Update:   Sep 6, 2023:  Lots of new pics and adventures added!  Check 'em all out at The Penguin's FB page!

Apr 18, 2019:  Vietnam was awesome and photos are here!  And Taiwan photos here!  Check 'em out!

Apr 30, 2018:   Tiki Peeps and The Penguin!   Check out the gallery on the Facebook page (facebook account is NOT required) with all the cool tiki peeps from events ranging from Tiki Oasis, Tiki Caliente & Tiki Kon to numerous tiki bars along the way!  Too much fun!   Check it out here!

Photo by Kari Hendler!

Apr 24, 2018:  Now back from Sri Lanka!   Had an awesome time - pics to be posted shortly.  In the meantime, you can find them here in the Sri Lanka gallery on facebook!

Nov 29, 2017:  Just got back from Ecuador & the Galapagos and had an absolute blast!  Stunning flora and fauna and met tons of great folks.  A truly unforgettable trip.  Lots of pics to be posted here soon but in the meantime, check out the Ecuador gallery on facebook, here!    And now... off to Jamaica!

May 16, 2017:   Had a blast seeing Tom & Thompson Wilson again - a couple of our favourite peeps!    And more recently got to check out U4, a fantastic U2 tribute band.  If you get a chance, do go see 'em!  And U2 played Vancouver May 12 to kick off their Joshua Tree Tour after rehearsing here for a couple of weeks at BC Place.  Sadly, never ran into any of the guys even though they were often in my 'hood and just missed 'em by a few minutes in some cases.  The concert was awesome though!  THE Penguin was too big to go unfortunately so the little penguin did it's best to fill in.   Next up, LA and Palm Springs... tomorrow!!

Jan 6, 2017:   Off to Hawai'i... today!   Watch for us on Oahu and say hi!   In the meantime, check out the facebook page for all the latest trips and photos! 

May 11, 2016:  Whoa, it's been busy!  Lots of little trips in the past year, back and forth to Toronto and LA and in fact back to LA and then Palm Springs tomorrow for Tiki Caliente!   Will update all when back next week; in the meantime, check out the facebook page for all the recent updates! 

Sept 2, 2015:  The Penguin had an awesome time at Tiki Oasis in San Diego!   So great to see everyone there!   And the stops at Trader Sam's and Tiki Ti in LA before-hand and at the Tonga Hut in North Hollywood and in San Fran, Trader Vic's, Forbidden Island, Longitude, Tonga Room & Smuggler's Cove afterwards were fantastic as well.  Tons of photos are now posted on the facebook page - check 'em out at.... Tiki Oasis 2015 San Diego  and  California Tiki Tour Aug 2015 !

Aug 10, 2015:  Ready for the next trip.. to LA, San  Diego & San Francisco!  Tiki Oasis, here we come!   With a few stops along the way - Tiki Ti & Trader Sam's to start. 

July 8, 2015:  Photos from Tiki Caliente in Palm Springs now posted!  Had an absolute blast at the event and special thanks to the awesome WestJet crew as always for a great flight!  And fun to meet the bachelorette party girls on the same flight! 

May 13, 2015:  All set for the next tiki trip to Palm Springs!  But first, U2 and the tour kick-off show in Vancouver tomorrow, May 14!

Jan 23, 2015:  Finally catching up with some awesome photos with Deke Dickerson and Los Straitjackets!  Plus photos from LA & Palm Springs!  Too much fun!

Nov 21, 2014:  The Penguin had an awesome time on the tiki tour through L.A. and Palm Springs!  Too much fun was had at the Tonga Hut, Tiki Ti & Don the Beachcomber in L.A. as well as the Tonga Hut & Bootlegger Tiki in Palm Springs.  Can't wait to go back!  Lots of photos to be posted soon but in the meantime they can be found at The Penguin's facebook page here.

And recently The Penguin met David Suzuki and also had a book signed by John Cleese.  Thanks for the photos and for the book!   Yay!

Oct 5, 2014:  The Penguin is going on another road trip, this time a tiki road trip!  We'll be in Palm Springs Tuesday Oct 7 checking out the Tonga Hut followed by the newly opened Bootlegger Tiki on Wed Oct 8.  Thursday Oct 9 will find us at Tiki Ti in L.A. celebrating a friend's birthday.  Friday Oct 10 we're planning on the Tonga Hut in North Hollywood.  Saturday Oct 11 we'll be stopping by the International Tiki Marketplace at Don the Beachcombers in Huntington Beach followed by the Brian Wilson concert that night.  And finally Sunday Oct 12-15 we'll be back in Palm Springs checking out Joshua Tree National Park and a few other local attractions before surely refreshing back at the Tonga Hut and Bootlegger Tiki.  It's certainly going to be action packed!  And if you see us around, do come up and say hi!

Photos from Nepal and India finally posted, yay, woot woot!  Check 'em all out on the Travel Page!

