Montreal Canada – I love Canada!

Hello Everyone. I believe this is my first official post of the new year. Damn! Sorry ya’ll. Not much has been going on except for me working hard for my client. They send me out of town every week to a new city to do consulting projects, so the traveling has been a bit out of control. Combine that with the fact that I am still exploring and totally loving my new home city, Austin Texas, and it adds up to Sheila ignoring my blog.

I am truly blessed to have manifested a consulting client that pays me to travel & do really cool work for them. In the past 6 months, I have been sent to Los Angeles, Kansas City, Saint Louis, Phoenix, Baltimore, Boston, Atlanta, Savannah, New York, Vermont, Denver, Houston, Nashville & Wisconsin. In the midst of all of this business travel, I have had the opportunity to sneak in a few vacations. Ya’ll know how I roll! LOL I went home to Kansas City for my birthday, McAllen, Texas for Thanksgiving and Christmas, Dallas to chill, Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival and I just returned from Montreal Canada. Montreal rocked and during my amazing time there, I was inspired to start blogging again. Please allow me to fill you in on this amazing city.

My client sent me to Burlington, Vermont last week to work and in looking at the map, I discovered that Montreal was very close to VT. I determined that if I worked my ass off to complete my consulting work, I could free up at least 24 hours to drive 1 1/2 hours to Montreal and explore the city. I finished up my work Thursday evening around 6pm and hit the road North. After a quick stop at customs for the obligatory “why are you going to Canada” questions, I was off. I arrived into Montreal around 8pm. Since I live in hotels Monday – Friday, I decided to book a hostel to stay in. I’m going to write a separate post about the joys of staying in hostels that I hope you all enjoy. After checking ratings on www.hostelworld.com…, I decided to book space in a 12 bed room for $20.00 a night at The Le Jazz Hostel Saint Denis in the Latin Quarter area of Montreal. As I knew absolutely nothing about Montreal, I chose this hostel based on previous ratings from other guests and also because staying in an area called The Latin Quarter had to have some flavor and energy right?

I definitely made the right choice in Hostels. I was in the heart of a very vibrant and happening part of town. Tons of restaurants, bars, people in the streets and partying. Upon getting checked in and entering my room, I met one of my roommates Mili. He was a mega cool Asian dude that had just moved to Montreal from Vancouver. As I was hungry as hell, I asked him if he wanted to join me for dinner and we headed off to find a great restaurant. We ended up at a Mexican restaurant called Three Amigos and got our grub on! Mili had never had a margarita before, so I suggested he get the Cadillac Margarita, which was their strongest one. He was a little dude and he was drunk as hell when he finished it. Hilarious! After dinner, we walked back to the hostel and I crashed.

Whenever I am faced with the dilemma of being of being in a totally cool city with a very limited amount of time to explore, I follow a strategy that has never failed me. I make my way to the main Tourism office and book one of those red double decker bus, hop-on-hop-off tours. This works so well because it allow you to sit on the bus and let the tour guide tell you all about the city and sights while you take notes of the 3-4 things you want to go back and revisit. As it was the winter season, they did not have the hop-on-hop-off tours, so I booked a 3 hour bus tour that drove us all over the city with an amazing guide. During this tour, I learned some of the most fascinating facts about this city regarding its history, culture and lay of the land and completely fell in love with Montreal even though it was 20
freaking degrees and ya’ll know Mama does not do cold weather!!! LOL

Highlights: Montreal is a city in the Providence of Quebec. Because of the cold weather, Montreal has an underground city that runs for 33 kilometers. It is a series of tunnels mainly under the downtown that contains over 1,100 shops and restaurants. It connects buildings and also houses its subway system. It allows people to maneuver around when the temperature is below zero degrees. It was amazing! I also got to explore Old Town Montreal which is comprised of buildings built at the turn of the century. It is a popular, lively area for tourism with shops, restaurants and outdoor venues all along the water. We also hit Chinatown, the Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, the Olympic village and buildings, the Botanical gardens, museums, parks, etc… Montreal is definitely a summer city with MAJOR festivals occurring every week. It is a city that is built on tourism and truly loves tourists to visit. I felt incredibly welcome from every person I encountered. Montreal is a French speaking city and unlike snobby Paris, a huge majority of the citizens are also English speakers. Most of the signage was in both French and English. I loved hearing the beautiful French language being spoken, while being able maneuver around because they spoke English as well.

If Montreal is not on your list of cities to visit, please do yourself a favor and put it on there!! I am seriously toying with the idea of traveling around Quebec this summer as it is a part of Canada that I want to learn more about and fully experience as a result of being in Montreal. In my 28 hours there, I was able to walk over 5 miles exploring the city both above ground and underground, tour the entire city by bus, have awesome meals, meet incredibly warm people, go to a Blues club, stay in a great hostel and discover a new favorite city. Thanks Montreal. I cannot wait to return!

