tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551Sat, 30 Jul 2011 16:33:16 +0000L'Anse Au Griffonfollow heartCamino de SantiagopathGriffon AdventuresCamping by the seaLourdesRoad to SpainNew CarlisledeathPilgrimagecouragechangetravel livingQuebecBed and BreakfastTrekking老路truthCatholic News SingaporetravelSingaporehikingQuebecoisWCCMQuebec provinceunhappinesscultural investmentsBath in LourdesmotherWalking pilgrimageherbsGaspésieterminal conditionCompostelleChemintelling the truthculturetransformationSaint JacquesdecisionsGaspesiedilemmaGaspéon footThe WaystrengthidentitySt JamescrossroadsManoir HamiltonCouette et Cafépath to changestories and thoughts on travel and the inner journey...http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)Blogger90125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-2250655611149627713Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:36:00 +00002011-03-24T08:41:42.795-07:00A few days ago, I walked into a restaurant and an acquaintance I barely knew waved at me and said, "I dream't of you last night!" She went on to shrug it off saying that I was just a representation, a symbol, in her dream. She was planning to go a meditation session that night to pray for the victims of the Japan quake, she explained. Meditation? I had been wanting to meditate in a group for the http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2011/03/if-i-could-make-difference.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/66hkyGRWDHo" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-5259452226424707261Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:02:00 +00002009-09-25T08:57:22.042-07:00Bath in LourdesLourdesPilgrimageCatholic News SingaporeA BATH IN LOURDESA time of inner preparation for the pilgrimageBy Denise Chng Lisan27th September, 2009It probably sounds crazy to wait five hours for a bath, but that was exactly what I did in Lourdes in France. The long line sifted out the faithful from the undetermined, as the hours of waiting got unbearable. I waited on, motivated more by curiosity than by faith. Inch by inch, the line moved.http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/09/published-in-catholicnews-singapore-sep.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)6<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/dp3q6ye_900" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-1012668463214112180Mon, 31 Aug 2009 23:46:00 +00002009-08-29T18:06:30.062-07:00New CarlisleCouette et CaféBed and BreakfastGaspésieQuebecGaspesieManoir Hamilton(Travel Article to come)View Larger Maphttp://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/08/living-history-at-manoir-hamilton-new.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/nBS2nt8pfXE" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-4174195409163681875Fri, 21 Aug 2009 07:00:00 +00002009-08-21T00:00:05.653-07:00老路The least I would expect on this road trip would be to meet a fellow Chinese. But meeting 老路 Lao Lu caught me with a greater surprise than meeting a Chinese. She is a 77-year old Gaspesian strong-minded lady who came up and spoke to me in fluent Mandarin. On many occasions, from the streets of Bangkok, New York or wherever, people throw a few words at me in Mandarin, like 'Ni Hao' (How are you, http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/08/meeting-lao-lu.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/LLBZx98kk_I" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-6124270502347057929Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:58:00 +00002009-08-29T18:42:13.744-07:00Camping by the seaGriffon AdventuresGaspéGaspesieL'Anse Au GriffonWe arrived at a camping paradise. Signs of bohemian art, written 'Griffon Adventures' led us to the campground hidden between the little highway and the Bas St. Laurent coast. Our car wheeled slowly down the beaten path and came upon the woods shack named 'Accueil' (i.e. reception). I already have good vibes for the place, as the setting sun threw a warm glow on all the wooden cabins, turning http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/08/camping-by-sea-at-end-of-land-at-lanse.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/Q5ryvmJMUCg" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-5174122337807298238Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:11:00 +00002009-08-11T13:48:27.456-07:00The first stop on our road trip is chez Jacques and Jocelyne. We love their hospitality, as they often welcome us with a warm hug and great food. We celebrated our vacation together with lively white wine and two sixteen-inch seafood pizza, followed by a little fire in the garden and star-gazing. The next morning, we followed a winding road through the valley to arrive at St. Rene, a cultured http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/08/on-road-again-aug-2009.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/JMM7QqP1R6M" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-3361398567130138529Mon, 10 Aug 2009 02:45:00 +00002009-08-09T19:48:25.066-07:00This summer vacation, Richard and I are getting on a road trip again....I'll be updating my blog regularly wherever internet is accessible. Stay tuned!http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/08/gone-fishing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/8N1Eg4B3qRM" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-8554152185858967413Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:11:00 +00002009-08-09T20:00:10.584-07:00The process of gardening is a big lesson for me, as I watch myself from seeding to harvesting. In the beginning, there was a great feeling of anticipation. I was excited in the beginning because I knew that I was going to start life-giving seeds that would then bloom into fruits, flowers or vegetables. But the anticipation later gave way to anxiety because the early seeds were vulnerable. Lots ofhttp://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/08/waiting-to-harvest.