Liezel who?

Thank you, Papa

2012-01-27T07:05:00.000-08:00

My dad, Roberto Lorico, passed away on Jan 19, 2012. He was 80 years old. The last five years of his lfe, he lived with dementia, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's. These years were not easy for my dad.Sophia and I arrived in Manila the day before my dad died. We were able to see him in the hospital and I had one last opportunity to say goodbye and once again to say thank you. My dad didn't start his life rich but he was ambitious and worked his way up the corporate ladder. His dream was for his children to have successful careers and he worked very hard to make this dream a reality. He was frugal but he sent me and my siblings to the best schools in the city. He taught us how to work hard and manage our money wisely. I now enjoy a comfortable life in one of the best cities in the world because my dad made it possible for this to happen to me. For this, I will always be grateful.Rest now, Papa. I hope we made you proud.

17 months

2012-01-06T09:07:00.000-08:00

I’ve been a mom for 17 months and this much I now know - motherhood is complicated. I don’t think there is anything that can really prepare you for it. The roller coaster emotional ride can be exhilarating and exhausting, and it is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. The shift in my life was so sudden and dramatic, it took a few months to really sink in how different things were in my new reality. And when it did sink in, I felt shell-shocked. Seventeen months into it, I am still grappling with fully embracing all that has changed in my life and still grieve the loss of my carefree days, those days when it was all just about me. I was chatting with Alex, a colleague who has two young kids, about parenthood the other day and he summed it up pretty well - “there is so much joy in being with these kids…(pause)… but it’s f*cking hard”.

Things I wish people told me before I had a child or when I was pregnant:

1) Yes, your life will be over.

I was in the no-kid camp for a long time and when people asked me why, I would say “because my life would be over”. They would then say “No, no, it will just be different.” This is meant to allay my fear and worry. But really, what would have been more helpful was for them to say yes, it will be over and here are some things you can expect to go through emotionally and here are some things you can do to deal with it.

2) Read relationship/marriage books instead of baby books.

According to Dr. John Gottman, 67% of couples in their study “underwent a precipitous drop in marital satisfaction the first time they became parents.” I knew that having a baby takes a toll on marriages but I didn’t know just how much of a toll until Ed and I had one ourselves. In almost 9 years of marriage, Ed and I have never had to put this much effort into keeping our marriage on track. Recently, a close friend lamented, “Why, if having children is such a natural thing for our species, do marriages take such a big hit when couples start having kids?”. Good question.

3) It will be like Groundhog Day.

When Sophia was two months old, we had brunch with our friends Jenn, Jon, and their son Kai, who was 9 months old then. Jenn and I were exchanging mom stories and talking about what life with a baby is like. She blurted out, “It’s like Groundhog Day”. (Remember the Bill Murray film about a weatherman who lives the same day over and over again?) OMG. Her comment was right on the money! A baby likes having a routine. Once established, though, that routine can feel like you are living the same day over and over again. Ed and I spent a few days in Bellevue after Christmas and as he was washing Sophia’s milk bottles, he said to me, “Different sink, same chore. Different house, same routine.” We just laughed. I mean, really, what else can you do but laugh?

Now that I am a mom, I never ask another mom if she enjoys motherhood. It’s a loaded question! Yes, I enjoy it but I also don’t. Yes, it’s great but it’s also not. Yes, I’m happy but I’m also not.

It’s complicated.

So long 2011

2011-12-31T20:40:00.000-08:00

Sophia started the year learning how to sit up on her own and ended the year marching and running around the room. Ed and I spent the year grappling with our new role as parents. It was a learning year for all of us!

Here is a little video recapping our 2011 in pictures. From Sophia's baptism in January to all our travels throughout the year and to the festivities of the Christmas season, I am very grateful for all that 2011 brought us.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T13:32:00.002-08:00

Baby proofing FAIL

2011-12-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

I asked Ed a few weeks ago to clear the bottom shelf in the kitchen of the liquor bottles he was storing there. Well, he has been forgetting to do so and last week, I was preparing dinner when I heard clink-clink from around the corner. I found this... Oops!

iPad surprise

2011-12-09T11:08:00.001-08:00

In 2004, it was an iPod Shuffle. In 2007, it was an iPod Touch. And in 2011, it is an iPad! The wonderful tradition of receiving cool presents in Navarik continues. Thank you, Navarik! This is truly an awesome gift.

Me and my new iPad

Gifts from Navarik, past and present

My mom….

2011-11-30T08:40:00.000-08:00

My mom says the funniest things sometimes, mainly because she has no filter. She does not have an inside voice! Sophia and I went to visit her last week and this is what she said to Sophia. (note: we were in Virginia last summer). “Oh Sophia, when we were in Virginia, you were so pretty. Now, you look like Ed.” hahahaha

Our little songstress

2011-11-23T07:53:00.001-08:00

Sophia loves to sing. During dinner one night recently, I managed to catch her on video. Her playlist:
(1) Twinkle, twinkle
(2) Jingle bells
(3) London bridge
(4) Do you know the number (a video we watch on YouTube)

Good check-up

2011-11-20T21:25:00.000-08:00

Is it a picture of a planet? Nope. A cracked ball? Nope. Or could it be a picture of my eyeball? Yes! That is my eyeball. Pretty cool, eh? And according to the optometrist who did the examination, my eyes are very healthy. And I have a photo to prove it.

Early birthday gift

2011-11-18T08:05:00.000-08:00

Ed got me an early birthday gift this year. I was tired of my ears being irritated by my iPod earbuds. I’ve been using my earbuds for years, just putting up with them, until I had an a-ha moment last week. Why am I putting up with something I don’t like? So, I asked Ed if I could have a great pair of noise-cancelling headphones. I emailed my brother for suggestions and he suggested the Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones. They seemed so extravagant and at first I thought I should look for something less expensive. But Ed said he’ll be happy to get them for me. Luckily, they were on sale at Best Buy.

As I write this, I am enjoying listening to Beyonce and my ears are finally happy. Thank you to my hubby for spoiling me! Love you, babe.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-14T14:02:00.001-08:00

Halloween 2011, a set on Flickr.

Photos from Sophia's first trick-or-treating experience.

15 months

2011-11-08T21:39:00.000-08:00

Sophia’s personality is revealing itself more and more everyday. She is curious and wants to know what’s going on around her. She has a happy disposition (most of the time) and is very social. She loves being around people, especially other children. That is why she has adjusted so well to being in daycare. She actually doesn’t want to go home when I arrive to pick her up. She’s happy to stay and keep playing there. But on the days when we are home together, she tends to get a little clingy, following me wherever I go in the house, and wanting to be carried a lot. I find this weird given that on daycare days, she doesn’t seem to miss me at all.

She is getting better at communicating to me what she wants and doesn’t want and I am getting better at reading her. She’s very definite about what she likes and dislikes, especially with food. With a flick of a hand, she will wave away food I am offering that she doesn’t want to eat. I try to trick her into eating it by hiding it with other foods but she spits it out once it touches her tongue. Sometimes, though, she surprises me by agreeing to eat a food that she has rejected many times before. So I have to remind myself to not be discouraged and to keep offering the food to her.

Her motor skills are getting better everyday. She still uses her hands to eat but is getting more adept at using a spoon. She is better at playing with the sort-a-shape type of toys and with pulling things apart then putting it back together. She’s been enjoying playing with Mr. Potato Head, lately. She is also starting to show interest in puzzles and writing tools. She loves to climb on things! They call her Miss Daredevil at daycare because she’ll climb on anything, precarious or not. Today, she didn’t want to get out of the car because she wanted to climb in and out of her carseat, over and over. At the playground, I’ve let her go down the smaller slides on her own and she loves it.

She knows some parts of her body: hair, nose, ears, tongue, teeth, belly button, and toes. She knows a few tunes, as well. She sings all the time and she has a good ear for music. She still enjoys reading books (especially when on the potty) and insists on picking which one to read. She knows a few words now but hasn’t used her words to ask for things. On rare occasions, she has used the signs I’ve been teaching her since she was six months old, like more and food. Mostly, she whines to communicate. Drives me crazy sometimes.

She is a lot of fun but also a lot of work. And as she gets bolder at expressing frustration and anger through tantrums, crying, and whining, keeping my cool gets more challenging. And usually, I have no idea what to do or how to respond, and that stresses me out. Children are so unpredictable and there isn’t one way to raise a child because each one is different. I get a lot of “it depends” type of answers from other parents when I ask for advice. I guess that’s why everybody says parenting is hard.

Auntie

2011-10-31T12:12:00.002-07:00

My good friend and Ed's cousin, Jenny, was in town from Toronto for a really quick weekend visit. I asked Sophia to say "auntie" and she did! Sophia generally refuses to perform for the camera but Jenny was able to catch a bit on video...

Sing sing talk talk

2011-10-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

I now have a new favourite pastime - listening to Sophia sing. She can carry a tune! She sings “ta-ta ta-ta ta-ta-ta” to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. She also sings a couple of lines from Jingle Bells and the song from a YouTube video that she watches. Ed and I were amazed the first time we recognized what she was singing. I thought I imagined it so I asked Ed if he recognized the tune and he did. So cool! She sings while she bathes, eats, plays, walks around, and lays in her crib. I just love listening to her!

Sophia is also starting to say words and imitate the sounds she hears from us. She says cat, ball, cheese, shoes, and apple. She said bow wow wow after I said it to her (I was reading a book to her). I notice Sophia watching my mouth closely as I say words for her to repeat. I now have to rid myself of the swear words that sometimes just flies out of my mouth. I have a little one who is listening intently and mimicking what she hears. Shit. Good thing she can’t read yet!

Post-baby business trip

2011-10-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

I spent three days away from home last week. I went to Houston for my first post-baby business trip and Ed had to hold the baby fort together while I was gone. I was not sure how I would be emotionally, leaving my baby for the first time. I phoned home as I was waiting for the plane to take off from Vancouver and I got teary-eyed as I left a message for Ed and Sophia. Once I arrived in Houston and got busy with work, though, time moved faster and it took my mind off how much I missed Sophia. This is also the type of work that I really enjoy - conversing with the users of our applications, finding out what they want and need, then figuring out how our software can make their jobs easier. Since designing software is something I’ve done for a number of years now, I tend to overlook how big an impact my work can have. At the end of our meetings with the client, my colleague, Nathan, reminded me that something I invented is used to streamline the work of hundreds of people in major corporations such as Chevron and BP. Software I designed is used in far away places like Nigeria and Singapore. That made me feel pretty good. Thanks, Nathan!

Ed did a great job taking care of Sophia, although, when I called home at night, he sounded more and more tired as each day passed. It is a lot of work to take care of a baby all by yourself. I appreciate having a husband who is supportive of my work and its demands for travel, and is willing to take care of things at home so I can do the work I enjoy. Thanks, Ed!

I also took advantage of the opportunity to reconnect with old friends who now reside in Houston. One night, I had dinner with Dee, a classmate from high school whom I have not see in twelve years. Oh, it was non-stop talking all throughout dinner! The next night, I had dinner with Prince and his fiancé Irene. Prince and I became friends at Andersen Consulting, at my first job after finishing university. We also had a lot of catching up to do. I had a great time getting reacquainted with them, finding out what they’ve been up to, and reminiscing about the past with them. Old friends really are such a blessing to have.

With Dee

With Prince and Irene

Mama and other tricks

2011-09-30T09:07:00.001-07:00

Sophia said "mama" for the first time yesterday. And when I had her show off her new skill to Ed, he said "kiss-kiss mama" and Sophia promptly leaned over to kiss me! She even gave me a big smile after the kiss. My heart just melted.

It's a little weird to be called mama, though, because that is what I call my mom. So I'll still refer to myself as mommy and soon, hopefully, Sophia will learn to call me that instead.

She's getting quite good at going down the stairs sitting down. She still wants to hold my hand as she goes down but she's getting faster. She is walking very well and a lot faster now, she is almost running sometimes. She knows how to knock-knock on doors (well, she knocks on books, walls, etc). And when we ask her where her tongue is, she sticks out her tongue to show us. She also knows where her nose and belly button are. She knows how to turn things on and off, like the fan in her room, the light in the bathroom, and her toy that spits out balls. I say "press the button" and she goes and presses the on/off switch.

It's so fascinating and fun to watch her respond to what we say. She says uh-oh when I say it! We're definitely going to have to start watching what we say around her!

At the daycare

2011-09-21T22:37:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos I took this morning of Sophia at the daycare. She is a very social baby and is enjoying herself there. The staff are very good and pay lots of attention to the kids. So far, it's been good and I'm really hoping that it stays that way.

Back at work

2011-09-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

Today, I went back to work after 13.5 months of being on maternity leave. I am very grateful to have had that long to spend with Sophia fulltime. But now, I have to start making money and devoting time to my career again. Sophia is doing well at daycare and, so far, has not had any big crying fits. I know that she will not receive the same level of care and attention in the daycare as I have been giving her. I have spent the last 13.5 months creating a perfect cocoon for my baby, where she gets as much rest as she needs, eats as much as possible, stays clean and tidy, and gets comforted the moment she gets upset. That cocoon will not exist in daycare and a friend wisely advised me to just let it go. I still worry, though, especially when she gets home from the daycare and she has a lot of left-overs from lunch and napped less than two hours all day. By 5pm, she is exhausted and cranky, and we have to get her ready for bed right after she eats dinner, which means we hardly get to spend much play time with her. For most of the time she is awake, we’re busy dressing her up, feeding her, or bathing her. Given that reality, I am very happy and grateful that I am able to work for only three days a week. She can recover from her very active day at daycare with a relaxing day with me.

