A Romantic View of my Canadian Heritage

A couple of weeks ago, during our short cold snap and snowy weather, I had stepped outside to go for a walk. I was well prepared for the cold in multiple layers, my homemade scarf, and a new puffy winter jacket. I smiled and thought how lovely it was to be so warm all wrapped up outside in the cold but refreshing air. And that got me thinking about how I survived so many years in Lusaka's hot (& sometimes steamy) temperatures. What a lovely little revelation- I enjoy both the cold and the hot. I let my mind wander down a fairly romantic ideal of why this might be...

"Ha" I thought to myself: I enjoy this cold climate from my Swiss German mother's side & love the heat from my Pop's Croatian side (you will understand this association if you've ever seen photos of the Dalmatian coast)*grin*.

The truth of the matter is that my mom's from Saskatoon, SK & my Pop is from Timmins, ON; I come by a love of hot summers & cold winters from good solid Canadian stock.

But then a couple days later I was reminded of how we Canadians love to explore our histories when my mom took me to the U of A's "Festival of Ideas". It was a lovely evening with renowned Canadian author Michael Ondaatje (& hosted by Marina Endicott). It has been a long time since I read one of his novels but I was so impressed with his readings & the engaging discussion that followed I'm keen to pick one up again. I'm always surprised when someone who has been so successful Internationally remains grounded, humble and downright enjoyable. I love finding inspiration in unexpected places.

My new earrings

I recently invested in new glasses (people have been hearing about this for years- I know...& I finally bought them). It's been a love-hate experience because the vision is amazing, but the comfort of the glasses has been trying. I think I'm finally satisfied with the below (only I was trying to show how they're blue on the inside & they look cool but you can't tell in this shot). There's a little bling on the arms as well but I didn't want to post the brand name all over the world (I know, lame- I wear them everyday).

Also featured in the photos are my new earrings (the inspiration for this post). I went shopping with my mom to Ten Thousand Villages- one of our favourite shops. She picked out some cards for herself & a pair of earrings for her sister. I picked up my usual tea and a cute pair of earrings. By the time I got home I decided I really loved the earrings that my mom had bought for her sister & told her they would match a recently purchased blouse just perfectly. Of course Mom handed them over & I am proudly wearing them above. (Allan, if you tell you mom I'll be disappointed but I really had to have them)*grin*. I do realize that I'm terribly spoiled but the worst case is that I have to go back to the shop & replace my Aunt's pair- right?

Other:

Here's a photo Alvin recently uploaded from our NY trip- I love it- it's so hokey.

Alvin's sister recently sent a photo of her beautiful baby Jasmine & our niece "baby Mutale" who's looking so grown up (we left Lusaka when she was about 8 months old, now she looks like such a little lady) - I couldn't resist posting because I miss them & think they're just the sweetest.

Snow Fever

Our first snowfall & I can't really explain why I'm so excited. I couldn't resist putting off the housework to take a couple snaps after the first snow. Everything looks so clean & fresh. As soon as I got back to the house I called Tom to talk about how soon we could skate...apparently they don't flood & open the outdoor rinks until December 15th. And there's certainly not enough snow for tobogganing or cross-country skiing...yet. Until then I'll enjoy what we've got - doesn't it look beautiful?

Zambia's Independence Day

I was so excited on Monday (24th October) to celebrate Zambia's Independence holiday. Unfortunately it's been a crazy week & I haven't been able to post anything. When in Zambia I always celebrated Canada Day in one way or another- now that we're here I felt a Zambian meal was the least I could do. Pictured below is the 'chitenge' (aka sarong) I wrapped round my waist to serve as an apron (it was a gift from my good friend so I was able to reminisce and cook in a very happy mood...which also makes the food taste better, no?). Also see below steak, nshima, 'soup', and stewed kale- yum yum. And of course the salt- anyone who's experienced eating in Zambia knows that salt if never far from reach. I even splurged on Amarula- can't go wrong with that.















On an unrelated note, a short blurb about my morning commute yesterday (I'm not sure I can even call it a commute...work is only 5 kms from my home); I noticed a white mini van zoom around me on the corner where we're advised to drive at 30 kilometres per hour. We met at the red light & said mini van was off to the races as soon as the light changed green. I couldn't help but laugh when the van veered off the road to line up at the Tim Horton's. Honestly, that is one Canadian cultural activity that I just can't understand- really, line up every morning for a double double? I'd rather be sleeping. Perhaps you have to be a coffee drinker to get it?

Whirlwind Seattle Trip

At my cousin Caroline's wedding she mentioned that the day was so perfect she felt it was a fairy tale- and I have to agree. As you'll see in the following photos it was a beautiful wedding, and I sincerely wish the bride & groom the classic "happily ever after".

