The Great Adventure Continues in North America

Long Weekend

2007-05-18T04:42:00.000Z

I am looking forward to this long weekend. Work has been hectic and I've been a little stressed with all the work required for our condominium purchase. I will try and relax, and not do too much. I hope the weather cooperates and the sunshine keeps rolling in.

I was lucky enough to have lunch with some of my Belair buddies this week when I went down to Trafalgar to work for the day. Thank you to all that came to greet me and share some time with me. I loved it.

I want to send a shout out ot my sister, Lydia. It's her birthday on May 18. Ledo: have a great day and I hope you get lots of presents! Enjoy.

Home, Sweet Home

2007-05-10T21:28:00.000Z

Great news everyone! Sacha and I are now the proud owner's (along with a yet-unknown bank) of a two bedroom condo! Yay and hip, hip hurray.

I'm sorry I have to tell most of you this way, but it's just been CRAZY busy with work, life, etc. We will be moving in at the end of the month. We can then start inviting people over.

Sometimes, life is sweet.

Wedding Season Has Begun

2007-05-05T11:16:00.000Z

Well, it's that time of year, again. No, not spring, with it's clean (like) air, it's fresh (like) flowers and some sunshine (kind of). No, it's not the time of rejuvenation, regrowth (time to shave my legs) and...sorry, can't think of another word that starts with "r" that would fit. It's WEDDING SEASON. Yes, the time of year when you have to sit through what feels like thousands (and thousands) of weddings.

Now, this would not be too bad if it wasn't for the fact that THEY'RE ALL THE SAME! It's excruciating. Please don't get me wrong, I love love. I love people in love. In this world, to have people be nice to each other is a great act in itself. To have them pretend it will last for all eternity is actually kinda sweet.

So, it's not the fact that two people are willing to claim to up to 2,450 of their closest friends, neighbours, friends of their parents, friends of the friends of their parents and finally, friends of friends of friends of their parents. Oh, and don't forget the garbage man and his trusty sidekick, smelly Bob. It's just that we need a revolution in the whole wedding presentation thingy.

Instead of the bland food, boring music that HAS to include a rendition of Stairway to Heaven and the Macarena/Chicken Dance/Polka, long, boring speeches that no one (maybe not even the bride and groom) care about, and table favours (I can't remember what those things are called. You know the small inanimate object that is usually made of glass and resembles a heart, hand-holding theme that has cost an arm and a leg and is given out to thank the attendees for their time, money and patience) how about we celebrate by having a pizza and champagne-themed pool party? With all proceeds going to a local charity. No, not helping Alan Thicke get a new job. Whatever happened to him anyway?

Okay, so that's the end of my rant (for now). I'll be back.

Happy marriage everyone! Because that's what really counts.

Paid for by the members of Grouchy Peoples Everywhere (2007)

I Make How Much?!

2007-03-21T13:25:00.000Z

Finally, I am handing in my membership card to the land of unemployment. I have a job. I feel as though I have successfully completed a mission to Mars. I am happy, nervous and glad to be contributing to the joyous cause that has gripped this nation: consumerism!

I wish to thank everyone that supported me during the last six months. You know who you are ;) I will buy you dinner later on. Okay, maybe not a full dinner, but an appetizer for sure.

For now, I have to practice calling my friends during work hours, using the internet for personal reasons and making up excuses for leaving early (like my cat needs help passing a HUGE hairball or the final episode of the Pussycat Dolls look for the New Pussy Cat Doll is on).

Happy Vernal Equinox everyone!

Some Parts of Canada Bloom

2007-03-12T11:27:00.000Z

Yesterday I went to the Canada Blooms garden show with my friend KimLily. It was very nice to be surrounded by living organisms that are not grey and gloomy. The flowers and trees were a breath of fresh air and the sunshine that accompanied them was glorious. My mind and body were refreshed and reenergized. Thank you Mother Nature.

The Middle of Winter

2007-03-09T17:57:00.000Z

Ola! everyone. I had forgotten for a few years. You know, that nagging, horrendous, hollow-hearted feeling that winter will NEVER end. Everything (and everyone) is so sallow, grey and droopy. Very depressing. I can only hope that my memories serve me correctly and that in the next 6 months spring will happen. Not that I really like spring. It too is grey, soggy and sallow. It's just that once in a while, if you stand really, really still you can smell the fragrance of summer. That is the only thing that keeps me going at this point. So I'm really praying (like I never have before) that this memory is true and that this winter will eventually end. Someone tell me that there is a chance that the sun will come out and things will not be covered in dirty snow and dog poop. I can't wait to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin (my suncreen slathered skin, of course).

The picture is of my favourite doll. Long live Blythe. She is so cool, hip, fashionable, mysterious and resourceful. I love her.

The Oscars

2007-02-25T14:29:00.000Z

My favourite television day of the year is upon us. I absolutely love the glitz, glamour and excitement of the Oscar race. I know it's so cheesy and political, but I love it anyway. In fact, one year, I paid the activation fee for cable only to cancel the cable the next day so that I could watch the Oscars at home. Out there. I know. Somehow this show brings it out in me.

This year my favourite movies were Little Miss Sunshine for Best Picture. I have seen all but Letters to Iwo Jima, but LMS just blew me away. I was not expecting anything from this movie when I went to see it. It perfectly showcases the foils, quirkiness and loveliness of most families. Alan Arkin was a particularly appealing character, especially his relationship with his granddaughter, Olive.

My strong vote goes to Pan's Labyrinth for Best Foreign Languauge film. Actually, this was the BEST picture for me last year (maybe even ever). I loved it. It was spot on. Just perfect. Everything about it was breathtaking, disturbing, magical and heartbreaking.

I'm also a sucker for the fashion. I make sure I'm firmly esconced in a comfortable seat in front of the television well in advance of the runway walks. I don't want to miss a second.

Some years my zeal has not been matched by the actual presentations, but I'm hoping that this year will make me a firm believer in the smoke and mirrors act of Hollywood again. A girl needs to dream ;)

Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day

2007-02-14T08:38:00.000Z

Have a good one! Please be careful driving in this stormy weather. It's the perfect day to play hookey from work and snuggle under the covers with your special someone (hi Apple). Take care.

Touching My Toes

2007-02-11T11:58:00.000Z

I have finally been able to reach/touch my toes in yoga. I have not been able to do that for decades, so I am ecstatic that I was able to do it this weekend. Some of you are saying "big deal", but for me it is. You see I have felt a bit out of my mind and body since coming back from Australia. By conquering and getting in touch (sorry for the pun) with a part of my body that I do not have much contact with, I felt more in my place and rooted in my life here in Canada. I am not sure if this makes sense, but believe me when I tell you that in some small way this is the first step to feeling safe and secure again.

It also helps to get in touch with friends and family. I spent time with a number of my friends this weekend (thanks Brankie, Lara and Maria) and it helps me to feel as though I have never left Toronto. This sense of continuity has been missing for a long while. I guess it doesn't help that I work from home. I find I miss tremendously the interaction with other people (no offense to my father-in-law--he's great. Probably the best type of roommate if you are an introvert).

I find it a bit off-putting that it feels like so much has happened in my life recently and yet, coming back home it seems that nothing has changed. People are working, having babies, getting married (not necessarily in that order) and generally doing what they were doing before we left. There is a disconnect in my brain.

These past few weeks have given me a firmer feeling of being in the here and now. Thankfully.

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone and I hope it is filled with fun and lots of love!

Update

2007-02-02T15:55:00.000Z

Hi this is Sacha. I just wanted to say that the return flight with Porter was excellent. The service was great and the flight arrived on time without any problems. So I guess given a choice I would choose Porter over Air Canada (it helps that I hate Air Canada).

Otherwise things are good. Work keeps me busy. Yay its Friday! I have Yoga tomorrow and then a Magic tourney on Sunday with the new set Planar Choas! Yay!

Bye.

Happy February Birthdays

2007-02-01T14:57:00.000Z

There are quite a few people with a birthday in February. What a nice month to be born. The air is cold, people are grouchy and there seems to be no end in sight to the dreary, blustery, dark days of winter. But, I wax poetic. Happy Birthday to: Mudit, Dr. Baktht, Darbytown, Cara, Cindy Lou-Who, My Mommy and Ginnie. I hope you enjoy your special day. And I hope you all stay 27 (except you Cara, you can enjoy your younger days a bit longer) forever!

Boo to Porter Air

2007-01-13T01:53:00.000Z

I write this in the lounge of Porter Air at the Toronto Island Airport. This is Sacha by the way. Due to bad weather we cannot fly from the Island Airport so Porter will be bussing (spelling?) us to Pearson Airport where my mum, dad and I will fly to Ottawa. Going all the way to Pearson from here seems like such a pain... The drive will probably take longer than the flight to Ottawa!

Sue drove to Ottawa this morning as she is not fond of these small planes... or any planes if she can help it. I'm kind of jealous that I wasn't a part of the first roadtrip in the Kia. Boy do I love our car! Here's a picture of it, the 2006 Kia Rio5. No air conditioning, just the way we like it!

Work is going well. It was a very busy week and next week will be more of the same. But whenever I think I'm putting in too many hours, I think of Milan or Umang and I realise that I have it pretty good.

Anyway thats it for now. Have a nice weekend and buy a Dell!

Bikram Yoga

2007-01-08T17:55:00.000Z

Or, as I like to call it, torture. Sacha has talked me into taking a Bikram yoga class with him. While I am grateful to him for taking such a caring interest in my good health, I hate him for suggesting this awful, draining (literally), difficult exercise. Actually I exaggerate (who me?!). It was very tough during my first class. In fact, I spent most of it in the corpse position (how appropriate) wishing to die, but knowing that heat, exhaustion, the sweats, nausea and light-headedness would not kill me (alas). Yet, an hour after completing the torture I felt great. My lungs felt expanded, my skin glowed and I felt like I had worked my body. Who knew languishing on a floor could be so beneficial to your skin and muscles. Therefore, I am going back. Not very soon because I have to allow the nightmare of the first time to subside, but soon...before I chicken out and never go back. I'll keep you posted.

End of Year Thoughts

2006-12-30T20:51:00.000Z

It's that time of year when most of us take a reflective look at the past year and either pat ourselves on the back for a job well done or tell ourselves that next year will be better. For me, it's been a mixed bag. I am so grateful for the good things in my life. Things like my family and friends. My life would be so much less without these wonderful and crazy individuals.

Leaving Australia has been much tougher than I thought it would be, especially around the holiday season. I find that I have been thinking about the Redburns quite a bit. I wonder how they are doing and really hope that I will have a chance to see them again in the future. They touched my life in ways that I am only now fully appreciating. Without them our time in Australia would not have been so memorable. Their support was invaluable.

In addition, I find the weather in Ontario so depressing. I know I'm going to sound like a cry-baby, but it's really affecting me. The grey skies and the dingy weather just brings me down. It doesn't help that we live in the suburbs (practically) and going for a walk means you get to view the lovely sidewalks and wide streets with tons of cars driving on them. Yuck!

On a brighter note, I received an email from the lovely girl who adopted our cats before we left for Australia. She tells me that both kitties are doing well and are loving their new home. She says they are healthy and enjoy the love and care they receive from their new housemate ;) Thank you Katherine and a happy new year to you, Calliope and Esmerelda.

I have to admit that I am a little sad that Christmas is done and over with already. I had a great time spending time with family and friends and wish it could last just a bit longer.

Some things I am grateful for:
--sleeping in (the fact that this is first on my list shows my priorities)
--a husband that is my friend
--Betty, for showing me how likeable I am, even with all my faults and showing me how a strong individual can take control of her life and make it something to be proud of
--the good health of my parents
--my fun, smart, adorable nieces and nephew
--Cindy, for baking cookies with me this holiday season, for gossiping and shopping 'til we drop
--Mrs. Bakht for taking me to see movies with her and feeding me delicious Indian food
--Dr. Bakht for allowing me to bug him with all my do-if-yourself questions and requests and introducing me to some great novels
--Lara for letting me live vicariously through her during her jaunt to Paris--tres chic--and for showing me how to live a life that is pure, gentle and giving
--Shirley for keeping in touch with me after all these years
--Sallie for being brave and strong enough to tackle teachers college and reintegrating into life in Canada
--Mudit and Chandana for introducing me to their beautiful daughter, Princess Paavni
--For Trudy for the unadulterated love she shows me and for allowing me to be there for her daughter's break dancing phase
--To Lydia for making me take a closer look at my health and encouraging me to take better care of myself
--To Maria, Audrey, Andrew, Rose, Elizabeth and Christina for allowing our friendship not to be affected by distance and time

For all the people that make my life worth so much. Thank you and I wish health and happiness to you all.