A friend asked me today what it felt like being back at work. I said it felt like wearing a pair of old shoes - very comfortable. It felt good. Aside from forgetting all my passwords, it felt like I never really left. I spent most of the day setting up my new laptop (yay!), resetting my passwords, getting my development environment up to date, getting reacquainted with the systems we use in the office, and saying hello to my colleagues. I have spent so many hours in that office that it feels like my second home. It’s a good environment to be in as I ease myself back into work mode and learn how to juggle the responsibilities of parenthood and work. Actually, I have to “ease myself” back pretty quickly. In three weeks, I’m going on my first post-baby business trip. Welcome back!

She didn't miss me

2011-09-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

I left Sophia by herself at the daycare today for hour and a half. She didn't cry or even notice that I had left. She played and played and enjoyed herself. She did reward me with a big smile when I came to pick her up. I am relieved. I hope the rest of the transition goes as smoothly as it did today.

Daycare starts

2011-09-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of daycare for Sophia. She will be going to daycare three days a week. This morning, I stayed with her the whole time but didn’t interact with her, unless she came to me. I sat back and let her be. We arrived at 9am and stayed for 1 hour and 45 mins. She played, walked around, had a snack, and even sat on the lap of one of the staff members, Ivy. I think Sophia wanted more oatmeal (she was the first one to finish her bowl of oatmeal) and so she went over to Ivy to try and get more. There is a little slide in the play area outside and Sophia climbed up the three little steps, sat down at the top of the slide, and went down the slide on her own. It was fun watching her figure out how to do it all on her own. It also broke my heart to realize that, while she’s at the daycare centre, she won’t be getting nearly as much one-on-one attention as she gets from me. There was a little boy, Evan, who started crying when he realized that his dad had left. He was inconsolable and I started to tear up because I can picture that child being Sophia. I had a hard time keeping it together as I listened to Evan cry. A staff member, Andrea, held him the entire time he was crying, trying to comfort him. He eventually fell asleep in Andrea’s arms, exhausted from crying.

Tomorrow, I leave Sophia at the daycare centre for an hour and a half. She will stay longer and longer each day and by next Friday, she will stay the whole day. I am instructed to not sneak out, that I have to say bye-bye when I leave. I have a feeling it will be harder for me than Sophia. Maybe her big crying day will be next week when she realizes that this bye-bye business isn’t just for a day or two. I am hoping that Sophia will take it all in stride and adjust well to this new reality. She’s resilient and I know she will be okay. I think she’ll handle it better than I will!

Whiny, whiny

2011-08-29T22:41:00.002-07:00

Sophia has been working on her whining and frowning skills. It’s amusing, most of the time, but I have to admit the whining grates on my nerves sometimes. I am getting better, however, at tuning it out. ha!

Here are some photos to prove that she’s not always a smiley baby...

One year

2011-08-07T22:09:00.003-07:00

The past year has just zoomed by! August 3 was when I went into labour (Sophia was born at 12:40am on August 4) and last Wednesday, I found myself thinking back to last year a lot and saying “this time last year...” as I replayed in my mind the events leading up to Sophia’s birth. I’m still in shock that Sophia is already a year old.

Ed and I decided not to have a kids party for Sophia because she’s too young to know what’s going on anyway. We invited our families and a few close friends to join us for lunch this past weekend, instead. On her birthday, Sophia’s playmates, Nelly and Violet, came by for a playdate in the morning. In the evening, Ed’s mom cooked and Ed’s brother joined us for dinner. After dinner, we gave Sophia a little cupcake with a candle on it, sang happy birthday, and took pictures. Sophia looked confused by the whole thing and just stared at the cupcake set in front of her. She poked it with her finger then promptly ignored it. I offered her a little piece but she refused to eat it. That’s okay. I’m happy to not have her eating the sweet treats just yet.

Sophia is growing so fast! She’s a happy baby and flashes that adorable smile all the time. She is starting to respond to questions and requests, actively communicate to us what she wants or dislikes, throw little tantrums to show her displeasure (yikes!), and play interactively with us. Her personality is definitely showing more and more. She doesn’t like getting dirty and walking on or touching grass. She loves the water. She doesn’t like mixing her food together. (Yes, she’s clearly my daughter! hahaha)

And since she is one year old already, we decided it was time to trim her hair to clean it up a bit. I cut her bangs and the long bits at the back. I was nervous going into it but Sophia was quite cooperative, surprisingly and thankfully. Her hair actually looks good! Not bad for a first time.

Happy birthday, our dear Sophia. Mommy and daddy love you very much! We are soooo very lucky to have you in our lives.

Playing with Nelly and Violet.

The birthday girl enjoying the sunshine.

Sophia checking out the cupcake.

Birthday cake!

With my mom and sister.

Sophia and her cousins Camille and Sabrina.

Freshly trimmed hair!

She's walking!

2011-07-24T23:00:00.000-07:00

I went out for lunch last Wednesday and when I came home, my mom-in-law says from the living room, "Come see your daughter!". I then find Sophia looking so happy and proud of herself, doing laps around the room, walking on her own! She's been taking a few steps on her own but has been much more comfortable when holding on to us. That must have been a really good nap she had that morning because she somehow got over her fear. So, of course, I grab the camera and follow her around....

In the last four days, she's gotten faster and more steady. She's lowering one arm now (versus walking like Frankenstein) and even waves to people as she walks by them. She's definitely having a lot of fun with this walking thing!

Pool party

2011-07-09T23:14:00.001-07:00

Today, Ed, Sophia and I went to a pool party hosted by Ed’s colleague, Sean. Three years ago was the inaugural pool party and we were pretty tipsy by 5pm and Ed was lights-out by 7pm. This time around, we arrived with a portable crib, booster seat, etc for our baby Sophia, and we hardly touched any alcohol at all. Ed and Sophia enjoyed the pool for about 30 mins, then I got Sophia bathed and ready for a nap. She managed to nap for about 40 mins (the techno music was pretty loud so I was quite impressed that she slept through that). After walking her around for a little bit, it was time for her dinner. I managed to say hi to people while she was napping but otherwise, my attention was on Sophia. Partying is just so different when there’s a baby around! But still, we were glad we went and Sophia had a good time swimming and being around other people. I think she quite enjoyed the techno music and she even stayed up until 10pm! We have a party animal in the making, I say.

10 months

2011-06-12T21:38:00.001-07:00

Our baby girl is now ten months old and she is developing so fast. It seems like I am recording a “first” something a few times a week. The main thing I am discovering and didn’t really expect is how much I enjoy just watching and being with her. I wasn’t really a “kid person” before I had a kid. Many women gravitate to children and have a natural kinship with them. Me, I was awkward with kids, never really knowing what to do with or say to them. I was told that it would be different with my own child and now I know that is true. Every new thing she can do or say, we celebrate with joy and pride. I am certain that Ed and I sound ridiculous at times but as parents, we are allowed to gush over our baby as much as we wish.

Sophia is very vocal (i.e. talks a lot) and expressive. She is happy, smiley, even-tempered, observant, and quick to learn. Sophia said the word “cat” when she was nine months. She and I were playing quietly when our cat Bob walked by. Sophia squealed, “cat!”. I thought it was a fluke so I started asking, “where’s the cat?” and she would crawl over to the cat or turn her head and look at Bob or Neo, our other cat. And I would ask, “can you say cat?” and she would say “cat”. Some days, she also says “Bob” but she’s not as consistent with that one.

Up close and personal with Neo.

She can do so many tricks now and at times I coax her to perform them for family and friends. I remember saying when I was pregnant that I wouldn’t be one of those parents who gets their kid to perform for people. Alas, I find myself doing exactly that as I coax her to do twinkle, twinkle little star (open and close her hands as I sing the song), wave hello or bye-bye, do hooray (raise both arms way up), or show us where the light is (point up at the light).

Hooray!

One of our favourite games to play is hide-and-seek around the sofa. I run over to the opposite end of the sofa, crouch down to hide from her, and ask loudly a few times “where is mommy?”. The first time I did this, I heard her crawling toward the sofa and then stop. After a few seconds, I wondered why she wasn’t moving closer so I peered under the sofa to see what she was up to. Well, I found her laying flat on the floor, looking straight at me with a big smile on her face. When she saw me looking at her, she let out a big squeal, and when she heard me laughing, she started laughing too.

Playing hide-and-seek with mommy.

She likes reading books. She especially likes the lift-a-flap type, perhaps because she gets to do something with the book. She also likes taking the books from the shelf and dropping them to the floor, one by one. Not so fun when the book lands on her foot, though.

On the potty business, she is still going pee and poo in the toilet most of the time. With the introduction of solid foods, it’s been a bit more challenging to predict whether she needs to go poo and I usually miss the ones right after the meal because I’m lazy to take her to the loo after every meal. The big development is she sits down on the trainer seat now. Not all the time but about half of the time, she agrees to use the seat.

Meal times just got more interesting now that Sophia has decided that she does not want me to feed her anymore. She wants to do it herself. She uses her hands to feed herself and waves the spoon around as a toy. She still hasn’t figured out how to use the sippy cup either. But she continues to pack away an impressive amount of food, given her little frame.

Self-feeding has started.

As for mobility, she is starting to walk, albeit assisted. Yesterday, she used the activity walker for the first time and her little legs were totally able to keep up the pace as she pushed that walker around our living room. We have also started to let her crawl up the stairs. She goes a lot faster when one of the cats goes up the stairs, too, and she chases after it.

Sophia and the walker reaches the end of the line. Time to U-turn.

I could go on and on but I’ll stop there. It is really fun to watch her grow and learn all these new skills. I never imagined it could be so and I am glad I have the opportunity to be with her everyday to witness it. It really is pure joy!

All grown up

2011-05-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

Sophia and I are in Edmonton to attend my niece's high school graduation. Sabrina looked so beautiful all dressed up for the commencement ceremony, held last Friday, and then the graduation ball, which was on Saturday. I can't believe my little niece is all grown up now. It seems just like yesterday when I would take her to the PNE and the company children's picnic.

Now, she a young woman who is confident and ready to take on the world. Congratulations, Sabrina! We are so very proud of you.

Cousins Sabrina and Sophia

The graduate.

With the proud parents.

With the proud aunt.

Beautiful!

Aaaaaa... aaaaa....

2011-05-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

Sophia is generally a quiet and calm baby. Sometimes, though, she feels the need to express herself loudly. She just cracks us up when she gets into this mood.

Here are a couple of videos of her showing us her more vocal side...

Starfish

2011-05-15T20:50:00.003-07:00

We signed up Sophia for swimming lessons, called Starfish for her age group. They don’t really teach the babies how to swim but just provide them with the opportunity to have fun in the water so they won’t be so afraid of it. Sophia really liked being in the pool and the ocean during our trip to the Caribbean two months ago, so we thought it would be a good idea to get her into the pool again here at home. Big difference in temperature! I dressed Sophia in her swim diaper, a bathing suit, plus her sun suit in hopes that these layers will keep her warm. She still would be shivering and her lips would be blue by the end of the half-hour lesson. The good thing is she doesn’t seem to mind too much. She’s too intrigued by everything around her.

Until the baby can stand up on her own, taking a baby to the pool is definitely a two-person job. One parent goes into the pool with the baby while the other parent stays dry to (1) take photos, and (2) take the baby after changing her to dry clothes so that the wet parent can now change into dry clothes as well. I wonder how single parents do it?

Sadly, we missed the last two lessons because Sophia, Ed and I have been fighting a cold. But we’ll definitely make a trip to the pool nearby when we feel better as Sophia seems to really enjoy herself.

Dad showing Sophia how to blow bubbles.

Brrrr.... So cold....

Hoover Junior

2011-05-14T14:08:00.001-07:00

One of Ed’s nicknames is Hoover because he can eat a lot. We’ve nicknamed Sophia "Hoover Junior" because she’s inherited Ed’s appetite. We started giving Sophia baby cereal when she was five months and pureed foods when she was six months. She has been an enthusiastic eater right from the beginning and has not been picky. She has her favourites - yam, sweet potato, pear, apple, and yogurt. She’s not too thrilled with potato, brocolli and parsnip but as long as I mix them with one of her faves, she’ll eat it. I was told to let the baby decide how much to eat, so one day, I kept giving her food until she turned her face away. She finished four bowls of food - that’s about 350-400ml of food! Sometimes I wonder how she can barely weigh 16lbs when she eats so much.

The past few weeks, I’ve been giving her chunkier foods and cut up fruits. She handles them fine, with the occassional gagging. She definitely has more fun when she uses her hands to feed herself. She still hasn’t figured out that she should put the spoon into her mouth. I load up the spoon with food and hand it to her but instead of taking the spoon, she picks up the food with her fingers and shoves it into her mouth. Hey, whatever works!

Yummy papaya!

Sophia and Neo waiting for lunch.

Heavy heart

2011-04-14T20:42:00.001-07:00

My heart is heavy and I cry with sadness. My dear friend Kathleen “Dayday” Joseph passed away today from cancer. I am so lucky to have known her. Her heart was always full of love and kindness. Her smile brightened our world.

I met her on our first day of high school. I can’t even remember how we became friends. I would go to her house, sometimes, after school to hang out. One day, I heard Dayday’s mom say to her “I love you dear” and Day responded “I love you too Mom”. I was stunned because I really thought they only did that in movies. I love you’s were never spoken at my house. But at Dayday’s house, you felt the love they had for each other.

