A Wonderful Asian Christmas with my Mama!

Although the holidays can be a difficult time to be living abroad, we do keep it festive here in China and this season was, although a little quieter than last year, wonderful. When December came the countdown officially began, the kids got progressively crazier and the teachers grew more and more anxious for the time off to rest and recuperate. Of course in my classroom we began counting down to my Mom’s arrival rather than Santa’s (the last Friday before holiday)…can you blame me!?

 

This past Christmas was like no other. I feel extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to travel around Asia with my mom – what an absolute treat! With my great excitement of course I was a couple of hours early to pick her up at the ferry terminal (with a large sign in one hand and wine, cheese and olives in the other). I cannot describe the excitement that ran through me the moment I saw her teal coat round the corner to step onto Chinese soil (cement… let’s be serious). From then on we were attached at the hip and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. From her arrival onwards it was go-go-go! She was quite a trooper and dealt well with the jet-lag – thank goodness because I had her running the roads! 

With the little time that we had at my China-Home I wanted to make sure that she was able to see as much as humanly possible which, thinking back, I do believe was a successful goal. Some of her Shenzhen experiences include but at not limited to: the Boathouse, a tour of Shekou at night (no I didn’t squeeze a place in at night so that she could say she went, Shekou is wonderfully lit and there is always a ton going on hahaha), a mid-night mani and pedi, smoothies, panamie treats, Luoho shopping (where we did very well), hair-washes, Tapinyaki, Kingway (chinese food) in the park and a delicious Gypsy’s breakfast. I think it’s safe to say Mom didn’t miss much; it was such fun taking her on tour to see all of the places that she has heard me speak about for the past few years. She also now knows how hard my bed really is (straight out of the Flintstones).

From Shenzhen we travelled to Chiang Mai, Bali (with an overnight stop over in Singapore on the way), Gili T, Kuta and then Singapore. We fit a great deal into 2 weeks and what a dream it was.

Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is a wonderful place and unlike anything I had expected. This was our adventure section of the trip and my goodness it was spectacular! We were adventurers by day and market-explorers and pad Thai/spring roll eaters by night. We had a day of temples and the most delicious Thai Christmas dinner before spending Christmas day with elephants in the jungle a few hours outside of Chiang Mai. This may have to be ranked #1 on my list of Christmas Days. It was an absolutely phenomenal experience and one that we felt for days (goodness elephants are immense animals that are much more uncomfortable than they look). 

We spent time training with them, ate a delicious meal by a fire, and then went trekking (bare-back) through the jungle before washing them in the river. Our elephant certainly had a mind of his own…but we survived and it was an overall phenomenal experience; one I am sure to never forget. My heart was so happy to have been able to do this with Mom and on Christmas day no less. There is a Santa.

Elephants one day to Tigers the next!

The day after our elephant trekking adventure we headed to Tiger Kingdom where we spent some quality time with some ‘medium’ tigers (HA! They were huge.). We were much more relaxed then we expected to be as you can see by the picture. What a day! After cuddling with our furry friends we spent some time watching the babies and all decided that we wanted one to take home. It was another adventurous day in Chiang Mai!

Temples & Elephants & Tigers & Hill Tribes Oh My!

Our final day in Chiang Mai was spent traveling from one hill tribe to another and it was a positively eye-opening experience. It truly is amazing to me each time I see how some people survive and with smiles on their faces no less. This day was yet another success! Mom even treated me to a fantastic hand-made hat for my collection!

When the time came to head to the airport we were feeing sad to leave the beautiful and very interesting Chiang Mai but were keen to get into the heat of Bali (it was cool and overcast much of the time in Chiang Mai).

Before arriving in Bali we had to spend the night in the Singapore airport. Although it was a sleepless night, Changi is the airport to ‘sleep’ in (believe me, I have slept in my fair-share)! We set up shop in the Free Movie Theater and watched movies and caught up on Facebook (no VPN needed). It really wasn’t so bad but I was thankful that our flight out was in the morning – I’m not sure my mom and my stomachs could handle much more laughter (I was overtired and feeling a little silly).

 

With some confusion over flight times, arrives and boat schedules I had to do some shuffling but was able to get Mom, Kathryn and I flights to Lombok where a man was waiting for us (with a sign) to drive us to the boat. The boat scene was straight out of a Jason Bourne/ James Bond movie. We were in a slick rig and were taken across to Gili T and arrived within 15 minutes, where men were waiting to help us with our bags and take us to our hotel. Martas, our hotel, was Marvelous and I recommend anyone going to Gili T to stay here! What a beautiful spot with such hospitable, wonderful people. It is the perfect island for both relaxation and fun. 

