Something has been happening with me and I finally put my finger on it - I am in a mid life crisis. For those of you who know me and start to laugh - I'm serious this time! Sometime in the next 10 days I will turn 37. hmm. 37! What kind of age is that? You are neither celebrating 40 (which is now the new 20) or moaning about turning 30 (which is now a very hip age to be)- you are there in the middle - limbo- just falling apart and going grey.
Ever since I turned 30, my body has slowly been falling apart. At age 31 you start to feel your joints, at age 32 your knees, 33 started back problems, at 34 I fell in love so the problems seem to not bother me. At age 35 with a new born baby- along with extreme sleep deprivation, my body started to rebel. And now, at 37 it's already telling me- Hasta la vista Baby - nice knowing you.
There are so many things I would like to accomplish. I feel most unaccomplished - I mean, at age 37 Napolean was well on his way to being King of France. Having said that, I do not wish to be King (or Queen, Princess or Royal Consort) of France or any other country. But it does keep things in perspective about how much you can accomplish by age 37. But on the other hand, I have accomplished a lot more than I thought I would have - I mean, I actually managed to find a nice guy and convinced him to marry a ranting-political activist-plus part time artist-plus part time chef-plus compulsive planner (a feat I often find unbelievable at times), and I am even more surprised that I have a child who at age 2 is still pretty normal given that I had no exposure or interest in actually taking care of children before mine was born.
But the sands of time are showing. I have wrinkles on my face, my hair is grey and added to my list of ailments is tendinitis. The one thing I wish I had and really miss are spectacles. I had them from the time I was 16 and all of a sudden when I was 35 and pregnant they said I don't need them anymore. While it was liberating at first, soon I started to miss them, and now I am downright lonely without those wonderful things that rest on your nose and make you look ever so sexy.
I guess I could always fix my hair and get rid of my ponytail, buy a pair of fake glasses and invest in some anti-wrinkle cream (Emy had one which seems to be working well). But then I would be all fake - which is exactly what women suffering from a mid life crisis become!
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
A sad ending
I heard some news today that seems to have really shaken me. It's a story of courage, of faith, love and pure grit and yet even though there is a lot of success, in the end it looses.
This is a story of a young woman called Jane. She had just given birth to a little boy and while breastfeeding found a lump on her breast. Sadly, this turned out to be breast cancer. They removed the lump and did a mastectomy. Presumably she got the all clear because she ran the Toronto marathon and spent Christmas in the Dominican. Unfortunately, Mrs H just emailed to say she had passed away - of a brain tumor. How can someone so determined to lead a normal life and be there for her children not make it? What happened to those divine creatures that were supposed to be there for those who really tried? Why didn't she get a second chance?
I do not know this young lady. Have never met her. Yet for some reason her life seems to resound with me. Maybe it's the way she also never seems to quit or maybe it's because she was also just trying to get on with her life like all the rest of us. Nonetheless it feels wrong.
Over the past hour I have questioned how it is even possible that a cancer patient who is being checked continuously for relapses would not be checked for a brain tumour? On the other hand, even if she had known she had a tumour - what can they do?
It just seems like a completely wrong ending to life that had so much to offer this world.
This is a story of a young woman called Jane. She had just given birth to a little boy and while breastfeeding found a lump on her breast. Sadly, this turned out to be breast cancer. They removed the lump and did a mastectomy. Presumably she got the all clear because she ran the Toronto marathon and spent Christmas in the Dominican. Unfortunately, Mrs H just emailed to say she had passed away - of a brain tumor. How can someone so determined to lead a normal life and be there for her children not make it? What happened to those divine creatures that were supposed to be there for those who really tried? Why didn't she get a second chance?
I do not know this young lady. Have never met her. Yet for some reason her life seems to resound with me. Maybe it's the way she also never seems to quit or maybe it's because she was also just trying to get on with her life like all the rest of us. Nonetheless it feels wrong.
Over the past hour I have questioned how it is even possible that a cancer patient who is being checked continuously for relapses would not be checked for a brain tumour? On the other hand, even if she had known she had a tumour - what can they do?
It just seems like a completely wrong ending to life that had so much to offer this world.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas 2008
Something is just not right this year and I can't put a finger on it. We have a real Christmas tree that miraculously smells like pines (out last two trees did not), we have snow all over and really the makings of a perfect Christmas. But still, it just did not feel like Christmas. Something was missing and for the life of me I cannot figure out what.
Maybe it's the gloom and doom that is prevalent everywhere - I mean, how depressing is it to know that Woolworths is closing down after 100 years - or maybe it's more depressing to know that our stupid govt is going to spend more money we do not have to bail out an auto industry whose cars no one wants to buy - at the expense of my daughters future. Everywhere I go things are just not Christmassy. Christmas is a time of laughter and happiness, yet I feel burdened. I just don't see the spirit this year.
And it's not like we haven't tried. I mean, my dear friends came over on Christmas and we cooked up quite a feast with a goose and all the sides - the goose took far too long to cook, and it was way to tough (I realised I had bought a Mennonite Free Range one - apparently the ones cooped up in cages would have made better meals). But in spite of the trials and tribulations of one ex-chef (my friend Ed) and another ex-sous chef (me) and a support team of 2 ambitious home cooks (my friends Gab and Cat) - and a meal that after 6 hours gave us a proper meal and over which we did laugh - I still did not find the Christmas spirit.
It was probably me. I am way too tired these days. The burden of the path ahead looks even more heavy and under all this strain I find I have sadly totally lost my sense of humour. My friend Emy is correct when she says I need to learn to say "No "more often and stop trying to accommodate everyone. The toll of doing that is costing me the season's spirit.
Maybe it's the gloom and doom that is prevalent everywhere - I mean, how depressing is it to know that Woolworths is closing down after 100 years - or maybe it's more depressing to know that our stupid govt is going to spend more money we do not have to bail out an auto industry whose cars no one wants to buy - at the expense of my daughters future. Everywhere I go things are just not Christmassy. Christmas is a time of laughter and happiness, yet I feel burdened. I just don't see the spirit this year.
And it's not like we haven't tried. I mean, my dear friends came over on Christmas and we cooked up quite a feast with a goose and all the sides - the goose took far too long to cook, and it was way to tough (I realised I had bought a Mennonite Free Range one - apparently the ones cooped up in cages would have made better meals). But in spite of the trials and tribulations of one ex-chef (my friend Ed) and another ex-sous chef (me) and a support team of 2 ambitious home cooks (my friends Gab and Cat) - and a meal that after 6 hours gave us a proper meal and over which we did laugh - I still did not find the Christmas spirit.
It was probably me. I am way too tired these days. The burden of the path ahead looks even more heavy and under all this strain I find I have sadly totally lost my sense of humour. My friend Emy is correct when she says I need to learn to say "No "more often and stop trying to accommodate everyone. The toll of doing that is costing me the season's spirit.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Mumbai and the terrorists
As most of the world knows, Mumbai has been under a mindless terror attack for the past 4 days. All terrorist attacks are inhuman and cruel, most don't make any sense and the overall loss to all is far greater the attack itself. But this is not what this blog is all about - for an analysis on the Mumbai attack - watch CNN.
My blog is about the terrorists themselves. These young men and women who chose to do this very cowardly act and destroy thousands of lives in the bargain. Let it be very clear - ALL TERRORISTS ARE COWARDS- THEY HAVE NO RELIGION , NO FAITH AND NO GOD. To link any of these terror attacks to a particular religion is wrong, biased and unfair.
When the siege started in Mumbai, I thought that if we moderates do not do something about the extremists who have high jacked our religion then we have lost our collective conscience. I don't agree with that anymore. We have nothing in common with these guys. Yes they claim to follow "Islam" but their "Islam" and mine have nothing in common. Mine believes in peace, charity and justice. Theirs is war, bloodshed and murder. We do not follow the same set of beliefs and as far as I am concerned just because they want to take AK47s and say they are Muslim does not make them any part of it. I have as much in common with their ideology as I have with a Haitian voodoo priest.
Muslims around the world should not have to apologise every time some Islamic nut decided to commit a heinous act. It is unfair to the 1 billion people who follow the religion and the law of the land if they had to apologise for actions of few who in no way represent their thoughts. So linking this and other terror attacks to "Islam - a religion of terror", or to the "Muslim community"is a practice that hurts more than it helps. It marginalizes people and does not lead towards a more peaceful and cooperative world.
Muslims are like any other people. We work hard to bring home food and pay the rent, we wonder how to pay for university for our kids, we watch bad sitcoms on TV, shop at Walmart and eat at Tim Hortons. We also have other very similar traits with the rest of the population, some of us fight with our spouses, some cheat on them, some don't pay taxes, some sleep at work and some don't recycle. In effect we are no different from any other segment of population in the western world. Most of us are only "Muslim" because we were born into a Muslim family. A large portion of us cannot (or do not) read the Quran and an equally large portion of us have never been to a mosque. In this respect, we are probably more lax about our religion than our Christian counterparts. It does not mean we do not follow the religion - we do, but like the evolution of cultures, our way of religion has evolved as well.
However, among those who follow Islam, a very small population(probably less than 0.0o1%) follow an ideology that has nothing to do with foundlings of Islam - it is purely a political extension of someones own desires. These are the fundamentalists and their crazy "jihad".
While there is no doubt that the Muslim community needs to do more to put out the ever growing extremism in the religion - it should be noted that Muslims can do about as much as Catholics could do when the IRA was bombing London in the 70s, 80s and 90s. There is still a big gap between what is reasonable to achieve and what needs to be done.
