Seo TRE RE SR Nt IES RN ee a A Res : Ser a ce Wednesday, September 12, 1979 -By SHIRLEY CULPIN The ‘Himalayan mountains are a long way from Sidney and events like the Miss Canada pageant. But for Linda Douma, who brought . international acclaim to this town 14 ‘ years ago when she was crowned Miss Canada, .the entire span of things is closely linked. Linda, - still statuesque and speaking in- well- modulated tones at 35-years of age, has. recently returned to her home town for a visit after spending more than a decade travelling the world. And it was the Miss Canada title, she says, that opened the ‘door. to other countries and - their people for her. “Ever since 1‘ was a child ‘ve . been” wanting .to ‘travel,’? says Linda during an interview in the com- fortable old family home on First. Street. “I was always finding ways to raise money so that I could travel, and I just kept. stashing -- that money. away. Ever since | was eight or-nine I’ve been earning money in order to_ of - the: see’ other parts world.” The national recognition that the Miss Canada title brought didn’t hurt matters “any, she says. She travelled: _all over the world during’ her. year’ *long. reign, which “was just enough to” whet - «temple - when. I ‘first-elass - » equine world, ”Mastering all . disciplines requires notonly’ ‘endurance. and” agility. on othe partof both horse and - ~ track. in Canada but there: were more races per day for: pirt of the 1979- summer and. new tracks can be expected (oo grow: quickly) than.” estnbaued tracks, : Keeling says” he's,” con Vineed thatthe: .way”to improve “attendance ts 10 engage ina’ long-term program provements to... bring Sandown up ta the eran. dards demanded by people. a : Aoday, , 30, punters nex| year can expect. iO ace. 4 govieral upgrading of the. track's facititles, staring withs a: computerized” tate system” _ which will permit all types oat Linda . was. out -- despite -. more. mutuel of capital time” valor,” Future Path For hix- Beauty | ¢ bouts with hepatitis and “typhoid fever. Language barriers. were. . _ few and far between, says’ : - Linda, and the fact that she - was a. Canadian. among Indians seemed: to the: : Okanagan. every : summer.: in’ order: to” a under him, of betting at all windows ice qincluding § Neuse at Sandown with an i option for another. 16 years, 9 “an opuon witteh. Reeling “company 9° bas - No final decision has’ THE REVIEW living ““but slogged:. But: that: doesn't stop her from world’s - three- day admits,: can: ween dreaming. and-: working even harder. She's. ' aiming -right. now forthe = . event” : championships to be held in “Treland. in °1982,: But even’ “her hopes ‘for. that,’ Lynne. : be: casily ‘enough dashed by:aninjury > HE 10 her horse or any number + of other problems: thatscan; 4nd often do crop up inthe - “world —-of “equestrian events; international “Eh have > never ‘set anything on anything,** she Says simply. Pn just o> Nets ditken me.where I am, and Mn grateful. for oN if Wwe. don! Ta philosophical San] “Lone range plans are fo or a clubhouse that will- either be part of anew gray stand or be built besilte.{ “the . Containly, with ihe kind» of plans: the company is, making, harness rach is here to vstty an the peninsula, The company Orangeville: Limited. = raeding = at Gita, says the exercised. ‘We've wou 1H. yours ta go an Mis lease now," he nly Racewny Which). nits. 2 Boing. to-go us arias bcan - with the horses I've’ got... “Warvester's been a: carrier... hate we: make it lothe:: ~ Worlds. in 1982: Ahavil he . ‘Just fine with mes mand ij TAD SLE ra - phase no one. “I. may | have Strange. to them, ‘things. that -be the other they: thought “custom and leave it at that. “Were Strange,’” says Linda, whenever people are confronted with didn't managing. to live off my. lay Lead Back To In something like that they just reason that that must ‘person's You. never feel like an outcast with them.”’ oo, Quite the contrary. When . Linda decided to’stay in her chosen village in the Himalayas for the winter, the villagers pitched in and helped her prepare for -the snowy season. “*T was the only westerner who stayed there, and the people were just. tremen- dous,’’. she says. ‘‘They helped me ~ get wood and supplies in for the winter. 1 lived there for three years, and I'm one.of the family of that community now.” Although. Linda — spent “much time. studying, she also found the.time to work with refugees and teach English to the native people while she lived there. None of. that work paid, however. . At least, not » monetarily speaking. “Oh, those people don’t -have any money,”’ she'says with .a laugh. “But that matter. I | was savings for all those years, 'so--it: wasn’t as if I was.’ Scrambling to just keep up with the’ daily chore. of making ends meet.’’ just as wonderful _-Although costs have risen “traveller.’” recently, Linda says she Linda. finally. . arrived | could lead a. comfortable =. ia there.” _ While living for that ‘three years in Manali Linda did manage to ‘learn some dialect. | Eventually © she found that she -could communicte quite well with” the young people of her village, although. her basic link with the older folks continued language. “It’s funny though you know,’’ she says. ‘‘There are so many dialects there. If P’'d gone 20 miles down . the road’ I'd have been in trouble with the’ language again.’ -. Despite her lengthy separation from her. family. Linda says she never really ae missed them. “‘They were always in my heart,’” says Linda, ‘‘but I never really missed them, and I never really felt that’ they were that far away.”’ Although ill” health prevented her mother. from . visiting Linda’s adopted country, her father did get to India last. winter.’ The pair: spent’ several months travelling all over the area. “At. 63 he -has more stamina than | have,'’ says the. former beauty, queen _with a laugh. ‘‘He was just. tremendous. to travel with: “back home in Sidney. late in ~ oa to. be sign’ f GRADUA vette aa s STEAK aS? “existing grandstand, which. J ~ would-be renovated, CROSS RIB ROAST . s "and healthy. life on $15 to: $20 monthly while’she was: ~ July. Right now, she says; >: . she doesn't know how. long nh “? in’ India. -Now, ’. she “she'll stay. | : estimates, it. would’. take Peds SO will be. some mon-: about Ua montn to ive as, . ths,’ -=she says. : “Long “well, : “The. people where were amazed,’’ says Linda, ‘“‘that. “after coming from such-an. -affluent: country that.I was. slowly dwindled over the Bent “actually -content to’ live as ; ‘years.”* *: : simply: as. 1: was: doing ime eo And then?” India. But it’s a wonderful. °° “1° feel that” the’ path,” ee ; lifestyle. One can still livein “Says Linda with: asmiley‘tis” avery basic: way. Just the: “going to lead back t9. Nepal: act of. survival doesn’ t keep ‘and India. I's. Justa, wi “different: life there.’ “ enough to - havea good visit: : » swith my-f. amily and friends; ee _and to save up.some more: “money, ‘My savings ° have ‘ B.C, PRODUCT: “LTURNIPS | BC, PRODUCT ~ - CELERY , B.C. 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