Sri Lankan Yoga Retreat

Wowwy! It has been quite a while since I last blogged, and I thought what a better way to start than to share my beautiful experiences during my recent Sri Lankan yoga retreat.

I came across this yoga retreat while randomly Googling other things, and as soon as I read about it, I knew I would find myself on this trip. The yoga aspect, the price, the timing, everything felt right ! I was hesitant about vacationing alone; however, as it was an organized group trip, I thought it would the best type of trip to do solo. Good for the mind, body & soul !

On Thursday February 21st, after the work week was completed, I made my way to the airport to meet my fellow yogis. It was a night flight, but luckily the flight was empty so we got full rows to ourselves. We arrived in Sri Lanka early morning, and met three more people joining our group. Our yoga entourage was complete, so we embarked on a three hour bus journey down south & safely arrived to our villa - tired but excited to get on with our 5 day adventure.                                                                            

We participated in two yoga sessions per day - one at 7:30 am & one at 5:30 pm - and they lasted just over an hour each time including meditation.  Livia and Wendy took turns teaching our group & sharing their yoga wisdom. I liked the variation of the teaching varieties, but one thing especially stuck with me: To keep the heart open during yoga poses in order to ready us to be able to give and receive love.

The yoga aspect could have been a bit more intense - or longer, but as the days progressed, I felt the benefits in my mind & body. And, had the yoga been too intense, it wouldnt have left much energy for all the wonderful afternoon excursions. As a side note, for all those of you who havent tried yoga yet, Id highly recommend it !!

Each day was filled with new adventures ~

One day we headed out to a tea plantation as Sri Lanka is a major tea exporter; it was amazing to see all the different varieties of plants, and learn about their traditions. We then visited a 700 year old temple, a turtle hatchery, a local fruit & veggie market, had lunch at a beautiful seaside cabana restaurant, and swam in the ocean.

The beaches in Sri Lanka - or the ones I got to see - are gorgeous with big waves, a surfing paradise ! One nearby beach called Hikkaduwa was quite neat in that it was full of hippie foreigners looking to catch the next big wave. People were friendly, and it was a chill vibe.  

I especially liked that one morning when we arrived to the beach around 10 am, we discovered a beach party with house music! I couldnt believe it... some bumping techno beats on the beach. While most of the group went to find loungers away from the music, a few of us stayed at the party, danced for a good couple of hours, drinking beers, and laughing. Priceless.    

We were very fortunate to be in Sri Lanka during a full moon ~ every full moon they have public holidays! I think more countries should adopt this mentality :) During that evening, we went to two local temples to participate in the celebrations. We brought white flowers as offerings to the gods, while lighting coconut oil with good pure intentions. We then met and chatted with a Monk who had been at that temple for over 40 years - and he was kind enough to bless us by tying white string around our wrists, and chanting a few Sanskrit. Im not Buddhist myself, but the experience was extremely positive and one that Ill take with me for a long time.  

As the family that owned the guest villa was quite wealthy, they built a school to educate the local children. To this day, they continue to support that school by buying produce that is grown in their yard. We therefore decided to go visit this school and meet some of the children! It's so inspiring to see these children, who dont have much materialistically, but are so happy to be at school and to be learning. Their smiles could warm any heart :) It reminded me of another school I know called the Olympic Primary School in the slums of Africa... It was a beautiful reminder to be grateful and content with what we have, without getting caught up in what we dont have and what we think we "need". 

Another day, I treated myself to an Ayurvedic massage & relaxed a bit. Then in the afternoon, we toured around the Galle Fort, which was like a little European city.  It was gorgeous & filled with rich history and beautiful sights. We then had our last yoga session at a Zen Buddhist temple, which was situated on the side of a mountain overlooking the ocean as the sun was setting. The energy was inspiring & overpowering!  

During our stay, we stayed in a guest house called Villa de Zoysa (www.villadezoysa.com). The villa itself is a 100 year old house, and is gorgeous on beautiful property. Considering how old it is, it does need some fixing up here and there – with a few disclaimers on their website, but the food really made up for it ! As a whole, we were really welcomed & made the most of our stay.

The weather in Sri Lanka was not what I had expected ! While I knew it would about 33 degrees daily, I was a little surprised by the high level of humidity. Living in Dubai, you quickly forget that air conditioning is a novelty, and there was none in the places we went. So… it was HOT! Shade and fans were my friends.

