YesRetired, Halifax, NS (2024)

07/18/2024

Would You Rollback Your Body Age To 25 If You Could?
Retiree’s might enjoy reading this Science Fiction book that stitches together some near future possibilities…
Medical DNA breakthrough that rolls your whole body back to age 25, from age 88
Aliens from another planet finally send back their reply to our message we sent 18 years ago. It takes that long for messages to travel at the speed of light. Should we trust aliens?
Marriage challenges if there is a large age gap between partners.
What evolutionary elements will enable a planet to last for ever? It Darwinian evolution sustainable?

It is a captivating science fiction novel set in 2047. The story revolves around an astronomer named Sarah, who played a crucial role in translating Earth’s first extraterrestrial message received 38 years earlier. When a second message arrives from an unknown alien race, Sarah faces the challenge of decoding it. Meanwhile, a billionaire offers her and her husband, Don, a rejuvenation procedure known as “rollback,” which reverts their bodies to their 25-year-old selves. While the process works for Don, it fails for Sarah, leaving her facing mortality while Don begins anew. The novel delves into themes of rejuvenation, first contact, and the social impact of advanced technology.

Canadian’s will appreciate the story being set in Toronto, Ontario with lots of Canadian references. The award winning Canadian author, Robert J. Sawyer has Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author.

Conclusion
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The science fiction is actually “believable” as a near future possibility, including personal home robots and such, but the tech story is beautifully blended with an enduring love story and insights to the elements of a good and long lasting planet.

Publishers summary:
Thirty-eight years ago, Dr. Sarah Halifax earned worldwide fame by deciphering a radio transmission from an unknown intelligence reaching out from deep space. Now 87, Sarah receives news that, at long last, a new signal has been received, and her services are desperately needed once again.

But Sarah needs to stay alive long enough to decode the message. With the aid of corporate backers, she and her husband undertake an incredibly costly medical process called a Rollback, in which decades may be added to their lives – but only if it’s successful.

Believable near future Sci-Fi, ET communication in a tech story beautifully blended love story and elements of a good and long lasting planet.

07/07/2024

Embracing “Silliness” – Alice In Wonderland
Until recently, I had never delved into the whimsical world of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. However, when I discovered that a local theatre group was staging a performance of this iconic tale, I decided it was time to explore it more deeply.
Written by Lewis Carroll in 1865, the story offers a fascinating glimpse into the mind of a logical mathematician. Carroll’s alternate perspective—distinct from his day job—infuses the narrative with intricate word puzzles. As he played with the confounding logic of the English language, he wove a tapestry of absurdity and wonder. You might just as well say “I see what I eat” is the same as “I eat what I see”.
Even Carroll’s pen name, “Lewis Carroll,” carries hidden layers. Derived by translating his real name into Latin and then back into English, it reflects his penchant for linguistic playfulness.
So, next time you encounter the White Rabbit, the Cheshire Cat, “down the rabbit hole”, Tweedle dee and Tweedle dum, or the Mad Hatter, remember that behind the whimsy lies a logical mind unraveling the mysteries of Wonderland.
The Silliness
I suppose since I too have a logic driven mind, I previously dismissed the story as totally random childish silliness, and didn’t understand the depth of the language use in the story. I was also thrown off by the seemingly exaggerated home-made costumes of the characters. I started my journey into Carol by watching a 1972 movie version (youTube) of the children’s story. I came to realize that this made the characters more approachable for children, in that the kids could play act and dress up as the characters at home themselves! I also experimented with home video’s of the day in 1980, so I found myself appreciating the simplistic movie effects that were used at that time. This led me even further back in time to the silent film era in 1915 (youTube). The character costumes and sets were actually quite impressive.
Click link below for more info:

Into the whimsical world of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland., I decided it was time to explore it more deeply.

07/04/2024

Scotch Whisky that INCLUDES LAND In Scotland
I was intrigued by an offer for free land that came with a random bottle of single malt Scotch Whisky that I picked up recently. Not only did Laphroaig (pronounced “La-Froig”) turn out to be my new favorite Scotch, with a lovely smokey taste that I favor, but the land offer led to a fascinating journey, that may lead to an excursion to the Isle of Islay in Scotland (pronounced I-lay), and aligns nicely with my Scottish heritage from my mother.

