The party was a huge success for the happy kids, parents and families, and donors. But for Gryka, it wasn't so good, as she had terrible pain in her jaw so Denise had to scramble to find a dentist that could see her, and then consult with her doctor, who concluded that the pain was coming from her tumor, not a toothache. Gryka cried all night from the pain.

Denise is truly an everyday hero in my eyes, and it was her social media post about needing a Santa Claus that I came across that first led me to Everlasting Hope. 

Now that Christmas and New Year's is done, I'll continue to support Everlasting Hope, as well as Denise's brave and dedicated work to help Gryka live with less pain and some comfort as long as she's able. 

 If you'd like to get involved or help Gryka, please email Denise or click here. ​​

Back in late December of 2013, I wrote my 14 New Year's Resolutions for the world in 2014. As our calendar now flips from 2016 to 2017, I decided to update that list with three additioanl resolutions for 2017. Here they are:  

1.   Take better care of our women and children.
We need to do a much better job protecting those who cannot defend themselves.  Our mothers, daughters and sons deserve our utmost care.

2.   Be good to our environment.
Now, we know better, yet we keep on allowing our planet to be poisoned to a fatal degree because of greed and laziness.  Our Mother Earth is giving us life, so respecting her should be a priority.

3.   Stop hurting innocent people.
Terrorism, mass shootings, genocides, drone strikes, torture, false imprisonment, and the struggle of refugees should have no place in our world. 

4.   Empower others.
The fastest way to change the world for the better is to help, encourage, and strengthen others, not ourselves. 

5.   Talk less and listen more.
Everyone wants to be right, everyone rallies for their own agenda, and everyone says “but what about me?!"  Only by pausing that inclination can we truly listening to others, fostering understanding, compassion, and then unity.

6.   Eat real food.
Enough with the genetically modified, processed, radiated, and laboratory produced quasi-foods.  They’re sickening our society so let’s go back to the good, natural stuff. 

7.   Celebrate our differences.
Diversity shouldn’t be something we shy away from - that only leads to more fear and isolation.  It’s time to embrace the vivid and rich differences among us so we can see them for what they really are: beautiful.  

8.   Strive for a global community.
We are 7 billion members of the same species on the same planet at the same time in a big, infinite, timeless universe.  If that isn’t enough in common to see ourselves as brothers and sisters in the same global family, I don’t know what is.

9.  Understand the real struggle.
Conflicts in this world are never about who did what to whom, political parties, nations, or even religious ideologies.  The true struggle throughout history has always been about those who bloodlust for money and power, and their efforts to distract and control the disenfranchised.

10.   Grow strong enough to be tolerant and compassionate.
Real strength is never about standing over someone; it’s about helping them up.  Our first instinct is often to judge, label, and defend our egos against others, but we should try to see ourselves as their kindly, warm-hearted benefactors, instead.

11.   Invest in the next generation.
If only we could build schools, not bombs; provide opportunities, not force opinions, and nurture our youth to rise above the mistakes we’ve made - the world will be an amazing place within a very short time.  

12.   Don’t give up on the world.
To heal our planet, we need to demand positive changes from our leaders, our fellow citizens, and especially ourselves.  This isn't negotiable – NOW is the time.

13.    Slow down.
Stop.  Breathe.  Look around you.  Breathe again!  Smile.  Laugh.  Absorb the things you love that make you happy and let go of everything else.  For this, you will never feel regret.  

14.    Spread only light.
My final New Year's resolution for our world for this year is that we try to spread only that which is good, true, and pure in our short time on earth, allowing us to help and serve the other life forms around us.  That is the only legacy that matters.

15. Understand the difference between real life and renderings of life.
We’re all guilty of it to some degree: scanning internet headlines, social media posts, and the nightly news and then forming our entire world view accordingly. We might even become frustrated, angry and isolating when others don't agree. But these incomplete snippets of information aren't the real thing, only extremely incomplete and biased representations, or, as they say, a case of the tail wagging the dog. Accepting these as the "way things are" or calcifying your global opinion based on them is not only polarizing and inaccurate, it's dangerous (as we've seen with recent events.)  