Finally, with all the upheaval in the world I am so grateful to live in a country that I can be proud of.

Sacha's Christmas Corner

2006-12-23T23:19:00.000Z

Well I'm taking my first holiday from my new job at Dell. By the way, buy Dell products at www.dell.ca. There are some great boxing week deals on now!

The job is the most challenging thing I have ever encountered, besides my marriage to Sue of course, :). I'm learning new things everyday and putting in the extra hours trying to keep up. It is good to have a break from it all.

I have been making time to play Magic, both online and in person. No spectacular finishes yet, but I'm sure they'll come soon. My ultimate goal is to play on the Pro Tour and get my own card like this.

Anyway Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and for the rest of us there's Festavus!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2006-12-23T18:12:00.000Z

I know it's been a while since I've written on this blog site, but I truly thought that no one was reading this anymore. I have heard from some of you and you are telling me that you are still out there. So, in honour of my friends that are still remotely interested in my life, I will continue to write on the blog. I can't guarantee that I will be as vigilant as I was in Australia, but I will try. Also, it really helps when you leave a comment. It allows me to know that you are reading my thoughts and ideas.

So, happy holidays to everyone out there and I wish you all a very happy new year!

The Beer Bunny

2006-10-28T12:38:00.000Z

Anyone who knows me knows I HATE beer, but I love this picture. The bunny looks like such a shyster and I love that one eye looks bigger than the other. Sort of like he got into a fight with a bigger, meaner bunny. The fact that this hooligan bunny is pink just makes me laugh. Don't forget to drink responsibly bunny (and others out there). Happy Hallowe'en to all and lots of treat!

Eid Mubbarik and Happy Diwali

2006-10-23T12:08:00.000Z

Happy holidays to those celebrating. It's great being at the Bakht's because they celebrate both. We were lucky enough to have some family friends bring over a HUGE vanilla/cranberry cake from Demetre's Cafe. Did I mention how delicious the Diwali sweets are? My mother-in-law is a killer baker.

I spent a very relaxing weekend at my sister's house. We talked and laughed and ate and played. Looking forward to more weekends like that. Good luck to her on her job interview.

I Forgot Where I Live

2006-10-17T05:08:00.000Z

For a moment there I had forgotten that I live in the land of the freeze. So, I was shocked when I encountered the freak snow flurry the other day. Imagine my surprise! To say I was unsettled is an understatement. I was floored. I was outside emptying a truck of my belongings that had travelled across miles to get back home to me when I noticed something cold and wet on my brow. When I looked up I noticed the flurries. Anyone walking by at the time would have thought, maybe rightfully so, that I was a bit slow in the head. I was just staring and staring at the slushy snow form coming down from the sky like I had never seen it before. Better get used to it. It's October, so the stuff will be coming down pretty hard in the next few weeks.

Congratulations to Chandana and Mudit on the birth of their daughter last week. She's very serene and beautiful. I wish her a joyous and enriching life.

A Lot of Food

2006-10-08T16:00:00.000Z

Yesterday, Sacha and I had our graduation ceremony in Toronto. It was very rewarding. Of course, the best part was seeing our families together and getting to spend some time with them. It was good closure on our time in Australia.

The thing I had forgotten since leaving Canada was how much food we eat here. We went out to two restaurants and the courses were huge. How can anyone eat that much food? Also, should they be eating that much? I think not. Even in Australia I don't remember the portions being so large. The other thing that bothered me was the amount of waste. Barely anyone at our table, and there were 10 of us, ate their whole meal. What's with that? Why are the portions so large if regular people can't complete them? I believe it's a part of our culture that says that it's okay to waste because we have so much. Not everyone in the world is so lucky, though.

I still feel unsettled in Toronto, but recognize that the feeling is less acute than it was when I first got back. It's very unnerving not having my own space, especially because I've been living on my own for the last 20 years! For now, it's wonderful that my in-laws are letting us stay with them. And they do try to make us feel welcome in their home.

Sacha is going for his third interview on Tuesday with Dell. If he takes it, I hope he enjoys it tremendously. Wish him luck.

Our friends Mudit and Chandana are expecting the birth of their first child any day now. Mudit sounds very calm and only feels excitment. Chandana is a trooper and is counting down the days stoically.

Finally, thank you to my sister-in-law for bringing some delicious pumpkin pie from the Big Apple Farm. Yum, yum!

Job Search

2006-09-25T17:50:00.000Z

The job search continues. I can't explain how stressful it is to look for a new job. Don't get me wrong. It's also exciting and seems like the sky is the limit, but the practical side of me is thinking that I need a job as soon as possible so that we can start to have some money coming in. It will be nice not to have to worry constantly about the finances. So if there is anyone out there looking for smart, hard-working, multi-tasking, analytical, individuals with lots of initiative we're the people for you. That's us in the photo. Don't we look competent? You won't be disappointed.

Fat Cat

2006-09-16T22:12:00.000Z

I'm not sure why I'm on the cat kick lately, but these pictures make me happy. Please note that I am not the photographer of these pictures. I cannot take that credit. If you're interested, the site I visit is www.flickr.com. On this site you can view and download random pictures people around the world take. Some of them are creepy, but most of them are fascinating and beautiful. It's amazing how talented some people are. The cat above is adorable and actually is a good depiction of how I feel right now. I love how her (or his) little legs are splayed out in the back.

Kute Kitty

2006-09-04T16:03:00.000Z

I found this image on the internet. Isn't she so cute? I thought so too.

On another note, I can't believe how chilly it is. Ottawa is cold, damp and dark. Yucky. Sacha and I had a great time last night at our friend, Karen's house. We had a chance to meet her husband and their two year old son, Alexander. He was a great host and made the best garlic bread I've ever had. Thank you, Alexander (and Karen and Derrick).

My in-laws are back in TO already, so it's just Badger (my sister-in-law), Sassie (my husband) and myself (or is it I--I'm never sure about this one?). Tonight Badger is giving a dinner party and Sacha is cooking. We're having Mopu Tofu, a dish that Sacha is fabulous at making. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. I think I'll go and help Sacha taste-test his creation. Bye for now.

Random Images

2006-09-01T06:17:00.000Z

I'm not sure how to make this arrangement of photos look more artistic. You'll just have to enjoy the artistry of the photographers and not blame them for the shortcomings of the blogger. Enjoy!

The Torture of Jet Lag

2006-08-28T05:00:00.000Z

I hate jet lag. I feel so out of it. I'm always affected by it, but this time it's worse because I'm exchanging day for night because of the 12-15 hour time difference. So even when I'm tired I can't sleep until it becomes daytime. Crazy body! The good news is that I'm able to catch up on my reading even though I don't remember what I've read when the sun comes up. I've also had a chance to correspond with some of my friends through email. I promise I'll start calling and visiting as soon as I feel more normal. Okay, normal may not be a word many of you would use to describe me, but you know what I mean. See you soon!

Back in North America

2006-08-26T04:47:00.000Z

Well, it's been a whole day already since we've been back. Here are my observations so far. I'm so glad to be back in the land of:

--space
--cars that stay in their lane, are not constantly honking their horn and obeying (for the most part) the speed limit
--having personal space in which someone is not yelling at me or grabbing me to buy something from them (lady, you killin' me)
--Shopper's Drug Mart
--no spitting/nose blowing/burping in public
--real chocolate milk and kraft dinner

Last night I slept like a baby all through the night. Tonight, however, I'm not having the same luck. Oh well, you can't have everything.

It was so good to see my family at the airport. It's crazy how things change and yet stay the same all at once. For now, I'm very happy to be staying with my in-laws and enjoying their company. It feels like heaven.

Five More Days

2006-08-20T10:55:00.000Z

Only a few more days and then we'll be home. How crazy is that?!

For Mudit

2006-08-18T15:51:00.000Z

I am so sorry that I have not had a chance to write an entry for a while, but here goes. I warn you, though, that this may be a long one. So please hang on.

I feel I have lived a lifetime since my last blog entry on July 18th. Our China trip is over and here are some of the highlights:
--Seeing the Terracotta Warriors in Xian. I have wanted to see these for so long and have seen so many picture, that I was afraid the real thing would not live up to my ideals. Boy, was I wrong. When I first walked in and saw the rows upon rows of statues, all with different faces and expresssions, I got goosebumps.
--We bought a mah jongg set, so I will be happy to take anyone's money that is willing to play with me ;) Beware though, Sacha has learned how to play from our tour guide, Victor, and he is going to teach me. I will be a formidable player. Mwahhahahahaha!
--The Great Wall of China. I guess that some things are iconic because they are out of this world. This is one of those places. It was a much tougher climb that I had imagined, but we were very lucky because we went to a spot that was not touristy. In fact, it was downright peaceful and relaxing. At one point Sacha and I had an impromptu picnic on the top of one of the towers. It was windy and cool. Perfect after our tough climb. A moment I will not soon forget.
--Got a haircut in Shanghai. I have to say that Shanghai was my favourite city in China. It has a very cosmopolitan flavour with so much to see and do. Anyway, it's not enough to call my haircut just a haircut. There were two (cute) men who washed my hair, then gave me a back massage, head massage and then even cleaned my ears. I was in heaven. Then they washed and conditioned my hair (again!). My haircut was great and I was with them for about 1.5 hours. All this luxury cost me a whopping $8. The funniest part was that they kept trying to sell me Bed Head products because they showed me photos in which they thought that Nicole Kidman had written a testimonial promoting the products. They didn't understand a word of english, so I didn't have the heart (or the Chinese vocabulary) to explain that it was just a letter in which Nicole Kidman's agent was thanking the Bed Head company for sending her free products ;)

We are now on our Indochina Tour. We spent a few days in Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam. I was very disappointed with this place. Probably because our tour guide was a jerk! He was so unfriendly and not helpful AT ALL. HCM was loud and very disorienting. I feel sad because that will be the impression I take away with me of Vietnam. I know this is not fair and I hope to one day go back and spend some time in Hanoi.

Cambodia was fantastic. It was interesting to learn about the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot's regime. Terribly sad and frightening. I learned a lot of courage and forgiveness from the Cambodians. I also loved the children there. They are so resourceful and sweet. Most of the sellers of souvenirs are children and some of them look as young as 4 or 5. They are great little business people and certainly know how to bargain and sell. They kept telling me what a handsome husband I had and what a lucky girl I was. I was heartbroken by the poverty they have to endure. All the children need dental care and are rail thin. The most amazing thing is that they do not complain. They just get on with life and try to make a decent living.

Angkor Wat was a balm to my soul. The weather was sooooo hot and humid, but the sights were enough to bring me serenity and contentment. I loved this place and would certainly come back.

We are now in Bangkok. Again, it's so good to be back in a large city. I find Bangkok easy to get around in with much to see and experience. Unlike some of the other cities we've been to, I am comfortable here.

On another note, I can't believe we'll be home in one week. I'm happy, sad, scared and excited. I know it will be tough going for a while when we first get back, but am prepared for the shock of being back home. I hope this does not sound shallow or hurtful because I don't mean it that way. I'm just not sure what to expect and know that I have changed since I left my home one and a half years ago. I can't wait to see everyone and to give and get lots of love.

See you all soon. I'm off to get another cheap haircut (or massage).....or maybe, even, both ;)

Floating Down the Yangtze

2006-07-18T21:40:00.000Z

For the past few days Sacha and I have been on a boat, sailing up the Yangtze. It was a good trip and we're back on dry land again. I won't write too much now, but will provide more details later. Tomorrow we are off to see the largest Buddha. It is in Leshan. We're both looking forward to it. The day after, we will be going to the Giant Panda Research Centre.

We're doing well and are eating lots. China is something else. Glad we're here.

Have a safe trip home, Sallie!

Also, just want to send my good wishes and love to Audrey and her family. I'm thinking of you and the Shampan Cola. See you soon.