For starters, most fundamentalist thought is brought about in isolated comm unites that live within other non-Islamic general populations - like the large Muslim community in the Brampton suburb of Toronto. It is not uncommon to see girls here wearing "hijabs" or men with beards (both visible signs of religion in Islam) - what is common is the communal lack of integration. They attend private Islamic schools, live, socialize and work mainly among themselves and for all general purposes are separated from mainstream society. It is within these communities that a very small line defines orthodoxy and fundamentalism. When you have not been given the right to individual thought and expression from cradle, you take the word of the "smartest" in the community - sadly in these cases, it is the Mullah.
I know there is a huge out cry for Muslims to cure the disease within the religion, bring back these rogue elements and end the fundamentalism that exists - but this is totally unreasonable. What can an average Muslim chap who works in an office do that would remove Uber-nut bin Laden from his path - not much! What can an average Muslim do to prevent others from joining his path - maybe a very little something- and this is help with integration. Integration dispels some of the prejudices and hatred. Integration brings about an understanding that is core to future peace.
.
My blog is about the terrorists themselves. These young men and women who chose to do this very cowardly act and destroy thousands of lives in the bargain. Let it be very clear - ALL TERRORISTS ARE COWARDS- THEY HAVE NO RELIGION , NO FAITH AND NO GOD. To link any of these terror attacks to a particular religion is wrong, biased and unfair.
When the siege started in Mumbai, I thought that if we moderates do not do something about the extremists who have high jacked our religion then we have lost our collective conscience. I don't agree with that anymore. We have nothing in common with these guys. Yes they claim to follow "Islam" but their "Islam" and mine have nothing in common. Mine believes in peace, charity and justice. Theirs is war, bloodshed and murder. We do not follow the same set of beliefs and as far as I am concerned just because they want to take AK47s and say they are Muslim does not make them any part of it. I have as much in common with their ideology as I have with a Haitian voodoo priest.
Muslims around the world should not have to apologise every time some Islamic nut decided to commit a heinous act. It is unfair to the 1 billion people who follow the religion and the law of the land if they had to apologise for actions of few who in no way represent their thoughts. So linking this and other terror attacks to "Islam - a religion of terror", or to the "Muslim community"is a practice that hurts more than it helps. It marginalizes people and does not lead towards a more peaceful and cooperative world.
Muslims are like any other people. We work hard to bring home food and pay the rent, we wonder how to pay for university for our kids, we watch bad sitcoms on TV, shop at Walmart and eat at Tim Hortons. We also have other very similar traits with the rest of the population, some of us fight with our spouses, some cheat on them, some don't pay taxes, some sleep at work and some don't recycle. In effect we are no different from any other segment of population in the western world. Most of us are only "Muslim" because we were born into a Muslim family. A large portion of us cannot (or do not) read the Quran and an equally large portion of us have never been to a mosque. In this respect, we are probably more lax about our religion than our Christian counterparts. It does not mean we do not follow the religion - we do, but like the evolution of cultures, our way of religion has evolved as well.
However, among those who follow Islam, a very small population(probably less than 0.0o1%) follow an ideology that has nothing to do with foundlings of Islam - it is purely a political extension of someones own desires. These are the fundamentalists and their crazy "jihad".
While there is no doubt that the Muslim community needs to do more to put out the ever growing extremism in the religion - it should be noted that Muslims can do about as much as Catholics could do when the IRA was bombing London in the 70s, 80s and 90s. There is still a big gap between what is reasonable to achieve and what needs to be done.
For starters, most fundamentalist thought is brought about in isolated comm unites that live within other non-Islamic general populations - like the large Muslim community in the Brampton suburb of Toronto. It is not uncommon to see girls here wearing "hijabs" or men with beards (both visible signs of religion in Islam) - what is common is the communal lack of integration. They attend private Islamic schools, live, socialize and work mainly among themselves and for all general purposes are separated from mainstream society. It is within these communities that a very small line defines orthodoxy and fundamentalism. When you have not been given the right to individual thought and expression from cradle, you take the word of the "smartest" in the community - sadly in these cases, it is the Mullah.
I know there is a huge out cry for Muslims to cure the disease within the religion, bring back these rogue elements and end the fundamentalism that exists - but this is totally unreasonable. What can an average Muslim chap who works in an office do that would remove Uber-nut bin Laden from his path - not much! What can an average Muslim do to prevent others from joining his path - maybe a very little something- and this is help with integration. Integration dispels some of the prejudices and hatred. Integration brings about an understanding that is core to future peace.
.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Things to do before I die
Of late a lot of people have been advising us to get our wills made. On top of it, everywhere I turn I see people making "life changing" decisions, and determined to "live it up" only once, and generally declaring what they want to see before they greet the wonderful old man who lives up in the heavens. This started me thinking about what I would like to accomplish. After much consideration, here is my list of what I would like to do before I die.
1) Learn to play the piano well enough to perform in a local repertoire.
2) Learn how to dance the Tango like they do on TV and dance it with my husband.
3) Help organise the menu at our daughters wedding.
4) Paint at least one painting that I am 100% happy with and where I would not change anything.
1) Learn to play the piano well enough to perform in a local repertoire.
2) Learn how to dance the Tango like they do on TV and dance it with my husband.
3) Help organise the menu at our daughters wedding.
4) Paint at least one painting that I am 100% happy with and where I would not change anything.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Those Bloody Pedophiles
I have never understood this growing fascination with people wanting to do sick things with children. It scares me that it is so much in the open and that these demented guys are as powerful as they are. Take the case of the little Madeleine who was taken from her holiday apartment by what now looks like an organised pedophile ring. Yes, her parents are stupid and should have been there to see if their kids are ok - but we are all saying this in retrospect. The problem is not that this little girl has parents who for one evening lost good judgement, but that every single child out there is at risk from any person who has sick tendencies and an organised network that allows them to take your child and do heinous things to them!
To what extent can you protect your child when people come into your home (remember the Cecilia Zhang case) and take your child from under your nose! Just how protective can you be of your child and still allow them to have a normal childhood? I remember when I was a child, I would spend the evening at my friends apartment - about 3 buildings away and walk home at dinner time. Today, kids are not allowed to play unsupervised in their own backyards in Toronto! How are they ever to getvindependence, street smarts and learn how to tackle the world.
I can tell you from our own experience that we no longer take our little one to crowded places. It's simply not worth it. She likes to run around, and forcing her to sit in her stroller only comes with strong protests, and since she is faster than us, the risk of loosing her is high. It is sad. My child should have every right to go and enjoy these fairs and events. She lives in the most multicultural city on earth, and yet cannot participate in most of it's activities because this small group of sick people have put the worst fear into her parents.
It's scary enough that there could be an odd pedophile out there, but the fact that there are organised rings that steal kids to order is simply too frightening to even understand.
To what extent can you protect your child when people come into your home (remember the Cecilia Zhang case) and take your child from under your nose! Just how protective can you be of your child and still allow them to have a normal childhood? I remember when I was a child, I would spend the evening at my friends apartment - about 3 buildings away and walk home at dinner time. Today, kids are not allowed to play unsupervised in their own backyards in Toronto! How are they ever to getvindependence, street smarts and learn how to tackle the world.
I can tell you from our own experience that we no longer take our little one to crowded places. It's simply not worth it. She likes to run around, and forcing her to sit in her stroller only comes with strong protests, and since she is faster than us, the risk of loosing her is high. It is sad. My child should have every right to go and enjoy these fairs and events. She lives in the most multicultural city on earth, and yet cannot participate in most of it's activities because this small group of sick people have put the worst fear into her parents.
It's scary enough that there could be an odd pedophile out there, but the fact that there are organised rings that steal kids to order is simply too frightening to even understand.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
My Purell Addiction
I am beginning to realize I have a Purell addiction. Other people are addicted to chocolate, the really stupid ones are addicted to alcohol and dope, and the really interesting ones are addicted to foreign language movies or knitting, I quite frankly have a rather eccentric addiction.
I blame my addiction on my doctor. Last winter I suffered from 6 bouts of flu. I didn't keep catching the flu virus - I was the flu virus. After my doctor refused to give me antibiotics yet again telling me that "It's a virus - let it wear it's course" (I HATE it when they say that - I am not a horse that I need to finish the lap and continue at a gallop even when I have a rather lousy jockey on board!) After my sixth visit to him in 3 months he finally told me after I have any contact with humanity, I need to wash my hands and /or Purell (note how "purell" has now become a verb as in "to purell" meaning "disinfect your hands") . The uncomfortable truth was that I was allergic to mankind.
So after this piece of advice from my lovely doctor, I started investing in Purell. I tried carrying the small one with me in my purse, and had a large one at home. First the smell of Purell was turn off - it was acidic, medicinal, and simply to chemical. But then a strange thing happened - I stopped being sick. Seriously! No more flu, colds, nothing- just a lot of Purell.
I even started to use it on Baby M's hands when we were in the garden or playground. She hated it at first but now she sees the Purell bottle and comes running to disinfect her hands! I really don't know if this substance is good for kids, but she hasn't turned green and is chirpy as ever so I guess it's ok.
Generally, I was happy with the good health, me, Baby M, and my husband were enjoying and I attributed it largely to the wonderful folks at Purell. Today I was shopping at Walmart (sorry Jill - I actually LIKE Walmart) and at the checkout counter I noticed that I actually have 10 small Purell bottles and 3 large ones. By itself, it didn't seem like a lot, but when I went to put the bottles in places, I found I already had one there - in some cases like my purse I already had 2. I have 3 in the car - one in the glove compartment, next to the drivers seat, and one in the back seat pocket. I actually make everyone in the car but Purell on their hands before I switch the ignition on. It's my contribution to a germ free world.
