Montreal!

So I have arrived in Montreal for a visit. Well, actually I have been here for a little over a week now! It's pretty amazing how fast the time goes, but also how easy it is to settle into a place you used to live in.

It's been a perfect blend of busy and relaxing. Got in at 4:30 to find that my luggage had been lost. The guy at the counter was super rude and wouldn't even answer my questions! Welcome to Quebec! Oh well. I wasn't going to let it bring me down. It was great getting to 2 BG and seeing my family. I was feeling kind of tired since I don't really sleep much during flight, even long ones, but somehow I ended up staying up until about 2:30 - Caroline came over and so did Moe and Ryan, and everyone was having a great time. Had Mom's home made spaghetti sauce, wine...Yum!

The next few days I went shopping with Mom. Sunday night the fam went to La Porte Greque and had some delicious lamb chops. Monday night because of Logan's insistence we went to see "Scott Pilgrim vs The World", which was great. Tuesday night Tasha and Sanjay came over for dinner and then we headed off to Candi Bar on Mont Royale because my old friend Cheryl was in town. It was really great to see her. If anyone is reading this and is considering going to Candi bar, it's a great place. The bar is made of mega blocks! But beware of their sugary drinks!!! The one I had contained cherry slush, vodka, midori and pop rocks. Wow, did I feel below average the next day, and apparently I was babbling about nonsense in Sanjay's car on the way home. Yikes.

Needless to say, Wednesday was a quiet one. But it was really nice to be in my old house with my family. I talked to Dave that morning too, which was good. Mom, Logan, Tara and I walked around the Pointe Claire Village and made Rice Krispies Squares when we got home. Mom made meat loaf - it was kind of cool for everyone to be having a cooked meal together at the house.

Thursday got a slow start, but after a disaster involving Mom's washing machine Mom and I went out for Gigi's Pizza. I still think it's the best pizza I've ever had! Moe arrived late in the afternoon, because she took Friday off to hang out - so nice! We went out to La Porte Greque and had a great chat. I think we both needed girl time. When we got back, my whole family as well as Moe and Sanjay listened to my band's album so far. I was so excited because everyone really liked it and had heaps of positive things to say about it. Moe, Sanjay, Logan and I went to Clydes afterwards for a bit and had a pitcher of Molson Ex!

The weekend was a fun one. Friday we actually had a lot of fun grocery shopping before our girls' night. I made fajitas, and we all had a cocktail or two, chatted and played board games - Yay! Moe slept over again and left the next day when Ryan came to pick her up. That night I went with Caroline, Sanjay and Tasha to Typhoon where Mike works. I saw Mike, Craig and a few others I hadn't seen in ages. Had a great time with Caroline, and ended the night pretty sober, which is apparently an accomplishment after being there. On Sunday afternoon Nana and Ann-Marie came over and I made them dinner. It was really lovely to see them as well.

Here we are - it's already Monday. After a delicious and filling lunch at the Burgundy Lion Mom, Dad and I spent some time together and looked at old photos. I had a good long chat with Mom and also talked to Dave on the phone. Nerdy playing of my old Mac SE followed. Still can't beat Quest For T-Rex. Haha.

Year 11 Retreat

From Wednesday to Friday last week I went on Year 11 Retreat for my Co-Curricular hours. I'm going to be really honest here and say that I wasn't exactly looking forward to it. Sure, I like the kids and the other staff, but 3 days and two nights...It could seem like forever. I like my own bed, and I like being with Dave every day. But I was going, and that was that! The only option was to be in a good mood about it!

The retreat ended up being really, really great. Accommodation was rough and very cold at night, but that was hardly noticeable. The kids were there to focus on their relationships with family, friends and others and to reflect on their lives. There were activities about communication and active listening (I ran one of those), making a road that signified their journey in life, reflecting on what each member of their family means to them and more.

On the first day the kids were read the story of the Warm Fuzzies. They then each got a bag that they put their name on and decorated. Over the course of the retreat everyone wrote "warm fuzzies" to one another, and everyone got to read the contents of their bad at the end. What a great idea!

I ran a workshop on day 2 called "Music is my Life", where the kids are meant to compile 10-12 songs that make them think about people and places in their lives. To model the task I shared some of my life experiences and played some songs. Even though I get up in front of a class 5 days a week, many times a day, I still felt quite nervous about getting up and sharing. But I'm glad I did, and I'm glad I was honest with them about some of the things that happened at different parts in my life. I think it encouraged the kids to dig deeper when they did the activity.