The group dynamic was really special as well – everyone contributed to the group in their own way. Livia, Olivia, Wendy, Hilda, Zhila, Nadine, Bijan & Martin – they were wonderful people to share in this experience with. I’ll stay in touch with most people from the trip, and hopefully build friendships. It was a big risk going on this sort of vacation, but it really paid off & everyone got along well.

  

In line with people contributing, Hilda was kind enough to do crystal therapy with each of us – it was an amazing experience & I learnt a lot. Thank you everyone for making this trip memorable! 

Overall, I was happy to have gone on this trip! I saw beautiful reminders about my life everywhere I looked, and I needed time to reflect on that. It’s so easy to get caught up in everyday life and stresses that we forget to breathe, to take care of ourselves, and to be happy / grounded for the right reasons.

 xox <3 xox

Ready... Set... Go!

I had a feeling October was going to be significant in regards to change... There is something in the air, I can see it around me & feel it everywhere. Change is here!

For me personally, last week was a big one... I received a job offer & accepted ! I am joining the Dubai based executive recruitment firm Derwent Yeomans as their Researcher & Networker. Derwent Executive is well established in Australia & Asia, but they are now branching out to the Middle East. This is such an exciting opportunity to join a start up company, learn about a new industry & develop my career. They even have a Monday night golf networking events - how wonderfully perfect!

So this week Im leaving Ottawa, which will give me a few days to adjust to the 8 hour time difference, the weather & allow me to settle in before my October 28th start date. It's a long journey back with 2 large suitcases and my golf clubs, but everything is ready to go :) Nonetheless, I have a little twinge of nervousness in my stomach as the uncertainty of the unknown is a bit unsettling, but it only adds fuel to my fire.

Of course change isnt easy... For me, these past few months have been an evolution of self ! I think people change & grow at different rates, some evolve faster & others slower, and really there is no right and wrong. Hopefully along the way we learn from our mistakes, move forward with no regrets, and always take a positive approach to life. In this process, we must be respectful to one's self & to others, mean what we say & say what we mean.

Moving onto this new chapter of my life, I am closing certain doors behind me. I don't think they will be shut forever, but for now I need to concentrate on myself & my goals. It hurts & quite simply it's painful, but I believe I have new valuable life lessons to learn from other people...you never know who you are going to meet next, who is going to inspire you & who is going to challenge you to be a better you.

Thank you to all those people who have been supportive - it means the world to me & I appreciate your friendship and love :)

xox <3 xox

My Latest Stereo Adventure

A few weeks back when I saw that Chus & Ceballos were going to be spinning at Stereo on Saturday September 29th, I knew I had to be there & I was going to make it happen...

Throughout my worldly travels, I have never experienced anything like Stereo before - quite simply, a dance haven for electronic music lovers & a playground for DJs. Everyone can be themselves under the huge shiny disco ball & dance dance dance the night away.  People there appreciate and understand the musical journey that they are brought on without waiving their cell phones in the air & creating a concert like atmosphere. On Saturday, the environment was enhanced with jungle like decor, extra visual screens & black light making the overall experience even more of an adventure. I just wish I hadnt worn white socks with my mostly dark outfit haha - my feet were glowing! What makes Stereo extra memorable is the staff... From the owners Mike & Tommy who've always got everything cooly under-control & who book amazing talent week after week, to the security - props to Mike, and to Dominic the gatekeeper who can be found busting sick moves on the dfloor later in the evening. It's crazy to think how many people come and go through those doors, and yet they know whats going on with my life...

Chus & Ceballos + Stereo = Best times! I truly think this is a match made in heaven, an equation to the best times ! Not once have I been to Stereo when C&C were playing, and it wasnt epic... They emit their passion for music through the speakers, and you can truly feel it - it moves you even when you think your legs have had enough. They know when to bring it, when to give you a rest & when to put those sweet vocal tracks in. One of my favorite parts was when they played a tribal version of "Youve Got the Love" by Florence & the Machine. Definitely had that WOW factor.  Chus & Ceballos also interact with their crowd, and recognize their fans. Everytime Im at one of their events, Chus says hi - and we chat. And they even played a remix of an INXS song after JJ told Chus that he loved it! It's the simple acknowledgements that add to the night.

