Fusion Living : East meets West

A Recipe to "Trick White People"

2011-09-18T22:24:00.002-04:00

Merlin often finds something that is being marketed to the general public as being Indian inspired, or something South Asian when in fact it barely is recognizable to a guy who spent the first 27 years of his life there! He calls it "tricking white people" who will buy in to anything Asian these days. We see it with clothing....little dresses that can be fit 5 different ways proudly being sold by an Indian with a Made In India tag on it....yet it is nothing any Indian would ever wear. Going to an Indian restaurant to find samosa's called Beggar's Purses....say what??? Again...tricking people. Or one of my favorite the papadam that is brought with a nice chutney as a free appetizer at the beginning of a meal. I found out how that is really eaten on my first trip to India....taken in hand and crushed and put over rice....not a snack with chutney before the meal....again Merlin thinks tricking people.

Then I found a recipe and Merlin thought it was strange but I was in a canning frenzy since fall is almost upon us and I want to put as much away for winter use as I can. I borrowed a few books from the local library and found a recipe for Indian fruit chutney. True, the only time we use it is when we are serving Indian appetizers but I figured it was worth a try. When Merlin looked in to my boiling pot of fruit and pointed out all the strange things I had put in it....raisins, orange, lemon, lime....he once again claimed it was a recipe to "fool white people" in to thinking it was Indian. I will say it seemed like a strange list of ingredients but....a big but I think it is a tamarind knock off. Tamarind is non-existent here unless you buy something off the shelf that was shipped from Asia possibly several months ago or more. This chutney is sweet yet tangy with a little heat. We popped the bottle open at work for a samosa party and everyone was very impressed. I think I was the most impressed since I was serving something I hadn't tried yet, which could have been disastrous.

So even though some things do fool us, and even more are marketed toward us, this little jar of fruit chutney tasted great and was something I made with foods I have access to. I may even fool Merlin and decide to make some more and put away in our pantry shelf!

Taken from The Complete Book of Small-Batch Preserving by Ellie Topp and Margaret Howard. Page 208, Indian Chutney.

1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1 medium orange, peeled and chopped
1 medium lemon, peeled and chopped
1 lime, peeled and chopped
1 each brown sugar AND molasses
1/4 cup finely chopped ginger root
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 TBSP mustard seeds
1/2 tsp hot pepper flaked AND cinnamon
1/4 tsp each ground cloves AND allspice
1/8 tsp red chili powder

1. Combine everything minus the spices in a large stainless steel saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and boil gently for 30 mins or until fruit is tender and mixture is thickened, stirring occasionally. Add spices and boil gently for 5 mins.

2. Remove hot jars from canner and ladle chutney into jars with 1/2 inch of head space. Process 10 mins for half pint jars and 15 mins for pint jars.

Makes 3 cups.

Try it and dare to be fooled in this tamarind knock off chutney!

Merlin Goes Indian

2011-09-12T09:49:00.004-04:00

Merlin has never owned Indian clothing....ever. When his office in Bangalore use to have days where you would wear Indian clothes to represent your culture Merlin would go to office in jeans, polo shirt and a ball cap! Yes, he felt his culture was American not Indian.

But then he decided to buy a sherwani while in India on our last trip. It is a fancy outfit worn by men often for weddings. He wouldn't wear one for our wedding but felt it would be a nice feel for his brothers reception that he was the master of ceremonies for. Then this year he had a moment...possibly a weak moment whilst we were at Gerrard Indian Bazaar that he wanted a kurta pajama. I have worn salwar kameez for years, but this is the male version....a long kurta top that can be worn with a drawn string pant or just over regular pants. Merlin bought not one but two, which he thought would be comfortable. Secretly I was ecstatic that he finally broke down and decided to get something casual that he could wear.

He has wore them a couple times but the shocker was while deciding what to wear to my cousins wedding that he tells me he is going to go Indian for the reception. Out he pulls his one kurta and that he would wear it with his dress pants and he even pulled out his pointy Indian shoes to go with it. Now he rarely wears the shoes since they give him "shoe bites" a term applied to getting blisters on your heels!

So finally Merlin has embraced Indian clothes.....and all I can say is at least it wasn't a lungi! You'll have to look that one up folks :)

How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-08-20T13:49:00.004-04:00

Eggplant, cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes, green peppers, green beans and green chili's all from today's trip to the garden

Part of the fun of owning our own home is that we could have a garden. I must say I was more excited about this then Merlin was. He was sure I wouldn't be able to grow anything since my record with keeping house plants alive is zero.

I grew up with parents who put in a huge vegetable garden and I remember how I loathed going out to pick weeds. We enjoyed bountiful foods that my mom would can, freeze or we would enjoy for our supper fresh out of our backyard. Nowadays I'm interested in growing my own food since I am concerned about where my food comes from, and what has gone in to produce it. So here was my chance to have my own little organic garden which I dubbed "farming in the city".

It was a learning experience doing everything myself. So what did we grow? We grew a few things from seed but mostly went to a local greenhouse and bought small starter plants. So we planted from seed...radish, carrots, lettuce, beets, spinach and herbs like cilantro, basil, thyme and parsley. My neighbor was nice enough to give me two pepper plants that he grew from seed while I gave away some of my extra plants, since I didn't think we needed say four chili plants!!! We then went and bought purple cabbage, green chili, celery, eggplant, peppers, tomatoes (roma and yellow boy), pole beans, snap peas, cucumber, and zucchini. *phew*

I did try to grow a few things in pots thinking I could save precious garden space for other things but honestly the strawberry plants mostly died and I transplanted the rest in to a small patch in the garden while the tomato plants started to shrink and wither away.

I've had my share of problems too.....worms on the cabbage, Japanese beetles eating my beans and squash vine borers. I saved my cabbage and beans by using organic methods but the zucchini were too far gone by the time I figured out what was going on to save them.

It is fun to go out to our little "farm" and pick our own food. Next year I plan to expand and include some fruit in our backyard. It may take some time to grow but my hope is to grow as much of our own food as I can while enjoying the hobby of gardening and being green to the environment. Merlin has also come to enjoy going around and checking the plants and taking out weeds and of course enjoying the fresh veggies that land on our table for supper.

"Best Twenty Bucks I Ever Spent"

2011-07-31T14:21:00.005-04:00

Merlin doing something under water that looks a little bit like yoga.

So little did I know that Merlin couldn't swim. It was long after we were married and together at a pool that I found out he could not swim to save his life. We have all tried to give him lessons....doggy paddle, kicking your feet, trying to float and its the same result...he sinks! Now I figured he was born in Kerela near the ocean, his family has a home in the lovely area of Goa, India near the water and he talked about water parks and such in India...but never did he mention he couldn't swim! I have since found out this isn't so uncommon in India--nobody in his family knows how to swim! I never thought about it since I remember seeing photo's of them at the beach (who goes to the beach but not in the water) and even in the water but I guess now that I look they weren't swimming but more less walking in and splashing around and that is "swimming".

So Merlin decided that he was going to buy a life jacket. Off early he went to Canadian Tire to get one that was on sale. He came home with a bright yellow and black life jacket that he proudly told me only cost him $20. I thought it was a bit much, but what do I know? I know how to swim and don't need one. He has now used it twice...once we took the dogs to the quarries to go swimming and the second time at a family function where my Aunt and Uncle have a pool. After its first use he exclaimed that it was...."the best $20 I ever spent!". Merlin likes to shop, so I question him on it being the "best", but he still holds to the notion that it was the best $20 he ever spent. He is funny, but it did allow him to spend over 2 hours in the pool where he felt safe and I didn't have to worry about him drowning.

Lesson learned....go buy a life jacket for your adult spouse who can't seem to figure out how to kick their feet and push with their arms....because it will be the BEST twenty dollars you ever spent. Enough said :)

A Big Fat Indian Wedding

2011-07-29T17:44:00.008-04:00

Wedding Photo--July 29, 2006 in India

Five years ago today Merlin and I walked in to a small, hot and dusty office off the busy streets of Bangalore, India with two friends and got married. It was nothing at all like I had ever imagined with no family there, no friends, no celebration....just the registrar, his two friends and Merlin and I. Merlin was dressed in an everyday shirt and I picked an orange salwar kameez, since I didn't have a red one, it was the closest I had brought with me.

The ceremony was quick mostly with us signing papers, saying some vows and taking a few pictures. Merlin didn't bring any sweets with to share afterwards so he gave the secretary and the registrar a little extra money for helping us out. Our wedding was over within 10 minutes and the next excited couple and some of their friends filled the waiting area around the screen and off we went as a newly married couple.

Our love story is complicated and riddled with lots of drama. His family wouldn't accept our relationship, my family didn't come as planned since there was going to be no celebration, Merlin couldn't even tell his family that he was married until long after he left to come to Canada to live. In some ways it is sad, it is a huge disappointment and it was a terrible way to start out our life together. And even though there was no big fat Indian wedding, no friends or family, no gifts and nothing fancy, five years later I can look back and say what mattered most is that I married a wonderful man. Our marriage is based on commitment to each other and a faith in G-d that will last longer then the butterfly love feeling that makes love seem magical. We were almost strangers all those years ago but now I can say I married my best friend.

So Merlin, thank you for being the person G-d made you to be. For believing in us and having a future. Thanks for the laughter, for wiping my tears, for helping me when I feel sick and for holding on when things get tough. We are told life will never be easy, but somehow you have made marriage seem so simple and uncomplicated. I pray our life time is filled with amazing memories, lots of boston kisses and walks in the park.

I love you and always will.

Indian Weekend

2011-07-18T10:19:00.002-04:00

So last year we joined the local Malayalee Association which holds several group events during the year. The big ones are a summer picnic, Onam and Christmas/New Years party. Last year we went to the picnic and Merlin did not want to miss a chance to enjoy Malayalee food and fun. To me I go along since we are a couple and I think its important to stay connected to his culture. It however is somewhat of a lonely experience for me since I noticed I stay with Merlin and land up with a lot of the men coming over to converse with him and the wives all gather in another area. We have no kids, something that normally would bond women together...and I don't speak the language so another strike against me. I do have one lady who I met last year whom I enjoy talking to. She and her family had just moved from Singapore, so she was a "newby" too. This year however she has expanded her wings and I didn't expect her to sit with me the whole time. Sometimes taking one for the team is a little uncomfortable, but I knew that Merlin would enjoy the company, being able to hear his native tongue and food that I don't cook--kappa and meen (tapioca and fish curry).

It just so happens the picnic falls on the same weekend as the South Asian Festival on Gerrard St. in Toronto. So off we went to Toronto to walk Little India and be able to enjoy food, dance, music and browse the wares that were on offer. It was hot--too hot actually to be in a concrete area with lots of people walking along the roadway. I think numbers were down probably for the same reason that the place was like a tandoor! When Merlin says its hot, I know that its not just me then feeling the heat. Merlin tried to negotiate to get a power pack to change our mixer grinder over from 220 to 120 with no success. Instead we came home with a pressure cooker, which should be an interesting although he swears it will make cooking so much easier. I enjoyed a dish of channa bhatura, chickpeas and a fried bread--delicious and was able to get a free henna tattoo. After spending several hours there we packed up and came home to our air conditioned house....what a relief and so thankful to have central air.

A hot weekend here in South Western Ontario with lots of good Indian food, laughter, nice weather and a few desi things to help make life a little easier--so Merlin says! :)

A Time to Grow

2011-07-15T23:33:00.008-04:00

Our new house in Kitchener

So it's been a long time since I blogged. Yes, it is hard work keeping up a blog and you don't realize it until you actually have one to write on! A lot has happened in the past 9 months....Merlin got a new job at a great company, we bought another dog and we moved in to our own house! I am not sure what is more exciting but the new job allowed us to finally get our own place which we are thoroughly enjoying. The dogs have a big backyard to play in and I am able to garden to my hearts content. We put in a vegetable garden and I dream of all the lovely flowers I am going to plant next year.

Our new dog Rani, a 14 month old blue doberman pinscher

So it has been a time to grow, to move on to new things in life and to settle down and make roots. We have so much to be thankful for and since I now have a laptop that works I have no excuse on why I'm not blogging.

2 Days In

2010-10-13T02:12:00.002-04:00

So I'm two days in to eating vegetarian and its harder then I thought. I'm not craving meat or anything but I am finding it hard to balance out my meals. I think I could live on carbs, yes I'm a carb-a-holic but that isn't healthy for anyone.

Today I had to be a little more creative with my foods since I had to bring a lunch to work. I made myself a veggie sandwich, which did include cheese. I had baked some oatmeal cookies and had some fruit. Supper was a little more tricky but I landed up with stuffing, carrots, baked beans and jello. Merlin on the other hand has been eating Indian food. I tried my hand at channa saag or chickpeas and spinach. I'm going to have to prepare a new dish for his lunch, but he seems happy eating his Indian veg food.

So day 3 is around the corner, and I'm hoping it will become easier as we go along.

Happy eating, both veg and non-veg!

Seven Day Veg Challenge

2010-10-10T19:31:00.002-04:00

So Merlin and I have committed to trying a 7 day vegetarian challenge. It is for no other reason then to try and eat healthier and see if I can do it. I thought it would be too hard to try it myself, so have asked him to join me. Merlin doesn't seem concerned as long as he gets veg Indian food. It means I'm going to have to be creative and have pulled a bunch of new recipes in an effort to ensure that we eat balanced meals.

I'll try to keep you updated on how to happy carnivores do with our veggie challenge. The fridge is stocked with lots of delicious and fresh veggies, so here goes nothing!

Long Weekend At The Cottage

2010-09-08T19:21:00.001-04:00

Labour Day weekend is the last long weekend of summer before students and teachers head back to school. So this year we decided as a family to pack up our belongings, dogs and a lot of food and head to a friends cottage in Oliphant in the Bruce Peninsula for the weekend. This landed up being another Canadian first for Merlin and we were excited to be able to get away for a mini-summer vacation.

A cute 4 bedroom stone cottage welcomed us after a 4 hour drive up north. Merlin and I were able to leave from Toronto after an appointment and since he was able to have 5 days off in a row (this never happens) we went up early in order to meet my parents at the cottage.

It was relaxing to be able to enjoy sitting around and although we didn't have internet connection we did have cable for the weekend. We also spent time as a family cooking, playing cards, board games and reading.

The weather was somewhat lousy, and Thurs evening was the only time we were able to get out in the water. What started as a walk to the beach turned in to us trying out my brothers kayak. It was really great to try!

I actually flipped once since the waves were going pretty strong further out, but once closer to shore Minu swam up to the boat and would jump in given the chance. This is one Boston who loves water! We haven't told her she isn't a water dog :)

My mom grew up on Prince Edward Island on the east coast of Canada, so she has a real love water. She stayed on a rock and enjoyed watching us kayak and joined in throwing a ball for Minu to chase in the water to bring it back to go again. Reese (my parents dog) stayed with mom on the shore line.

A 10 minute drive brought us to Sauble Falls. The rain held off long enough for us to hike around and take the dogs for a walk. It was very pretty with lots of tourists enjoying the break in the weather.

A group photo of us with the four legged kids after our walk around Sauble Falls.

Dooley, my sisters BeagleX and Minu our Boston Terrier sporting her rain jacket.

Merlin and I went for a little walk before heading back to the car and I spotted this little red squirrel. Merlin was able to get really close to him while he burrowed in the leaves with his treasure.

Family photo: Sarah, Minu and Merlin

A great weekend with the family. I hope we are able to go back and enjoy the cottage experience again next year.

See You At The Ex 2010 !

2010-09-03T21:16:00.000-04:00

It is a tradition for my sister and I to attend the Canadian National Exhibit each year. It is a 16 day fair that is held in Toronto along the lake shore. It offers a variety of entertainment and events bringing the country to the city with a farm show along side a midway, great food and International shopping. Over the years we have gone with our family, parents, friends and now we go with our spouse. So Merlin, Dave, Amy and I packed up and heading off for a day of fun.

What we mostly enjoy is the International Pavilion with people from all over the world attending in order to sell their wares. People from all continents are represented and there are many interesting items to purchase. In the middle of the pavilion is a stage where they have performances that match the different cultures represented.

This year when we arrived we were entertained by a group from China. They were able to to amazing things with their bodies and with such ease!

The International Pavilion is separated with different stalls listing the country of origin of the products within it. You can see here India, Kashmir and Indonesia. There were many other stalls and it takes easily 3 hours to browse through this area.

The first year Dave and Merlin came together they found these little wooden slider flutes. They were very annoying but the boys had fun with them. Dave this year while unsupervised went and bought them both new flutes. Thanks a lot Dave! Merlin's has already been confiscated :)

Amy and I needed a break so grabbed a photo in the shopping area.

Here was a huge Ganesh that was made of sand. It was amazing to see all the sand sculptures that are displayed in a large area outside the main hall.

Here was my favorite though, done by a Dutch guy and was amazing to think that it didn't collapse when he cut the holes in to the shell. I have no idea how they do it, but amazing form of artwork.

Near the end of the day we all climbed on to these chairs called Footies Wootsies which really just vibrates and rejuvenates your feet and gives you the little umph you need to keep walking and all for the low price of 25 cents!

What a wonderful day with great company and given the chance to pick up a few new items for our home from all over the world.

See you next year at The Ex!!!

Raksha Bandhan रक्षाबंधन

2010-08-24T04:47:00.001-04:00

Also known as Rakhi is the festival of that celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. The festival is celebrated during a full moon and is marked with the sister tying a rakhi, or thread on to her brothers wrist. In return the brother gives the sister a gift and vows to protect her and help her through her lifetime. Rakhi helps siblings commemorate memories, loyalty, closeness, trust, and friendship that is pure. They then will feed each other sweets.

Different type of rakhi bracelets

RAKHI

R: Relationship

A: Affection

K: Knitting Together

H: Him (brother) & Her (sister)

I: Interminably

Happy Rakhi to all brothers and sisters!

ഓണം Happy Onam

2010-08-23T21:13:00.002-04:00

Onam is the harvest festival celebrated in Kerela. It is the largest festival and lasts for 10 days. It incorporates all elements of Kerela culture and tradition. Intricate flower designs, banquet meals (served on banana leaves), snake boat races, Puli Kali (artistic play with people dressed like tigers/leopards) and dancing called kaikottikkali. This is the only festival that is celebrated by everyone not taking in to consideration religion, caste, social standing or gender.

Wishing everyone a Happy Onam!

A New Computer? I Don't Think So!