Mom and I spent a day snorkeling with sea turtles, fish and ship wrecks around the 3 Gili Islands and eating on Gili Air; that was about the extent of any 'physical exertion'! hahaha We spent our time puttering from place to place, having drinks, eating spring rolls and listening to live music. (Kathryn left for Ubud while Mom and I enjoyed our time exploring the small, very lovely island.) Although it was rainy most of the time we strapped on our sandals, threw on our bathing suits and dresses and walked (confident that we wouldn’t melt). 

New Years Eve on Gili T was one for the books – I have Never seen such spectacular fire works…it was jaw-dropping! We ended up going to a huge beach party where they had set up a stage and

lightshow (on the beach) for a famous Swiss dj to play and we danced the night away! Top NYE. 

After a rough boat ride from Gili T to Kuta Mom and I puttered around, did some shopping and had some food before meeting up with Kathryn again. That evening we were all exhausted so we had some food in the comfy room and went to bed rather early. Saturday, our last day of this wondrous holiday was Sunny!!!! Mom and I hit the beach for 2 hours of pure bliss while Kathryn read at a coffee shop (crazy haha). We had such a beautiful time together playing in the waves and taking breaks to sip our drinks and read our books in the sun. What a treat to have had at least one beach day on what was supposed to be a ½ adventure ½ beach trip! Haha Ah well, can’t control the weather.

After a wonderful day spent puttering around Singapore with Dylan and running to the ferry ticket counter in Shenzhen I was able to get us tickets on the last boat to Shenzhen – what luck! We did some packing and fiddling before begrudgingly going to sleep, knowing that Mom would have to leave the next day. We enjoyed our morning puttering around ‘home’ before heading to the ferry terminal on Sunday to say our good-byes until June. I half wished we hadn’t had such a tremendous time together…good-bye may have been a little easier. Alas, all good things must come to an end and mom was off and home without any truly terrible issues before we both knew it. Strange to see her on the other side of the screen again but I do feel awfully blessed to have so many wonderful memories of our time together.

I am Very lucky to have had the opportunity to have such a wonderful holiday with my Beautiful Mama! XO

Feeling Accomplished!

Back on the Blogosphere and I have lots of catching up to do. First I should share that I am now an official 1/2 marathon runner!!! 
If someone had told me 3 years ago that I could and would successfully complete a ½ marathon with relative ease I would have not believed it. But, here I am, 100 pounds lighter and a successful finisher of the Shenzhen ½ Marathon. I couldn’t be happier or more proud. I also feel very fortunate to have been able to train with and cross the finish line with Mariya, my wonderful China Mom and dear friend. The run went very well and I’m really looking forward to running another soon; I’m hoping to get at least one more in before heading home in June. 

Sleep Deprived but Happy!

This past weekend was yet another one for the books; my soul is very happy but my body is telling me that it needs a break (it could be said that this is because it's been go, go, go). Thursday night a few of us got dressed up and attended the Stella Artois Food and Drink Awards Gala. It was a great evening filled with entertainment, free food and drinks and laughter. I even won a beautiful docking station for my iPhone for smiling and cheering! 

Friday night was ‘date night’ for a large group of us who ordered in Bombay and then went to see Catching Fire at the theatre in Coastal City. It was my first time going to the movies here in China and it was such a treat! I really enjoyed the movie, dare I say it was better than the first. Although I was so glad to have gone out, I was a little worried that I wasn’t going to make it on the walk home due to exhaustion from the week. Luckily, I made it through my door and the next thing I knew, I was waking up on Saturday morning. 

I took Saturday to myself and had a nice putter day. It began with being Skyped into Thom Swift's house party in Sussex, NB with my parents and some family friends...a Great start to my day:) After the show, I went for coffee, puttered around McDonald’s Market and then made a yummy lunch that I ate on the roof. It was a beautifully sunny day and after eating I decided it was the perfect time for a siesta...so I laid out my towel and had a dozed off for a bit. It’s hard to believe that there is snow dusting the ground back home while I’m here in +27 degree weather (although it is starting to cool off around here). Jennie, Kathryn and I were ready and raring to go at around 4:30 to head to HK for our Big Night with Boyce Avenue (a spontaneous purchase on Friday afternoon). 