By the second day the mood at the retreat was already different. Kids were coming out of their shells, being more honest with one another and branching out, talking and interacting with other students who weren't necessarily friends before. That night we had a liturgy. Every student brought a candle, and we lit them all. Towards the end, the kids had to think about something they wanted to get rid of, a feeling, an experience, anger, guilt, etc. and they wrote it down on a piece of paper. One by one each kid quietly stood up in the candlelit room and ripped up their paper, throwing it away. After this, a girl named Emma got up to sing a song. She's had some tough times in her life and when she started to sing her voice broke and she began to cry. Immediately, friends were by her side, holding her hand, encouraging her. She sang the whole song, even though her voice was breaking now and then. It was really beautiful. Because of the overwhelming emotional reflection over the days, most of the kids were in tears when Emma sang her song. After the song finished everyone hugged someone, or many people. I had some students I didn't even know giving me a hug. In school it might feel weird, but it was nice on retreat.

The next day was also quite emotional - each student received a letter from their parents, or a parent. This part of the retreat reduced even the toughest, jockiest guys to tears. The great thing was the letters would say how proud parents were and how much they loved their kids. That reinforcement and expression of love and pride just made the kids cry, because they were overwhelmed with reassuring, happy feelings.

I think it was really a great experience for all the kids, and I feel so glad that I got to be a part of it. I wish we had done something like this at my school.

July Holidays

The year's middle holiday is coming to a close. Compared to our Vietnam adventure in April, these two weeks have been incredibly relaxing. The World Cup was fun to get into, checked out some Jazz at The Bird, went to the 6s & 7s album launch at the Rosie, welcomed Maureen back from the UK with a lovely dinner at Clarence's, Went for walks into the city and to the library, had some dinners out, partied at Cutter's big birthday and Dave & I celebrated our 5-year anniversary with a few nights in Margaret River filled with relaxation: food, wine, the country and each other.

It was really a good couple of weeks.

STOMP

It's time for STOMP, a special day at La Salle College. Everyone dresses up and has fun, providing a gold coin donation for worthy causes. Everyone had to dress as something starting with one of these letters: STOMP. Teachers do it too, it's heaps of fun! I was a punk, along with the lovely ladies in the library. Here are some pictures:

Five Years

Dave and I are celebrating five years of being together today. How amazing is that?

Also: Happy Canada Day, everyone! :)

Getting Up to Date

Oh my. I have been away from this blog for too long. There are posts I keep continuing to write, and since I haven't finished, I don't update on news, and things just build up. Well, I think it's time to write now, catch up on the past later.

Things I have to post about:

1. Mom and Dad's visit.

2. Starting the new school year.

3. Dave and I in Vietnam.

4. Everything else in between!

It has been a pretty quiet weekend. Dave has been feeling a bit rough so we've been laying low. Sometimes, and I mean this in the most lovely of ways, it's nice when one person in a couple is feeling a little bit sick, as long as it's not really ill - it gives the other person an excuse to just chill. Friday night we went to the Rosemount for a celebration - Cutter has left RTR and is starting a new company. It was great to see people I haven't seen in awhile, and it was a really nice night out, especially for May!

Saturday was a really lazy day, filled with DVDs, snacks and generally just hanging out in the house. Saturday night we got Thai food and we watched 'Anvil', which was pretty funny, and also 'Perfume', because Dave just finished reading the book. From what I remember from the book the movie was pretty true to the story, but it bothered both of us that the man they cast as Grenouille was not so hard on the eyes, when in the book it was quite the opposite.

Today I have to do some work, but surprise surprise, I'm putting it off. Instead, Dave and I watched "Bride Wars", a movie that I originally swore I wouldn't allow Dave to watch because of how feral these girls get about weddings, planning and huge expenses! I think it was fine though, it was pretty fun.

School has been fine - on Friday we took the year 8s to Fremantle, it was so much fun! Week three of term two has left me pretty tired, so I'm glad we had a quiet weekend. Last week I was unfortunately beating myself up a lot, and being overtired didn't help me in terms of looking at things rationally, and I was thinking of myself as a disappointment. I plan to take a more healthy approach to how I perceive myself and what I do from now on, if I can. I always think I have to be the best in every area, and find it frustrating when I'm not. The best teacher, the best in my relationships, the best in keeping house, the best at maintaining myself physically and emotionally. But that can't happen. We can't be perfect in every area, and it's essential to make sacrifices and compromises to balance everything out. It's a hard notion to get used to sometimes.