2010-08-22T00:35:00.000-04:00

Imagine my surprise when I got a call from a company in Toronto wanting to verify Merlin's address so they could send us a new Apple computer! What?!?!?! I handed the phone over to Merlin to find out that someone had charged his credit card for a computer that cost $1841 and change. After getting some more information the person not only had taken his credit card but made up a phony name so similar to his name that it was shocking! All you have to do is change a letter here and there and bam....you've got a very similar name.

After a little investigation and phone calls it was reported to the police. The address the person used is off campus housing for the University of Waterloo. I suspect that it was maybe back to school shopping?

Thankfully the computer was never sent out and received by anyone, and the credit card has been cancelled.

The lesson learned is to be careful where you use your credit card. Also check your statements carefully to ensure that there are no hidden purchases.

As far as we can tell Merlin is the only person in Canada with his last name. I don't even have the same name (long story, I have his middle name as my last name) as him and its such a Malayalee name that most Indians don't even recognize it as an Indian name! I am convinced that if you have his credit card number and his name that it would be easy to fish for the rest of his info (address, telephone, etc). Maybe having an unlisted number might help, or changing his name to Smith...but I can tell you that it was a huge wake up call on protecting our identity and being aware of credit card fraud!

Dear Infertility

2010-08-21T00:05:00.006-04:00

God, light of my life, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

~Serenity Prayer~

Becoming a parent for me was a major decision in my life. I can remember days when I never thought I would be married and had no desire to have a child. But now, married and in a loving and caring relationship I have decided that there is more to life then my job, paying the bills and collecting material things. So here we are left empty and without a child, and with no light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes I think maybe it isn't meant to happen. Other times I think that maybe I don't deserve a child, or that the life lessons that children give us are not meant for us, we may have other lessons to learn. I have to wonder how much more I can sacrifice of myself, my emotions, our money and my body in this quest to become a parent. We are not always given what we want or deserve and I often feel like giving up and just being satisfied with being loved by my husband, my family and our furbaby (dog).

You infertility, have touched our life on so many levels. You have wore me down but I have a husband who lifts me up. I don't cry myself to sleep, but I do feel the wrath of infertility drugs, hormones, disappointment and not knowing what else I can do. I sometimes wonder what life has in store for me if being a parent is not an option. Or maybe there is a child out there who I am meant to parent but isn't going to be of my flesh--I'm okay with that too, but its a long, exhausting and also expensive journey which I fear I will run the same type of emotions. Nobody considers how your life and body is put under a microscope. I feel like a guinea pig running from one test to the next hoping that something will be found to explain the last failure.

We have started at a fertility clinic in Toronto, and for the first time I haven't felt totally alone. The waiting room was full of other couples with us all sharing a similar bond--wanting a baby of their own. After 2 years of fertility drugs, failed tests, surgery and raging hormones we have opened up a new era to this journey. I wonder where we will get the money for the expensive treatment? It doesn't seem fair that most people just have a baby and here we need to pay for a chance with no guaranteed outcome. With faith though we continue since you Infertility cannot take away that, and our marriage reaches yet again another new level.

So Infertility, you may be a part of my life but I am not going to give in to you easy but take each step as a learning tool and respect what life will teach me through each new lesson.

Sincerely,

Sarah

One Minute Sermon

2010-08-13T04:42:00.000-04:00

Living your faith is something that we do each and everyday. It isn't easy to live in a society that places more emphasis on science, material items and quick solutions but I do know what the truth is and pray that everyone finds it for their own life.

Taste of the Danforth, Toronto

2010-08-09T18:57:00.006-04:00

Another weekend, another festival! This past weekend we packed up and headed to Toronto for the well established Greek festival called "Taste of the Danforth". Danforth is a street that is full of Greek businesses, restaurants, an Orthodox church, bakeries, and other businesses that the Greek community of Toronto may need. As you can see from the flags on the poles the city has nicknamed it Greektown and the roads are in English and in Greek--very neat!

Although we didn't know what to expect the one thing we did know is that there would be lots of food that we could taste. Being a family of foodies, it was great to walk along the street and buy food from the different restaurants and food stalls just depending on what you are craving. Amy and Merlin found some gyros and were enjoying a favorite food of ours.

My parents decided to join us and although it was too much walking for my mom, my dad seemed to find some things he enjoyed. Here he decided to buy some baklava, which turned out to be delicious.

All these quails were going to eaten later on during the day. Along with quail, gyros, souvlaki, spanakopita, lamb chops, meat pies and sweets were all in popular demand.

Although I was full Merlin decided I should have some chicken souvlaki which ended up having amazing flavour and was a food delight.

Merlin on the other hand was using the festival to enjoy lots of lamb. He had several lamb chops which were grilled and served with bread. He really enjoyed all the lamb!

We weren't the only ones who decided that it was a great day to taste all the Greek treats being offered. The Taste of the Danforth on average bring 1.2 million people down to Greektown to participate in food, music, a bit of culture and children's games! The amount of people on the streets reminded me of India, oh the memories!

Part of the crew--my dad, me, Dave and Amy.

A great day enjoying Greek food and culture while spending time in Toronto. Opa!!!

Sola Singaar

2010-08-06T06:45:00.002-04:00

Also known as the 16 Traditional Accoutrement's which women may adorn themselves. Written during Vedic times the Sanskrit text lays out 16 items that are used to decorate a woman's body.

Bindi
Necklaces
Earrings
Rings
Bangles
Armlets
Waistbands
Anklets
Flowers In the Hair
Kohl (Kajal)
Toe Rings
Henna
Perfume
Sandlewood Paste
Upper Garment
Lower Garment

I found this list when I was looking for information on toe rings. I also found out why toe rings are made of silver as are payal (anklets). Hindu's believe that gold is the metal of the gods. It symbolizes the goddess Lakshmi, the godess of wealth and therefore inappropriate to wear below the waist.

I always find it interesting to hear of historical meanings behind traditions and thought others may find this interesting too. So how many of them are you using to make yourself more beautiful?

4th Anniversary

2010-08-04T20:31:00.006-04:00

So Merlin and I celebrated our 4th anniversary this past week. There wasn't anything special since we both believe that it is important to celebrate our marriage and love each and every day. There was no card, no presents, but the affirmation that I had married the right man for me.

Marriage can be hard, but I can't say I have experienced that. I can count on one hand how many tiffs we have had, although that doesn't mean its always easy. I often say everyone gets tricked when they get married, not always tricked in a bad way but tricked nonetheless. Merlin and I spend a lot of time making sure we are connected, we talk and spend time together. Our life is simple as is our marriage. We don't let outside issues work against us and ensure that we respect each other.

We did share a lunch of Indian food that Merlin picked up and ate it in our apartment. My mom happened to be there since we spent the entire afternoon cleaning our kitchen. We somehow had little flour weevils move in to our flour, atta, idili rice, basmati rice and were running rampant. I keep a tidy place but apparently these little guys are easily transported in. From now on I'm keeping smaller packages of flours and rice and freezing it once I buy it to ensure I don't bring bugs in to our home.

We then spent our first day off together as our anniversary date. We went and had Chinese food, then packed up the dog and took her swimming at a local lake and then came home and watched a movie. A pleasant and cheap way to celebrate 4 incredible years of marriage.

Another Indian Plate

2010-08-03T08:20:00.001-04:00

I found this Indian themed licence plate in Toronto and had to take a picture of it. Since you can get personalized licence plates here (for a hefty fee) I thought this one was great. People use them as a way to have their name on their car, or to promote a business or to have people guessing what it means! This one was easy, it is owned by the lady who runs the website http://mybindi.com/

Masala, Mehndi, Masti!

2010-07-31T19:03:00.001-04:00

Merlin escorted a van full of ladies to an Indian festival called Masala, Mehndi, Masti! in Toronto. It has been running for 10 years and this was the first year for us to go and check it out. Thankfully my mom still owns a van and we carpooled in to this excellent celebration of South Asian culture and arts.

Although there was a full slate of entertainment....Indian Idol, short films, a exhibit from the Royal Ontario Museum, singing, dancing, movie stars and of course food we spent a lot of our time walking around the Meena Bazaar.

We enjoyed a delicious lunch with most going for chicken tikka and naan while my sister and I enjoyed masala dosa--a special South Indian food.

The real treat though was meeting Boman Irani a Hindi film star. He had flown in from Mumbai, India for the festival and we caught him after a press conference. Looks familiar? He started his film career at 44 in the movie Josh, but has also played award winning performances in Main Hoon Na, Munnabhai M.B.B.S., Lage Raho Munna Bhai, and 3 Idiots.

The Royal Ontario Museum had an exhibit hall with some of their artifacts from a South Asian exhibit. It was neat to walk through and look at many different religious symbols but also on block printing and arts.

Merlin and I taking a rest

The day ended with us listening to this group--about 25 Punjabi drummers out in front of a waterfall on the grounds. Pleople came and enjoyed the drumming while some started dancing. It was a great way to end off a enjoyable day.

TD South Asian Festival, Toronto

2010-07-24T15:43:00.008-04:00

The banners hanging along Gerrard St., Toronto

Last weekend we had great weather to enjoy attending the TD South Asian Festival held in Little India (Gerrard St) in Toronto. It had lots of food, dances, music, and shopping opportunities. We enjoyed butter chicken and biriyani and the channa bhatura although there were tons of food options.

Click on the collage to have a closer look

We found this sign in one shop and had a giggle! It was just too Indian.

A fun day in Toronto enjoying South Asian flair and food.

Grand River Malayalee Association (GRMA)

2010-07-22T14:58:00.000-04:00

The area we live in has a wonderful Indian population. We have the luxury of many Indian restaurants, grocery stores, clothing and events put on by the community. While looking online we were able to find Punjabi, Gujarati and Tamil groups but no Malayalee association. With enough searching one day I finally found a group called Grand River Malayalee Association which is located in our area. It is a small group of people from the area of Kerela in South India. We got in touch and found out they held an annual picnic that Merlin wanted to participate in. Although I fully want to cultivate a desire to attend cultural events, I wasn't sure how I/we would be received and if we would fit in.

Shade Mills Conservation Area in Cambridge was the location of their yearly picnic. They had sent out an email earlier to get feed back on what people wanted to eat and it was chosen that kappa and meen would be served (fish curry and tapioca). For the people who didn't want that, there were burgers.

Kappa and Meen

Merlin loved the food. As good as mom's cooking!

After lunch they did elections for the next year and then had games for the adults and kids. With about 100+ people there it was a good mix of people.

They really seemed to enjoy running races for kids, teens, men, women and then walking races for the older Auntie's and Uncle's. It was great!

I think the highlight though was the tug-of-war. They had both women and men's pulls and we had a good time participating in it. I think it also broke down any barrier, that I could get involved with them and didn't sit along the side on the fringe.

Getting a high five from our team coach

Now it was Merlin's turn.

The rest of the afternoon was spent lazing in the shade while the men played a game of soccer. I was able to chat with the ladies and talk about life in Canada, food, families, jobs and more.

Overall it was an awesome afternoon and I am so thankful at how warm and welcoming the group was. I think it was a historic moment with our joining the association. We are the first multi-cultural couple although there are some other members with Indian spouses from other regions. Next event is Onam in September, which we are looking forward to.

If you live in the area and are a Malayalee and looking for a great group of people then check out there website and we hope to see you at future events! http://grma.ca/home.htm

Bichiya (pronounced: bee-chee-ya)

2010-07-20T22:26:00.000-04:00

So my latest accessory are a set of toe rings or in Hindi bichiya.

While out on the weekend Merlin found these in an Indian shop and felt they would look good. My sister brought me back one from Cambodia but I couldn't get it to fit right. These Merlin slipped on in the store and he told the shop keeper we would be walking them out. They fit perfectly.

Toe rings are wore in India and use to signify the married state of an Hindu woman. They are wore in pairs on the second toe of both feet. They are made of silver since gold is respected and is not used on jewelry below the waist (although this is changing).

Today toe rings are common as a fashion accessory and do not have a symbolic meaning. They are just something fun to wear and dress up the summer sandals!

Christmas in July

2010-07-05T14:08:00.007-04:00

My sister recently returned from Cambodia after being away for two weeks. It was a trip that she had been in the planning stages for a long time. So last year when she offered to get me a birthday present from Cambodia I said sure. Well she never went in 2009, so this year again when she asked me if I wanted my birthday present from the Cambodian markets I agreed, although hadn't forgotten that I didn't get one from the year before.

So she knew she was buying for 2 birthdays and also some gas money for running around. We had a few things that I knew I wanted which included Christmas ornaments (stars and elephants) to table cloths. My favorite thing though is jewelry and Cambodia has some nice (and genuine) stones so I asked for some white sapphire earrings that I could pair with some of my other jewelry. She brought me back several earrings and a gorgeous pendant.

These ornaments are partly from Cambodia and a few I picked up at Ten Thousand Villages. The elephants and stars came from the market while I will buy Christmas ornaments all year round if I can get a deal on them. The rest came from Ten Thousand Villages a store that supports free trade. The brass star and the little red elephant underneath come from India. The wood dragon in the right hand bottom corner is made from cinnamon bark (and smells wonderful) from Vietnam and above are wooden acorns from Indonesia.

My sister brought home lots of table cloths and I was able to choose what colour I wanted. The blue one in the middle is a silk blend that has elephants on it. The orange cotton one is similar to several Indian ones I have, but to me it reminds me of my Dutch roots. The pillow covers were a bonus that she picked up and have elephant motif on them.

Merlin has been collecting carved birds, and had asked my sister to find him some similar to ones she brought home for my brother a few years ago. He is so happy with his newest birds which sit on our cabinet in the living room.

And lastly this wood carving was a real treat! It is now in our living room and is great with elephants and flowers carved in to it. I was thrilled when she gave it to me, and it was a big surprise!

So it sure was like Christmas having my sister come home with gifts and bringing home ornaments for our tree. I can barely wait to decorate it this year--theme? Asian I think would be great.

Hup Holland Hup

2010-07-03T10:14:00.013-04:00

Merlin and I in our Dutch shirts!

So World Cup Soccer is here again and the last few weeks Merlin and I have tuned in to the games cheering on our favourite teams. I have been cheering the Dutch while Merlin watched with anticipation Argentina and Brazil play their matches. It has been an exciting few weeks and our car flies a Netherlands flag to show our loyalty to my team. It has been exciting tuning in to the matches and The Oranje (the Dutch team) have not lost a game while moving through some tough competition.

Into the semi-finals the Oranje went to play against No. 1 team Brazil. We decided to have a World Cup breakfast at our place and so I went out and bought some of our favorite Dutch foods. Meats, cheese, hagelslag (chocolate sprinkles), different breads, cookies, candies/chocolates and of course some oranges! My mom phoned that morning and popped in with my brother and then my sister and her husband came....a great match with lots of great food.

Droppies, Dutch cookies and Stroopwaffels

The result? The Netherlands beating Brazil 2-1. An amazing game and the cheering was I am sure heard throughout our building, with the success of them moving on now to play Paraguay. The Dutch team came second in 1974 losing to West Germany and again in 1978 to Argentina. I sure am hoping this is the year they bring it home. The other two remaining teams are Germany and Spain. Any guesses on who will be left? I'm hoping for Germany vs. Netherlands which would be exciting in our town which at one time was named Little Berlin and has a large German population.

And this is what Minu thinks of all the hoopla surrounding World Cup!

HUP HOLLAND HUP (translates to Go Holland Go)!!!!

Dominion Day...errr....Canada Day

2010-07-01T18:45:00.006-04:00

Like most things it seems that Canada Day has two names...or at least it use to. Renamed in 1982 to Canada Day it is a way to celebrate the dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867.

Today is Canada's 142nd birthday. A young country by many standards but one who's fabric is made up of so many stories. Since Merlin and I both had to work today it didn't leave a lot of time for fun stuff like most people would be doing--BBQ, beach, family time, fireworks, etc. What I did find is a little museum close to home was offering free admission and thought it might be fun to do with our short amount of time from when I came home to when he had to leave for work.
So off we went to Schneider Haus (House) to learn more about our city and the people who founded it. Schneider Haus is located just off Victoria Park and was built around 1816. It is the oldest surviving dwelling in the city and has been restored and runs as an 1860 living museum home. The Schneider family (Joseph, wife Barbara and 4 children) originally came up from Lancaster, Pennsylvania looking for arable farmland. Here he cleared off some land and built a house along with a sawmill on over 400 acres of surrounding land. Today all that survives are the house and some of the outbuildings.

So although I knew Kitchener was "German" at one time being called Little Berlin, I didn't realise that it had been founded by German Mennonites from Pennsylvania. We enjoyed walking through the house, the furniture, pottery and layout of what life would have been like all those years ago. It gave Merlin a chance to see what early settlers homes were like and we learned some interesting things in the garden patch where they told us about herbs, medicines that were made and common foods used to run the household.

Overall a great way to spend the holiday and to learn more about our city!

Computer fixed...So I'm Back!

2010-06-25T14:32:00.005-04:00

Wow, who knew it would take two months to get my computer fixed! I am thankful for one of Merlin's colleagues who took the time to fix my computer. I can now surf the web for longer then 10 mins, where before it would conk out. It has been enlightening to be married to a "computer guy" yet it took forever to get it fixed. I think it was because its my computer and not his (yes we have two computers).

So what has happened in the last two months? Well we have been enjoying amazing weather. It has been hot and humid but I am so thankful for air conditioning. We have been enjoying time at the dog park--Minu loves going and running around with other doggies.

I had surgery in mid-May which was laparoscopic ovarian drilling. Yes, you can drill your ovaries and although it wasn't too obtrusive I took two weeks off work and enjoyed reading, watching movies and having Merlin do the house work!

Then in June I did something a little rebellious--I pierced my nose! It's a little diamond stud in the left nostril. In India having your nose pierced is a sign that a woman is married. It often is done on the wedding day and is thought to help with fertility and decrease menstrual pain (ayurvedic medicine). Well I can use all the fertility help I can get, and although I'm not putting much faith in it, I think it gives me a youthful look.

A new hair cut was also in order since I was doing a ponytail way too much and started to look like I had given up on life. Well life, I'm back and also back to blogging about it!

I know its been a long time....

2010-05-20T14:56:00.003-04:00

and I'm not going to try and pass off too many excuses.

We made it safely back from Alabama and had a wonderful trip with a side stop at my Aunt's in Michigan. We saw some lovely countryside and Merlin has no emotional scars from travelling with me in a small space with me being critical about his driving. He even said we could do another road trip in the future!