So I guess if I had to be addicted to something, Purell is about as strange an addiction as you can get. Mind you, I do not snort it, or burn it or do anything with it that I was not meant to do. So in that way, I guess it's ok. But of all the addictions in the world to have - why oh why did I have to get such an eccentric one.
I blame my addiction on my doctor. Last winter I suffered from 6 bouts of flu. I didn't keep catching the flu virus - I was the flu virus. After my doctor refused to give me antibiotics yet again telling me that "It's a virus - let it wear it's course" (I HATE it when they say that - I am not a horse that I need to finish the lap and continue at a gallop even when I have a rather lousy jockey on board!) After my sixth visit to him in 3 months he finally told me after I have any contact with humanity, I need to wash my hands and /or Purell (note how "purell" has now become a verb as in "to purell" meaning "disinfect your hands") . The uncomfortable truth was that I was allergic to mankind.
So after this piece of advice from my lovely doctor, I started investing in Purell. I tried carrying the small one with me in my purse, and had a large one at home. First the smell of Purell was turn off - it was acidic, medicinal, and simply to chemical. But then a strange thing happened - I stopped being sick. Seriously! No more flu, colds, nothing- just a lot of Purell.
I even started to use it on Baby M's hands when we were in the garden or playground. She hated it at first but now she sees the Purell bottle and comes running to disinfect her hands! I really don't know if this substance is good for kids, but she hasn't turned green and is chirpy as ever so I guess it's ok.
Generally, I was happy with the good health, me, Baby M, and my husband were enjoying and I attributed it largely to the wonderful folks at Purell. Today I was shopping at Walmart (sorry Jill - I actually LIKE Walmart) and at the checkout counter I noticed that I actually have 10 small Purell bottles and 3 large ones. By itself, it didn't seem like a lot, but when I went to put the bottles in places, I found I already had one there - in some cases like my purse I already had 2. I have 3 in the car - one in the glove compartment, next to the drivers seat, and one in the back seat pocket. I actually make everyone in the car but Purell on their hands before I switch the ignition on. It's my contribution to a germ free world.
So I guess if I had to be addicted to something, Purell is about as strange an addiction as you can get. Mind you, I do not snort it, or burn it or do anything with it that I was not meant to do. So in that way, I guess it's ok. But of all the addictions in the world to have - why oh why did I have to get such an eccentric one.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Chicken Piccata
We were watching the 1st episode of 'Top Chef Chicago" on Food Network a couple of days ago and one of the "expert" judges said something that really got the hair at the back of my neck to stand.
They were judging the chicken cooked by one of the contestant, a guy called Ryan who was asked to make Chicken Piccata. The poor guy made his own version of the piccata and in doing so, got himself in a deep "piccata". The "expert" judge, a guy called Tom Colicchio went on lambasting him about how he didn't know the basics and how chicken piccata was a classic that everyone should know.
He then went on the correct Ryan and say that Chicken Piccata is chicken dredged in flour and eggs - no breadcrumbs. What I thought was funny was Anthony Boudain (chef extraordinaire) was agreeing with him on TV. He successfully managed to tell every naive TV audience a totally wrong fact about classical cooking.
I am hence going to set the record right now:
1) There is NO "Classic Chicken Piccata" - there is only "Classic Veal Piccata" - the Chicken version is a North American version and cannot be considered "classic" at all. So Mr. Colicchio please stop calling corrupted North American versions of European dishes "classical".
2) Chicken Piccata has NO EGG. A piccata is simply pounded breast of chicken dredged in flour and cooked in butter. When you add egg to the dish, it becomes a "Chicken Fried Steak" that you find in America.
3) The part that Mr. Colicchio was correct about was that there is no breadcrumbs in the Piccata. When you add breadcrumbs, the dish becomes a Milanese or similar to a Schnitzel.
Hopefully that has set the Piccata record straight. Hopefully, millions of readers will read this blog and no longer be under the impression that Piccata has eggs!
They were judging the chicken cooked by one of the contestant, a guy called Ryan who was asked to make Chicken Piccata. The poor guy made his own version of the piccata and in doing so, got himself in a deep "piccata". The "expert" judge, a guy called Tom Colicchio went on lambasting him about how he didn't know the basics and how chicken piccata was a classic that everyone should know.
He then went on the correct Ryan and say that Chicken Piccata is chicken dredged in flour and eggs - no breadcrumbs. What I thought was funny was Anthony Boudain (chef extraordinaire) was agreeing with him on TV. He successfully managed to tell every naive TV audience a totally wrong fact about classical cooking.
I am hence going to set the record right now:
1) There is NO "Classic Chicken Piccata" - there is only "Classic Veal Piccata" - the Chicken version is a North American version and cannot be considered "classic" at all. So Mr. Colicchio please stop calling corrupted North American versions of European dishes "classical".
2) Chicken Piccata has NO EGG. A piccata is simply pounded breast of chicken dredged in flour and cooked in butter. When you add egg to the dish, it becomes a "Chicken Fried Steak" that you find in America.
3) The part that Mr. Colicchio was correct about was that there is no breadcrumbs in the Piccata. When you add breadcrumbs, the dish becomes a Milanese or similar to a Schnitzel.
Hopefully that has set the Piccata record straight. Hopefully, millions of readers will read this blog and no longer be under the impression that Piccata has eggs!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The difference between men and women
For the longest time, I have always believed that women are far more sturdier than men. We manage to do a lot more - and are pros at multitasking. Among the women I know, 90% manage to run a household, have families, hobbies, work a whole day, cook for their families and still have time to catch up on the news and chat to their friends. Contrast this with humans of the other gender and you find that they are "oh so tired" because they did "so much and no one appreciates it". I am no longer surprised at how little men accomplish and how inflated they believe their achievements are.
I am married to a man who does a lot - but somehow every time he says he is tired - I do a quick mental check of all the things I have done since morning and the things he has done and I get totally upset when I realise he's done 10% of what I have done and still he's the one who is tired! This pattern goes across every male I know. The ones linked genetically to me are even worse!
My husband totally put me over the edge today when he said he's so tired because he went down 4 times. Now, that's the worst excuse in my book. "Going Down" (get your mind out of the gutter people) requires him to step outside my apartment door, walking exactly 6 steps to press the elevator button and voila you are there! How tiring can that be? I realise I am being a bit mean here, since the man doesn't sleep all night since Baby M has taken to sleeping only while she scratches him, but come up with a better excuse please!!!
I simply do not know of a single woman (well, I know one in Montreal) who would use something that silly as an excuse.
I like to compare us to a really good German made car -sexy, reliable, safe and you can do a lot of things with it.
Men are like one of those American made sports cars - they have all the tools and gadgets but very soon they break down and need way too much maintenance.
I am married to a man who does a lot - but somehow every time he says he is tired - I do a quick mental check of all the things I have done since morning and the things he has done and I get totally upset when I realise he's done 10% of what I have done and still he's the one who is tired! This pattern goes across every male I know. The ones linked genetically to me are even worse!
My husband totally put me over the edge today when he said he's so tired because he went down 4 times. Now, that's the worst excuse in my book. "Going Down" (get your mind out of the gutter people) requires him to step outside my apartment door, walking exactly 6 steps to press the elevator button and voila you are there! How tiring can that be? I realise I am being a bit mean here, since the man doesn't sleep all night since Baby M has taken to sleeping only while she scratches him, but come up with a better excuse please!!!
I simply do not know of a single woman (well, I know one in Montreal) who would use something that silly as an excuse.
I like to compare us to a really good German made car -sexy, reliable, safe and you can do a lot of things with it.
Men are like one of those American made sports cars - they have all the tools and gadgets but very soon they break down and need way too much maintenance.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Omar Khadr - Give me a break!
I had so much to write about after the trip to Alberta - but all that will have to be saved for later. My rant today is about Omar Khadr.
Now, for some bizarre reason, people in Canada seem to be supporting Omar Khadr's return to Canada and his rehabilitation. What nonsense!!! For those who are not familiar with his case - here is the wikipedia version of it - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Khadr
Here is a child who was caught in illegal activities in Afghanistan. Shipped off to the Guantanamo Prison and presumably tortured under Bush's crazy henchmen there. I am sorry for that - very sorry. No child should have to go through that. But this is not an ordinary child - this kid was blowing up innocent people! His family openly supports Al Qaeda and who are close enough to the nut Mr. Bin Laden that he attended his sister's wedding. The only reason his family is back in Canada (a country they openly hate and want to destroy) is because they need the medical benefits for one son who was paralysed following a battle in which his father was killed and because the Canadian govt is providing extensive security for them. We are already spending millions trying to keep this single family alive- too much in my opinion.
And now- they want to spend MILLIONS more on rehabilitating Omar Khadr into Canadian Society. What BULLOCKS is this!!!! This family owes us millions of dollars - they have totally mooched off the system, openly professed hatred towards this country, are hands in hands with people who want to blow the rest of us (including a fair number of Muslims who live here) to death and now WE have to pay to bring him and rehabilitate him on OUR LAND!!! How is this even remotely sensible???
Of course as a child he shouldn't have been put in Guantanamo - no one should have been put there. But the US did and it's a US problem now. Why do we want to bring people like that back to stay in our country - let them remain on US soil and let the US deal with them! More importantly why are we wasting valuable tax payer money on a kid who will eventually go back to fundamentalist Islam anyway. It's even more absurd how they want to rehabilitate him - they want him to live in a mental health facility in Toronto (taxpayer dollars and a valuable space in the facility gone), then have his religious views re-conditioned by keeping a full time imam for him (cha-ching - more taxpayer dollars and as a Muslim I do not think there exists anything like a non-religious Imam - he needs to be totally removed from religion - not immersed more in it) - they don't want to allow him to live with his family - but they want him to live with his maternal grandparents. What is the difference????
