The vegetarian secret

When dinner is served with out meat most meat lovers probably will walk away feeling unsatisfied.

I have to admit, for a very long time I didn't put Indian food on my list of great meals.  I dare everyone to open up their minds and also your taste buds.  It wasn't that Indian meals aren't tasty, I guess I would have to place the fact of no meat in the meals slightly turned me off.  Over the many years I saw myself opening up to different cultures and having the tolerance and patience to be respectful of our differences and indeed that included food.  

Some of my friends and I took on the taste of India and did it to a buffet style.  yaah!

If you ever decide to do this, please go slow and take your time.  The meals are tasty and joyous, I say this because the place where we dined everyone was happy and looked like they were having lots of fun.  No alcohol was served and this makes for a good family outing.  Twelve hours after eating and my stomach still feels heavy from such good food.  The one thing I didn't manage to do was to catch the names of the foods but I promise to do that next time around.

Many thanks to my friend Sam who suggested the restaurant and gave directions.

30 days in Barbados

You can't help but notice the signs as you walk into the airport from off the plane.

Relax it's Barbados.
 
If there is a place I can call home then truly it is Barbados. Welcome back home sir, those were the words echoed from the customs officer as he handed me my passport and I was on my way to some Bajan therapy.

My first few hours in Barbados were seemingly very interesting and I think those hours were building me up for what I would call... reality. Barbados is an extremely small island on a world scale and within a few hours of reaching the island, I felt like I had run into people I would have probably liked to avoid... at that time.

So what would a person do for 30 days in paradise, besides relax, eat, drink, hang out on the beach, chat with the people and sightsee? I would say sometimes you do nothing, enjoy your surroundings, keep a smile on your face and every now and then say to your fellow man, Yes, please!

Quite awesome!


To actually enjoy Barbados you have to adjust to the slower pace at which people do things, it's cultural. Speed is not the asset in this case, it's the love formulated for something and how you do it that gains you stripes in this part of the world. A well planned day is the key to any success here, you can't rush this life and one of the sayings in Barbados is "I only got one life to live". So why rush through it, right! Most people are up early in the mornings around 5am, their day is started as the sun bursts through the sky and heats up the already warm crust of this magnificent island, that's when life begins. It's the uncertainty of not knowing what the next day will lead to, no guarantees but everyone will take each day one at a time.


When the kiddies' voices are heard I know the day is coming to an end. Hearing those voices alarms me that I only have a very short window before the sun sets and the curtains are drawn. The fear of being bitten by a tiny mosquito plays a constant tune in the back of my mind and the smell of citronella oil is fuming through some people's homes and every now and then there is a sound of two hands slapping which means another mosquito life just ended.


Then it's time to do a few things which some do very well on this island, Liming.



Liming is what people do to socially interact with other people in the community. You can make business deals and find out what is going on in the community at the same time. You don't need money to lime you just need to show up and be part of the many conversations that will occur. really, you don't need to buy out the bar since tomorrow you will be right back at the bar. When hunger hits you find the closest food stall and buy some fresh fish usually grilled or fried to perfection from one of the many roadside chefs or a preferred restaurant of your liking.

Relax it's Barbados.

Congrats to WI United

After a tense match which saw one red card and two awkward moments which eventually led to Barbados ambassadors of Canada losing in the finals of the Caribbean masters soccer league.  Many thought this game was going to be a very tense one and indeed it did not disappoint.  West Indies united had already wrapped up the league title but in the playoff finals many believed that Barbados had the momentum to win this one.  After two harsh calls by the referee the game ended with a 1-0 lost that gave West Indies the championship.  It was a disappointment to the fans and spectators who watched the game and many displayed their emotions to the referee who I am sure heard the boos from many watching the game.  Barbados had a wonderful season which saw new players introduced and will improve for the following season.  Hats off to Mark and team who showed discipline and good organization which led them to collect the "most discipline team award"  it was an awesome season and was very entertaining to watch.

Congrats West Indies united.

