Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Monday, August 30, 2010

glimpses of bliss

The bar and lounge on Bliss Beach are coming very soon! Here's a glimpse.

appreciation and gratitude vs. attachment

There is a difference between feeling gratitude and appreciation for something, and feeling attachment to something. Appreciation and gratitude are states of pure love, while attachment contains fear - fear of losing or not having what you are attached to. When it comes to something you want in your life, appreciation and gratitude attracts, and attachment pushes away. If you are feeling afraid that you will not get what you want, or losing what you have, then you have attachment.

To remove the attachment, keep shifting yourself into a state of appreciation and gratitude, until you can feel that the fear has gone.

- lessons from The Secret

Sunday, August 29, 2010

remember to breathe

You know you are living life in a huge way when the phrase "Remember to breathe" starts to totally make sense to you.

asteroid discoveries 1980-2010


Make sure and watch the last 60 seconds of this video. Amazing!
Hat tip: huffingtonpost.com

quote of the day

The purpose of our journey on this precious Earth is now to align our personalities with our souls. It is to create harmony, cooperation, sharing, and reverence for Life. It is to grow spiritually. This is our new evolutionary pathway. The old pathway - pursuing the ability to manipulate and control - no longer works. It now produces only violence and destruction.

- Gary Zukav

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Friday, August 27, 2010

quote of the day

When you love, whatever you do is because you want to do it. It becomes a pleasure, it's like a game, and you have fun with it. When you love, you don't expect something to happen; whatever happens is okay, and hardly anything disappoints you.

- Don Miguel Ruiz

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

photo of the day

Foxy and Lucky strike a pose on the "blue road" which runs along the edge of the Wetlands Reserve toward the boat dock. This road is not "paved" in the traditional sense, it just has a layer of gravel on it that has this blue tint. The gravel is quarried locally on the island. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

Monday, August 23, 2010

roatan's spiny-tailed iguana

A juvenile Spiny-Tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura oedirhina) warms ups on a rock on Paya Bay property. Stesha Pasachnik with the University of Tennessee-Knoxville is currently in Roatan studying this endangered species; creating awareness about how special it is; and finding ways to protect it. Paya Bay Resort is cooperating with Ms. Pasachnik efforts. Our large property with its massive sections of rocky terrain is a natural refuge for these unique creatures. We want to understand everything we could possibly do to help protect it.

One of Ms. Pasachnik first steps is putting out posters like the one above to help create awareness.

I had previously written about these critically endangered animals here, here, and here.

be happy now

You must be happy now to bring happiness into your life through the law of attraction. It's a simple formula. Happiness attracts happiness. Yet people use so many excuses as to why they can't be happy. They use excuses of debt, excuses of health, excuses of relationships, and excuses of all sorts of things as to why they can't use this simple formula. But the formula is the law.

No matter what the excuse, unless you begin to feel happy despite it, you cannot attract happiness. The law of attraction is saying to you, "Be happy now, and as long as you keep doing that, I will give you unlimited happiness."

- lessons from The Secret

"we have to give it up"

"Nothing is as destructive to people, animals and the entire planet as factory farming," he says, as he rattles off one number after the next. He is even familiar with German figures: "Twenty-one thousand animals die to feed an average American. Ninety-nine percent of those animals are mass-produced. In Germany, the number is 98." Then he shrugs his shoulders and says, quietly, almost matter-of-factly: "There's no good way to feed 6 billion people with 50 billion animals. So we have to give it up."

- Spiegel Online

Sunday, August 22, 2010

quote of the day

What force is more potent than love.

- Igor Stravinsky

Update: My friend Ann Memmer of Atlanta shot me a one word reply: "Lust."  She has a point. Especially where men are concerned. :)

Update 2: My friend Margaret Madams writes, "I think the answer lies in the nuance of language - 'potent' versus 'powerful'."   Hmm...

Update 3: My friend Carmen Flores responds, "Can you have both forces working together?" Love + lust = magic and fireworks, right?

Friday, August 20, 2010

the pigeon cay excursion

Pigeon Cay, located on the fringing reef system to the south of Barbaretta Island, is one of the most beautiful spots in the Bay Islands of Honduras. The water surrounding the cay is always crystal clear and seems to come in every shade of blue. The reef in this remote area is healthy, vibrant, and abundant with marine life. The Pigeon Cay Excursion is truly a must do when visiting Paya!

This map shows the cay's location and a typical boat route. Map image courtesy of Google Earth.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

staying cool

Foxy ("Ms. Foxy," if you're nasty) comes ashore after taking a dip in the sea. During the summer months, both she and Lucky hit the water several times each day to cool off.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

new lounge chairs

Paya Bay recently acquired forty new lounge chairs for use on Bliss Beach and other special spots on the property. The frames of the new chairs are constructed of thick, sturdy plastic. Stretched across the framework is a comfortable, weather-resistant fabric which gives gently to the curves of the body.

Sweet!

Monday, August 16, 2010

photo of the day

Bliss Beach. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

quote of the day

The cure for all the ills and wrongs, the cares,  the sorrows, and the crimes of humanity, all lie in one word "love".  It is the divine vitality that everywhere produces and restores life.

- Lydia Maria Child

Sunday, August 15, 2010

photo of the day

quote of the day

If God hadn't rested on Sunday, He would have had time to finish the world.

- Gabriel Garcia Marquez

less is more... happiness

The idea that you need to go bigger to be happy is false. I really believe that the acquisition of material goods doesn’t bring about happiness. [...] The practices that consumers have adopted in response to the economic crisis ultimately could — as a raft of new research suggests — make them happier. New studies of consumption and happiness show, for instance, that people are happier when they spend money on experiences instead of material objects, when they relish what they plan to buy long before they buy it, and when they stop trying to outdo the Joneses.

