Hey, blog readers!  I notice when I get this blog in my email it only seems to show single pics.  Some of the sections of most posts have a slideshow imbedded.  Please let me know if you are seeing the slide shows.  If you are not, try viewing the blog in your browser.  This is easy to do by clicking on the title of the blog in your email.    
You can always visit our website- www.sailgirldesign.com  and check out the last page of the site which is the blog.
Thanks!!  Just wanted to make sure you were seeing all the fun pics.
Cheers,
Peggy and Corey

Vesak Day is celebrated by Buddhists in a variety of forms and on slightly different dates across SE Asia and beyond.  It is the celebration of the birth, enlightenment, and death of Guatama Buddha.  The dates are based on the different Asian calendars and it is usually celebrated in related to the full moon.  Wikipedia has a nice summary of Vesak Day.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesak 

There are some basic aspects of Vesak Day that I really admire such as bringing happiness to others, especially children, the elderly, and handicapped.   Worshippers plan a trip to the temple that day to buy incense, pray and offer flowers in worship.  Traditionally animals have been let free on this holiday in a symbolic act of liberation.  This is to signify the liberation of those in captivity against their will.  Singapore had a government announcement to encourage people to let bugs go as a gesture instead of any other animals.  Vesak is also a day where many Buddhists will eat a totally vegetarian diet.

I really like this description of how to celebrate Vesak Day and pay homage to Buddha from Wikipedia:
 " Tradition ascribes to the Buddha himself instruction on how to pay him homage. Just before he died, he saw his faithful attendant Ananda, weeping. The Buddha advised him not to weep, but to understand the universal law that all compounded things (including even his own body) must disintegrate. He advised everyone not to cry over the disintegration of the physical body but to regard his teachings (The Dhamma) as their teacher from then on, because only the Dhamma truth is eternal and not subject to the law of change. He also stressed that the way to pay homage to him was not merely by offering flowers, incense, and lights, but by truly and sincerely striving to follow his teachings. This is how Buddhists are expected to celebrate Vesak: to use the opportunity to reiterate their determination to lead noble lives, to develop their minds, to practise loving-kindness and to bring peace and harmony to humanity."

As you all have figured out by now, I travel, a lot!  Mom spent her last week in Singapore with Corey and I.  We did as much as we could cram into those few days including the Cable Car that flies from Sentosa to Mt. Faber and a fun day trip over to Pulau Ubin.  I would bet you haven't heard of Pulau Ubin unless you've spent more than a few days in Singapore.  More on that in a bit.

Corey helped Mom get on her plane home as I had to leave for work in Australia prior to her flight.  

I hated to see Mom go but knew she had to get home to enjoy spring in the Tri-Cities.  I am sure she has memories to carry her a ways!   I hope you all have enjoyed her adventures written here!

If anyone fancies a trip to SE Asia, let us know so we can figure out what country we will be in so you can find us!  

As I mentioned, Corey, Mom and I crammed quite a bit into her last week.  The cable car that runs between Mt. Faber and Sentosa is fun way to see some of the island.  We took the subway to Harbourfront station and from there we flew up to Mt. Faber.   After having a snack at the top over the top of a couple of cruise ships, and landed in Sentosa.  Sentosa is an island off the southern tip of Singapore that has been turned into a destination.  It has hotels, a casino, Universal Studios, beaches, and more.  It's a fun place to go for the day.  Mom and I spent a day at the beach there a few weeks earlier.  See below for that adventure.  Here are some pics of our cable car ride and more.

Pulua Ubin lies a short boat ride off the NE corner of Singapore.  It's truly a step back in time.  Instead of traffic noise, there are crickets.  The pace is as fast as you choose to pedal your own bicycle.  It's a welcome escape from the city.

The picture to the left is Mom and Corey riding the bumboat over to our island adventure.  Getting to this little ferry was a trek in itself, as it was a long bus ride from our apartment.   The ferry doesn't have a schedule.  It leaves when enough people show up.  Luckily, we weren't the only ones looking for a ride.   The primitive wooden boats hold about 12-20 people and most are brightly painted.  They sputter smoke as they carry you across the small expanse of water between the islands.  We were one of a couple groups of tourists joined by some shoppers that had obviously gone over to Singapore to grab some things that likely just aren't obtainable on their small island.