Hong Kong and Mainland China

2006-07-11T23:46:00.000Z

Sacha and I are currently in mainland China, in a place called Guilin. We're trying to stay out of the rain, so we're hanging out at the good ol' internet cafe.

So far the trip has been busy and interesting. Leaving Australia was pretty low-key. It was tough saying goodbye to the Redburns, but other than that, leaving was uneventful. We will now be living out of a backpack for the next 50 days. Smelly, I know, but I'm already thinking about stuff I can get rid of to make my pack lighter (and so I can add more with the shopping I do).

Hong Kong was great. I loved it. I felt at home and very comfortable. Our hotel was in Kowloon and was called the Booth Lodge. Ironically, it was the headquarters of the Salvation Army in Hong Kong. Except for the religious affiliation, the location was central and within easy reach of most attractions we wanted to see.

Upon arriving, we were met by a driver in a Mercedes to take us to our hotel. Pretty classy and blessedly easy after such a long flight. The weather was very hot and humid. Sacha ventured out in the evening to find us some food.

On the second day, we took the subway to Lantau to see a giant outdoor sitting bronze buddha (supposedly the largest in the world). We partook of a vegetarian feast in the monastary. It was filling and hearty. In the afternoon we went to the mall to take a look around. There was a lot of variety and the prices were reasonable. In the evening, we walked around. This city is definitely a night one. It's vibrant and exciting at night.

On the third day, we walked to the Star Ferry and took it across to Hong Kong Island. We spent the next few hours in Hong Kong park, enjoying the lovely scenery. We also saw at least 5 wedding parties taking pictures in the garden. All the brides wore western style wedding dresses. Then we spent some time in the Tea Museum. In the afternoon we took the tram to the peak of Hong Kong. Impressive views. In the evening, we saw the light show and walked around the Night Market.

On the fourth day, we decided to take it easy, because we had to get up early to start our tour. We walked around and went to the Art Gallery.

Our first day of the tour, we took the boat over to the mainland. We had a fabulous lunch together, which gave us a chance to meet the members in our tour. Most of them are from Australia and New Zealand. Then we took the overnight train to Guilin. It was our first experience in the hard sleepers, which were not as terrible as they sound. There were six bunks, with three on each side. There was no door, but I felt safe. It was a comfortable ride and the people on board seem friendly. Sacha even learned a new card game and played with some locals.

Today we are in Guilin. It's a gorgeous place with lovely natural scenery. Unfortunatley, it's raining, so we are all doing our own thing. We will be taking a bicycle trip around the area tomorrow and maybe even a boat trip down the Li River.

Mainland China is a far cry from Hong Kong. It is more polluted and you can markedly see the difference in the economic status of the residents. It also feels much more hot, muggy and humid. In both places, food is cheap and plentiful. I'm looking forward to having a hotel room to ourselves for the next few nights.

Anniversay Dinner

2006-07-02T12:23:00.000Z

Last night Sacha and I went to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary. We went to a restaurant called Mondo Organics. It was truly an amzing culinary experience. The atmosphere was relaxed and the food was fantastic. Sacha had an appetizer (they call them entrees here) that was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. We also shared a dessert called bacci chocolate bleeding pudding. It was a moist, warm chocolate cake/pudding with berry sauce and homemade vanilla ice cream. Absolutely yummy! Thank you to Sacha's parents for the lovely treat of dinner (and thank you to their American Express card). It will be a night we will not soon forget. One year down, only 49 to go before our golden wedding anniversary ;)

Happy July Birthdays

2006-07-01T16:53:00.000Z

Happy Birthday to the following special people:

--Archana, my lovely and busy mother-of-two, friend
--Brankie, the slickest, toughest, gruffest, pretty woman, I happen to call my sister
--Natasha (or badger), professor/dancer extraordinaire (who happens to be my sister-in-law)
--David, my hot, sexy, managerial genius of a friend
--Skyler, my niece, who is sweet, strong and smart. She's also after my husband, but I'll let that one pass
--Tim, my hack'n'slash hockey hero, financial panther and gourmet chef (feed me Timmy)
--Joane, my french-speaking used-to-be-boss and great lady
--Milan, my quiet, unobtrusive, kind-hearted and very talented friend

I wish you all a very merry birth day! Enjoy!

One More Week To Go

2006-06-29T13:37:00.000Z

Well folks, the countdown has begun. Only seven more days left to go in Australia. I have been thinking about what it has meant to be here and what I have learned and this is what I have come up with.

--I will miss the sunshine of Queensland. It makes such a huge difference to wake up to the sun almost everyday. It will be quite an adjustment to be back in Toronto, especially during the dark winter months. The sun has an impact on my outlook and mood. This, in turn, affects my lovely husband's mood. So, one thing I have learned is that sunshine is good for my marriage.

--I have learned the difference between the directions of left and right. Anyone who knows me knows how difficult it is for me to figure out if I am going left or right. In fact, the only way I could remotely keep them straight (and I didn't do such a good job at it) was to picture left as at-fault (as in car accident) and right as not-at-fault (again, as in car accident). So a conversation involving someone giving me directions would go something like this. SACHA: "Make an at-fault turn at the next set of lights". ME: "At-fault?". SACHA: "Yes, at-fault". ME: "Okay". SACHA: "AT-FAULT. I SAID AT-FAULT. NOT NOT-AT-FAULT". However, this does not work in Australia because they drive on the other side! So, I was forced to learn the difference between left and right. Thankfully, it only takes about 2.5 minutes to figure out the direction when someone mentions a one. Hey, it's better than my original 10 minutes to never learning curve.

--I have been introduced to the glory that is sticky date pudding. I know it sounds like a grandmother kind of dessert (sorry to all those hip, young, vivacious, sexy grandmas out there-you know who you are) but it's truly one of the best tastes in the world. I first had it by accident (don't ask) and have loved it ever since. Being the good wife that I am I decided to make a special treat of sticky date pudding for my husband. My sister-in-law will be happy to know that it turned out AMAZING! Don't worry, I will make it once I get home. You too, will end up being a lover of the unfortunately named flavour sensation.

--Finally, I have realized that no matter how long a time frame something seems, it will always go by more quickly than you would ever have realized. I remember the stress of leaving Toronto that cold and dark January. Well, here we are having finished our schooling and coming home. What a feeling of accomplishment and happiness.

If you need to contact us, we'll try to check in with our emails while on our trip. Also, I will try to write about our further adventures on the blog. Keep you posted and we'll see you all soon.

No More Pencils, No More Books

2006-06-20T16:19:00.000Z

Well, it's official. We are finished with school. Now we just have to wait for our marks to verify graduation. It's feels so surreal, but exhilirating! What an accomplishment. Sacha and I have just been walking around our apartment, just looking at each other. We don't know what to do with ourselves. The problem is, we can't even go out because it's POURING and cold. Not the best weather to celebrate in. We'll just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully, our almost-always-present sunshine.

P.S. Happy Summer Solstice tomorrow.

With These Wings We Will Fly

2006-06-13T15:57:00.000Z

Sacha and I will be leaving Australia on July 6th and heading to Hong Kong for a few days. Then we'll be joining a group for a tour of mainland China for 26 days. I'm so excited to be visiting the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors in Xian, the photographic wonder of the mountains in Guilin, cruising down the Yangtze River on a riverboat, seeing the Giant Panda breeding research base and the Forbidden City, to name a few places. We end up in Shanghai, where we'll spend a few days before flying to Kuala Lumpur for the day. Then we're off on a 10-day tour of Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. I'm beyond excited about the thought of seeing Angkor Wat (one of my life dreams). We finish our tour in Bangkok. We are spending 7 days there before we catch our flight back home to Toronto. That's right, we've decided to come back home for now. We arrive in Toronto on August 24th. Dubai is still in our plans, but has been put on hold for a bit.

I'm very excited about the whole thing, but for now I have to concentrate on finishing school (June 20th), packing our stuff, planning our trip, saying goodbye to everyone in Australia and just thinking about what we'll be doing once we get back to TO. If anyone has some great job leads, I'm your girl.

Thank you to Cindy for the amazing package she sent in the mail. What a HUGE treat! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I've been stamping everyone and everything with my new Hello Kitty stamp. Not all of them like it ;)

Well, let's all pray this winter is very mild. I'm not sure Sacha and I will be able to survive otherwise. Who's kidding whom, we probably won't survive the fall.

No Snow This Winter Season

2006-06-02T09:33:00.000Z

Happy Birthday to the following people:

--Lucyna, my dear friend and fellow cat-lover
--Shanon, my silly, serious, and loveable friend from Waterloo

I hope you both have a glorious birthday with lots of love and fun.

Also, happy winter. Our winter season officially kicked off on June 1st. The days are still warm, but the nights are definitely cooler.

Last night Sacha and I saw the new X-Men movie in the theatres. Hint: Stay past the credits at the end. You'll get a bonus scene. Well worth it.

Visit to Canberra

2006-05-31T12:51:00.000Z

It's been a while since my last post, so I'll try to catch things up here. Our visit with Natasha was fabulous. We got to spend a few days with her in Canberra while she had a conference there. We visited the musuem, the art gallery and parliament house. Very interesting. We also did a lot of birthday shopping for me and I got my haircut really short. I love it like this. We had dinner with Natasha's friends from Canada and from Australia. We had a blast. They were so fun and we made each other laugh.

Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday wishes. They were much appreciated. Thank you Sallie for the 'groovy' postcard, to Rose for the lovely pictures and the letter, my mom and dad for the pretty b'day card, to my in-laws for the gifts, the money and the beautiful card, to Maria for the e-mail, to Mudit and Dave for the happy wishes on the blog site and to everyone else who sent me love and good wishes. All in all, it's been a wonderful way to spend the first few days of my 39th year. Can you belive it?! 39! I'm glad that the 40's are the new 30's.

We've been starting to think about leaving Aussieland. We have a flight booked out of here for July 6th. I'm feeling the whole gamut of emotions right now, but I'm going to concentrate on completing school. We will both be done by the end of June.

I hope the weather had improved in Canada and that you are all enjoying some warm weather and sunny skies.

Natasha's Visit

2006-05-20T10:25:00.000Z

Here's the lowdown on our visit with Natasha. Sacha went to pick her up on Monday, as I was taking care of Peyten. We had a quiet afternoon and just chatted and sat in the warm sun. On Tuesday, we hung out and then went for yoga. We have a new instructor and she's a bit spooky. Her voice is like a brainwashing tape. Rather unnerving. On Wednesday, Natasha and I went the art gallery. It was a nice surprise because they have some new exhibits up. I especially liked the aboriginal art and a piece called We came, we ate, we slept. We then went out for lunch and headed home. On Thursday, Sacha and Natasha had a great time acting the tourists in the city. Finally, yesterday we went to the Australia Zoo. We didn't see Steve Irwin (crikey!), but we did see crocodiles, turtles, wombats, Tasmanian Devils, tigers and more. The parkland was gorgeous and the weather wasn't hot. Last night Natasha took us to a Tibetan restaurant. The food was so wholesome and hearty and the atmosphere was raucous and homey. Today, Natasha is off to Melbourne for a few days to visit some friends. She'll be back on Monday.

I hope all the mothers out there had a great Mother's Day!

Thank you to both our families for the wonderful and thoughtful gifts they sent through Natasha. We love you.

Academic Excellence--A Fluke?

2006-05-13T10:00:00.000Z

Both Sacha and I received some surprising and happy news in the mail the other day. Seems that both of us are the recipients of the Griffith University Award for Academic Excellence in our programs. Now, truthfully, we're not sure if they just send this to all students to keep them motivated (and keep the money flowing) or if we were sent them by accident. In fact, I'm not sure what the criteria is for receiving this award. Regardless, it's a very nice acknowledgement and will look good on my in-laws wall ;) Besides, my sister-in-law has promised us a tasty meal for our efforts. That's the best prize of all. Food...mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Speaking of which, Natasha will be here in a few days. Yay!

Celebrity Sightings

2006-05-07T18:36:00.000Z

Last weekend Sacha and I saw Russell Crowe at the Wine and Seafood Festival we went to in the city. He was performing with his band. He was dressed all in black, with black sunglasses. Now, I admit we were very far from the bandstand, but it was him. No big deal, but I've never been a fan of his. The seafood was great, though. Too bad it rained and Sacha and I had to hide in a telephone booth until it abated.