Bookmark It

read comments (0)

Here’s to Finding Love in 2010!

Bookmark It

read comments (0)

A Cure for the Common Cold?

As it is now the dreaded cold and flu season, I thought I would check the web for the latest and greatest “cures” just in case I manage to catch some cooties this winter. I came across the article below that has some great, cheap and practical advice. I’m definitely trying this if I do feel a sore throat coming on. Enjoy!

12/23/09 UPDATE: HAD COLD SYMPTOMS A FEW HOURS AGO. PUT HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IN MY EARS FOR 5 MINUTES EACH AND COLD SYMPTOMS GONE IMMEDIATELY. THIS WORKS!!!!

A Two Cent Cure (?) for the Common Cold “that really works – at least 80% of the time!”
Copyright 2005 By Darrell Stoddard

A couple of years ago I read about a way to prevent the common cold on the “www.mercola.com” web site. I tried it and it worked so remarkably well that I have prevented almost all colds and flu in family members and myself for more than two years! Before trying the 2-cent prevention treatment below, I caught every cold that came around. I was in bed for four or five days several times a year and it seems I had a cold all of the time. Now I am completely free of colds and flu

In 1928 Richard Simmons, M.D. hypothesized that colds and flu virus enter through the ear canal. According to Dr. Simmons, contrary to what you may think or have been taught about how you catch a cold or the flu, there is only one way that you can catch either, and that’s via the ear canal – not through the eyes or nose or mouth as most have believed. Once the cold and flu virus have entered the inner-ear, they begin their breeding process, and from there have access to every avenue throughout our body to infect and make us sick.

In 1938 German researchers had great success using hydrogen peroxide in the ear to treat colds and flu. Then in the 1940’s antibiotics were discovered and were so successful in treating bacterial infections like pneumonia or strep throat that people forgot all about treating colds and flu with hydrogen peroxide. We now know that antibiotics will do nothing for colds or flu that are caused by viruses.

It is a medical fact that antibiotics do nothing for the flu or a cold caused by a virus. People in the know, however, for many years have been using hydrogen peroxide to attack the influenza virus and the common cold virus where they begin their breeding process in the inner-ear (middle) and not where they have already spread. It is important to begin treatment as soon as symptoms appear – with one caution, It should not be done if you have a perforated eardrum!

We have found remarkable results in preventing the flu or a cold by administering a few drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide (h2o2) into each ear. The h2o2 starts working within seconds to kill the cold or flu virus. You will probably feel nothing or there may be some bubbling or mild stinging. Wait a minute or so and then drain onto a tissue and repeat in the other ear. A bottle of hydrogen peroxide in 3% solution is available at any drug store for about a dollar.

If you begin at the first sign of catching a cold usually only one procedure is necessary. If you don’t begin at the first sign of catching a cold, you may need to repeat the process two or more times at one or two hour intervals. (The above information was paraphrased from the mercola.com website which I highly recommend.)

An easy way to accomplish the above task is to pour about 2/3 of a capful of hydrogen peroxide (which is enough for both ears) into the lid and then while tipping the head to one side, pour that ear full. Leave it for a minute or two. Then tip your head to the other side and repeat in the other ear. After emptying both ears, I then go one step further by gargling with a hydrogen peroxide dilution of two parts water and 1 part hydrogen peroxide (recommended by my Periodontist).

Gargling with the above hydrogen peroxide dilution will stop almost immediately a trench mouth infection, is wonderful for a sore throat, and is even recommended as a teeth whitener. Hydrogen peroxide should not be swallowed. For this reason, you should never allow a child to gargle with hydrogen peroxide.

If you want go one-step further, just ask and we will send a nasal spray bottle with your next order. It can be used to spray hydrogen peroxide into the ear and/or the nasal passages. By also treating the nasal passages, you can make the treatment even more effective.

We believe from experience that almost all colds and flu can be stopped with the help of hydrogen peroxide to kill the virus and bacteria at the source of infection. For less than a dollar, you can stop an unlimited number of colds, the flu, and other infections.

The results of this treatment are so impressive that if anyone could patent it, they would become wealthy. Because no money can be made from such a treatment, no one will ever pay for or conduct a scientific study.

We therefore propose our own pragmatic, unscientific study. Don’t believe even the possibility of this being true until you have put it to a test. Then share your experience with others and with us. Results may be reported to stoddard@healpain.net…

Your Friend in Health and Wellness,
“Be good and you will be happy.”