Upon arrival to the island, we rented bicycles and took our time riding along shady roads.  It felt a bit like riding in a sauna but the pace was leisurely.  We ended our day at one of the seafood restaurants near the wharf where we caught a return ferry back to the mainland after a tasty lunch.

Mom made it all the way to Singapore! Thanks to Corey for picking her up at the airport and getting her to our current apartment.  He is a champ! 

Mom travels so well.  She came in about 1:00am and she and Corey made it back to the apartment after 2:00am.  Although I did wake up enough to give her a big hug, I had a crazy work day coming up so back to bed I went.  When they got to the apartment, Corey took Mom to the roof so she could get a view of Singapore at night.  Our rooftop pool area is an amazing place.  As you can see from the pic to the left we can view the Singapore Flyer and much of the downtown financial district from our current building.  Later the day Mom arrived,  I made it home for lunch and Mom was already up and ready to start exploring Singapore!  Corey flew back to Thailand and Mom hung out at the pool and walked around the general area.

Over the first weekend I showed Mom how to use an MRT pass.  Singapore has an amazing public transport system that includes trains, buses and cabs.  It is actually very easy to get around, and if you aren't afraid to walk a little you can see a lot of Singapore on foot (locally we call that using Bus 11).  Saturday Mom and I took a walking tour in Little India.  It was so much fun!  Our tour guide was a local guy named Bernard.  His laugh was contagious!  He was full of information, from the history of Singapore to current day politics and more.  We learned a lot about his home town/country of Singapore and especially the Indian community since that was the focus of the tour.  The pictures below are mostly from our Little India Walking Tour.

This lovely building is Raffles Hotel, named after the British founder of the colony in 1819.  Up until that time the area had been under the rule of India, Thailand, the Portuguese, Dutch, Malaysia, and more.  Singapore gained it's independence in 1965.  Much of the city was destroyed during WW2 bombing raids by the Japanese but some very wonderful little neighborhoods remain.  I have been lucky enough to find a small apartment in what is called the "Arab Quarter."  Mom will help me move this coming weekend.  It is an area of mostly renovated shophouses that are clustered around the oldest Mosque in Singapore.   Just down the street is a lovely old Catholic church and both Buddhist and Hindu Temples are just a few blocks further.  Singapore is a wonderful melting pot of cultures.   Mom and I took a Hop on- Hop Off Bus Tour around the city this past Saturday.  It was a great way to get your bearings and see the city from an open topped bus!  Here are some pics of our adventure.
We saw many of the main landmarks of Singapore and spent some time in Chinatown walking around as well.  

Our last stop on Saturday night was down at Marina Bay.  We had taken the train to watch the light show, which is well worth the effort, and happened upon the Singapore Jazz Festival.  The main stage was right in front of the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.  We were standing, elbows over the fence that was keeping the non-paying observers out, and a nice guy asked, "would you want some free tickets to the concert?"  Well, anyone that knows me, knows how fast I said, "YES!"   He handed us two passes and pointed us in the direction of the entrance.  I asked, "Why us?"  He answered with a smile and a twinkle in his eye, "Why not?"  

What a treat!  We relinquished our tickets for RFID bracelets, very Singapore, and were able to catch 3 acts.  The first was an amazing singer named Allen Stone.  He was from the US and his band was excellent.  Mom and I both loved him, his music, and even more so... his vibe.  We then were lucky enough to hear James Morrison and his band.  He could play about any horn available as well as other instruments.  The closing act was none other than than the amazing India Arie!  Some of her songs literally brought tears to our eyes as she is one of the most soulful singers I have heard in a long time.  What a night!  

I've been in Singapore for a almost a month and am very soon moving into an apartment right near Arab Street in Kampong Glam.  Work has me put up in a wonderful serviced apartment that I will hate to leave!  Mom is actually here as well and the very next blog will be of our adventures.  