16. Be content with what we have.
They say that the secret to true happiness is realizing that what you have is enough. Many people around the world intrinsically know this, and therefore live healthy, happy and fulfilled lives despite poor or difficult circumstances. But in the West, and particularly in the U.S., it seems that the more we have, the more we want (and the more single-minded we become about getting it.)

Trust me when I tell you that the freedom to live a happy life serving your highest purpose comes with less, not more.

17. Live our highest purpose.
That leads me to my last New Year’s wish for the world in 2017: that we endeavor to live our highest purpose. In fact, I’m pretty sure we weren’t put on earth to work, pay bills, buy things, stress, rush, amass more possessions, live in maximum comfort, anesthetize yourself from the world, and then try our damndest to pass this all down to the next generation.  

So what are we here for?

That’s the question that will take a lifetime for us to answer, and I wrestle with it at least as much as everyone else. But just the pursuit of such a noble question leads us to some amazing places and, in my humble opinion, a better world for 2017.  

-Norm  :-)

It's 2017, and we STILL don't have flying cars! What gives? But seriously, 2016 has been a fulfilling and memorable year, spent with a great balance of living overseas in Asia, visiting friends and family in the States, a ton of hard work to get me to the release of two new books, The Queens of Dragon Town and then The Young Lions, and growing my blogging and social media marketing business.

In 2016, I goofed off too much, ate too much, drank too much, worked too much, traveled too much, loved too much, and learned too much – a year well spent!

In between there were broken ribs at one of the toughest karate camps in the world, 
Splashing in the ocean at some of the nicest islands on earth,
Zip-lining (upside down) between city skyscrapers,
Climbing (small) mountains,
Swimming with whale sharks,
Eating insects, snakes, roaches, and spiders,
Hopping around on about 40 flights to visit Maine, Delaware, Nevada, New York, Connecticut, California, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Thailand and the Philippines,
Sitting courtside when Stephen Curry set the NBA record for 3-pointers (I won't confirm nor deny that I gave him some pre-game shooting tips),
And, the most dangerous of all, attending my first Oakland Raiders home game. 

But to be honest with you, all of the things on that list are entertaining ways to pass the time - and the photos look great on Facebook - but they really don't mean much, do they? I can take them or leave them, as my life is no longer a pursuit of comfort, pleasure, or gratification. In fact, it's the people that I meet and connect with along the way that mean everything, no matter how humble their lives.

So over the next 365 days, there's one important thing I want to achieve in 2017:

For me, this coming year will be a time to rededicate myself to service of others. As far as I can tell, that's why I'm here. I've done a lot of thinking and soul searching, and that's the only thing I can come up with that makes sense. 

Like the late, great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Any man can be great because any man can serve." 

I don't expect to ever be rich, famous, particularly successful, or even comfortable, but I can pursue what's most meaningful and gratifying in life by serving others around me - the one and only goal that will matter in 2017 – or at all.

That and inventing the flying car, because someone's got to do it!

Happy 2017 and I wish you and your family all the health, prosperity, and happiness in the world.

-Norm  :-)

Back in late December of 2013, I wrote my 14 New Year's Resolutions for the world in 2014. As our calendar now flips from 2016 to 2017, I decided to update that list with three additioanl resolutions for 2017. They are:

15. Understand the difference between real life and renderings of life.
We’re all guilty of it to some degree: scanning internet headlines, social media posts, and the nightly news and then forming our entire world view accordingly. We might even become frustrated, angry and isolating when others don't agree. But these incomplete snippets of information aren't the real thing, only extremely incomplete and biased representations, or, as they say, a case of the tail wagging the dog. Accepting these as the "way things are" or calcifying your global opinion based on them is not only polarizing and inaccurate, it's dangerous (as we've seen with recent events.)  

16. Be content with what we have.
They say that the secret to true happiness is realizing that what you have is enough. Many people around the world intrinsically know this, and therefore live healthy, happy and fulfilled lives despite poor or difficult circumstances. But in the West, and particularly in the U.S., it seems that the more we have, the more we want (and the more single-minded we become about getting it.)