Disarm Them with your Smiles

There has been some negative energy around the office. For the most part I have no problems staying positive and enjoying the challenges that all teams bring. But over coffee I happened to mention to a new colleague that I was struggling to stay positive with all the complaining. His response was something along the lines of 'work is work. Just disarm them with your smiles'; it has become my motto when negativity comes to breathe down my neck. And it seems to be working; I feel like I've been successfully deflecting negativity.

On another note...Thanksgiving.

With the folks out of town & Tom hosting the in-laws Alvin & I were on our own for Thanksgiving. I spontaneously decided that I should do a turkey dinner that would've made Gran proud. What better time to roast your 1st turkey than when you're not hosting anyone? Unfortunately, things didn't turn out quite like I'd hoped. My gravy was not a rich deep brown- boo. My bubbat (Mennonite-style raisin bread) did not raise nicely - I believe I had too little batter for the pan. I chopped up the turkey like Gran used to do & at least that turned out lovely. I tried my first ever stove top stuffing & I'll confess that I enjoyed every bite! I rounded out the not-so-colourful meal with a scrumptious glass of Amarula. I really do have so much to be thankful for...especially as we're packing our bags for a weekend in Seattle. We're looking forward to being together with the whole family for cousin Fitzy's wedding! More from Seattle.

Harvest 2011

Thursday morning I found an email from a group that had received funding from the offices I worked in (in another life) about three years ago. Attached was a report indicating the successes and failures they had seen over the three years as well as recommendations for moving forward. I was so excited to read the email, to reminisce about the small towns I had visited in Zambia's Eastern province to see how the funding dollars were being managed. I got a little caught up & realized that if I didn't get a move on I'd miss my bus. I still felt it a beautiful way to start my morning- despite setting off for work with the usual primping & fussing (OK, I didn't have time to straighten or blow dry my hair so up it went into a ponytail- minor, right?)

Reflecting on a life I loved very much in Zambia has not let me forget just how much I am enjoying this harvest season. On Monday Mom, Pop & I had our first foray into pie-making (from the folks' homegrown apples) without our matriarch. Of course we missed my dear old Gran, but it was wonderful to be remembering her advice from last year. Here we are hard at work. We're all looking forward to comparing the pastry...we certainly don't have hopes that it will be just like Gran's- but maybe close?!*fingers crossed*














Looks pretty good to me





























Last weekend Tom, Dev, Jason & I spent the day out at Alaina & Marc's farm; I've been meaning to call her all week to tell her how much fun I had. I'm sure the photos will highlight my excitement about being out there chopping wood*grin*.

The Waiting is Over

...and it's official- Zambia has a new President. Alvin & I have been closely watching news stations & chatting with friends back in Lusaka to find out how things were progressing after elections held on Tuesday. Today it was announced that Michael Sata will takeover. Being away from 'home' I have no opinion on whether or not this is a good thing; but there is a part of me that is so proud that the current President is standing down. Many African nations have been criticized for being democratic only in theory- I'm smiling that Zambian voters have been heard in the announcement of a new President. I will certainly be keeping a close eye on developments and security as change is not always smooth; but for now I'll imagine the energy that we are hearing about- thousands of Zambians celebrating in the streets. I'm smiling to see the familiar streets in my mind; hope-filled people along Chilimbulu road & Independence avenue.

Other news:
I've been savouring a gorgeous Fall. Here are some shots of me & Al out for an afternoon stroll.










































Tom turned another year older...














And I can't believe I got my first canna lily flower in September. Now there are three blooms on this one plant. It's a remarkable Fall!

Travel by Air

Here are some thoughts I jotted down on September 1st. Odd that I should be posting on Sept.11 of all days...perhaps the cause of the many restrictions we now face when readying ourselves for air travel.

As I was packing for the NYC trip (squish one pair heels, 2 x sundresses, jeans, shawl for cool evening) into one small carry-on bag. Ensure all fluids do not exceed 100mL - pack in clear plastic bag that's easily accessible for all the security gates, easy to slip-on/slip-off shoes. Dump out purse to double check that nothing sharp (like nail clippers) got stuck into a compartment, or that I do not have a tube of hand lotion that may be a little too large- all I could think was: rules rules rules.

I began to miss traveling in Southern Africa. I miss how packing didn't have to involve minimizing. Giant purses, big ol' suitcase, minimum one plastic carrier bag full of food and drinks. Any bus or train would have at least one chicken, if not- there would be a goat. The worst though, would be the giant feed bags shoved under seats- but stacked so deep your feet end up on them as footrests; naturally your knees would come up to your ears while digging into the vinyl seat in front of you (think sweat).