However, just prior to really getting to work in Singapore I was in Thailand with Corey and we had a grand adventure to Koh Yao Noi.  It is a smallish island just east of Phuket.  To arrive there you must take a boat (or swim?).  There are 2 choices, a fast boat or a slow boat.  We chose the fast boat, after all I was with Corey Parker...  I now can't remember how much it cost but it wasn't very expensive, about $20 each in USD total to go and return.   We rode our motorbike up to the ferry terminal at Bang Rong Pier in NE Phuket.   The only negative to the whole wonderful day was that when we returned some monkeys (seriously) had vandalized our motorbike and my helmet.  They had basically chewed the lining out of my helmet (my sweat must have been appealing??) and taken a bite out of the seat.  Corey was not happy as this motorbike was in prime condition.  Anyway, back to the adventure.

Corey had been contacted by an American living there that had heard about some skydiving happening on Phuket.  He ended up on Koh Yao Noi as a friend of his had basically homesteaded there with his Thai wife and kids and he lives a good part of the year there, going back and forth to the US to work.   He is very interested in pursuing more experience as a skydiver and was hoping for a nearby drop zone.  Alas, we are still in the process of getting that going so we went over to meet and hang out.  I absolutely loved the vibe of the island!  So different from frantic Phuket.  

Here are some pics from our day...  enjoy!   If you ever get a chance to visit us, be sure to take the jaunt over to Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai.  Oh and by the way, if you are a rock climber- bonus for you!  This island is known for it's rock climbing.  Our pals on the island are avid climbers and I'm sure they'd happily show you the sites.  

Happy Chinese New Year!  This Lunar New Year we enter the year of the Wooden Horse.  There were big celebrations going on all over Asia and since we were in Phuket we attended the Chinese New Year celebration down near the Parliament Building.  We joined at least a thousand local revelers to watch a live show that was basically a Cirque du Soleil type performance with a Snow White theme (I know, a little strange?).  There were acrobats, jugglers, singers and dancers!  The entire show was done in Mandarin with Thai subtitles so we were happy we knew the story very well.  We do not know the relevance to Snow White, if any... but all in all it was a great spectacle!  
I was hoping to see some dancing dragons and such but alas, we didn't.  I'm hoping to still do so in Singapore as Chinese New Year Celebrations go on for at least 15 days.

All week there were firecrackers going off around Phuket island.  This is one traditional part of the celebration as well as decorations, with red as the dominant color.  Both of these traditions are based on an old legend, as they are meant to frighten away the Nian who was a mythical beast- not a nice one either.  Singapore was decked out in red before I left to return to Phuket.  The night of the big show in Phuket I saw many adults and children dressed in their best red outfits.  Pink was also very popular that night.  
You will see pics below of Phuket and also of Singapore.  Lots of red!  Enjoy!  
May the year of the horse bring you much health, wealth, and good fortune.  

When I wake up in the morning and start moving my creaky joints, I am reminded that I have truly entered the segment of life known as middle age.  We’ve all heard the saying, “You can’t teach old dog new tricks.”   Well, if we are wise humans, an old dog can teach us a trick or two.  Here is what time at our beach home in Oregon with my white faced retriever mix Vela has taught me this year…

Enjoy a nap when you can.  
You never know when you may have the opportunity to close your eyes.  Napping in a beautiful location such as under the arms of a lovely tree, on the sand sheltered by a beach umbrella, or even atop a fluffy growth of green grass (with or without a blanket beneath you) is always preferred.  Never pass up the chance to recharge your batteries with a well-deserved rest.  

Vela is a professional napper at her advanced age.  I’d like to become a much more proficient napper, it’s my new goal.  If not a nap for me, then a bit of quiet time and frequent thankful thoughts are on the schedule for this coming year.

Before life gets you down, do what best clears you head.   
What works for you?  Calling a good friend for a chat?   A walk or run?  A yoga class?   A long hot bath with a glass of wine?  How about a good book?  Whatever works for you, do it often; don’t wait until you are ready to pull your hair out.   Dancing is one of my favourite ways to empty my head and put a big smile on my face.