Since being back though my computer has been sick. I can only stay logged on for about 10-15 mins before it shuts down--I keep asking Merlin to take it to work and see if he can fix it, but since its not *his* I feel it falls low on the task list.

We celebrated my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary this past weekend--what a wonderful weekend with family it was!

And now I am at home recovering from surgery. On Tuesday I went in to have some day surgery and have been fortunate enough to have a wonderful family who have taken care of me, brought food, card/flower and just been super supportive. Merlin has been taking over the house chores and Minu has become my best buddy sleeping with me and watching movies.

I hope to do some updating once the computer is fixed--so Merlin, can you PLEASE fix my computer?

Hope all is well with everyone else.

A" Boti" Experience

2010-05-06T11:02:00.004-04:00

This past week was my birthday and although nothing special had happened or was planned my sister needed a few errands run after I got home for work in exchange for taking me out for a birthday lunch. I was game! So we decided we wanted kebab's--succulent pieces of marinated meat that is delicious. There is a new tandoori house that I pass everyday on the way to work that I told her I had saw a flyer for and should we try it out? She was game.

We get to this little restaurant that is in a strip plaza. The place is empty, which normally isn't a good sign but then again it was Thursday at lunch--it couldn't be too bad right? The decorating has an interesting mix of things but nothing is clearly South Asian except for the guy who serves us and the Bollywood music in the background. We look over the menu and me thinking I am the Guru of Indian food announces that I would like beef boti with salad, rice and naan. My sister, following my sentiments decides to have chicken boti with the same sides. We wait and talk about my recent trip to the US, how she likes living in Kitchener, and things that are going on.

The kebab's arrive--everything looks normal and actually tastes pretty good. We have a enjoyable lunch with my sister taking some of her boti home for her husband. When Merlin comes home from work I explain my dining experience and he bursts our laughing.

Me: "Why are you laughing so hard?"
Merlin: "Do you know what boti is?"
Me: "No, I just figured it was a fancy name for a kebab."
Merlin: "It means intestines--you ate cow intestines!"
Me: Throwing up in my mouth at the thought of it!

So after a little searching online I did find out that boti kebab's are made from animal intestine. I kept feeling nauseous at the thought that I had eaten that. But also while searching online I found recipes that just called for regular cubed beef (not intestine) and I am almost convinced that I didn't eat real boti but possible a different cut that was prepared with the spicing of boti--or at least lets just let me think that is what I had!

A Visit to Remember

2010-04-29T15:01:00.003-04:00

Pr. Bill, Merlin, Debbie and Myself

So what is there to do in Alabama? That really is a good question :)

I didn't have much time to research its history or get tour books of things to do, and to be honest it was a good thing since the drive wore me out and I had little interest travelling 3-4 hours to get anywhere! Where we were is just over the Georgia boarder. About 15 mins down the road you would cross in to eastern time zone and it seemed like I never really knew which time zone I was in. The gas station across the road from Pr. Bill and Debbie's was on EST while his house was on CST! How confusing!!!

I learned that the area was well known for its mills and one person came up to us and said they use to work for a Stratford Cotton Factory--well Stratford is 30 mins down the road from where we live in Canada!!! It is also known as the "Bible Belt" and we sure did see a lot of churches in the area. But Alabama is known for its support of Civil Rights and also Rosa Parks made a statement about not giving up her bus seat to a white passenger. Where we were was quaint and small town, but it reminded me so much of rural Ontario. Canadians are known world wide for being polite and nice but I have to say we have nothing on Southerners being friendly! I loved how warm and nice the people were no matter where we went.

Pr. Bill, Darryl and Merlin golfing. Merlin's dad in the pink shirt spent his time looking for lost golf balls.

So how did we fill our time? We went golfing one day, I don't golf so I was the official golf car driver which was a blast! Another day Merlin and I spent the our time shopping--he had to have a Target experience along with an American Walmart (different then Canadian in my opinion) and a number of other shops. We found some good deals since our dollar was almost at par and the taxes less. By the end of the week I prepared and cooked food for about 15 people as there was a meeting of board members for Merlin's dads organization. It was tiring making all that food and even more difficult since it wasn't my own kitchen, but everyone seemed to enjoy.

Merlin in front of Target in Tiger Town

Queen of the Golf Cart :)

Our time with his dad was short but sweet. For a man who never wanted me to be in the family, he apologized again for not accepting me all those years ago. He told me that family, friends and important people talked to him after our trip to India to let him know that I was a "very sweet and nice girl" and that he should be thrilled to have me in the family. I now know he is. Merlin's Dad, Merlin and Me

So before long it was time again to pack up our stuff since our next destination would be Grand Rapids, Michigan to visit my Aunt and Uncle and family.

A Video with Merlin

2010-04-28T19:16:00.002-04:00

The pull to go to Alabama was to see his father. His dad started an organization many years ago called AHEAD which stands for Asian Heath Education and Development. He has his hand in many areas including an orphanage, support for widows, classes to teach people trades, medical clinics, support of missionaries and his biggest project to date--starting a hospital in a rural area of Tamil Nadu. Part of the reason for him to go to the USA is to raise funds and get people to help support his many different projects.

Merlin grew up with his dad being a successful doctor. His dad although born in to a Christian family turned his back on his faith and at some point joined a radical Hindu group that burned churches, caused problems for local Christians and did everything possible to stop them. An accident nearly claimed his life and after promising to make changes in his life he packed up his family (wife and 4 small sons) and moved to Bangalore where they lived in complete poverty while his parents attended theology school and he started his organization.

Merlin's memories of this are very clear since he remembers the good years and then the tough years that followed. Pr. Bill wanted to share that with his church and asked if he could do an interview with Merlin. The video link is long (about an hour) but gives you a deep perspective of what it was like for Merlin growing up.

VIDEO LINK TO FOLLOW

Southern Goodies

2010-04-26T13:24:00.002-04:00

Southern Food: Mac and Cheese, Coleslaw, Fried Green Tomatoes, Fried Chicken and Corn Bread

Everyone has heard about fried chicken, but I'm pretty sure until you go to the South you have no idea what it really tastes like!

Since I consider myself a foodie of sorts it was fun to try many different foods down South. Our first experience was at Cracker Barrel and having some of the biscuits (corn bread and buttermilk) which are delicious. Our first morning at Pr. Bill and Debbie's we were given grits--I had always thought they were potatoes until I got something that looked more like baby pablum then anything.

Sarah trying fried dill pickles

I think Southerners think you can deep fry anything....and from what we could see you can! Fried chicken, country fried steak with a white gravy, fried okra, fried green tomatoes, and fried pickles? Yes you heard me right, nothing better then some deep fried pickles :) We have been told that you can also fry ice cream (how I wonder?), oreo cookies, twinkies and well pretty much anything else you can think of.

Fried pickles--Never even thought to deep fry them!

Sweet tea I very quickly found out was the drink of choice. It's not ice tea like what we drink here but it is literally cold tea with sugar. It was okay but I found it too sweet! I think it should be dubbed "liquid diabetes"!

And lastly red velvet cake was a delight. I'm not sure its actually a Southern food but its not something we can get back in Canada. I had it once here (at an anniversary) and it was purchased in the States.

So an interesting time to taste and try some different foods. I know your thinking why I didn't try catfish, but since I don't eat any fish it wasn't something I was willing to try, although it seems popular with people there. The only thing I can say is, I was happy to go home since I was starting to feel a little heavy from all the oil even if it was delicious.

Alabama Here We Come

2010-04-25T20:51:00.001-04:00

We woke up again in good time....but left by 7am since I refused to have another 5am wake up...this was suppose to be our vacation! We packed our stuff and said good by to Lenoir City, TN before we did the last end of our stretch through Georgia and then in to Alabama. It was a lovely drive and quiet for a Sunday morning. Our directions were a little sketchy to get to the church we were going to meet at, but thankfully I have a good sense of direction and pieced together directions from 2 different sources. We rolled in at 10:15am to The Bridge Church in Cusseta, Alabama. The service started at 10am and thankfully due to a time change were weren't too late.

Me outside The Bridge Church in Alabama

We enjoyed a time of worship and then meeting Pr. Bill and his wife Debbie. But where was Merlin's dad? The whole point of the trip was to come down and see him, but nobody knew where he was. After the service we had Japanese food and found out that his dad was out speaking and would be back later on that afternoon.

Merlin's Dad, Pr. Bill and Merlin

We went to Pr. Bill and Debbie's house to settle in and much to our delight they had a dog! By now we were missing Minu, so their little grey poodle "Rudy" was a wonderful surprise. Merlin's dad finally returned and we were able to welcome him and just talk a bit.

Rudy

A great day to just catch up and relax. We had finally made it to our destination and I didn't want to drive anywhere for awhile!

On The Road

2010-04-24T22:42:00.005-04:00

Tennessee by car

So this morning we woke up at the unknown hour of 5am in order to leave by 6am. I personally don't think anyone should be up at this hour, but Merlin wanted to get a good part of driving done. We had slept over at my parents which gave us a 1 hour head start and by 6am we were waving goodbye to Minu as she watched us drive away.

At a rest stop in Ohio we found the Armstrong Airspace Museum so decided to check it out!

We made excellent time and by 8:30am were at the Canadian/US boarder. There was no traffic for a Saturday morning, but I guess that worked in our favour since we got flagged to go in to US Customs. There Officer Finn welcomes Merlin on being a first time visitor and asked all sorts of questions. I was a little nervous since the room was full of people also trying to get in to the US. Thankfully it was just to verify his paperwork, fingerprints and to give him a 6 month entry ticket. We spent a lot of money in getting his visa to find out every 6 months we need to also pay for a entry ticket! Talk about being nickel and dimed to death!

We covered a lot of ground on Saturday travelling through Ontario, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and finally resting in Lenoir City, Tennessee. By then we had been travelling through some rain since the tail end of Kentucky and figured a good nights rest was in order. My requirements? A cheap motel on an exit with a Cracker Barrel. Thankfully US signage is great and we were able to find an exit with both. We checked in to our motel and off we went in search of the Cracker Barrel. We could see the sign for it, but do you think we could find it? Oh no, starving, tired and I was a little cranky, it honestly was the only time that I snapped at Merlin (poor guy). We enjoyed a wonderful dinner before heading back to freshen up and be ready the next morning for the rest of our trip onward to Alabama.

Great American Road Trip

2010-04-22T06:05:00.005-04:00

So I'm going slightly crazy. Within the last couple days we have decided to take a road trip to the USA to visit with Merlin's dad. His dad is in Alabama, where he bases himself when he is visiting the USA trying to raise support/awareness of his ministries in India (Orphanage, Hospital, trade school, helping widows, sponsoring villages, etc). Since Merlin received his visa and his dad is only in the States until the beginning of May, it was decided that we had to go right away.

First Merlin had to request time off from work, and although the possibility of a vacation does enthrall me, the idea of it being so last minute does not thrill me. It actually has me spinning around wondering how in the world we are going to get everything done that we need to! Merlin was able to get all his shifts covered for the week, so then on Tues I asked my boss for time off and she agreed. Then we needed to find a place for our dog--thankfully my parents are going to take care of her (Thanks mom and dad). Then it was ordering US monies, buying gifts for people down there, getting travel insurance, emptying out the fridge, packing clothes, making a trip itinerary, having addresses and phone numbers---EKKK the list seems endless!!!

So the plan is to leave early Saturday morning and start our adventure. Part of me worries I am going to eat Merlin's head on our 17+ hour long driving trip. I figure a road trip is a good test of a relationship, but when I asked Merlin if he was worried about me turning in to a nut job his response was classic him "Nope". What possibly could I complain about? His driving, following directions (thankfully we have a GPS), going the speed limit and keeping his slight road rage under control.

What I am looking forward to is being able to have a week away from home. This will be Merlin and I's first trip since we went to India in 2008. It will be a great chance to spend time with his dad, since when we were in India he was often travelling around and we saw little of him. I do have to say though that his dad brought me back 10, yes you read that right, 10 pineapples from Kerela on a bus since he wanted me to taste the "Best Pineapples I would ever eat", and they were delightful! Since his dad and I had a rough start before and after marriage, it meant a lot that he went to all that trouble.

So wish us luck or better yet, wish Merlin luck and I shall blog from the state of Alabama soon!

Excuse Me, But You Need To Say Something

2010-04-21T07:36:00.003-04:00

Merlin and I have had few challenges as a multi-cultural couple. It may be the fact that he is a very laid back guy, and although I can be wired a little tight at times he is always willing to work on making things better.

The only thing that has been an issue are the little things in a relationship. When we were first married he would never say "please" or "thank you" when he wanted me to get him something and then when I gave it to him. To me I was raised to say it no matter if it was a parent, sibling, friend or stranger but he seems to reserve common pleasantries only for friends or strangers.

"Excuse me" is another one which still gets left unsaid often. If you burp, have gas or sneeze it is expected that you will say something, but he doesn't understand why it is polite to say it. I sometimes just have to clear my throat before I have an "excuse me" come from his lips.

Our current one is coughing. You should cough in to your sleeve or at least cover your mouth with your hands so as to not spray other people/objects with your germs. Since we both have had a minor cold I have repeatedly had to remind him that, so we don't continue to re-infect ourselves. He admitted he always covers his mouth at the office, but at home it seems like a whole new set of rules or no rules.

The good news is that Merlin is working on these things and if they were not taught to him as a child growing up, he at least is willing to work on being courteous and polite. Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks? :)

Classified but Non-Sensitive

2010-04-19T20:19:00.005-04:00

So off we headed to the US Consulate for Merlin to have an interview for a visitor visa. Let me first say that our GPS got us there, or almost there just fine (unlike our trip to the UK Consulate last year). We landed up going around a few times since its located on a one way street and they have it blocked at the start of the street. Luckily we parked in a car park that opened up right across from the Consulate. We were a bit early so sat in the car waiting for the appointment time.

For anyone going here is some useful information:

a) You cannot go into to the Consulate more then 5 minutes before your appointment time.

b) Leave cell phones, juice/water, food and anything else that they may make you throw away (think like your going to be flying and what is allowed in the cabin)

c) Make sure you bring all your paperwork and have copies. You had no idea how many people I saw go in and come out again and then come back after getting whatever they needed.

d) You can be guaranteed that you will be in the Consulate for at least 1.5 hours.

e) Bring proofs with you--we brought an employer letter, marriage certificate, copy of the lease, copy of PR card, and a letter from family in the USA.

In the end although it was a long day it was worth it, because about 5 days later Merlin's passport came back in the mail and he was given a 10 year visitor visa!!! It was way more then we were expecting, but now will allow us to be able to visit the US to see family, shop and vacation.

So although Merlin's application was listed as "classified but non-sensitive" it means that he is now classified as a 10 year visa holder, which is awesome!

Curry In a Hurry

2010-04-08T09:02:00.000-04:00

You know you LOVE curry, when we found this licence plate outside a local Indian restaurant. It just seemed too funny not to get a picture of it!

Indian Cooking Tips

2010-04-05T16:42:00.006-04:00

I love Indian food, but always find it difficult to find the time to make it. It seems to always take a long time to prepare, but maybe its because I'm a cookbook Indian cook. The food usually turns out pretty good, or at least my food critic says so.

Since biriyani is one of Merlin's favorite dishes I've come up with a way to make it easier on me and it tastes fantastic. My trick? I make up a paste and freeze it, and then when we want biriyani all I need to do is make rice, cook up some meat and presto...I have delicious Indian biriyani! Now for all the Auntie's I know you just cringed, but really do you want to spend hours in the kithcen when it can be this easy?

So here is my paste with everything in it. I made a large batch and then froze them in to small tubs. I let mine defrost but really you could just pop it in the pan and it will thaw while cooking.

I was making chicken biriyani, so while my chicken was cooking I threw the paste on it and it looked like this. I didn't add any water, just let it cook down and then I added the rice.

The final result was a great chicken biriyani dish. I garnished it with fried onions, almonds and raisins.

A meal that normally would have taken a few hours from start to finish took about 30 mins...definitely a time saver and tastes great!

Passover

2010-03-30T20:38:00.000-04:00

Passover is the biblical festival that celebrates the escape of the Hebrew's from enslavement. Passover is the most celebrated Jewish festival and continues for 7 days. In the book of Exodus, it tells of 10 plagues that were inflicted by G-d on the Egyptians before Pharaoh would release the Hebrew slaves. The 10th plague was the killing of the first born son from Pharaoh's son to the first born of cattle. The Hebrews were instructed to mark the doorposts of their homes with the blood of a spring lamb and, upon seeing this, the spirit of the Lord passed over these homes, hence the term "passover". When Pharaoh released the Hebrews, it is said that they left so quickly that they could not wait for bread to rise. In commemoration, for the duration of Passover no leavened bread is eaten. Matzah (flat unleavened bread) is the primary symbol of the holiday.

Passover table with matzah

I was so excited this year to be able to participate in a full Passover seder. "Seder" means order and although I had participated in a short version, this was the real deal which took hours from start to finish. Merlin came along and although I couldn't get him to wear my grandfather's kippah, it still was a great time to be reminded of the Passover celebration.

Foods used during the seder--bitter herbs, charoset, hard boiled eggs and horse radish

We enjoyed reading through the haggadah and also the explanation of the different food items that are symbolic of our freedom. We ended the night with a kosher meal which included chicken matzah ball soup, chicken with an apricot glaze, rice pilaf with nuts and raisins, veggies, salad with nuts and apples and a wonderful meringue dessert with fresh berries.

Sarah with her matzah

A great night and a wonderful chance to enjoy one of the many festivals that are part of our faith.

Chag Pesach Sameach!!! Happy Passover!!!

Man of Many Faces

2010-03-29T09:49:00.003-04:00

Most people have no idea where Merlin is from. Yesterday a black man gave him the "Wassup" and a familiar nod like he is one of the crowd. Merlin has little to no accent and any accent he has doesn't sound Indian. Then you have that he is dark, while most people associate Indian's here in Canada as being Punjabi, so often fair skinned, tall, and religious (wearing a beard, or a kirpan or turban). I honestly think people believe there is only one type of Indian since 80% of Canada's Indian population are Punjabi's. Even though Merlin is dark he doesn't have Black features which I think throws many people for a loop trying to figure out where he is from. He has had many guesses....Jamaican (is usually the first guess), Guyanese, Caribbean, South African, many African countries (too many to list), Sri Lanka (getting closer), Pakistan (that one made us laugh) and only rarely do people hit the home run and actually guess right that he is Indian.