Last night we saw the premier of the state at the Buddha's Birthday Festival in the city (sorry, can't remember his name). He was presenting some speech on diversity and the greatness of the Chinese community (the hypocrite). The kids in Queensland learn Mandarin in grade school, so they sang a few songs in Mandarin. They were amazing. The Mandarin-speaking members in the audience were very impressed with their pronunciation. We also saw a guy sculpt a giant buddha out of a block of ice. Last year he sculpted a dragon. He's very talented.

My sister-in-law is coming for a visit in one week. Yahoo! (Hope I don't get sued for copyright infringement).

Just saw "She's the Man" with Amanda Bynes. Very cute movie. I would recommend it.

May Birthdays

2006-05-05T22:01:00.000Z

Happy Birthday to the following people:

--to my super fit sister, Lydia, who just got a new job (congratulations)
--to my friend, Elisa, in Finland (I hope it's not snowing)
--to my friend, Judy, in Toronto (I hear she'll be on maternity leave soon. I wish her lots of luck and send her lots of love)
--to my surrogate mother in Ottawa, Mrs. Morales (please have some South American cola for me--I just can't remember what it's called right now)

I hope that your birthday is very special and that you are all spoiled by the ones you love on your important day. Love from me and Sacha.

Try This Out

2006-05-01T18:56:00.000Z

http://www.chinapaint.com/eng/games/colorandme.asp
This quiz is so cute. You have to try this. Thanks to my sister, Betty, for this one.

$8.98 a kilo

2006-04-28T15:16:00.000Z

That is how much a kilo of bananas costs in Brisbane currently. No, not the kind covered in gold. Just the regular run-of-the-mill variety. In fact, some stores are experiencing a shortage with no bananas in sight. Now, bananas are never cheap in Brisbane. I have never seen them for less than $3.97 a kilo in the grocery stores, but this is just crazy. For now, I'll just have to load up on apples that are a low, low $3.99 a kilo and strawberries that are a very reasonable $6.98 a punnet. Oh well, at least I can't complain about the weather.

Exploring Your Biases

2006-04-27T13:48:00.000Z

I found this site fascinating. It suggests that your conscious and unconsious attitudes towards people of different races, sexual orientation, or phsyical characteristics may be different. In other words, you may say to yourself that you are not prejudice, but your unconcious actions and thoughts prove otherwise. Test it out. http://www.tolerance.org/hidden_bias

Celebrating Earth Day

2006-04-22T11:12:00.000Z

Congratulations to the Earth for surviving yet another year sharing the planet with those pesky and destructive humans. You're very kind to allow us to dwell within your bounty. We are thankful, even if we are very remiss in showing our appreciation. Thank you for your patience and your beauty.

A grateful fan.

Let's all show our appreciation today and everyday!

Pictures of Sacha the Buddhist Monk

2006-04-18T13:43:00.000Z

To view the new Sacha, just click on the Our Photos link to the right of the screen. It's under the folder entitled March 2006.

Let us know what you think.

Dancing the Night Away

2006-04-15T12:36:00.000Z

Yesterday our friend Susan was in town from Melbourne. She came over for dinner, along with Sacha's friend, Felix. Sacha made us some delicious spaghetti with beef sauce. Then we met up with some other friends and played two rounds of bowling. I could really get addicted to having a full screen television that plays music videos all day in my home. Cheesy, I know. The most interesting thing about the bowling alley was because it was Good Friday, they could not sell us any alcohol unless we bought some food to go with it. This seems like an archaic law that they just never updated or abolished. Does anyone have any insight into this?

Then we went looking for a place to go dancing. Again, the dance places were closed because of Good Friday, but many opened up at midnight because Saturday is not a statutory holiday. So we did some window shopping downtown until midnight and the bars opened. We stayed and danced until 2 pm. They played great music and we had a fantastic time.

Today is very hot and humid and the poor doggies are just lounging around looking so hot and forlorn. They're not even smart enough to find some shade to cool off. Frankly, I don't think they have the energy.

Well, I'm off to eat my Cadbury's Easter Cream Egg treat that Sacha got me.

Happy chocolate eating!

Not a Hair to be Found

2006-04-14T15:36:00.000Z

Well, Sacha has finally chopped all his hair off. Actually, our landlady, Joanne did it with a set of clippers. I think Sacha looks great. The look really suits him and his head is very attractive and symmetrical. A very good look for him. I will download a picture as soon as I can.

He did it for A Cure for Cancer so if anyone wants to donate on his behalf, please do so.

Hope you're all having a great long weekend.

Happy Easter

2006-04-13T20:49:00.000Z

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday filled with lots of love and fun and tons of chocolate! I can hardly believe we're almost halfway through April.

Weekly Happenings and Good News

2006-04-12T10:06:00.000Z

Thursday: Sacha and I went to donate blood. It was very unpleasant having the needle in my arm, but I am so happy we do it. The nurses who work in these clinics are amazing. They really do everything to put you at ease. Sacha was in heaven because they gave us a menu of items that you could choose from to eat once you had donated. I believe he chose one of everything on the menu. I chose water, crackers and raisins.

We then went to see the March of the Penguins as a treat. It was very interesting. I had no idea what troopers penguins actually are. They go through sheer torture to raise their young (only one at a time). The scenery was breathtaking and the story was fascinating.

Saturday: I got a chance to speak to Mudit and Chandana on Skype and spoke to Lucyna on the phone. It was so nice to catch up.

Sunday: Sacha and I went to the Travel Show and Body and Soul Show at our convention centre. Then we went to see The Inside Man with Clive Owens and Jodie Foster. Not what you would expect. I found it very entertaining.

Tuesday: We had yoga. Our teacher is a bit kooky, but I like her. When we were doing our relaxation exercise at the end, Sacha was lightly snoring. I think that distracted a few people from their own relaxation. I also handed in my Training and Development assessment. What a relief.

Good News

Mudit and Chandana are having a baby. It's due in October.
My friend, Faisal, is getting married on April 22.
My friend, Karen, and her husband, Derrick, are having a baby boy. He's due in September.
Sacha took out the garbage last night without me having to remind him!
And finally, my friend, Sallie, got into teacher's college. She'll be starting in September.

Congratulations to everyone!

I've Been Tagged

2006-04-02T20:27:00.000Z

Thank you, Sallie. Here goes:

4 Jobs I've Had--Okay, so I put 5

Bookstore Clerk--I loved this job. I was around books all day and my boss was a sweet lady that never made us work too hard. Of course, I spent most of my pay on books, but it was totally worth it. I think it was the first time I realized that there were other people that loved books as much as I did. I finally felt normal (at least for a few minutes).

Grocery Store Cashier--This was my first paying job. The uniform was horrendous. They did not have a size that was small enough for me so I had to wear about three layers of clothing underneath and I certainly couldn't bend my joints with all the clothes on. I looked like a miniature version of the Pilsbury Dough Girl. Luckily, it was FREEZING in the store, so I always felt nice and toasty. They were terrible with giving us breaks (translation: they didn't give us any) so I had a nasty habit of fainting from hunger (literally). The same people came shopping every week, so my regulars would make me sandwiches using their groceries while I was ringing in their order (truly). I felt so loved. To this day I can name pretty much any vegetable or fruit in a grocery store.

Cash Office Clerk--I worked in a cubby hole of a room in which I got to count tens of thousands of Canadian dollars all day. It's true what they say, it does feel like Monopoly money when there's so much of it.

Retail Clerk--I was HORRIBLE at this job. I can't sell--believe me. I could not tell a customer that something looked great on her, when it didn't. Usually I didn't have to say a word. The look on my face gave it away. Needless to say, I NEVER won any sales awards.

Sales Trainer--A natural progression from my mega-sales performance in retail. The best part of this job was all the wonderful people I met. (Is this a grammatically correct sentence?)

4 Movies I Could Watch Over and Over Again
--Matilda
--Pride and Prejudice (the original)
--Breakfast at Tiffany's
--It's a Wonderful Life

4 Places I Have Lived

Scarborough--Okay, not one of my proudest moments, but some of the best people I know were born there (Brankie and Sacha--sorry, I had to tell). Now please don't get me wrong, I was definitely NOT born in Scarborough, but I did spend my first 10 years there. Where else was I supposed to learn how to shoplift?

Ottawa--Lovely city, but really tough to get a job if you don't speak French. I love this place because it's where I met bushpig and The Morales Family.

Brisbane--Great weather. Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live here for much longer. Thanks for the memories.

Toronto--The best place on earth. I miss you Shopper's Drug Mart!

4 TV Shows I Love

--The Love Boat
--Little House on the Prairie
--Jeopardy!
--The Amazing Race
(Boy! Am I geeky)

4 Places I Have Been on Vacation

Cancun--I saw three different ruins. Coba: real jungle ruins; Tulum: ruins by the ocean; and Chichen Itza: breathtaking and bloody hot!

Dubrovnik, Croatia--Gorgeous! and still pretty good bang for your buck. It's where my heart lives.

Finland--Green, lots of lakes and rivers and clean, clean, clean. I went to my friend's wedding. It was a load of laughs. They made me feel right at home. I remember making meatballs for her wedding dinner with reindeer meat. Loved it!

Road Trip to the Maritimes With Maria--Friendly people and I will always remember the bacon sandwiches. Yummy!

4 Websites I Visit Almost Everyday

www.dictionary.com
Sallie's blog

That's about it. I hate sitting at the computer for too long.

4 Things I Like To Eat

--Ketchup
--Red Jell-O (but not cherry)
--Cheesy toast from Sizzler
--Anything Sacha cooks for me (hey, beggars can't be choosers--I wonder if that saying offends beggars?)

4 Places I Would Like to be Right Now

In my mom's kitchen. I haven't seen her new home yet and I have visions of spending some (non-yelling) time with her, just chatting.

With my sister, B. She also got a new home and I can't wait to decorate it for her--with or without her permission ;)

Philosophizing with Mu. One person who can bullshit better than me.

Exactly where I am right now. Life is good.

Azure Blue Sky

2006-03-27T15:17:00.000Z

I have never lived anywhere where the sky is so consistently blue. It's gorgeous and very uplifting. I spend hours just looking up at it and enjoying its beauty. The colour is absolutely amazing as well. I know it might seem weird to talk so enthusiastically about the sky, but I'm used to the normal, dull grey of Canada. Don't get me wrong, the Canadian sky is great, but it rarely equals what we get here so often. It has such a huge impact on my enjoyment of Queensland. I think the sky is what I will miss the most when I leave.

Well, I'm off to the library to do some research on experiential learning and social learning theory--fun, wow!

Pashmina Scare

2006-03-21T21:58:00.000Z

I was so sad when I came home from my class today to notice a definite nip in the air. Luckily, I had my lovely yellow pashmina with me (thanks Ledo and Brankie) to keep me warm in my fridge-like classroom. Of course, it was the evening, so cooler nights are to be expected during the fall. Blissfully, the days are still warm and sunny.

Today Peyten and I went to the library. Peyten is two and is OBSESSED with Elmo and The Wiggles. When I let him out of his stroller in the library he ran to the DVD/Video section screaming Elmo and The Wiggles at the top of his lungs. He was ecstatic to find that the Elmo video he's been waiting for was there, but was devestated to find NO Wiggles DVDs to be found. He lay on the ground hugging his Elmo video to his chest and in the most melancholy voice moaned Wiggles over and over again. He had a number of people laughing out loud. I find Peyten immensely entertaining. I hope you do too. On top of his comic personality he's the most gorgeous little guy. Funny and handsome. Hmmmmm. Sounds like perfect husband material. Just give him another twenty years (or so).

Our friend, Misan is coming for a visit today. She'll be staying for a few days. We met Misan on our Tasmania trip. She's great. She's been backpacking across Australia and will be going home to Korea on the 23rd of March. Sacha and I are so happy that she could visit us before she leaves Australia. Well, there goes my studying for the next few days.

Cream of Tomato Soup

2006-03-20T17:38:00.000Z

I had a bit of a panic today when I realized that it's already the fourth week of school and my assesssments will start to be due soon. Except for reading a number of articles, I haven't really done much. I get this way somethings, but don't worry, it'll pass. It always does.