Trust me when I tell you that the freedom to live a happy life serving your highest purpose comes with less, not more.

17. Live our highest purpose.
That leads me to my last New Year’s wish for the world in 2017: that we endeavor to live our highest purpose. In fact, I’m pretty sure we weren’t put on earth to work, pay bills, buy things, stress, rush, amass more possessions, live in maximum comfort, anesthetize yourself from the world, and then try our damndest to pass this all down to the next generation.  

So what are we here for? 

That’s the question that will take a lifetime for us to answer, and I wrestle with it at least as much as everyone else. But just the pursuit of such a noble question leads us to some amazing places and, in my humble opinion, a better world for 2017.   

***
If you'd like to read all of my New Year's resolutions for our world in 2017, click here.

​Santa Claus, a girl named Gryka, and finding Everlasting Hope:

Around Christmas time, I found myself living in a new city (Cebu) in a new country (The Philippines) far from home so I wanted to do something meaningful to get in the holiday spirit. So when I heard that they were looking for someone to play Santa Claus for the kids at Everlasting Hope, I immediately said "yes." Denise, a German-Filipina make-up artist living in Cebu coordinating the Santa search, told me more. 

For six months, Denise had been helping a 5-year old girl named Gryka who has retinoblastoma, causing rapidly growing tumors, first in her eye and then in her neck, that cause her constant pain.

Aside from taking her to doctors appointments, chemo and treatments, Denise has been raising funds for her medical care since her parents, Margie and Ramil, are very poor. Denise has campaigned tirelessly for Gyrka from the Philippines all the way back to Germany, trying to get the best care and keep up with the mounting cost of the little girl's chemo and radiation.
​
Read more.

1.         We know the iconic man as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but that was not his given birth name. In fact, MLK Jr. was Michael on his birth certificate, named after his father (hence the Jr.). But after a trip to Germany in 1931, Michael Sr. decided to change his name to Martin Luther to pay reverence to the historic German theologian of the same name. His son, Michael Jr., was only two years old at the time, so the elder King decided to change his son’s name, too. Thus, Michael King Jr. became Martin Luther King Jr., as we know him.
 
2.         It was a tragic day for America and the human race when Dr. King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, but he wasn’t the only one who died at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis that day. In fact, Lorraine Bailey, a hotel worker and wife of the owner, passed away from a heart attack after hearing of King’s shooting. Lorraine was working the hotel phone switchboard at the time and suffered an incapacitating heart attack after seeing King shot, later dying from the coronary. Since there was no one else working the switchboard, that caused a long delay in calling an ambulance and getting King medical treatment, though it’s unclear if that would have helped him survive the shooting.

To read all of these 15 facts in honor of Martin Luterh King, Jr. and MLK Day, click here.

That's all I've got for you! Have a great new year and see you all in February! 

-Norm  :-)

​I received this question from a reader and Facebook friend today:
 
“When we’re doing our best to help as many fellow beings as possible, how do you not become overwhelmed with the magnitude of suffering?  You do so much good; I do too; as do many others.  But with the joy of giving always seems to come the pain of sadness and despair that it is never enough!  Do you get what I mean?”
 
Yes, I do. The sadness and despair from witnessing so much poverty can sometimes be absolute.
 
I'll give you an example from the photos that this reader/friend saw on Facebook that prompted her to message me this question.
 
New to the city of Cebu in the Philippines but a veteran of living in SE Asia, I wanted to begin my stay by doing something to help out.
 
So a local friend and I arranged 50 simple meals – spaghetti, fried chicken, and white rice in white Styrofoam containers along with bottled water – to pass out to street kids one Saturday morning. We hopped in a taxi with all of the food stacked neatly in about a dozen plastic bags and boxes and
 
Instead of looking around outside my neighborhood, we went to the heart of the city - Osmena Circle. In the middle of the busy city center roundabout, we got dropped off and unloaded everything right there on the sidewalk against a wall. How would we go about finding homeless kids to pass the food out to? They found us, as soon out of nowhere a girl carrying two babies that looked like a young teenager approached us. We handed her the white cartons and bottles, and she thanked us politely with a big smile.
 