My land in Scotland
The land that is included with each bottle is actually a 1 square foot in a field near their distillery, which is associated with a serial number on the bottle label. Based on the certificate they sent me, it is actually a lease for the land, which includes a payment of a dram of whisky when you visit them!
More information in this link:

Scotch Whisky including land in Scotland turned out to be my new favorite Scotch, with a lovely smokey taste that I favor

06/23/2024

USA: Our retirement Road-Trip of two weeks through the Carolinas and Georgia was delightful, with Charleston, South Carolina, being a standout experience. Previously, I hadn’t encountered the “Southern Charms” that this region is known for. The full account of our trip is detailed at the conclusion of this article. Films like “Gone with the Wind” and “Forrest Gump” piqued my interest in this distinctive American locale.

Horse Carriage Tour
Charleston offered a memorable horse-drawn carriage tour, providing a relaxed way to see the bustling tourist city. With a knowledgeable driver at the reins, our group of twelve gained valuable insights during the hour-and-a-half ride. The tours, regulated by the city, ensure no single route becomes overcrowded, thanks to a randomized assignment system. Impressively, the city also employs a GPS-monitored cleanup crew for the horses. Typically, these carriage horses are retired from Mennonite farms, finding a new purpose in tourism.

Two week Road-Trip through the Carolinas and Georgia and the Southern Charms that this region is known for.

05/02/2024

For the first time in 10 years, I sleep through the night without waking up to go to the bathroom, multiple times. I am amazed after only 1 week taking this supplement. I was curious, but very skeptical when I first saw a lengthy pressure sell article about an expensive product containing the “Beta Sitosterol” natural dietary supplement. Eventually I decided to try Amazon’s top seller “Super Beta Prostate” which has the same supplement. Its C$30 for 1 month supply.

After a decade, I sleep through the night without waking up to go to the bathroom, multiple times. Amazing results after 1 week taking this supplement.

04/24/2024

We thoroughly enjoyed our brief sojourn in Lisbon, Portugal, as we made our way back from our snowbird retreat in Costa del Sol, Spain. Lisbon shares similarities with Spain, yet it possesses its own distinct character. While Spain boasts consistent beauty throughout, Lisbon captivates with its grandiose monuments. The Manueline architectural style in Portugal stands out – a gothic variation that pays homage to nature and the ocean, favoring smooth curves over sharp edges.

A highlight of our visit was the Pena Summer Palace in Sintra. (many photos below). This enchanting creation, reminiscent of a colorful Disneyland, was built in 1838 by Portuguese King Consort Ferdinand II for Queen Maria II of Portugal. Tragically, Queen Maria passed away before its completion. The palace’s foundation was laid upon the ruins of an abandoned monastery, blending an eclectic mix of styles, including Neo-Gothic, Neo-Manueline, Neo-Islamic, and Neo-Renaissance.

The city of Lisbon is fun to explore, being located on the slopes of 7 hills, with many narrow winding streets and alleyways. Old fashioned electric trolley trains offer an unique way to explore the hills. For tourists purchasing the “Lisbo Card” gives them free access to all public transit, and many museums. We enjoyed the underground subway since our hotel was not located in the waterfront tourist district.

Our brief sojourn in Lisbon, Portugal, it captivates with its grandiose monuments. The Manueline gothic architectural style in Portugal stand out

04/04/2024

The Costa del Sol region, with its perpetual sunshine, has captured our hearts, and we’ve made it an integral part of our annual Snowbird retirement journey. Our initial visit in 2022 was sparked by a touch of whimsy, reminiscing about my partner’s high school excursion to Costa del Sol during her junior year. Moreover, her proficiency in Spanish, honed through our various travels to Mexico and other Latin-influenced nations, has only deepened our connection to this enchanting locale.

For three months in 2024, we embraced the local lifestyle in Spain by residing in an Airbnb rental. The experience turned out to be a delightful success! Today is our last day here this year. We will do a pitstop in Portugal on the way home.