Indian's aren't sure if he is Indian because he is with me, a white woman. Black's aren't sure if he is Black because he just doesn't look right. He doesn't have an accent so that usually takes him off the list of Caribbean since they have their own English that I'm pretty sure nobody can understand unless your from the same Island!

We have a lot of Guyanese Indians where we live. We have 4 Guyanese Indian families who live in our building alone, but other then the food, they don't seem to know anything about their Indian heritage nor indulge in the Indian community. They are friendly, but we are definitely still seen as an outsider.

So, I call Merlin the man of many faces since most people cannot figure out where he is from or what his background is. Deep down though he is a Indian boy who still craves his mom's fish curry and the bustle of Bangalore.

US Visa

2010-03-28T19:34:00.002-04:00

I have tried to avoid it, but Merlin wants so badly to be able to go to the United States. Due to him currently being an Indian citizen and having an Indian passport it means he needs a visa to enter the country. Last year he applied for a UK visa and was able to go to England to complete a course. This year he is going to apply for a US visa which hopefully will allow us to go over the boarder shopping, visit my Aunt and Uncle in Michigan and possibly a side trip for a vacation of some sorts.

We knew the consulate in Toronto books 6-8 weeks ahead of time for interviews, but little did we know it would be so hard to get one before May. Thankfully Merlin would check every day and finally he found a spot available for Friday April 9th. So we will be heading to the consulate that day hoping to leave with a visa that will allow several trips to our friendly American neighbor.

Parenthood

2010-03-16T16:35:00.003-04:00

Merlin and I do not have any biological children. Since we seem unable to have kids we chose to get a dog and last year at this time I was feeling the pull of being a new parent to a furbaby. It was crying, house breaking, throwing up (sensitive stomach), cleaning up messes, training, etc. Last night we had a new episode. Even though Minu is nearly 17 months old, is house broken and trained it does not make her immune to getting sick.

Around 4am Merlin heard her crying in her crate. I had shortly before gotten up and crawled in to the spare bedroom since I was too hot. I also wear earplugs so didn't hear her. Merlin woke me up at 4:30am after having given Minu a bath to clean her up, cleaned up her crate (which she sleeps in) and was washing our bedsheets and comforter. He cleaned her up and decided to bring her to bed to just have her get sick in our bed. So when he woke me up it was to help him out and let me know what was going on. Well she was scared (I could tell she thought she was in trouble for being sick and having loose motions) and jumped on the spare bed to get sick again. Merlin was great at washing out the sheets and comforter which would have made me sick...I have a quick gag reflex. I took her outside and then brought her in, cleaned her up and gave her a gravol to her calm her stomach. By 5am we were all cleaned up, or at least cleaned up as best as we could be at that hour and all three of us were back in our bed with a clean puppy and clean sheets. She woke us up several hours later by throwing up on our bed again...but thankfully it wasn't too much.

We both felt so bad for her. I made her some curd rice, something which would be easy on her stomach (rice with plain yogurt). Tonight she will get some more rice and a banana...similar to the BRAT diet that humans would eat when sick.

I now have an appreciation of what parents go through. Lack of sleep, messes, a little one unable to tell us what hurts/feels bad and needing to work together in getting through it.

So a big kudo's to all those mom and dads out there who have to deal with this. Somehow I think this has helped me becoming a little closer to becoming a parent.

I've Got A Feeling

2010-03-10T15:03:00.002-05:00

Where have I been? Enjoying the super amazing weather that we have had over the last little bit. I am loving the birds chirping, Canadian geese flying home, the romps in the dog park, going outside in a t-shirt and I saw a patch of very green new grass this morning. How exciting!

It's been a busy week at work and I've been craving....taco soup! I can't say we eat much Mexican food at all, neither of us are big fans or maybe we haven't tasted really good Mexican food and no we never eat at Taco Bell. Taco soup is something that my Dutch grandmother introduced to me a few years ago at a family get together and it has been a hit every time she bring it. Now I find myself craving it for the last two days...so I'm home from work a little bit before supper time with all the ingredients to make it.

I hope it turns out well and that it eases my craving!

Here is the recipe compliments of My Favorite Recipe blog.
http://myfavoriterecipes-rejoice.blogspot.com/

Taco Soup

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2/3 cup picante sauce
1 can diced tomato
1 can black beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can whole kernel corn
sliced olives
1 packet Ranch Dressing mix (optional)

--Brown hamburger with onion, drain grease. Add ingredients to beef in a large soup pan. Bring to a boil. I like to add the Ranch dressing mix to our soup...and I omit the picante sauce (it works fine with both together). Add water until soup is desired thickness. Serve with tortilla chips or corn chips, and top with cheese and sour cream. Simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes.

The Versatile Saree

2010-02-27T20:10:00.009-05:00

Saree's are a common outfit worn by women in India. Each region has different types, styles and ways to wrap it. Some area's have their own saree which when worn allows people to know where you come from in India. In Kerela, where Merlin is from the traditional Kerela saree is a cotton saree which is off white and with a gold border.

Kerela Girl's School in traditional Kerela saree

I own one saree, something that I bought even before I knew Merlin. It has been hidden in the bottom of a storage bin and I decided to pull it out this morning. Among Merlin's unknown skills to most is that he can wrap a saree, and do it well! Now don't think he is a cross dresser or acquired the skill due to his own interest, but it was in an effort to help his mom that he learned to wrap a saree. So out I pull my saree and give it to Merlin. After living here for 2.5 years, he claims to me he has "forgot" how to wrap it. He then takes it and starts wrapping himself in it in an effort to remember all the steps.

There are three parts to a saree. The choli or blouse, the petticoat which is a slip and then the saree which is a large piece of fabric. I went and put on my choli and petticoat to come back and find Merlin wrapping himself in my saree.

Merlin in the saree

So although I am not new to Indian clothing, wearing a saree was a new experience for me and I enjoyed it. The way Merlin wraps it my stomach is not exposed and I do not feel like its going to come undone.

So the final product is here.......me in a saree!

India at the Winter Olympics

2010-02-25T13:43:00.001-05:00

Since we have been slightly obsessed with the Winter Olympics (okay really it's just Merlin) but imagine his surprise when he saw the name Shiva Keshavan flash across the screen. Never heard of him? Neither had we but Merlin right away says "That's a Malayalee" and I am thinking yeah right, a Indian guy at the Olympics from the most Southern State of India. Well sure enough when I looked him up, Keshavan has represented India in four Olympics in luge. He was born in North India to an Malayalee Indian father and an Italian mother.

Keshavan

But if you had never heard about Keshavan you may not also know that India has two other athletes that competed this year. Jamyang Namgial competed in Alpine skiing and Tashi Lundup competing in 15k freestyle cross country skiing.

Jamyang Namgial

Tashi Lundup

Although none of India's athlete won any medals it was good to see India represented by some promising athletes and we hope that the team continues to grow for future Olympics.

Busy, Busy....

2010-02-23T18:38:00.003-05:00

but not really at work or anything important....we have been busy watching the Olympics!!!

Merlin as a Canadian in training has been super excited watching his first Winter Olympics and of course since its being held in Canada the atmosphere is well, special. I think there must be nothing sweeter as an athlete but to perform at the biggest competition on your home turf. Canadians known for being quiet and polite have become loud, boisterous and patriotic!

There have been disappointments, many 4th place finishes, and with us rounding out the last week it sure has us unsure of how many more medals we will get. Canada has bounced around in the top 5 for medals won, and I am sure we will maintain our position.

I have never watched so much sports on tv in my life. Merlin really is obsessed, in a good way if that possible. We have watched speed skating, skiing, skeleton, luge, hockey, figure skating (this one not to Merlin's delight), curling, and bobsledding. It has been interesting to cheer our athletes on and take in the spirit of the games.

So if you come knocking and we don't answer....we are probably watching the Olympics.
If you call and we don't answer....we don't want to miss the game but will call you back next week when its over.
If you want to visit....be sure to bring your Canadian gear so you can help cheer the athletes on.
And if you want us to visit you....we will only come if the night includes watching the Olympics.

A bit much? Yes. But it will all be over very soon.

Dog Gone Weekend

2010-02-22T13:48:00.001-05:00

It was a great weekend to spend with the dogs. On Saturday we headed off to the Ice Dog Festival in Uptown Waterloo. They had ice sculptures of dogs, vendors, dog sled rides, free ice skating and some contests going on. The place was busy with lots of dogs and owners and the weather was awesome! One thing that Merlin and I love to do is check out other people's dogs. It is neat to see different breeds, dogs that look like their owners, families with their pet and just the different breeds and some of the crossbreds that people come up with! I have never saw so many Jugs, Puggles, Buggs and who else knows what other cute names they can come up with for crosses!!!!
My sister and her husband almost share a birthday. Dave's birthday was Saturday, while Amy's was Sunday...so we headed up to their place to enjoy a wonderful meal, a game and of course some Olympics! Minu and Dooley had a good play date and it tired out both of our canine friends.
On Sunday afternoon we headed to the dog park with Minu. We haven't been for months--too cold for both Minu and I to be out. She has such a fine coat that she chills fast, so she is happy going out for little runs on the lawn blowing off some excess steam she has from being cooped up and just going on little outings with us. The weather was fabulous and apparently a lot of other dog owners felt the same, because the park was full of people and dogs. It was nice to see and I actually am looking forward to spring again were we can head to the park regularly.

So here is to looking forward to spring and much better weather!

Chinese New Year Family Photo

2010-02-16T06:34:00.001-05:00

Aren't we a good looking family? Here we are at my parents, in our Chinese inspired clothes--Minu too. I know your thinking "She buys her dog clothes, how ridiculous!" and your right but the outfit was less then a dollar and fits her just perfectly.

MORE PHOTO's TO FOLLOW

Kung Hei Fat Choi; Happy Chinese New Year

2010-02-14T06:12:00.000-05:00

It is Year of the Tiger and although it's Valentines Day I have decided to dedicate my post to Chinese New Year. You may ask, what it has to do with an Indian and white couple, but the fact is that our closest family friends are Chinese and I have been part of Chinese New Year festivities for more then half of my life!

Chinese New Year never falls on the same day each year since it is based on the lunar cycle and is really the Lunar New Year. It is the most important of traditional Chinese holidays. It may be a surprise though that not just the Chinese celebrate it but also in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand. With large South East Asian populations in Canada, USA and Australia it is common for celebrations to be shared with family and friends.

I mostly remember gatherings, festive foods such as long life noodles and the receiving of lucky red envelopes. Red is a common colour during the holiday since it is believed to scare away the evil spirits and bad fortune. Wearing new clothes symbolizes having more then enough for the year ahead. The lucky envelopes contain money given to close family and friends.

The Chinese New Year tradition is to forget past grudges, to reconcile and sincerely wish peace and happiness to everyone.

Our Chinese Family; Jon, Hiu, Lily, Sam and her husband Larry

Kung Hei Fat Choi, which loosely translates to ``Congratulations and be prosperous`` in 2010!

Valentine's Day

2010-02-13T10:07:00.005-05:00

February 14th is the day on the patron Saint Valentine. It is a time for people to express love and affection to people who they are intimate with. I think you can buy anything in a heart shape right now...including I saw an ad for pizza in the shape of a heart! Although the day was meant to express your love it really has gone a bit over board.

Merlin and I are not celebrating....well not any more then we normally do. I think it is ridiculous that one day is set aside to express your love...that is something that should be done all year round! Merlin made the comment to me "It's not Indian" hence why he doesn't make a big deal about it. But overall I think we don't want to buy in to a very commercialized day that we share all year, not just one day.

Merlin having grown up in India has saw it all when it comes to Valentine's day. Growing up he had never heard of it, to now the major cities offering heart shaped gifts, candies, cards and promoting it as a day for lovers and friends. But there are several Hindu groups who do not want to see Valentine's day take hold and they are doing whatever they can in order to stop young couples from celebrating it.

Here is some of there promotional material that I got off their website (Hindu Janajagruti Samiti).

Since India is a mostly Hindu majority, some feel that Valentine's day being a Western holiday wears away at Indian culture and promotes "lust not love".

Not all Indians feel this way though and a group titled Consortium of Pub-going, Loose and Forward Women has started a campaign telling people to send Sri Ram Sena a right wing Hindu group, pink chaddis (underwear in Hindi) on Feb 14th in protest.

The real story of Valentines day though isn't as bad as the Hindu groups may think. It is a Western holiday but with underlying message of love, commitment and sacrifice.

Long ago, as early as the 4th century B.C., the Romans engaged in a pagan annual young man’s rite of passage to the god Lupercus. Willing, young and single women would put their names in a big bowl. Bachelors would eagerly draw a name out of the bowl and be matched with the woman picked. They would stay couple for the year for mutual fun, enjoyment and entertainment, including sex. That ritual was repeated the next year.
The church leaders were determined to put end to that pagan, ‘un-Christian’ practice and sought a ‘lover’ saint to replace the god Lupercus. In their mind, a bishop by the name of Valentine, who had been martyred some 200 years before, became the most likely candidate.
That most likely candidate, Bishop Valentine had enraged Emperor Claudius II aka the Mad Emperor. Claudius needed good soldiers and felt that married men made poor soldiers as they regularly placed their priority on their families and were unwilling to leave their families for battle. Claudius abolished marriage consequently.
Bishop Valentine secretly invited the lovers to his place and married them. When Claudius learned about that, he was furious and had him arrested. Initially, Claudius tried to convert Valentine to the Roman gods as he was impressed with Valentine’s conviction. True to his conviction, Valentine stubbornly refused and was executed unceremoniously.
According to the legend, Valentine fell in love with the blind daughter of the jailer while awaiting execution. Valentine signed a message to her “From Your Valentine” before his death. Till this day, that phrase has become so popular around the world. It is still currently used worldwide around Valentine’s Day.
The church leaders felt that Valentine would be the most ideal candidate to replace the god Lupercus. Pope Gelasius outlawed the pagan annual young man’s rite which was held in the middle of February. To mitigate the impact of that new law and to satisfy the Romans’ love for lottery games, he replaced that with a new lottery game.
Instead of putting the names of willing single women into the bowl, names of saints were put in. Both men and women would draw out the names of the saints. They were then expected to emulate the life of the saint whose name they had drawn.
The spiritual overseer of the new rite was its patron saint, Valentine. Initially, most Roman males were obviously disappointed with the new lottery but with the passage of time, the pagan festival was forgotten and in its place was the now highly popular Saint Valentine’s Day.
The phrase coined by St Valentine, “From Your Valentine” remains highly popularly and is regularly used today.

Source: Panati’s Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things, Charles Panati, 1st Edition, 1987, Harper & Row, New York

Olympic Fever

2010-02-12T23:50:00.004-05:00

If you hadn't heard of Canada before you probably have now and know of at least one city in it...Vancouver, who is hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics. We have been preparing for years, for the world to come to our doorstep and to offer our Canadian hospitality and to share our great Nation with people from all over the world.

The Olympics are exciting, this is the second time the Winter Olympics have been held in Canada and I actually remember the last time (wow, I'm getting old). It was in Calgary in 1988 and was the year that Jamaica sent a bobsled team team, yes you heard right a bobsled team! For Merlin he enjoys watching sports and he has been curious about the Winter side to it. Sure he has watched the Olympics but it has been always Summer Olympics and India has sent several people/teams to the games. But this year is different.....he will find out we are not all about hockey (although we often take the gold medal) but we have other great athletes and sports that are loved by Canadians alike. When he asked me what the "key" sport was for the games I wasn't sure what he meant. He said "Well is it hockey?", which of course was the obvious one but I felt no that it wasn't, that it was probably skiing.

Vancouver is in western Canada so far away from us. It is 3 hours behind our time zone so many of the sports we will be able to watch live or during the day, not needing to get up at 3am to catch certain games or events. And although they put on a spectacular opening ceremony it was clouded with the tragic death of a Georgian luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili, who died in training that morning while on the track.

Let me leave you with the poem written and preformed at the opening ceremonies by Shane Koyczan who wrote this titled We Are More, which when read made me proud to be Canadian.

When defining Canada
you might list some statistics
you might mention our tallest building
or biggest lake
you might
shake a tree in the fall
and call a red leaf Canada
you might rattle off
some celebrities
might mention Buffy Sainte-Marie
might even mention the
fact that we've got a few
Barenaked Ladies
or that we made these crazy things
like zippers
electric cars
and washing machines
when defining Canada
it seems the world's anthem has been
" been there done that"
and maybe that's where we used to be at
it's true
we've done
and we've been
we've seen
all the great themes get swallowed up by the machine
and turned into theme parks
but when defining Canada
don't forget to mention that we have set sparks
we are not just fishing stories
about the one that got away
we do more than sit around and say "eh?"
and yes
we are the home of the Rocket and the Great One
who inspired
little number nines
and little number ninety-nines
but we're more than
just hockey and fishing lines
off of the rocky coast of the Maritimes
and some say what defines us
is something as simple as please and thank you
and as for you're welcome
well we say that too
but we are more
than genteel or civilized
we are an idea in the process
of being realized
we are young
we are cultures strung together
then woven into a tapestry
and the design
is what makes us more
than the sum total of our history
we are an experiment going right for a change
with influences that range from a to zed
and yes we say zed instead of zee
we are the colours of Chinatown and the coffee of Little Italy
we dream so big
that there are those
who would call our ambition an industry
because we are more than sticky maple syrup and clean snow
we do more than grow wheat and brew beer
we are vineyards of good year after good year
we reforest what we clear
because we believe in generations beyond our own knowing
now that so many of us
have grown past what used to be
we can stand here today
filled with all the hope people have
when they say things like "someday"
someday we'll be great
someday we'll be this
or that
someday we'll be at a point
when someday was yesterday
and all of
our aspirations will pay the way
for those who on that day
look towards tomorrow
and still they say someday
we will reach the goals we set
and we will get interest on our inspiration
because we are more than a
nation of whale watchers and lumberjacks
more than backpacks and hiking trails
we are hammers and nails building bridges
towards those who are
willing to walk across
we are the lost-and-found for all those who might
find themselves at a loss
we are not the see-through gloss or glamour
of those who clamour for the failings of others
we are fathers brothers sisters and mothers
uncles and nephews aunts and nieces
we are cousins
we are found missing puzzle pieces
we are families with room at the table for newcomers
we are more than summers and winters
more than on and off seasons
we are the reasons people have for wanting to stay
because we are more than what we say or do
we live to get past what we go through
and learn who we are
we are students
students who study the studiousness of studying
so we know what as well as why
we don't have all the answers
but we try
and the effort is what makes us more
we don't all know what it is in life we're looking for
so keep exploring
go far and wide
or go inside but go deep
go deep
as if James Cameron
was filming a sequel to The Abyss
and suddenly there was this location scout
trying to figure some way out
to get inside you
because you've been through hell and high water
and you went deep
keep exploring
because we are more
than a laundry list of things to do and places to see
we are more than hills to ski
or countryside ponds to skate
we are the abandoned hesitation of all those who can't wait
we are first-rate greasy-spoon diners and healthy-living cafes
a country that is all the ways you choose to live
a land that can give you variety
because we are choices
we are millions upon millions of voices shouting
" keep exploring... we are more"
we are the surprise the world has in store for you
it's true
Canada is the "what" in "what's new?"
so don't say "been there done that"
unless you've sat on the sidewalk
while chalk artists draw still lifes
on the concrete of a kid in the street
beatboxing to Neil Young for fun
don't say you've been there done that
unless you've been here doing it
let this country be your first-aid kit
for all the times you get sick of the same old same old
let us be the story told to your friends
and when that story ends
leave chapters for the next time you'll come back
next time pack for all the things
you didn't pack for the first time
but don't let your luggage define your travels
each life unravels differently
and experiences are what make up
the colours of our tapestry
we are the true north
strong and free
and what's more
is that we didn't just say it
we made it be.