Kevin Hart puts grown men to bed

Give thanks and praises to the most high first.  Some of my co-workers and I did our annual cottage weekend just north of the town of Napanee in Ontario.  you can Google the area or ask about it.  I cant tell you much about the area besides the fact that its quiet and gets pretty cold during the fall season. Its a relatively quiet area except for when the coyotes howl after making a kill for the pack.  Despite what the header says the area isn't known for its celebrity draw and of course Kevin Hart wasn't in the neighbor hood. I'll get back to that later on in this post.

We did what most guys do when away from girlfriends and wives, jabbed at each other talked about any and everything we could think of and sat around the fire drinking booze and figuring out where the coyotes were.  It's a beautiful thing to get out in the country and just enjoy nature without the constant sights and sounds of the city and for city slickers like myself it puts me in a relax state of mind.  I had my first ever roasted marshmallow around the fire.  This stuff looks pretty cool in the movies and I am sure for kids this is probably a real treat but I wont be having it again, been there done that.  Way too
much sugar for me and I am not a fan.

I noticed the guys were  a bit more mature at the campfire and after a few beers on the first night everyone was looking restless and many eyes were starting to drop which is a good indication that sleep is calling.  The guys worked pretty hard over a two week span so I wasn't really surprised by this as well.  Saturday morning we all got up stretched and breathed in the country side knowing that the following morning will mean its time to go back to the city and the next time visiting will be a year from now.  Sports is always the chosen thing to watch on the satellite and we watched some EPL and car racing.  Sam made breakfast for everyone which consist of eggs, bread, Canadian beacon and turkey beacon.  I always look forward to the constant jabs at my turkey beacon and the constant echoes of its not real beacon.  Throughout the day we went fishing, drank beer, did some target practicing and played a strange game which one would fling a heavy ball across the yard while we get to follow it all over the yard with a ball of our own.  By the way, the closest ball to the fling-ed ball wins or gets points.  As time went on we did other things like played badminton, did some chin-ups and drank beer.

A this point I am sure you are waiting to hear how Kevin Hart got involved and crashed our cottage weekend in Napanee, I will get to that in a sec.  This year I was asked to cook oxtail for our dinner and I did not disappoint.  It was great food which no one spared.  Many thanks to Bruno who also prepared some Portuguese style chicken which helped in making a tasty and filling dinner. OK, so its almost Kevin Hart time and after dinner we relaxed, stayed indoors and watched stand-up comedy all evening.  The night was going well so when
the rains came its was Kevin Hart's time to entertain us.  I am sure that Kevin is funny and many think that he is really funny but unfortunately I may be out of the loop.  By the time his show was over all the guys were fast asleep knocked out on the chairs.  I will take the blame for cooking an awesome oxtail and since the oxtail was quite delicious and after every good meal, most people may fall asleep.  So excuse me Mr Hart if you ever actually read this blog I am just trying to be funny, with the headline.  Some guys did blame Kevin by claiming they were waiting for the joke to come and it took too long.

It was an awesome weekend and I look forward to doing it again.

How do you like your head?

It started exactly one month ago. At first thought, it seems easy, a simple decision. Look at how times have changed.

Yesterday, I had to make a decision which for the first time had me torn. This was simply because of stubbornness and for the first time I understood many things I didn't know before. As I continue my path through life I have seen many before I struggled with it and I always felt like this could never happen to me. So I toyed with it and ignored all the signs I saw and overlooked the hideous look I carried for one whole month.

I stood in the mirror and what usually takes me 5-10 minutes took me almost two hours to make a decision. You see, I had grown my hair for one full month without shaving it completely off to see if I was losing my hair at the front.

The results are in and I have concluded that I look better bald.

I like my head bald.

Trippin' over 100,000

Recently I read in a news article that they were over 100,000 condominium construction jobs going on in the city of Toronto.  It sounds unbelievable at first glance but it could be possible.  I actually didn't pay much attention to the numbers but when one of my co-workers pointed it out I started looking over the city from the 31st floor of the building where I work.  They are plenty cranes in the sky and that is for sure one spectacular sight for the job industry.