It just feels Right. The decision to move here, despite the additional effort and expense from Canada, is affirmed by numerous small factors. My support for the underdog aligns with the remarkable work ethic observed here. The abundance of small, independently owned shops and eateries, staffed by employees who appear to truly appreciate their work, is heartening. The absence of obligatory tipping—save for truly outstanding service—is a bonus, as a 10% gratuity is already factored into the prices. Dining out and grocery shopping tend to be more affordable here than in Canada, especially when opting for items produced in Spain. However, a preference for familiar Canadian brands comes at a higher cost due to importation. The use of Euros can give the illusion of lower expenses, though the reality is a 50% increase when converted to Canadian dollars.
Read more in link below:

The Costa del Sol region, with its perpetual sunshine, has captured our hearts, and we've made it an integral part of our annual Snowbird retirement journey.

03/29/2024

Updated Turkey: New videos of C$5 ferry ride for 5 hours in Turkey.

YES friends travelling the world staying for "free" in Turkey. Off the beaten path places including, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, France, Portugal using the "work away" platform.

03/26/2024

Credit Card Advice For Travelers
When you travel away from your home country, its not ideal to use your everyday credit card. Prepare for what happens if your ONE card gets stolen, or more commonly – gets locked, because of a questionable foreign transaction. Some ATM’s will actually keep your card if it is flagged. If any of these events occur, yes your credit card company will send you a new card, but it will likely go to your home address, and arrive some time after you return from your vacation! Never use your debit card. It is a key connection to all your finances plus does NOT have the same fraud protections as credit cards do.

Take a 2nd Credit Card
You should take at least two credit cards with reasonable credit limits remaining to cover the cost of air fare home. Also, keep the two cards separated, incase you loose your wallet.

A tactic, we have used is to have a second card, which has a very low credit limit, like $500, and use it when making random small purchases, and ATM withdrawals. If that card gets stolen, or skimmed and sold to the black market, the most they will be able to spend is $500, and you still have your other card with a higher limit. If you need to spend more than the $500 limit, then simply overpay the card with $1000 for example, a day or so ahead of your need. You can also use Prepaid Credit cards, but some places won’t accept them, because they are intended more for online use.
Read more:

Traveling away from your home country, its not ideal to use your everyday credit card. Prepare for what happens if your ONE card gets stolen

03/24/2024

Should we be scared of interactions with aliens from outside of our solar system? This science fiction book series (trilogy+1) is built around realistic interpretations of today’s understanding of the science and physics of our Universe. Should we be sending probes and radio signals out into the universe advertising our existence here?

The series (now released on Netflix, produced by the creators of Game of Thrones) is built around earth receiving a nasty message from an alien civilization who will be arriving to take over earth in 400 years. This is because that is how much time it will take them to travel through space to get here. It is really mind warping to try and consider how we would defend ourselves 400 years into the future, based on our current track record of continuous technology development.

The books are LONG, but it is necessary to endure and go through them each in sequence to fully appreciate the big picture story woven out of intricate details, into a love story that lasts into infinity and beyond… I listen to them as audio books, which was over 60 hours long.

You don’t need to be a space nerd to understand the series. But it would be good to be familiar with some of the concepts of light-speed, nuclear fusion engines, gravity, quantum physics, black holes, 2,3 and 4 dimensions etc. I broadened my understanding somewhat by reading the book.

Should we be scared of alien interactions? This science fiction trilogy applies today's understanding of the science of our Universe.

03/16/2024

YES Friends: In Turkey, Working Retirement (BB)
Updated: Video re 100 HOT AIR BALLOONs ride and hike into flintstone town.
Our YES friends Brian and Beth have been travelling the world staying for “free” using a “home share” approach, and are currently in an interesting part of Turkey. They stay for free in peoples home’s in exchange for taking care of their pets, and/or doing maintenance on the home. In the past few years, they have traveled to many exotic, off the beaten path places including, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, France, Portugal using the “work away” platform.

The links below relate the their Facebook posts about Turkey, including several well produced videos. They include seeing “Cave” Hotels, camels, and unique towns filled with sandcastle like homes, and Flintstone era cave homes.

YES friends travelling the world staying for "free" in Turkey. Off the beaten path places including, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, France, Portugal using the "work away" platform.