I feel bad for this kid - he is a product of his environment - but this is something that the US created and I don't see why Canadian taxpayers should be paying to keep terrorists on our soil!
There are so many better ways to spend all the millions we have already spent on this ungrateful family:
- Millions could have been spent to fight the gangs that are showing up everywhere and get those kids on the right track.
- Millions could have been spent on hiring new police forces and training the existing ones so we are better at fighting gangs and destroying them.
- Millions can be spent in after school programs to prevent kids from joining gangs.
- Millions can be spent to increase "Canadian" influence in mosques and madrassas so that no more Omar Khadrs take place.
- Millions can be spent on providing immigrant women with easy access to education so that they break the religious fundamentalist cycles they seem to come to this country with.
- Millions can be spent to ensure that every kid in Toronto has access to summer camps.
- Millions can be spent on creating better medical facilities at Sick Kids Hospital.
Instead, we are wasting our tax payer money by throwing it on the Khadrs. Shame on us!
Now, for some bizarre reason, people in Canada seem to be supporting Omar Khadr's return to Canada and his rehabilitation. What nonsense!!! For those who are not familiar with his case - here is the wikipedia version of it - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omar_Khadr
Here is a child who was caught in illegal activities in Afghanistan. Shipped off to the Guantanamo Prison and presumably tortured under Bush's crazy henchmen there. I am sorry for that - very sorry. No child should have to go through that. But this is not an ordinary child - this kid was blowing up innocent people! His family openly supports Al Qaeda and who are close enough to the nut Mr. Bin Laden that he attended his sister's wedding. The only reason his family is back in Canada (a country they openly hate and want to destroy) is because they need the medical benefits for one son who was paralysed following a battle in which his father was killed and because the Canadian govt is providing extensive security for them. We are already spending millions trying to keep this single family alive- too much in my opinion.
And now- they want to spend MILLIONS more on rehabilitating Omar Khadr into Canadian Society. What BULLOCKS is this!!!! This family owes us millions of dollars - they have totally mooched off the system, openly professed hatred towards this country, are hands in hands with people who want to blow the rest of us (including a fair number of Muslims who live here) to death and now WE have to pay to bring him and rehabilitate him on OUR LAND!!! How is this even remotely sensible???
Of course as a child he shouldn't have been put in Guantanamo - no one should have been put there. But the US did and it's a US problem now. Why do we want to bring people like that back to stay in our country - let them remain on US soil and let the US deal with them! More importantly why are we wasting valuable tax payer money on a kid who will eventually go back to fundamentalist Islam anyway. It's even more absurd how they want to rehabilitate him - they want him to live in a mental health facility in Toronto (taxpayer dollars and a valuable space in the facility gone), then have his religious views re-conditioned by keeping a full time imam for him (cha-ching - more taxpayer dollars and as a Muslim I do not think there exists anything like a non-religious Imam - he needs to be totally removed from religion - not immersed more in it) - they don't want to allow him to live with his family - but they want him to live with his maternal grandparents. What is the difference????
I feel bad for this kid - he is a product of his environment - but this is something that the US created and I don't see why Canadian taxpayers should be paying to keep terrorists on our soil!
There are so many better ways to spend all the millions we have already spent on this ungrateful family:
- Millions could have been spent to fight the gangs that are showing up everywhere and get those kids on the right track.
- Millions could have been spent on hiring new police forces and training the existing ones so we are better at fighting gangs and destroying them.
- Millions can be spent in after school programs to prevent kids from joining gangs.
- Millions can be spent to increase "Canadian" influence in mosques and madrassas so that no more Omar Khadrs take place.
- Millions can be spent on providing immigrant women with easy access to education so that they break the religious fundamentalist cycles they seem to come to this country with.
- Millions can be spent to ensure that every kid in Toronto has access to summer camps.
- Millions can be spent on creating better medical facilities at Sick Kids Hospital.
Instead, we are wasting our tax payer money by throwing it on the Khadrs. Shame on us!
Monday, May 12, 2008
Diaper rashes - the scary side of motherhood
The scariest thing I have experienced in the 13.5 months of motherhood is diaper rashes. We are in the throes of another one now. These horrible things come out in the bum area and they spread so darn quickly that before you know if you have a baby that resembles one of those monkeys with the red bottoms you see in the zoo. I have to tell you, of all the things about motherhood - this is the scariest.
Baby M seems to be inclined towards getting diaper rashes. She got her first one at a few weeks old, and since then we've been pretty good at observing and checking her out. As anyone with a "rashy" baby will tell you, Canesten and Zinc Oxide are always with us. This time, the rash was so bad, that our pediatrician started us on 1% Hydrocortizone. I found this particularly unnerving. I mean, here we are with a child whose skin and body is fragile and absorbent and now we have to put steroids on her to cure this redness!
I've done so much research about these rashes now, here's a run down on all our attempts.
Washing: We tried to wash her after every poo, and with Baby M holding the official title of "poo master", this means she gets washed about 7 times a day. I can't say this has helped with the rash, but it has given her a cold. I figured the reason it hasn't helped with the rash is because in our technologically advanced diapers, we really can't tell easily if she has pee-ed a bit, you can only tell if it's a full "pee diaper". So she just kind of sits in the pee and so one really knows.
Changing diapers regularly: This is the one mistake we made in India. She probably had a little pee diaper and since we couldn't tell, we let her stay in it for a hour or two much too long. Add the side effects of tropical summer heat and you've got a perfect recipe for a rash. As soon as we realized this, we have been changing her diapers regularly - at least 10 times a day, but it just doesn't seem to get any better. We've even figure out how to change them in her sleep so she doesn't wake up.
Soap: Of the one thing that has totally confused me about baby products, it is soap. Now, I live under the belief that if a product is used on 100 million babies, as in the case of Baby Johnson baby soap, then it's ok to use on my precious little angel. Well, it turns out that it's not quite so simple. My cousin suggested moving from Baby Johnson to Dove (not the infant soap, the regular one) because it's milder. I did that and for 1 day it seemed to be better, but now, it's the same as before. Today, my cleaning lady, who in my opinion should have her own Health Talk Show on TV instead of cleaning my apartment, because of the incredible knowledge she has (a talent totally wasted because of sad circumstances- but more of that on another blog), told me I should fore go soap all together and use only water. If I really want to use something, use cornstarch mixed with water. I have to admit, this also makes sense. But, am I just giving up one set of chemicals in soap to move to another set in cornstarch.
Au Naturel: We know that the best way to get rid of a rash is to leave her au-naturel. But Baby M loves water (she hasn't been introduced to juice yet) and so along with being a poo-master, she also is a pee-master. While we could leave her open for an hour or so, leaving her open the whole day is simply not a hygienic possibility. I really wonder how people who have small untrained puppies deal with their bowel movements since I've never really seen a puppy with a diaper. There are some valid points to learn from them.
Cloth diapers: Our last hope. Luckily, I no longer have to wash and clean and iron (Thank heavens for this!) - they have perfectly respectable diaper services that do this for you. However, it's no longer as simple as just getting a piece of cloth and tying two pins on it. You now have to get a diaper cover. The reason for dealing with cloth diapers is the breathability of cotton, however, with the covers made of plastic or nylon, it kind of limits the breathability of it all. To make it even more complicated, my pediatrician has recommended AGAINST cloth diapers.
Which leaves me to wonder - What in world am I supposed to do?
Baby M seems to be inclined towards getting diaper rashes. She got her first one at a few weeks old, and since then we've been pretty good at observing and checking her out. As anyone with a "rashy" baby will tell you, Canesten and Zinc Oxide are always with us. This time, the rash was so bad, that our pediatrician started us on 1% Hydrocortizone. I found this particularly unnerving. I mean, here we are with a child whose skin and body is fragile and absorbent and now we have to put steroids on her to cure this redness!
I've done so much research about these rashes now, here's a run down on all our attempts.
Washing: We tried to wash her after every poo, and with Baby M holding the official title of "poo master", this means she gets washed about 7 times a day. I can't say this has helped with the rash, but it has given her a cold. I figured the reason it hasn't helped with the rash is because in our technologically advanced diapers, we really can't tell easily if she has pee-ed a bit, you can only tell if it's a full "pee diaper". So she just kind of sits in the pee and so one really knows.
Changing diapers regularly: This is the one mistake we made in India. She probably had a little pee diaper and since we couldn't tell, we let her stay in it for a hour or two much too long. Add the side effects of tropical summer heat and you've got a perfect recipe for a rash. As soon as we realized this, we have been changing her diapers regularly - at least 10 times a day, but it just doesn't seem to get any better. We've even figure out how to change them in her sleep so she doesn't wake up.
Soap: Of the one thing that has totally confused me about baby products, it is soap. Now, I live under the belief that if a product is used on 100 million babies, as in the case of Baby Johnson baby soap, then it's ok to use on my precious little angel. Well, it turns out that it's not quite so simple. My cousin suggested moving from Baby Johnson to Dove (not the infant soap, the regular one) because it's milder. I did that and for 1 day it seemed to be better, but now, it's the same as before. Today, my cleaning lady, who in my opinion should have her own Health Talk Show on TV instead of cleaning my apartment, because of the incredible knowledge she has (a talent totally wasted because of sad circumstances- but more of that on another blog), told me I should fore go soap all together and use only water. If I really want to use something, use cornstarch mixed with water. I have to admit, this also makes sense. But, am I just giving up one set of chemicals in soap to move to another set in cornstarch.