And of course the bus/train schedules are merely suggestions- when the bus is full it starts rolling. The train will break down at some point, so even if it did leave on time chances are it would not reach it's destination on time.

But, the clothes are rolled tight. Snacks on hand. Mini soaps packaged in clear plastic. A long sweaty dusty ride to an exotic-sounding African town isn't in the cards right now (Harare, Maputo, Dar es Salaam). A stuffy red-eye to an iconic city is exhilarating in a different way. NYC here we come!

The New York Trip

For my faithful readers (I know there are a few)- here are the photos from our trip out to meet Alvin's family in Connecticut. There are several tales that I hope to post when the weather is not quite so gorgeous...
Until then here are a few shots of our fabulous weekend away.

If I could belt it out like Alicia...

This is what I'd be hollering:



This tune will be my anthem this weekend. Alvin & I are off for a long weekend in New York to visit Alvin's family & see the Big Apple. I can't wait to post photos of our adventures...starting from taking the red-eye Friday morning- *eek*.
Until then I'm humming along to New York- dah dah dah dah dah daaahhhhhh.

Self Professed Writers

It's the oddest thing: of late, I have met several people who tell me that they are writers. They write all the time. They develop special bonds with people because they have writing in common. And I never know how to react. They make writing sound so romantic & lofty. How does one respond to that? These are some thoughts that run through my head during that awkward silence after one informs me of his/ her writing prowess:

a) Are you published? (That sounds so pretentious)
b) What do you write? (Really, I'm curious- poetry? Stories? Research papers?)
c) How do you do it? (At the computer or old school with pen & paper? Maybe you have a coil bound notebook that you carry everywhere with you?)
d) Where do you find your inspiration?

I am a self-professed reader. I'll read anything (once anyway). One of my secret dream jobs is to proof-read for people- or for a big publishing company- because I hate picking up a book (or reading an article on-line) that has spelling or grammatical errors (but please excuse the errors you find throughout this blog- I know they're there)! But mostly I'd like to proof-read because my desire to read is insatiable. I have been dually inspired to post something about writing up here because, funny enough, I've just picked up a book about writing (Aunt Julia & the Scriptwriter, a required read from way back in high school by Mario Vargas Llosa). Maybe I don't call myself a writer because as I re-read this message I realize I've got no 'close'- all of these coincidences about writing have led me nowhere. Except inspired to post a blog about writing nothing. And to enjoy a quiet evening filling the lines on a page of loose leaf with news to an old friend that will have to get mailed the old fashioned way.

39 Years

We decided to host my folks to celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary. I was humming & hawing about what to make for such a celebration. Alvin suggested a smorgasbord...& what a smorgasbord is was*smile*





























The centre piece of the meal was Thai Salad Rolls- inspired from a colleague's recipe & the question: why not try something new after 39 years? Congrats Mom & Pop - 39 years is no small feat!

Even more fun than all the eating was the match of cribbage post-feast. It has been years since I've played crib & knew that I wouldn't be able to remember all the rules to teach Alvin- I can't wait to play again.

Tom's Harvest

Tom & Dev have a lovely garden. The other day Tom took a quick photo of (one of his many) harvests.















I thought about trying to show him up but with a balcony & no garden patch that's virtually impossible. I'm going for size here, not quantity- check out this monster; I am quite proud of my first pot-grown fruit of the season*grin*. And it was quite delicious in the tomato sauce I made last night.

Cherry Platz

The other weekend Pop & I picked cherries from Tom's backyard. We pitted, packaged & planned how we would use them. Alvin complained that they're too sour for muffins (for him maybe- I love them); but still, I considered other ways for enjoying these sour cherries. I looked through some of mom's Mennonite cookbooks looking for a platz recipe- that's what I decided I wanted. Gran used to make fruit platz (pronounced plautz) with an almost sugar-cookie bottom, fruit filling, and a sweet brown sugar topping. None of the platz recipes I could find were exactly what I was looking for. Undeterred, I baked without a recipe. A little daunting at first, but it turned out just as I had hoped so now I feel a bit like a seasoned baker- or like a Granny - to heck with measurements! I brought some over to the folks & after some of mom's input I would change the topping up a bit next time. But doesn't it look scrumptious?















When I was uploading my platz pictures I found some shots from one of my fave Edmonton festivals- Heritage Days. It was great to have Candra back too because her family always gets us free goodies from the Caribbean tent*grin*- gotta love Jamaican beef patties.

To Each His/Her Own

I rarely write about when I don't reach a goal, or when I cheat on my morning runs. I feel like it's time to come clean. The other morning when I set off for my 5:15 a.m. run it was pretty darn chilly. It was also not sunny and bright. Out came the fleece vest and thoughts of a looming Fall. Drat, I will have to come up with another exercise program because in the coming months morning runs will not be so enjoyable. The very next morning when the alarm clock went off I rolled over & stayed under the warm duvet.