I visited Manila in Oct 2006 and Feb 2008. I saw Dayday both times. We had lunch a few times in 2006 and she was pregnant with her second son, Pio. In 2008, I went over to their condo and spent the afternoon with her and her boys. We went to a green market nearby and bought fruits and vegetables. A few months later, she was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. She had beaten it once before and we were all hopeful that she’d do it again. Fuck cancer.

Rest now, my dear Dayday. Your friendship was such a gift. Thank you and I love you!

Sunny spring day

2011-04-09T15:35:00.003-07:00

It was so beautiful outside; the sun was shining and it wasn’t very cold at all. So I laid out a big sheet onto the grass in front of our townhouse and enjoyed the sunshine with Sophia.

She's wearing a hand-me-down Lululemon jacket (thanks, Joshie and mommy Yvette!). The hat is a hand-me-down, too. Thanks to my girlfriends for helping dress my baby in such cute outfits. :)

SAHM

2011-04-06T20:51:00.002-07:00

The use of acronyms in baby forums is quite common, so much so there are websites that explain what these acronyms mean. DH = dear husband, DD = dear daughter, BF = breastfeeding, BM = breast milk, and so on. The other day, I saw SAHM in a baby forum and couldn’t figure it out so I googled it. SAHM = stay at home mom!

It dawned on me that I am currently a SAHM (ha, I’m using the acronym!). I have not thought of myself as such because I am on my year-long maternity leave and the Canadian government is paying me to stay home. But my days revolve around caring for my baby, at home. So I guess that makes me a SAHM.

The first six months of Sophia’s life, there wasn’t much predictability to our days. We loosely followed a 3-hour cycle for feeding and sleeping but we didn’t get out of bed or go to sleep at a specific times. The length of her naps would vary quite a bit, too. I’d wait for Sophia to start whining or crying to tell me when she’s hungry or sleepy and I responded accordingly. I would also get out of the house often and take Sophia along. She napped in the baby carrier, car seat or stroller and I fed her whenever she got hungry, wherever we were.

When she turned six months, we trained Sophia to fall asleep on her own and established a routine for her. Nowadays, this is how our routine usually goes:
- wake up at around 7am
- around 8am, feed her cereal and fruit, then it’s playtime
- around 9:15am, time for morning nap (usually an hour long)
- playtime or a quick trip to the supermarket down the street then around 11:45am, lunch is served
- more playtime then around 1:30pm, time for afternoon nap (around 1.5 to 2 hours)
- go outside for a walk or play inside when rainy, then between 5:15 and 6:00 (depending on what time she woke up from her nap), dinner time
- between 6:15 and 7:00pm, start bathtime and bedtime routine
- between 7:15 and 8:00pm, bedtime and lights out

When we were starting to establish this routine during the sleep and nap training, it was me who had a hard time accepting it because it tied me down to the house too much. Sadly, I stopped going to the baby story time at the library down the street and the mommy/baby group sessions at our local community centre because they conflicted with Sophia’s nap times. But I’ve come to accept that for now, fitting our excursions around her nap times and following the routine are best for Sophia. The length of her naps are finally getting consistent. I realize too that I only have a few more months before I go back to work and I should just enjoy the time I am at home with her. My days of being a SAHM will be over too soon. Unless we win the lottery....

Here are photos of Sophia enjoying meal time and playtime:

Sophia at 7 months

2011-03-24T22:22:00.001-07:00

While we were in Trinidad, Sophia learned to get herself from the laying down position to the sitting position. I woke up one morning and found her sitting up in her crib. When she saw me looking at her, she smiled at me and clapped her hands. At first, she wasn't very good at getting herself back to the laying down position. One day, she sat up in her crib, got sleepy and just folded over to fall asleep. So cute.

Here is a picture with granddad. The main reason we wanted to visit Trinidad was for Ed's dad to spend time with Sophia.

By the time we left Trinidad, Sophia had begun to crawl and pull herself up to standing. Once we got back to Vancouver, we had to install baby gates in our house right away. I've been teaching her how to safely get down from standing but she usually hangs on for dear life until I come and help her down. I'm sure she'll figure it out soon.

Tobago

2011-03-14T21:34:00.000-07:00

Last week, we enjoyed four days in Tobago with Ed's aunt Maureen and her son Ben. Auntie Maureen took such good care of us! Thanks, Auntie Moy! We stayed at her timeshare unit at Sandy Point Beach Club. The beach there wasn't that great so Auntie Moy took us to Canoe Bay, which has very gentle waves and shallow water. It was perfect for babies and Sophia had a great time playing with the sand and water. It seems that Sophia likes the taste of sand; she kept putting it into her mouth. Our baby girl is definitely a beach baby. We had such a fun time at Canoe Bay that we went back there the next two days.

Ed and I spent many hours chatting and laughing with Auntie Moy. One night, she and Ed talked until 3am. This was very special for Ed because he doesn't get to spend much time with his aunt, who he is very fond of.

The time we had in Tobago with Auntie Moy and Ben is definitely a highlight of our vacation. Here are some pics...

At Sandy Point with Auntie Moy

Crawling around Canoe Bay

Showing off our polka dots

With Ben

Auntie Moy and Sophia

Greneda

2011-03-04T19:47:00.001-08:00

We spent four days in Greneda, staying at a hotel situated by Grand Anse beach. Greneda is lush and hilly. The area we stayed in was pretty quiet and relaxing. The beach was quite nice, although I expected the water to be more calm than it was. The Grenadians were very friendly, always saying hello as they walk by you along the road. We didn't do much, just hanging out at our hotel room, the pool, and the beach. We made a few trips to the supermarket, which was a 15 minute walk from our hotel. We had one day where it rained all day, so we stayed indoors and kept Sophia entertained on the king size bed.

The trip had a bit of a rough start. When we arrived at the hotel, we were informed that there was a mix up with our reservation. The studio we reserved (room with a kitchen) wouldn't be available until the following day and we will have to stay in a standard room for the first night. Annoying!!! Later that afternoon, we were having an early dinner in the restaurant by the beach. It was nice at first but when dusk came, mosquitoes started dining on us! I literally shoved my food down my throat, picked up Sophia and ran out of there. The next day, Ed suggested I go back to the restaurant by the beach to enjoy a late lunch while Sophia napped. I had about an hour before I had to be back in the room to nurse Sophia. I was excited to enjoy a leisurely lunch, which is such a treat for me. I ordered my lunch, sat back, and gazed out to the ocean, enjoying the breeze and the sound of the waves. I waited and waited. It took 45 minutes for my food to arrive and by this time, my mood was pretty sour. My leisurely lunch was not to be. I was so upset that I asked for my food to be packed up and I refused to pay the bill. They messed up my room reservation and now they have messed up my treat. To top it off, the manager phoned our room to apologize and the phone ringing woke up Sophia. Thankfully, after all this, things went smoothly. The manager even offered a complimentary dinner to make up for all the earlier debacle.

This was our first time staying at a hotel with a baby. I didn't even think about this when we were planning the trip - when Sophia goes down for a nap, the room has to be quiet. So Ed and I whispered and tiptoed a lot during the four days. Next time, we're getting a suite with a separate bedroom.

Here are some pics from our stay in Greneda...

First family vacation

2011-02-20T06:24:00.000-08:00

We're in Trinidad currently, spending time with and introducing Sophia to Ed's family here. It was a long journey to get here (we had to stay overnight in Edmonton) and I was worried about how Sophia would handle it. She was awesome! She didn't cry at all and was amiable the entire trip. Once we arrived in Trinidad, I stripped her down to her onesie. She didn't seem to mind the heat, thankfully. We also got her sleeping and napping based on the local time as soon as we got here. She hasn't had trouble falling asleep for her naps but she had a couple of nights where she took longer than usual to fall asleep. But other than that, she's adjusted fairly well to being here. I love dressing her up in little summer outfits that she got as hand-me-downs from my friends. Her arms and legs are always covered up back home, so seeing them bare is a treat for us.

With Auntie Christine

We've been spending this past week just hanging out at Ed's dad's house, and we've really enjoyed it. We sit in the patio, enjoy the breeze, have some cool drinks. So relaxing. Sophia eats her meals in the patio, too, and she's so relaxed sitting on my lap. Yesterday, we hung out at Ed's uncle's house. Sophia got to go in the pool for the first time ever. She loves to kick her feet and so being in the water was really fun for her. Of course, being the anxious first-time mom, I got her covered up from head to toe! She looked so cute with her hat on. Surprisingly, she didn't tug or pull at the hat. I got to wear my new one-piece with tummy control swimsuit. It's been a long time since I wore a one-piece swimsuit while on a tropical island and it's definitely the first time I've had to worry about tummy control. Life after giving birth is so different on so many levels! hahaha

First time in a swimming pool

Next week, Ed, Sophia and I are going to Grenada. This is our little family get-away. We are staying at a hotel right by the beach. I'm quite excited!

Here are more pics from our vacation so far...

First plane ride!

Cool dudette in a jolly jumper

Sophia's going to start crawling real soon.

Mosquitoes love me.

Our cutie pie.

Sleeping in Vancouver

2011-02-05T22:05:00.003-08:00

We are twelve days into Sophia’s sleep training and I am happy to report that she is doing superbly. She’s sleeping through the night now in her crib, in her own room (we were co-sleeping before). Also, she is going to sleep on her own (we would rock or bounce her before). We have a wind down routine to get her ready for night sleeps and naps, then we put her down in her crib while she’s still awake. Sometimes she cries but more often now, she doesn’t. Usually, she is asleep within ten minutes of being put down. We’re very proud of her progress! We’re still working on lengthening her naps, which apparently takes a while to learn.

We are working with a sleep consultant, Dawnn Whittaker (www.cheekychops.ca), and I have to say, she’s been soooo worth it. Having somebody knowledgeable to guide us through this process and to phone or email to ask questions is a huge weight off my shoulders. Readings books are fine but I can’t phone up the author to ask for clarification when my baby doesn’t respond exactly as outlined in the book.

I do miss sleeping with Sophia snuggled right beside me. I miss laying in our bed just gazing at her sleeping face and listening to her breathe. I miss waking up to see my baby watching my face intently, as if willing me to wake up and play with her. The best part was when she realized that my eyes were open and I was looking at her, she would flash me a huge smile. Waking up to that beautiful smile was the best!

Having Sophia go to sleep at 8pm and wake up at 7am means I am getting a full night’s sleep now. It took about ten nights of sleep before I stopped feeling utterly exhausted. I am so happy to be sleeping uninterrupted again. So happy! I’m sure Sophia will have nights when she’ll wake up but at least it won’t be the norm any more. I think Sophia is enjoying sleeping through the night, too.

Half way there

2011-02-04T00:12:00.001-08:00

Sophia is six months old today. That also means that my maternity leave is halfway done. It’s crazy how time flies!

At six months, Sophia is rolling to and from her back and tummy. Once on her tummy, she can spin clockwise. She’s getting quite mobile and has, on a few occassions, managed to wiggle her way off her play mat and onto the hardwood floor. And on one occassion, she managed to roll herself off our bed. Yikes! That was pretty traumatic (more for us than her). Thankfully, she didn’t hurt herself. Not even one bruise. It was quite the eye-opener for me and Ed. We definitely underestimated how mobile she was!

She has started to sit up on her own. She’s still wobbly but she has figured out how to stick out her hand to stop herself from falling over to the side. She still does a face plant or a backward dive from time to time. It’s just hilarious when she turns her head to look at something (like our cat walking) and she starts to tilt slowly until she is completely on the floor.

Sophia is an easy-going and good-natured baby. She’s always alert and keenly observes the world around her. It’s so fascinating to watch her discover new things everyday. Babies are truly amazing! That she can do all these things now, just six month after her birth, is remarkable.

As for me, six months later, I’m still not working out, paddling, or running. I still can’t fit into my clothes. I’m still eating like I’m pregnant (I’m nursing so I’m allowed!). I’ve learned a lot about being able to function when one is sleep deprived. I’ve learned that I really need to let go of my need to control everything. I’ve learned that to enjoy this experience of being a mom, I do need to just go with the flow and not worry too much about what’s coming next.

Just as the last six months have zoomed by, I know that my year off will be over before I realize it. I’m so excited to see Sophia grow and develop. She’s so much fun and I’m so lucky to be part of her life.

No fluke, I hope

2011-01-22T20:55:00.001-08:00

For a week and a half now, we haven’t had a poopy diaper. Not because Sophia hasn’t gone to poo, but because she has figured out how to poo in the toilet! I’m soooo proud of her (declared with a swagger of a proud mama). hahahaha She’s done it in the toilet six times in a row. I am hoping that this is not a fluke.

I learned about “elimination communication” (or EC) when Sophia was about eight weeks old and I decided to start trying it with her. I thought EC was a long shot and wishful thinking, really, but babies truly are amazing. That she can figure out that I want her to poo in the toilet instead of the diaper, at five months, is pretty amazing.

Anyway, I just had to share that and I hope I’m not jinxing my luck by doing so. I really hope Sophia has really figured it out and this isn’t just a fluke!

A challenging month

2011-01-17T21:13:00.002-08:00

It’s been a challenging month. We (Ed, Sophia, and I) have been sick since Christmas eve with the cold. We were just getting over the cold the first week of January when it struck again. I couldn’t believe we got the cold twice in a row. We are just getting over the second one now. It’s so awful to have baby get sick. It’s not like she can blow her nose or clear her throat. Poor Sophia. And now I realize that getting sick takes on a whole new dimension because even when all I wanted to do was curl up in bed and drink some Nyquil to knock myself out, I had to keep on breastfeeding and caring for a baby. It was a blessing that Ed was home for the holidays because at least, there was another person who can look after Sophia while I napped for an hour or two during the day. I’m so glad we’re all feeling better now and I am hoping that we don’t catch another bug.

