Robert K Stephen (CSW)

Passage of the Day: Retirement as Stressful

“For instance you may have been looking forward to retirement for years and be happy when it first comes and you can finally stop getting up early and going to work. But after a while you may not know what to do with all the time that you have. You may come to miss theContinue reading “Passage of the Day: Retirement as Stressful”

“Travels to a Different Time” : Prelude to a 1971 Adventure: Midnight Express to New York

June 2, 1971: Today Mom was up at 4:30 in the morning too excited about our upcoming trip. I am studying and have no time to get excited. June 7, 1971: No idea where we are going. Sister Barb will not be in New York when we arrive. June 9, 1971: Wrote my last dumbContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : Prelude to a 1971 Adventure: Midnight Express to New York”

“Travels to a Different Time”: Reflections on My 1970 Trip

Montreal September 4, 1970: Back in Montreal and well rested and very toasty brown. Oh my how white and pale I looked on my first day on the Greek beach. How quickly I burnt in the sun. Now I can spend hours and just keep turning a darker shade of brown. Good to be sleepingContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time”: Reflections on My 1970 Trip”

“Travels to a Different Time” August 15, 1970: Istanbul; Welcome to Hippieville! Police Profit from Hashish Stings

Letter from Margaret Mary Stephen to Barbara Stephen (daughter): Hi Barb: So help me if it was hard to make oneself understood in Greece it’s almost impossible here in Istanbul. I think we are in Hippieville. I have never seen so many. You can see the Turks laughing at them. Most we have talked toContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” August 15, 1970: Istanbul; Welcome to Hippieville! Police Profit from Hashish Stings”

“Travels to a Different Time ” : August 18-21, 1970 : Last Days in Istanbul: War, Chickens at the Airport and Cholera: Beware of Hashish: Off to a Turkish Bath

August 18, 1970: Up early. Mom heard a vendor below selling fruit so she rushed down and bought monster peaches and some grapes. You must grab the fruit quick before the vendor replaced it with second quality fruit. Man, you must be sharp in Istanbul. It is becoming more of an enjoyable game in IstanbulContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time ” : August 18-21, 1970 : Last Days in Istanbul: War, Chickens at the Airport and Cholera: Beware of Hashish: Off to a Turkish Bath”

“Travels to a Different Time” : August 1970: On the Midnight Express to Istanbul: Custom’s Officers Get Fresh with Mom: Mom’s Rump Pinched by the Turks! The Bill on the Ground Scam

After seeing Oliver Stone’s film “Midnight Express” is heading to Istanbul wise? We had first class tickets but did not exactly know where to get to first class so I think we ended up in second class beside some barfy old lady. We were told by a conductor first class was ahead so off weContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : August 1970: On the Midnight Express to Istanbul: Custom’s Officers Get Fresh with Mom: Mom’s Rump Pinched by the Turks! The Bill on the Ground Scam”

RKS Film: “I May be Dead by Tomorrow”: The Never-Ending Battle of Street People

If you live in a major urban centre and are working in or commuting in the downtown core you have seen it time and time again. Homeless people. Homeless people begging. Homeless people drinking. Homeless people fighting. Erratic homeless people shouting to themselves. Homeless people living in encampments. It could be like stoplights they areContinue reading “RKS Film: “I May be Dead by Tomorrow”: The Never-Ending Battle of Street People”

RKS Wine: Carmenére Confusion

For 145 years Carmenère in Chile was thought to be Merlot! It was only in the mid 1990’s that what was thought to be Merlot was actually identified as Carmenère. Although more Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is planted some say it is Chile’s signature grape. Originally a Bordeaux grape it was wiped out by diseaseContinue reading “RKS Wine: Carmenére Confusion”

“Travels to a Different Time” :August 11, 1970: (Volos/ Thessaloniki) :No Not Another Tantrum! A Crappy Birthday

From Volos we made a connecting stop at Larissa and boarded the train to Thessaloniki and arrived at 4 p.m. While at the train station we bought a ticket to Istanbul. We found a B class hotel called the Rotunda and just loved the hot water. On the way to dinner I bought a pairContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” :August 11, 1970: (Volos/ Thessaloniki) :No Not Another Tantrum! A Crappy Birthday”

“Travels to a Different Time” : August 8-10, 1970, Skopelos, Greece: Big Game Hunter Spears a Prize! Why Are These People Staring at Us?

August 8, 1970: I woke up at seven to get some fresh bread and we had strawberry jam, bread and hardboiled eggs for breakfast. We took the 9 am bus to the beach with Theodore, Rick and Dee. We preordered our lunch of calamari before walking down to the beach. Theodore borrowed my speargun butContinue reading ““Travels to a Different Time” : August 8-10, 1970, Skopelos, Greece: Big Game Hunter Spears a Prize! Why Are These People Staring at Us?”