenagers, business people and lovers. Anyone, really. Think of it as an elegant outdoor mall, with the gothic town hall (the "Rathaus") as the main focal point. The square has hosted markets for hundreds of years (although the Munich food market has since relocated to another square). Tournaments were often held there during medieval times. So were executions and other less severe public punishments. For a long time, the Marienplatz used to be known by another name (Schrannenplatz), but the townsfolk renamed it to thank the Virgin Mary for protecting the town from a cholera epidemic (in English, it would be called "St. Mary's Square" ).

Fortunately, thoughts of plagues and diseases are safely buried in the past. If you meet a friend in the square today, you can go for a long stroll along an extensive pedestrian zone, flanked by stately old buildings. Cars are completely absent and the wide space beckons with an invitation to take life's moments slowly, one at a time.

So that is what my colleagues and I were doing. On a side street, we stopped for a casual dinner at the Franziskaner Restaurant, a traditional beer house with good, old-fashioned cooking. We hung up our coats on the many hooks on the wall, sat on the simple wooden benches and savored "Weissbier," or wheat beer, a smooth, silky brew, a local specialty.

Later, I continued exploring the area on my own, and discovered an outdoor ice skating rink, where people were enjoying themselves under Christmas decorations and colorful stage lights. That night, skaters were gliding over a palette of colors that seemed to be held in the hand of a giant who was mixing them at will: yellows, greens, reds and blues. (No, it wasn't a beer buzz.) Music played; more mulled wine for the spectators; church bells occasionally rang out in the distance.

On the way back to the Marienplatz, I watched a couple of happy-go-lucky musical comedians entertaining the last strollers of the night with jokes and improvised versions of popular songs. Guitars under the portico and laughter; a place where people connected with each other in the spirit of the season.

I'd go back in an instant. Even in women's clothes. "









Photos: rz