Before she even walked away, there were two more dirty street kids with big smiles behind her, then more totting their toddler brothers and sisters, and more running.
 
"No, mam, this is only for the kids," we had to politely turn down the elderly homeless lady in line asking for food. We only had so much. But somehow, as if they could smell the food and sense or good intentions, a dozen more street kids appeared out of nowhere, getting in line and giving courteous "thank you's" in their best English.
 
"Merry Christmas!" I answered back. Did I mention that I was wearing a Santa Claus hat the whole time? As if it wasn't hot enough 
 
Whenever too many adults or elderly started falling on us, we'd pick up the remaining bags and walk a few blocks. Eventually, we ended up on a rundown street by a big, pristine church that was gated from the masses.
 
I'd thought the kids we'd helped before looked scrappy, these people were destitute. Little kids ran the streets everywhere with no parents, shirtless, shoeless, in rags, sometimes the youngest ones in oversized ratty t-shirts with no pants, flies buzzing ‘round. Many of them had their heads shaved with lopsided knives to make it easier to pick out the lice. Their hands and feet were black and crusted. Some of the boys couldn't be older than ten but already had the glassy, far off look from huffing glue or petrol in rags.
 
There were no orderly lines and polite manners here, even for our benefit.
 
They crowded us, almost attacked, desperate to get a meal.
 
"Hold on, hold on, don't grab – get back," I said, trying to keep them from ripping open the bags. They squeezed in, dropping down to ground level to get face to face with the bags, almost bowing to the food, hands pressing in any open space to try and get noticed. With all of those little dirty hands clawing at the food, it was almost like hands from the grave digging their way out and grasping for something living.
 
A food box broke, and I scrambled to grab the spilled spaghetti and put it back in the Styrofoam. I was using my hands to touch their food, I realized, but of course they didn't care – the only sin would be to let it hit the ground or throw it in the trash, although it still would get eaten.
 
And then, we were out of boxes.
 
"Sorry, sorry no more. All gone. Next time." I told them, but they still clawed, a mob of dozens now. I had to look them in the eyes and tell them that we had no more food. All those faces. They still reached, desperate, and followed us when we walked away. One boy wanted to the plastic bags, which we gave him. Another kid asked for my Santa Claus hat, which I told him I couldn't give away.
 
The crowd thinned by the time we got down the street, and we flagged down a taxi and collapsed in the aircon and rolled up windows of the backseat. I turned to my friend. "What really makes me sad is all of the people we couldn't feed, that we had to turn away," I said as I watched downtown Cebu roll by.  It was only one meal. One day. One city. And not even 1% of 1% of 1% of the people in need around us.
 
How can this NOT break your heart? How do you not get so saddened and discouraged by this that you just give up?
 
Sure, the photos will be posted on my Facebook a long time, making it look like I did something significant – but that's far from the truth. I get that.
 
I guess I just tell myself that it does matter to those people, those human beings that are now fed. We didn't exist in their universe before that day, and all of a sudden someone came out of nowhere to offer them something that was otherwise out of reach in their lives.
 
It's like the old story about the kid picking up beached starfish and throwing them back into the ocean to save them. When a passerby challenges him that there are so many starfish on the beach that will die that he can't possibly make a difference, the kid simply threw another starfish back into the ocean and said, "It sure made a difference to that one."
 
These things exist whether we want to think about them or not. We can either do something to help or not. Either be a net positive in the world or yet another countless negative. What current will we carry and transmit?
 
How much, how often, where, with whom, etc. are all questions that need answering, but those are all personal choices, and I don't think as important as the simple "yes" or "no."
 
Do we pick one starfish up and throw it back? Imagine if the passerby in that story had stopped not to question the practicality of the child's actions, but to help? And surely if someone else walked by and saw the two of them, they might be more inclined to join in. And more and more, until you have a crowd of people on the beach throwing starfish back into the ocean, so many that you can't tell if there are now more people or starfish.
 