03/09/2024

Our YES friends Brian and Beth have been travelling the world staying for “free” using a “home share” approach, and are currently in an interesting part of Turkey. They stay for free in peoples home’s in exchange for taking care of their pets, and/or doing maintenance on the home. In the past few years, they have traveled to many exotic, off the beaten path places including, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, France, Portugal using the “work away” platform.

The links below relate the their Facebook posts about Turkey, including several well produced videos. They include seeing “Cave” Hotels, camels, and unique towns.

YES friends travelling the world staying for "free" in Turkey. Off the beaten path places including, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, France, Portugal using the "work away" platform.

02/26/2024

During our snowbird time in Marrakesh we visited the market place, a Palace and a Mansion Riad. The Marrakesh market place (souk) is a super sized version of the more normal sized shopping markets in many of the Moroccan cities. The medina (old city) is fun to experience. There is an open market (Djemaa El-Fna) area where buskers, including snake charmers and monkeys will let you take their photo for a contribution. But behind that is a huge maze of narrow streets organized into departments. You really would need several days to do any real shopping here. Its kind of like shopping for furniture at IKEA, once you enter the display tunnel you just keep going and going, about 20 times longer than IKEA! I was glad that we had a guide, but it often felt like a running marathon to ensure we saw everything. Although cars are not allowed in the alleyways, motorcycles ARE allowed, so sadly this creates a challenge for the shoppers who are constantly moving out of the way, combined with the smelly gas fumes and noise. None of the other cities we visited allowed motorized vehicles. Some allowed push carts, and donkeys.
Our guide encouraged us to visit the carpet den for the “cultural educational experience”, and also a pharmacy experience. We were offered their traditional “mint tea” as a part of the sales pitch. None of our group actually bought anything, and the sales pressure was clearly there, but in a light way. As near as I can tell a standard carpet sells for between C$1,000 to C$2,000 and they can ship via Fedex. Rumor has it that the guides get a portion of the sale.
Palace and Mansion: We enjoyed touring the Bahia Palace that was occupied by a previous king, now a museum, and also a delightful Restaurant lunch in a former Riad mansion. Riads are an architecture used for some large two story homes and mansions that have all the windows facing into a central court. There are no outward facing windows. This helps ensure total privacy for the people who live there.
Earthquake: There was an large 6.8 earthquake in Morocco in 2023. You can see some large cracks being repaired in some photos of the buildings.

The Marrakesh market place (souk) is a super sized version of the more normal sized shopping markets in many of the Moroccan cities. The medina (old city) is fun to experience. There is an open market (Djemaa El-Fna) area where buskers, including snake charmers and monkeys will let you take their ph...

02/24/2024

This delightful “blue” mountain town in Morocco decided to make their town stand out from all the other white towns, by encouraging their residents to use light shades of blue. Each owner adds their own embellishments to help make theirs stand out in the blue town. Chefchaouen is about 2 hours from Tangier, which is where the ferry from Spain enters Morocco. Walking up the hill to explore the maze of alleyways full of restaurants and vendors selling touristic and everyday needs is a fun experience. There is an old fortress (Al Kasba) dating back to 1471 CE as well. Our young guide spoke very good English, and was a tourism student who grew up and is living in the town.
This photo gallery has two pages of images, or you can use the slide show to see them all

This delightful "blue" mountain town in Morocco decided to make their town stand out from all the other white towns, by encouraging their residents to use light shades of blue. Each owner adds their own embellishments to help make theirs stand out in the blue town. Chefchaouen is about 2 hours from....

02/23/2024

The country of Morocco is only a 1 hour ferry ride from Costa del Sol, in Spain where are spending the winter as Canadian Snowbirds. Morocco conjures up images of Aladdin’s genie lamp, and the 1,000 stories of the Arabian Nights, plus the “Marrakesh Express” song (Crosby Stills & Nash). We really enjoy the distinct Moorish / Muslim arch architecture (ogee and multifoil) combined with dazzling 3D honeycomb effects (stalactite vaulting – muqarnas) in the underside of domes and and distinct mud-brick heritage. Every town has its towering minarets similar to church steeples. The classic ceramic tile art work was everywhere. The Moroccan government is working hard to become one of the top 20 worldwide tourist destinations – and they seem to be succeeding!

