In a few days we will welcome 2018. I took some time to reflect back on this soon-to-pass year. Vancouver was in the midst of the coldest and snowiest winter in many decades when the year started. I seemed to be shoveling snow every day. The weather was headlined frequently. Then DJT became the President of USA. Everyone was talking about this controversial figure. I got caught in the anti-Trump frenzy, and took part in the peaceful protest when Trump Tower Hotel had a grand opening in downtown. I wrote on my sign "NO room for TRUMP in Vancouver".
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| Vancouver, Canada |
I made friends with two elderly gentlemen who were actively trading in the stock markets around that time. My weekday routine was to wake up at 6 am and monitor the NYSE and TSE for 7 hours. Though I did not become a day trader, I did make some money from this newly adopted routine in the first quarter, and my days were not monotonous at all. I was happy to hone my stock analysis skills which I acquired some 25 years ago when I was undertaking an MBA program at University of Toronto. I derived more joy from being proven right about my prediction of how the markets would react than from the monetary gain. When I was wrong, I learned how to remain calm and re-evaluate. When things were tallied up at the end of March, I came out a winner in every way. Who knows stock markets can enhance my personal growth?
Because my current passport expires January 12, 2018, I had to travel during the warmer months this time around. My six-month journey started in Astana, Kazakhstan on April 5th, and would end in Venice, Italy on October 2nd. Although I did not have a fixed schedule for my journey, Ramadan somehow determined the timeline how much time I would spend in Central Asia, Lower Caucasus (Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia) and Turkey. Because Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkey are Muslim countries, I thought I would travel in the Lower Caucasus region during Ramadan.
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Turkistan, Kazakhstan
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Zvartnots, Armenia
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| Edirne, Turkey |
I had less than three months to visit ten countries in the Balkans following Turkey. I had to zig-zag across the Balkans during July and August because all the coastal cities were bursting with tourists and beach goers. Accommodation was very difficult to find before school year commenced. It was in Medjugorye, BiH that I was once again drawn closer to my Maker. I might not have seen Our Lady; however, it was a reaffirming spiritual experience. All in all, my Marco Polo journey is the most successful among all my six-month journeys so far.
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| Overview of Medjugorye, BiH from Cross Mountain |
When I returned to Vancouver in early October, it took me a long time to find a place to stay until I would hit the road again next fall. The housing crisis in Vancouver was just getting worse each time I return to Canada from my six-month journey. The social fabric has changed substantially in recent years as Canada relaxes its immigration policies and rules. The last time that I went to the provincial capital, Victoria was in 2004. So I thought I would visit Victoria for a few days when house-hunting in Vancouver was not going well. The housing situation in Victoria is not much better but my visit was rather pleasant. I even got into the Royal Museum with a senior's discount. LOL
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| Victoria, BC, Canada |
I strive to lead a simple life and to make a difference in people's lives regardless of where I reside. Without the burden of a family or dependents, I feel completely free to explore options that are available to me. I am content, happy and healthy. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