Sep 29, 2014:  The Penguin had an absolute blast at Tiki Oasis!  Everyone was awesome and so much fun was had.  We can't wait to go back for next year!  Lots of photos now posted on the travel page!

Aug 12, 2014:  Next trip coming up is to San Diego to check out Tiki Oasis!  This is going to be fun!  If you see The Penguin around, do come up and say hi!
Read all about Tiki Oasis at www.tikioasis.com

Apr 15, 2014:  The Penguin just got back from an exciting and adventurous trip through Nepal and India, two new countries for The Penguin bringing the total visited now up to 35! 
Lots of photos to go through and should be posted soon, along with some new photos from Hawaii!

Dec 9, 2013:  Had a blast cruising around southern Ontario for a couple of weeks in November.  Thanks to Tom Wilson, The Penguin was on the guest list for a couple more Lee Harvey Osmond concerts, one in London and the other in Gravenhurst.  Both great shows!  Thanks again Tom! 

And then The Penguin had an invite to visit Kim Cattrall on the set of her upcoming new show 'Sensitive Skin'!  It was awesome and good fun to meet Kim along with Don McKellar, who is directing and also starring in the show, and to catch up with the show writer and old friend Bob Martin.  Thanks for the set visit and for the great photos!

Vytas Gataveckas, cousin of The Penguin's wrangler, meets Tom Wilson and Ray Farrugia of Lee Harvey Osmond following the concert in Gravenhurst, Ontario.

Oct 31, 2013:   Had a great time at the Lee Harvey Osmond concert, featuring Tom Wilson, bassist extraordinaire John Dymond and always fun Ray Farrugia.  Openers The Lion The Bear The Fox were a pleasant surprise, having never heard them previously.  An awesome concert all around!   And The Penguin met a fellow traveller, Hilly the wombat from Norway!  Good fun!

Oct 22, 2013:  Had a blast at the Home and Design Show here in Vancouver this past weekend and met 'Property Brothers' Jonathan & Drew Scott as well as Jillian Harris, former Bachelorette and current Host and designer of Love It or List It Vancouver.    Also finally posted some great pics from the Zombie Walk this past summer.  The Penguin was 'attacked' by numerous zombies and quickly became a Zombie-Penguin!  And was then a very popular phtography subject by zombies and spectators alike!   Beware, some of the Zombie pics are not for the squeamish.  Check 'em out here or of course via the Photos and Travel section. 

Oct 11, 2013:  So many adventures in the past six months or so!  Met some amazing folks including Tommy Thayer of KISS, artist Roy Henry Vickers, Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea as well as attended a fabulous wedding in the spring and had a great road trip around Ontario, not to mention another great time in Hawaii!  Lots of new photos posted to the Celebrity section.  Wedding and travel photos coming soon!

March 22, 2013:  Today marks the grand opening of what promises to be the most authentic tiki room in Vancouver's history, The Shameful Tiki Room.  The Penguin has always had an appreciation for all things tiki which certainly helps to make Hawaii one of our favourite places in the world.    And so in anticipation of the grand opening tonight of The Shameful Tiki Room, here's a few more photos from the last original tiki bar in Honolulu, La Mariana Sailing Club....

                   

Jan 5, 2013:  Colombia photos posted!  And The Penguin is off on the next adventure... a few days in Toronto and then on to Mexico to check out some Mayan ruins!  Watch The Penguin's facebook page for new photos as we take 'em!

Dec 24, 2012:  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all, from The Penguin and The Penguin's wranglers, Bernie & Brian!
Check out our JibJab eCard here!

Dec 20, 2012:  The Penguin recently took in the Killers concert, with openers Tegan & Sara, in a private suite with plenty of food & drink courtesy of PEAK FM here in Vancouver.  We had an awesome time and it was great to meet morning hosts Cory & Laurie and some of our fellow PEAK listeners.  Thanks again for the awesome concert experience!

Dec 1, 2012:  The Penguin had a great night out recently by attending a concert by Canadian supergroup Blackie & the Rodeo Kings, comprised primarily of Tom Wilson, Stephen Fearing & Colin Linden.  The guys were joined on this tour by Amy Helm, Kendel Carson & Matt Anderson with Harlan Pepper opening.  It was a fantastic show and fun to reunite with the guys!    The Penguin also recently had the pleasure to meet one of the Vancouver Canucks, Mason Raymond!

Sept 21, 2012:  The Penguin has had an exciting couple of months with a quick trip to Colombia followed by a drive across Canada from Toronto to Vancouver.  The Canada section now has some new photos so check 'em out!    The Colombia photos will be up as soon as the Penguin gets back from the next trip which is to... Hawaii, leaving tomorrow for a couple of weeks!

June 27, 2012:  The Penguin recently met Mary Zilba, recording artist & Real Housewife of Vancouver along with actress & producer Mashiah Vaughn.  Both women are fantastically nice, exceptionally gracious and a true pleasure to meet.  Thanks for the photos Mary and Mashiah!