Let the games begin!

Rat Sweets

2010-02-09T09:49:00.006-05:00

If you have ever travelled to India you will be familiar with this. It is a tray that comes to your table after you are done eating and its filled with what look like little "candies". In reality they are breath fresheners which can taste good or to me, mostly really bad.

While out at an Indian restaurant on the weekend I spotted the breath freshener by the till. When we went up to pay I made a comment about them and Merlin goes "Oh, its rat sweets". Rat sweets? Well he told me to look at it closely, and didn't it look like rat droppings covered in candy? Well, I guess so.

I only like the jeera covered ones...they are the only ones which I think don't leave a bad after taste. Merlin eats a lot of other ones but I do have to say that its not just a freshener but also the spices which help aid in digestion. I like that so much better then the sweet hard candies you get otherwise with your bill. It's two for one.

The Big Game

2010-02-07T17:12:00.008-05:00

1 Corinthians 9:23-25 (New International Version)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

If you live in North America you know today is the day of the Big Game! Superbowl XLIV is a big deal. I have saw a lot of advertising be it in stores, on tv and in flyer's. Super Bowl parties are all the rage with some people interested in watching the game and who will come out the victors, while others just use it as a time to socialize and maybe catch the half time show.

But is the Big Game just not a metaphor for life? Do we not all get excited about major things that we work hard for? Do we not train and work hard hoping to be successful? Are we all not working hard for the big prize to either find out that we won or lost?

I think that it is crazy that a commercial during the half time show costs over 3 million dollars. Can you imagine what we could do for world hunger, helping orphans and the needy or helping to rebuild Haiti if we could take all that money and use it for something that will have an everlasting change for people throughout the world.

So in the end it won't matter if the Colts or Saints win tonight, but it does matter how you play the game and what you do to get there.

A Year Ago Today

2010-02-06T11:39:00.000-05:00

Merlin and I woke up early for a long drive. It was a drive to a place we had never heard of, but with our handy GPS in hand felt confident that we would survive the 4+ hour trip. We had told nobody of where we were going or why, afraid our family would think it was a stupid idea.

So on that early Saturday morning while it was still dark Merlin and I jumped in our car and off we went. We travelled the great 401 until we got to Toronto and then booted it north on the 400. The weather was incredibly great for a February morning, but it was still cold outside and we prayed nothing would happen on our journey since there was lots of snow along the side of the road. We kept going north, travelling along the roads that lead to some of the best cottage country in Ontario and finally we got off at the exit. We meandered along the twisted roads until we came to the driveway that was set back in the what looked like the forest. We parked the car and then cautiously walked up to the door, unsure of who we would meet on the other side.

We knocked and waited. We were met by a bustling family and a bunch of dogs running around. The owner walked us through the house and after some informal introductions we finally met who we had come for. This....

If you guessed it's Minu, then you are right! We spent some time chatting with the breeder, looking at the other dogs, another litter of puppies and then decided it was time to get going for our long drive back home. We had left in the darkness of morning and we landed up getting back during the darkness of evening.

The drive was uneventful and our plan was to let the family know after we got her home and had her for a few days. The trick was on us! We got home around 6pm to have a message on our machine from my sister that my dad was coming for a visit after he was done at her house. Sure enough about 20 mins after arriving home, a surprised dad got to meet Minu! It wasn't exactly how we planned on telling the family but it worked cause he landed up going home and telling my mom and brother while I called my sister. My sister said she knew we had been up to something sneaky being gone so early and then all day long!

So a year later here we are. If your thinking of getting a puppy, let me tell you its HARD WORK! I guess I really didn't remember all the work my parents put in to our dogs growing up. We had sleepless nights, lots of mistakes on the floor, getting in to things she shouldn't, chewing, etc but now that she is trained and grown up she is absolutly priceless! We love having Minu and I think she is pretty happy having us.

January 2010

Going Veg -- Sometimes

2010-02-04T08:03:00.002-05:00

Many people don't know that India is a vast vegetable eating nation. Some people are strict vegetarians, while others will consume milk products but not eggs. Other's will eat fish but no other meat. It is commonly known that the further south you move in India, the stricter people are vegetarian. There however are so many variations of diets in India that sometimes it can be confusing. It mostly depends on your religion which then dictates what you can eat. Hindu's do not eat beef. Muslims do not eat pork. Jain's do not eat any meat nor root vegetables. Sikh's do not eat pork, or beef and some will not eat eggs. Christians tend to eat everything and in Kerela it is common to eat beef in Christian homes. In Goa, what use to be a Portuguese colony you can find many pork dishes.

Dating or marrying someone from India can change the way you cook. Luckily it is not something I have had to deal with, but I have heard of others who have changed their diet and eating habits in order to accommodate their significant other. I can see that their are health benefits, and I understand it would be difficult to make two meals, one veg and one non-veg (meat) meal each day.

I have decided that I am going to start to make one veg meal per week. We are not becoming vegetarians (don't worry John) but I think it will give us a chance to reduce our carbon footprint a bit and also may be a little cheaper on the grocery bill. I have tried several things so far, mostly enchilada's (with beans) and spinach lasagna. I also am planning on making potato masala with poori's this week as our veg meal. Yum.

So if you want to take the challenge to reduce your carbon footprint and become creative with your meal times then join me in the once a week vegetarian meal--and share your recipes if they are delicious and you think two meat eaters would enjoy!

The Indian Marriage Club

2010-02-03T09:05:00.002-05:00

It`s not a real club mind you, but I feel like I`m a little left out. I don`t have a mangalsutra. In India when a woman gets married she gets a necklace called mangalsutra or thaali which is part of her wedding jewelry from her husband (his side of the family). It is gold with black beads and has a pendant on it. The mangalsutra is said to be regarded as ``a sacred thread of love and goodwill worn by married women as a symbol of their marriage``. It is one of five signs of the marital status of a woman, with it being the most important. The other four are kumkum, bangles, toe rings and nose rings.

Merlin is from Kerela and is Christian, so not all things Indian apply to him. His family owns/wears very little jewelry which is very uncommon by Indian standards. However I still feel like I missed out on this wedding necklace. We did exchange gold rings, and I do have a set of bangles but sometimes I wish while wandering around Indian shops that I could be identified not as a curious bystander or as a tourist but as someone who is connected with the culture/people.

Mangalsutra

I`ve read up a lot about marriage necklaces in India. The mangalsutra is common in North India although historically it is felt that it was taken from South Indian culture. In the South it is often referred to as thaali however each state has its own name for the necklace.

I also found out in Kerela there is a pendant called minnu, ironically similar to the name of our dog Minu (whose name is Hindi). This pendant is exchanged between by both Hindu and Christians and is the shape of the Peepul tree leaf. For Christians it contains the cross on the one side of the pendant.

Minnu pendant given during Mar Thoma Wedding Ceremonies

I guess it is only wishful thinking that I could join the club of married Indian women, but with my love of jewelry it would have been special to have.

Banana Bread Recipe

2010-01-29T18:12:00.004-05:00

If you can tell, I *like* bananas but do not *love* them. Bananas will often get over ripe at our place and I prefer mine firm and starchy while Merlin will eat them until they get brown and spotty. If they are forgotten about or become too ripe then I throw them in the freezer (as is) and once I have enough of them I use them for baking. It works great since I haven't thrown away my produce which then is money down the drain, but it also allows me to make it in to something a little more yummy.

I found a recipe for Banana Bread in my new Betty Crocker Cook book (thanks Amy!). It says it is low fat and I had everything. Just take the bananas out of your freezer and within about a half hour they will have thawed enough that you can peel them and put them in a measuring cup. I usually leave them for awhile longer so they are easy to mush up, which is what the recipe calls for anyways. I always drain the water that comes with the thawing process since it may make the recipe flop if there is too much moisture. So here is the recipe, I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Banana Blueberry Bread
2 Loaves

1.25 C sugar
0.5 C margarine, softened
2 large eggs
1.5 cups mashed very ripe banana (approx. 3 medium)
0.5 C plain yogurt or buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2.5 C all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 C blueberries (in place of nuts) if desired

Move oven rack to centre of the oven and heat to 350F. Grease the bottoms of two 8 X 4" loaf pans.

In large bowl stir sugar and margarine well until mixed. Stir in eggs until well mixed. Stir in bananas, yogurt, and vanilla, beat with spoon until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until just moistened. Stir in blueberries. Divide evenly in to pans.

Bake loaves for approx 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool 10 mins in pan on wire rack.

Loosen sides of loaf pans; remove from pans and place top side up on the wire rack. Cool completely (approx 2 hours) before slicing. Store at room temperature for 4 days or refrigerate for up to 10 days. Freezes well.

Going Bananas

2010-01-28T14:12:00.000-05:00

It's been a long week. Not necessarily a busy week but to me it seems to be just dragging along. I haven't been really motivated to blog since I have a lot on my mind, but little of it is blog worthy.

While in Walmart the other day I found something fabulous. It wasn't anything special or even expensive but something that reminded me of India. It was a bunch of mini bananas which I so loved when I was there. They are no longer then your index finger and perfect for me since I often get sick of eating the banana about half way through--it's too much. These are handy bite size delights which satisfy me of my desire to eat something good, but without overwhelming me and almost making me gag from eating a whole big banana. So I decided to buy a small bunch and bring them home.

Bananas are popular in India. I was reading that India produces almost two times more bananas then the next nation of China. We are talking millions of bananas each year, which to me is amazing. The regular yellow bananas that we are so use to buying are just one variety...Merlin introduced me to the Kerela banana in India, which is a large red banana but with a mild and delicious taste.

The first time I was in India Merlin would bring me food at the place I was staying. He would bring an assortment of fruit but my favorite became the bananas. I tried several other varieties but I still hold to enjoying the Kerela banana and the mini ones the most.

In India another use of the banana plant is to use the leaves as a plate. I think this is common in Kerela and maybe a few other parts of South India. I was reading in the newspaper though what a ecological waste it was to dispose of the leaves (hard to compost) and also that it was harming the trees just for a one time use.

Some places solution is to have imitation leaves to give an authentic look and feel but without damaging the trees. We ate at one restaurant in India on banana leaves and I personally would prefer a plate. The family enjoyed the leaf as a plate but for me I kept worrying that I would put my sleeve in it (very likely for me) or that the curry would run off on to my lap (also very likely). I survived using my fork, while others ate with their hands but overall it was a neat experience.

Conversations After Surgery

2010-01-23T09:31:00.000-05:00

So Merlin survived his surgery--no big surprise there! He also took it very well and thought after it was all said and done that he had gotten worked up for essentially nothing. Yes, I know.

So after the surgery he goes in to recovery and they then allow the person who came with the patient to come and sit with them. It was about a half hour after being admitted that I was called back and sat in the bed and the following, somewhat funny confused (on Merlin's part) conversation ensued.

M= Merlin S= Sarah

M: When did you get here?
S: Just now.

M: What is in my mouth?
S: Gauze.
M: Oh.

M: How did I get here?
S: Where?
M: This bed.
S: I don't know hun.
M: Oh.

M: So when are they taking my teeth?
S: They are gone already.
M: Really?
S: Yes, that's why there is gauze in your mouth

M: So what's beeping?
S: Its a heart monitor.

Merlin lifts his shirt

M: Is there still some pads on me? Look.
I pull up his shirt and look
S: Nope, they are gone.

M: Well why am I hooked up to that machine?
S: To monitor your heart.
M: Well I don't need that.

*Quiet*

M: So when are they doing it?
S: Doing what?
M: The surgery.
S: It's already done.
M: Oh.

M: Can I have my teeth?
S: I don't think so

He looks down at the blanket with his feet sticking out.

Shocked look on his face......

M: Where are my shoes?
S: Right here on the floor.
M: Well who took them off?
S: I don't know probably the nurse.
M: Well I thought they were missing.
S: No, they are here.

M: Whats in my mouth?
I laugh
S: It's gauze, you already asked me that.
M: Oh.

M: I don't feel any pain.
S: That's good.

M: How did I get on the bed?
s: I'm not sure I wasn't here.

M: Well, did they do the surgery here?
S: No, this is recovery.

M: How long have you been here?
S: Half hour, the surgery was only 20 mins long.

M: Well they must not have got my teeth out then.
S: Yes they did hun.

M: This place is crazy....so many people getting their teeth out and all of us just laying here in beds!
S: I think your ready to go home!

"I'm Scared..."

2010-01-22T10:08:00.007-05:00

is what I have been hearing from Merlin for the last several days. What is it that makes a 30 (almost 31) year old man get complete horror on his face you ask? Well he has to go to the dentist. Not just any dental visit, he has to get some wisdom teeth removed. For Merlin this is his first surgery, he has barely skimmed the door of a clinic let alone ever gone under.

My first inclination is to say "Be a Man" in a Russel Peters voice. Yet, I do feel a teeny bit sorry for him. I had to endure the pain of having this same procedure done about 10 years ago...and I had mine done a few days before Christmas to boot. Can we say I looked like a chipmunk for Christmas that year? I think so. My sister and brother also have had it done, although if you ask my brother it was some of the worst pain ever. Needless to say I haven't let Merlin talk to my brother about it and I keep reassuring him that everything will be alright.

Then I start to search the internet. Maybe what I remember though isn't really what it is like. Maybe in truth it was horrible. Could it be I have forgotten? I keep reading about dry pockets, infections, people being sick and out for 3 (!) weeks! What! I keep reading this though and definitely can't let Merlin find THAT page, cause he definitely will back out.

Then I have started to look for a list of foods which would be helpful. I remember that I was eating pretty normal things at Christmas dinner....so within a few days, but people had listed they were eating jello for like 2 weeks! I guess my desire to have delicious dinner over rode the pain from the sutures and tenderness in my mouth. My memory has got to be gone, or the reviews I was reading were written by men who have never had a menstrual cramp, and think this is the worst pain in the world!

So I think I've stocked up. I made some jello, pudding, have some cream soup, porridge, juices, apple sauce, chocolate milk and I may make him some mashed potatoes. Last night he had his Last Supper, which was a burger from McDonald's. He was so happy, I guess if that's your last meal and you think that is food, then it is awesome!

So he is still in bed sleeping and I've decided to let him be. I think he may as well get comfortable since he is going to spend the next couple days in there. I know he'll survive, its just going to be a bit tender for him and I'll hear about how I was "mean" and made him go. Oh well, I guess its good practise for being a mom someday!

"Your a Villager" says my Husband

2010-01-21T11:55:00.008-05:00

This isn't a plug for Tupperware. You know the plastic hold anything-heat-freeze-serve and store type items that I think most North American homes have. Well little did I know growing up how much it costs! And now as an adult I see Tupperware like an investment, much like gold.

Merlin grew up in India. Tupperware if it exists is on the small scale. He couldn't figure out what all the rage was or even is. "So what, its plastic" is what he says to me while I try to tell him all the benefits of having the real deal of Tupperware.

Yesterday while visiting my sister I fell in to some Tupperware. My sister Amy, may just be the Tupperware queen. You open her cupboards and it is full of same colour, similar styles and very useful plastics. In turn if you come to our house, yes I have some but I am notorious for having washed out yogurt, sour cream or peanut butter jars. Growing up these empty recyclables were called "Polish Tupperware" although I have no idea who coined the term. Sure I do have a few real Tupperware items, all of which have been gifted to me at some point. When Merlin saw my obsession with cleaning out the containers and using them to put food in he told me I was a villager. I also keep the fabric rice bags and made him aghast when I used it to take my lunch to work in one day. I heard villager comments for a few days after that.

So yes, I re-use rice bags, and I keep yogurt containers and I don't feel bad about it. I may even deep down be a villager since I grew up in a nice rural subdivision and then when we moved country I lived even closer to an actual village...but mostly I just laugh since I like Tupperware but it lives beside all my recycled containers. I just can't throw them all in the recycling bin and keep the good stuff.

Recently Merlin though took on a village persona himself. He needed a bag to keep his thread and sewing materials in and guess what? Out came a rice bag and I was able to say to him "So, who's the villager now?".

I guess you always go back to your roots :)

Stale Bread?

2010-01-20T11:45:00.003-05:00

I'm not even sure how this could happen! We have had cinnamon buns go stale twice in our home and instead if just tossing them, I wanted a way to use them up. I am sure that nobody else has this problem, but if you do this is a great recipe to recycle your stale buns and make them in to a delicious new dish. I think you could also substitute hot cross buns or any other stale fruit bread.

Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
6 stale cinnamon rolls
6 eggs, beaten
3 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
raisins, soaked in warm water
flaked coconut (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Spray a 2 1/2 QT casserole dish with cooking spray.
Crumble cinnamon rolls into the casserole dish.
In large bowl, whisk together the beaten eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over the cinnamon rolls.
Add raisins and coconut.
Let mixture sit for about 20 minutes to allow the eggs/milk to soak in.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until set.

Serve warm or cold with whipped topping (optional)

Can We Get A Maid Here?

2010-01-18T14:19:00.005-05:00

With today being my day off I planned on being uber busy. Merlin put up a new shelf in the pantry and the pantry now needs to be organized in a big way. I think with Merlin's handyman skills it meant just piling things on top of each other....yes my chips got crushed...and he has asked that I organize my tupperware stash that I have all over the place.