Christmas was pretty low key for us. My brother and niece were visiting from Edmonton the week before Christmas and it was such a treat to be able to spend time with them. I’m glad we didn’t infect them too badly with our cold.

When I was still pregnant with Sophia, I told myself that I wouldn’t be an anxious mom. The thing I realized the month of December was this is way easier said than done. I let myself worry about this little thing and that little thing and before I knew it, I was one big ball of anxiety. My baby was sick, my milk supply was going away, none of my clothes fit me, my Christmas shopping wasn’t done yet, the Christmas cards were late, etc, etc, etc. There were moments when I found it hard to breathe because I was so tense with worry. My shoulders were constantly up to my ears. I was teary. Is this the post-partum blues people have been warning me about? Or am I just exhausted and sleep-deprived?

As the new year came around, I too started to come around. I reminded myself that life (and my maternity leave) is too short to be living this way. When I found my shoulders hunched up, I would stop and breathe deeply and consciously drop my shoulders to relax them. I began to identify what was making me feel anxious, just to help me make sense of what I was feeling. I stopped pretending that I was fine and started to open up to Ed and to friends about how I was feeling and the support I received helped ease the tension I felt inside. My close friend Lizza reminded me that Sophia can sense the energy I give off and I don’t want her feeding off my anxious energy. I want to enjoy this time that I have with her, but if I am full of worry how can there be room for joy? So, I am making room for joy by letting the anxiety go. A challenging task but I just need to focus on my happy, smiley baby Sophia. She’ll pull me through this.

December update

2010-12-14T22:52:00.008-08:00

The Christmas festivities have begun. Ed, Sophia, and I attended my work Christmas party last Dec 3. Since I am on maternity leave, I have seen my coworkers only a handful of times since August. It was great to see everybody and have a chance to catch up with my colleagues. Sophia got passed around the whole evening and she was such a good sport about it. She didn’t cry or whine at all. She looked so cute in her lovely red polka dot dress. (Thank you to my Tita Baby for the dress.)

Sophia and her red dress.

The following evening, we asked a friend, Kiran, to babysit Sophia so that Ed and I could attend his work Christmas dinner at Chambar. It was the first time we have left Sophia with somebody else. Kiran and Sophia had a very good evening together, thankfully! And it was such a treat to be able to sit and eat dinner leisurely, with adult conversation to boot. The food was delicious, too. Thanks, Kiran, for looking after our baby girl.

Sophia sleeping on Kiran.

On my birthday, Ed took the day off work (the best gift ever!) so that I don’t spend the day taking care of Sophia by myself. He also gave me a lovely present - a beautiful Mikimoto pearl necklace pendant. We went to the Secret Garden in Kerrisdale for high tea. I am a big fan of tea and going for high tea is always a special treat for me. It was Sophia’s and Ed’s first high tea! Unfortunately, I brought the camera but forgot to put in the memory card (mommy brain!) so no pictures of us enjoying our tea. Boo.

Sophia is 4 months old now and she has started to grab things with her hands. I mean actually focus on something and direct her hands toward the object. She has also started to squeal and giggle and “talk” more. I think she has realized that the sound she is hearing is her own voice. She sucks on her fingers and “talks” to herself. Sometimes it sounds like she’s singing. So cute. She also makes a clicking sound with her tongue, which she plays with a lot. We have started to put her down and get her to fall asleep without being rocked and swayed. This is a big development for us! And she usually falls asleep on her own, with some crying and whining, but it doesn’t take her long to do so. She’s figuring it out. She still sleeps longer when I am holding her compared to when she’s sleeping on her own. But I’m sure as she gets more accustomed to it, she’ll sleep longer and more restfully on her own.

She's getting taller!

Still small enough to fit in a pail.

Touching Neo for the first time.

Go, Canucks, go!

She's rolling!

2010-11-21T21:41:00.002-08:00

We've reached a new milestone with Sophia; she is able to roll from her back to her tummy. And once on her tummy, she can wiggle and spin around. It is an awesome milestone, however, it means I can't just leave her on the change table or the sofa any longer. And it also means a more challenging time getting her diaper and clothes on her. She is a lot more active now and she loves to sit upright or be on her feet. I've started to put her in the Bumbo seat and she seems to enjoy that.

For a video of Sophia at eight and fifteen weeks, see http://www.flickr.com/photos/liezel/5196768997/.

A lot of development for our baby girl the last couple of weeks. People often comment on how tiny Sophia is (she's in the 5th percentile for weight) but as Lori, a paddling-mate said, Sophia is big in other ways.

Living room

2010-11-12T17:25:00.000-08:00

When we moved into our townhouse five and a half years ago, I said “no more Ikea furniture”. I love Ikea, don’t get me wrong, but I was done with the particle board furniture. I want real wood furniture. So slowly and little by little, we’d buy a piece or a set to fill a room. The biggest purchase so far has been our bedroom set. The downside of real wood furniture, of course, is the price. I’ve been wanting to complete our living room for years but based on my research, it would cost around $2500 for an entertainment cabinet and a bookshelf. Now that we have a baby, gone are the days when we can spend that kind of money on furniture. So, I decided to check out Ikea. I found the Hemnes collection which is made of pine wood. At least it’s not particle board! We bought an entertainment cabinet, a wall shelf and a bookshelf for $750. Ed, with little assistance from me, has assembled the furniture and finally, our living room is looking pretty complete! That only took five and a half years to do. I’m very happy with how it has come together. The furniture doesn’t even really look like it’s from Ikea. We’ve also created space for a play area for Sophia. I’ll post pics soon.

Next up, the dining room. Maybe by 2012 we’ll have that done too.

Bye-bye car

2010-10-30T19:36:00.001-07:00

I had my Saturn coupe for ten years. Ten years! It was a part of my life for so long, that I was teary when the new owner drove away with it last week. He assured me that he'll take good care of my car. He said to me, "She's going to a good home", as he saw how sad I looked. So funny.

Bye bye car. Thanks for all the memories!

Smile!

2010-10-22T16:10:00.002-07:00

Sophia started to smile about a month ago. At first, they were random smiles - I don't think she even knew that she was smiling. In the last couple of weeks, she has started to smile as a response to something I do. When I talk to her or pinch her chin, she smiles. When she wakes up in the morning, she is very smiley. I love starting my day with her smiles. I finally was able to photograph her smile the other evening. So cute!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-10-12T23:23:00.000-07:00

It wouldn’t surprise anybody if I say that Sophia is at the top of my “what I am thankful for” list. She truly is a wonderful blessing. Of course, Ed would be a close second. He’s been very supportive at home and is taking to fatherhood very well. And to round up our little family, I am also very thankful for our cats, Bob and Neo, who always provides me such comfort and companionship (even when I have a lot less time and attention for them these days).

I didn’t grow up celebrating Thanksgiving. It was only when my family moved here to Canada that I got introduced to this holiday. And one of the things I will always be thankful for is the opportunity given to me by my parents to live here in Canada. Since I am an immigrant, I will always have something else to compare life in Canada with. And we really, really have it good here in this country.

As an example, the day after we came home from the hospital with Sophia, the community nurse came to our house to check up on us. There were a couple more follow-up visits and then follow-up phone calls to make sure I am doing alright. There is a 24-hour baby hotline that I can phone to ask the nurses any questions about baby care. And at the community centre close to my house, there are weekly parent/infant sessions (and they are free) where we can learn about baby nutrition, immunizations, infant developement, etc. Support like this does not exist in the Philippines! So I am very grateful that these support measures are in place for moms and I am very grateful to live in a city that have these things in place.

Six weeks

2010-09-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe it’s been six weeks since Sophia was born. In some ways, time seems to move slowly but for the most part, time zooms by. The day is broken up into 3 to 4 hour increments now - this is Sophia’s feeding schedule. I just go from one feeding to another and I don’t think much farther than that. If I can squeeze in a nap in between feeds, I consider that a big win. If I can put the dirty clothes in the washing machine in between feeds, that’s another win. If I can post something to my blog, that is a huge win!

My friend Yvette told me after she had her first baby three years ago that you don’t really know what tired feels like until you have a baby. Yvette was right. I have had days when I feel so tired that I think, “I can’t do this anymore”, and yet I get through the day and night somehow. An hour nap here, a three hour nap there, and somehow the day does go by. And I say a “thank you” to the universe for letting me survive another day.

Sophia is amazing. It’s so interesting to watch her develop. Each day brings a new thing, a new development. She has gained 2 lbs since her birth (current weight is 8.6 lbs). Her eye lashes are thicker and her eyebrows are now thicker. She can hold her head up a bit. She can plant her feet and kick up, especially when she is upset (she’s wiggled up a few inches while on the change table). She can communicate - like sucking on her fist when she’s hungry, grunting in a satisfied way to say she’s had enough milk, and crying to let us know she’s not happy about something. When everything in her world is cool, she likes to hang out and look around. She likes to watch the mobile in her crib and she likes the swing. The thing she really, really likes is to be held by me or Ed. That may sound like such a wonderful thing (and it is) but it makes life challenging when we want to get some stuff done (like shower!) once she has fallen asleep. She senses it when we put her down. She wakes up and cries for us to carry her again. I’ve been told that this will pass or at some point, we will have to let her cry it out. For now, we give in and hold her.

Ed and I are getting better at this with each day that passes. Things are getting easier, that is true. I do try and enjoy each moment because I know that they are precious. Sophia will never be six weeks again so I constantly remind myself to focus not on how tired I feel but on the good stuff. Her cuteness makes it easier to do so.

A time of change

2010-08-20T22:15:00.004-07:00

On Aug 4, our baby girl Sophia Nelida was born at BC Women’s Hospital. Ed and I are totally thrilled to have her and our lives will never be the same again. We came home on Aug 6 and we’ve been adjusting to life with baby Sophia fairly well. She has inherited Ed’s very heallthy appetite and also his ability to sleep very soundly. Both good traits to have in a baby. Our life revolves around her feeding schedule, which makes doing other stuff (like sleeping, eating, showering, etc) a challenge. But she’s been quite good so far and I won’t complain about anything. She’s a joy to have around and provides us with endless entertainment. I can’t believe it has been two weeks since we came home. The days and nights have gone by very quickly. It’s fun getting to know her better.

Ed has been home with me and has taken the rest of August off from work. Both Sophia and I have kept him quite busy. My job is to feed Sophia and it is Ed’s job to feed me. He’s been my chef at home. And from Aug 9 to 14, my niece Sabrina stayed with us to help out. She was a huge help and we really enjoyed having her with us. And I was so happy that she got to spend time with Sophia, too.

We also have had to buy a bigger, more suitably sized car since my sports coupe just doesn’t work well with a baby. I hung on as long as I could but it’s time to replace it. So this past week, we ordered the 2011 Subaru Outback and it should be here in a couple of months. For now, we use Ed’s car, a 4-door sedan, as our main baby vehicle. The Outback is my first ever brand new car puchase! How exciting.

The next change has to do with my hair. At the end of 2006, I decided to grow my hair long and I’ve enjoyed having long hair. I have been mulling over cutting it since last spring and finally, yesterday, I gave my hair stylist permission to chop it off. I’ve had my hair in a pony tail the last two weeks anyway. I still have the bangs but now have a bob to go with it. It feels so light having it this short!

Lots of exciting changes, for sure. Kids grow very quickly, though, and so I try to savour every moment and every change brought on by our little baby. And as I said earlier, our lives will never be the same again - and that’s a good thing.

A beautiful, lazy day

2010-07-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

Now that the baby’s birth is coming soon, a common advice we get these days are along the lines of “get as much sleep/rest as you can” or “go out and do as much as you can”. Once the baby is born, we know that our lives will not be as carefree anymore.

The one thing I really wanted to do before the baby’s arrival is to go for a paddle around English Bay at least one more time. Ed and our paddling friends were busy training for their races until earlier this month but now that those races are done and the weather in Vancouver has been fantastic, I thought it would be a perfect time to do it. So bright and early last Saturday morning, Ed, Vivian, Eugene, and I took out the 4-man outrigger canoe for a light paddle from Burrard Marina to Jericho and back. We were out there for about an hour. The weather was perfect and I was in heaven. It felt so good to be out on the water again. I’m pretty sure I had a smile on my face the entire time. Afterward, we headed to our regular after-paddling breakfast place, Flying Swan, for some delicious pancakes.

The good thing about paddling first thing in the morning is you have the rest of the day to do other stuff. With the sun shining, a cool breeze going, and no interest in doing any chores or errands, we decided to head to Spanish Banks for some beach time. Good thing we had blankets in the trunk of the car. So, we picked our spot, set down the blankets and lounged for the rest of the day. We watched our friend Bryan play beach volleyball. I drifted in and out of sleep, ate ice cream and cheezies, and watched people come and go. Vivian arrived at some point and joined Bryan in the volleyball area. Later on in the afternoon, Eugene arrived. He and Ed went off to play volleyball, too. I went back to sleep.

To finish off this beautiful, lazy day, we decided to pick up some bbq from Memphis Blues and head over to Eugene’s for dinner.

I’m sure once the baby is born, it will be a while before Ed and I can enjoy a day like this again - where we just laid around, didn’t do much, and didn’t worry about anything. I’m glad we were able to squeeze in a day like that before the big day. Kind of like the calm before the storm.

Funny...

2010-06-30T12:53:00.000-07:00

How to tell if your cat is plotting to kill you.