I wrote a blog about this a couple of years ago that discussed nursing and how some of us relieve stress or "clear our heads."
Here is a link:  http://ajnoffthecharts.com/2009/08/07/trauma-nurse-finds-stress-relief-as-dj-what-do-you-do/ 

Feel free to comment here about your strategies or goals.  What works for you?  I am sure we'd all be happy to learn from each other.  

Enjoy time with your friends and family when ever you can.    
Throughout life, people become a part of our story whether they play an ongoing role, or star in a short segment.  Relationships must be nurtured to remain healthy and continue to grow.   

Currently I spend most of my time a long way from many of my favourite people, including my husband!  Technology has certainly made long distance relationships easier to manage but nothing beats a nice face to face and a big hug from a great friend or beloved family member.  

Now in her older years, Vela has learned to let a younger person lead the way, at least some of the time.  This is something we are working on as our children have a lot to teach us;  our grandchildren as well.  Vela is happiest when she is near people she loves.  I’ve found that the older I get, this is ever more important to me as well.  

While visiting this USA this year on annual leave, we had the opportunity to spend precious time with family and friends.  We've experienced some recent losses in our family.   Being an expat has some amazing advantages but being so far during times of birth, death, and other life events is one of real challenges.   We truly appreciate our loved ones that took time to visit us while we were in Oregon as well as those who hosted us at their homes.  We are always open to visitors where ever we may land!  

Tasty treats are a pleasure that should not be missed- but are best if they are earned. 
Lately I have been very focused on becoming as healthy as possible.  This has included eating quality fresh food, minimising alcohol, and exercising regularly.  I have not made anything off limits to myself but have basically taken the stance that all things are good in moderation.  

Vela always enjoys her treats just as we all should!  

Pause to enjoy any spectacular sunset. 
Living in the moment allows you to see and experience things that others may miss.  Slow down and watch the sun set or rise once in a while.  You can also “stop and smell the flowers” –literally, if that is something you enjoy.   Savor life, it passes quickly and there are so many lovely things we miss by speeding through.

 Just like Vela, when I look out over the ocean in all its glory and might, no matter what beach I may be standing on, in whatever part of the world, it reminds me to be thankful for everything I have... my family (pets land in this box), friends, and especially my health.  

Never stop exploring.   
When hiking in the woods near our home at the Oregon Coast, Vela always finds something to sniff and actively interacts with what is around her.   She isn’t as speedy as she used to be, but then neither are we!  

Vela’s spirit of adventure is inspiring.  Both Corey and I relish adventure.  Corey is currently in India helping to set up a skydiving dropzone while we wait out the monsoons in Thailand.  I should be joining him before Christmas.  We aren't quite sure what's in store for us but if you watch this space you will be as up to date as we are.  

Last but not least--  Smile.  
Everyone is more attractive when they are smiling.  Never pass up a chance to smile at a child, they usually smile back and they have years to discover that life sometimes makes smiling difficult.  
Here is a haiku I wrote that you may like: 

The smile of a child 
reminds us of all things sweet.
Pause, smile back, give thanks.    

As I was reviewing our pictures from this fabulous trip to the USA I noticed that Vela is always smiling!  
Going through life with a grin makes everything a lot more fun!  

Vela smiles more than she barks and that is the balance I try to maintain.   

Cheers!  
Stay tuned for more adventures from Papa Mac and Spicy Grandma Mac!

I was getting ready to write a new blog and update you all on what's been happening and realised that I never answered the big question in the previous post titled, "Once in a Lifetime."   Those of you who haven't read it- you may want to drop down and read it first-- spoiler alert!  It's a pretty good story and true at that!  Or as they say in Aussie-STRUTH!

I may be a bit of a piratess but I am a truthful one so for those inquiring minds---  the map below of Captain Cook's world voyages was REAL!  Yep, sure enough, my pal Louise was completely correct.  It was likely drawn up in approximately 1785 as I've had it professionally assessed.  Some of you realise I have been an avid fan of TV shows like Antique Roadshow and this is something I have dreamed about for years.   Finding a treasure... and yes, I did draw a ship on my best ever antique find.