May 25, 2012:  We were thrilled to meet Sir Richard Branson this morning!   A true business icon and always a gentleman, he graciously posed for a couple of photos and even famously flipped the bird!   Thanks for the photos, Sir Richard!

May 9, 2012:  It's been a busy couple of months for The Penguin with concerts by Coldplay, Skygdiggers, Jeremy Fishger, Ed Sheeran, Snow Patrol and once again the always entertaining Tom Wilson!   The Penguin also got to take in a Keg party in Toronto which was great fun.  A big thanks to Brock & Krista for a great evening!  BC Place here in Vancouver had an open house recently and so The Penguin had the pleasure of meeting Travis Lulay and Akeem Foster of the BC Lions  as well as a bevy of the Lions' cheerleaders, the Felions!   The newly renovated stadium looks great and will surely be a great home to the BC Lions and the Vancouver Whitecaps.    These pics are now in the Canada and the Celeb sections with a few highlights below!

At the Coldplay concert in Vancouver, April 20:

Skydiggers, Andy Maize & Josh Finlayson!  And Jeremy Fisher and Ed Sheeran!  And Penguin wranglers with Ed!

Beer for Jesus Keg Party in Toronto!  Thanks Brock & Krista!

Tom Wilson and his girlfriend Daniele, and  Ray Farrugia, at a house concert in Toronto!

Open House at BC Place with Travis Lulay & Akeem Foster!  And the BC Lions Felions!  And the Grey Cup!

March 30, 2012:   Photos from Cambodia and Hong Kong are now posted in the Travel section!  Check 'em out!

Jan 18, 2012:  Check out this video of The Penguin in action at Ehukai Beach, Oahu, Hawaii.  Watch for the plot points!

Dec 24, 2011:  Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to one and all, from The Penguin and The Penguin's wranglers, Bernie & Brian!

The Penguin recently visited the Vancouver Christmas Market, an awesome market set up in downtown Vancouver in the German Christmas tradition.  The Penguin loved the bratwurst, not to mention the mulled wine!

Following the win of the Grey Cup by the BC Lions, The Penguin took part in the celebrations and had the great pleasure of meeting some of the BC Lions cheerleaders, known as the Felions, as well as posing with the Grey Cup!

Nov 6, 2011:  After a brief stop in Hong Kong, The Penguin is now in Cambodia.  The country is experiencing severe flooding and in fact a couple of weeks ago tourists had to be airlifted from Angkor Wat.   The roads are apparently clear now so hopefully The Penguin will see some of these amazing sites.  Here's The Penguin's view coming into land at Phnom Penh...

And recently The Penguin had a great time attending the Roger Daltrey concert with Roger performing the Tommy album along with a number of Who and solo songs.  A great show and as a bonus The Penguin got to meet Simon Townshend, the brother of Pete and Roger's guitarist!  Simon had a great time with The Penguin!  Thanks again for the great show and photos!

The Penguin also took in William Shatner's show.  The show was surprisingly good and a lot of fun.  A photo with Bill wasn't possible unfortunately unless The Penguin paid $300!  And The Penguin just doesn't have that kind of money, dammit.  And besides, The Penguin never pays for it!   Still, here's a few photos of The Penguin enjoying the show and checking out the VIP party afterwards.

The Penguin made a quick trip to Toronto recently and enjoyed one of the city's best coffees, courtesy of Balzac's in the distillery district.  If you're down that way, definitely check it out.  And thanks to WestJet for allowing The Penguin to try it's hand... er, wing, at the controls.  Who said Penguins can't fly?! 

Oct 4, 2011:  The Penguin has been one busy bird lately!  Last Friday The Penguin attended the CBC celebrations here in Vancouver and met a number of CBC folks, including Erin Karpluk (Being Erica), Allan Hawco (Republic of Doyle), Ron James, Jian Ghomeshi, Adam Beach (Arctic Air), Natalie Lisinska (InSecurity), Johnny Reid, Ian Hanomansing, George Stroumboulopoulos, Kevin Weekes & Mark Lee (Hockey Night in Canada), Chris Hyndman (Steven & Chris), Kary Osmond (Best Recipes Ever) & Bruce Croxon from Dragons' Den.  They were all incredibly nice and yes, they ALL posed with The Penguin!   Thanks for the great time everyone!
 

The Penguin also took in a couple of great concerts.  First there were the Hawaiian Legends - Ledward Kaapana, Nathan Aweau, Dennis Kamakahi & Mike Kaawa.  An awesome display of fantastic slack-key guitar.   And after that was the show by Canadian great Garnet Rogers.  Always inspiring and entertaining!  Check out the Celeb section for all these photos and info!

The Penguin also crashed another wedding!  Congrats to Nicole & Jonathan!

And The Penguin did the Grouse Grind!  The Grouse Grind is a 2.9km hike up the face of Grouse Mountain in Vancouver with 2,830 stairs, an elevation gain of 853 metres with the summit being 1,127 metres.  On average it takes about an hour and a half to do the hike but The Penguin made it well under that time!  Pretty good for a Penguin!  Thankfully there were some nice... beverages.. waiting at the top.  Along with some grizzly bears!