Au Naturel: We know that the best way to get rid of a rash is to leave her au-naturel. But Baby M loves water (she hasn't been introduced to juice yet) and so along with being a poo-master, she also is a pee-master. While we could leave her open for an hour or so, leaving her open the whole day is simply not a hygienic possibility. I really wonder how people who have small untrained puppies deal with their bowel movements since I've never really seen a puppy with a diaper. There are some valid points to learn from them.
Cloth diapers: Our last hope. Luckily, I no longer have to wash and clean and iron (Thank heavens for this!) - they have perfectly respectable diaper services that do this for you. However, it's no longer as simple as just getting a piece of cloth and tying two pins on it. You now have to get a diaper cover. The reason for dealing with cloth diapers is the breathability of cotton, however, with the covers made of plastic or nylon, it kind of limits the breathability of it all. To make it even more complicated, my pediatrician has recommended AGAINST cloth diapers.
Which leaves me to wonder - What in world am I supposed to do?
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Poverty in India
Throughout my life, people have asked me how I deal with poverty in India and still enjoy my time there. Unlike poverty in the West, poverty in India takes on a whole new face altogether.
Here, the guy who begs on the street corner but still looks sufficiently clean and totally able bodies is pitied and people throw money encouraging him. I have always maintained that people who give money to them are doing society a great wrong. Granted that this man who is totally capable of working could have seen better days, could just be at a moment in life where he is down and out, or could be a drug addict and it's necessarry for our society to reach out to them. Total Bullocks! I am sorry if the guy has seen better days - bad luck is something none of us can plan against. I am sorry if the guy has come upon drugs - but I see no reason to fund him using more illegal substances. There are plenty of ways our very generous government goes out of their way to make life livable and even help these people. It's up to them to not accept it and to choose to live the life they live. If they are capable of work, surely they can get a job at McDonalds or any other job that is easily available. But they choose to hang around the streets and beg and this I have a problem with.
Now, before I get a platitude of emails about how I do not understand poverty, how I have a priveledged life etc - I want to clearly state - I do understand povery. I may not have experienced it, but Ihave seen real poverty and that is the kind of poverty that motivates even the hardest ones of us to search in our conscience to justify how we are contributing to this world.
The poverty that I speak is what is found in India. As everywhere, poverty exists on different levels. You have the inhabitants of shanty towns in big cities who live in their huts, both parents have jobs and work day and night and still, because they have so many children the possibility of a better life for the next generation is remote. These are the people who spend their days cleaning and cooking for others so that their kids can have a glimpse of a better future. They do this without grumbling. They are about as hardworking as I have ever seen, waking up at 5.30am to cook for their families and then spending the day cooking and cleaning for as many as 4-5 homes in a day. It is these people I have deep respect for.
There is also another group of poverty stricken people for whom my heart totally bleeds. It is the children and aged who have been abandoned not only by their families, but by the Indian government and society. Nothing you have seen will bother you as much as the absolute poverty these two groups experience. Children in rural india are often seen rummaging through garbage, when we were in Madhya Pradesh we saw such extreme poverty among these kids that it just made you wonder what is the purpose of life. It is an open fact that these kids are easy prey for the vile pedophile industry. Nowhere is this more apparant but in Mumbai where you see little girls and boys beg for food every day and then one fine day, you see them all dressed up in pretty clothes with lipstick and makeup on their faces, their stomachs obviously fed, oblivious to the evils that society has forced them to endure to get a meal.
As for the aged, the sad thruth is that even the sex agencies don't want them so they are just left on street corners to die our of starvation, disease or even beaten up.
What I find totally appaling is how foreign tourists to India choose to look at poverty. One of the "in" things to do on the travel circut is to pay touts $100 to get a tour of the shantytowns and slums. Somehow, these pitiful western tourists feel they are bonding with the poor by going on this voyage. How utterly stupid of them. Surely within 10 seconds of arriving in India they must have figured out that poverty is pretty acceible - you don't need to shell out a lot of money, you need to have good intentions if you want to really experience it. The $100 they give goes to the local goon, who in turn runs the local prostitution-pedophile-drug racket with his henchmen. It would be far more sensible for them to just give the money to a reputable charity and allow them to continue their work.
And as to how I deal with poverty in India, every time I come accross a hard working poor person, I made sure I tip him handsomely - if nothing else, atleast this will keep him trying to get out of the trap of poverty.
Here, the guy who begs on the street corner but still looks sufficiently clean and totally able bodies is pitied and people throw money encouraging him. I have always maintained that people who give money to them are doing society a great wrong. Granted that this man who is totally capable of working could have seen better days, could just be at a moment in life where he is down and out, or could be a drug addict and it's necessarry for our society to reach out to them. Total Bullocks! I am sorry if the guy has seen better days - bad luck is something none of us can plan against. I am sorry if the guy has come upon drugs - but I see no reason to fund him using more illegal substances. There are plenty of ways our very generous government goes out of their way to make life livable and even help these people. It's up to them to not accept it and to choose to live the life they live. If they are capable of work, surely they can get a job at McDonalds or any other job that is easily available. But they choose to hang around the streets and beg and this I have a problem with.
Now, before I get a platitude of emails about how I do not understand poverty, how I have a priveledged life etc - I want to clearly state - I do understand povery. I may not have experienced it, but Ihave seen real poverty and that is the kind of poverty that motivates even the hardest ones of us to search in our conscience to justify how we are contributing to this world.
The poverty that I speak is what is found in India. As everywhere, poverty exists on different levels. You have the inhabitants of shanty towns in big cities who live in their huts, both parents have jobs and work day and night and still, because they have so many children the possibility of a better life for the next generation is remote. These are the people who spend their days cleaning and cooking for others so that their kids can have a glimpse of a better future. They do this without grumbling. They are about as hardworking as I have ever seen, waking up at 5.30am to cook for their families and then spending the day cooking and cleaning for as many as 4-5 homes in a day. It is these people I have deep respect for.
There is also another group of poverty stricken people for whom my heart totally bleeds. It is the children and aged who have been abandoned not only by their families, but by the Indian government and society. Nothing you have seen will bother you as much as the absolute poverty these two groups experience. Children in rural india are often seen rummaging through garbage, when we were in Madhya Pradesh we saw such extreme poverty among these kids that it just made you wonder what is the purpose of life. It is an open fact that these kids are easy prey for the vile pedophile industry. Nowhere is this more apparant but in Mumbai where you see little girls and boys beg for food every day and then one fine day, you see them all dressed up in pretty clothes with lipstick and makeup on their faces, their stomachs obviously fed, oblivious to the evils that society has forced them to endure to get a meal.
As for the aged, the sad thruth is that even the sex agencies don't want them so they are just left on street corners to die our of starvation, disease or even beaten up.
What I find totally appaling is how foreign tourists to India choose to look at poverty. One of the "in" things to do on the travel circut is to pay touts $100 to get a tour of the shantytowns and slums. Somehow, these pitiful western tourists feel they are bonding with the poor by going on this voyage. How utterly stupid of them. Surely within 10 seconds of arriving in India they must have figured out that poverty is pretty acceible - you don't need to shell out a lot of money, you need to have good intentions if you want to really experience it. The $100 they give goes to the local goon, who in turn runs the local prostitution-pedophile-drug racket with his henchmen. It would be far more sensible for them to just give the money to a reputable charity and allow them to continue their work.
And as to how I deal with poverty in India, every time I come accross a hard working poor person, I made sure I tip him handsomely - if nothing else, atleast this will keep him trying to get out of the trap of poverty.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
$4000/hr for what?
I've had a very busy day with Baby M who seems to have some kind of rash even though my husband thinks she's just scratching herself, cleaning my office (again!) and sorting through all the stuff in our storage (again!). It wasn't until 9.30pm that I was able to catch up on the news and Mr. Spitzer's rendezvous with the prostitutes was flashing across the screen. Now, I had no idea who he was and why this was so relevant, but I figured it had something to do with the elections.
The part of the story that caught my attention was the BBC news reporter saying that he allegedly paid $4000 to the prostitute. I was quite impressed at that number, I mean, I have no clue what the going rate for these kind of services are but $4000 did seem like a lot. It's only after logging on to BBC News website, that I realised this was the price PER HOUR!!
BLOODY HELL! What in the world does a prostitute do for you for $4000 per hour!!! ??? I didn't even know prostitutes could cost that much. (Tells you how much I know about what goes on in this world!) But I simply cannot understand what a man can expect from one woman that requires him to pay $4000 per hour and that he couldn't get from another of the same profession for say, $400 /hr.
Being Canadian, where we watch a large part of our salary being "shared" by the govt, I couldn't help but wonder why the govt is so silly as to not legalize prostitution. I mean, forget about the moral stand of it all, (I no longer think prostitutes are victimized when they charge this kind of money and shag Governors) - I'm talking pure economics.
Assuming the lady in question works 4 hours a day at a rate of $4000/hr = $16,000/day. Now, I'm sure she would be working out of a corporation and of course she has to pay her manager, pay for herself to look good etc. Let's assume that is $2000/hr. It still gives you a tax bill of about $3600/day at a conservative estimate. Assume she works about 200 days a year , our Treasury could be getting potentially $720,000 a year from only this lovely lady!!!
I really don't understand why we are not taxing this profession. It's completely mad! They earn more than doctors, project managers, IT consultants and little tea merchants - and yet, they get away scott free because the moral police says what they do it wrong. But, isn't that all the more reason to tax them??
But more than anything, I'm really utterly curious to know what services Mr. Spitzer purchased for $4000/hr .
The part of the story that caught my attention was the BBC news reporter saying that he allegedly paid $4000 to the prostitute. I was quite impressed at that number, I mean, I have no clue what the going rate for these kind of services are but $4000 did seem like a lot. It's only after logging on to BBC News website, that I realised this was the price PER HOUR!!