Morocco's images of Aladdin's lamp, Arabian Nights, or the "Marrakesh Express" song . We really enjoy the distinct Moorish / Muslim culture. The Moroccan government is working hard to become one of the top 20 worldwide tourist destinations - and they seem to be succeeding!

02/10/2024

Snowbirds in Spain: We enjoyed exploring the charming white washed town of Mijas (pronounced Mee-haas) that was up the mountain, behind where we are staying in Fuengirola, Spain during our Snowbird escape from Canadian winter. It has a maze of winding streets that are reminiscent of Venice. The lowly donkey is a historical symbol of pride for the town, and are used to pull small carts for the tourists as a sort of taxi. In olden days they were used for mining operations here. You can also ride on their back, or alternatively take a fancier horse drawn carriage.
The remains of an ancient fortress that was used as a mountain escape when pirates would invade the beach side town in the 1000 era. The lovely walk is accented with a botanical garden and old church, and bull fighting ring. The limestone mountains have lots of nice little caves which were used for climatized storage and homes. One is equipped with an anvil from an old forge.
The plaza square is the focal point of the town, with lots of cafe’s, restaurants, and shops. There are a lot of leather jackets and goods here, plus the old Andalusian crafts. We enjoyed seeing the Flamenco dancers with accompanying music – if only I could understand what it was about – I need to learn more Spanish. They are very passionate songs and dance.

Charming White washed tourist town of Mijas, Spain, with a maze of winding streets similar to Venice. Donkeys are a historical symbol of pride for the town. Lovely botanical gardens set in the ancient fortress, and an old bull fighting ring.

01/31/2024

Snowbirds in Spain: Zoo: Amazing Indiana Jones Style. This “one of a kind” zoo has amazing sculpted jungle backdrops of authentic Asian / African settings that are part of the Bioparc zoo-immersion experience in the town of Fuengirola, Spain. It feels like an exciting Indiana Jones style jungle exploration experience with Indonesian temples and ruins throughout. Many of the exotic animals are visible through open air enclosures which is great for photographers. For it’s small size it gives a big Disney like experience. It is only a few blocks from our accommodations during our snow bird escape to Costa del Sol, in Spain.

Bioparc Fuengirola is a zoo that recreates the natural habitats of tropical forests of Africa and Asia. It is home to more than 200 species, many of them endangered or at risk of extinction. Bioparc Fuengirola aims to educate and raise awareness about the need to respect and conserve wildlife and ecosystems. The creation of Bioparc Fuengirola involved a team of architects, engineers, sculptors, painters, and gardeners who worked for two years to transform the old zoo into a new model of park based on zoo-immersion. Zoo-immersion is a concept that allows visitors to feel immersed in the natural environments of the animals, without visible barriers or artificial elements.

It is mesmerizing to observe the human like Gorillas, Chimpanzee’s, and Orangutangs and the “hissing” cockroaches were interesting.
Cute videos and photos in link below:

This "one of a kind" zoo has amazing sculpted jungle backdrops of authentic Asian / African settings that are part of the Bioparc zoo-immersion experience in the town of Fuengirola, Spain. It feels like an exciting Indiana Jones style jungle exploration experience with Indonesian temples and ruins t...

01/20/2024

We have been enjoying the 1,000 year old history of Spanish Castles and 2,000 year old Roman Ruins during our snowbird escape to Costa del Sol – the sunny south coast. The Alcazaba of Malaga, Spain; Islamic Muslum style castle from 11th centry, which is more ornate than the one in Fuengirola we saw. (Click below for photos and information)

Enjoying 1,000 year old history of Spanish Castles and old Roman Ruins during our snowbird escape to Costa del Sol. Alcazaba of Malaga, Spain; Islamic Muslum style castle from 11th century

01/13/2024

Our retired Canadian snowbird escape this year took us to Spain in Europe. We enjoyed the sunny Costa del Sol area in the Mediterranean a few years ago when we visited for a few weeks in the spring season, and realized that they have a mild winter season which is more like our spring or fall season. The town that we are staying in for 3 months is typically between 10C and 20C (50F / 68F), but has some days up to 28C (82F). The town of Fuengirola enables us to “live like a local” in a modest apartment in the center of the town, which is 2 blocks from the beach area. It is nice for walking, even at this time of year. Our balcony overlooks the always busy plaza in front of a large church, and provides a nice perch to “people watch” as the busy shoppers go by. We can easily walk almost everywhere we want to go, or take the easy to use commuter train.
More photos and information in link below:

Canadian snowbird escape to Spain, Europe. Mild winter is like spring. Typically between 10C and 20C (50F / 68F), but has some days up to 28C (82F) in the town of Fuengirola.

