The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version):Chapter 5: Bye Bye Juanita and My Iraqi Sweetheart

Juanita Wallabong’s tour was wrapping up in North America with a final performance in Montreal at the Montreal Forum. We were enjoying a few glorious days off as this trip was about my education not simply music. I fell in love with Montreal as it was in North America but so un-American! I discovered FairmontContinue reading “The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version):Chapter 5: Bye Bye Juanita and My Iraqi Sweetheart”

RKS 2024 Wine: Agiorgitiko Greek Supermarket Champion

When travelling in Europe I usually visit supermarkets for various items particularly bottled water. Supermarket prices for cheese in Paris would reduce you to tears with just how inexpensive French cheese can be. Almost like a staple whereas here in Canada it is a luxury. I always look at wine prices too and in PortugalContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Agiorgitiko Greek Supermarket Champion”

The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (Final Version): Chapter 3: Juanita Wallabong’s Farewell Tour

When I was 14 years old my mother Juanita no longer wanted to give live performances as the anxiety that afflicted her was overwhelming even with those “Mother’s Little Helpers” otherwise known as Xanax and the live performances only encouraged her to continue guzzling gin “to take the edge off”. Despite her live performance anxiety,Continue reading “The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (Final Version): Chapter 3: Juanita Wallabong’s Farewell Tour”

The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version):Chapter One: My Distant Past

My father Paneer Gurdeep was born in a small remote village in India. Being a young man full of ambition he hustled the streets as a purveyor of mysticism. Put another way he dealt hashish from Kashmir to temples throughout the region to the mystics who became even more mystical after ingesting copious amounts ofContinue reading “The Penniless Pensioner: Misaligned, Maligned but Marvellous (The Final Version):Chapter One: My Distant Past”

RKS 2024 Wine: Tired of that “farm to table” expression but the wine bearing that name?

Was it a decade or so I was reviewing a restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton Central Park South in New York and they were terribly excited about the “farm to table concept”. Sounds bucolic like a noble farmer carefully tending his plot or animals with his hands and lovingly of course, the tastiest fowl, lamb orContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Tired of that “farm to table” expression but the wine bearing that name?”

RKS 2024 Film: “In Flight”: A Turbulent Journey with an Unexpected Landing

I was asked to review the American film “In Flight” indirectly by one of its executive producers. Usually, a request to review emanates from a distributor of the film or its retained public relations firm with detailed information on its cast and a brief plot description. In this case I was provided with a trailerContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: “In Flight”: A Turbulent Journey with an Unexpected Landing”

RKS 2024 Wine: Ontario Cabernet Sauvignon: To Dream the Impossible Dream

There must be a superb Ontario Cabernet Sauvignon out there but as my attempt at establishing my Bitcoin empire collapsed with my kidnapping in broad daylight on Toronto’s Bay Street and Wellington with my entire corporation’s capital of $4,679 used to pay my ransom my Bitcoin dream was smashed. I have an idea for electricContinue reading “RKS 2024 Wine: Ontario Cabernet Sauvignon: To Dream the Impossible Dream”

RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Annual Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The Strangers’ Case”

The Strangers’ Case” was filmed in Jordan, Turkey and Greece. It recounts the journey of several refugees from Aleppo in Syria to the island of Lesvos, Greece in the Eastern Aegean Sea. Amira is a successful pediatric radiologist working in a hospital running short of supplies but is never short of blood and suffering.  AfterContinue reading “RKS 2024 Film: The 65th Annual Thessaloniki International Film Festival: “The Strangers’ Case””

RKS Travel: WC Blues on Long Airplane Flights

I have taken transatlantic flights with Air Canada, Air Transat, TAP Air Portugal, Lufthansa, SATA, EVA Air and most recently with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines on Economy and Enhanced Economy fares. Their WC bathrooms start clean enough and in all instances, other than with EVA Air, the WC is after a few in-flight hours inContinue reading “RKS Travel: WC Blues on Long Airplane Flights”

RKS Travel: Stop That Continual Currency Comparison!

In a country with a different currency than your home country? Are you continually saying in “my currency” what would that amount to? Well, you aren’t in your country are you? Perhaps a better perspective would be, in most cases, to stop that comparison. Why not think local and act local as isn’t that theContinue reading “RKS Travel: Stop That Continual Currency Comparison!”