I would like to take this opportunity first of all, to thank
my friends, family, business partners and a special thanks to all of the
amazing artists that I work with! Without all of you, the story that I am about
to write, would not have been possible. Life takes many unexpected turns and
twists and we need to roll with it the best we can. If you had told me 5 years
ago that I would have these experiences, I would have thought you were nuts.!
The main purpose of this blog post is to let everyone know that I am now
engaged to a wonderful Cambodian woman! Actually the correct, more specific
name is KHMER! Khmer is the nationality and Cambodia is the Country. Mouly and
I are very happy together and we will now begin the process of planning the
wedding ceremony and immigration to Canada for her. The actual Ceremony is
looking like early November. I am posting a few pictures or our engagement
ceremony and a video. I love the KHMER people and have grown and learned much
from this experience. I think that these experiences will last a lifetime and I
intend on applying what I have learned upon my return to Canada. You see, as
much as I love Canada and never want to live anywhere else, I have learned that
as our society grows and becomes more complex and modern, we have lost some
things too. We cannot go backwards, so the best we can do I suppose, is be
aware of them. Traditions, customs and family support are so important. For
instance, when one has a problem, the whole family has a problem. The sense of
community and social interaction. The sense of respect for elders and the
environment. The need for tolerance etc. Something that I am proud of in my
business is the goal of having us as artists lead the way in promoting
tolerance and social injustices. You see, making money does NOT have to include
destroying people and our planet! Good business and living, should mean
alliances and integration. It was a wonderful engagement ceremony and most of
the family came at one point or another and dropped in while the Monk and local
“old man” were conducting the various aspects of it. As I sat there, I wanted
to film everything, but also did not want it to become a TMZ episode!!!
Lol To my right, was a PIG’S head and a
chicken on a platter. The smell of incense was strong and the local humidity
high. Lucky I had a couple 5 year old angels fanning me with a cardboard box!
The monk was stirring a water and flower mixture and then used sticks to
deliver a quick “flick” of water out upon us, while reciting Khmer traditional
words of love and encouragement. A show of support from the locals and family!
Thank you for taking such good care of me this whole time. to my artists I
would like to say thank you! I LOVE working with you and I am so excited to see
progress on so many levels with so many of you. WE have come so far in this
crazy business and I cannot tell you how proud of the work already done. There
is much to do still and I will work hard this year to help create more and more
opportunities for success. Another example of my belief that working together
opens up many more possibilities than going it alone. I would like to leave you
with this final word. As a society, we need to guard our priorities. We CANNOT
let government or corporations operate without transparency. We also cannot
rely on them for proper support of the arts, our culture and our health! If we
want music, culture, healthy living etc, to be a part of our society, we need
to support and contribute separately to these. Special interest will always
operate outside the truth and create spins that keep us in the dark!
VIDEO OF ENGAGEMENT CEREMONY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV1Gb56qGRM