12/31/2023

Some reflections on our 1st year of retirement, which began on Jan 1, 2023: Everything went pretty much as planned, with the biggest surprise being the strange psychological feeling that it was too good to be true, and we might get caught – sort of like playing hooky from high school, and the principal would soon catch us and send us to detention… Previously our long working careers programmed us to be “productive”, and always be working on something. We are headed to Cost del Sol, in Spain in 2024.

Snowbirding
The first six months we travelled as snowbirds from Canada and stayed in the Playa del Carmen area of Mexico for 5 months, then various places in Panama for a month. It was nice being able to have nothing planned when we start each day, and then plan do to maybe one thing that day, or go to the beach. In a 10 day working vacation, I was always focused on cramming as much sight seeing into the day – so the retired vacation is much more relaxing. Costs were kept down by staying in monthly rentals as opposed to high priced resorts. Although our aim was to live more like locals, buying and eating local groceries it was hard to break the “dining out” habit. The Panama trip was a surprise addition when we were wanting to go beyond Mexico. Read more about Panama here.

Travel Medical Insurance was a necessary evil, which fortunately we did not need to use this time. We learned not to visit the doctor just before the snowbird trip, because changes put the insurance premiums up.

Shutdown Canada: It was pretty easy to shutdown our Canadian apartment, to minimize the costs while away, and had our kids warm up the vehicles periodically to keep them from seizing up. Suspended auto insurance, cable TV and internet, turned off power. All bills are emailed.

Telephone
We switched our Canadian phone number to be a $30/mo. “world phone” with unlimited data, text messages and voice anywhere in the world with Fonus. Read more here. Our friends and family just phone our normal Canadian number, as do banking and other two factor authentications.

Currency and Banking
We use the “Wise” multicurrency VISA card and their currency exchange system to pay bills by email. It worked very well for both Mexico and Canada, and should for our next trip to Spain. Their prepaid Visa card helps to eliminate / minimized ATM fees, by allowing you to keep currency in various pots. You can convert money between the pots using the current “google” currency exchange rates, without the hidden surcharges the normal credit cards use.

Finances
We used a Retirement Income Planning (RIP) tool, designed for Canadian tax rules, to help us ensure our Income and Investments will last us until we are 100 years old. Our basic approach is to cover our standard “downsized” lifestyle with our Canadian government pensions (CPP/OAS), combined with similar monthly dividend income from our investments. Then we have a separate budget for our travel “fun-money”, which we expect to last about 10 years. Our investments are largely self directed, with some occasional “free” advice from our Royal Bank investment advisor. The covid losses have largely been recovered over the past year.
(Seem more details and links by clicking below)

Retirement Reflections after 1 year. Everything went pretty much as planned. Biggest surprise was the psychological feeling - sort of like playing hooky from high school, and the principal would soon catch us and send us to detention...

12/17/2023

I was amazed to discover a chain of Royal ancestors in my distant family history from 34 generations ago (1000 CE). The current “internet based” genealogy uses a SINGLE really big family tree which allows the work of many families to co-exist and be combined in a natural way, which is documented and supported by detailed research.

Our family history includes many notable aristocrats from the UK, France, Hungary, and Scandinavia from over 20 generations ago, including: King of Denmark – 0925 AD, King of England – 1022 AD, Kings of Hungary 1148/1176, Queen of Hungary 1219, Queen of France 1247, King of France 1268, Queen of England 1292, King of England 1312
(Link below shows more details and photos)

Its amazing to discover Royal ancestors in your distant family history from 1000 CE. The current "internet based" genealogy uses a SINGLE really big family tree which allows the work of many families to co-exist and be combined in a natural way, which is documented and supported by detailed research...