Isn't it funny how some of the things that I thought were the most awful stuff in the world when I was a child, now bring me so much joy. First up is the much aligned tomato soup. No, not the homemade kind that is rich with basil and fresh ingredients. I'm talking about the good 'ol red and white Campbell's can that tastes just that bit tinny. Like my friend Sallie says nothing cheers you up quite like warm tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Related to this is tomato juice. I love it and when I drink it I have visions of my senior years (no, I haven't reached them yet).

Other things on that list that once made me gag, but now bring a smile to my face include:

--liver with onions. Very senior citizen, I know
--leafy greens. It's not just that they're so good for you. I really like the flavour. I have to admit, though that I just can't stomach the brocolli with a generous dollop of cheese sauce with it
--wheat germ. I love this stuff. Actually, I'm really enjoying all wheat products. My latest cereal of choice has been Weet-a-Bix. Yup, the mushy, almost flavour-less stuff. My insides thank me for it everyday. They especially love the immense amount of chocolate soy milk that I eat them with

All this talk of food is making me very hungry. I think I'll go and make a liver and onion sandwich on whole wheat bread topped with lots of leafy greens ;)

Baby Perfection

2006-03-09T12:54:00.000Z

I'd like to welcome Rohan Rao to the world. Rohan was born to my friend Archana and her husband, Hemanth. Their daughter, Anika, must be looking forward to teaching her new baby brother everything she knows. I wish them love and happiness in their time together. Take care of each other.

Sunshine in my Bones

2006-03-06T16:01:00.000Z

Well, the sunshine and the warmth are back. Living in Queensland reminds me of being a kid. I remember lying on the sidewalk after I had gone swimming. I would try to press my body into the warmth of the sidewalk as much as I could. I would keep pressing until I could feel the warmth all the way into my bones. It was the best feeling. Living here gives me that feeling almost everyday of the summer. That's why when it turned cooler and the sun was nowhere to be found this week, I panicked. Well, I have to admit Sacha panicked more. We even had to ask our landlady for an extra cover. Geesh! Well, no need for that today. The sun is out and the warmth is back in my bones. I have all the windows open as well as the door and it's absolutely soul-satisfying.

I'm going to make some chicken breasts with feta cheese stuffed into them for dinner. Now I just have to decide what vegetables to make along with them.

I am very excited about watching the Oscars tonight. I know, I know you might have already seen them in Canada, but I have tried very hard to stay away from any news today so that I am surprised with the results tonight. I have seen four of the five best picture nominations (I haven't seen Capote yet). I have not been blown out of the water by any of them, but I would have to say that I liked Munich the best. Sacha's vote is for Brokeback Mountain. I do believe that Philip Seymour Hoffman will win for best actor though.

Birds Without Wings

2006-03-05T12:34:00.000Z

I am reading a novel entitled "Birds Without Wings" by Louis de Bernieres. This is the author of the infamous "Captain Corelli's Mandolin". Birds Without Wings is a full-bodied novel set in Eskibahçe (“where, side by side, there used to live Christians who spoke only Turkish, but wrote it in the Greek script, and Muslims who also spoke only Turkish, and also wrote it in the Greek script”), a small town on the southwest coast of Turkey. The story runs from around 1900 through World War I and the tumultuous years that followed in the Levant, up to the mid ‘20s. It was an Edenic place where Christians and Muslims, Armenians and Greeks co-existed, connected by a long history, intermarriage, friendship, and even religion, until war ushered in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the end of the civic harmony.

So far I love this book. At one point one of the characters states, "In his wisdom he had recognized that the worst punishment is to be beneath noticeability". His writing reminds me of the South American "magical realism" of Isabel Allende and Gabriel Garcia Marques.

I think I've been more reflective lately because the weather has been chilly, rainy and dark. Quite a departure for the Sunshine State.

March Birthdays

2006-03-01T12:26:00.000Z

Happy Birthday to the following people:

--my adorable, snappy-dressing, cute-as-a-button neice Sarah
--Maria's daughter, Danielle Joy. I hope your first year was a hoot
--my tough-as-nails-heart-of-gold, father-of-the-rambunctious-Nike, friend John

This month is a short list. If I have forgotten anyone, I apologize.

Welcome to the first day of fall in the southern hemisphere. The nights are a little bit cooler and it's been raining quite consistently, but it's been bliss. There's a cool breeze to temper the oppressive heat.

Magic the Gathering Champion-Almost

2006-02-28T07:17:00.000Z

I'm happy and proud to announce that Sacha came third in the Pro-Tour qualifier on Sunday. He was very satisfied with his placing and came home a very happy camper. He'll just have to set up a rigorous training for the next event, which I am sure will involve a lot of television watching and computer game playing to hone his skills. I'll keep you informed of his progress.

Tasmania Pictures

2006-02-26T17:02:00.000Z

Good news! I finally got around to naming and downloading the pictures we took when we were in Tasmania and Melbourne. I hope you all enjoy them. Just click on the "Photos" link on the right hand side. The folder is named Tasmania and Melbourne--tricky, I know. Very creative. I try. I try.

Tomorrow our last semester of school starts. What a relief.

Sacha is in a Magic tournament today in Brisbane. I hope he does well. Send him some good luck vibes.

Have a good week everyone!

The Land Down, Down Under and Shopping

2006-02-16T20:41:00.000Z

Here are the details of our Tasmania/Melbourne trip.

Friday, February 3rd: Took a day trip to Port Arthur near Hobart, Tasmania. It used to be a prison colony during the middle to late 1800s. There is a lot of negativity surrounding the treatment of prisoners and shame that the prison existed at all. The area was beautifully preserved and I felt very peaceful and tranquil there. We also took a cruise around the harbour, which was great. It took us out to the Island of the Dead where they buried prisoners and staff. At one point during the cruise there was a gap in the harbour and they told us that if you sailed straight, you would reach Antarctica. That just blew our minds. In the evening we had a real Aussie barbie--yummy. One of the highlights was meeting a bloke from Yellowknife, NWT. He was a real country boy and the quintessential Canadian.

Saturday, February 4th: We started our 6-day tour very early in the morning. Our first stop was Field National Park. It's the oldest national park in Tasmania. We took a walk through the rainforest and then to gorgeous Russell Falls (picture at bottom above). Then we drove to the deepest lake in Tasmania called Lake St. Claire. Sacha took a swim even though it was absolutely freezing. How brave!

Sunday, February 5th: We did an arduous three-hour hike up Mt. Ferrell. It was so difficult and there were times I really felt like I wouldn't make it. The only thing that kept me going was my pride. Even though I was the last one in the group, I wanted to make it to the top. I took some ribbing for being a 'lazy Canadian', but I was so proud when I finally completed the hike. And what a view! Breathtaking! We spent the afternoon at Henty Sand Dunes and boogie-boarded down some huge dunes! What a rush. After that, Sacha took a horseback riding tour while I lounged around the lake and read my book. In the evening we met Heather, from Thunder Bay. She was awesome. I have to say that Canadians are very gracious travellers. We (okay, Sacha hogged the whole thing) sang some karaoke.

Monday, February 6th: Spent the day at Cradle Mountain and took a six-kilometre hike around Dove Lake (see middle picture above). It poured the whole time and was very cold. At one point we were all soaked and I was scared that we would get hypothermia. Fortunately, we all survived and cheered ourselved up by making a few stops at a chocolate factory and a cheese factory. The best part was all the free samples--not stingy at all. In the evening we all relaxed by kicking each others' butts in table tennis.

Tuesday, February 7th: Spent the day at Bay of Fires beachwalking and lounging. Quite a beautiful spot.

Wednesday, February 8th: Visited the Wildlife Sanctuary in the morning. What a lovely place. They take care of animals that are hurt, sick or orphaned. We fed wallabies. They were so adorable and very friendly. We also saw Tasmanian Devils, echidnas, koalas and even some wombats. I loved this place! The afternoon was spent in Freycinet Park. We did a 10 km bushwalk. We spent some time on the beach and rescued some starfish that had washed ashore. The highlight was Wineglass Bay (picture at top above).

Thursday, February 9th: The last day was spent at Maria Island. It was nice, but the weather was cold and rainy. The highlight was seeing a wombat in the wild while we were playing a game of cricket. We flew to Melbourne in the evening. It was tough leaving the group because we had become so close during the tour. We met people from Germany, Holland, England, France, Israel and Korea. Our favourite was a woman named Sunny (Misan) from Korea. She was funny and very sweet. We invited her to stay with us in Brisbane. I really hope she gets a chance to come.

Friday, February 10th to Monday, February 13th: Melbourne was fantastic. It's my favourite city in Australia; even better than Sydney. Our friend, Susan, who we stayed with was so welcoming. We spent the next few days shopping, eating, going out to dance and sightseeing. We enjoyed all the benefits of a big city. It was so fun and such a great visit with Susan.

The Symbolism of Love

2006-02-14T17:01:00.000Z

Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends and family. I know that many people have a love-hate relationship with this occasion. In fact, I don't particularly care about it, but it does give me a chance to shout out my love to all those people that mean a lot to me. I hope you all have a wonderful day that is full of amore!

Sacha and I are back from our trip. I will write about it as well as putting up some pictures in a few days. It's just that we came home very late last night and I had to wake up early for work today. I also have to work tomorrow, so it may take me until the end of the week to get all this done. We had a fabulous time. It is, however, great to be home in the heat and sunshine.

Sacha is becoming a true house-husband while I go out to work. Go out, yeah right. I walk 10 feet to the landlord's house. Some commute. Sacha cleaned the kitchen today (with soap and water and everything). I was so excited. He even had dinner ready for me when I finished. I have to admit that he does cook dinner quite often (probably more than I do), but it was so nice to have it ready and waiting when I got home. He even made the bed and I didn't have to remind him! This working thing could get addictive if these are the results. What a guy!

Holes in My Mind

2006-02-10T13:38:00.000Z

I am getting old and forgetful. I did not remember two very special people's birthdays. I apologize and please know that my forgetfulness does not mean you are less important to me.

--my perky, cute and fiercely intelligent niece, Cara. Happy 11th birthday.
--my not-so-perky, less cute and not as intelligent friend, Andrew. Do you even remember your 11th year? It's been so long. I hope you live long and prosper my friend. Bigs hugs and kisses to you. Good luck on your long runs.

If I have forgotten anyone else, please let me know. My bad.

As the Australian's love to say "good on ya, mate".

February Birthdays

2006-02-02T08:45:00.000Z

Happy Day to the following people:

--My wise and kind-hearted friend, Mudit
--My also wise and kind-hearted father-in-law
--My tiny and cute friend, Cindy
--My slightly crazy, but loveable mother
--Gentle, sweet Ginnie

I hope you all have a wonderful, special day and that all your dreams are fulfilled.

Love,
Sue

Picnic in the Park

2006-01-30T08:12:00.000Z

Yesterday Sacha and I were invited to the park by the Redburns. All the kids went as well and we spent our time in the playground, throwing the frisbee around (I still have it ;), eating delicious food, watching ships go by in the Brisbane River and having deep meaninful discussions about chocolate.

This morning is beautiful. There is a bit of rain and everything seems calm and fresh. The birds are singing up a storm and the ants are diligently marching on their merry way.

We're going to work on Sacha's resume today and finally get it done. What a project.

Good luck to my parents this weekend on their big move. I'm thinking of you.

I know I mentioned it at the beginning of the month, but Happy Birthday to my friend Trudy. She is celebrating her 27th tomorrow...for at least the 10th time ;) Love and kisses are being sent her way.

Happy Australia Day!

2006-01-27T11:17:00.000Z

Yesterday was Australia Day and Sacha and I went to a park and had a bbq. We made chicken and pork and it was delicious. Most parks have propane bbqs that are clean. Then we took the ferry to South Bank and on our way we saw the fireworks from the boat. What a beautiful sight. Brisbane is the city of fireworks. I have no idea what their fireworks budget is but it's high. They have fireworks for every occasion. And not cheesy ones, either. These are big, bright and elaborate! We strolled around for a while then took the ferry back to the car and called it a night because Sacha was playing golf with Andrew at 6 am the next day.

New Photos

2006-01-26T00:34:00.000Z

Hello everyone this is Sacha. I'm just here to let you know that Sue added about 130 new photos to the "Mrs Bakht's trip" album. Previously there were only about 70 pictures in the album.

