Winter Blues

Fall didn't linger much and winter season is here in Canada. Here's a yoga sequence for the winter blues by one of my favorite online teachers, Esther Ekhart:

Just something to keep me active for the season. That is all.

Italy: Experiences and Discoveries

Florence, Bologna, Manarola and Venice: AirBnb

I've been eyeing AirBnb for a while and was finally able to use it on this trip. The accommodations we got did not disappoint or at least most of them. My favorite was the 800 year old apartment in Florence. Our host Paolo was gracious and very knowledgeable about the city. He recommended a really good restaurant and gelato place. I also loved that informative and interesting books about Florence and Italy lined his bookshelves. He has five other Airbnb listings which I would love to see in future visits. The one where we stayed was near Ponte Vecchio. All I can say is that it was simply lovely and if you ever need to go to Florence, book with Paolo.

July Challenge: Read One Italian Blog Entry Daily

Ciao a tutti!

I picked this challenge for July in preparation for a trip to Italy mid-summer. I wanted to know a few words and be able to at least ask for what I needed and express gratitude. I started reading blogs but, with the help of language learning pros such as Tim Ferris, Benny Lewis and Sonya Gil, I soon realized that it would be much easier and far more practical for me to learn by hearing la lingua and knowing how it is used in every day situations.

A Birthday Wish and A Birthday Gift

Before we left for Canada, my mother brought me and my sisters to a Joey Ayala concert. His melodies were a part of my childhood music education along with The Phantom of the Opera, the Bukidnon lullabye and assorted children's songs but I have never been in one of his performances until then. I was excited!

I learned during this event that aside from being an exceptional artist, Joey Ayala is also a super effective facilitator*. Instead of a traditional music session, I found myself participating in a workshop! We were seated around tables, provided papers and coloured pencils. Imagine the audience being asked, What do you love doing? by a man walking around with a guitar and singing Ang Lahat ng Bagay ay Magkaugnay. He continued with more ideas and questions: What are you good at? What are your strengths? What do you want to do? Who do you want to be?