 Previous Updates:

July 19,2011:  The Penguin recently had not only the great pleasure to meet Gene Simmons of KISS once again but also to meet his lovely partner Shannon Tweed and their awesome kids Nick and Sophie!  And not only did Gene and his family pose with The Penguin but Shannon had her way with The Penguin!  Thanks again for the great photos - you guys all rock!

July 16, 2011:  New photos from Barcelona, Spain finally added to the Travel section.  And The Penguin managed to catch another wedding in Barcelona!  Congratulations again to Josephine and Robert! 

Mar 2, 2011:  New Hawai'i photos now posted in the Travel section!  Once again we had a fabulous time in Hawai'i.  Big thanks to the folks at the Aqua Waikiki Wave and the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel for making our visit such a pleasure.  And thanks to Jon & Jean for the full moon beach party - definitely a highlight for The Penguin!  A hui hou!

Jan 8, 2011:  The photos from France and Monaco are now posted!   Check 'em out in the Travel section.  And The Penguin is on the road, or rather wing,  again.  Next stop, Hawai'i!

Nov 6, 2010:  The Penguin had an awesome time at the Great Big Sea concert!  Once again, the boys in the band threw the biggest kitchen party this side of Newfoundland!   Thanks again for the great show, guys!    Also, France, Monaco and Barcelona photos coming very soon!

Sept 4, 2010:  The Penguin is on the road again!   This time we're off to France and will wind up in Barcelona.  If you see The Penguin, come on up and say Bonjour or perhaps Hola, or even just Hi!   In the meantime, some photos from Singapore and Malaysia have finally been posted.  As well, The Penguin took in a couple of awesome weddings recently.  Congrats again to Lianne & Dan and Jo & Zen!  You can check out the wedding photos here or under the travel section!

Sept 3, 2010:  The Penguin recently got to meet iconic big band leader Dal Richards!   An impressive talent at any age, even more so at 92!  Thanks for the photo and of course the music, Dal! 

And some time ago, The Penguin took in the Star Wars in Concert show.  Great fun was had posing with the various folks in Star Wars outfits and taking in the displays and concert.

May 27, 2010:  The Penguin is getting ready to try out those wings and crash another wedding!   Photos to come shortly.  In the meantime, The Penguin checked out the $11,000 22-karat gold-wrapped billboard along 4th Ave. near Granville Island in Vancouver.  Pretty impressive what 2 oz of gold can do!

March 27, 2010:  The Penguin had an awesome time at the reception for Melissa & Jeff at the Watermark restaurant last night, posing for numerous photographs with the wedding guests and taking in the great performance by Barenaked Ladies!   Thanks for the great show guys and for the photos! 

March 26, 2010:  The Penguin successfully crashed another wedding!   Virgin Radio organized the "Wedding Crashers" wedding event for Melissa & Jeff with every detail determined by the radio audience.   Melissa, the bride, wearing a scuba outfit, arrived to Rev's Bowling Alley by garbage truck.  Jeff the groom was quite dashing in a chicken costume.  Flowers were a lovely head of broccoli, the cake was a giant pancake with the bridesmaids and groomsmen dressed as ninjas.  Tamara Taggart officiated, truly making it an unforgettable wedding!  You can see the wedding photos here or under the Travel section.

March 19, 2010:  Starting as the ring bearer for our own wedding in Fiji, The Penguin has increasingly become a favourite wedding crasher, having now chanced upon weddings in Jamaica, Fiji and Australia.  If you'd like The Penguin to crash your wedding, drop us a line and perhaps The Penguin can make an appearance.  The Penguin is of course already dressed for the occasion.  You can see some of the various wedding photos here or under the Travel section.

March 18, 2010:  The Penguin had a great time at the tribute concert to the music of The Mississippi Sheiks.  Awesome performances by Colin James, Jim Byrnes, Oh Susanna, Bob Brozman, Steve Dawson, John Hammond, Alvin Youngblood Hart, The Sojourners and all the others.  Huge thanks to Steve Dawson for putting together this amazing event!

March 9, 2010:  The Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games photos are here, yay!  A fantastic couple of weeks with an incredible vibe throughout the entire city!  The Penguin had a great time checking out the Olympic medals, the Stanley Cup, meeting numerous torch bearers and athletes and visiting the pavillions and venues.  Check out all the photos in the Photos & Travel Section!

Feb 17, 2010:  The Olympic Winter Games are well under way here in Vancouver and The Penguin has been having a great time checking out all the sights and sounds around town.    A few days ago The Penguin was interviewed by folks from Microsoft which was fun.  You can see a mention in their blog here.   This morning The Penguin was watching Stephen Colbert film his TV show The Colbert Report and was promptly interviewed by The Tyee.  You can read the mention of The Penguin here.   And then in the afternoon while viewing the Olympic cauldron, The Penguin was interviewed by both Voice of America and NBC.   The Penguin is making news!   A very interesting day to say the least.  Lots of photos coming soon.  In the meantime, you can see the latest updates on The Penguin's Facebook page.