Here is the link again:
http://ca.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/sachabakht/my_photos

Enjoy!

Tasmanian Tour

2006-01-23T12:03:00.000Z

Sacha and I just booked a tour of Tasmania. We'll be leaving on February 2 and spending a week there and then taking a flight to Melbourne to enjoy the sights of that city. I've heard that Melbourne is similar to Montreal, with great nightlife (who cares) and amazing shopping (yay, shopping). There are great museums and art galleries. Sacha's friend, Susan, lives there, so we may get to stay with here. Our Tasmanian tour takes us all around the island and sounds like a great adventure...but then, that's what we're all about.

Both Sacha and I have been choosing our courses for next semester. Again, it's a frustrating process, but it will all turn out. Looks like Sacha has all four classes on only two days...and two of those classes are at separate campuses. He'll be a tired camper on those days, but it'll all be worth it once we finish.

Our computer at home isn't working (something wrong with the keyboard connection) so we're not checking our emails as often.

Sydney Trip

2006-01-20T13:32:00.000Z

I've finally gotten around to writing about our Sydney trip. First of all, it was fantastic. We had so much fun and it was great to see it with Mrs. Bakht. It felt like she was living with us in Australia. Our landlords, the Redburns, and their children adored her. They keep asking if she has gone home and when she will be returning. We have promised them all that they can come and visit us in Canada. Of course, the kids want to come during the snow season. Poor, misguided youngsters.

Here is a list of the stuff we saw and did in Sydney. I'm sure it's not exhaustive, but here goes.
--The iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge
--Taking a ferry around the sights and seeing the above from another angle
--The Taronga Zoo which was amazing. Definitely a world-class zoo
--The aquarium with prehistoric shark and elegant manta rays gliding over our heads in the water tunnel
--Having dinner on our last night together in a fancy Indian restaurant on the waterfront. Mrs. Bakht's very, very spicy Bloody Caesar.
--The tranquility and beauty of the Chinese Friendship Garden in the middle of the city. A blissfully short walk from our hotel
--Watching the IMAX movie entitled 3-D Safari. It was especially exciting because Mrs. Bakht had been to one of the parks in person
--Showing unbelievable restraint at the opal shopping centre--gorgeous rocks
--Viewing the Pissarro special collection at the New South Wales Art Gallery

Sydney was a vibrant, noisy, beautiful city. I totally enjoyed being immersed in the culture and excitement. Really worth a visit.

I will download that rest of the Sydney pictures later this week or early next week.

It has been raining continuously for the past two days. The earth is sucking it all up and it feels like its let out a giant sigh of relief. Everything is so green and luscious. The only problem is the high humidity. I feel like I live in the middle of the jungle.

New Pictures

2006-01-10T22:24:00.000Z

You can check out some new pictures under yahoo. Look under the folders titled Christmas 2005 and Mrs. Bakht's Visit.

We are off to Sydney tomorrow morning and I am so excited!

My trip to Sue and Sacha at Brisbane

2006-01-09T10:12:00.000Z

This is not Sue or Sacha. This is their Mama, Anita Bakht. I am so lucky to be here. Sue and Sacha are surrounded by many good friends, like Redburns, Sutto's and many others, whom I did'nt get a chance to meet. Shurti sent her "Namaskar" to me through Sacha. I am getting lot of love and care here and feel very pround of my dauther-in-law and son. I thank all their friends to give me so much love and care. All the best to everyone.

The Visit

2006-01-08T20:10:00.001Z

It's been fantastic having Mrs. Bakht here. She came on Monday bearing a suitcase and a half of gifts. Thank you to our families for the wonderful treats which included books, Body Shop delights, really cute hair ties, a cool green hoodie for Sacha, stunning gold bracelets, a beautiful blue fountain pen, a lovely pastel coloured bracelet (looks like candy), a black leather necklace, music (perfect for our new IPod nano), breezy summer clothes, chocolates and more chocolates, a chic purple pearl necklace and earrings (courtesy of the Sharmas), cozy socks (for those cold Brisbane summer nights ;), new undies, Hello Kitty fun, calendars (yes, I'm talking about the Milk calendar), a stunning orange shawl, gorgeous gold hoop earrings, a brilliant fuschia tank top (which I wore already), magazines (bless everyone who sent me one of these) and much, much more! How lucky are we?!

We've been having a wonderful time with lots of fun. Here are some of the highlights:
--swimming at the Gold Coast and getting knocked about by the waves
--a delicious seafood lunch on the Brisbane river after enjoying a leisurely ferry trip
--a cruise down the Gold Coast to gawk at all the expensive houses
--a walk in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens with a peaceful moment at the bamboo grove
--watching a mother duck with her 7 babies swimming in the pond at the gardens
--a birthday party for our landlord's son, Peyten. He turned 2 on Saturday and we had all the great kid's party junk food including a homemade echidna ice cream cake (totally yummy)
--getting some great deals at shopping--wait until you see the gorgeous pink sapphire ring!
--eating some palate satisfying Indian food prepared by my mother-in-law
--visiting the museum and the art gallery
--taking an elevator ride to the top of the a clock tower and savouring the view
--visiting friends, laughing and having a great time!

Happy January Birthdays

2006-01-04T00:47:00.000Z

Happy Birthday to the following people:

--Shirley, my second mother and a sweet, kind-hearted soul
--My Ottawa, kick-your-butt-cause-she's-in-the-military, will see any movie with me (go Blade!) and the person most likely to resemble Blythe friend, Audrey
--My loving, always feeds us great food, tetka Anka
--My chain smoking, stocked pantry, dim-sum loving, great poker playing friend Christina. She can find her way around anywhere with her keen sense of direction.
--My wonderful, gorgeous, intelligent, total fun friend, Maria, who stays friends with me even though she knows me better than most people
--My internet savvy, sends great emails, story writing, mother of the adorable Lysistrata friend, Trudy (I love you Wuze!)

Happy thoughts and wishes for you all!

New Year Celebrations

2006-01-01T13:33:00.000Z

Last night Sacha and I went to a bar called the Brewhouse for dinner and then some dancing with some people from uni. Sacha danced up a storm, as usual, and we had a really nice time. It didn't feel like new year's at all. We ended the night at Hungry Jack's (Burger King) and wolfed down some Whopper's. It was so amazing to walk outside in our dance clothes and not freeze our buns off. We waited in the very civilized queue for a taxi that took us home. My feet were hurting a bit so Sacha offered to piggy back me part of the way home. Needeless to say that didn't last long.

Today we talked to my parents and are spending the day cleaning up and getting ready for Mrs. Bakht to come. What a glorious way to start the new year's.

Happy day to everyone!

Welcome 2006

2005-12-31T11:24:00.000Z

I want to wish everyone a very happy new year. May 2006 see all your dreams come true. May we all enjoy peace and fulfillment this year.

The Lost and Found Wedding Ring

2005-12-30T14:39:00.000Z

Well another Christmas has been survived. Ours was very nice. We had dinner at a few places and we did a lot of swimming. It has been exceptionally hot here with most days well over 30 and edging closer to 40 degrees.

Thank you to Sallie for our lovely and very sweet Christmas tree, which we received in the mail. I love it! I'm going to keep it up for the duration of our stay in Australia. It's a miniature glass tree with pretty little decorations made of glass, too.

The other day Sacha and I went to Stradbroke Island, about 30 minutes away. It was beautiful. We went for a walk on a long boardwalk and saw turtles swimming in the ocean as well as a manta ray. We sat near some rocks overlooking the water, enjoying the views and refreshing ocean breezes. It was heaven. When we were very hot we found a cosy spot on the beach and had fun playing and jumping in the waves. At one point Sacha went in on his own and came back with a crestfallen look on his face. He confessed that his wedding ring had fallen off in the water and that he couldn't find it. Well, I decided to give it a try and eureka! after a few minutes of searching I saw it glistening in the sand under the water. I was so shocked and amazed. I made a dive for it, but a wave hit me just then and I thought that I had lost it for sure. Luckily, when the wave receded the ring was still there and I dived down to get it. I was so happy and excited that I ran to Sacha. I'm not sure that he believed I had found it, because it seemed too difficult to believe, even to me! When it sunk in Sacha was ecstatic and we are both talking about our good fortune in finding it. The rest of the day passed in blissful low keyedness.

Last night we watched the movie Hotel Rwanda. It enrages me that things like this happen all over the world and most of us do nothing to help the situation. I find I am really getting sick of my cushy life and having so much (most of which I take for granted) while others are suffering from the lack of basic necessities. I'm not sure that I can live with this knowledge anymore. At least not without making a difference, or at least trying to.

Well, Happy New Year to everyone and I hope you have a safe and enjoyable 2006!

It's 6:05 pm and 28 degrees!

2005-12-23T18:13:00.000Z

Talk about hot. I spent four hours in the swimming pool today trying to cool down. The kids and I had fun, playing tag and catch. I had forgotten the pure joy in just enjoying the summer months with no time constraints. Pure bliss.

It's Sacha's last day of work until the new year. He had a great day selling and had some good luck, too. They had a draw at his work and he won an Apple Ipod (nano). He's very excited. Right now he's doing his Christmas shopping. Typical guy, eh? ;)

The weather channel has predicted a high of 38 degrees for Christmas day. I can't even imagine! Somehow the thought of eating turkey or ham is a bit unsettling in that weather. I guess I'll just stick to watermelon and ice-cream, oh and lots of chocolate. Yum, yum. I'm making some mini-cheescakes to bring to our landlords for Christmas Day and a raspberry and mango trifle to bring to our friend, Jacinta's, for Christmas Eve.

Happy shopping to all those later minute revellers. Don't forget to get one extra item (either toy or food) and donate it to ensure we all have a chance to enjoy the holdiays.

Story Bridge Climb

2005-12-19T16:46:00.000Z

Yesterday Sacha and I went on a picnic at a park in Brisbane called Kanagaroo Point. We had such a relaxing time. It was so nice to spend the day with Sacha because he had been away for the whole week for work. Later that day we went on a bridge climb in the city. It was fun. Great views and a good chance to see a different perspective on the city.

I talked to my family this morning and it seems everyone had fun at my nephew's birthday party. My sister does such a good job to ensure that all the people who love Nike are there so that they can all have a good time. Supposedly one of the hits of the party was these chicken nuggets. As my sister said: "Who knew they would be such a hit?" It's good to hear they all had a chance to spend time together (the family, not the chicken nuggets).

I'm applying to have my visa renewed for my last semester of school. It's such a bureaucratic nightmare. Oh well, it's for a good cause.

I know you are all (mostly) dealing with snow, snow and more snow, but I have to say it's so hot here. I feel pretty lethargic and if all I do in the day is swim a little and then take a nap, I'm a happy camper. Hey, listen, I could just sleep the whole day. No one would blame me ;)

Only six more days until Christmas (or Crissie as they call it here). They also call the holidays the Silly Season. They just love to shorten everything. For example, a swimming costume is a cossie. A chicken is a chook. Breakfast is brekkie. You're starting to get the picture. Welcome to the land of the thong (no not underwear, but flip flops).

Oh, Christmas Tree

2005-12-13T08:50:00.000Z

I am so happy because I finally have a Christmas tree! This is the first time I have been able to have one since I moved out on my own (too many years to count). Our landlady gave us a tree to use, complete with lights and decorations. The kids "helped" me set it up and I love it. I liked it with the lights only so I didn't put any other decorations on it. I can't wait to put some presents under it.

Sacha is working in Sunshine Coast this week, so I won't see him until Saturday. He's doing so well and loving the sales. I find that mind-boggling.

How about that Madonna? Just when you think it's over, she reinvents herself again. Sing it, girl.

Christmas Cards and High Humidity

2005-12-09T17:10:00.000Z

I have just finished my Christmas cards. I will be sending them off today (okay, maybe Monday). I have already received two and it really made my day. It's especially important during the holidays because I feel so far away from family and friends.

Speaking of Christmas, what's going on?! I'm used to snow, cold and dark and gloomy days at this time of year. Instead, we're dealing with heat, heat and more heat coupled with high humidity. I can put out my wash load and it will dry in about 20 minutes. Amazing! I do love the sun, though. It's luscious!