BLOODY HELL! What in the world does a prostitute do for you for $4000 per hour!!! ??? I didn't even know prostitutes could cost that much. (Tells you how much I know about what goes on in this world!) But I simply cannot understand what a man can expect from one woman that requires him to pay $4000 per hour and that he couldn't get from another of the same profession for say, $400 /hr.
Being Canadian, where we watch a large part of our salary being "shared" by the govt, I couldn't help but wonder why the govt is so silly as to not legalize prostitution. I mean, forget about the moral stand of it all, (I no longer think prostitutes are victimized when they charge this kind of money and shag Governors) - I'm talking pure economics.
Assuming the lady in question works 4 hours a day at a rate of $4000/hr = $16,000/day. Now, I'm sure she would be working out of a corporation and of course she has to pay her manager, pay for herself to look good etc. Let's assume that is $2000/hr. It still gives you a tax bill of about $3600/day at a conservative estimate. Assume she works about 200 days a year , our Treasury could be getting potentially $720,000 a year from only this lovely lady!!!
I really don't understand why we are not taxing this profession. It's completely mad! They earn more than doctors, project managers, IT consultants and little tea merchants - and yet, they get away scott free because the moral police says what they do it wrong. But, isn't that all the more reason to tax them??
But more than anything, I'm really utterly curious to know what services Mr. Spitzer purchased for $4000/hr .
Saturday, March 8, 2008
The Pant Problem
Now, before I start let me clarify that by "pants" I mean trousers - not "pants" as the Brits use the word which refers to panties.
So I finally decided I need to go shopping. I have one pair of jeans that fit me and even those are low waisted so every time I sit you can see the unattractive part of my bum. I knew it was time when my husband asked me "Are these jeans meant to cover only your legs?" . On top of it I had a $150 gift voucher to the Bay and with our trip to India next week - I desperately needed something to cover up the body.
I really HATE shopping for clothes. I do not understand how people have the energy to shop for them. I mean, you walk around the store looking at stuff that looks great on the hanger, then you carry a pile of them to the dressing room, where you have to undress all your layers and try each one of these items individually. After all this pain, more than 99% of the stuff I try on looks horrible or fits not quite right or is just uncomfortable. You then deal with the disappointment, wear all those layers again and have to carry the pile out to the customer service desk where the attendant looks at you with a look that says "I could have told you this wouldn't look good - look at all the work I have now".
I really admire people like Gaby who seem to get energized by shopping. This woman can spend the whole day (8 hours literally) in the mall trying on about 300 outfits only to buy a T-shirt at the end, and still be happy. Or even Sexy T in London, who just goes to a store, picks a couple of things off the rack and they both look amazing. I've got some of my best purchases with her.
Not all forms of shopping are bad. I love to buy shoes. Anything for the kitchen I thoroughly enjoy (I once spent 4 hours looking at different kinds of Tupperware). I can even manage to buy jackets and things for the top half of my body with some ease. What I dread shopping for are
a) Pants
b) Bras
These are probably the most challenging things in the world to find. I simply do not have a body like a mannequin. I'm blessed with a petite build, chests the size of a 12 year old, a bum that is wide but not sticking out like J-Lo, and a tummy that is left over from the pregnancy. On the top half of my body I can wear kids clothes (I don't know if that is a compliment but it's cheaper and they have nicer colors) , it's on the bottom that the task gets complicated.
If I want a good fit, I need to go with Petite (which limits the selection in the store to 30%) but since they think that all petites are skinny with no bum or tummy, things start to get complicated. If I want a good fit on my bum I am a size 10. If I want it to zip up and put my tummy in there as well - I'm a size 12 but with the latter size, there is that bunching of cloth at the crotch. And now that I don't want anything low waisted, I'm finding I am totally out of luck!
I dragged my husband and Baby M to the mall yesterday to assist me. On my first walk around the Petite section I found 1 pair of pants. I tried it on and it looked pretty miserable, which was only confirmed by the way my husband immediately shook his head when I came out to show him. By this time Baby M had sensed the tension inside me and started to cry. So here I was looking for a pair of pants with a reluctant husband and a crying baby! Luckily, the saleslady took pity on me and gathered up all the pants that would somehow fit me.
After trying on a couple - I bought a pair of bell-bottoms (yes!). I look about 5 inches shorter and 10 pounds heavier but they were comfortable. I will try them on tonight and most likely go back and return them and go through the whole hoopla of finding another pair of pants all over again.
Some things in life are just incredibly complicated.
So I finally decided I need to go shopping. I have one pair of jeans that fit me and even those are low waisted so every time I sit you can see the unattractive part of my bum. I knew it was time when my husband asked me "Are these jeans meant to cover only your legs?" . On top of it I had a $150 gift voucher to the Bay and with our trip to India next week - I desperately needed something to cover up the body.
I really HATE shopping for clothes. I do not understand how people have the energy to shop for them. I mean, you walk around the store looking at stuff that looks great on the hanger, then you carry a pile of them to the dressing room, where you have to undress all your layers and try each one of these items individually. After all this pain, more than 99% of the stuff I try on looks horrible or fits not quite right or is just uncomfortable. You then deal with the disappointment, wear all those layers again and have to carry the pile out to the customer service desk where the attendant looks at you with a look that says "I could have told you this wouldn't look good - look at all the work I have now".
I really admire people like Gaby who seem to get energized by shopping. This woman can spend the whole day (8 hours literally) in the mall trying on about 300 outfits only to buy a T-shirt at the end, and still be happy. Or even Sexy T in London, who just goes to a store, picks a couple of things off the rack and they both look amazing. I've got some of my best purchases with her.
Not all forms of shopping are bad. I love to buy shoes. Anything for the kitchen I thoroughly enjoy (I once spent 4 hours looking at different kinds of Tupperware). I can even manage to buy jackets and things for the top half of my body with some ease. What I dread shopping for are
a) Pants
b) Bras
These are probably the most challenging things in the world to find. I simply do not have a body like a mannequin. I'm blessed with a petite build, chests the size of a 12 year old, a bum that is wide but not sticking out like J-Lo, and a tummy that is left over from the pregnancy. On the top half of my body I can wear kids clothes (I don't know if that is a compliment but it's cheaper and they have nicer colors) , it's on the bottom that the task gets complicated.
If I want a good fit, I need to go with Petite (which limits the selection in the store to 30%) but since they think that all petites are skinny with no bum or tummy, things start to get complicated. If I want a good fit on my bum I am a size 10. If I want it to zip up and put my tummy in there as well - I'm a size 12 but with the latter size, there is that bunching of cloth at the crotch. And now that I don't want anything low waisted, I'm finding I am totally out of luck!
I dragged my husband and Baby M to the mall yesterday to assist me. On my first walk around the Petite section I found 1 pair of pants. I tried it on and it looked pretty miserable, which was only confirmed by the way my husband immediately shook his head when I came out to show him. By this time Baby M had sensed the tension inside me and started to cry. So here I was looking for a pair of pants with a reluctant husband and a crying baby! Luckily, the saleslady took pity on me and gathered up all the pants that would somehow fit me.
After trying on a couple - I bought a pair of bell-bottoms (yes!). I look about 5 inches shorter and 10 pounds heavier but they were comfortable. I will try them on tonight and most likely go back and return them and go through the whole hoopla of finding another pair of pants all over again.
Some things in life are just incredibly complicated.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Big City Life
Over the past few months, I have really felt the urge to move away from the big city. It's just so busy and polluted with no place to relax and enjoy. We are in Canada, land of the Rockies, Atlantic shores and beautiful lakes, and here I am spending my time in an apartment in the core of a big city.
I keep telling my husband that it is time to move - to go outside Toronto where most of us immigrants have ended up. Don't get me wrong, I love Toronto - the multiculturalism is truly amazing. Everyone comes from every where and on any given day you interact with over 10 different nationalities. Not even New York City is as multicultural as Toronto. And the strange part is that we all seem to live pretty peacefully here in the arctic cold. I guess the coldness melts away any animosity. Indians and Pakistanis live side by side, Jews and Arabs pray next to each other and Russians and Germans work together. No one really cares where you come from which is what makes this city so wonderful.
But as wonderful as multiculturalism is, Toronto is so very lacking in any kind of natural beauty. We don't have the mountains of Vancouver, the seaside of Halifax, the melting glacier of St. John or even the ever changing countryside of Montreal. It's about the only thing I really miss in Toronto and after almost 6 years of living here, I'm starting to get itchy for it.
We got married in Ancaster but apart from the Niagra Escarpment which is beautiful, there really is nothing there. I even thought of Peterborough with the Kawartha lakes next door, but really, what would we do in any of these places? There are no jobs for my husband there - even though he keeps telling me he is going to become a fisherman and catch fish everyday for me. (I will believe this only after I see him catch at least 1 fish !) The commute to Toronto would be horrendous, and we would leave behind all our friends.
I used to be allergic to the thought of moving to the suburbs - it just seemed like the kind of life that sucks all the interesting parts of you out. I've never lived suburbia, and being a city girl, I aways saw the "suburbanites" as a bit thick. They didn't seem as quick with their responses as the city folks - maybe that's because they didn't have to watch out for taxi drivers trying to kill them when they crossed the road, or had to hold their purse really tight when they were walking down the street. My husband tells me suburbia is not so bad. I'm not totally convinced about it.
But at the section of life we are in, we need nurseries, kindergarten, dance classes and the like for Baby M , and stuff like this is simply not in big supply in the core of downtown Toronto. It's certain we are moving, but we just have to find an area we are comfortable in.