 

In following with my theme of change, I stepped out of my comfort zone and joined JJ and his friend Aubrey on this adventure. Usually, I am the one driving and in control of the details, but I thought Id try something new... There are a lot of "what ifs" when going on an out of city trip w people you dont really know, but in this case, it turned out perfectly. I made a new friend, got to know one friend more, talked to new people at Stereo that I otherwise probably wouldnt have talked to, and enjoyed it all. I even came across three other people who had the Stereo tats! I knew I was going to be at this event, I made it happen & enjoyed every minute of it :)

I highly recommend checking out Stereo when youre in Montreal - www.stereo-nightclub.com - it's such a unique venue to experience at least once, and then again & again. And hey, if my Mom and her two friends Donna & Michelle did it, you can too ;) haha. Just be prepared for some sore legs! Fridays are geared towards tech lovers & Saturdays are prog, tribal and drums... If I lived in Montreal, I would wake up early on the weekends and go dancing at Stereo to start my days :)

Chus & Ceballos have podcasts you can follow on iTunes :
* Pablo Ceballos "Drumatika"  http://djpabloceballos.podomatic.com/rss2.xml
* Chus "Stereo! Radioshow by Chus"  http://feeds.feedburner.com/InStereoRadioShow
And of course, you can find them on Beatport, Soundcloud & Facebook.

xox <3 xox

Embracing Change

October is a beautiful month to embrace the change we want in our lives. In Ottawa, the weather is changing to a crisp autumn coolness, and the leaves are changing from summer greens to vibrant reds, oranges & yellows. For fellow Canadians, Thanksgiving is also nearly upon us, which is a great holiday to spend with those we love & reflect on what we are most grateful for. While this holiday only happens once a year, it is important to recognize the notion of gratitude on a daily basis as we are blessed with such beautiful moments in our every day lives. Quite simply, beauty is everywhere if we open our hearts to it.

This summer I was very fortunate to be able to take time for myself to really reflect on the big picture of life. What did I want from life ? How was I going to pursue it ? Where was I going to pursue it ? Where did I want to focus my energies? And so forth... The questions were endless, and I didnt have any concrete answers nor did I have any focus or direction.

Looking within oneself is not easy... It means asking yourself those tough questions & searching deep down for the answers. It's uncovering one's true path & in the process letting go of all the negative energy holding you back. For me this primarily involved re-scripting certain notions and thought paths I had preconceived about my life in order to accept change & new ideas. While I am not saying I have all the answers now, I do feel confident in my decisions, prepared to tackle my ambitions, and ready to overcome any obstacles in my way.

"Our only limitations are ones we set in our own minds"

Yes, the unknown can be scary - but how boring would life be if everything and everyone stayed the same. We are continually learning valuable life lessons from our experiences, our relationships, and our mistakes. And, to be able to recognize those lessons is so important to our personal and professional evolution. Where would our society be without that learning curve, without evolution and without mistakes?

With an open mind and spirit, change can be such a beautiful experience that leads to new exciting opportunities that one never even imagined.

xox <3 xox

  

"There's only one Queen, and that's Madonna bitch!"

On Monday June 4th, Aaron and I headed down to Abu Dhabi for the much anticipated Madonna concert, part of her MDNA tour to promote her new CD. As she was playing two shows in Abu Dhabi, we were able to get tickets for the the second night. Luckily, we had won a free nights stay at the Abu Dhabi Rotana, so we were able to redeem the night at the same time.

We arrived to the du Arena at Yas Island around 8 pm. DJ Benny Benassi opened for Madonna which was quite clever really, because who else could open for Madonna - one of the world's top selling female recording artists. He played commercial house, and the excited crowd danced around anxiously awaiting the Queen of Pop. Mr. Benassi stop spinning around 9:30 pm, and the final preparations were set on stage. And the waiting began... We had heard from friends that Madonna had not come on until 11 pm the previous night, and that people had started booing & leaving as they were tired and frustrated of the long wait in such hot weather. Apparently there were no technical difficulties or anything of that nature, quite simply Madonna had wanted to build anticipation - but really, it was pushing it. At least we were prepared, and we did in fact have to wait until 11 pm before the concert began.

The show was amazingly entertaining !!! Everything from Madonna herself, to the production, costumes, entertainment, visuals, and to the controversy, it was THE best concert I have ever seen. Im not even a die hard Madonna fan, but in my opinion, it was worth every singly penny, and I would even go see the show again. To all of you who are going to her upcoming shows, you are in for a real treat.