But it turned out to be a gorgeous Friday and I made up for it in the afternoon when I went for a glorious run in the full afternoon sun. I chose a route down by the river (feel free to cue Neil Young- it is Folk Fest weekend in Edmonton) where the blue sky contrasted against the glistening green leaves. The river is so full from all the rain - it felt positively lush.

As I trundled along - enjoying the colours, the red-winged blackbird atop the highest branch, and the robin who's lunch I interrupted (he flew off into the bushes and left a writhing worm) - I noticed an older man out enjoying the trails as well. He had his book open in front of him as he walked along the trail. At first I judged- seriously? You need to read a book out on this glorious afternoon? And then I thought- if that's what it takes to get him out, or if that's how he enjoys his strolls- so be it. I will enjoy the colours, the birds, and the exercise in my own way...he can enjoy it in his.

Cheating on my early morning Friday run turned out to be a great thing- my weekend surely started out on a bright note.

My Internal Smile

The other morning when I set off for my bike ride I was met by the most perfect full rainbow. Set against a dark sky and all. Drat, I thought, if only I had my camera I could share this moment with my few faithful readers. But as I pedaled faster, in search of the mythical pot of gold, I realized that's why I get out first thing: so I have this solitude to savour such beautiful gifts. I've started making a habit of referring to these sweet solo moments as my "internal smiles"; I carry them with me throughout the day so that when something doesn't go my way I can return to that private moment and smile.

On a completely unrelated note, I came across a beautiful piece of writing the other day and I suppose it made me consider how I remember my life in Lusaka. I don't usually post excerpts up here but I thought it such a poignant description of memories:

In real life, I reflected, you warmed yourself on cold winter days in a foreign land by pulling out a rag-bag collection of those memories. You wondered which ones to keep and which to throw away, paused over a fragment here, smiled at a scrap. You reached out to grasp people you knew and came up with a handful of air, for they were only chimeras, spun out of your own imagination. You tried to pin down a picture, thought that you had it exactly the way it smelled and looked so many years ago, and then you noticed, out of the corner of your eye, a person who had not been there before, a slight movement where there should have been the stillness of empty canvas. (Anita Rau Badami, "Tamarind Mem")

I'm off now for a quick bike ride before the next downpour (hopefully)*grin*

Going to the Place I Need to Go

My Pop's God-mother & her husband (my Uncle Nick) were in town for a couple of days. I love this couple; and if I've ever met a story-teller it would be my Uncle Nick. Born in Croatia, he grew up in Northern Ontario mining towns. He spent 41 years underground working in those mines. Despite all these years in Canada he still weaves amazing stories of 'the old country'. (I learned the other night that these stories need not be fueled by home brewed red wine...though they seem a bit warmer after a glass or two).
His story that made me smile so recently has to do with the things people first learn in a new language. Out came the story of Uncle John not knowing the word for toilet on one of his many trips to Croatia. Uncle Nick provides a translation of how villagers refer to visiting the bathroom/washroom/toilet: "I'm going to the place I need to go". I love it- isn't that the perfect conversation stopper.
Brilliant.

Then...& Now

I don't think any of us predicted that after this camping trip:













Mount Robson, August 2004- it would be 7 years until the five of us were together again.

But there you have it. Seven years: after each of us has had many an adventure (travels around the world, degrees under belts, break-ups, marriages, family births & deaths) here we are- all five of us back together again for a long weekend in Yoho National Park.
















It was amazing to re-connect, to see just how little each of us had changed, but to share in the many experiences we've each had that have helped us mature. What am I talking about? We hiked, ate, laughed, drank, hit the hot springs...& acted as if no time had elapsed since our last visit.

Here is a slide show for your viewing pleasure. Otherwise I'm basking in thankfulness for having such a tight knit group of friends from way back in the day.

If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes

Oh the joys of an Edmonton summer. The weather on Thursday was glorious before the thunder storm rolled in- 27 degrees. Friday we were down to 11 with rain forecast for the whole weekend. Alvin came up with the lemonade this weekend though- rather than complaining about all the rain he gathered the troops & we hit the ice. That's right, who knew skating in July would be so much fun.

Alvin's second time on skates & he's already starting to look comfortable. Here are the boys warming up.















Al & Devo:





























Let's get back at it...














I realized when uploading these photos that I never even mentioned Canada Day long weekend. Oops- we celebrated Jason's birthday one night















I couldn't resist posting this photo of Ma because it is rare to see her with two drinks...














and Canada day the next