Feb 4, 2010:  Jamaica photos are finally here, yeh mon!  The Penguin had a great time touring out to Nine Miles to visit Bob Marley's childhood home, hiking up Dunn's River Falls and of course just hanging out at the fabulous Sandals Dunn's River Falls Resort.  A big hi and a huge thank to the fantastic staff of Sandals for making our stay so memorable!  Check out the photos section for all the Jamaican photos!

Dec 4, 2009:  A great night was had by all at the Elvis Elvis Elvis performance.  Three great Elvis impersonators captured the look, moves and sound of Elvis throughout the 50s, 60s & 70s.   Excellent performances by Donny Edwards, Kavan & Garry Wesley!   And The Penguin is soon off to Jamaica to marinate in rum and Red Stripe!  Watch for the photos, along with the long awaited photos from Singapore, Malaysia and Alaska!

Nov 25, 2009:  The Penguin had the pleasure of meeting Billy Bragg after an in-store performance at Zulu Records here in Vancouver.   It was a treat to hear Billy up close and personal!  And Billy loved The Penguin, even incorporating The Penguin into a couple of songs on the fly.  Well done!  Thanks for the great set and the great photos!

And check out this video of Billy performing the Gordon Lightfoot song "Early Morning Rain",  with a glimpse of the Penguin at 3:38 !

Nov 6, 2009:  The Penguin took in a few concerts recently.  First of all, a great show by Lee Harvey Osmond, aka Tom Wilson and bandmates at St James Hall in Vancouver.  Next up was Mika, with The Penguin being able to pose with Mika himself and also with his band!  Two great Penguin outings! 

Aug 22, 2009:  The Penguin had a great time at the Summer of Love here in Vancouver the other day and managed to pose with The Fab Fourever, a fantastic Beatles tribute band as well as the gracious and super-talented Susan Jacks.   Thanks for the shows and the photos!   And the photos from the Alaska cruise will be up shortly!

July 26, 2009:  The Penguin took in a recent concert by Lee Harvey Osmond, the latest group project by Tom Wilson which also includes members of Junkhouse, Skydiggers & The Cowboy Junkies.  An impressive Canadian collective and definitely worth checking out!   Colin Linden and Stephen Fearing, members of Blackie & The Rodeo Kings along with Tom, and great singer-songwriters in their own right, were in the audience for the show as well.   It was great to catch up with Colin, Stephen, Tom and introduce Tom's son Thompson and Ray to The Penguin!  Thanks for the great music and of course for the photos!

Nov. 9, 2008:  The Penguin just returned from a trip to Singapore and Malaysia, bringing the number of countries visited now up to 26!  Lots of photos to come soon!   And The Penguin also recently posed with Comedian Jimmy Pardo as well as Marcia Wallace, possibly best known as Carol from the Bob Newhart show and now the voice of Mrs Krabappel on The Simpsons.

Sept. 19, 2008:  The Penguin finally posed with Chris Isaak!   Chris was determined to have a goofy expression for the photo and it looks like he succeeded.  As well, The Penguin met up with Brook Silva-Braga, the director and star of 'A Map For Saturday', for a few drinks after the Vancouver premiere of his film.  A good time was indeed had by all!  Thanks for the photos guys!

March 26, 2008:  The Penguin was recently in Mexico and had a great time as always.  A big thank you to JACK FM for making this trip possible and a big hello to all the other JACK winners!   Thanks guys for such a fun trip!

Feb 11, 2008:  The Penguin was recently in Hawaii and managed to spend some time on each of Oahu, Maui and the Big Island.  It was a fantastic time of course as Hawaii is definitely one of our favourite places.  Surf, sand and mai tais - how can you resist?!  Lots of great new photos so check 'em out in the Travel section!

Oct 19, 2007:  The Penguin recently took in a show by Canadian rock legends April Wine.  Another great show at the River Rock Casino.  The band sounded great and kudos to drummer Jerry Mercer - a fantastic drummer at any age but at 68?  Phenomenal!  Thanks for posing with The Penguin!

Sept 4, 2007:  The Penguin attended the INXS show at The River Rock Casino this past week and met up with singer JD Fortune and drummer Jon Farriss.  Thanks for the great show and for the photos guys!

 July 9, 2007:  The Penguin recently met and posed with music manager extraordinaire Terry McBride of the Nettwerk Music Group.  Terry is the manager of many amazing artists including Barenaked Ladies, Sarah McLachlan, Chantal Kreviazuk, Avril Lavigne and many many others.  Check out Nettwerk and their artists at www.nettwerk.com.  Thanks again Terry for taking time out from your incredibly busy schedule!

May 24, 2007:  The Penguin just met Stewart Copeland, drummer from The Police of course, as they're in town rehearsing and setting up for the North American portion of their upcoming tour, kicking off here in Vancouver next week.  Thanks Stewart, you're a gentleman and a scholar! 