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/eXQPf6VzGWY" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-1846307815419257259Fri, 15 May 2009 23:13:00 +00002009-08-09T13:22:02.795-07:00My little seeds are germinating into little plants with tiny leaves. They are so tiny and fragile that even the sunlight could burn them. I am torn between keeping the little seedlings indoors, safe from the harsh winds, or outdoors where they could get sunlight for growth. Ah, the nurturing stage is always tricky...not too much of this, and not too much of that. It requires the watchful eye, andhttp://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/05/excavating-with-tender-loving-care.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)10<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/33fwjna9Tvs" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-2086787158887293503Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:58:00 +00002009-08-09T12:59:31.327-07:00It's SPRING. The birds are back and out about. They chirp on trees, reminding all that life is back. The snow has melted, and the trees are awakening. And I, I feel like a bear coming out of hibernation. My spirit is coming alive, and my layers of procrastination are melting away with the cold winter. The writing voice in me that went silent is starting its whispers, urging me to pen down words http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/04/life.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/cqICPAO6kK4" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-9042125274168780209Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:38:00 +00002009-04-27T14:51:17.291-07:00Silence, to me, is the best antidote to the mess inside of us and outside of us. We are so conditioned to live in a complex world, that we forget what it means to be simple. There are so many things pulling us away from what is truly important to us within. We often get side-tracked and distracted. The hardest thing that we can do, which is also the simplest thing, is to be silent. Yet, we are inhttp://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/03/yellow-arrow-no5-silence.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/KI7XJr7HrVM" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-3950241867273639944Sun, 22 Feb 2009 02:17:00 +00002010-07-08T16:08:13.546-07:00The things that I love that make me who I am:- A notebook with no lines- A mind with no boundaries- A mosaic of cultures- A tango of soulmates- A book that takes me traveling- A travel that changes me, in deep and unseen ways...During one of the most important voyages I made, I met a special lady who shared a seat next to me on the train, and imparted words that I will never forget. I considered http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/02/mulling-and-experimenting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/4eMhyHBbb2w" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-260805666700873416Fri, 20 Feb 2009 09:39:00 +00002009-02-20T18:19:20.998-08:00Before I went on the Camino, I asked many questions regarding the kind of life I want to lead. I was ready for change, but I did not know exactly what. I started my journal on the road with this picture that I drew. I knew I was at a crossroad...and the road home was not evident. Maybe it's the clutter of the society imposing its values on us. Maybe it's ourselves trying to deny what we really http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/01/yellow-arrow-no4-power-of-vision.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/kVvmxRSenS0" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-1026564321395081243Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:00:00 +00002009-02-20T17:12:49.525-08:00It's almost 10 months since I came to Quebec. And almost 18 months since walking the Camino now. During this time, I am learning to live every moment as fully as I can. It's been an amazing journey. As I look back, one thing that marks the change in me is the amount of faith I have in life now. At one stage and several points, I felt that it was a plunge into the unknown. It was unfamiliar and http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/01/yellow-arrow-no3-faith.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/JaOLDcXUeOc" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-835616010773330621Sat, 24 Jan 2009 08:00:00 +00002009-01-24T00:00:02.221-08:00decisionscrossroadsfollow heartchangeAlmost when we realize we need change, we will come to a crossroad of decisions to make. This will be the moment of truth - the test of our will. Be it leaving the job that we no longer grow in, saying goodbye to a dying relationship that we have invested our time and love in, or breaking away from a habit that destroys us etc., the decision to make change is never easy. Change is painful. But http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/01/yellow-arrow-no2-crossroads.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/-DaFVTEBtcc" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-4627071254826183097Sat, 17 Jan 2009 16:00:00 +00002009-01-17T08:00:00.938-08:00unhappinesschangeI believe that in any change we want to make, it always starts with some form of unhappiness. Some may view unhappiness as a curse, but on hindsight I'd like to see it as a big sign. It is because of this unhappiness that we feel that we are starting to think of making the change. The unhappiness may come in the form of a job we are starting to hate, a relationship that no longer makes us happy, http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/01/yellow-arrow-no1-unhappiness_17.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/u0BYoOgKRGI" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-1702044445270905376Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:00:00 +00002009-01-15T11:00:00.938-08:00path to changechangetransformationpathWith the new year, come new thoughts. It's rather amazing how our thoughts, even though at times unconscious, could motivate our actions and translate into reality. I wanted to stop writing my blog towards late last year. It became necessary to reflect what I wanted to write about. The subject has to be true to me, and meaningful to others. Hence I decided to take a break, and be silent for a http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/01/path-to-change.