Whats not spectacular is the number of scaffolds that cuts in to our side walk space.  It's not pretty!  Look, the bottom line is that the city is booming with work and give it a few years and the benefits will be produce.  In the mean time pay very close attention to the jobs being done at the top because what goes up could eventually comes down.  Hopefully this doesn't happen by accident.

On all job-sites any construction work over lapping side walks, scaffolds are assembled to protect pedestrians from anything falling from above.  I have witnessed on many occasions people cutting through the unsafe zones to make the distance shorter, this could be deadly.  Please walk under the scaffolds they are made specifically for this purpose, practice the safer way to avoid any unfortunate injuries from accidents.  Even though the scaffolds could seem narrow or just longer in distance traveled please understand the reasoning for this.  Be safe!

June Surprises

 I decided to jot down a few things over the last few weeks.

Live, laugh, learn, take.

World cup Brazil 2014 was terrific. What a wonderful tournament it was! One whole month of soccer which captivated the world, many people stop to watch and cheer for their teams. The best team won, there's no doubt about that. I had to put that out there!

Over the last few months, I have had good moments and also bad moments. I try mostly to put the good ones ahead and not to focus on the down moments.

I went to church once over the last couple of months and for a non-church goer that is considered pretty good. You see, I was invited to church by my son who has become a very livid and passionate churchgoer. I went to the Sunday service and for the first time in a very long time, I felt something which made me feel really good and warm inside. It's called 'Cream O' wheat'. Porridge can give you some of the longest-lasting warm feelings, more than many other foods. I had a bowl before I left home and it lasted me to the service. Apart from the porridge which definitely can make a grown man smile, my son sat beside me for the entire service and I was proud to see him grow into a very good young man. My daughter attended as well and she has become a stunning teen, already. I sat between a couple of ladies in the church who looked pretty familiar to me. Later on, I realized that I had grown up with them in our old neighborhood. Small world it is indeed!

Well, we are well into July now and I am hearing many grunts and groans from various people about the weather. Some folks seem to be enjoying the warm days and cool nights while many are not liking the cool nights and lukewarm days. I, personally is laughing about the whole argument since I realized a long time ago that I live in Canada and the mixed weather is expected. In typical Canadian fashion, complaints are normal, and blaming the weather is also normal. Everyone wants the weather to get really hot, the skin burning weather is what people want, right! People want the weather so hot that turning on the AC to run at nights is preferred...hot days and cool night.

In Brazil the weather never changes, it's either hot or raining. One surprise, however, is Costa Rica making it to the quarter-finals of the world cup then finally being knocked out by the Dutch team. My neighbor who happens to be from Costa Rica was quite proud and for the first time spoke English to me. Rumors are circling from around the soccer family in Europe that some players are petitioning to the FIFA governing body to muzzle Luis Suarez. Some are saying that they won't play against him unless he plays with a muzzle on his face. Luis Suarez if you remember, is the player who bit an Italian player during a game. It's the third time that he has done this during a game and the speculations are out that he could be a day-walker.

As July progresses to August I am aiming to attend another church service and hopefully, everyone gets what they wished for, weather-wise. So whether you like hot days or hot nights the time ticks on and Toronto stays in Ontario.  Rob Ford, by the way, is back now and everything will heat up for sure.

Keep cool and stay bless!

The Race To Finish 1st

am i not entitled to one mistake

Lately, there's been a lot of talk and attention around race and I wonder if this is purposely inflicted by some folks. Clearly, this can not be just coincidental, or could it? The killing of Trayvon Martin was one of the more publicized topics in America and after the trial, I was quite baffled. A legal system was used to justify the killing of an unarmed teenager which to this day will haunt every person with a young child. Of course, media plays right into the whole argument, every last person who sees the news will have an impression of what they think happened. Something just does not sit right.