I honestly have yet to get at this job....its a big one. I had also thought it would be beneficial to make a list of jobs that could be done each day. It seems like the house work piles up and then 4 things need to all be done on the same day. I'm all for moderation, and although I am not a clean freak I like things tidy. I will be the first to admit that I'm not always tidy, but neither is Merlin and he never complains. So here I go making a list of all the things that need to be done around the house, and then assigning a day that corresponds with the task.

In India Merlin's family had a maid. She came in several times a week and would wash the floors, do the dishes, dust, tidy things up, wash clothes by hand, and if needed could make food. In many people's homes I came across a maid who did similar work. This however has bred a husband who doesn't always clean up after himself. Now I have no excuse since we never had a maid, but he on the other hand was use to a maid or his mother picking up after him. It is amazing to me how little things can annoy me, especially when they are not my mess. I also have mellowed out and choose to clean up many things that I otherwise would leave but have noticed it takes a long time otherwise for it to find a home or a garbage bin. I guess this is one of the negatives to not living in India and having to be the maid around our house!

So here goes for trying to be organized and helping to organize our life a bit.

Friends Forever

2010-01-14T22:57:00.005-05:00

Doryne and Minu

A few weekends ago I was able to travel with my parents, brother and Minu to Sarnia. It is about 2 hours away from my parents place, and a border city with the USA. The thought was for us all to have lunch, then my brother and dad were going to do some shopping in the USA while mom and I visited with a wonderful friend for the afternoon.

Doryne came in to our life several years ago. She lived in the same apartment building as my Opa (grandfather) and made a wonderful friend and companion to him during his last couple years of life. We "adopted" her as a grandmother and enjoyed many visits, lunches and holidays. It was sad to see her move out of Woodstock this past fall but this was our chance to go and visit her in her new home.

Doryne has a lovely apartment in a seniors retirement home and the atmosphere is amazing. Lunch was delicious like a first class restaurant, no cardboard served here and a lovely area for people to enjoy movies, a chapel, a spa and salon. We rounded out the afternoon with a tea and snack in a cafe area, where Minu joined us and the residents enjoyed her. This was her first time being exposed to an elevator and she went on about 4 times. She also behaved very well, so there may be some hope of making her a therapy dog!

A wonderful afternoon with a dear friend. Now the drive home in a snow storm is a whole other story!

Bad Indian Wife

2010-01-12T11:10:00.003-05:00

So lately I've been a bad Indian wife. I am confessing that I haven't made Indian food in....a month? No, make that two months! I know, your probably thinking then that we have eaten out Indian, but that's not the case either. I think Merlin's only way of getting a fix have been the microwavable dinner's that you can buy in the frozen section of the grocery store. Sure he says they don't taste too bad, but nothing really can taste better then fresh Indian food. I know, I'm bad...real bad.

He doesn't complain...at all. I ask regularly what he would like for dinner and he always answers "Whatever", so I guess since I give him the option I shouldn't feel too bad, right? I know I get sick of eating the same thing everyday, or even a couple times a week. It's also a reason why I can't make a meal menu for the week and stick to it, cause Tuesday would come along and I wouldn't be feeling (or craving) what I thought I would have liked when I made the list on Monday.

Merlin's mom would have never been able to get away with not cooking Indian food for a month, let alone two (Who's counting). If Merlin was still living in India and was married to an Indian girl this wouldn't be acceptable. Part of a wife's duty is to cook for her husband and family. I know that Merlin enjoys Indian food, probably as much as I enjoy foods that I was raised on. Since I do the cooking...Merlin's idea of cooking is picking up a burger....it means that I usually cook what I am familiar with. I still cook Indian with a cook book having to read all the instructions and at the end hoping that it tastes like it should. Indian cooking takes a long time for me, maybe because of the unusually long list of ingredients and then having to read each step and then usually forgetting something in the list.

So finally after a long hiatus of Indian food I'm going to break it and make some tomorrow. I have the chicken thawing, I bought fresh coriander at the market and naan since I prefer it over rice. I am hoping that I can bring myself back to being a good Indian wife and him being brought back to the foods that he loves so much.

So tomorrow is my comeback as an Indian wife in the kitchen!

Resolutions and a Recipe

2010-01-08T12:06:00.005-05:00

Did you make a New Year`s resolution as 2009 rolled over to 2010? You know, that little personal promissory that you may have shared with a few friends and you told yourself that you would keep, so that 2010 would be an even better year?

Well I didn't. I have in the past and well, after about 2 days it seems I can't commit to changing things. It's a wonder I've been able to commit to anything since I become so lax on things, especially dusting my place right now! I however secretly deep down want to make a few minor changes. They aren't big and if I give up after 2 days, well I won't feel too bad. Now you want to know what these things are right? I guess if I share it with my cyber friends then maybe there is a bit more accountability....right? I doubt it, but I'll share anyways.

The first thing is to cook more. I do cook, and I've been told I'm a good cook but I also sometimes feel too tired, lazy or want something someone else has cooked...mainly just something quick. So I've decided to look ahead and plan out meals for a couple of days at a time. I think I'm going to set certain days aside so that I can bake and then it will be ready for when we need it. Right now I have a loaf of bread baking, a lemon cake in the oven and I'm tempted to try and make some cookies, although we rarely eat them at our place. I may just try for fun anyways.

The next thing I want to do is walk more. We have three shopping plaza's close to our home, but in opposite directions. I walked once in the fall to pick up dog food and it was a nice short, brisk walk. On Monday I needed a few groceries, you know the staples like bananas and eggs so I walked to the store with my shopping bags in hand. I wish I could take Minu with, but they seem to not appreciate people's dogs in the store. It was a nice walk, I got what I needed and felt great afterwards for going on the walk.

The last thing is to find a hobby. Sure I read, and I love my dog and I facebook (is that even a hobby?) but I don't have something I am passionate about. When I use to have horses I was passionate about them...but I'm all horsie burnt out these days. I am trying belly dancing but can tell its not my thing, although I'm going to continue the classes. Aerobics wasn't my thing either. I lack almost any artistic ability, so I'm not sure what there is. Merlin has music and I just wish I could find something other then Merlin that I'm passionate about. Any suggestions on hobbies folks?

So that's it.....its now out there for the world to see. Easy I think. Probably things I should have been doing anyways, but what to do.

Now for anyone wanting to find something yummy to eat I'm going to give out my lemon loaf recipe. It is Delicious, with a capital "D"! It came from my mom's recipe card, so not sure where she got it from, but definitely a keeper.

Lemon Loaf
makes 1 loaf

0.5 cup veg shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 grated lemon rind

Cream shortening, beat in sugar and eggs beating well. Stir in rind.

Add:

1.5 cup flour
0.5 t salt
1 t baking powder
0.5 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients and blend with the wet(above) alternating with milk.

Bake in a greased loaf pan at 350F for 50-60 mins.
After its baked put on a glaze of :

0.5 lemon juice
0.25 c sugar

Eat and enjoy!

Driving Me Crazy

2010-01-05T17:19:00.007-05:00

Morning traffic in New Delhi. I use to stick my head out the window and just watch the traffic.

So this morning I was almost run off the road while trying to merge on to the highway. The offending vehicle was a large transport truck, and at first I thought he might be getting off at the next exit....but when he didn't I got a little angry that he hadn't bothered to move over and allow incoming traffic to merge. I literally was driving on the side of the road since he was blocking the entry to the highway.

Merlin and I are very different drivers. I consider myself a very good and safe driver. I am sure Merlin considers himself the same. I try not to speed, nor let other drivers distract me nor make me mad. Merlin on the other hand thinks most drivers are "idiots" and sometimes has mild road rage. I tend to think that if someone cuts you off you don't need to rush in front to show them. I rarely honk at anyone, unless maybe I'm driving down the driveway and I'm waving goodbye at the same time.

I found Merlin a really good driver in India. The traffic there is horrendous. I was prepared when I landed on my first trip for everything I thought I would encounter....except the traffic! How do you prepare for auto rickshaws, bikes, stray dogs, pedestrians, bikes with families (who know no rules), bullock carts, elephants, sometimes camels, buses, bicycles, and then just regular cars!

Night traffic with a wedding procession delaying things

So traffic isn't as bad as in India, but I wish drivers would just be a little more courteous. Stop reading newspapers, texting, talking on the phone (it is against the law) and all the other things drivers shouldn't be doing. Oh, and for the guy who was shaving while driving...you weren't paying attention! Even though Indian traffic is full of smog and slow I sometimes wish people would pay more attention to what is going on around them!

Gone is 2009 and In With 2010

2010-01-01T16:01:00.004-05:00

If you are old enough, like I am you may be able to remember how the world prepared for the year 2000. People stored food, bought candles, hoarded gas, and were unsure if there computer would work after a night of celebrations on the 31st. Fast forward and it seems strange that ten years later we remember the millennium coming in with no big repercussions.

Merlin worked over Christmas and since he was on the same schedule it meant that he had to work New Years Eve and New Years Day. Since that was the case it was decided that I would go and stay at my parents since we wouldn't see much of each other. So I packed up the dog and went to spend a few days with my family. I have to be honest I've never been much of a party animal and my bed was beckoning me a bit earlier then usual, so I was fast asleep by 11pm.

Normally on new years it is a Dutch tradition to make a few traditional snacks. This year I asked my dad if he would make up some oliebollen and appelflappen, since we only get it once a year.

Dad frying up the appelflappen

Oliebollen translates to "oil balls" and are a deep fried type donut. Appelflappen translates to apple fritters, both of which are served hot and sprinkled with icing sugar. They are not exactly "low fat" but I always say its just once a year.

Appelflappen
30 fritters

Recipe from A Permanent Collection of the WORLD'S BEST RECIPES

2.5 cups flour
1.25 cups beer
0.25 tsp salt
6 sour apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/2" thick
oil for deep frying

Combine flour , beer and salt and beat until smooth.
Coat apples in batter, a few at a time and deep fry them in the hot oil until light brown (3-4 minutes).
Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Serve hot.

Oliebollen

Recipe from my Oma (Grandmother)

1 pkg dry yeast
1 cup lukewarm milk
2.5 cup flour
1.5 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1.5 cups raisins and/or currants

Sprinkle yeast over 0.25 cup of milk and stir until dissolved.
Combine flour, salt and add remaining milk and egg.
Add yeast mixture and currants and/or raisins. Mix well.
Let stand in a warm place and let rise until doubled.
Heat oil.
Shape balls of dough with 2 metal spoons and drop in heated oil. Deep fry for 8 min. or until golden brown.
Drain and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Ready to eat

Everyone enjoying the New Year Treat

Hope you had a wonderful New Years Eve and enjoy this Dutch New Years treat! Smaklijk Eten!!!

Wishing You a Happy New Year: 2009 In Review

2009-12-31T00:39:00.007-05:00

Another year has come and gone with a blink of an eye. I didn't send out a Christmas letter this year updating everyone on what is going on in our lives, but I hope that this will be an easy way for you to see what happened in the past year.

January was pretty quiet and not without snow. We enjoyed staying snuggled up in our apartment and just spending cold winter nights together.

February after a few discussions between Merlin and I we decided to become "parents" to a puppy since our natural family was not happening. We researched what breed to get and after finding a breeder in Northern Ontario I sent the deposit for Minu, a splash coloured purebred Boston Terrier. She was a clearance puppy since she was the last of her litter, but we have been thrilled with her as you can tell from my many blogs about her.

February also brought my Aunt Betty from British Columbia into town. My sister and her husband celebrated their birthdays and held a nice party that we all enjoyed. This was Merlin and Aunt Betty's first time meeting...another face to all the stories (just kidding Aunt Betty).

March brought us a new family doctor in Cambridge, several visits to the endocrinologist and even more to the OB/GYN for more testing. After having been poked, prodded, ultrasounded, popping pills, being put in embarrassing positions and giving more blood then I'd like to admit, we are still not pregnant. The medical tests continue after 2+ years.

April saw us apply for church membership at Benton Street Baptist Church in Kitchener. Merlin was a member at his church in Bangalore, India and I had been a member at my church in Woodstock but it was finally time to make new paths and find a home church. The requirements were somewhat long (written forms, interview and then a night giving our testimony) but it was a good experience and we are happy attending our new church.

May found Merlin in England...his first trip to Europe, or shall I say the first time he was let out of the airport. I stayed back home while he went to attend a course offered by Cisco--it has to do with computer networking. He stayed in Birmingham for 3 weeks and was able to make a few side trips. One was to meet Gemma a friend of Amy's who had come for her wedding, and a trip to London to see the sights. Merlin passed at the top of his class and earned the certification that he needed. Way to go Merlin!

London Eye, London England

June found me back online when I launched my blog after attempting to write several times before. This time I have been able to stick to it and try to write regularly.

We also could be found at the "cottage". We as a family have never camped but we call my parents farm the cottage. It is a great big farm in the country which gives us a chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and just relax. We also are able to check in with Minu who loves all the free space and good spots to sniff, okay and an occasional barn cat to chase. The food is always excellent and most of all its great just to hang out and spend time with the family.

Uncle Albert, John (brother) and Minu enjoying a card game

Merlin and John--an afternoon of croquet

July saw Merlin and I celebrating 3 years of marriage. We took the day to go to Wings of Paradise, a butterfly conservatory. It was amazing to walk through with all the butterflies and be able to enjoy their beauty.

We then headed out for dinner and then caught a movie to round out a perfect summer day.

August found us all over the place. A family get together, Puppypalooza in London, Turkish Festival, Canadian National Exhibit, Busker Festival, etc. We had a great time sometimes going alone as a couple and other times meeting up. Here Merlin, John (my brother) and I spent the day with Minu and Dooley (my sisters beagle) at Puppypalooza a big dog festival.

John, Me w/Minu, Amy w/Dooley, Dave, and Dave's parents

Here is the whole crew with Amy and her husband Dave meeting us late in the day at Puppypalooza. We had a great time and hope that it is planned for next year too!

September saw us head to our first Indian engagement that Merlin initiated!!! Yes, he may be Indian after all! We went to Toronto to celebrate Onam, a harvest festival from Kerela. It was neat for me to go along and share in his culture, although the dinner I could have lived without (I'll take North Indian food any day thanks).

We also were able to welcome a new cousin, Elias Arie Pieter on September 18th. Congrats to Aunt Marcia, Uncle Mark and big sisters Anja and Danae of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Picture of Merlin taken shortly after his arrival in Canada in 2007

October we were able to celebrate Merlin's 2nd anniversary here in Canada. Woohoo...on his way to becoming a Canadian citizen.

It also saw us attend the wedding of Michelle and Ryan. Michelle has been a family friend for several years and now lives in Alberta. She flew home to have her wedding with family and friends. It was our only wedding this year, a slow down from the year before where we did 4, two of which were our siblings. Congrats Michelle and Ryan!

Grandma, Uncle Gerald and Aunt Joyce

We also were able to celebrate 25 year Wedding Anniversary of my Uncle Gerald and Aunt Joyce. I was in their wedding party all those years ago and it was nice to be able to celebrate with them and the family.

November saw Merlin, Amy and I head to Toronto to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair where "The Country comes to the City". It's more then just prized chickens and milking cows but we enjoyed a Superdog show, Merlin tried a buffalo burger, lots of shopping, a horse show,and being able to see sheep sheering, milking and butter sculptures.

December landed up being busy, but a good month with several family get togethers and lots of time spent at the cottage.

The last year has been great with us being blessed with good health, jobs, family and friends. We look forward to what 2010 will bring, the year my sister unofficially has said she will no longer be busy (all jokes Amy)!

Sarah and Merlin

So with our year in review we wish you all Good Health, Prosperity, Love and God's Blessings to you all.

Thanks for reading and see you next year!

Blessings,

Sarah
December 31, 2009

Family Christmas

2009-12-30T15:47:00.003-05:00

So Christmas is officially over for us. The tree has been taken down, the room reorganized and looking for spots to keep the new presents. I doubt this will surprise anyone that Merlin and I didn't wait until Christmas to open our presents. That's right folks, doesn't matter if your 3 or 30, presents are exciting and really why wait for Christmas day? The presents had been enticing me and slowly catching my interest as they lay under the tree for a couple weeks. Merlin was almost too eager at the suggestion to open them....so it happened about 5 days early for us!

I have to say that my run of tea pots is over! The first year Merlin got me a wonderful tea pot and cups with saucer set. Then last year I guess he figured it was such a success that he did a repeat, although a new colour and design and with lunch plates to match. I have no more room for anymore tea pots, so he had to be creative this year. It was a lot of work for him but I was so surprised and impressed with what he came up with. With help from my sister a sweater, tri-coloured gold earrings, an Ipod--yes, I have finally launched myself from a walkman (remember those) straight to an Ipod nano, an awesome leather wallet, some chocolate covered pretzels (yum) and some tea...but mostly I just loved the tins! I hope that Merlin loved my gifts...he at least seemed excited although it was hard to beat his Manchester United jersey from the UK last year.

Amy and I

For us we traditionally we gather with my mom's side of the family at IPC in Innerkip for our Boxing Day celebration. This year was no exception with family coming from far and wide in order to spend time together, share a meal and catch up on the going ons of our lives. It was great to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and second cousins as we enjoyed a traditional meal and sat around and joked. Some may say the family is slightly deranged, but it sure makes for lots of laughs and good times.

The room at IPC were we waited for dinner

Elias with his mom

This was our first chance to meet our newest cousin Elias who was born in September in the USA. Since our family is large we have a 35+ year span between oldest and youngest cousin. I think its fair to say that we won't be adding any new cousins to the family anymore.

Uncle Albert playing with Cousin Mark and Danae

Grandma and Grandpa enjoying their Christmas meal

We returned to my parents farm and stayed over until Sunday. That evening Merlin, my dad and I went to Ingersoll and strolled with Minu through the light display. We had a nice time checking out all the lights and enjoying the snow, although it was a tad bit chilly.

A wonderful Christmas and a great chance to spend time with family.

What is Your Life Motto?

2009-12-29T17:34:00.006-05:00

This recently was a question that I was asked and it has really made me ponder. What is it that YOU live for? What do you want your life to show to the world? What is it that you want people to look to you for?

I am still pondering what my life motto is. I am not even sure I really know what it is since I struggle with understanding my purpose, and without a purpose can I really have a motto?