Football fever

2010-06-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

In April 2008, I was in London for work and I went to a pub for dinner. Manchester United and Roma were on the telly for a Champions League knock-off game. The pub patrons were all very much into the game, except me. I’ve never really watched much football and I was reading a very interesting book at that time. Half time came and it struck me that the atmosphere in the pub was like the pubs in Vancouver when the Canucks play an NHL play-off game. Then I realized I really should put the book down and watch the game, too. This is so British, so London, and I should be present in the moment and take advantage of the opportunity to experience something so local.

So I watched the second half with great interest and I found myself really enjoying it. I didn’t know the rules, although it wasn’t hard to figure out what was going on, and I could not hear the commentators but it didn’t seem to matter. I was engrossed in the game I was watching.

This World Cup finals, I’ve been watching many of the games. Brazil is fun to watch and so is Argentina. Portugal’s goal extravaganza was very entertaining, although at 4-0, I felt really bad for the Koreans. This is like watching hockey during the Olympics when the level of play is so good that you can’t help but enjoy watching, no matter who’s playing. Too bad the World Cup and the Olympics come around only every four years. Would be great to have them every year... but I’ll probably get fired because I’ll never get any work done!

With my mom and sister

2010-06-07T15:35:00.003-07:00

I don't have many photos with my mom and sister. We just never think of it when we get together, I guess. We had a nice, long lunch this weekend and I finally remembered to take a photo using my Blackberry. Yay!

Papa's birthday

2010-06-05T01:20:00.001-07:00

Today is my dad’s 79th birthday. He lives in a care home in Manila because he has Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. His dementia has progressed enough in the last two years that he doesn’t remember who I am, which makes the decision to phone or not to phone him on his birthday a tricky one. I haven’t phoned him in a while, to be honest, because the last time I did, I introduced myself a few times to try and make him remember me. But he just handed the phone to the caregiver and walked away. I felt bad that I may have made him feel bad for not remembering me. So I haven’t called again, which also makes me feel bad because I feel that I should be phoning him. But if he doesn’t even remember me, does it really matter if I phone or not?

I remember my dad, the way he used to be. He was a difficult man to grow up with but I will always be grateful for the opportunities he allowed me to have. I have a pretty good life now because of his hard work and because he pushed us hard. So even when he can’t remember me now, I still wish him a happy birthday and a good year ahead.

Not so fragile

2010-06-04T22:18:00.000-07:00

As part of our prenatal classes, I attended two classes on healthy pregnancy. The topics covered included the ailments and discomforts we feel during pregnancy and the remedies we can do, proper nutrition, and exercise. Another topic was about the myths versus real risks during pregnancy. Busting the myths was liberating! I found out that:

- In BC, it is safe for pregnant women to eat sushi because our health code requires that the fish be flash frozen. This kills the parasites that are the main concern for people (not just pregnant women).
- It is fine to eat eggs with runny yolks because the salmonella is found in the egg shell. So as long as the egg white has been cooked enough, it’s safe.
- I read on the Internet that green tea shouldn’t be consumed when you’re pregnant. Total myth.
- Sleeping on your back is fine! If the vena cava artery does get affected by the extra weight of the baby, my body will feel it well before the baby is affected in any way and instinct will make me turn to my side, even during deep sleep.

And on and on it went. I’ve heard and read so many “pregnant women shouldn’t blah blah” from many different sources the last few months that it’s hard to know which ones to believe and which ones to ignore. Pregnant women are not as fragile as a lot of people believe! Of course we can’t carry on with everything as we normally do but all the “don’t do/eat” rules are also not necessary.

Just today, I went to a shoe store in the mall and I wanted to try on a pair of sandals with 2.5 inch heels. The sales lady paused, looked at my tummy, and said “you want to wear shoes with high heels?” Both my mom and Ed’s aunt had told me already that wearing high heels may cause a miscarriage (a total myth, btw), so I knew what the sales lady was alluding to. I just chuckled and replied “yes, I do”. When she brought the shoes out for me, she pointed to another pair on the display, a pair of shoes with flat heels, and said that I should wear shoes like that instead. I didn’t argue; I just went about trying on the shoes I liked. I’ve been warned that this is just the beginning, anyway, of people offering their opinions without being asked. It’s a good time as any to start practicing my Teflon reaction to it all.

Buying baby stuff

2010-05-10T17:31:00.001-07:00

It is starting to sink in that it’s already May and the baby’s due date is 14 weeks away. It’s also starting to sink in that we should start doing and buying stuff to prepare for the baby’s arrival. I asked my friend Yvette if she had a list of essential stuff to buy for a new baby and she laughed. There is no list, she said. I insisted that millions of people have had babies; there must be a list somewhere. Fortunately, the Internet and Google agree with me. There are lots of lists out there and I’ve managed to put one together for myself. I like lists. I function better when I have a list to work with.

But before we go and buy the baby stuff, we need to clear out the baby room. Well, it’s still called my craft room. I designated a room in our house as my craft room in the hope that it will inspire me to be more crafty. Hasn’t really worked and it’s become more of a storage room than a craft room. But soon, it will be the baby room. Time to clear out my junk so all the new baby stuff will have a place to go.

A few weeks ago, Ed and I were in a baby store looking for a gift for Yvette’s daughter. We decided to look at the cribs and strollers while we were there and we looked like deer caught in headlights. This is definitely a whole new world, full of lingo we don’t quite yet understand. It is intimidating but I’m sure we’ll get the hang of it soon.

Ed's birthday

2010-05-09T00:00:00.001-07:00

Ed got this as a birthday gift from our friend Lester. It says on the package, “If the Weener Kleener ever becomes stuck, soak area with COLD water”. Hilarious gift! Happy birthday, Ed!

My bedfellow Neo

2010-05-03T17:25:00.003-07:00

I am sick today and my cats are keeping me company in bed.

Costco, thumbs up; Dyson, thumbs down

2010-04-27T12:04:00.000-07:00

The hose that connects the canister to the vacuum head split open last week. We bought this Dyson vacuum in May 2009 so i was pretty disappointed that it would break already. Prior to the Dyson, I had a Beaumark vacuum that I used for 10 years. In fact, Ed’s brother is still using it to this day. The Dyson vacuum is way more expensive than the Beaumark one so I guess my expectation was that it would be trouble-free, too. Fortunately, Dyson has a 5-year warranty and we bought the vacuum from Costco, who are so good about taking the product back and replacing it with a new one. Hassle-free, really. I hope they don’t just throw away the old vacuum, though, because aside from the hose, it works just fine.

I’ll have to keep a closer eye on the hose this time around. Hopefully, this unit will last longer than the last one. But if it does break down, I hope it happens before the warranty runs out!

Easter in Chelan, WA

2010-04-14T18:08:00.005-07:00

We spent Easter weekend in Chelan, WA with our friends Lizza and Pat. Lizza is my best friend from grade school and we try to meet up at least once a year. Lake Chelan and the wineries in the surrounding hills are the main attractions in Chelan. The weather, though, was not yet warm enough for any swimming or boating activities but it was great for visiting the tasting rooms in the wineries. We visited four wineries - Vin du Lac, Bensons Vineyards, Tildio, and Tsillan Cellars. According to Ed and Pat, they liked the wines from Tsillan Cellars the best. We had a late lunch at Tsillan Cellars and the food was delicious, too.

We haven’t seen Lizza and Pat since last July, when they came to Vancouver for a visit. This was the first time Lizza saw me with my baby bump and she was quite excited about it. She even took a photo of my belly only. My head was cut off from the picture! I guess that’s a sign of things to come anyway.

I love having these get-togethers with them. Old friends truly should be treasured and that’s how I feel about Lizza and Pat. And even though we don’t see each other very often, it always feels like we just saw each other yesterday when we do meet up. Lizza and I always amuse Pat and Ed with stories of our high school escapades. Always great fun being with them and we look forward to the next get together.

Happy 7 years!

2010-03-29T14:07:00.002-07:00

Seven years ago, today, Ed and I got married. At the ceremony and luncheon that followed, we had just over 60 guests, mainly family and some close friends, . Then we had another 40 to 50 people, our work mates and paddling buddies, join us for a house party that night. The majority of the day was spent with our bridal party - Yvette, Jenny, Lizza, Josh, Kei, and Mark. Ed and I rented a huge SUV that can fit all of us. Ed drove, I sat up front with him, and everyone else squeezed into the two rows of seats in the back. I remember laughing a lot throughout the day. We had so much fun.

Main things I remember about our wedding day...
- The cherry blossoms had started to bloom.
- It was cold that day! But for the photos, we had to look like it was a nice summer day.
- Sipping congee through a straw. This was my breakfast.
- As my dad and I finished walking down the aisle, Ed stood there a few feet from me with a smile on his face, his mind in la-la land, his gaze towards some faraway place only he could see. He totally ignored my dad and me until I called his name to bring him back to reality!
- The tears during the vows! I think the whole room was crying.
- The founders of Navarik (where I work) - Bill, Marty, Dono, and Orvin - bought a keg of beer for our house party. I remember getting *very* tipsy that night. Fun, fun!
- I didn’t want the day to end. Ed had to drag me out of the house party, into the huge SUV, so we can spend the night at the hotel.

And since that day, Ed and I have been continuing to have fun together. There are ups and downs, just like all relationships, but the ups certainly outnumber the downs by a large margin. Traveling and paddling have been the main things we do for fun. And after seven years of living the carefree life of DINKs, we will be welcoming, in a few months, a baby into our little family. I’m sure the next seven years will be different but just as fun, if not more.

Thank you, Ed, for being my partner in life. I’m looking forward to many more happy anniversaries. I love you!

2010 Olympics, part 3

2010-03-02T12:23:00.002-08:00

Week 2 of the Olympics was more quiet for me and Ed. We had tickets to one more event - the 4-man bobsleigh on Saturday, Feb 27. I was grateful for the break, though. I was exhausted from the late nights spent downtown watching hockey games in pubs and the victory ceremonies we attended. I watched the Olympics from my couch for a few days. My cats enjoyed having me home, too.

Then just like that, it was Thursday and we were at the airport picking up Mon and Natascha, our out-of-town guests. Mon is an old university friend of mine and my brother’s. Ed and I were a little late picking them up because the women’s gold medal hockey game was on and we wanted to see it to the very end. Canada won, yay! My brother and niece who live in Edmonton were also in town to spend time with Mon. We all enjoyed a delicious dinner in Richmond then went to the Richmond O Zone, which is Richmond’s celebration site for the Olympics. The Holland Heineken House is there and there are concerts every evening. The Heineken House was full so we couldn’t go in and the band playing that night was Wintersleep, a Canadian indie rock band from Nova Scotia.

On Friday, Mon and Natascha spent the day in Whistler watching the alpine skiing. Ed and I, with several of Ed’s co-workers, headed to a pub downtown after work to watch the Canada-Slovakia game. Mon and Natascha joined us at the pub. Watching a must-win hockey game in a pub in Canada is definitely an experience. Team Canada was able to hang on to a one-goal lead to win the game and advance to the gold medal game against the US. Whew! And the big bonus was Canada won four medals that evening - one in women’s curling and three in short track speed skating. Downtown was going nuts! Everyone was so happy.

On Saturday, Day 16 of the Olympics, Ed and I took the bus to Whistler to watch heats 3 and 4 of the 4-man bobsleigh event. We enjoyed some crepes for breakfast, walked around Whistler Village, then rode the gondola up to the Whistler Sliding Centre. Heat 3 was just about to begin when we got to the venue. We decided to walk along the track to watch the bobsleds as they go zooming by. The higher up the track we went (closer to the start area), the easier it was to take pictures of the bobsleds because they haven’t reached their top speeds yet. But the last three turns before the finish, the bobsleds were just a blur as they went by. It’s very exciting watching them live. There’s something about the speed or the danger of going that fast on an icy track.

Sunday, Mon and Natascha headed back to the US. It was such a short vist but lots of fun. Today was the last day of the Olympics and the whole city was gripped with anticipation of the gold medal hockey game, Canada vs USA. The game started at noon and people started lining up at 9am outside pubs and restaurants to watch the game. You could hear a collective cheer every time Canada scored a goal. The game went to overtime and everybody held their breath. Then Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal and the entire city went crazy. In fact, the whole country went crazy. Wow, what a moment!

Ed and I then settled on the couch to watch the Closing Ceremony. We were both sad that the big party was coming to an end. It was such a great experience for both of us. We will miss the atmosphere and the energy the city had during the Olympics. I saw acts of kindness everywhere. The Olympics brought out the best in us and I think that’s the real gift of these Games. I’m so happy that I was here when the Olympics came to town. I’m extremely proud of Vancouver and feel very lucky to be living here.

2010 Olympics, part 2

2010-02-26T11:47:00.006-08:00

Mens’ Curling, Day 8
Ed and I went to see mens’ curling on Feb 19. We both took the day off work because the event started at 2:00pm. There were four games going on at the same time - Germany vs Switzerland, Denmark vs Canada, France vs USA, and Norway vs China. With four simultaneous games, I actually found it hard to focus on anything. Too much stuff going on. Ed told me to just watch the Denmark/Canada game but I felt I was missing out on the other games. Denmark made a major mistake in the 4th end which game Canada a big 7-2 lead. Canada scored 3 more points in the 6th end. That finished up the game with the score of 10-3 for Canada. Interestingly, I found it a lot easier to watch three simultaneous games. Who knew one game would make such a difference. Anyway, the three remaining games were all nail-biters, with the outcome coming down to the last rock in the last end. Switzerland had a chance to tie with the last throw but the rock came up just a little short of the target. And the USA skip threw a brilliant last rock to score 1 point and win the game. All very entertaining games!