I keep telling my husband that it is time to move - to go outside Toronto where most of us immigrants have ended up. Don't get me wrong, I love Toronto - the multiculturalism is truly amazing. Everyone comes from every where and on any given day you interact with over 10 different nationalities. Not even New York City is as multicultural as Toronto. And the strange part is that we all seem to live pretty peacefully here in the arctic cold. I guess the coldness melts away any animosity. Indians and Pakistanis live side by side, Jews and Arabs pray next to each other and Russians and Germans work together. No one really cares where you come from which is what makes this city so wonderful.
But as wonderful as multiculturalism is, Toronto is so very lacking in any kind of natural beauty. We don't have the mountains of Vancouver, the seaside of Halifax, the melting glacier of St. John or even the ever changing countryside of Montreal. It's about the only thing I really miss in Toronto and after almost 6 years of living here, I'm starting to get itchy for it.
We got married in Ancaster but apart from the Niagra Escarpment which is beautiful, there really is nothing there. I even thought of Peterborough with the Kawartha lakes next door, but really, what would we do in any of these places? There are no jobs for my husband there - even though he keeps telling me he is going to become a fisherman and catch fish everyday for me. (I will believe this only after I see him catch at least 1 fish !) The commute to Toronto would be horrendous, and we would leave behind all our friends.
I used to be allergic to the thought of moving to the suburbs - it just seemed like the kind of life that sucks all the interesting parts of you out. I've never lived suburbia, and being a city girl, I aways saw the "suburbanites" as a bit thick. They didn't seem as quick with their responses as the city folks - maybe that's because they didn't have to watch out for taxi drivers trying to kill them when they crossed the road, or had to hold their purse really tight when they were walking down the street. My husband tells me suburbia is not so bad. I'm not totally convinced about it.
But at the section of life we are in, we need nurseries, kindergarten, dance classes and the like for Baby M , and stuff like this is simply not in big supply in the core of downtown Toronto. It's certain we are moving, but we just have to find an area we are comfortable in.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Purple Lace
After waiting for a long time, I finally plunged and did it - I changed the color of our bedroom.
It used to be a wonderful Benjamin Moore color called "Bridal Pink" or "Blushing Bride" which suited my mood just fine when my husband was courting me and through the period of our initial marriage. But now, with Baby M almost 1 year old, it was time for a change. I was no longer in the pink phase of my life. I wanted more color. Something more exotic. Something different yet calming.
So off I went to my local Benjamin Moore store (I'm really not sure if they have better colors that the other paint companies but they are the only guys who have paint samples to try out) and got a few colors to try out.
There was a lovely blue shade which caught my eye instantly. It was what I was looking for. I picked up the color card and read the name - "Tear drop blue" - now - I think that is a horrible name! Tear drops to me signify sadness and grief - why would I want that painted all over my bedroom? It was almost like a teenager seeing a boy from far and falling in love only to find out he was totally wrong 10 seconds after they actually met. There was disappointment - but life had to go on.
So I continued looking through the color cards.
I eventually picked two:
a) Bahama Blue - a kind of bright aqueous blue
b) Purple Lace - a kind of lavender with blue tones
I don't normally like purple so I wasn't so sure about it - but I did want a change. However, ever since my art teacher told me that Purple was the color for death in Poland, I have developed a dislike of the color. I wish people would not tell me these things!
First I put the blue on the wall - I liked it - it was sophisticated yet bright, lively, young. I liked it.
Then I tried on Purple Lace - it was different. Yet somehow, it felt closer to the heart. I painted a bit more on the wall - it was like a long lost friend that comes back - familiar and at the same time changed. I called out to the husband, one look and he said "the purple one - i like it" .
The painter came and painted our room (we are not known for having any handy skills between us), I kept peeking in and every time I did it looked more and more like home.
It's a color that matches our moods and where we are in life today. It's comforting, calming, strong, different - it's a pretty confident color. Our first night in the room we all (Baby M has still not moved out!) slept very well. It's like the old friend who comes home and you just continue where you left off.
It used to be a wonderful Benjamin Moore color called "Bridal Pink" or "Blushing Bride" which suited my mood just fine when my husband was courting me and through the period of our initial marriage. But now, with Baby M almost 1 year old, it was time for a change. I was no longer in the pink phase of my life. I wanted more color. Something more exotic. Something different yet calming.
So off I went to my local Benjamin Moore store (I'm really not sure if they have better colors that the other paint companies but they are the only guys who have paint samples to try out) and got a few colors to try out.
There was a lovely blue shade which caught my eye instantly. It was what I was looking for. I picked up the color card and read the name - "Tear drop blue" - now - I think that is a horrible name! Tear drops to me signify sadness and grief - why would I want that painted all over my bedroom? It was almost like a teenager seeing a boy from far and falling in love only to find out he was totally wrong 10 seconds after they actually met. There was disappointment - but life had to go on.
So I continued looking through the color cards.
I eventually picked two:
a) Bahama Blue - a kind of bright aqueous blue
b) Purple Lace - a kind of lavender with blue tones
I don't normally like purple so I wasn't so sure about it - but I did want a change. However, ever since my art teacher told me that Purple was the color for death in Poland, I have developed a dislike of the color. I wish people would not tell me these things!
First I put the blue on the wall - I liked it - it was sophisticated yet bright, lively, young. I liked it.
Then I tried on Purple Lace - it was different. Yet somehow, it felt closer to the heart. I painted a bit more on the wall - it was like a long lost friend that comes back - familiar and at the same time changed. I called out to the husband, one look and he said "the purple one - i like it" .
The painter came and painted our room (we are not known for having any handy skills between us), I kept peeking in and every time I did it looked more and more like home.
It's a color that matches our moods and where we are in life today. It's comforting, calming, strong, different - it's a pretty confident color. Our first night in the room we all (Baby M has still not moved out!) slept very well. It's like the old friend who comes home and you just continue where you left off.
Monday, February 25, 2008
How 1 day can change the world
I am totally amazed at how 1 day (actually 36 hours) can change my world.
Listen to what has happened in the past little while:
Baby M got her first tooth! It just pooped out right there in the middle of her mouth. No forewarning - just happened. She doesn't seem to be in much pain but her appetite is much less - I am told that is just part of the whole teething process. I also wonder about the amount of water she drinks - now, I know it's good that kids drink water but she seems to be pretty constantly connected to her sippy cup. I really haven't heard of any other kid that gets upset when you take the sippy cup away!
And just to balance off the good news, Mrs. H emailed me with some news that really shook me up. Someone I have only heard of who is 34 is battling breast cancer! I mean- how much more cruel can fate get than to take a breastfeeding mum of a 4 month old and give her cancer! Totally unfair. I don't even know these people - I've never met them. But the story is just too close to home. It really could have been any of us! I totally feel for this family who are going through a really difficult time. The only thing I take comfort in. is that they are in the hands of our wonderful Ontario doctors. We may not have the snazzy medical professionals with the overpriced Porches as they have in USA but we do have some great and caring doctors and having had to use OHIP quite a bit ourselves, I am confident they will do what needs to be done and get her back in shape.
And now for the other oddball news - NADER!! For heaven sakes! Yes, I think everyone has the right to stand for elections, but what is the point of standing for elections when
a) Your purpose is to prevent a Republican win of the 2008 elections.
b) The people who vote for you are the same people who vote for the Democrats so you don't actually dent the Republican voting population.
c) You insisted on running in 2000 and that cost Gore and the US a sane govt.
d) You have absolutely no chance of winning the elections this time around as there are already 3 populous candidates who are bringing people out in vast numbers.
I should say that Nader is ruled by his ego. But since he is a man - I am going to say he is ruled by the thing that twangles between his thighs! For heaven sakes - isn't it bad enough that the existing candidates are going to spend close to a BILLION dollars in campaign money getting their photo pasted on every lamppost that he now has to waste some more! Does he really need to add more to this wasteful expense? And for what purpose?
Here is how I think Nader can actually do good to the elections 2008:
a) Stop your infantile Presidential elections bid - it's a waste of money and you certainly aren't as cute as Barak so really no one wants to see your photo.
b) Select a candidate from the existing pool of rather awesome candidates and CAMPAIGN FOR THEM!! This HELPS them and it gets you closer to having someone in the White House who you can work with.
My last bit of disappointments is how Barak is now speaking out against NAFTA (presumably because it's the correct thing to say to people in Ohio who lost their jobs). This is utter garbage!! Protectionism is the way of the past. It doesn't work. If you want to get a flourishing economy you have to open up and who best to benefit from than your neighbours? People in Ohio are not loosing their jobs to Canadians and Mexicans - they are loosing them to the Chinese! And even thinking of closing down NAFTA will have no effect on jobs staying in the USA - you'll just push more jobs to China!
I'm getting a little bit fed up of people south of the border accusing us of taking the jobs and not fighting their stupid "war on terror". Let's set the record straight right now -
a) We are not "stealing" jobs - American companies are setting up offices here because we have universal health care which saves them about $5000 PER EMPLOYEE every year. So, it's not our fault that the Americans consistently vote in people who are so busy shagging the lobbyists that they forget about the poor, sick and tired.
b) If we want to talk about "stealing" jobs - lets talk about the hundreds of Canadian doctors that the Americans take from us to use in their overly expensive health care system.
c) Concerning the "war on terror" - we are fighting the biggest and most significant war on terror - the real one - the one in Afghanistan where the Taliban and Mr. Bin Laden are setting up home again. And we are paying for it with the deaths of our brave soldiers while the rest of the world (including America) pays lip service to it. Bush's "war on terror" is more a "war to create terror" and this is something we want nothing of. Lives of Canadian servicemen are too precious and should never be lost for the sake of cheaper petrol!