I know what I believe in and what is important to me. I am however wondering what my life means, not only to me but the people around me.

I think I have decided that I am going to start volunteering. I have thought about it in the past, but that has been it...a fleeting thought. I considered the Humane Society but just know I would find some unwanted neglected animal that nobody else wants and would bring it home...good for the animal but not good for my household. So I went on a local website and found a few things that interest me. Let me share.

I would like to look in to participating in a Therapy Dog program. This will take a bit of work but Minu is excellent with people and seems to do well in many situations. I am going to at least go to the orientation session and get more information.

The next thing is volunteer at a Developmental Riding Program. This is a one hour long riding program that helps children who have disabilities. For anyone who knows me I use to have horses but now that I live in the city I think this would be a great way to get my "horse fix".

And lastly the Food Bank is looking for volunteers. I gave food this year at the normal Christmas food drive but people need to eat all year round and the food bank helps many people throughout the region. I also recently found out it is in our community (a couple blocks away) so it may be a great way to help out.

So as I still ponder what my motto is I am also hoping that I can help out my community, meet new people and give more meaning to my life.

The Joy of Christmas

2009-12-25T09:46:00.001-05:00

Jesus Christ is....

The message of all that God has to say to us
The fullness of all that God has to give us
The essence of all that God wants us to be.
Jesus, the word of God incarnated
The image of God revealed
The fullness of God imparted
The glory of God reflected
The grace of God extended
The power of God demonstrated
The heart of God expressed
The love of God manifested
The salvation of God provided

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas from Merlin, Sarah and Minu.

A Christmas Wish from a Fury Friend

2009-12-23T00:01:00.005-05:00

Reese a rottie/lab cross from the local shelter with Minu

Christmas time is here and when this poem showed up in my inbox, from the Boston Terrier Rescue of Canada I thought it was worth passing on. Many people give puppies and kittens at Christmas and find out how much work our fury friends require they dump, forget, neglect of abuse these precious animals. If your considering giving a pet to someone please remember that this is often a 10-15 year commitment. I love our dog and she is such a blessing to us. If its your wish to share your life with a fury friend then I would recommend that you consider getting your dog or cat from a rescue or checking out the local shelter and saving a life.

You come in from the cold and shut your door
You feel the warmth
You smell the fresh baking that you made this morning
You laugh as your crazy Bostons race each other to be the first to greet you
You see the feather on the floor
You look for what pillow was destroyed
You scold them but you don't mind too much
You think once a Boston, always a Boston
You look at your Christmas tree and admire the lights, and ornaments
You look at the presents underneath
You smile
You are almost done your shopping
You curl up in front of your fire place
Your bostons worm their way under your blanket
Your eyes slowly close as you listen to their rhythmic snores

Not too far away another door is shut
He is cold
He is scared
He smells so many unfamiliar dogs he begins to shake
He hears barking, so much barking
He finds the small blanket that is his only relief from the cement floor
He wonders what is happening and where are the people he knows
He knows that they never paid too much attention to him but they were familiar
He knew their smell
He cannot smell them in this place
He sees a stranger enter
He watches the stranger approach him
He tries to hide in the corner but that does not keep the stranger from the coming
He is scared he will be hurt...so many smells....so much noise...who is this person
His ears go down
He cowers, as the human reaches for him
He needs to protect himself
He bites
He is in a different room
He is held down as he tries to get away
He tries to ask them what is happening.

Can't they see it in his eyes?
He is scared
He is a good boy
He feels a poke and yelps
He feels sleepy
His eyes close never to open again.

Some where not to far from you a Boston (dog) may take his last breath. He may never be able to know love, to curl up under a blanket, to have good food everyday, to greet someone at the door who is happy to see him. He will never be given a chance to show what a good boy he is. He who could have had years, will now only have seconds. It may not be perfect but I can promise it will be rewarding.

While you curl up under the blanket for your next nap...maybe one more snore could join the melody.

Christmas Celebrations

2009-12-22T00:17:00.008-05:00

This past weekend was Christmas at the Farm. My parents decided to have us all over for our gift exchange and a big dinner. We had drawn names in July for the one person we would need to buy a gift for. My sister's husband Dave had drawn Merlin's name and lo and behold he asked for a "pooter". Not sure what a pooter is? You can check it out on youtube or if you can't waste your time it essentially is a prank device that makes fart sounds. Merlin had begged me to get it for him and I said "no way", for the simple reason that I knew he would use it on me when we were out in public. Merlin was pretty excited though when he opened his gift to find what? A pooter and from his face he was very surprised and secretly deep down very excited! Me, not so much.

So after having some time to enjoy our stockings from my parents, and to check out our newly given gifts we had a bit of down time before it would be a large feast. There was no shortage of food and to be honest I didn't eat half of what was on the table since I was a little full from the appetizers in the afternoon (oopps). I have to say that my Uncle was very happy that we brought what he calls "triangles", and the rest of the world would know as samosa's. I think he enjoyed a plate full, which was our Indian contribution to the festivities.

Table set with care

Lily, Sarah and Mom

A picture with my two mom's should be enjoyed by all. Lily is a family friend who we have known for 23 years and counting. Her family is nothing short of our family and it was nice to have her and her husband come out and enjoy dinner with us.

After dinner Merlin serenaded me....well not really. What happened is I had brought a stack of caroling books that my work published for Christmas. It then sparked my thought to have a sing-song after supper. So I handed out the books and Merlin was able to get in touch with his musical side. I think everyone enjoyed....I know I sure did.

Hiu and Lily with Bushy at the sing-song

And as if there wasn't enough food we had to finish the night off with an ice cream filled crepe which was delicious. This is coming from a girl who doesn't like ice cream, so you know it was good.

After a day of fun Minu was exhausted from playing with her dog cousins Reese and Dooley, so climbed up beside my dad and had a nap.

What a wonderful weekend at the farm and how fortunate we all are to be able to gather as a family and enjoy the holidays.

O' Christmas Tree, O' Christmas Tree

2009-12-18T09:46:00.007-05:00

I could barely wait this year to get up our tree. It had mostly to do with the excitement of making it a "themed" tree and being able to put all our Christmas ornaments on it.

This year we decided to decorate the tree with an Asian theme. It's not totally Indian although there are lots of Indian type decorations. My sister Amy lived in Cambodia and also brought back some great decorations which give the tree a great look. Last year in India we promised we would bring back paper mache balls that are made in Kashmir. All the emporium's sell them but it was more difficult to find enough and getting a good price on them! We also have elephants, a peacock (India's bird), a red chili pepper and lots of little flashy sequins ornaments. I also hit the jackpot when I went to Ten Thousands Village in October and they had bags of ornaments on sale. Most of the ornaments were from South Asia, so I got to add some more for a very cheap price!

I also have a second, much smaller tree that I decorate each year. It has the same theme each year which are with Dutch ornaments. They are mostly delft (blue and white) coloured balls and then I add some blue balls to make it look fuller. Two years ago I added a Sinterklaas and Piet ornament which I love. This little tree sits on a stand near our entrance. No lights, not too big but a fun little tree.

And so here is the final product....our Asian Christmas tree which we enjoy each night as we keep the lights on until Merlin comes home from work.

From Bushy to Finnished--Epilation

2009-12-17T20:48:00.003-05:00

So I've decided my eyebrows need a makeover. After years of plucking I have finally come to the point where they need some reshaping and loving. Recently a friend commented that I was "doing something different" and made me realise that I needed to find a solution to my bushy grown eyebrows.

Several years ago I had an Indian lady thread my eyebrows. It was something I had never heard of and she did it since she had just taken a beautician course and needed someone to practise on. It was essentially painless and did not take much time to do.

So I searched online and found an Indian lady locally who I am going to try out. I hope she is up for the challenge.

If you've never heard of threading or epilation (to those who like hard to pronounce words) here is a bit of info on it.

Threading is an ancient method of hair removal which originated in parts of India, the Middle and Far East, and is now gaining popularity in Western countries. Threading is a hair removal technique that uses 100% cotton thread. The cotton thread is twisted and rolled along the surface of the skin entwining the hairs in the thread, which are then lifted quickly from the follicle. It is more precise than waxing and allows for better lines. The technique is rather inexpensive because it does not require costly chemical ingredients.

Now hopefully when someone see's me and asks me if I'm doing something new, I can just smile and give them a wink.

Boerkool Stampot Recipe

2009-12-15T10:57:00.004-05:00

Boerkool is known to most people as kale, but in Dutch it translates to "farmer's cabbage". This is an easy to make recipe that is wonderful for a cold winters night and fills you up.

Merlin is use to flavourful food but has come to enjoy some of our Dutch comfort food. It is very bland compared to Indian foods, but it is filling and is easy to make.

Stampot can be made of many different vegetables with potato always being the base. It is also always served with sausage on top, but if you want to make it veg you can omit the sausage.

1 lb potatoes

2 large carrots

kale (canned or fresh)

sausage

gravy

salt and pepper to taste

So peel the potatoes and start to boil them. Add the carrots which need to be washed, and cut in to small pieces (or you can put in already peeled baby carrots). Make sure the veggies are covered with water and boil. If you are using fresh kale cook it on top of the boiling water. If using canned kale then you can drain the water off and dump it on top of the potatoes and carrots. Once the veggies are soft, drain the water and add butter while mashing it to a puree.

Now I cook my sausage in the oven, its healthier then the normal way of cooking it in fat in the frying pan. I sometimes find boerkool dry....so I make gravy to put on top. You can use the sausage drippings or just from stock.

The result is a healthy and filling meal that my husband can not get enough of.

Smakelijk Eten!!!

Eight Crazy Nights; Happy Chanukah

2009-12-14T10:30:00.006-05:00

Tonight is the 4th night of Chanukah. My Opa (grandfather) gave me his Jewish heart and for that I have been able to meet, talk, attend and engage in something that means a lot to me. Merlin has been supportive of me following Jewish trends and bringing little Jewish holidays in to our home (Passover, Rosh Hashanah). Last night we went and celebrated with the Jewish Community of Waterloo, were they lit a 5 metre tall Menorah in the city centre. It is definitely the largest menorah around this area and was made to be environmentally friendly; out of recycled material and is off the grid. Since it was the third night they lit three candles, plus the service candle and offered free jelly donuts, latkes (potato pancakes), crafts for the kids and live music.

We also were able to get our picture taken with Judah the Maccabee and they handed out chocolate gelt (coins) to the kids.

Chanukah, The Festival of Lights is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the miraculous victory of the few against the many, the weak against the mighty and the righteous against the wicked.

The holiday also commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple during which only one day's supply of oil for the Temple Menorah miraculously lasted for eight full days.

The joy and inspiration of these events comes alive each year as the Menorah lights illuminate the hope and promise of the miracles they commemorate.

A wonderful holiday that we all can celebrate to remember that we always need to focus of doing better and that G-d will provide.

Something Is A Little Fishy

2009-12-13T22:07:00.003-05:00

Osama, our first beta fish

Growing up we always wanted fish and our parents at one point I remember allowed us to have a goldfish (or two or three). When we moved in to our own place we were given an aquarium and went and bought a beta fish. They are easy keepers and quite beautiful. We nicknamed the fish Osama and enjoyed about 7 months with him. I was going to give up on fish but then saw that PetSmart was having a sale this weekend and I could get a discount on a new beta. You have to know me that I love sale's and if I can save a $1, then I'm there. With a few dollar investment I could have a new fish and since I had everything else...tank, food, water neutralizer, etc what would it hurt.

So we are happy to introduce Chang....our new beta fish. We decided to get a red fish since its Christmas time. He is an active fellow and I am hoping will last longer then Osama did.

My Aunt nicely mentioned that I am a much better dog mum then fish mum :) Hopefully I can join the ranks of keeping everything in the house alive and well and we can enjoy the peacefulness of being able to watch Chang swim around in his home.

Bosta-Clause

2009-12-11T18:29:00.006-05:00

What could be sweeter then a Boston terrier in a Santa outfit?

Merlin has nicknamed her "Bosta Clause".

Here is Minu, our 14 month old Boston terrier dressed up for the holidays.

Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas!!!

Twelve Days of Christmas

2009-12-10T22:54:00.003-05:00

So what exactly do hens, rings and maids have to do with the Christian faith?
Well the real meaning of a joyful and fun Christmas song has a deeper meaning then what most might expect.

During the 16th century, England was a place of religious persecution and any religious teaching outside the state church was forbidden. For the next 3 centuries, people who refused to join the state church developed creative ways to teach their children their beliefs. One popular way was to use lyrics and songs.

On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me: A Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the second day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the third day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the sixth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Six Geese a Laying, Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the seventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Seven Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a Laying, Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eighth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Eight Maids a Milking, Seven Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a Laying, Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the ninth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Nine Ladies Dancing, Eight Maids a Milking, Seven Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a Laying, Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the tenth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Ten Lords a Leaping, Nine Ladies Dancing, Eight Maids a Milking, Seven Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a Laying, Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Eleven Pipers Piping, Ten Lords a Leaping, Nine Ladies Dancing, Eight Maids a Milking, Seven Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a Laying, Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love sent to me: Twelve Drummers Drumming, Eleven Pipers Piping, Ten Lords a Leaping, Nine Ladies Dancing, Eight Maids a Milking, Seven Swans a Swimming, Six Geese a Laying, Five Golden Rings, Four Calling Birds, Three French Hens, Two Turtle Doves and a Partridge in a Pear Tree.

Religious symbolism of The Twelve Days of Christmas

1 True Love refers to God.

2 Turtle Doves refers to the Old and New Testaments.

3 French Hens refers to Faith, Hope and Charity, the Theological Virtues.

4 Calling Birds refers to the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists.

5 Golden Rings refers to the first Five Books of the Old Testament, the "Pentateuch", which gives the history of man's fall from grace.

6 Geese A-laying refers to the six days of creation.

7 Swans A-swimming refers to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments,

8 Maids A-milking refers to the eight beatitudes.

9 Ladies Dancing refers to the nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit.

10 Lords A-leaping refers to the Ten Commandments.

11 Pipers Piping refers to the eleven faithful apostles.

12 Drummers Drumming refers to the twelve points of doctrine in the Apostle's Creed.

And now you know the rest of the story!

Vrolijk Sinterklaas; December 5

2009-12-08T20:51:00.005-05:00

So I've recovered from the flu but spent the weekend at my parents helping out catering the church Christmas banquet. It may not sound too hard, but my dad had offered to make food for about 180 people! My absence hasn't been since I succumbed to the flu but just been busy and not been online.

Festivals are very important in India and often we will try to remember certain festivals and celebrations. Since I am Dutch we don't have the same number of holidays or festivals but one we look forward to each year is Sinterklaas. We don't celebrate it like we should with a gift exchange, poems, big family meal, etc but this year my sister and I exchange our yearly Christmas ornament and I bought Dutch chocolate letters. I brought some to my co-workers and also got one for Merlin and I. If your Dutch you know these letters well, but what happens is you get a chocolate letter that is your first initial. So I would get an "S" and Merlin got an "M". Christmas gift exchange is done on the 5th so as to separate it from Christ's birthday, which is the reason why we celebrate Christmas.

Every year on the 5th of November, Sinterklaas comes to the Netherlands from Spain on a large steam boat, with his trusted horse Amerigo and his Moorish helpers, ‘de Zwarte Pieten’ or ‘Black Petes’. He comes to the Netherlands to celebrate his birthday and on the 6th of December when Sinterklaas returns to Spain, all children receive a present.

Sinterklaas started to ride the white horse over the rooftops and the presents were delivered through the chimneys into the awaiting shoes of the children.

Children would leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace and would leave a carrot for Amerigo, the horse. In return children get candy and then treats like speculaas, pepernoten and marzipan left in their shoes. Besides candy children also received toys… and today the Chocolate letter is an important ingredient in the treats. Sometimes boys would find a ‘roe’ or a little bag of salt in their shoe.

The naughty children would be taken back to Spain in a large jute bag, the same bag that first contained all the presents.

My grandmother remembers getting an orange and apple for Sinterklaas along with a few other treats. She said that the fruit was especially a treat and she remembers how much she would enjoy those fruits along with the candy which would have been a real treat! She also would receive one home made gift that her mom had made. I love to hear about a more simple time and when Christmas wasn't so busy, commercialized and lost against the background of what the holiday is meant to be.

I'm a little late but I hope for all my Dutch friends and family that you had a wonderful Sinterklaas!

BRAT

2009-11-27T16:50:00.010-05:00

I'm not talking about Merlin, or even Minu but the diet they recommend when your not feeling well. I started the week off great and by Tues afternoon I was so nauseous and exhausted at work that I could have fallen asleep. I came home and slept for 3 hours, and then had muscle aches and a slight temperature. By Tues morning I still didn't feel great, but after talking with my mom (a nurse) I felt I could go to work. The day landed up being longer then usual and near the end I was almost sick and my colleagues told me to go home. Sure enough got home and I lost my cookies. So here I started the BRAT Diet. It consists of B anana R ice A pplesauce T oast.

The BRAT diet is helpful if you are sick due to the foods being bland and low in fibre. High fibre foods are believed to cause gas and gastrointestinal upset--things that you may already have if your sick! Ensuring that you eat the BRAT foods and drink lots of fluids will help you recover from the flu although by then your going to want to eat something delicious (I'm already sick of the bland foods).

I sent Merlin out to get us some banana's, and I'll be honest that I'm not a big fan but Minu is, so she helps me finish it if its too much. I also stocked up on gingerale, to help the stomach.

I go from so hot that its nearly the end of November and I'm sitting in front of our patio door that I have wide open. Last night my fever was 102.7 and I slept with the bedroom window totally open. And then there is the opposite, where I feel so cold that I don't even want to get out of bed from under the covers for 2 mins to put more clothes on since I am so cold to the bone that I can't move.

It's all extremes and I'm just thankful that I have a husband who is taking care of me as best as he can and that Minu is a handy size to use as a warmer when I am so cold!

So I will be back once I am feeling better, but it may take a few days to kick this.

Big Size, Too Healthy, Or Just Fat

2009-11-23T11:38:00.005-05:00

You can choose what you want to be called but it may be one thing you hear from your future Indian family, while travelling in India or by Auntie's that you see.

I was reminded of this, when this morning Merlin made a comment that a colleague at work who has been dating a girl for nearly a year was told by his parents that she was "too fat", so not to bring her around. Now the guy isn't Indian, but I still have memories of these same issues.