The highlights include the pants of the Norway team. They look like jesters! And the Swiss contingent in the stands with their big (and loud) cow bells.

Figure skating practice session, Day 9
Yvette and I were back at the Pacific Coliseum. This time around, the women skaters and the pairs ice dancers were practicing. The women were on first and we were excited to see Yu-na Kim from Korea and Joannie Rochette from Canada. They didn’t disappoint. They were both really good. Yvette explained the different jumps to me and how to spot which was which, but it went over my head. I know there are toe jumps and there are edge jumps. But to spot a toe loop from a lutz from a flip, well, I’ll leave that to Yvette.

I took a video of Yu-na Kim practicing her program.

The ice dancing pairs went out next and it was like a dress rehearsal. The women skaters wore work-out clothes but the ice dancers were in their full costume, complete with make-up and hair-do. It was entertaining to see all the blingy and the weird-looking costumes. Unfortunately, the skaters came out according to the standings from the compulsary dance, from lowest to highest, and we didn’t get to see Moir and Virtue from Canada. The actual practice session went on past 1pm but the audience was kicked out of the Coliseum at that time. Boo!

Victory Ceremony, Day 9
I went home to nap, then it was go-go-go again. We were heading downtown for that day’s Victory Cermony at BC Place. We parked the car at Navarik (just a short walk away) and walked along the sea wall to BC Place. Our seats sucked but the usher said we can move to better seats once the ceremony started. There were no medal events that day in Vancouver but there were a few in Whistler. We watched the video feed from Whistler and celebrated as Jon Montgomery of Canada got his gold medal for men’s skeleton. After the medals were handed out, Stereophonics put on a show for about an hour. I wasn’t familiar with their music but I liked what I heard. They rocked it and it was a good show!

Victory Ceremony, Day 10
The next evening, Ed and I were back at BC Place for another Victory Ceremony. We were pros at this now and we knew that we can pretty much just sit anywhere. So we picked our seats and hoped that nobody would come later to claim it. Thankfully, no one did! This evening, there were medal events in Cypress and Vancouver and we got to see it live. Vancouver and Whistler alternated handing out medals. I forget which events had medals handed out in Whistler but I do remember Bode Miller from the US getting a bronze medal for something. In Vancouver, medals were handed out to the winners of the 1500m men’s long track speed skating, 1500m women’s short track, 1000m men’s short track, and the men’s ski cross. It was very cool to see these athletes get their medals, their faces just beaming with pride and happiness. It didn’t matter which country they were from, I couldn’t help but feel so happy for them for winning an Olympic medal.

After the medal ceremonies were done, it was time to rock on. Trooper and Loverboy each played for 45 mins each. They may be older but these guys can still deliver a good show. Both bands sounded great. People were on their feet, dancing and singing along. We had a great time!

I took a video of Loverboy belting out "Turn Me Loose".

2010 Olympics, part 1

2010-02-18T16:33:00.004-08:00

Torch relay on Day 1
On Feb 12, the Olympic torch relay passed along our office building. This was Day 1 of the Olympics and we are all pretty excited in the office. Some staffs’ family and friends came, too. We wore red and whatever Canada gear we owned. At around noon, we all headed down to the street to line up and secure a good viewing spot. The Coke truck passed by and they handed out cans of Coke Zero. Then the security cars passed by, followed by the security people who were on foot. We then saw the flame approaching and we started cheering and clapping. Everyone snapped away hoping for that perfect picture. The torch was carried by a lady whom I didn’t recognize. She was pretty pumped, as were we. But as quickly as she came, she was gone.

It was then time for some lunch (Navarik brought in sandwiches and salads for lunch) and the Navarik Wii Olympics. There were two “events” - ski slalom and ski jump. The top finishers were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals. It was a very festive atmosphere in Navarik and it was a great way to start off the Olympics.

Figure skating practice session, Day 2
Yvette and I attended the practice session for the pairs and men on Feb 13. It started at 7am (we arrived at 8am) with the pairs going first. I haven’t been following figure skating that closely in recent years so I who was who but it was easy to tell who the really good ones were. The Chinese pairs were impressive!

The men started their practice at around 10am. Patrick Chan is the Canadian champion (I knew who he was) and it was exciting to watch him skate. He’s very good. There was one Japanese dude (don’t know his name) who was really good and Lysacek from USA was really good too. The audience got kicked out at 1pm which was good because we were pretty hungry. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the practice sessions but it was a lot of fun and you get to watch the skaters for much longer than during actual competitions. Thumbs up for that!

Hockey game Sweden vs Germany, Day 6
I was so excited for this! Navarik rented two suites for the staff to watch the game. The celebration started off at 1pm in the office when we had hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Some ex-staff members were coming to watch the game and it was great to catch up with them. Everyone mingled. Some watched the men’s halfpipe competition in the boardroom. Some just sat and enjoyed their beer. At 3:15pm, we made our way to GM Place which is now named Canada Hockey Place. The sun was shining and it was a perfect day for a walk along the seawall.

Inside GM Place, the suites were sweet! Great vantage point. I made myself comfortable, got my camera ready, and waited for the game to start. Sweden is the stronger team but I thought Germany put up a good fight. It was 0-0 at the end of the first period. Mattias Ohlund scored a goal in the second period to put Sweden ahead 1-0. Then Eriksson scored in the third period to give Sweden a two-goal lead. The crowd was really into the game, which was pretty entertaining. I cheered for both teams which confused Remick, my coworker who was sitting next to me. Whoever had the puck, i cheered for. I was just in a cheering mood.

After the game, we went to the Irish House for a little bit of partying. It’s really a big tent and inside, an enormous amount of alcohol is consumed by revellers as they enjoy the live music and watch the Olympic coverage on numerous, huge TVs. Yeah, it was pretty fun.

At 10pm, my friend Yvette and I headed out but before going home, we made a detour to the Japadog hotdog stand on Burrard St. We shared an Okonomi and it was pretty yummy. We walked to the SkyTrain station, feeling like tourists in our own town. Downtown was alive and the energy was infectious. That was an awesome day!

Check out my Flickr site for more pics.

Woodpecker!

2010-02-10T10:21:00.000-08:00

There’s a woodpecker that is pecking away at our house. I have woken up to a knocking sound a few times already and finally, last weekend, I ran outside to see where it was coming from. I saw a bird on a small perch, tucked away in a corner just under the roof, heartily pecking the side of our house. It stopped when it heard my voice but didn’t fly away. I threw a pebble towards it. The pebble hit our house, close enough to the bird to scare it away. I saw that there is bird poop cascading down our house under the perch and that the wall right under the roof has been damaged. Our house was just painted last summer! Darn bird!

The complex caretaker, Theresa, came by this morning to check out the damage. She said the woodpeckers have been terrorizing a few of the units. There are many trees all over our neighbourhood. I wonder why they like our houses better. Anyway, Theresa’s on it and hopefully, she finds a way to keep the bird away. Otherwise, does anybody have a BB gun?

Sweden vs Germany

2010-01-27T11:13:00.001-08:00

Navarik has rented two suites at GM Place so the staff can watch the mens hockey game between Sweden and Germany. How sweet is that?!?! I didn’t think I’d be able to go see any hockey games during the Olympics as tickets are quite expensive. And I’ve never been in a suite before either. I’m very excited. Unfortunately for Ed, the invite is for staff only. Sorry, babe.

Who to cheer for? Sweden’s roster looks pretty impressive so maybe I’ll cheer for Germany. They will be easier competition for Team Canada.

All of us also got a pair of the red 2010 Olympic mittens. I already bought a pair for myself a few weeks ago so I’ll give a pair to my mom. I think she’ll look cute wearing red mittens.

Sick again

2010-01-26T22:45:00.000-08:00

I picked up a cold/cough this past week and for the second time in two months, I am sniffling and coughing away in a big way. I am so freaking tired of being sick. It’s been a bad winter for me, definitely. I even got the flu shot but this winter, it doesn’t seem to be making much of a difference for me.

I missed a couple of weeks of work last December and have missed a few days again this past week. I’ve discovered that there is nothing good on tv during the day. We have over 200 channels but good shows are really hard to come by. So I just turned off the tv and listened to my podcasts instead. This American Life rocks.

So, I am keeping my fingers crossed that I recover soon from this cold, don’t get sick again, and that I feel good again. It’s been a while since I have felt energetic and healthy. Soon, I hope.

Rainy Olympics?

2010-01-15T12:30:00.000-08:00

It’s been raining a lot and it’s been quite warm (around 8degC). The snow at Cypress mountain is being washed away. I hope we’ll get some snow and cold weather in time for the Olympics only a month away.

I’m geared up for the Games. I have a Canada hoody, toque, and red mittens to wear to the events. We have tickets for curling, bobsledding, and a victory ceremony. Should be fun...

T&T visit

2009-12-29T20:22:00.001-08:00

We are spending the Christmas season with Ed's family in Trinidad. The last time Ed spent Christmas here, he was still a teenager. Of course, the main focus is to spend time with his immediate and extended family. The next thing on the list is to eat as much local food as we can. Authentic Trini food is hard to find in Vancouver.

The weather is very warm but there is a nice breeze that makes the heat tolerable. Air conditioning is everywhere and that helps, too. Our first few days here, we hung out with family. This week, we started doing touristy things. Last Monday, we went on a tour of Caroni swamp and saw the scarlet ibis, blue heron, osprey, a crocodile, and other interesting creatures. We've visited two shopping malls so far. We also spent a day at Pigeon Point, a beach in Tobago which is a 20 min plane ride from Trinidad. Tomorrow, we're going to Maracas, a popular beach in Trinidad.

It's been a relaxing trip and our weight gain is proof enough! The days are going by so quickly, though. I'm not really looking forward to being back in cold weather again.

This time last year...

2009-11-26T18:05:00.003-08:00

...we were in Pergamon, Turkey. Ed and Julie was befriending the local animals. :)

Little lady

2009-11-12T18:15:00.001-08:00

I visited a refinery yesterday, to interview users of the system we are hoping to replace. These users work at the docks, inspecting cargoes being loaded or discharged to and from the refinery. They've been doing this job for over 30 years. As we were leaving, I shook hands with one of the men. With his Texan drawl, he said, "So long, little lady." Hahaha. So politically incorrect but I thought it was charming!

Baby pics

2009-11-02T18:21:00.002-08:00

My aunt, who is visiting from TO, dug up some pictures of me and my siblings when we were children. I have to say, I was a cute kid! :)

This is me at 11 months old with my mom and brother:

I was celebrating my 3rd birthday. My birthday cake always had to have Christmas trees on it.

I was 4 years old, with my siblings and mom:

Pig Tail Gallery?

2009-10-28T17:24:00.002-07:00

A Flickr user just added a photo of me and my pig tails to Peter's Pig Tail Gallery. Weird!

Surf ski clinic

2009-10-17T09:57:00.002-07:00

On Oct 11, I went to beautiful Deep Cove in North Vancouver to participate in a surf ski clinic. The air was chilly (we need wet suits to keep us from freezing) but the sun was shining. It was a fantastic day to be out on the water and learn how to paddle in a surf ski.

It was my first time on a surf ski and I was nervous about flipping the boat and falling in the water. The water is cold and it is a very tippy boat. I picked a surf ski for beginners, which means it is relatively more stable. I learned how to get in the boat and how to get out. My balance was very shaky at first, mainly because I was so tense. The instructor told me to not be so stiff. It’s tricky because I had to keep my core very steady to balance myself but stay relaxed at the same time. He also made me rock the boat from side to side to show me that even if the boat goes on its side a little bit, it’s easy to correct it and recover. At first I was barely moving the boat side to side and he was like “Come on, you can do better than that!”. So I took a deep breath and forced my tense shoulders to relax. I figured that the worse thing that can happen is I fall in the water and I get wet. I have a wet suit on so I won’t freeze anyway. So, whatever, I told myself. Just move those hips, Liezel! And he was right. When the boat rolls to the side, there is a point where the boat settles and stops rolling. The boat is like 45deg with the water but if I just keep my shoulders parallel with the water, the boat doesn’t flip over. But I can only keep my shoulders parallel with the water and my hips 45deg with the water if I am relaxed!

The paddling stroke is exactly like what I learned in my kayak lessons a couple of years ago and it was good to have a refresher. I haven’t really practiced paddling in a kayak and I found that I have forgotten a lot of things about the stroke. I paddled round and round near the dock in Deep Cove and gradually felt more and more comfortable. We also learned how to get back into the boat in the event that we do fall in. With that knowlegde and feeling more confident about my balance, my circles got bigger and farther away from shore as the morning went by. It was so much fun! Definitely have to take a surf ski out again but I’ll wait until spring when it’s warmer. I’m so glad I signed up for the clinic. Paddling in Deep Cove is such a wonderful way to spend a morning.

(Thanks to Adrienne for the photo.)

Dubrovnik sunset

2009-10-13T16:58:00.006-07:00

I was in a moving bus and after a lot of blurry shots, I captured a good one. This is sunset in Dubrovnik. Sigh, wish I were still there...

Our Croatia pictures are now in our Flickr site. I hope you enjoy viewing them as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Vancouver sunset

2009-10-05T20:07:00.003-07:00

I went OC6 paddling tonight and the sunset was spectacular. It looked like the sky was on fire. On nights like this, I feel so lucky to be living in Vancouver. Well, I always feel lucky to be living in Vancouver, but especially on nights like tonight.

Too bad I didn’t have my camera but it looked like this.