I think that by being out there and doing even these little things, it sets an example that others pick up. And just imagine if everyone did it? Since I was wearing a Santa hat, many local people we passed that day gave me words of encouragement and thanks for helping their people, or even looks of gratitude. Maybe one of them will start helping now because he saw a buang (crazy) foreigner doing so first?
 
A fat, drunken Scottish tourist approached us, genuinely interested in what we were doing and where we got the food (at first, I thought he was going to ask for a free snack!) and what made us help these street kids. Is he more conscious now, and might do something to help the people where he's so enjoying his vacation?
 
Once I posted the photo of us giving food to these kids on Facebook, I received a donation from a friend in Florida, completely unsolicited. It was enough to buy another 25 meals for 25 more kids. My friend doesn't have money and struggles himself and is up against a chronic illness, but still sends my money to help people he'll never meet a world away. And then, today, he sent me enough for another 20 meals. Unbelievable.
 
I guess my purpose is not just to throw as many starfish back in the ocean as I can, but to try and get other people on the beach to do the same - and they are. That's how I can cope, what I grab onto to pull myself back to light when the sadness of the world becomes overwhelming.

-Norm  :-)

​The 20 Best Surf Escapes This Winter
By Norm Schriever, [email protected]
 
While we may be facing another long, cold winter here in the United States and Canada, the surfs up just a short trip away in tropical Central and South America. If you want to get away to catch some rays and waves, whether for a long weekend or to ride out the whole winter, here are our top 20 surf destinations (in no particular order):
 
1. Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica
While Jacó is Costa Rica’s hotspot for holidays and sunbathers, it also offers great surfing, as it hosted the 2016 International World Surf Championship last August. Just a few kilometers south you’ll find some great waves in Playa Hermosa, home of the 2009 Surf Championship.
 
2. San Juan del Sur and Popoyo, Nicaragua
Nicaragua is no longer a best kept secret, with thousands of North American surfers hitting the white sand and thick jungle of Popoyo every winter, usually passing through charming San Juan del Sur its surrounding beaches. You’ll find everything from gentle swells for beginners to a dozen huge breaks a short boat ride away.
 
According to Johnny G., owner of San Juan Surf, “With friendly locals, offshore 300 days a year, and uncrowded spots all along the coast, your chance of scoring here is much higher then anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere.”
 
3. Pavones, Costa Rica.
Good news travels fast among surfers, and Pavones, located on a small peninsula near the Panamanian border, is now a must-surf destination when you visit Costa Rica, with one of the best left point breaks on the entire planet.
 
4. Bocas Del Toro, Panama
This cluster of islands off of Panama’s Caribbean coast includes some of the best reef breaks and hidden beaches in Central America, all accessible by water taxis. “The Mouth of the Bull” is truly a unique and beautiful place for those that make the trek, and when the surf is on, it’s on!
 
5. Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica
Don’t forget about Costa Rica’s Caribbean side, with amazing surf from December until May in this charming coastal town, including the heaviest waves around.
 
6. Ollie’s Point, Costa Rica
Head north along the western Costa Rican coastline and you’ll find Ollie’s Point near the Nicaraguan border, named for the disgraced U.S. military figure Ollie North. You can only get to this epic right point break by boat, but the waves can still get crowded since this is on every surfer’s Bucket List.
 
7. Mal País & Santa Teresa, Costa Rica
Mal País & Santa Teresa in the southwestern corner of Península de Nicoya are great options to catch some amazing waves along side some of the best natural beauty in Costa Rica.
 
8. Santa Catalina, Panama
Thirty years ago, an intrepid surfer hacked his way through the jungle in search of this pristine and untouched surf beach (or so the legend goes). These days, Santa Catalina is still one of the best places to surf in all of Central America, with consistent right and left breaks for more than 200 yards over lava reef – and it’s a lot easier to get there.
 
9. Nuqui, Colombia
Nuqui on the Pacific coast of Colombia offers that country’s best surf, with Playa Olímpica and Guachalito nearby. You’ll miss the whale-sighting season unless you go from June to October, but you can also check out Barranquila on the Caribbean coast, which offers smaller waves but the most famous carnival in Colombia.
 
