Why Do You Live Where You Live?
“It’s temporary, anyway” was our private joke for a long time. We never really settled down the way many couples do because we had zero interest in doing so.
The Lonely Neighbour
“Please, don’t call the police!”
This is the first thing she ever said to me when, one evening, I passed her on the pathway leading up to Madison Park, one of the neighbourhood’s playgrounds.
I Need Your Help—And a Better Strategy
Here I am, very candidly asking for your help. The stats tell me this blog receives about 1,000 visits a day. Maybe you work next door to a publisher, maybe you’ve heard of a publisher accepting non-solicited manuscripts, maybe you know an agent.
You’re Tired Too, Aren’t You?
I’m tired. Not the oops-passed-out-on-the-carpet-again kind of tired I experienced when Mark was a baby, but I feel drained.
The Notes
It takes me a second to realize that Mark snuck into my bedroom again. I smile.
Question Mark
Mark’s big questions always come out of the blue—even though I’m pretty sure he has been thinking about them for hours—and they often start with an assertion statement.
Your Plate as a Map of the World – The Significance of Food Culture
Many travellers across the globe have been embracing a multicultural lifestyle at home, when they’re…
I Have an Accent—Do You?
I have an accent. Scratch that—I have accents, one in every language I speak.
Mommy Shark, Daddy Shark, Baby Shark (The Song Will Be Stuck in Your Head Forever)
On a quiet Sunday last fall, my in-laws decided that Feng and I had failed at parenting again. The situation was serious—at the ripe old age of 5, Mark couldn’t swim.
The Best Casinos That Canada Has To Offer
Canada is renowned for lots of things like maple syrup and ice hockey. However, one…
The Art of Asking (The Right Person, The Right Way)
I’m not selfish, uncharitable or useless. Also, if you call me names, you’re an ass and if you make it to Canada, I hope the hockey team you may end up supporting loses for five seasons in a row—alternatively, I hope you lose a glove on a very cold day.
Ottawa Ice-pocalypse or How to Survive an Ice Storm
Last weekend’s ice storm was no joke. It scared me. Freezing rain creates an amazing scenery. Freezing rain causes accidents and damages. Lovely, but deadly.
The First Query Rejection Emails
I had sent a query to this publisher last October. I knew the email wasn’t going to bring me joy but closure.
“Will My Life Be Better in Canada?”
Every day, I receive two of three emails or comments from strangers asking me to map out their destiny.
How to live the UK on the road: tips and tricks for your British adventure!
What we love more than a trip is to have the opportunity to travel entire…
8 TV Programs to Better Understand Canada
If you don’t want to waste time in front of Judge Judy, here are a few programs worth watching to better understand Canada.
Small Boo-Boos and Big Fright
Feng and I froze. I looked over my shoulder. Mark was standing outside, by the door, his hand….
Oh, fuck.
“Mommy No Fun” Does Easter
Apparently for Easter, I signed up for Kinder chocolate and an egg hunt at home, because that’s what we did last year and that’s what Mark is now expecting for the next twenty years.
Body? Here. Mind? Elsewhere.
It took me about a week to resume life where I had left off.
The Art of Explaining Abroad What Canada Is Known For
As a Canadian abroad, you’re just responsible for introducing people to cities other than Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto and you’re only expected to speak of winter.
35
At 35, I know what makes me happy.
From Hockey to Crokinole: What Games Are Most Popular in Canada and Why?
When you travel to a new country there is always a lot to learn. New…
Cold and Confused
A little part of me still believes that if I try hard enough, Canada is the place to be for dreams to come true.
I’ll bite. I’ll give it another shot.
The March 11 Mystery and a Perceptive Stranger
For all we knew, in Santiago, the world was ending on March 11. The mysterious date kept on showing up over and over again.