I use to go and visit an Indian lady who made Indian clothes (salwar kameez). I think every visit she would tell me I was looking "a little too healthy". That translates to fat. I remember the first time she said it I was taken aback. I remember the next visit with my mom when she said it again, my mom almost swallowed her tongue. It is true I'm not skinny, never have been and never will be. I also do not need it put out there, thank you very much. I know she wasn't being mean she was just trying to help me out, telling me my future in-laws would prefer if I was thinned down for the wedding...afterwards she said I could gain weight and pointed at herself to prove you must be thin and pretty before marriage and then after you can put on the weight.

While in India I am larger then most of the general public, men included. At 5'9", I am taller then most and with my good heritage of robust women it makes it impossible to find clothes which are "big size". In Bangalore on my first visit I remember a man yelling at me from his shop that he had "Big size in the back" if I would just come to his shop....Ummm yeah thanks for yelling out in public that I'm big size! The best was at going through security at Akshadan Temple in Delhi where they separate you in to two sections...ladies and men. Merlin obviously had to meet me outside and it was taking me a bit of time since one of the security ladies started a conversation with me.

Guard: "Hello, where are you from?"

Me: "Canada."

Guard: "You look very nice in Indian clothes."

Me: "Thanks."

Guard: "How much do you weigh?"

Me: embarrassed "Umm, I'm not really sure."

Guard: "You look very nice, very very healthy."

Me: "Ummm, smile, Thanks (I guess)."

And I was out of there before she could ask me any more questions. I right away told Merlin about it and we just laughed, the first and last time being told I look good for being overweight!

Marrying in to an Indian family also gave me some trouble. Being taller then Merlin was seen as me not being a good match. Also the fact I was too healthy, wasn't good either. His family made a big deal about it. Merlin though didn't care, if you ask him he doesn't want a skinny girl. But try telling that to the guys parents, who expected that they would find him a bride that THEY thought met their standards.

Although it was a rough start, my in-laws have become very accepting. After the initial ruckus they have come to find out that big size, also means a big heart and their son is very happy. They never make comment about my weight, size, height and for that I am thankful.

Almost Famous

2009-11-21T20:05:00.003-05:00

Daniel Novisedlak photo

Well I'm not but apparently a second cousin of my mom is. I know its a bit of a far throw, but I still thought it was pretty neat. I've copied the article to share my families fame. Enjoy!

North Star, http://www.parrysound.com/about/publications/North_Star/

News, Wednesday, August 19, 2009

By Kerri MacDonald

Becka deHaan was crowned winner of a nationwide music competition earlier in the month at the CNIB Lake Joseph Centre. One of 10 performers with vision loss who made it to the finals of The iFactor, the first musical competition hosted by CNIB, the 25-year-old Fredericton, New Brunswick resident said she didn’t expect to win.

“I felt like I was dreaming,” she said over the phone last week as she described her reaction. A former theology student who hopes to become a church music director, deHaan said she rarely gets stage fright. “I get up on the stage and I become not blind; I don’t have any barriers between God and me and between the audience and me,” she said.

The iFactor contest, which began May 25, was open to Canadians over 16 with vision loss. More than 1.6 million online votes were cast to choose the top 10 finalists, nine of whom made it to Lake Jo for a weeklong camp that included vocal training, a photo shoot, coaching on-stage presence and group jam sessions. Jan Ditchfield, associate development for CNIB Lake Joseph Centre, said The iFactor was a learning experience. “We’ve never done anything like this before and, as far as we know, there isn’t a competition or a training program like this that’s available for people with vision loss,” she said. Ditchfield said the competition was meant to provide a life-changing experience for arts-minded individuals. “Music speaks to the hearts of everyone,” she said. “Music is about passion, expressing yourself and following a dream and a goal.”

More than 275 people attended the finale, which took place last Saturday night and featured a panel of celebrity judges including Martin Short, Catherine O’Hara, Paul Coffey and Juno-nominated performer Terry Kelly, who has a visual impairment. “A lot of people go through life without realizing how many gifts they actually have,” Kelly said after speaking to the finalists. “Sometimes it’s because they haven’t had the opportunity to get out and play, or they haven’t had the courage. This has drawn people out of the woodwork.” As a judge, Kelly had a slightly different role than the other celebrities, who were supposed to evaluate, among other things, stage presence. “I will be looking for how they project themselves,” he said. “I’ll be looking for some technical things in terms of pitch and that kind of thing, but mostly how they feel to me as an audience member.”

For deHaan, who has performed with bands at church, in classical recitals and at music festivals, performance is nothing new. The vocalist and pianist opened with Don’t Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down, a blues spiritual song. “It had like a soul feel and had a piano break, so it would showcase a lot right from the beginning,” said deHaan, who sang Flip, Flop and Fly, another blues piece, in the second round. For the final round – in which she competed alongside Kingston’s Barb MacDougall and 17-year-old Tamara Cable from Sherwood Park, Alberta – deHaan got the audience going with the popular Etta James song, At Last. As champion, deHaan will have the opportunity to open for Terry Kelly. But despite her excitement, she said she thought of the finale more as a concert than a contest. “I was going into the contest going, ‘Okay, let’s see who I think meets the criteria,’” she said. “And in the end it was like, ‘No. It’s about the fireside jam sessions.’”

For Winnipeg’s Rodger Orr, also a fan of the week’s impromptu jam sessions, The iFactor was part of a personal journey. It has only been four years since Orr, 59, began losing his vision after bypass surgery. He said it was a thrill being the oldest iFactor finalist. “I think it speaks to music,” he said. “It speaks to even people with challenges and disabilities – being young can be a challenge, being old can be a challenge … The beauty of this competition is it’s open to everyone.”

Tamara Cable, another young performer and one of the top three finalists, has been playing violin since she was only five years old. “You can never really learn everything; you can always gain something from each individual by talking to them, and I think that’s what I’ve done,” said the Grade 12 student, who also plays flute and alto saxophone and regularly performs at weddings. “At the end of the day, it’s not really about disabilities,” she said of the contest. “It’s about the abilities and the people you get to share your strengths and gifts with.”

Chinese Market and Wonton Soup

2009-11-14T18:58:00.003-05:00

Merlin and I headed off to the Chinese market on Friday, in hopes of beating the weekend rush. I had thought that parking wouldn't be so much of a problem since it is downtown and close to the Saturday morning market which means the area is crowded and parking is at a premium. I was a little wrong....we still couldn't find a parking spot in their lot, so I got out and went in while Merlin found a spot.

The New City Supermarket has had a total makeover since we were there last...I almost didn't recognize the place! It is now neat and tidy, with lots of coolers with a small bakery section and the fresh meat market is more organized. The fresh fruit and veggie area is large and the freezers are well stocked with frozen items.

I picked up many fresh veggies which were cheaper then the grocery store (coriander, bell peppers, lettuce, bok choy). I also picked up some frozen items so that we can have Chinese type dim sum at home.....steamed buns, dumplings, wontons, etc. I was very excited in the bakery section to find a Chinese raisin bun and Merlin spotted a coconut cream bun which in the past we could only get in Toronto.

They have check out at both the front and the back of the store and the older man bagging my bags was very polite and said "Thank you Maam". Although I barely feel old enough to be a "maam", I did appreciate how polite he was since it is common that many of the people do not speak English and are not overly friendly.

I grew up with soup and sandwiches on Sunday's, so I decided to make a wonton type soup for tomorrow. It was so quick, less then 10 mins to make and tastes very good. I have a whole lot of baby bok choy, so threw that in too to add some wonderful greens and add some nutrients. The little bit of bean sprouts I had left over also landed up in the soup for a not so authentic won ton, but a very good soup nonetheless. I purchased frozen won ton's at the store and this allowed me to pick the type I wanted. The chicken and vegetable ones actually taste really good, but if you have lots of time and are ambitious then by all means go ahead and make your own. I cheated a bit and the taste was as good without all the work.

For the Soup
1 1/2 litres litres (6 cups) chicken broth
250 ml (1 cup) water
30 ml (2 tablespoons) fish sauce (nuoc mam)
2 x carrots, thinly sliced on the diagonal

package of frozen wontons
baby bok choi with heart cut off and washed

bean sprouts

So we definitely will be back to New City Supermarket in downtown Kitchener very soon as a great place to find all my Chinese grocery needs but also for a wonderful shopping experience.

Henna Class 101

2009-11-12T20:45:00.006-05:00

My Wedding Henna

Part of the fun of being married to an Indian man is that I get to enjoy many new things from his culture. The obvious ones are food, music, movies, festivals, clothing, jewelry, and way of life. I have Incorporated many of these things in to my life for several years...even before I knew Merlin actually but there was one thing I didn't know and was scared to venture in to....henna.

When we had our Canadian wedding celebration we had a fusion wedding. I wanted to be able to incorporate some things from both our cultures and I'll be honest that I do fancy much about Indian culture, so I went and had henna done. I don't think my family totally understood why I wanted it and I had a few negative reactions of disapproval but overall people were curious and thought it was neat.

Kitchener has a multi-cultural smorgasbord of people who live in the city. It also has many community centres that offer an array of different courses and classes for people to participate in at a reasonable price. When I saw the henna class being offered I was a little hesitant, but Merlin encouraged me to try something new and it didn't matter that it would be slightly inconvenient for sharing a vehicle and for his work schedule.

Henna drying so is dark brown. Turns orange and then is red the next day.

The class was for a month at 2 hours a class. It was small and taught by a Pakistani lady. The class had an Indian lady from New Delhi, an Indian Muslim woman from Uganda and then two white girls :) I wasn't sure how well it would go since I lack any sort of creative genius. After learning a few techniques though I have now come to be able to take apart complicated looking patterns and been able to apply it fairly well. I now weekly don a new pattern on my left hand and don't even notice any more that I have it on. I have had several people comment on it, usually a Muslim cashier who asks me "Who did your henna, its nice?" and when I respond "Me" they are somewhat shocked.

I have come to realise that I like many of the flower patterns. I have a love for peacock patterns which you will notice I had on my wedding mehndi (henna) and paisley designs are nice too. I am not too keen on many of the African patterns which are very geometrical. I am still working on trying different patterns and techniques but it was fun to learn and I plan on practising, not to make money at it but to be able to tunnel some new found articitc ability in to something.

I'm excited about the next classes that I can attend. I am thinking of signing up for belly dancing, but also considering tai chi, zumba, yoga or pilates. What to do? Maybe with my new found abilities I should do painting or pottery??? Who knows, but as the books come out for the winter sessions I can be found pouring over what would be fun to do and how I can learn something new.So many choices but an adventure to learn something new and meet many new people.

Family Ties

2009-11-09T17:30:00.005-05:00

I think most people have a different take on family. I grew up with a close knit family. I have my parents, a younger sister and younger brother. My mom is one of eight and my dad was one of four, so not small families. Merlin on the other hand is one of five, him being the second of the five brothers. His dad has a small family with one other brother while his mom comes from a huge family...something like 14 siblings! Merlin was never really close to his grandparents and doesn't know all his aunts/uncles nor his first cousins. I often get confused on who his cousins really are. Yes, I met some and they are introduced to me as a cousin when I ask how they are related I find out they are second, third maybe even fourth cousins and some just by marriage! My response is "that's not a cousin" but in India that is most definitely a cousin!

Lester (elder brother), Jyothis (SIL) Merlin, His Dad, His Mom and holding younger brother Gladwin

Although Merlin's family lives far away, I try to encourage him to call home regularly to his parents and brothers. Recently there was a rash of birthdays....3 brothers birthdays in about a 10 day period!!! We sent a package with cards and a small token gift to each and Merlin made sure he called while I facebooked them messages. I have to say with growing up I have come to love and appreciate my siblings and I have a husband who thoroughly enjoys going home to "the farm" to visit with my family. This weekend Merlin had to work Sunday and Monday and he thought it would be a good idea for me to go back home to my parents for a sleep over. True, I wouldn't be seeing him at all except for possibly an hour Monday morning before work but I like being there when he comes home from work and spending some time together in the morning. I reluctantly agreed to go sleep over at my parents and that Merlin would come get me after his shift on Monday. Minu and Merlin hanging out at the farm

So I packed up Minu and a bag for myself and off we went. I slept horribly. I had lived in this house for 10 years, it was my grandparents before that so I have always been familiar with it. Once I moved out my brother quickly took over my room and I don't even recognize it anymore with all his hunting paraphernalia and video games. So we stayed in the guest room...not as a guest but as a daughter coming back to her parents. This would be a very normal occurrence for an Indian girl to go back to visit her parents and stay at their family house. I guess in a way even though my parents don't live too far away (about an hour) it is nice to have a husband who enjoys my family and also encourages me to spend time with them.

I had a lovely day out with my folks. The afternoon was just spent doing some errands in town but it was relaxing and a change of scenery from the larger city that we live in. Minu has also been enjoying the farm and playing with her dog cousin Reese. I am looking forward to having Merlin come though and being able to go home. A big family dinner though is being planned for 8pm when Merlin should be rolling in. My message to him earlier was "Chalo, chalo" after work, or come fast!

Minu Goes To School : Grand River Kennel Club

2009-11-07T10:05:00.010-05:00

How true it is that dogs reflect the character of their masters! A noisy, blustering windbag of a man inevitably has a dog that rushes out to roar at everything that will give ground to him. The dour chap possesses a sullen beast of kind, and your hail fellow sort of person usually owns a merry member of the tail-waggers that considers all passers-by friends.
Paul A. Curtis

When Merlin and I decided to get a puppy it was with the understanding that she would go to school. I remember my last dog, a bouvier named Baby that my dad and I took to obedience classes and felt that it was a great learning experience for both dog and owner. This time I searched around for classes and came across the Grand River Kennel Club. It was to be six classes to teach the dogs the basics and also allow them to be socialized.

Now Minu is socialized. She has hung out at the dog park a lot and since we take her everywhere we can she has been exposed to lots of things. She has no problem meeting people or other dogs. The class focused mostly on things she knew, but I wanted to learn techniques and also tricks which would help with training her. It also was a way to train me--yes, dog owners also need to be trained. Each week we would learn a new command and then the following week they would add another command so that at the end our dogs would respond to; sit, heel, lay down, stay, come, left and right turns and stand. Minu excelled at all of them...except stand. She finds that a little confusing and always wants to sit, but we shall work on it.

The result is that we feel it was beneficial to all of us and that we have a well behaved dog. She rarely gets put on a leash to go outside and yet comes every time when she is called. She sits and looks for permission to come in doors and to eat her food. Overall I appreciate the work that our trainers put in to the class Bob and Sally Robson and also Barb with her Nova Scotia Duck Troller. Thank you!

And meet Merlin...as in Merlin the dog! Merlin has been working Monday nights but with a new shift change he was able to come to her last obedience class. We heard people talking about Merlin but I knew nobody knew Merlin and its not a popular name. Well Merlin sat down to watch the class and someone beside him sat down with this little dog....a dog named Merlin! We have not come across anyone with the name Merlin here, but we know a little King Charles Spaniel in KW has the same name! Too funny :)

Spooky Night : Merlin's First Halloween

2009-11-06T18:49:00.005-05:00

Last Saturday was Halloween here and although Merlin has been here for the last two years we have never done anything for it. The first year we went to a birthday party and last year we were in India. I grew up not really celebrating it...sure we would go out and get some candy but it was never over the top. This year my sister offered to open her home and throw a little party and that we could dress up. I let Merlin go to the store and he came back with some random things to make some costumes with....a black cap, hat, white wig and a scary mask! He said the only time they dressed up like this in India was for Children's Day, but mostly you dressed up as historical figures or Freedom fighters. We also found a little Santa outfit for Minu, that of course we will have her wear at Christmas time...she looks so cute in it!
So off we went to Amy and Dave's and had a wonderful time. My mom and brother came, so it landed up being a small, family party (missed you dad). Minu and Dooley (the dogs) had a good time and the people enjoyed some good food and laughs. We brought pani puri for people to try...an Indian street food and it went over well. After supper Amy had made a game on Halloween trivia to help Merlin understand about the history and lore. I learned so much and our team did very well. Merlin was still a little confused what a Jack O' lantern was, but overall I think it was a great way to introduce him to Halloween. Amy and Dave didn't have many trick or treaters, but the ones who came were met at the door by Dave and Merlin. Merlin handed out the candy and was able to interact with the kids, which was fun for him since we live in an apartment and would have no kids knock on our door.

So Halloween was fun this year and a great way for Merlin to be introduced to another North American tradition.

Happy Birthday Minu; October 31, 2008

2009-10-30T23:39:00.012-04:00

It wasn't a mistake that a year ago today a little mismarked boston terrier puppy was born on Halloween. Boston's are known for their tuxedo markings, and Minu lacks those so she is what they call a splash or reverse coloured Boston. She however was special from the very moment we saw her picture. Her breeder had named her Nemo, but I promptly decided to call her Minu. I wanted an Indian name and I remembered that Merlin had a friend who was named that. When I looked it up, in Hindi it meant "bedazzeled jewel" which more then fit this precious pup.

So a year ago today Minu was born in Midland, Ontario to Highland Boston's. She was one of 7 puppies who were free whelped. Seven is a large litter for a small dog, and little did we know at that time we would become the owners of the mismarked puppy in the litter who would go on and change our life.

I remember I checked websites daily after we secretly decided to get a puppy. Merlin and I had researched different breeds and had decided on a pug of a boston terrier. We landed up choosing a boston terrier since they didn't seem as popular as the pugs (there are always countless litters of pugs or pug crosses available) and we liked the look. Our requirements were a small dog who could live in an apartment, had short hair, erect ears (we like the look) and no tail. We also wanted a dog who was friendly, not noisy and good with people. Minu has proven to be all these things. After sending the deposit in to the breeder I worried I had made a mistake. Were we ready for the commitment? Could we train her? Would she be easy to house break? So many questions with no answers. Then the day came to go and get her....she was so small and so cute. On our 3 hour ride home while stopped at a Timmy's for a bathroom break a little girl came up to me and told me I was lucky to have such a cute puppy!!! It made me laugh since we had only had her for an hour or so. The collar we had was too big, the cat was mad at us and our little secret was found out quickly when my dad stopped in that night for a visit. Surprise!

In the end it has turned out well. Nine months later we are so happy that we added Minu to our family. She is a comedian and makes us laugh all the time. She has become a great companion and friend. She is protective of me which I find somewhat hilarious, but nobody has told her she is 20lbs and not 80 and really isn't that scary. She was quick to train, easy to house break and loves nothing better then to nap...this dog was so meant for us!
So Minu, Happy Birthday and may we have many, many more!