Time to sign off, and try to catch up on other posts...

Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is an assault on the senses. It's incredible. We arrived in the evening, and shared a taxi with this guy from Malaysia. We were immediately astounded by the lights, the sights an the crazy chaos that is Ho Chi Minh. There were motorbikes everywhere, vehicules weaving through laneless traffic. To make yourself known in a car you had to honk your horn. Traffic lights, when presented, were more of a guide than a law. There were people everywhere - walking around, selling wares and food, selling rides on motorbikes and cyclos.

Dave and I arrived at the Metropole, our hotel. It was quite nice! We were tired, but wanted to see some of Ho Chi Minh. So we got dressed and had a wander. We had dinner in a place on a backstreet surrounded by plants, and cocktails at Xu Bar before heading back.

The next day, feeling fresh, we set out to see the sights. It's hot and humid in Vietnam, and hard to stay hydrated. I love it. We discovered that crossing the street was risking your life! Avoid the cars, step out and the motorbikes will (hopefully) drive around you. We learned that hesitation was dangerous. We had lunch at a place recommended in a guide we read, and it didn't disappoint! Dave got the most delicious Green Mango shake ever, and I got a fruit shake made with fruits I didn't recognize, which was so interesting. You could see the food being made, the produce and spices used. Yum!

That afternoon we went to the War Museum, originally called the Museum of American War Crimes. The exhibit was amazing, sad, disturbing, thought-provoking, shocking and heartbreaking. There were planes, weapons, photos taken during the Vietnam War, opinions of people involved, and, sadly, an exhibit about how the Vietnamese are affected by Agent Orange. It was so intriguing to see the Vietnamese view of the war.

After that we went to the markets, took in the amazing sights, bought a few little things. I loved the markets. I don't know if I loved how we got there...Outside the museum we were asked if we wanted a ride on a motorbike. I am terrified of riding on motorbikes, but took a deep breath and agreed. We were going to the markets, and it would take awhile to walk. Although in the traffic the bikes don't go too fast, there is a lot of weaving a dodging, and I was pretty scared and relieved to get to the markets in one piece!

That night we were meeting Karen, a Vietnamese girl Dave's dad met though his company when he was in Ho Chi Minh. She arrived with a friend on motorbikes - it looked like I was getting on one of those again - oh no! Even though I was still a little scared, after a little while I actually enjoyed it a bit, although I was still happy when the ride was over, haha. Dave and I couldn't believe it when the girls pulled up to the restaurant we ate lunch at!!! It was delicious the second time around, too, and the girls knew how to order better than we did. We had these thin, flat rice rolls, and filled them with salads, rice, meat...yum! The girls were really nice. karen spoke some English, her friend spoke none. They were really sweet. After that we went for a coffee. The traditional coffee in Vietnam was intense; a drip coffee mixed with sweetened condensed milk. My coffee had the texture of melted chocolate, and was almost as sweet.

Since the girls had to work the next day, they were going to head home. Dave and I wanted to go out and see a few places. We had drinks at Saigon Saigon and the Rooftop Garden, both with gorgeous views of the city. There was a party happening at Saigon Saigon, people were doing the Macarena, noooooooo! They made some pretty tasty cocktails. We had a Saigon beer at the Rooftop garden, which was elaborately decorated with plants and giant animal statues. we were worried when we saw a crash on the road below - a car ran into a motorbike with two people on it; thankfully they seemed all right, but it made us realize that maybe things didn't run so smoothly all the time after all. We then took a taxi to the backpacker district, where we went to Q-Bar and the place across the street, where we partied until after 5 in the morning!

The next day was our last day in Ho Chi Minh. We slept in a little bit, and had little hangovers, but nothing that could stop us! We were headed to the History Museum, but our first stop was lunch! We stopped for a fruit shake and then took a taxi. We walked around and went into the first restaurant we saw, a place off the beaten track. Looking around, we saw tanks filled with fish, eels, snakes and frogs. The menu had delicacies such as snake, testicle and brain. Dave, feeling advenurous, tried to order some snake! But they didn't have it or something. We ordered some food by pointing at items; tried to use our phrasebook, but to no avail. The girls who worked there laughed at us when we tried to figure out some of the food, and watched us eat the whole time! It was an experience, that's for sure. The History museum was really interesting. At that point it was almost time to go. We went to a cafe near the Saigon River, then to the Rooftop bar for one last look at the city. At our hotel, we got our stuff and went to the place we were meant to catch our bus to Nha Trang.