May 13, 2007:  Last night, The Penguin took in the show by Canadian punk icons Teenage Head and managed to pose with the guys after the show.  Thanks guys!

May 8, 2007:  The Penguin made a quick trip to La Conner, Washington, to check out the Tulip Festival.  Check out some of the photos in the USA section.  And The Penguin is now on Facebook!  Join The Penguin's group by doing a search for, what else, The Traveling Penguin !

April 20, 2007:  The Penguin recently went to see the U2 Tribute Band, Elevation.  The guys put on an absolutely fabulous show and having seen U2 three times,  I feel like I've seen them four times now!  The guys graciously posed with The Penguin and even gave The Penguin a backstage pass.  Check out Elevation's website at www.u2tributeband.com and if you get a chance, definitely go see them!  Tell them The Penguin sent you!

Jan 19, 2007:  The Ireland photos are finally here!  Despite the gale-force winds and monsoon rains, The Penguin had a great time in Ireland and can't wait to go back.  A big hi and thank you to Kevin and Frank for the great tour; hi to the guys at The Stag's Head pub; thanks to everyone who bought The Penguin a pint, very much appreciated!  And a big thanks and hi to Mart & Jaume at the Guinness Brewery for the perfect pint!  Photos are in the Travel section!
 

Nov 20, 2006:  The Penguin is on the road!  Or rather, a wing!  This time we're visiting The Netherlands and Ireland.  If you see The Penguin en route, come on up and say hi!  Details and photos to come!

Nov 9, 2006:   A very sad day yesterday, Gyoza, one of our cool cats and long-time companion of The Penguin passed away.   A unique cat with an awesome personality, temperament and spirit, Gyoza was the perfect embodiment of 'catness'.  Indeed, with his sinuous walk, large eyes and huge paws, Gyoza was more like a tiger or panther.  He was a sight to behold and will be dearly missed. 

Gyoza
November 7, 1993 - November 8, 2006

Oct 5, 2006:  Wow, does time fly!  Quite unlike penguins!  In any case, The Penguin had a great night out some time ago to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.  As The Penguin was 'The Best Penguin' at our wedding in Fiji, The Penguin just had to accompany us to our anniversary dinner.  We had a great time at Joe Fortes and greatly appreciated the personalized service and fantastic wine and food!  We can't wait to go back!  Special thanks to Peter and the whole gang at Joe Fortes!

August 18, 2006:  The Penguin recently had the pleasure of meeting two local actors, Tyler Labine and Bruce Harwood.  Tyler recently played Dave Groves on Invasion and will be seen in the upcoming season of Boston Legal.  Bruce is of course best known for his role of John Byers, one of the Lone Gunmen on The X-Files.  Thanks for the photos guys!

The Penguin has had an exciting July.  At the beginning of the month we went to New York and had a great time visiting the city.  We also went to see The Drowsy Chaperone, a play co-written and starring our friend Bob Martin playing on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre.  The play was nominated for 13 Tony awards and won 5!  Way to go Bob!   The play is awesome, both imaginative and hilarious.  The Penguin also had a great time meeting the cast afterwards.  Special thanks to Bob, Sutton Foster, Lisa Lambert and Georgia Engel for graciously posing with The Penguin!

If you get a chance, make sure you go see this play - you won't be disappointed!  Check out the info at www.thedrowsychaperone.com

New York completely surpassed all our expectations, in safety, cleanliness and friendliness.  We can't wait to go back and see more!   The photos are in the Celebrity section and in the Travel section!

More recently, The Penguin went to another Chris Isaak concert.  As you may recall, the camera jammed as I was about to take the photo of Chris with The Penguin so no photo with Chris.  This time around, Bernie and The Penguin managed to spend about 3/4 of the concert sitting on the lip of the stage with perhaps 10 other people so that was quite the experience for them.  Afterwards, we dutifully lined up to try again for a photo with Chris.  The security people were constantly barking out "no photos allowed" and "only Chris Isaak merchandise will be signed".  Well, Chris certainly saw The Penguin on stage all night and having met The Penguin before, perhaps he'd make an exception.  We finally get in front of Chris, he looks at The Penguin and says "I can't sign that".  As we're about to say "Good, we don't want you to", he promptly signs it!  In permanent marker.  Auggggh!   I ask if we can get a photo of him with The Penguin and he declines saying he can't as the security guy will slap him otherwise.  So once again no photo with Chris and The Penguin is disfigured with his signature!  Damn you Chris Isaak!  :)   We may be the only people in the world that want to get rid of his signature!

After the show, we chatted briefly with Rowland, Kenney and Hershel.  Hershel is definitely one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet and he graciously posed with Bernie and The Penguin.  Thanks Hershel!