The story wraps up with a bit of a twist.  Once I discovered the map was an original (and possibly worth a few thousand dollars) I decided to find out who donated it to the Deuba School Yard Sale as most of the donations came from fellow yogis.  Turns out, it was donated by a friend of mine!  Long story short, I've had the map restored and my friend and rightful owner of the map is looking to sell it.  She will reimburse my costs of restoration and I'll definitely ask for my investment of $1 back as well.  (Just kidding)


Anyone interested?  Cheers!

Here is the tale of possibly (but I hope not) a once in a lifetime occurrence that happened to me recently.  Before heading off to Fiji, the Simply Yoga tribe held a yard sale.  We all donated goods and raised almost $1000 for the Deuba school in Fiji.  If you haven't read that blog and seen the pics, take a peek, as it's just below and Fiji was fantastic!  We all spent time volunteering at the sale and at it's completion there was an old nautical chart in a broken frame leaning against the outside of the house.  It seemed like the perfect canvas for an art project so I added another dollar (that was what it was priced) to the money I'd already spent at the sale and brought it home.  You all know I'm a sucker for anything to do with boats and travel.

Upon removal of the frame, I found two old newspapers from "Rhodesia," now Zimbabwe.  These were dated 1968 and one was from Christmas that year.  On December 25, 1968 an Apollo mission was in progress, and this was the feature on the front page.  The papers were intriguing and I actually put them on Ebay thinking they may be worth a few bucks.  No bites from Ebay for the newspapers, so on to the art project.  

After closer inspection of the chart I realised it was of Captain Cook's journeys so I decided to draw a picture of the Endeavor, his famous ship.  I had gotten about this far, see the attached photo (a little further as some of my work is removed already), and one of my Aussie pals dropped by.  Louise asked me if I had checked to see how old the chart was;  I said it was at least dated 1968 and we took a look at the newspapers.  Louise's family had also lived in Africa so the papers were fun to look at together.  When Louise left she urged me to check on the age of the chart and I said, "sure, sure Louise" truly thinking that it would amount to nothing.  Now we realise that Louise should probably work on Antiques Roadshow.

Lying on the couch that night, watching some brainless TV show, I typed the title of the chart into my iPad.  Up pops a webpage with almost the same map, dated 1785, being sold for $3500.  I bolted straight up on the couch and my stomach did some flip flops.  I jumped up, turned on the lights, and looked at the chart... oops!  All of a sudden the great idea of using this old map as a canvas felt like a very, very bad idea.  At least I only used pencil!  After reviewing multiple Google hits and finding another similar chart that had sold for a few thousand dollars I also found one copy of the same chart from the 1960's for sale- priced at $50.  I exhaled a quick sigh of relief.  My very next thought was, "how do you tell which ones are old?"   I did a little more research and noticed that the older, original maps were a certain size.  I  measured the map on my table and it matched the older style; the ones worth the big bucks.  Oops!

As you can imagine, I was now quite intrigued.  I took some pictures of the map and emailed them to two different antique document dealers online.  Within 48 hours I had two answers, one from Melbourne Australia and one from California.  Both dealers informed me that the map was likely from the late 1700's and of course would be worth much more without the boat.  Oops!   

At this point I realised I needed to try to find out where it came from.  After consulting a few of my yogi pals we came to the realisation that one of our fellow yoginis had donated the map.  One day after yoga I let her know and you know what she said?  Yep, good guess. "Oops!"  and of course, "WOW!"

Last weekend, I drove up the coast to a market where a man was exhibiting old photos, maps, and more.  I had gotten his name from the map dealer in Melbourne and I had set up a chance to have our yoga map validated once and for all.   I walked through the market with the carefully protected treasure under my arm.  It was pouring rain but many dealers were gamely showing their wares.  When I found Edwin's stall, he and his wife eagerly but gently unrolled the old paper and he got out his magnifying glass.  I found myself holding my breath, hoping it was really old and also hoping is wasn't, since I had admitted to being the idiot who drew on it.  

After about a minute of examination, while still bent over the chart with his magnifying glass, Edwin says, "well it's definitely not 20th century."  At first thought I figured he meant it's not very old, then he says, "it's definitely from the late 1700's and no later than 1810.   OOPS!  

(to be continued...)