Tonight, I'm babysitting all three of the landlord's kids and I'm doing it by myself because Sacha is working...well one of us has to ;) Wish me luck and I'll let you know how it goes. If you don't hear from me for a while it's probably because I'm still in shock from the babysitting fiasco.

HIGH NOTE: My parents are officially hooked on gambling. My mom won $750 at the slots. She even has her own frequent player card at Casino Niagara. Sheesh!

Byron Bay

2005-12-05T20:18:00.000Z

Sacha and I have just come back from Bryon Bay. It's about 2 hours south of Brisbane. We stayed for a week and had a great time. It's a very hippie, laid back town. The beaches were gorgeous. The one shown above was about a one minute walk from our hotel. One night we went to see a raggae singer named Tippa Irie. He was amazing. Everyday there were doggies running up and down the beaches having the greatest time! It was a very pet-friendly place.

The funny thing about going on vacation is the sense of home-coming that is so sweetly anticipated. This is true no matter how wonderful the trip is.

I'll put some pictures up soon.

December Birthdays!

2005-12-05T20:02:00.000Z

Hip, hip horray for the following wonderful people with birthdays in December:

--my quiet, shy and pretty-as-a-picture friend, Rosie. Her first birthday as a mom.
--my smart, strong, pretty, kick-your-butt-if-you-mess-with-her, knitting-queen and all-around-world-traveller-friend, Sallie-san.
--my named-after-a-running-shoe, sassy, sings-like-a-bird nephew, Nike (yup, his real name).
--my brother, Rob, who is the father of two of the best people in the world (Sarah and Skyler).

I hope all your dreams come true this month. Happy, happy day!

Freebies, Another Visitor and a Platypus

2005-11-27T09:56:00.000Z

I love Australian magazines. Okay, I love ALL magazines, but in Australia they always include free gifts with purchase. So far I have received (free of charge) a tote bag (gorgeous, classy and well-made), a bikini (that is actually the best fitting bikini I have ever had) and a CD of Christmas songs. The best part is that the price does not increase when these freebies are attached. Isn't that great?

Well, Sacha and I are lucky to have another visitor coming soon. Sacha's sister, Natasha, is coming for a conference in Canberra in May of next year, so she'll spend some time with us. We're also thinking of joining her in Canberra for a few days. Amazing news!

Finally, our landlady took us to Brisbane Forest Park and we had a chance to see a platypus. Seems like there are not too many of these beautiful creatures left, so we were very lucky to have the chance to see this one swimming and playing at the park. It was absolutely amazing! It was much smaller than I thought, but fascinating, none the less. I loved it!

Days here are calm and quiet. Sacha got a job in a call centre (GE Money) which starts on December 9th. Actually, they're still doing references, but it should be fine. Sacha has been teaching me to play basketball and it's been very fun. Of course, I can never get the ball away from him, but I've managed to score a few times. I'm actually getting good at throwing from far away and getting it in the hoop. Of course, the net is a shorter one built for the kids, but I'm still proud of myself. Sacha is a great teacher. He's very patient and tries to calm his competitive spirit when we play together.

Time to go and shoot some hoops.

Two New Abodes and a Very Welcome Visitor

2005-11-17T22:06:00.000Z

Congratulations to my parents for selling their farm and buying a cute bungalow in Georgetown. Also, my sister, Betty and her son, Nike, have a new home in Brampton. She says it's a fixer-upper, but that just means she'll have to get all her friends to come and help her get it in shape to move in! That is amazing news for them.

For us, we are getting a visitor. YAY! Sacha's mom is coming on January 2 for two weeks. She'll come to Brisbane for a week and a half and then Sacha and I will go with her to Sydney and spend five days together. I am soooo excited. I can't wait to see her and give her a huge hug and lots and lots of kisses. Sallie: now I know how you felt to have your mom come and visit you in Japan! It's just too wonderful.

P.S. Check out the new weather channel sidebar I found. It's too cool!

Where, Oh Where Is the Ketchup?

2005-11-13T15:04:00.000Z

I'm not sure what's going on, but this country certainly has an interesting relationship with ketchup. I have never, in all my wordly travels, come across a place that is so loathe to give away its ketchup. Not ONE restaurant, even the fast food places, leave their condiments on tables or easily accessible for customers. In fact, you have to PAY EXTRA for ketchup EVERYWHERE! When you do hand over your 50 cents to $1.50 you get ONE packet that is so tiny it's only enough for 1/5th of your burger or 3 fries. This tiny packet is furthermore usually divided into two sections. It's as though the tomotoes are from rival tribes and can't stand to be in close proximity, hence the divider. I'm not exactly sure why they're so overly protective of their ketchup, or tomato sauce, as they call it. Maybe it's a long, deep, dark history I know nothing of. Probably, it's not something that people like to talk openly about. You may laugh, but I've actually started carrying around my own packets of ketchup in my purse...for emergency purposes.

All I have to say, is long live the countries where ketchup is freely available to live its life knowing that it is bound for some overweight customer's gutt to help them ease down the artery clogging fries, Big Mac, and extra super-duper, 3.5 litres of Coke (or sugar water) required two times a day. Ah, the glory of knowing you don't have to be hidden and doled out like you don't matter. Because, hell yes, you do! Free the ketchup everywhere!

Cause for Celebration

2005-11-07T11:47:00.000Z

Well, I finally finished my second semester. I am off until the end of February. What a great feeling. I only have two more courses to complete my Masters! Sacha has two more exams left, but he'll be done by Friday. He only has one more semester to go.

On Sunday we went to a farmer's market and found some really cheap and delicious produce. It was astounding! I loved being outside and smelling the fruit and vegetables...yes, I did get a few puzzled looks from the sellers, but c'est la vie. Now Sacha and I are getting some good, good veggies in our tummies.

Last night we went to see In Her Shoes with my friend Alvina. I liked the movie. I think a lot of sisters can relate to it.

Happy November Birthdays!

2005-11-01T21:15:00.000Z

Happy, happy birthday to the following people:
--Lara, who is one of the sexiest, brainest, kindest and spiritual people I have ever met! You're totally amazing L. and I love you!
--To my somethings curmudgeonly, always adorable dad a.k.a. Zlatko. I hope your children and grandchildren treat you wonderfully on your special day. I'm sending bigs hugs and kisses your way and miss you soooo much. Eat some cake for me!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TWO GLORIOUS PEOPLE!!!!!!

Happy November to everyone else--hope it's a good one ;)

Bursting with Pride

2005-10-29T10:51:00.000Z

Well, I finally did it! Yesterday Sacha and I went to give blood. That's right, the biggest cry-baby-afraid-of-needles-and-blood Sue conquered her fear and gave blood. And you know what? It wasn't bad at all. Sacha has given blood in the past, so he knew what it's all about, but I was so scared. But, the ladies at the blood bank were so kind, patient and gentle that I will definitely do it again. I feel so proud that I was able to do it. I know so many people do it so unselfishly quite often, and I probably shouldn't be so smug, but I can't help it. Anyone who knows me, knows my big fear of needles. Ah, another fear conquered. Go, Sue!

Today is a very hot day. I feel like lounging and doing nothing, but both Sacha and I have to go to school to do some research. Maybe later we can take a dip in the pool. I think we have a Hallowe'en party tonight at one of Sacha's friend's house.

Happy Hallowe'en to all the kids I know (including those that are young at heart). I hope you get lots of candy and you can just mail me all those molasses candies (kisses) that no one seems to like but me. I love them!

Mother Nature Has a Fit

2005-10-28T12:51:00.000Z

Last night we had quite a rainstorm. It was awesome! It rained so hard that our place flooded. We had to more all the furniture into the middle of the room and unplug and remove all the electronic equipment. Then we spent some time mopping and cleaning the place up. It didn't last long, so it shows you how hard it was raining. It was much needed, though, and today is bright, sunny and hot! I spent this morning cleaning up some more and just putting everything back in its place. That was our little Thursday evening adventure.

Sacha did our budget for the time we have remaining and it looks like we won't be able to do our Australia trip, or even our Asian trip after school ends, unless we work really hard for the next few months. I'm hoping that we can at least do Australia. This means that we will probably be going to Dubai sooner than we thought, but that's fine by me. I'm actually looking forward to working again. I know that will last for about......2 days ;) But you never know, things change.

I have finished two of my assignments. Only one more to go! Sacha is busy studying his butt off for his exams.

Yesterday, Sacha got a letter from the school's medical clinic reminding him that it's time for his yearly pap smear. Can you imagine! I laughed so hard when I read it. I suppose they think that Sacha is a girl's name. Either that, or my husband is not what I think he is ;)

The Demise of Leonard

2005-10-26T01:49:00.000Z

Well, I had to put down my virtual pet, the lovely green hedgehog I had named Leonard. I'm not sure what happened, but Leonard was not showing up on the blog screen I had him set up on. I probably killed him with my lack of attention. I've been so focused on school lately, that I haven't had time to write on the blog. That, coupled with my innate sense of laziness made for a dry spell on the blog content. I'll try to do better from now on. I will have completed my assessments by next Friday, so I should have more time then.

Once this semester is over, we are off until the last day of February. What a summer vacation! We're planning on working for a few months and then travelling around Australia for a month. It should be another great adventure. I'm looking forward to the shopping in Melbourne, seeing the sunrise at Uluru Rock (also known as Ayers Rock) and exploring the beauty of Tasmania. Of course, it will be great to see Sydney, but I'm not sure how it can be better than Toronto ;)

The weather has been very warm (hot, in fact), but we've been getting rain on and off, so it helps to cool things down. On Sunday, Sacha and I took a break and went swimming in the pool with the landlord's kids. It was so much fun. It reminded me of my summers spent in the townhouse complex pool where we lived. Such good memories! I'm happy to say that I can still hold my breath for a long time underwater and that I can still dive the high dive! In the evening we took the CityCat ferry to the University of Queensland to watch an African movie entitled "Yesterday". It was so poignant and touching. I loved it. I would recommend it to anyone, but be prepared, it was sad.

Has anyone seen the movie with Cameron Diaz and Toni Collette? Is it worth watching? I also saw Pride and Prejudice. Highly recommended, if you like the story. It was a new take on the novel. We also saw an Australian movie called The Propostion with Guy Pearce. He's such a great actor. The story was intense and very interesting. Definitely food for thought. Some found it gorey, though. I was fine with it.

This is Benji

2005-10-15T04:15:00.000Z

Okay, isn't he the cutest? This is Benji. He's our landlords' new puppy. Their daughter, Maddison, received him for her birthday two weeks ago. He's so tiny and playful. Right now, he's in the biting stage. Sacha keeps reprimanding me about teaching him to bite. I can't help it, though, he's look so adorable when he's attacking Sacha's sandal. It's at least two times his size, but he gets so determined and it looks so funny when he tries to carry it around. I guess, eventually, he'll show it who's boss. In the mornings when the kids go to school, Benji cries and yelps and he's not so cute then, but I guess it's because he lonely and misses them. George, is not sure what to make of this new creature. Up to this point George has had a tranquil and peaceful life....Enter Benji! He's starting to get used to him, and they really seem to get along. The best is when Sacha plays fetch with George and Benji tries to compete with George for the ball. Usually, he just lets George get the ball and then jumps and bites at George's feet to try to get it from him.

There are more new pictures in Yahoo. Check out the link. The folder is called October 2005. It has some pictures of Sacha in his new birthday clothes and his new haircut.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The Iron Chef

2005-10-09T18:37:00.000Z

Is it just me or is this one of the best shows on tv? I'm hooked. I used to watch this show at my friends' Tim and Kim's house. And now I'm watching it here, too. I don't think it's on at a dedicated day and time, so it's always hit or miss. It is so fascinating. Basically, it's a Japanese cooking show. They have this freaky, creepy, theatrical host who dresses like a cross between Oscar Wilde and Hamlet. There are three chefs that are a part of the show. Each of them is a specialist in a cuisine, such as French or Chinese, etc. Each week one of them faces a challenger. The host introduces an ingredient, such as tofu, a particular mushroom or a meat, fish, etc. The chef and their challenger each have one hour to make a menu and each dish they make must have the featured ingredient in the recipe. At the end, there is a panel of three judges that taste the dishes and declare a winner. It is all very theatrical and campy. But I think the best part is the dubbing. Sometimes I cry with laughter. No, they're not trying to be funny. It's just the way it works out. It's also very interesting to see the ingredients that are used in the cooking of the dishes. Very different from our own cuisine (at least for some of us).