Czech Republic photos uploaded

2009-09-30T16:22:00.007-07:00

I love taking photographs. It's something I really enjoy. The result is I end up with LOTS of photos that need to be sorted and organized before I can upload them for sharing with others. I'm happy to report that I have uploaded our Czech Republic photos. Whew! The pictures are organized by location and I hope you'll enjoy viewing them.

One country down, three more to go.

Flickr link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/liezel/collections/72157622326115549/

Philippine tragedy

2009-09-29T15:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, a typhoon dumped a lot of rain on Manila and caused major flooding. Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected and so far, over 200 people have died. The photos of people struggling in the flood waters are heartbreaking. My sister Leslie lives in Manila and thankfully, they live in an area not affected by the flood.

I donated to the Red Cross right away, feeling like that was really the only thing I could do from where I am. I phoned my other sister who lives in Richmond, BC and asked her if she had donated. She said no because the last time there was a calamity in the Philippines, it was revealed later on that a lot of the donations from overseas were pocketed by corrupt government officials and never reached the people who really needed the help. How anybody can stomach doing such a thing is beyond me. I am now hoping that my donation will actually make a difference, reach the people they are meant for, and not end up in someone’s Swiss bank account.

Which is the bigger tragedy - that thousands of people have lost their homes or that the trust we have in our own brethren has been lost?

The good, the bad, and the ugly - part 3

2009-09-20T01:01:00.004-07:00

Good:
- The food! Everywhere we ate in Bari, Naples and Rome, the food was super delicious! The pizza in Naples deserves special mention.
- The history lesson, live. Very cool to learn about history while being in the actual place where it happened.
- The Amalfi coast. Stunning.
- The friendly train conductor who didn't charge us 50 Euro for not validating our ticket, the friendly Naples bus driver who let us on the bus without a ticket, the friendly pastry shop owner who warned us to hold on tightly to our bags and camera while walking around Spaccanapoli, and the friendly pizza chef who told me to put my watch away because I might get mugged wearing it in Naples. We found Italians to be quite helpful, friendly and patient with us tourists.

Bad:
- The Metro construction in Naples turned many of the city's piazzas into construction sites. Too bad.
- People who insist on taking photos in museums and churches when the signs clearly say taking photos is not allowed.

Ugly:
- The graffiti and litter strewn all over Naples turned a city with the potential to be a beautiful city into an ugly one.

Last stop, Rome

2009-09-19T22:43:00.004-07:00

Rome. A bit bittersweet being in Rome. We're here for only a few days and it is also the last stop of our little tour. But going to Rome is on my life's to-do list and I'm so excited to have the chance to visit. We spent our first day walking and walking and walking. We started our walk in Trastevere, where we were staying, and made our way to Piazza del Popolo. We wanted to shop for Ed's suit and were advised to go to Via del Corso. Along the way, we stumbled upon Campo de Fiori and Piazza Navona and lots of churches and beautiful buildings. We rested in Piazza del Popolo for a bit before heading down Via del Corso. The shops got more high-end as we got closer to the Spanish steps. We walked into one store where the price tag said 3,000 Euro for a suit. Yeah, we exited that store pretty quickly.

Our second day in Rome was all about the Vatican Museum, St. Peter's Square, and St. Peter's Basilica. We slept in a little because we were exhausted from all the walking we did the previous day. We agreed that we would use the bus and metro more. The Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel were amazing. The grandeur of the rooms struck me - how could a church that asked its priests and nuns for a vow of poverty have such opulence? But then again, the church ruled just as kings did at one point in history, and so a lavish palace would have been in order. I am glad that past popes had the foresight to collect and safeguard the works of art from the past which we now get to enjoy and appreciate with our own eyes. I wish I could be in the Sistine Chapel alone. Just me and the wonderful frescos that adorn it. Ok, Ed can be there, too. Instead, there were hundreds of people there with us, plus all these annoying people who insisted on taking photos in spite of the large signs that showed a big red X over a camera and the chapel police saying "no foto" every two minutes. Grrrr...

Our third day, we explored the old Rome area - the Colosseum, Forum, and Pantheon. I imagined the Colosseum packed with cheering spectators as the gladiators battled each other. These spectators from 2000 years ago walked on the same ground that I just walked on. Our audio guide said to look around and imagine the present-day tourists wearing togas instead. That's what it would have looked like in the past. After lunch, we walked to the Trevi Fountain and then took the bus to the National Museum of Rome. The museum was the most quiet place we've been to since we got to Rome and it was a nice break from the crowds. Our time in Rome was too short and we'd really like to come back and spend more time in this beautiful city.

And just like that, our vacation was over. We had an early morning flight out of Rome and had a full day of travel back to Vancouver (via Frankfurt and Toronto). I was glad to be going home (I really missed my cats) but was also sad that our little travel adventure was done. We had a really great time!

I'll be uploading our pics to Flickr very soon. Stay tuned...

Napoli, etc.

2009-09-16T14:59:00.003-07:00

Ed and I are in Naples' central train station waiting for our train to Rome. We spent three days exploring Naples and the surrounding areas. On our first afternoon here, we walked around Spaccanapoli, an area of narrow streets, churches, and monuments. Naples is where pizza was invented so having one (or two) during our stay was a priority. The pizza was delicious! After a bit of siesta, we headed to Galleria Umberto I, a shopping mall built in the late 1800's. The galleria was ornate and impressive. They just don't make shopping malls like that anymore!

Our second day was all about Pompei and the Archaeological Museum. Most of the artifacts discovered in Pompei were hauled off to the museum where they are now on display. Sculptures, paintings, coin collections, etc. provide a glimpse into what life was like in Pompei when Mt. Vesuvius erupted. We then went to Pompei and walked around the ancient city. It was very interesting and you could almost picture people going about their lives back in 62 A.D. There were temples, palazzos, simple houses, baths, a market, a brothel, theatres, a basilica, and so on. The ruins of a whole city preserved for us to explore. It was a neat experience.

We spent our third day exploring Capri island, Positano on the Amalfi coast, and Sorrento which is on the other end of the Bay of Naples. Capri is a ritzy little island full of designer shops and beautiful mansions. I took away a small souvenir from Capri - a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses. :)

From Capri, we took a ferry to the little town of Positano. We almost missed the boat, literally stepping on the gangway as it was already being pulled up from the dock. Whew! When we arrived in Positano, it started to rain quite hard so we seeked shelter in a caffe bar. We sat back, enjoyed our caffe, and watched the rain and lightning. Finally, the rain eased up and we walked around the town. Positano is a village that goes vertical. The houses hug the mountain and they look like they are on top of each other. Very picturesque town.

Our next adventure was the Amalfi drive from Positano to Sorrento. The bus was standing-room only and we had to hang on tight as the road twisted and turned along the Amalfi coast. And the bus driver was not in any mood to slow down for the turns, just honking the horn to warn oncoming traffic that our bus was coming. The road was like a ribbon weaving its way on the mountain side. One thing is for sure - Gravol is highly recommended!

Sorrento was very pretty and much cleaner than Naples. We walked around the market area and I bought a scarf for 3 Euro. We enjoyed a delicious dinner near the main square and then took the Circumvesuviana train back to Naples. It was a long day but truly a great one.

Our visit to Naples and the surrounding areas went by way too quickly. Naples is an interesting place - busy, dirty, and crowded. Stark contrast to the glitz of Capri and the postcard-like beauty of Positano and Sorrento.

Our next (and last) stop is Rome, a destination I am very excitwd about. Hard to believe we're going home in a few days!

Wows and whoas

2009-09-13T15:03:00.002-07:00

Wow: When we were clamoring and Googling away in the lobby of our Prague hotel looking for a way to get to Split because SkyEurope went bust, Ed's teammate Ron took a picture of us hunkered in front of laptops. Ron posted the picture to his Twitter with the caption "stuck in Prague". Less than ten minutes later, another hotel guest approached us with his iPhone in hand and said "Are you these guys?" and showed us the picture from Ron's twitter displayed on his phone. He said he recognized the sofas in the picture since he was sitting on an identical one a few metres from us. Is that crazy or what? Turns out he was a jilted SkyEurope passenger too.

Whoa: At Zlatni Rat beach, Kevin says to me, "I think that dude is wearing a woman's bottom". I looked over and saw the guy with short graying hair, his back towards us. He was on the heavier side, a little fleshy around the midsection and his speedo did look like it had small ruffles. Right at that moment, the dude turned around and we saw boobs. The dude was actually a topless older lady. Too funny.

Dubrovnik and Montenegro

2009-09-12T01:41:00.002-07:00

Ed and I spent four nights in Dubrovnik which is an amazing place. There is something magical about the imposing city wall, red-tiled roofs, and marble streets. We stayed in the Old Town, the walled city that is the historic centre of Dubrovnik. We walked the city wall one morning with an audio guide. The walk is about 2 km long and it took us over 3.5 hours to complete our tour and I took a gazillion pictures. It was just so beautiful. I'm glad we stayed within the city walls because we felt part of the place as I scoot over to the bakery to buy some bread or the store to buy a bottle of wine. The best time to walk around Old Town is either early in the morning or late at night when the throng of tour groups are gone. On our third day in Dubrovnik, we went on an excursion to the Elafiti islands just off the Dubrovnik coast The boat took us to three islands and we got some beach time in two of them. The other one was where we stopped for lunch. The last stop brought us to Lopud island where Sunj beach is. Boasted as the best beach in Dubrovnik, it did not disappoint. (Zlatni Rat in Bol is still the best beach we visited in Croatia.) The grilled fish we were served for lunch was very delicious.

On our second day, we did a day trip to Montenegro which is the country just south of Croatia. It was part of the former Yugaslavia like Croatia was. The tour was okay; Montenegro was beautiful. Going on the tour reminded me why I don't like going on them - a big group being sherperded around and being told we have 1 hour to look around. But if we didn't go with a tour group, it would have cost us a lot more to go and probably wouldn't have covered as much ground. Oh well. Okay, back to Montenegro. We drove to the Bay of Kotor and stopped at the town of Kotor. The have an Old Town, too, but not as impressive as Dubrovnik's. It reminded me of Trogir in Croatia. The bay was very picturesque. Then we took this crazy road with tons of hairpin turns up the mountain to the town of Njegusi where stopped for a quick lunch. We then went to the Museum of King Nicola which is his residence that has been converted to a musuem of his stuff. Afterward, we went to the town of Budva which is the touristy beach resort town in Montenegro. You can tell there have been lots of development in recent years as the buildings all look quite new. Budva,too, had an old walled city that is now, like all the other walled cities we've gone to, a shopping area.

Now, Ed and I are on a ferry en route from Dubrovnik to Bari, Itally. The crossing takes 8 hours which seems short now after enduring a 22-hour train ride. I've been sitting on the deck enjoying the sun all day.

We really liked the Adriatic coast of Croatia. There is a laid-back atmosphere here that was very relaxing. The ocean breeze and the sound of waves are never far away. We'll add Croatia to our list of places to (hopefully) visit again.

The good, the bad, and the ugly - part 2

2009-09-09T14:27:00.002-07:00

The good:
- Getting beach time and beach weather to go with it. Zlatni Rat has been the best beach so far.
- The seafood, especially mussels and squid, have been awesome.
- Dubrovnik's city wall and old town. Definitely makes the 22-hour train ride to Croatia worth it.
- The Adriatic coast. Rugged and beautiful.
- Traveling and hanging out with Eugene, Kevin, Brian and Vivian was really fun.

The bad:
- Food is more expensive than we anticipated. Prague is definitely cheaper than Split, Bol, and Dubrovnik.

The ugly:
- SkyEurope flights getting cancelled the day before our flight. That's plain ugly.
- People who really should not be wearing speedos or going topless but still insist on wearing speedos or going topless.

Split and Bol

2009-09-06T05:58:00.003-07:00

Ed and I have been in Croatia the last six days. Getting here from Prague was an adventure in itself. We had booked a Sept 1 flight with SkyEurope but on Aug 31 the airline was booted out of airports for failing to pay their airport fees. We found out about it a few hours before our flight so we decided to go by train. Fortunately, there is a direct train from Prague to Split. Unfortunately, the trip takes 21 hours.

Four of our friends were also on the same flight so the six of us booked a couchette on the sleeper train and made the trip together. We were like sardines in a can. But we enjoyed each other's company and laughed a whole lot. Made our time on the train go a lot quicker.

Our apartment in Split was very cozy and it was perfect for me and Ed. Our friends also had an apartment nearby and we just hung out and chilled. Split's main attraction is the Diocletian Palace which is now one big bazaar of shops and cafes. The best time to visit it is actually at night when the throng of shoppers are gone and the main square is lit up. We also went to a couple of beaches - Bene which was so-so and Bacvice which was a nice one. We did a day excursion to the town of Trogir which is a UNESCO heritage site.

From Split we took the ferry to a town called Bol on Brac island. The main attraction in Bol is the beach called Zlatni Rat (which means Golden Cape). We woke up to gray skies and strong winds. The rain started to pour while we were having breakfast and so the morning was spent playing cards. The sky cleared up by 1pm and we headed Zlatni Rat. The beach is awesome. It is a pebble beach and the water is so clear. There were also lots of things on the beach that entertained us. This is Europe after all and nudity is not a big deal. Men in Speedos, topless women and people changing out of their swimsuits without covering up was not uncommon.

Eugene, Kevin, Brian, and Vivian left this morning for Split where they will catch their flights to Frankfurt, then to Vancouver. We had so much fun traveling with them and will terribly miss their company. Tomorrow, Ed and I head to Dubrovnik. But right now, I am enjoying Zlatni Rat, the ocean breeze and the clear blue sea.