Remember Michael Dunn? He was the man who shot and killed Jordan Davis for apparently playing loud music in his own car down in FLORIDA. Was Jordan Davis not entitled to play loud music? Perhaps special permission was needed before deciding to turn that music up loud. I am sure they were many more incidents than reported about confrontations between grown white men and young African Americans but of course who wants to go in that direction. right?

Ever since Mr. Obama became president lots of these race flirtations kept surfacing. Of course, he is not to blame but I wonder if America was ready for a shift in power. Having an African American president seems to still bother some people in America. 

Mr. Donald Sterling (L.A. Clippers owner)didn't make things any better by doing an interview with Anderson Cooper it actually made things worse. Or did it really?  Donald is 80 or more years old and for him not to have specific views of the so-called
minorities aren't so shocking, at least to me. Some things may seem shocking to hear but if you live long enough you would realize that the behavior of humans doesn't really change. Now that's an argument! Apparently, Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks owner)is an outspoken guy and felt the need to make his point about his thoughts on prejudice. I will say that he isn't far off with his thoughts and many others may feel the same way he does. Sometimes people pretend and they are others who simply just blurts it out, truthfully.

Built to Last

Toronto the great city is now exposed in more ways than one.  Imagine living in this quiet city which for the most part hosts many exciting characters and episodes.  You would never know unless you did research and realized that this city has many unique things about it.  Well, I am not going to do a research at the moment but I encourage you to.  Don't be surprise at what you find.

It's no surprise that the great city of Toronto is very popular at the moment.  If you look back at the last few years you could see it coming. It's been a series of events and people recognition that started the hype.  Justin Bieber been wiling out lately and that drew interest of some Americans who chanted the deportation call.  How dare Justin, the Canadian with lots of money and a global following through his precious songs and good looks.  How dare you?  Canadians never act the way he does, obviously it must be his surroundings.

Then there was Mr Anthony Bennett, the number one draft pick of the NBA 2013.  Surprisingly he stole the number one spot according to some but never the less he was number one.  His value will show a few years after when his potential pans out.

A few years back the hip hop world was shocked and relieved when Drake took the number one spot and ever since then he has been dissed, dismissed but still loved.  The kid is still the talk of the town and even though he has become the ambassador for the Toronto Raptors he still holds his own on the hip hop scene.  When you see Drake you see Toronto, at least that's what the raptors expect.  The rise of the north, a place where the youths seek recognition and demand to be heard.  No longer will any southerner look down on the north as a place where the cold weather controls this city and tall trees roam.

I couldn't help but notice the fans of the Toronto raptors who made themselves very loud but eventually lost to the Brooklyn nets in their 1st round play-off finals.  If there's one place I want to be is in Jurassic park next year when the team make the playoffs again.  It was awesome to watch those fans jump, scream and cheer their team on to the very last end.  I think many media outlets noticed and again showed the energy and vibrant nature of the the northern uprising.

Politically, Canada generally is quite boring.  No real dirt comes out on politicians and even if this happens it's usually useless.  There's no real noise to be heard from a media point of view up until now.  The Toronto Mayor has caused quite a stir around the world and has the focus on Toronto once again.  It's one big debate in these parts about him running for mayor again and even if he should be running again at all.  If there's one thing to be said, it would be that him all by himself has placed a fixed light on the city of Toronto.  I dare you, research Toronto and see what you may find. 

A sneak preview of my journeys.

A short while ago someone asked me why do I write things and share publicly?  My reply was why not?  I have all these thoughts and interesting things that has happened in my life and if I keep them all to myself it would certainly be quite a waste. 

Over the years I wrote many things down which really was a repetitive habit that I had built up.  During these times I saved some of the things I wrote but on many other times I simply tossed many things away.  These were my thoughts, my emotions and my feelings at the time of writing, and I threw them all away.  Well not all, I saved some.

Stop me if I am making a mistake, explain to me what I am doing is wrong.  I will affect many people lives, ruin and scar the images of those who are looked upon as people who are doing everything right in their lives.  who really cares about me and my ideologies, my constant trying to explain something to someone and quest to prove something.  What if I didn't do these things? 