Darrell Stoddard, Founder – Pain Research Institute http://www.healpain.net http://paintape.com Author – Pain Free for Life (more than 60,000 copies sold). Featured on TV in United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

(We would love to hear from you. If you haven’t visited us recently, there is breakthrough new information about health, pain and new pain products – conductive socks, gloves and braces in addition to our new Biotape available now on our Website.)

Note: This e-mail is copyrighted, but we give our permission and encourage you to copy and
send it to your friends. We ask only that you send the entire article without removing the
copyright notice or any of the credits.

Disclaimer: The contents of our website and this e-mail are based on the opinions of Darrell Stoddard and the sources cited. The information given is not intended to replace medical advice from a qualified health care professional. Unless indicated, the evidence provided is only anecdotal and not substantiated by controlled scientific studies. Please share this information with your physician and seek his/her opinion before embarking on any course of treatment. We send it not as medical advice but only for educational purposes and to disseminate health care information from the Pain Research Institute .

Bookmark It

read comments (0)

Isn’t this supposed to be a travel blog…Why aren’t you traveling??

I received an email on Facebook from someone asking me why my recent posts for the past few months have not been about my travels. Fair question as this blog is called ‘The Onyxtraveler’ for goodness sake. Let me explain. For those you don’t know my history, let me bring you up to speed. Since 2005, I have had the very Blessed honor of being able to vacation/holiday for 6 months out of the year. I am able to do this because I am a Consultant which allows me to work my ass off for 6 months out of the year, make a nice bit of $$$ and then spend it all while on Holiday the other 6 months out of the year. As I spent the first half of this year in Australia and traveling here in the states, I am now in the what I call my “grounded” stage where I have to actually earn an income. Yuck!! I have to be honest and admit that this method of doing things has gotten beyond old, stale and boring for me. I really HATE working!! I am most happiest and at total peace when I am jetting off to foreign lands, meeting amazing people and having adventures with strangers and new friends I meet on the road. Living my now pedestrian life off the road totally sucks for me as I do not like doing “regular” things that I do here in the states. BORING!!! I am chomping at the bit to hit the road again, but my time in OZ really kicked my financial ass and I have to seriously refill the coffers again.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not unhappy here in my new home, Austin Texas. Nothing could be further from the truth. I love it here!! This city is freaking awesome and the people that I have been Blessed to meet are all amazing as well! I’ve decided to make Texas my home state for tax/business reasons (the cost of living is uber low here and there is no state income tax) and Austin is really the only city in Texas that I could stand to live in. I’m just ready for new challenges and complete spontaneity in my life that travel provides me. I’m also ready to date some more Foreign guys. I miss hearing a sexy accent whispering sweet nothings in my ear, hehehehe. To avoid this prolonged time of being “grounded” in the future, I have spent my time working on multiple income channels that will provide more than enough capital coming to me in such a way that I will not have to be tied down to a Consulting gig, no matter how cool it is. I will be able stay on the road for as long as I want to and be “grounded” because I choose to, not because I have to. This is a work in progress and I will be happy to share details after I hit the road again late January/early Feburary 2010.

It is truly 100% possible to have the life you desire. It doesn’t matter if you have kids, are married or single, whatever. You just have to be clear about what you want and take focused and consistent action. I’ve had to overcome quite a few hurdles to get to this point in my life and I am only at the beginning, but the point is, I am doing the work!! I’m CONSTANTLY working on myself to remove my own internal barriers (basically making myself get the eff out of my own way! ), connecting with the right people, learning and implementing new skills and challenging myself to dream bigger and live larger than I ever imagined. I try many things. Some work amazing well and some do not. The point is, I do not effing quit!! If you only knew the life I have mapped out for myself. OMG, it is freaking amazing! With my proven power of manifestation, it is only a matter of me being clear and focused to create the life I want for myself. Thank you for being on this journey with me!!! I’m so looking forward to 2010 being the most incredible year of my life thus far. What dreams/goals/plans are you working on for 2010?? If not now, then when?? If not you, then who???

On an ending note, I finally got to see the Disney/Pixar film ‘Up’ last night and it is an absolutely brilliant film. There is a montage at the beginning of the movie that shows the main character Carl & his life with his soul-mate Ellie (they met as little kids). Ellie had a dream since she was a child of going to Paradise Falls in South America and living a life of adventure. She made Carl swear he would take here there. This montage brilliantly and poignantly shows how it is so easy to let “life” get in the way of our true dreams. Don’t wait to live your dreams. Tomorrow is not guaranteed! Enjoy this beautiful clip & try not to cry. XOXOXO

Bookmark It

read comments (0)

The Hair Journey Continues: Brazilian Keratin Treatments, Lace Front Wigs & Hair Weaves!!