Listen to what has happened in the past little while:
Baby M got her first tooth! It just pooped out right there in the middle of her mouth. No forewarning - just happened. She doesn't seem to be in much pain but her appetite is much less - I am told that is just part of the whole teething process. I also wonder about the amount of water she drinks - now, I know it's good that kids drink water but she seems to be pretty constantly connected to her sippy cup. I really haven't heard of any other kid that gets upset when you take the sippy cup away!
And just to balance off the good news, Mrs. H emailed me with some news that really shook me up. Someone I have only heard of who is 34 is battling breast cancer! I mean- how much more cruel can fate get than to take a breastfeeding mum of a 4 month old and give her cancer! Totally unfair. I don't even know these people - I've never met them. But the story is just too close to home. It really could have been any of us! I totally feel for this family who are going through a really difficult time. The only thing I take comfort in. is that they are in the hands of our wonderful Ontario doctors. We may not have the snazzy medical professionals with the overpriced Porches as they have in USA but we do have some great and caring doctors and having had to use OHIP quite a bit ourselves, I am confident they will do what needs to be done and get her back in shape.
And now for the other oddball news - NADER!! For heaven sakes! Yes, I think everyone has the right to stand for elections, but what is the point of standing for elections when
a) Your purpose is to prevent a Republican win of the 2008 elections.
b) The people who vote for you are the same people who vote for the Democrats so you don't actually dent the Republican voting population.
c) You insisted on running in 2000 and that cost Gore and the US a sane govt.
d) You have absolutely no chance of winning the elections this time around as there are already 3 populous candidates who are bringing people out in vast numbers.
I should say that Nader is ruled by his ego. But since he is a man - I am going to say he is ruled by the thing that twangles between his thighs! For heaven sakes - isn't it bad enough that the existing candidates are going to spend close to a BILLION dollars in campaign money getting their photo pasted on every lamppost that he now has to waste some more! Does he really need to add more to this wasteful expense? And for what purpose?
Here is how I think Nader can actually do good to the elections 2008:
a) Stop your infantile Presidential elections bid - it's a waste of money and you certainly aren't as cute as Barak so really no one wants to see your photo.
b) Select a candidate from the existing pool of rather awesome candidates and CAMPAIGN FOR THEM!! This HELPS them and it gets you closer to having someone in the White House who you can work with.
My last bit of disappointments is how Barak is now speaking out against NAFTA (presumably because it's the correct thing to say to people in Ohio who lost their jobs). This is utter garbage!! Protectionism is the way of the past. It doesn't work. If you want to get a flourishing economy you have to open up and who best to benefit from than your neighbours? People in Ohio are not loosing their jobs to Canadians and Mexicans - they are loosing them to the Chinese! And even thinking of closing down NAFTA will have no effect on jobs staying in the USA - you'll just push more jobs to China!
I'm getting a little bit fed up of people south of the border accusing us of taking the jobs and not fighting their stupid "war on terror". Let's set the record straight right now -
a) We are not "stealing" jobs - American companies are setting up offices here because we have universal health care which saves them about $5000 PER EMPLOYEE every year. So, it's not our fault that the Americans consistently vote in people who are so busy shagging the lobbyists that they forget about the poor, sick and tired.
b) If we want to talk about "stealing" jobs - lets talk about the hundreds of Canadian doctors that the Americans take from us to use in their overly expensive health care system.
c) Concerning the "war on terror" - we are fighting the biggest and most significant war on terror - the real one - the one in Afghanistan where the Taliban and Mr. Bin Laden are setting up home again. And we are paying for it with the deaths of our brave soldiers while the rest of the world (including America) pays lip service to it. Bush's "war on terror" is more a "war to create terror" and this is something we want nothing of. Lives of Canadian servicemen are too precious and should never be lost for the sake of cheaper petrol!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Is it better to take a longer holiday?
So, here I am pondering the intricacies of our holiday to India. This morning, I was pretty pleased with what we had planned - that is, Toronto to Brussels - 4 days in Brussels then some time in Mumbai - a couple of days in Pune and then on the "real" part of our holiday. Delhi to see the capital, Agra (Taj Mahal) and into Rajasthan. We plan on staying in palaces, seeing forts and showing the world to baby M. Then back to Mumbai and backtrack to Brussels for a couple of nights and return 36 days later to Toronto.
But then I started to think, if we are going all the way there - why not spend one more week and go and see a little bit more of India. I mean, I really don't know when we will go back there. There's just so much to show baby M around the world.
Should we be taking the opportunity and seeing more?
Here is my thinking process:
For staying a week more:
1) We are already there - might as well spend a week seeing another area.
Against staying a week more:
1) We'd already be travelling for a month (16 days in hotels) - is it fair to put baby M through more hotel rooms?
2) It'll be summer in India and I don't like the heat. No idea how baby M will react to it as well.
3) Because of the heat, really the only places we can go are the Northern parts of India and the Himalayan region. Not a bad thing, because I love mountains. But we are going again to the Rockies in June - mind you, as a mountain lover I can tell you that no two mountains are the same - but still - it's essentially mountains. On the other hand, you can only go to the Himalayas for about 4 months a year and I have never really gone to India this late into the summer season before and likely will not go again at this time.
4) Trip for 1 week will cost the bank around $1800 additional. Which is pretty cheap when you compare it to the cheesy resorts Canadians pay to go to the Caribbean but still it's money.
5) The Travel Insurance with the credit card company that covers us only covers a period of 31 days - I have no idea how to upgrade that.
Hmm....
But then I started to think, if we are going all the way there - why not spend one more week and go and see a little bit more of India. I mean, I really don't know when we will go back there. There's just so much to show baby M around the world.
Should we be taking the opportunity and seeing more?
Here is my thinking process:
For staying a week more:
1) We are already there - might as well spend a week seeing another area.
Against staying a week more:
1) We'd already be travelling for a month (16 days in hotels) - is it fair to put baby M through more hotel rooms?
2) It'll be summer in India and I don't like the heat. No idea how baby M will react to it as well.
3) Because of the heat, really the only places we can go are the Northern parts of India and the Himalayan region. Not a bad thing, because I love mountains. But we are going again to the Rockies in June - mind you, as a mountain lover I can tell you that no two mountains are the same - but still - it's essentially mountains. On the other hand, you can only go to the Himalayas for about 4 months a year and I have never really gone to India this late into the summer season before and likely will not go again at this time.
4) Trip for 1 week will cost the bank around $1800 additional. Which is pretty cheap when you compare it to the cheesy resorts Canadians pay to go to the Caribbean but still it's money.
5) The Travel Insurance with the credit card company that covers us only covers a period of 31 days - I have no idea how to upgrade that.
Hmm....
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Things I have to be fortunate about
I began to think today about all the people on earth and the issues they face and I realised I really am fortunate. Here are the top 14 things I have today that I am fortunate about.
1) An absolutely wonderful husband who loves me totally and who is really the most reliable person I have met.
2) A lovely little active baby who is healthy and normal.
3) A family that is truly strange, wierd and totally non-communicational but who somehow manages to pull together for me every time it's needed.
4) A sister in law who loves me like her own sister and isn't too shy to tell me what to do. My nephew seems to be catching up to that as well - but being told what to do by a 19 year old is just a little annoying.
5) That I had a father who truly believed in education for girls and did not hold me back at all.
6) That I have had the opportunity to live in so many parts of the world, travel to many more and be exposed to so much good on earth.
7) That my friends and family have pulled around me at my darkest moments and as Rupali once said "If you can't laugh at yourself now when are you going to".
8) I have a list of friends who actually like me for who I am: Bhindi, Poly, Jill, Tanvi, Gaby, Marg, Mrs. H ...
9) That Emie has the patience and will power to try to make a lazy person like me believe she can be an athlete.
10) That I have a home and so many things to fill it's cupboards that you need to open the doors carefully.
11) I live in Canada - what better place is there on earth?
12) George Cloony - I told my husband that if Cloony comes to town - I take the baby and have dinner with Cloony. We'll talk about my plans to save Dafur!
13) That I live in a time when a coloured person can think of leading a predominantly white nation and the nation gives him support.
14) I have the freedom to broadcast my voice to potentially 6.5 billion individuals on earth and no one can really stop me.
1) An absolutely wonderful husband who loves me totally and who is really the most reliable person I have met.
2) A lovely little active baby who is healthy and normal.
3) A family that is truly strange, wierd and totally non-communicational but who somehow manages to pull together for me every time it's needed.
4) A sister in law who loves me like her own sister and isn't too shy to tell me what to do. My nephew seems to be catching up to that as well - but being told what to do by a 19 year old is just a little annoying.
5) That I had a father who truly believed in education for girls and did not hold me back at all.
6) That I have had the opportunity to live in so many parts of the world, travel to many more and be exposed to so much good on earth.
7) That my friends and family have pulled around me at my darkest moments and as Rupali once said "If you can't laugh at yourself now when are you going to".
8) I have a list of friends who actually like me for who I am: Bhindi, Poly, Jill, Tanvi, Gaby, Marg, Mrs. H ...
9) That Emie has the patience and will power to try to make a lazy person like me believe she can be an athlete.
10) That I have a home and so many things to fill it's cupboards that you need to open the doors carefully.
11) I live in Canada - what better place is there on earth?
12) George Cloony - I told my husband that if Cloony comes to town - I take the baby and have dinner with Cloony. We'll talk about my plans to save Dafur!
13) That I live in a time when a coloured person can think of leading a predominantly white nation and the nation gives him support.
14) I have the freedom to broadcast my voice to potentially 6.5 billion individuals on earth and no one can really stop me.
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