Eight years ago I went on my second English Teaching stint - this time to Osaka, Japan. Although after two years I had itchy feet was very ready to leave, my memories are so positive. I have told Mehmet many times that we MUST go to Japan someday, so I can introduce all my favourite bits of the culture to him. So when we booked our trip home to Canada, I was delighted to find out that we had a nine-hour stopover in Tokyo! This gave us enough time to get out of the airport and meet a couple friends. Do you think Mehmet got a nice teeny taste of this great country in such a short period of time? Have a look.

Well, our family Christmas day has come and gone, and of course it was a very special one for Mehmet and I. Here are some pictures of the day.

Well, this is our third day ‘home’ now, and I’ve got so much to write about! But there is shopping to be done, family to see, Christmas Day preparations to help with, a hot-tub that needs to feel wanted, table games to be played, photos to be taken, and [...] Continue Reading…

Yesterday we got back from a delightful holiday in Bali, Indonesia. (That was the calm). I’ve long wanted to go to Bali, and this was such a special trip for us. It’s our last Asian getaway before we settle down in Canada.

It was 12 years ago that I [...] Continue Reading…

Well, for months and months I’ve been swinging between dread and excitement about finishing work, and now it’s done. Yesterday was my last day, and although I’ve still snuck a few things home to finish up, I’m officially finished.

In the last 12 years in this industry, I’ve worked at [...] Continue Reading…

I’m pretty much a hobo. A vagabond. A nomad. Since first heading off the farm to college in the big city 20 years ago, I’ve gotten used to packing it all in every year or so. As I lay in bed late last night I thought about how it’s [...] Continue Reading…

Flashback 2001 : Well now I am back in Japan after my break in Canada. Getting through the airport stuff here was so so fast compared to all the added security measures back home. No questions, no baggage checks. I guess they have made no changes to security [...] Continue Reading…

Okay, we know there’s so MUCH I’ll miss about Malaysia, about living in the tropics, about my job, etc. But let’s be honest - there are always negatives. And like every foreigner ANYwhere, there are things about the local culture that are irksome, annoying, frustrating, tiring, etc.

Here are the [...] Continue Reading…

I’ve got just two weeks left of work, and well, in less than a month we’ll be in Canada. It’s nuts. NUTS, I tell you! Let’s pretend that we’re getting everything done, and that the last few weeks will be a peaceful end to a lovely two years.

Okay now [...] Continue Reading…

Flashback 2001 : (I wrote this on a visit home to Canada while living and working in Japan).

In Japan there is a very small selection of English language TV shows. I often wonder who decides which shows make it to Japanese television, and I am puzzled by the curious [...] Continue Reading…

Today my co-worker Heather and I were talking about the ‘moving back to Canada’ thing. She’s also lived overseas for many years - she’s a Canadian, married to a Malaysian. The topic moved to grocery stores. “Wait till you walk into a Dominion or Loblaws after all this time. [...] Continue Reading…

Yesterday after work Janet and I walked home together - she lives down the street from me. “Will you miss Malaysia?” she asked, as we discussed my coming departure. Will I miss Malaysia? Good question!
I’ve never felt for Malaysia the same strong love as I felt for Japan and [...] Continue Reading…

Flashback Japan - 2001:

Ahh… the wonderful irreplaceable fun of racing day… team spirit, water, hot sun, music blaring over loudspeakers, prizes, water fights, making new friends… we had it all today.

Our team competed in a big dragonboat race today, and there were about hmm… 30 teams there. The [...] Continue Reading…

A month ago I was on the website of a blogger who has created some interesting plugins that I have used on my blog. He had just written an entry encouraging his readers to head over to Geek with a Laptop , and leave a ‘laptop’ story to get [...] Continue Reading…

1. Will it be too cold in Canada?
2. When should we start packing?
3. Will we be able to sell our washing machine?
4. Should we sell it now? wait till the last week?
5. What if we don’t get the deposit back from our phone line?
6. Should we just cancel the [...] Continue Reading…

Well, the Ramadan holiday has just passed, and now it’s an Indian holiday here. (I did mention once that Malaysia has almost 20 national holidays throughout the year, didn’t I?). It’s Diwali, the Festival of Lights.

This past weekend I enjoyed looking at the coloured sand decorations at one of [...] Continue Reading…

Flashback Japan 06/12/2001: This evening I was teaching my weekly lesson to a class of young business men. They are really fun-loving, and we have good times in that class. They really laugh at each other, and I am glad that they all can laugh at themselves too.

Tonight we [...] Continue Reading…

As time marches ever closer to the date of our departure from Malaysia, my mind is on Canada a lot. People ask me all the time if I miss home. Of course I do, but I don’t dwell on it. I’ve been blessed with so many beautiful adventures, interesting [...] Continue Reading…

It’s amazing how many different types of beauty there are when it comes to natural locations. A lush green jungle in Malaysia, a stark red desert in Australia, a hillside of multi-coloured autumn foliage in Canada… all so gorgeous in their own ways. But let’s all step into our [...] Continue Reading…

One of those little things that inevitably add to one’s experience in a foreign country is TV ads. They’re a great insight into local culture. Soooo many ads here are extremely cheesy - it was that way in Japan too. Grown women frolicking and cooing like teenage girls, grown [...] Continue Reading…