When pressure is built up it eventually breaks.  When the pressure is relieved it is all smooth sailing from there but bumpy roads may still be ahead.  I will enlighten you with my thoughts and experiences.  I promise you will be entertain and intrigue at the same time.  

This is my journey up until now and I invite you to have a peek in. 

In The Name Of The Most High

Everything is written, it's a path we must follow they say.  Are we just falling in line of the chapters of the book?  Sometimes I wonder.  

I got up this morning feeling a bit tired since I didn't get a full nights sleep.  I had a late laundry night and these days I feel the effect, this wasn't always the case in my more energetic days.

What is time and why do I have to follow the path of everyone else before me and continue with traditional traits.  Sometimes I wonder.

So I had breakfast, barely enough time to get through the door to catch the 7:30am rush hour.  These mornings the traffic is getting much earlier.  I suspect its the warmer weather that is causing this.

Time they say wait for no man or woman.  No matter how much make-up she puts on to dress to impress the time ticks on.  Have you ever felt like you were not using your time wisely?  What really is important to you?  Power, money, time.  Sometimes I wonder.

I made it to the subway with just enough time to get one of the last spots left in the parking lot to park my car before jumping onto the train.  I probably could have parked in the free parking lot across the street.  Free is better, right?

Even with the knowledge you have and the glory you seek, are you satisfy?   Do you feel incomplete, do you feel as though you can always do better?  What you have is never enough?  Sometimes I wonder.

I sat in the parking lot for roughly twenty minutes trying to avoid the rush pattern.  I sat and listened to the radio then took the first train to downtown to my place of employment.

Have a good day and please enjoy.

Nine Months

Showers of blessings

Keep pouring down,

All day all night

Keep streaming along.

I love when you touch me,

You send shivers through my body.

Keep pouring all night,

My wound is ready.

It’s that time of the year,

When I know you are there,

So I would push my head out

And wait my share.

I love when your drops splatter all over on me,

Drop by drop sends me in frenzy.

Look at me grow now

With your magical touch,

I’m blooming, I’m blooming

I love you so much.

 By Derek Headley

Spring Fling

It’s been a long and cold one.

What a relief when the temperature rises,

It’s been so long.

Layer by layer I’m going to,

No need to remind me

I know how to.

With my eyes alone I can undress

It’s not off yet,

Oh dear what a mess!

As it gets hotter the core gets wetter

So I strip everything off,

I feel much better.

I like hearing those birds sing

In the morning

I like seeing those bee stings,

The blossoms.

It’s spring so it’s time for the boots,

Keep digging little worm,

Touch the roots.


  
by Derek Headley

The Road To Love

Which way is the road to love my dear?

If I may say,

Your tracks look like the right way.

My instincts are triggering,

And my heart is bubbling.

I will follow your tracks

Until I become missing.

I suspect no corners and I can’t picture bends,

All looks lovely tonight my friend.

Now I can say I will walk one love mile,

With you for ever we’ll walk a while.

Let’s take our time and reach destination love,

With all the excitement my heart flutters like a dove.

I’ll reach love,

And I am sure you will too.

Because darling dear,

I do love you.

by Derek Headley

The Magesty

So common is the man, who travels this road,

Every day he walks with his head hung high.

So common are his shoes that he wears on his feet,

But nobody hears his cry.

This man is the man that you see everyday,

Traveling to and from.

Where is he going and where is he coming from,

The question seems so dumb.

Why look down upon this man that seems so simple,

Because he keeps to himself.

Nobody knows and dares to asks,

What’s his health or even his wealth?

Seeing him move seem like a great impression,

So independent and so strong,

He sits alone when he gets tired,

In this hustling, bustling town.

The man is the man only he can be he,

So true and sure that’s right.

As bright as daytime and hot is the sun,

Then darkness must be night.

So why is this man always alone?

He never says a word.

Excuse me and thank you is the most we hear,

Not even a grunt or moan!

Time they say will tell a story,

But what’s a story without and ending.

If no one sees the blood that runs,

Then who can stop the bleeding.

by Derek Headley.