After picking up some road pops we were able to get across the border quite smoothly and made it to The AsiaWorld Expo with time to grab a drink and prepare ourselves for an hour and a half of dancing and singing. Boyce Avenue was Absolutely Spectacular live!! It was as though they were playing in our living room! Despite the large venue there weren’t a great deal seats, which was perfect as it allowed us to get up close and personal, as they say. We were front and center leaving about 2 meters between the talent and us: What a Treat!! 

When it was all said and done we lingered in hopes of meeting our future husbands (Michael and Josh included) but alas, no ring (we did meet Fabian, one of Alejandro’s brothers though…dreamy). We decided it was too early and we were all too excited to simply go home so Michael, Josh, Kathryn, Jennie and I decided to head to Lang Kwai Fun for a night out. It was my first time back to the crazy bar street and I had really missed it! We had a wonderful time barhopping and dancing before grabbing a quick bite and taking the 24hour bus home. I hit the pillow at 5:30am after setting my alarm for 8:30am (insert dread here).

Worlds worst human hashtag

 Sunday morning came much too quickly but I strapped on my sneakers and Mariya and I hit the pavement for our 18k. We were a little worried halfway through when our WaterBoy, the one-and-only Ross Henderson, was MIA but he turned up, we finished our run and enjoyed a delicious Boathouse Breaky! By the time Mariya and I made it home I had just enough energy to do some laundry and clean up my room. I was in bed around 4, watched a few episodes of Revenge and was asleep before my sheets were dry around 8o’clock.

Beijing Getaway

After months of great anticipation, Mariya and I finally made it to Beijing for a weekend reunion with the girls (Jill, Jess O and Chelsea) and what a spectacular treat it was! To be perfectly honest, as far as weekends go, I find it hard to believe that it could get any better. Mariya and I were ready and waiting for the 3 o’clock bell on Friday and were out of the school gates quicker than a blink in an attempt to beat the traffic. We got the ferry and were in HK with plenty of time to get some food and relax before boarding our 3hour flight to the big city (smooth isn’t often a word we use here in China, but it all went rather smoothly). After waiting in a rather lengthy cab line Mariya and I made it to CISB where Chelsea was waiting in the cold to let us through the gates. We were welcomed with a lovely wine and cheese spread and was up into the wee hours of the morning catching up J

Saturday we got up bright and early and hit the pavement. It all began with a delicious breakfast at The Rug, a place that I would be frequenting if I lived in the city. It was Wonderful, so neat and it screamed Pinterest to me. From breaky we headed to The Pearl Market where we got some killer deals on Michael Kors watches, sunglasses and scarves (we really had to bundle up, Beijing is really cold!). When we were satisfied with our purchases and done playing with things that we had no intentions of buying we headed to our Top Secret Lulu supplier’s new office (Betty). We were lead to the office by a little boy no more than 7 years old and were all in heaven upon walking through the doors. 

I must say I showed great restraint and only bought myself a few items (sadly). Poor Betty was left with a bit of a mess but a happy wallet. Of course in the excitement I left without my bag of purchases from the market, thank goodness Betty is so lovely and dropped it off at the school for me later in the evening! After all of the Lulu excitement we only had enough energy to visit one more market where Mariya was able to purchase her beautiful red Canada Goose jacket! I certainly plan on buying one when I have a little more money in the bank. That is a jacket that I will need when I return to Canada (or, if the girls have their way, Beijing). After relaxing at home with a glass of wine we all went for a delectable sushi meal at a great spot near the school. The girls picked brilliant kinds of sushi and we certainly laughed a lot. Following the meal we went to Mohiki for some fancy drinks and then after some more at Jill’s her and I went to Sparks for a few hours of dancing to end our wonderful day of shopping.

 Sunday was spent on The Great Wall of China…needless to say Sunday Funday has a whole new meaning to me. It took us a couple of hours to get there (nap time) and when we arrived we were all buzzing with excitement. 

Lee, our guide, took us to a much less populated part of the wall and it turned out that we had the whole thing to ourselves (a rarity and true treat). We were freezing (I wore a long sleeve lulu running top, a lulu jacket, my Banana Rep jacket, a knit scarf, hat and mitts) and the wind was wild but the day couldn’t’ have been more beautiful. It was a clear day with some lovely white clouds, a perfect combo to see the stunning views surrounding The Wall. It was such a treat to spend such a wonderful day on The Wall with such beautiful friends – we took a million and one photos and laughed the whole time. WHAT A DAY!

       LIFE IS AWFULLY GOOD :)

Halloween2013/The Color Run

Well, this Halloween again exceeded my expectations!