- New York Times

Friday, August 13, 2010

photo of the day

Lucky and Foxy explore the new Trellis Tunnel on the Walking/Exercise Path.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

the french connection

My friend, Sandrine (right), brought her visiting friend, Marlene, over to Paya for yoga on Monday. These beautiful French ladies posed for photos after the yoga session.

quote of the day

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

- Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere's Fan, Act III

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

tati & peter's wedding reception

This past weekend Paya Bay hosted a wedding reception for a young expat couple who live and work here on the island. Above, my cousin Enjoli puts final touches on the tables...

...which looked splendid and had awesome views of the bay!

The reception unfolded flawlessly and abounded in good energy.

Once again Paya Bay delivered an awesome wedding event! This time for Tati, Peter, and their eighty plus guests!

Monday, August 9, 2010

"there goes 28 years!"

A flight attendant ran out of patience on a plane that just landed at JFK on Monday afternoon, so he allegedly cursed a blue streak over the p.a. system, grabbed some beers,  pulled the emergency chute, slid down and ran from the plane,  sources said.

Jet Blue employee Steven Slater, 38, was working on Flight 1052 from Pittsburgh to Kennedy Airport, which landed at around 12 p.m., when he got into a verbal altercation with a passenger, law-enforcement sources said.

Following a heated exchange, the flight attendant told off the entire plane on the public address system, activated an emergency chute near the back of the plane and jumped down the evacuation slide and ran for it.

- NBC New York

You go, Steven! Sometimes you just gotta say, 'F_ck it!'

happiness brings money

If you have "needing money" in your vibration, then you will keep attracting needing money. You have to find a way of being happy NOW, feeling good NOW, and being in joy NOW, without the money, because those great feelings are how you will feel with the money.

Money doesn't bring happiness - but happiness brings money.

- lessons from The Secret

a beautiful tale of two friends

Team members Evelyn (on the left) and Zulema are servers in Paya's restaurant and have become close friends. About six weeks ago Zulema had a terrible accident on her way to work. She was taking a shortcut down a cliff side in the early morning and somehow tripped and fell. She hit a rock with her head and was knocked unconscious, suffering a severe laceration and concussion. What awakened her was bloody sea water lapping on her. Miraculously, Zulema was able to reach deep inside and summon the strength to climb back up the cliff and seek help. She was rushed to hospital and has been slowly recovering ever since. This last week she felt well enough to return to work. At the hospital they removed her hair in the area of the wound and she now wears a band over the area to cover the still-healing lesion.

This weekend I noticed that Evelyn was wearing a band on her head, and I commented on what I thought was a new look. Evelyn then explained to me that she was wearing the head band in solidarity with her friend, as she didn't want Zulema to feel embarrassed by having to wear a band to cover her injury. I was left speechless by the beauty of this gesture! What an amazing friend! Que hermosa persona eres Evelyn!

luckovich

LOL. Mike Luckovich is a genius! Courtesy of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Honduras on the front row

Honduran President Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo was given a prominent position on the stage at the inauguration ceremony of new Colombian president, Manuel Santos. I suspect this was done on purpose to show Colombia's solidarity with the Honduran people in our historic defense of our democracy that resulted in the removal of law-breaking Manuel Zelaya from the presidential seat in Tegucigalpa last June. Many South American countries whose governments are under the nefarious sway of Hugo Chavez have refused to recognize Mr. Lobo's government, despite the fact that he was elected by an indisputable majority in what was one of the cleanest and most well-attended elections in Honduran history. Colombia, Peru, and Chile, with their right-of-center governments, are the exceptions to this South American "boycott" of Mr. Lobo. Mexico and all Central American countries (with the exception of Nicaragua and its Chavez puppet Daniel Ortega) have also recognized Lobo. The U.S. and Canada immediately recognized the new Honduran leader when he was sworn in on January 28, this year.

Photo: El Heraldo

Thursday, August 5, 2010

happy independence day, Ms. Winnie!

Winnie Gale, our most excellent head cook, recently bought herself a motorbike to get back and forth to work, as well as have her own "trans" to get around the island. It makes me so happy to see Paya's team members acquire key conveniences that make their lives easier, more enjoyable, and more fun. Your support of the Paya Bay project touches the lives of many people. Thank you for believing in us. Ever upward, ever outward, Ms. Winnie!

los agostinos

The first week in August is a one-week holiday in neighboring El Salvador known as the feria agostina and many Salvadorans travel to Honduras to vacation. Here two lovely families enjoy Bliss Beach in the late afternoon. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

memories of miami

View from my friend Kevin's place at the Icon Brickell in downtown Miami. Not shabby, eh?

The massive pool deck on the 15th Floor. The pools are the equivalent of a small lake. This area is shared by two condo towers as well as the Viceroy Hotel tower that is part of the development.

15th floor sundeck overlooking the bay. Miami living can be so - literally - over the top!

I'm back!

Took a break for a little over a week in the U.S.  It was nice to spend some time stateside and catch up with some of my friends in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale. A little relax time and change of scenery does the soul a whole lot of good. I even (mostly) took a break from posting to My Roatan as I wanted (perhaps even needed) to completely unplug and recharge.

Heartfelt thanks to dear friends Zulema, Kevin, Linda, Tony, Kurt, Jeffim, David, Joe, Anita, and Isabel (as well as all the hotties, sweeties, and other "extras" who made appearances in this adventure) for making my break very special.

Monday, August 2, 2010

ask for everyone

When you ask for happiness and a beautiful life, ask not just for you, but for everyone. When you ask for something better, ask not just for you, but for everyone. By all means ask for abundance and health for you, but also ask for it to be given to everyone.

Can you imagine what would happen if over six billion people asked for these things for you?

- lessons from The Secret