Exploring Prague

2009-09-03T07:20:00.001-07:00

Exploring Prague is very easy. The transit system is quite good and makes it easy to get around. Walking around the different neighbourhoods is also easy. The main areas for tourists are Hradcany (where Prague castle is), Mala Strana (where Charles bridge is), and Nove Mesto (where Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square are). We spent many hours walking through the narrow cobbled lanes from one area to the next. I really enjoyed seeing these sites at night when they were lit up. So beautiful.

We also did a day excursion to Kutna Hora, an hour by train east of Prague. We visited the Bones Church - a church decorated with human bones. Very creepy but interesting at the same time.

By sticking with the recommendations in the Lonely Planet book, we managed to have some delicious meals while in Prague. It is also inexpensive to dine out if you avoid the restaurants right in the touristy areas. A half litre glass of beer cost anywhere from $1.50 to $4.00, depending on where you go. And the beer was good!

We enjoyed our stay in Prague. Would I go back? I don't think so. A few days is all you need to see the main sites. I am glad to have visited. Thanks, Ed, for making the team and giving me the chance to go.

Go Canada!

2009-09-01T00:52:00.001-07:00

The dragon boat world championships wrapped up last Sunday and the Canadian contingent did really well. It's fun to hear the anthem play during the medal ceremonies. There were so many fast teams which made the races quite exciting to watch as many of the race times were within hundredths of a second of each other. Ed's team competed very hard. They placed fourth in the 2000 m, fourth in the 1000 m, first in the mixed 500 m, and seventh in the mens 500 m.

The fun part for many were the trading of race jerseys with other countries. It was like a market place with people negotiating for jerseys back and forth. I was tasked with trading Ed's jerseys and I got jerseys from Macau and Ukaraine. Ed was able to trade for jerseys from Poland and Czech Rep. I traded my Canada jersey for a Philippines one. Fun stuff.

With the racing done, our vacation officially starts now. I quite enjoyed Prague and was able to explore quite a bit. Next stop, Croatia.

After 2 days of racing

2009-08-27T10:30:00.001-07:00

The dragon boat world championship has been very exciting so far. The team from Vancouver is competing in the Premier Mixed and the Mens divisions. Canada is being represented in the other divisions - womens, juniors, seniorsn etc. - by teams from Montreal and Toronto.

On day 1, it was the 2000 metre races. Ed competed in the Premier Mixed division and his team placed fourth out of 14 teams. They missed the bronze medal by .5 of a second! So close! They were pleased with how they paddled and quite excited about racing against the best in the world.

Today, it was the 1000 metre races for the mens division. Most of these guys are huge! And so many fast teams, that each race is very important. Only the top two teams frrom each heat advance. Ed's team did well in their heats and made it to the finals (top 6 teams). The race was so close and for the second day in a row, they finished fourth with a time of 4 mins 9 secs. And just .4 of a second behind third. This is the best placing the mens team have had in a long time and everyone was pretty pumped about that race. Slovakia was 1st, US 2nd, and Germany 3rd.

Tomorrow will be the 200 metre races. Paddles up!

Cesky Krumlov

2009-08-26T15:33:00.001-07:00

On day 3, I went on a day excursion to a town called Cesky Krumlov, which is a UNESCO heritage site. It is a 3-hour bus ride from Prague so I set off early to catch the 8am bus. I wish I could upload my pictures because words - beautiful, amazing, breath-taking - just would not do it justice. Google it and you'll see. It is a medieval town that is very well-preserved since it was spared from WWII bombings and skirmishes. I rented the audio guide for the town tour and it took me over three hours to do the tour, which was very interesting. Cesky Krumlov is a photographer's dream! Everywhere you looked, there was something to photograph. My time there went by too quickly as I had to catch the 5:15 pm bus back to Prague. But it surely was worth the trip!
After this day, it will be all about watching and cheering for Ed and his teammates. Let's go, Team Canada!

The good, the bad, and the ugly - part 1

2009-08-25T07:01:00.001-07:00

Good:

- The architecture! Baroque, Gothic, Renaissance, Cubism - they are all here, coexisting beautifully.

- Interesting history. From nobility rule to communism to a republic.

- The beer! Very yummy.

Bad:

- Our hotel (where the team is staying) is not in the city centre. Hardly anything close by so not very interesting or convenient.

- The food has generally not been great. Lots of meat and a little hard to find veggie dishes.

Ugly:

- The service. Servers can be quite abrupt in tone and are not very friendly. A very few have been nice but most have a permanent scowl on their faces.

Prague - days 1 and 2

2009-08-25T00:39:00.000-07:00

I've spent my first and second days in Prague visiting the main attractions. First up, Prague Castle which was amazing. It is a big complex and you'd need a whole day to see most of it. I visited the Old Royal Palace, St. Vitus Cathedral, St. George Basilica, and wandered through the courtyards and streets of the castle. Then I followed the walking tour around the castle area that's in my Lonely Planet book. One of the stops on the tour was the Strahov Monestary and Library. The library and the monestary church were so beautiful. Then I made my way down to the river and found Charles Bridge. Unfortunately, the bridge is undergoing some restoration work and it is so crowded with tourists, buskers, and vendors that it is hard to really enjoy walking along this beautiful bridge.
The team dinner that night was a fiasco. Maybe the restaurant wasn't used to having such a big group because it took two hours for some people's meals to arrive. Half the group was done eating before some people got their food.
On day 2, I walked along Wenceslas Square and hung out in the Old Town Sqaure. Then Ed joined me (the team's practice ended early today) and we finally got to be tourists together. We did another walking tour from the LP book. Then we sat at a cafe by the Vltava river and enjoyed some beer. It was a perfect way to end a day of sightseeing.

When in Rome (airport)...

2009-08-22T05:46:00.000-07:00

Been almost 24 hrs since I left my house and now I'm in the airport in Rome waiting for my flight to Prague to start boarding. I'm going with SkyEurope, a Slovakian low-cost airline. I wonder if they'll charge me to use the washroom in the plane. I was so relieved to find SkyEurope's check-in counter. The airline is having money problems so I was nervous about them suddenly stopping operations or cancelling my flight. But they checked me in and so far, things seem to be in order.

Rome's airport is looking a little old. It makes me realize how beautiful the Vancouver airport is! Also, I have spotted three nuns in the last hour. Last time that's happened to me, I think I was still in high school! Lastly, people here stand really close to you in line ups. My personal space is feeling so invaded.

European vacation

2009-08-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, our vacation won’t be anything like in the film! Ed’s currently on his way to Prague and I follow in a couple of days. The world championships for dragon boat is being held in Racice, CZ (about 50km north of Prague) and Ed is part of Team Canada. I’m so proud of him! I’m sure the team is going to kick ass!

We will be in Prague until the end of August, then we fly to Split, Croatia for an 11-day stay along the Adriatic coast. In addition to Split, we will also be visiting Bol (on Brac island) and Dubrovnik. We are also planning to do a day trip to Montenegro, the country just south of Croatia. From Dubrovnik, we take the ferry over to Bari, Italy where we will stay for a night. From there, we will head to Naples for 3 days, then to Rome for another 3 days.

Ed’s been focused on training for the worlds so I’ve been the trip planner. As long as he brings home a medal, that will be fine with me. Go, Team Canada!

Found!

2009-08-18T16:01:00.003-07:00

How long does Ed and Liezel let their folded clean laundry sit in the laundry basket before putting the clothes in their closet? This time, it was twelve days. That’s how long our point-and-shoot camera has been missing. I looked all over the house for it, and even looked in that laundry basket. Of course, I was too lazy to put the clothes away! But tucked under the clothes was the camera.

This means my pictures from Seattle and NY were also found. Yay! I haven’t uploaded the Seattle pics but the NY ones are now in Flickr. Check them out!

Run around

2009-08-17T15:32:00.000-07:00

I’d lost my invoice for my hotel stay for my trip to London last month and I had already deleted the confirmation email. Our accountant at work said I need to submit the invoice for it, so I called the hotel to get a copy. I was told that I had booked the room through Expedia, hence, they do not have a copy of my invoice and I will have to phone Expedia. I actually don’t remember booking in through Expedia but okay, I phoned Expedia.ca. Almost 30 mins on hold and finally, a voice on the other end. He kept asking me which account I booked it under. I kept saying I don’t remember being asked to login to book the hotel. I did a google search, found what I needed, then booked it. He can see my booking info but I had to provide the account information. I was put on hold while he figured it out. Finally, he said I should phone Expedia.com because I may have booked it there. So I phone Expedia.com. (Was on-hold again for a bit.) Again, which account did I book it under? Again, I said I don’t remember. Then, after a bit of looking through my booking info, she said I must have booked it using hotels.com and that I should phone them. I was ready to give up! But okay, I phoned the number she gave me. Hotels.com did sound familiar. I got through to someone fairly quickly and I was not asked about which account I booked it under. She got my name, verified the dates I stayed in the hotel and emailed me a copy of the confirmation notice. I told her “You have no idea how relieved I am to find you!”. The lesson is... hang on to your invoices!

Driving me crazy

2009-08-10T17:09:00.000-07:00

I can’t remember where I put my point-and-shoot camera! It’s driving me crazy! I know I brought it back with me from NY. It was sitting on my bed and night table the weekend after coming back from my trip. But now, I can’t find it anywhere. Very annoying!

Seattle with the Abellanosa family

2009-07-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

I drove to Seattle last July 25 to spend the day a friend of mine from high school, Christmas. She was having a family holiday with her husband Albert and daughter Mikey. The last time I saw them was in 2001 when I went to Long Beach for work. Christmas and I have known each other since grade school. When we were in high school, I rode to and from school with Christmas and her sisters. I can’t remember how that arrangement all started. Anyway, I got to know their whole family pretty well since I was at their house five days a week.

I arrived in Seattle at around noon and met up with them at their hotel. The thing with childhood friends is even if you don’t see each other for years, when you do see them, you just pick up where you left off. We settled into conversation with such ease and comfort. It was such a gift.

Chris and I spent the day catching up on each other’s lives. What touched me most was how loving their family was. Chris and Albert have been married for many years and they are still very sweet to each other. And Mikey is a confident young lady with a good head on her shoulders. And she has a great relationship with her parents. It was really nice to be around them.

The day went by so quickly. We had a very delicious dinner (best steak ever!) at Metropolitan Grill, then it was time for me to drive back to Vancouver. It was great to meet up with them, even for just a day. Hopefully, it won’t take another 8 years before we meet up again.

Hamlet

2009-07-21T09:24:00.001-07:00

Last July 19, I went to see Hamlet at the Wyndham’s Theatre in London’s West End. Jude Law starred as Hamlet and the other cast members (Kevin R. McNally, Penelope Wilton, and Peter Eyre) were very experienced actors, too. I enjoyed the show very much and for most of it, I even forgot that I was watching Jude Law. I just got pulled into the story of Hamlet avenging his father’s murder. Jude Law is a charismatic actor who also happens to be very easy on the eyes. ☺ He and the rest of the cast did a fine job and I’m very glad I got to see the show.

Slum lords

2009-07-19T09:24:00.003-07:00

Ed and I have a new role - slum lords. We bought a condo in Vancouver last June. It’s an investment property and the intent is to rent it out and hopefully, the property value will appreciate as the years go by. It’s our first investment property and we are understandably nervous about the whole thing. But we figured that if we are able to rent out the condo, we’ll be okay. On June 10, our offer for this condo was accepted by the seller and we got the keys to the place on June 30. We tried to get it rented out for July 1 but we had no takers. So we lowered the rent a bit and opened it up to owners of a small pet. We had more people show interest and finally, on July 13, we had four couples fill out the application to rent the apartment. I was getting stressed out about it because if the condo isn’t rented, it means that we’re paying for the mortgage for that month. We did the reference and credit checks for the applicants and decided to rent to a young couple who are looking to move in on Aug 1. They seem very nice and quiet, and their references had very good things to say about them. I’m really, really hoping that they turn out to be good tenants and that their cat doesn’t destroy the place.

Here are a couple of pictures of the apartment:

Back in London

2009-07-18T15:17:00.001-07:00

Been here since noon on Wednesday and I fly home on Monday. I had meetings with a Navarik client on Thursday and Friday. I’m spending the weekend here so that I can go watch Jude Law be Hamlet. Late afternoon last Wednesday, I went to Portobello Road in Notting Hill. I worked for a bit after I checked in at the hotel then needed to move around so I could stay awake for a little longer. Jet lag is a tricky thing. Portobello Road was interesting with lots of shops. Since it was late on a Wed afternoon, it wasn’t the bustling Portobello Market that it is known for. But I’m still glad I went because it would have been crowded and busy on a weekend. Friday night, I went with Bill to see a musical in East London. I enjoyed the show very much. I love musicals. Today, I walked around the Seven Dials area in Covent Garden. Went into the Camper store and spent money on shoes. I did the same thing last year, too. Does that make it a tradition??? New Campers in July. I like that tradition! Tomorrow, finally, I have my date with Jude Law. I’m excited to see him and to see a Shakespeare play here in London. I may go visit the Science Museum in the morning. Should be interesting.

Friends come to visit

2009-07-08T17:38:00.001-07:00

The gang at second beach
Originally uploaded by Liezel&Ed

Last week, my friends Lizza, Pat, Deb, and Dave paid us a visit. We all met up in Victoria on Thursday, then headed to Vancouver on Saturday. This was taken at Second Beach in Stanley Park.