So, the saga with my hair continues. Last time we talked, I had taken out my weave after 7 months and my hair was a wreck! I went in search of a Dominican Stylist and found her in Dallas. She worked wonders with my non-relaxed mass of kinks and turned my hair in to a cute swingy bob. I loved the results, but sadly, her work did not last. My hair lost the swing after 48 hours and I was in search of
another alternative for my natural hair. For the uninitiated to the world of Black Women and our hair struggles, natural hair means hair that is free of chemical treatments such as relaxers or perms that many of us put in our hair to make it “straight” and manageable. Relaxers are affectionately referred to as the “creamy crack” because once you start getting relaxers, you have to get them redone every 8-12 weeks like clockwork due to kinky new growth hair coming in and taking away the straightness. Going to the hair dresser every 2 weeks does feel like going to your Dealer for an expensive and necessary fix!! LOL I am happy to report that I have been relaxer free for over a year as my hair has been in a weave the whole time. When I took my weave out, I was left with the delima as to what to do with my very kinky natural hair. I refuse to become a creamy crack addict again. I decided to alternate between wearing Lace Front Wigs and wearing my own natural hair just as Tyra Banks is this season on her show.

After a lot of research, I decided to apply a new hot hair treatment called The Brazilian Keratin treatment. Some refer to it as the Brazilian Blowout. I ordered the kit on ebay and completed the 2 day process. Yes, I did say 2 DAY!!! I fully chronicled the process in a very raw and real way on facebook with the dreaded “before” pics (they were pretty damn hysterical, including one of my niece Cara laughing
at my short, kinky afro in one of the pics) to the jaw dropping “after” shots. I went from a super kinky, very tightly coiled (as in could not get the comb thru it) afro to shoulder length, shiny, swingy gorgeous hair with the process. The results look just like results from a relaxer without subjecting my hair to harsh chemicals. For those that have asked me, since I did the process 4 weeks ago, I have shampooed my hair times and the results are still the same. I go from kinky afro to swingy, straight hair after an hour with the flat iron. It is truly miraculous each time!!! Another amazing result, my hair has grown 3/4 of an inch in a month after this treatment. I washed it and flat ironed it this morning and it is touching my shoulders. It was definitely not doing that a month ago as I lost a ton of hair removing the weave. This is exciting news indeed!!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE BRAZILIAN KERATIN TREATMENT!! FYI…I made my Facebook folder that has tons of pics of the process visible only to me. I am no longer in the mood to have people see me with the natural state of my hair. There are videos on this blog though of my weave removal drama & my Dominican Hairstylist results.

What’s next with my hair??? Glad you asked. While I am pleased with the results of the Brazilian Keratin Treatment, wearing my own hair brings it’s own challenges. First, with my own hair, I have to think about it all the damn time. How will I style it, is it cute, how do I camoflage my wrecked hairline as I am working to grow it in?? etc… Also, I have decided to grow it out again to be well past my shoulders and down my back as it was last year and with my constant flat ironing and styling, I run the risk of it breaking off and not growing. I found that I was wearing my Lace Front wigs more frequently as it is a hell of a lot easier to throw on a wig vs. spending an hour doing my own hair and not being totally pleased with the results. I decided to go back to my long Indian Hair weave! This is for a couple of key reasons. First, when my hair is braided under my weave, it is left with nothing to do but grow, grow, grow! It is protected from the
elements and will grow like crazy which is what I want. Second, a weave is so damn easy to maintain. I simply wash it, let it air day and go. As an added and important benefit, I get my “glamour girl” look back that I love so damn much! Whoo Hoo!! Another benefit to having the weave back that only my Sista Girls will understand…I don’t need to figure out how the hell I’m going to keep my wig on and undetected if I am spending the night with my dude, LMAO!!! Ya’ll know what I’m talking about!!! Lawd, that is a lot of damn pressure!! You know how when you get home after having your wig on all day and all you want to do is snatch that sucka off and let your hair breathe. Imagine having to sleep in that sucka cause you can’t go “natural” in front of your man. This is one of the challenges of dating white dudes – they aren’t as informed about our hair traumas as the Brothas are!! LOL

Off to get my weave and pose for pics with my new stylist! Yay!!

For those of you that don’t know what the hell I am talking about, here are videos that explain what Brazilian Keratin Treatment, Lace Front wigs and Hair Weaves are.

BRAZILIAN KERATIN TREATMENT:

LACE FRONT WIGS:

HAIR WEAVES:

Bookmark It

read comments (0)