The next day The Penguin had the opportunity to meet Brent Butt, comedian and star of the TV show "Corner Gas".  Brent also graciously posed with The Penguin.  Thanks Brent!  And by the way, I think you need The Penguin in an episode of Corner Gas.  Saskatchewan definitely needs a Penguin!  In the photo you can see Chris' signature on The Penguin - damn you Chris Isaak!  :)

May 20, 2006:  The Penguin, along with a media frenzy and a good throng of fans and supporters, was on hand to welcome home today Colin Angus and Julie Wafaei at the Totem Pole in Kitsilano, the same place where they set out to circumnavigate the world under their own power nearly two years ago!  Colin is now the first person to circumnavigate the world under human power alone.  Julie joined Colin for much of the expedition and she in fact is now the first woman to row across the Atlantic from mainland to mainland.    The Penguin was particularly proud and honoured to meet such intrepid travellers!  Congratulations on your incredible achievement and welcome home!   You can read about their expedition at  www.expeditionplanetearth.com

May 15, 2006:  The Penguin has had quite an exciting time the past few weeks.  First of all, The Penguin went to a book launch party for Vancouver author Chris Needham and of course had to pose with the author!  And this past weekend, The Penguin got to meet Canadian Olympic Curling Gold Medalist Brad Gushue as well as Canadian Paralympic Curling Gold medalist Sonja Gaudet.   Brad and Sonja were great and even let The Penguin try on their gold medals for size!  The Penguin goes for the gold!  And as a nice bonus, The Penguin got to meet another of the JACK FM family here in Vancouver, Kim Seale, who handles the traffic reports from high in the sky over Vancouver and the lower mainland.  Check out the photos here and in the celebrity section!

April 3, 2006:  The Penguin recently attended another Arrogant Worms show with opening act, The Polyjesters.  Both groups were great and highly entertaining.  If you get a chance, definitely go see either or both of these groups if you can!

And if you're so inclined, you can check out a photo of The Penguin's room-mates, Gyoza and Zebu. 
Click here for Gyoza and here for Zebu.

March 6, 2006:  The Penguin is now back from Cuba!  This is the 23rd country The Penguin has been to and had a great time.  The people we met were awesome and everywhere we went, it was "Hey, El Penguino!"   The Penguin now has a lot of fans in Cuba!   New photos added in the Photos & Travels section.

Check out this story - Giant Penguin found in New Zealand - posted on  PALAEOBLOG featuring The Penguin !

And in other Penguin news, The Penguin is currently featured in The Student Traveller magazine, published by The Canadian Federation of Students-Services and Travel CUTS.  It's great to see The Penguin being recognized in print!  Check it out if you get a chance.

December 6, 2005:  The Penguin went to the Chris Isaak concert on Friday night.  However, the Penguin had to be checked into the cloak room as no "foreign objects" were allowed into the theatre.  It's the first time the Penguin has ever been checked but managed to handle it fairly well.  Apparently Chris Isaak concerts in the states tend to be rather...rambunctious!  After "Wicked Game", Chris said this was a rock and roll show and invited everyone to come down front.  Well, lots of people did just that and seeing as how we had front row seats, perhaps it was a good thing the Penguin was hiding in the cloak room as it might just have been crushed.  Chris put on a great show and was incredibly entertaining, telling fun stories and running through the audience.  

After the show we lined up for an autograph session with about 200 other people.  Chris was signing autographs very quickly, moving down the line of people under heavy security guard with a few quick words with each person.  There were signs everywhere "No cameras" and "No photography please".  Didn't look good for a photo with Chris.  Chris came to us and looked rather surprised at the Penguin.  I explained the story of the Penguin and Chris said "You'd like a photo?"  I said sure if possible.  Chris said something like "We don't do photographs" and then in a lower, quiet voice "but go ahead."  I said great and fumbled my camera out of my pocket.  He leaned down beside the Penguin and said to me  "You can't take photographs....but go ahead.  Know what I mean?  No photographs....but go ahead...."  I tried to focus on Chris and the Penguin....and the camera wouldn't focus!  D'oh!!!  Tried again, still wouldn't focus.  Finally solved the problem but by then Chris had to move on to the next person and the security guys swooped in and ushered me along.  So unfortunately no photo of Chris with the Penguin.  We'd go see Chris again in a second so hopefully we'll have another chance someday.  However, Kenny, Hershel and Rowland of Chris' band Silvertone were all signing autographs in the lobby area as well and were more than approachable.  Each posed with the Penguin and were great to chat with.  Thanks guys!  The pics are of course in the Celebrity & Personality Section but here's the pics as well.

October 17, 2005:  The Penguin had quite the weekend.  First off, The Penguin took in the Tom Wilson and Bob Lanois show on Friday night.  Tom and Bob were in fine form with Tom being his usual entertaining self.  Tom and Bob showcased their new album, The Shack Recordings.  Check it out at www.theshackrecordings.ca and pick up a copy.  You'll love it!   

On Saturday, The Penguin went to the Home and Garden show and managed to meet Mike Holmes from "Holmes on Homes".  He was swarmed by several thousand fans with many female fans looking for a nice hug.  Mike was more than happy to oblige and seems to be enjoying his job even more these days!  :)  Thanks Mike for putting on such a great show and shaking up the renovation industry.

