Jonathan van Bilsen: Recent Episodes
Jonathan van Bilsen
A collection of lifestyle articles about people, events and travel by photographer, author and journalist Jonathan van Bilsen
Last year, while in Sri Lanka, I found myself on a path to Sigarya Rock, a 200 metre outcrop which is climbed regularly by tourists. A series of metal steps were bolted to the side of the rock, however, once you are underway you quickly realize that many of the bolts are missing, and the stairs are very wobbly
I should start out by explaining where the concept of tipping comes from. In days of old, when knights were bold… you would walk into an Inn and the serving wench would tell you what the specials were. Once you decided on your choice you would hand her (or him) a small amount of change. This was to insure prompt service, which became known as T.I.P.S., later shortened to ‘tips’.
The responsibility that accompanies being a member of government is immense, in that you are tasked with the challenge of representing constituents in many different decisions, conflicts and challenges. I often wonder why anyone undertakes the task, but am glad that a handful of individuals choose to do this often thankless role.
One thing I have lately become much more aware of, is reading labels on products. Some of the stuff in foods is unbelievable. Know how much salt you need and how much is in the foods you eat. Too much salt is a major contributor to heart related illness, too much fat will clog your arteries and too much sugar makes you gain weight
I found it interesting that they took me to their yard to see a small cage with dozens of guinea pig pets. They kept motioning to one and I nodded. An hour later I was dining, enjoying a very expensive Bolivian delicacy: guinea pig.
Boston is filled with history, as it was, after all, the origin of the American Revolution. The old State Capital is where the likes of John Adams, John Hancock and Samuel Adams, met to discuss plans for a potential break-away from Britain.
Not many people are born with the gift of talent, and even fewer have the desire to hone that talent into a beautiful craft. Such is the case in Leslie Ann Bradley, one of the finest symphonic and operatic singers in today’s world. Believe it or not, Leslie Ann was born and raised in our very own, Port Perry.
I have often walked into a store or found myself in a retail environment and heard people say, ‘It costs an arm and a leg”. A rather strange saying, which seems to have nothing to do with the fees associated with a product.
The giant, red monolith is certainly one of Australia’s most recognizable landmarks. It rises 350 metres with two thirds of its bulk still buried beneath the ground. The rock is located in the centre of the country and is surrounded by desert, a rugged part of the country introduced to us by Crocodile Dundee.
My very first stop was Rundale Palace. This unbelievably beautiful castle dates back to 1736, however, during the Russian occupation the palace was used as a school, a granary and offices for the Soviet Union.
Costa Rica is a small landmass located in Central America between Panama and Nicaragua. It borders on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the east by the Caribbean Sea. It is on the Caribbean side that one of earth’s most magnificent rainforests lies.
When Joseph was 22 his father heard of the death of Peter Perry, a visionary in Port Perry who had great ambitions. His death left a large gap, which needed to be filled. Hiram immediately saw this as a great opportunity for his sons. He purchased a parcel of land, known as lot 5 (now the Tweed and Hickory Building) for his sons to make their fortune.
I know you're thinking I have reached my techno limit, and so did I, until recently, I discovered something brand new to me… the fast growing world of... podcasting.
I had never been to East Africa, and had no concept of the distance from London to Nairobi. I assumed the journey would take three or four hours, and was quite surprised when nine hours after our departure the flight attendant finally announced that we were approaching our destination.
History has always been a favourite interest of mine and coupled with travel, I am amazed at the historic significance of places I visit. Two months ago, in an effort to escape the winter blahs, I flew to Savannah, Georgia and found myself immersed in the opulence of pre-civil war architecture and society.
Wow, I can’t believe Canada is 150 years old! It seems as if it was yesterday when our town actually began. I was fortunate to be a young journalist back in the day, and remember looking at Peter Perry’s plan for the village. It was in fact, drawn up before Canada united to become this fantastic country we call home.
“I was a music geek,” Doug explained, when I asked him what his interests were during his high school years. “I was quite small, only five feet tall, until I was 16.” Although Doug was interested in sports, his love for music was greater and he played a pretty mean trumpet.
There are hundreds of wonderful places to visit and explore on this planet, but the question is always, which ones to choose to avoid disappointment? One such place, I recently had the pleasure of visiting was the South Texas town of San Antonio. I had heard several positive comments about the city of 2 million and was pleasantly surprised upon my arrival.
Having had the privilege of travelling the world, I have learned one thing: how fortunate we are to live in Canada. We are virtually free from daily threats, we have a relatively decent economy, our social programs are second to none and we are surrounded by really nice people.
I have had the pleasure of visiting nearly a dozen countries on the Dark Continent and among my favourite is South Africa and its wonderful 'English-style' city of Capetown, located on the southernmost tip of this fantastic continent.
North Durham is fortunate to have many excellent authors within our borders, but few are as historically minded as Paul Arculus, author of nine novels, all of which focus on the history of our area.
Reprinted from Focus Magazine column, 'photosNtravel' - May, 2017
A trip to one of Africa's most natural reserves
Reprinted from CAPS Newspaper column, 'You've Got To Be Kidding - May, 2017
A look at current hospital conditions in Durham Region
Funnyman Neil Crone is an actor, comedian and author. This podcast is from an article by Jonathan van Bilsen, printed in the Standard Newspaper