Halloween in Ms Hoopah’s Grade 2 class:

We celebrated Halloween on Thursday (the 31^st), which was wonderful but made for a difficult Friday! Haha A large part of me strongly believes that Halloween at school is more enjoyed by the teachers than the students (too fun to dress up...yes, I was Michael Jackson), although the kids did show up in some pretty adorable costumes! I’m pretty sure Harry Potter attended my class (his costume was that good). The highlight of the day was by far my kids’ performance in the Assembly. 

This past summer my youngest sister Za taught me how to play ‘The Cups Song’ and after playing it during an evening of Acoustic Corner I had been asked to teach some friends. I still haven’t gotten around to teaching the song to friends but did accept the challenge of teaching it to my Grade 2 students! We kept it a secret, as best we could, and practiced for weeks. By the time the assembly came they were relatively ready and very excited! The performance couldn’t have been cuter – some rocked it while others failed miserably (which upped the cute factor haha).

Halloween celebrated by staff:

The staff celebrated Halloween on Friday, which was the best decision for everyone! Haha It was quite a blowout that no one seems to truly remember and it seems that many were in need of some serious recovery time. After school we had some food and Kathryn and I got ready for the party; she went as a Crazy Cat Lady while I went as a Flapper girl from The Great Gatsby. We danced, had a drink, laughed a ridiculous amount and joined the event on the 3^rd floor around 7:30. 

The costumes were wonderful and the drinking games set-up in the kitchen on the huge island were quite something! The music list was fabulous (thanks to our 3 hour dance/list creating party the girls and I had on Thursday night) and most of my time was spent dancing…surprise, surprise. I had a great time at the party but didn’t stay out too late on account of my 6:55am bus departure time to Guangzhou with The Color Run crew!

Guangzhou: 

As mentioned previously, our bus left at 6:55am from the bus station not far from home (this may have been hellish at the time but looking back, planning this week-end was one of The Best Decisions that I’ve made in a while). Needless to say, a couple of hours sleep didn’t suffice which resulted in my sleeping the entire way to Guangzhou. It took us a couple of hours to arrive and after a few metro stops we found ourselves at The Olympic Stadium where the run was taking place. We signed in, got our packages, dropped our bags, changed in the square and were ready to join the last wave of runners at 11. 

The Color Run is promoted as THE HAPPIEST 5K ON THE PLANET and I 100% agree; taking part in this 5k run was a phenomenal experience and is one I will not soon forget. We found ourselves on a number of occasions throughout the run ‘smiling very loudly’ (Chinese doctor’s expression) and saying ‘I’m So Happy’! hahaha It was at every kilometer that the music was blaring and the paint was flying – on kilometer 3 Kathryn and I found ourselves rolling on the ground in clouds of red paint (why not, really!?). We may have begun the run in fresh white attire but we certainly didn’t finish that way! 

We were all covered in a number of different colors. The paint fight that the 12 of us had at the finish line also ensured that every inch of us, from hair to toes, was covered!

After enjoying a bit of the after party we made our way to The Victory Hotel on Shaiman Island, dropped our things and headed to Lucy’s for some food (our first meal of the day, we were famished). With full bellies we all headed back to our rooms for much needed showers and a nap. I showered first and then thought I would lay on our bed (the comfiest thing I have rested on in a very long time…a cloud in heaven really) and enjoy my coffee and a piece of chocolate. Kathryn may have come out of the bathroom Maybe 10 minutes later only to find me asleep on the bed in my robe, hair still in a towel, chocolate on my stomach and my coffee still in my hands – in my defense, I simply lost to exhaustion. 

We woke up around 8:30 and headed out to celebrate Gina’s birthday at what turned out to be a lovely place on the water that served not the most delicious food (poor Jasen had to leave on account of the mussels). After our meal we all headed back to our rooms for a much needed sleep (with no alarms set, what a treat).

Saturday morning we packed up and headed to Dim Sum to celebrate Caroline’s 30^th birthday (a week-end of 30). What an experience!! To get a table Caroline actually became a real-life squatter and simply sat at a table of women who were done but didn’t look like they were going anywhere. As seats opened up we simply took over. Slowly but surely, everyone left and we had the table to ourselves (Only in China!). We had copious amounts of delicious food and from there Mariya, Ross, Kathryn and I grabbed the fast train to Luoho to grab a few things before heading home.

 

This past weekend is certainly one for the books, it was Marvelous and I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to do it with such a lovely group of friends. I will certainly be signing up to take part in another Color Run if ever there is one nearby and I encourage any and all to do the same J