The playlist for the MDNA tour is as follows: http://mymdna.com/the-final-mdna-tour-set-list/
If you are expecting to relive her past hits, you will be slightly disappointed... As you will see, it is mostly songs from her new CD.

The concert itself was extrememly well produced. It was like watching art. The backgrounds and sets were continuous changing, as were Madonna's outfits, and there was always something happening on stage. For example, when Madonna was changing, she had a group of contortionists bending their bodies in distrubing manners - or, she had these acrobats jumping on thin stretched out elastic ropes (this is too hard to explain, but in short, it was fascinating!) Everything had a WOW factor...

Several instances really stood out as during her performance...
* During the song Revolver, Madonna was being attacked by assailants, and fighting them off. There were guns everywhere!! And, everytime she "shot" someone, there was blood splattered on the visual screen.
* Religion and religious symbols were highly used throughout the concert. At times seeming like Madonna herself was the one who should be worshipped. I think she is really the only person who could pull that off!
* Madonna's rendition of Like A Virgin was outstanding. Mind you it didnt sound anything like the original as she broke it down real slow, and sang alongside a piano player.
* Gay rights were the subject to one her interludes. I think it's great that she uses her concert as a forum to display her beliefs. However, being in a Muslim country, I was quite surprised to see that her concert was actually allowed to play at all, and then again the second night. With the religious connotations, the gay rights stance, the violence, I believe she even sang in Hebrew, it very much goes against what the UAE allows.
* Further to that point, the UAE does not even identify Isreal on their printed maps, nor do they allow people coming from Israel to enter (there are ways around this of course, but its not ideal.) Madonna had started her tour in Tel Aviv, and had just come there - apparently some of her crew had to differt through other cities in order to be allowed in.
* And while we are on the topic of controvery, Madonna used clips of Lady Gaga's song "Born this Way" mixed with her song "Express Yourself"- it is said that Gaga copied Madonna on that song, and why not put more fuel to that fire during her show !
* Madonna's second to last song was "Like A Prayer" and sadly it was one of the few instances where the crowd got into it. There was a gospel choir behind her, it was upbeat & fun.
* Madonna was lisynching some of the time. At first I thought it was scandalous, but then with the amount of dance routines & movements on stage, it became understandable and quickly forgotten. She did play her guitar at times - which was commendable, but she never really showed skill with it, it was more of a prop.
But while it is not surprising that there were controversial aspects in Madonna's concert, it became obvious why she has gained so much fame and really is the Queen of Pop. After waiting so long for the concert to start, and thinking Madonna was too much of a diva, she really redeemed herself on stage. At one point, she got down on her knees and started wiping the sweat pools off the stage so neither she or her dancers would slip and fall. She simply proclaimed it was hot and sweaty, and got to it.
* I cannot imagine having to perform that kind of concert in this type of heat. At night it was still close to 40 degrees, and all the performers were in full costumes. We had heard that the concert promoters had offered Madonna a full air conditioned stage, but she turned it down, but then requested it one week before her tour was to arrive. And, it was impossible to build in one week so no air con for the Madge & her crew.
* Her 11 year old son Rocco was also part of some of the production as one of her dancers. He came out during some songs, and did a great job as part of her crew.

BUT...and yes, there is a final BUT... as Madonna said "Thank you Abu Dhabi" and descended into the stage, the lights came on, most of the crowd dispsersed and that was it. NO ENCORE! Alot of people were left standing there - including us - wondering if she would come back on, but we were left disappointed. Mind you, the crowd wasnt exactly cheering for an encore, so if I was Madonna I dont think I would care either, but it still left a bad taste is our mouths.

Overall concert rating: 5 star WOW! 

xox <3 xox

Photos courtesy of http://www.mymdna.com/, be sure to check out the site for up to date information about Madonna's tour.

During Revolver





Madonna at the top of the podium, Rocco in front during the last song Celebration

Want a little video about the tour with some great snipits : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIRrJTnHzJE&feature=related



Peppermint Experience: Paul van Dyk

As I have a bit of spare time on my hands these days, I have been entering contests to win various prizes. Low and behold, I won four tickets to see Paul van Dyk spin at the Dubai World Trade Centre for the Peppermint Experience's 8th anniversary party on Friday June 2nd, 2012 ! 