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/8CgLKXOyv1I" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-4968807798858148823Sat, 10 Jan 2009 22:07:00 +00002009-01-10T14:18:09.473-08:00After watching the movie Into the Wild a few months ago, the movie still haunts me. It's a story about Christopher McCandless, a young man who came from an affluent Virginia suburb, who graduated with honors from Emory University in 1990. Christopher set out on his own across the country after he graduated, without a car, money or family connections. He was on a quest to find the person within. http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/01/into-wild.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/9oT9EuOUl_E" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-2238719681222245671Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:38:00 +00002009-01-09T10:03:10.226-08:00culturetravel livingtravelQuebecoisQuebec provinceidentityQuebecSingaporecultural investmentsby Denise Chng Lisan'TRAVEL is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living,' wrote Miriam Beard.Life in Quebec is now my teacher, pointing out my knowledge gaps and honing my ideas of living - be it language, culture, life-skills, or the environment.I came to the Quebec province of Canada armed with a French language diploma, thinking http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/01/published-on-nov-8-2008-in-business.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/ggnwO27Gv-A" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-4097629321537248786Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:33:00 +00002009-01-09T09:56:46.512-08:00Saint JacquesThe WaySt JamesCompostelleon footRoad to SpainCamino de SantiagoTrekkinghikingWalking pilgrimageCheminby Denise Chng LisanFrom the moment I discovered an ancient pilgrimage path in Spain in June last year, the attraction of walking hundreds of kilometres towards an assured destination grew on me daily.My eagerness to go on a month-long journey on foot across the steep slopes, lush valleys and forests of the Pyrenees, and through countless small towns and villages, was part of a subconscious questhttp://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/01/published-on-2-sep-2008-in-straits.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/-xhi5EHfb5Y" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-4098529203720874359Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:16:00 +00002009-01-09T10:03:52.326-08:00telling the truthdeathcouragedilemmatruthstrengthmotherterminal conditionDec 2, 2006 When the end nears, don't hold back the truthI REFER to the article, 'When the end nears, to tell or not to tell?' (ST, Nov 27), regarding telling loved ones about their terminal condition.Having lost my mother to cancer last month, I faced the same dilemma and have come to my own conclusions.We do not have the right to rob the time of our dying loved ones by withholding the truth http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2009/01/published-dec-2-2006-straits-times.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)7<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/_lTKNT_P9Fk" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-2933521995454021894Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:15:00 +00002008-11-04T23:46:48.880-08:00I have just witnessed hope in its full glory. Watching and listening to Obama's presidential acceptance speech is like being in the historic moment when Martin Luther King said, "I have a dream!..." We cannot walk alone... We cannot turn back... I have a dream...I have a dream...I have a dream... That was in 1963.Today, 45 years later, Obama exclaims, “If there is anyone out there who still http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2008/11/hope-in-its-full-glory.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/GjxxhOds-N8" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-7583826078668328114Mon, 27 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +00002008-10-26T19:42:43.668-07:00The autumn season, to me, represents the season of maturing and dying. It is easy to forget because it is so beautiful. But it affirms to me that dying can be beautiful and graceful. During this autumn day of October 27, I remember my mother. She left us two years ago on this day. It was a shattering day for us all. However, her death and the months leading to it, reminded me constantly of livinghttp://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2008/10/in-loving-memory-of-my-mother.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)2<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/_GuPDXIe7IE" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-3087287105081600060Fri, 24 Oct 2008 18:08:00 +00002008-10-24T11:31:14.569-07:00http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2008/10/why-i-love-colours-of-autumn-season.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/Xd1RqgYcPvY" height="1" width="1"/>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2628673753287278551.post-9152597764082630479Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:00:00 +00002008-10-12T00:00:00.642-07:00Climbing part of the Appalachian Trail was never part of my plan on this trip. I didn't even know I was this close to it. I had first heard of the Appalachian Trail when I came back from my Camino. A friend from my meditation group said she would like to do the Appalachian one day. From her, I learnt that the Appalachian mountain range starts from America, extends into Canada, and is a very http://denise-camino.blogspot.com/2008/10/gypsy-caravan-part-3-appalachian-trail.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Denise CHNG Lisan)1<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ThePathToChange/~4/XruKuEg6b3I" height="1" width="1"/>