The weather is getting much warmer around here. Yesterday we went swimming in the pool and it was so refreshing. Sacha is busy with his school work and I, well, I'm just lounging. I guess I'll have to start some studying today. My next assignment is due October 28th. Then I have two more due on November 4th. Then that's it. I'm done for this semester. Sacha will have exams, so will be done by the middle or end of November. We're both looking forward to our summer break.

Hi this is Sacha

2005-10-05T03:25:00.000Z

Hi everyone,

I thought I'd for once contribute to the blog site. Well life is pretty good in Australia. As you've heard we had a chance to travel during our school break, which was awesome. Right now I'm working on my final assignments for the year and studying for my final exams. I'll be really happy when the semester is over as I am looking forward to the summer break. Sue and I plan to get full time work during the first two months of the holidays, then we are going to travel Australia. We're planning on going to Sydney, Melbourne, maybe Tasmania, maybe Adelaide, maybe Perth and whatever else we can fit in. I should probably try to book flights now as there are some really good deals out there.

The weather is starting to get pretty hot, and it's only Spring! This summer is going to be a scorcher! We plan on spending Christmas in the pool! I hear that Toronto's had some really nice weather, for your sake I hope it keeps up.

One annoying consequence of spring here in Australia, is that we seem to have a family of fruit bats living in our backyard. I'm not adverse to bats at all, it's just that these ones make screeching noises and sound like demons. They also tend to start right around bed time.

But otherwise spring is very nice here. There are lots of trees and shrubs flowering and the colours are quite nice.

Anyway thats all for now,

Talk to you all soon,

Sacha

Wonderful Whales

2005-10-05T01:15:00.000Z

On our last day at Fraser Island Sacha and I had a chance to go on a whale watching expedition. We were on the Kingfisher I boat and we saw about 6-8 sightings. I have to say that it was truly wonderful. We saw mostly mothers with their babies. There was one baby that jumped (breach) out of the water on a few occasions. There were about 50 people on the boat and it was totally silent while we were watching this spectacle. I was moved to tears. They were so peaceful and majestic. The female kept slapping her tail on the water. The noise was lovely. I enjoyed every minute of it. It was a glorious ending to a fantastic trip. The captain said that we were lucky to see so many whales as most of them had already started their long journey to their winter location. I felt so lucky and grateful to have had a chance to see the beauty of the whales.

October Birthdays

2005-10-02T15:08:00.000Z

Happy Birthday to the following people:

--My crotchety friend and fellow K-Mart lover, Terry
--Sweet, lovely and very cute, Lysistrata. Hope you have a wonderful day
--And finally, my handsome, intelligent, sexy and very kind husband, Sacha (his b'day is on the 12th)

Here's wishing them all a birthday that is filled with love and lots of presents (if that's what they want ;)

Fraser Island

2005-10-02T01:02:00.000Z

Sacha and I had an amazing time at Fraser Island in northern Queensland. We left for the World Heritage Site on Sunday and returned on Wednesday evening. It was great! The first day we travelled to Hervey Bay and had something to eat. Sacha also bought me a beautiful brown bikini. I'm so happy with it. Not so happy with my body, but oh well. You can't have it all. We then took the 30-minute ferry ride across to the island and checked into our room. We stayed at the Wilderness Lodges. The lodges can house up to 18 people, with four in most rooms. Sacha and I were lucky and got a two-person room. We then went for our buffett dinner. The theme was Mexican food. Yummy, yummy. Both Sacha and I were in heaven.

The next day we left early with our tour on a humungous bus through the island. The island is the largest sand island in the world and we certainly got to see it up close on this trip. The bus had a hard time driving through the all sand (very soft) road. Many times during the drive the bus would literally rock from side to side over the sand. At one point everyone on the bus thought it would fall on its side. All part of the adventure. We eventually ended up at Basin Lake (see Yahoo pictures for a great view). It was spectacular. The lake sits on top of a sand dune and is pure rain water. No rivers or creeks run in or out of it. Sacha and I swam across it. We felt so accomplished, but I have to say that the clean water made it so easy for us. Next we made our way to Central Station and a walk through the boardwalk. We saw the world's oldest king ferns in pristine waters along the walk. It was a nice, cool change from the sun and heat. We had lunch with our group and then headed for a wonderful walk through the rainforest. During lunch we spotted a HUGE lizard that kept trying to get at our food. Good thing I'm not afraid of them or I would have been in deep trouble. We met some people in our group and took some great pictures. Our tour ended for the day at Lake McKenzie, another beautiful body of water. We rested, played cards and swam. That night we had a buffet dinner (Italian) and Sacha spent the evening in the pub. I tried to go to bed early because we had an even earlier departure the next morning, but the cheesy LOUD music at the pub kept me up.

The next day our bus got stuck in the sand and it took us about two hours to get pulled out. It was really quite funny because we created a back-up of vehicles and once we got unstuck, the other cars kept getting stuck in front of us. It was a vicious cycle. We drove to the ocean and once there were surprised to find out that the beach is a highway AND AN AIRSTRIP! Yes, that's right, cars, trucks and buses just zip down the beach going both ways. Planes also have the right to land on one specific strip of beach. Very interesting. We couldn't swim in the ocean because of sharks, but there were lots of fisherpeople and even one crazy surfer. We stopped at some coloured sand geographic features and a shipwreck on the beach from the 1940s. We then stopped for a bathroom break, which was about 2 hours in the making. All the girls were miserable in the bus because we had to go so bad and the bus rocks so much when it's moving that we were in pain, but the boys were fine because they relieved themselves in the forest. Oh the injustice! We had our lunch on Indian Head lookout. We saw whales and dolphins. Very inspirational. We got a chance to stay out later than normal with the tour because we had gotten stuck so we got back to the hotel by around 6 pm. We got ready for dinner (Mexican again, but who was complaining?) and then we danced until the pub closed. Sacha was the hit of the pub with his dancing. Everyone loved him.

I'll finish with our trip details later on....stay tuned...you won't be disappointed.

My Favourite Pink Earrings

2005-09-22T18:22:00.000Z

I have had two wonderful days lately. I think it's because I've been wearing my favourite pink earrings that were given to me by my niece, Cara. They make me feel pretty, feminine and confident. Thanks sweetie.

The weather has been gorgeous and it's beginning to feel more like summer again. The vegetation here is amazing. It makes me feel that this world is a good place. The vegetation is seasonal and it seems that each season brings its own colour scheme. The winter flora was dominated by reds, oranges and white flowers. The spring season is showcasing lots of pinks, fuschias and purples. My favourite is the jacaranda tree with its thousands of purply-blue flowers. It's absolutely gorgeous. The walk to school is through the forest, so I get to enjoy the beauty that is all around. I fell very lucky to be able to experience it.

Our landlord's kids have been off school for two weeks for their mid-semester break. Maddison, the daughter, has gotten it in her head that her favourite thing to do is try to sneak up on me and scare the c#@p out of me. The sad thing is that it works every time. She's really good at it. She'll hide in the most unlikely places and spring out at me when I'm hanging out the laundy or taking out the garbage. The best one (or maybe the worst for me) was when she was waiting outside our front door and scared me when I stepped out. I have no idea how long she must have been waiting out there. She's very sweet and I love to chase her around when she has given me a scare. I get her back by tickling her until she can't breath! Ha, ha! I think she got the idea from Sacha because he is always trying to scare me. Actually, he's had to stop because he's really gotten me bad a few times and he's afraid I'll have a heart attack. I'm such a wuss!

Last night we ordered some pizza, which was a huge treat. It's funny, but it's the little things that mean so much now. I have $50 that Sacha gave me to buy myself anything that I want, but I find that I'm hording the money and not spending it. I just daydream about all my options and I find that so much more fun than spending it. I know, I know, I can't believe that I'm writing this either! I have to admit, though, that I've been eyeing some green canvas sneakers for a while. The only problem is that you usually can't find a size 5 in Australia. Which seems weird because there are lots of Asian girls here and their feet are tiny.

I want to send some shout outs to my friends. I want to say hi to Lara and I think you're so beautiful and honourable. I'm in awe of you. To Mudit and Chandana, I'm so happy that you're having such a wonderful time together and that Chandana is settling in to her new life in Canada. I want to say greetings to Rosie, Karen W. and Maria. I hope that motherhood is still lovely and joyous for you. I'm sending good wishes and good health to Archie and her family. I want to send my love and support to Sallie as she settles down for another year in Ikegawa. You are so brave. Hi to all my family and congratulations to Natasha for the purchase of her new condo. I hope that Jack had a wonderful birthday and was treated with many gifts of love and adventure. Hugs and kisses to Timmy, KimLily, Ellie, Wudie, K, and Lysistrata. I hope the girls are growing up strong and independent. I hope that Christina is still feeling healthly and that she's not working too hard (yeah right). Lots of love to Andrew, Barbara P, David B, David R., Chris D and K, Faisal, and Cindy Lou-Chiu. I hope the Alpaughs had a wonderful summer together in their new home. But most of all I would love to hear from you all so please send comments through the blogsite.

The Swedish Wonder

2005-09-19T00:05:00.000Z

I finally have it in my greedy little hands. It's the new Ikea catalogue. I am in heaven! Any country that has this institution must be civilized. I'm taking my time and savouring it slowly. It's so comforting and yet exciting at the same time. Boy, it's so obvious that I don't get out much ;)

I went to go and see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory the other day. It was good, but, I'm sorry to say, that Johnny Depp was kind of scary. It's hard to compete with such a marvelous book, though. And I still have the pictures from the original movie, with Gene Wilder, in my head.

Today, Sacha and I played dodgeball with the kids outside. it was quite a workout and we gave up long before the kids were tired ;)
We had a very strong windstorm yesterday, but today was bright, sunny and warm. Very nice. I hear you're having wonderful weather in Toronto. Enjoy it as long as you can.

Diversity in the Classroom

2005-09-14T00:47:00.000Z

In my Managing Diversity classroom there are so many different nationalities. It's interesting to hear the point of view of other people. The non-Australian students really seem to have no respect for the US (who does?) and think it is a very decadent place where there is no sense of family. As the only person from North America I try to explain that a lot of that image is from the media, but they just really believe it. They think that everyone lives in a mansion and is filthy rich. They also think that Americans are very selfish, conceited and loud (hey, that sounds like me!--he, he). I love when we talk about our cultural differences. It gives me great insight. Of course, the westerners talk a lot more than the Asians. Sometimes it's like pulling teeth. They will never say anything to insult someone else or make them lose 'face'. The divide between the western and eastern ways is very clear in that class. It's fascinating. The Asian students say that they are learning more and more western ways, though. They think that soon it will be the way that things are done in the east. They do not seem upset by this, just accepting. It certainly is a juxtaposition between the individualistic societies of the west and the collectivist societies of the east. It's definitely a learning experience.

It's also interesting to me that Australians are VERY nervous of the threat of terrorism in Australia. They truly believe that they will be victims. There are signs all over the bus and train stations warning passengers that "Bags without people" is not good. They're afraid that bags may contain bombs and citizens are encouraged to report any incidences to the police right away. They also have lots of ads on tv warning all citizens to be "careful" (whatever that means) of terrorism.

Noosa National Park

2005-09-11T21:43:00.000Z

Yesterday, Sacha and I took a drive up Queensland to the Sunshine Coast. It is about 2 1/2 hours away and a pretty scenic drive. It was glorious. It was fun to drive with the music cranked up loud and the wind in our hair. We hung around the water and watched the sun go down. It was lovely and felt like a true vacation day. The views were spectacular and they had lots of walking trails. We'll have to go back to check out the other trails as we only did the Coast Trail. It really is a beautiful country.

Event of the Day: We tried Lamingtons--finally. Our landlords brought us over some fresh from the bakery. Lamington is a very Australian dessert. It is white cake soaked in chocolate sauce and covered in coconut. It is delicious! I ate half of mine and am saving the rest for this afternoon. Sacha ate his in one bite! Just kidding. But now he keeps eyeing the rest of my piece. I have to go and hide it now. Maybe I'll put it in the washing machine. I'm not sure he even knows this contraption exists and certainly never goes near it ;) What a great idea!