Later that night, The Penguin went again to see Tom Wilson and Bob Lanois.  The Penguin was on the guest list for the show and since this being the first time The Penguin's been on a guest list, well, we just had to go again.  Another excellent show with some good laughs and great songs.  Be sure to catch Tom and Bob if you can on their current tour. You can find their tour info at www.theshackrecordings.ca   And be sure to tell Tom "The Penguin sends its regards"!

October 6, 2005:  The Penguin recently got to meet up with a number of local celebrities and personalities including Sammy Salo from the Canucks, Christopher Gaze from Bard on the Beach, Vijay from JACK FM and BC Premier Gordon Campbell.  The Penguin also had a good time going to see the Documentary/Movie 'March Of The Penguin'.  Other theatre-goers were thrilled to have The Penguin in their midst!  And it was nice to see The Penguin's name in lights!              

March 31, 2005:  The Penguin has now returned from a great trip to China.  The Penguin managed to spend a few days in each of Beijing, Chengdu and Shanghai.  Lots of new photos to check out!  And read Bernie's write up on the trip to China here!

February 22, 2005:  This past weekend proved to be quite the Penguin experience.  On Friday, the Penguin went to see The Arrogant Worms, Canada's premiere comedy folk troupe!  The Penguin seemed to be recognized as soon as we entered the theatre as there were quite a few shouts of "The Penguin!!!".  I guess it's hard not to recognize The Penguin!  The Penguin spent the second half of the concert on stage with the band, much to the delight of the audience and indeed the band had a great time bantering about The Penguin and making reference to it in just about every song.  At one point a couple of folks dashed to the stage and gave The Penguin a monkey hat to wear.  The Penguin was suddenly transformed into a "Monkquin", a penguin that can swing from icebergs!  Perhaps you had to be there.  In any case, a great time was had by all and if you get a chance, be sure to check out the Arrogant Worms (www.arrogant-worms.com)!

On Saturday, The Penguin went to the Adventure and Travel Show and had the pleasure of meeting Rupert from Survivor!  Yes, Rupert!  Full of energy, passion and enthusiasm, he gladly posed with The Penguin.  Voted the fan favourite from 'Survivor All-Stars' and the recipient of a cool million bucks, he was definitely a crowd favourite on Saturday with a huge crowd and line-up to meet him.  A very nice and fun guy!  Good going Rupert!

The pics with the Arrogant Worms and Rupert can of course be found in the Celebrity & Personality section.  Check 'em out!

The Penguin has now returned from the latest trip to Hawaii, Australia and Fiji!  The Penguin was a big hit down under, particularly when we went to Phillip Island to visit its relatives, the Fairy Penguins!  In Sydney, The Penguin was even interviewed and filmed for a TV travel show!  Be sure to check the Photos & Travels section for the new photos added.

The Penguin also got to meet and pose with the band Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.  This is of course Tom Wilson, Colin Linden and Stephen Fearing.  Tom, having met the Penguin several times previously, invited The Penguin to spend the concert on stage with the band.  Some of the audience remembered The Penguin from the time with Tom Wilson when he participated in the Storytellers Cabaret.  Tom took several questions from the audience and each question was about The Penguin!  Tom finally had to say, "Ok, enough about The Penguin already!"  The band was great and graciously posed with The Penguin afterwards.  Go and get their CD's - you won't be disappointed!  Start with their latest, BARK.  And check out their website - www.rodeokings.com - for more BARK info.

The Penguin also posed with opening act, Joel Kroeker.  He played a great set and we'll all be hearing more of him in the future.  Check out their photos in the Celebrity & Personality section.

The Penguin has recently been on JACK radio here in Vancouver.  Not that The Penguin could say much but The Penguin got to meet Larry and Willy!  Thanks guys!  You can check the photo out in the Celebrity & Personality section.  

The Penguin also recently posed with Neil and Tim Finn, the Finn brothers of Split Enz and Crowded House fame.  Although late for their soundcheck, they took the time to meet the Penguin and graciously posed for the photo.  They went on that night to play a great concert here in Vancouver on the opening night of their current tour.  Be sure to check out this new photo in the Celebrity & Personality section, added July 23, 2004.

The Penguin previously  got to meet Gordie Johnson of Big Sugar.  Gordie conducted a Gibson guitar clinic and played, chatted and answered questions for an hour and a half!  It was a great experience and Gordie graciously posed with the Penguin afterwards.    

The Penguin has been back for some time now from an awesome trip to the Cook Islands - Rarotonga and Aitutaki are definitely a tropical paradise!  Check out the photos  under the Photos & Travels section  

Our page represents our range of interests and our on-going projects. It spans the range from the serious to the not-so-serious and as a rather eclectic collection of information, it will be continually transformed and updated.

Hey look at this!  We actually won an award as a "key resource" for penguins!!!