10. Puerto Escondido, Mexico
The most beautiful and powerful barrels in the world are produced by the sandbars off Playa Zicatella in Mexico. They’re definitely for experienced surfers, so get ready to break a few boards - and possibly a few bones if you drop in on the aggressive locals.
 
11. Playa Tamarindo
Tamarindo (or “TamaGringo” because of the hordes of North Americans that vacation and live there) is Costa Rica’s most popular surf destination. It’s managed to hold on to its beachy village vibe (just barely), even as modern resorts, luxury condos and high-end restaurants pop up. But the long expanse of beach - and great surfing near the estuary and other spots – has never ceased. There’s plenty of room and smaller waves for beginners to get their chops, but also a handful of great surf beaches not far out of town.
 
12. Playa Avellanas, Costa Rica
Speaking of Tamarindo, when you’re there, go check out nearby Playa Avellanas, where the big, hollow, and fast waves create some dream tubes near the river mouth.
 
13. Witch’s Rock, Costa Rica
Or take a day trip to the legendary Witch’s Rock, made famous in the iconic surf movie, Endless Summer II, where you can enjoy perfect lefts and rights on either side of the offshore rock formation.
 
14. Punta Roca, El Salvador
The crown jewel of the El Salvadorian coastline, Punta Roca is a perfect right point break for experienced surfers who don’t mind some rocks. The waves are powerful, the weather is perfect and it’s not crowded – just be careful to make nice with the locals.
 
15. Santa Catarina, Brazil
Surfing has become plenty popular in Brazil since it was first imported to the country in 1928, and there’s no better place to ride a wave than Santa Catarina, where swells that come down from the North Atlantic and up from Antarctica produce consistent waves. Santa Catarina hosts the ASP World Championship each April, and we encourage you to check out the beautiful capital, Florianópolis, too.
 
16. Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo is best known for sunbathing and beachside nightlife, but there’s actually some great surf there, too. There are plenty of breaks in the area suitable for beginners, and experienced surfers can rise to the challenge at the Monuments, Zippers, or Santa Lucia de los Cerritos. Flights in and out of Cabo San Lucas are easy and you can usually find inexpensive accommodations because there are so many to choose from.
 
17. Mancora, Peru
Sitting on the pacific coastline of Peru near the border, Manorca is a great place for experienced surfers. It might be hard to find room in the lineup so it’s not the best place for beginners, but Manorca is also a great spot for tourists to chill out and enjoy some nightlife after hiking Machu Picchu.
 
18. Montañita, Ecuador
Ecuador is an emerging favorite for travelers and backpackers, but surfers have enjoyed the country’s 2,200 miles of coastline for a long time. Along the legendary Ruta del Sol – route of the sun – sits the town of Montañita, popular for its many beaches and Carnival celebration each February. But it also offers consistent surf from November to April, with two-meter waves from January to March. But bring your wetsuit because the water temps can be lot colder than in Central America.
 
19. Southern California, USA
Don’t feel “wave envy” if you can’t get enough time off of work to head further south, because along the 350 KM coast from Santa Barbara to San Diego, California offers great waves only a short (and cheap) flight from most U.S. and Canadian cities. Touch down in Los Angeles and hit the mecca of Huntington Beach, where there’s plenty of room on either side of the pier, chill in Malibu Beach, or beginners and long boarders will dig El Porto. From the Wedge to Rincon, Scripps Beach to Black’s Beach in San Diego County, SoCal is truly a surfer’s paradise.
 
20. Cuba
Surfing in Cuba? You got it, as the communist island nation governed by the recently passed Fidel Castro has a very small, but resourceful and dedicated, surf crowd. In and around Havana, the best waves are from November through January while on the southeastern part of the island you’ll find the best surfing during hurricane season from August to early November. You won’t find any crowds but you will have to bring your own board, as there are no surf shops in Cuba since the government frowns on this American pastime. In fact, the first Cuban surfers had to make their own boards out of refrigerator foam covered with boat resin and used candles to wax them! While Cuba is changing and attracting more tourists by the day, you may want to go surf there now while it’s still truly a unique adventure.
 
***
Need some more help setting up your tropical surf escape? Feel free to email me at [email protected].