* Back in December, Peppermint had one of their events with DJ Luciano and I had also entered to win tickets, and I had won ! Crazy to think it would happen two times in a row, but it did :)

On Friday night we invited our friends Christine, Sas and Joe - as well as Sylvia, Dave and Paul, to our place for some pre-drinks. It was rather random as I wasn't too acquainted with anyone, but it was a great group with awesome energy and a fun vibe. I couldn't believe how fast the night was going by! 

We arrived to the venue around midnight, and it was really packed - about two times the amount of people as in December. The set-up for these parties is quite neat with a full out stage, special lighting, and easy access to all areas. I think what I liked most about the entertainment were the dancers with glowing suits - well done, unique & a great added value.

Just as we arrived Paul van Dyk was getting acquainted with the decks, and the party was in full swing. While I understand and knew that PVD was famous for his trance, I was not expecting it to be such hard trance. It was a bit much at times with the beats per minute raging rather fast for my likings, but he often coupled it with the slower vocal tracks. There were plenty of drinks, dancing and socializing, and we were all having fun.

Me, Sas, Sylvia & Christine

As we had enjoyed the group back at the apartment, we invited the gang back for some pizza, music and drinks. Nothing like a bit of living room dancing! Again, I couldnt believe how fast the night had gone by, and before I knew it I had dozed off sitting upright in a chair in the living room. HAHA. classic Goodfellow right there. While we had no idea what to expect for the night, it was really refreshing - especially in Dubai - and Im looking forward to enjoying more of those in Dubai and back in Ottawa this summer.

xox <3 xox



Dubai Update: Dolphins!

Back in December for my birthday, I got a unique experience to 'Play with the Dolphins' in Dolphin Bay at the Atlantis hotel. I was beyond excited ! This was definitely something I had on my life "to-do" list :)

On Tuesday May 29th, 2012 we made our way to the Atlantis for our orientation session. A marine mammal trainer gave us a briefing about dolphins and their behaviours before we entered their waters. It was quite educational !
* Dolphins have approx 80 to110 teeth - if they lose a tooth, it is gone for life
* But with all those teeth, they don't chew their food - they swallow the fishies whole
* The best way to tell a dolphin's age is by dissecting a tooth, but only if one has fallen naturally
* Dolphins shed their skin every 2 hours
* They communicate through three sounds: frequency modulated whistles, burst-pulsed sounds & clicks

We then got into wetsuits, and waded into the waters to meet our bottlenose dolphin. Our group got to play with Alice ! She was a beautiful dainty dolphin with kind eyes. While we were 8 people in a group, we got to have individual play time. We each got to pet, kiss, hug & dance with Alice !
* It was pretty funny because when it was Aaron's turn to kiss Alice, she looked back at me and started talking - poor little Alice didnt want to step on my turf ! haha
* I myself was rather nervous when it was time to kiss her - she is afterall quite large with many teeth. But it worked out and a bit on the salty side haha
* The entire time I could not stop giggling, smiling and laughing. It is such an incredible feeling to be so close and get to play with a dolphin :)

Time flew by so fast ! Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the shore and say goodbye to Alice. I was nearly in tears - so happy to have played with a dolphin but so sad to have to leave. Had I been good in sciences, I would have loved to become a marine mammal trainer !

* Ever since I was little I have loved dolphins. My parents used to take me to Marine Land in Niagara Falls, and I remember vividly watching the whales and the dolphins in the various shows. I had always wanted to be picked to interact with them - but not once was I chosen. Although one time, when my Dad and I were there during a quiet day, we were the only ones there and got to throw a ball back and forth to the dolphins in the tank. It was one of those precious moments that Ill never forget - along with this magical day of playing with Alice.

If you're interested in the dolphin experience for yourself, check out the Atlantis' website for the different packages they offer (http://www.atlantisthepalm.com/marineandwaterpark/dolphinbay.aspx) Yes, it's a tad bit on the pricey side, but it's a once in a lifetime opportunity that I would definitely recommend :)

After our dolphin experience, we played in the Aquaventure waterpark. They have quite a few great slides to try! My favorite was the "Shark Bite" - I think it's called - and after going down the slide on a tube, you end up going through an aqaurium tunnel with tons of fish swimming around you. I was really impressed with the park for a few reasons:
* there was a lot of shaded areas so we werent overexposed in the sun, very clever.
* there were conveyor belts to take people up the hill to the top of the slides so you didnt have to drag a tube up or walk on hot asphalt/stairs
* really friendly staff everywhere to help and guide you

Overall, it was an amazing day !

xox <3 xox