in a blog post...

well out with 2011 and in with 2012.  as i was thinking about what to do for my "new year" post, i kept thinking "in a nutshell".  but instead, here is 2011, in a blog post:

• i started out the year in sri lanka, finishing up a wonderful christmas vacation with colleen and the parkinsons.  
• my family went through a loss with the death of my great  uncle bud.
• we had many wonderful people come visit us in vietnam, including my MOMMA!  it was so great to share that experience with her.
• march was tough for me with the sudden death of one of my former students from egypt.  at only 7 years old, my precious salma was taken from her family much too early.  she will always be in my heart.
• april changed my life in a different way.  on april 2nd i adopted my cat, cow (who has since been named cowboy by my parents).  he was exactly what i needed and i love him SO much!
• in may i traveled to china and was able to climb on the great wall.  it is one of those "bucket list" things that everyone should experience!
• june marked the end of my time in vietnam and though it was hard to leave my wonderful friends and colleagues, it is always great to be home!  i spent the summer with my family and it went by WAY too fast!
• this summer i traveled to new york city for the first time with my aunt melissa.  it was an AMAZING trip.  i loved every minute of it and i can't wait to go back again and again! in NYC i also got my third tattoo of 2011 (holy cow!), bringing the total up to five.
• i witnessed the marriage of two wonderful friends from our time in egypt.  kathleen and simon had a gorgeous wedding and it was so great spending time with them again!
• i attended the most wonderful CISE reunion hosted by the terrific ma and pa cairo.  it was a great weekend and i wouldn't have missed it!!  
• in august, another of my WONDERFUL friends got married!  and i got to see her after WAY too long!!  my dear friend sarah was married this summer and i am so pleased that i was able to share in her special day!  
• august marked the beginning of a new adventure.  i started my job in kuwait teaching grade 5 english and so far so good.  i like my job and have made some amazing friends here in kuwait.  of course i miss home a lot but i am enjoying my time here and as we know, time flies!
• throughout the fall i had the opportunity to visit two more countries in the middle east - qatar and bahrain.  i got to visit with an old friend in qatar and straighten out passport issues in bahrain (thanks again fedex for losing my passport! lol)
• the fall also brought great news in the form of new life and new family members!  tiffany is pregnant and due in may 2012 and my aunt melissa adopted a 2 year old boy named jay!  from the sounds of things he is fitting into the family better than anyone could have expected and he is as cute as a button when i talk to him on skype!!  
• finally, december delivered a wonderful christmas trip to italy with naomi and valerie.  i visited rome, venice, florence, and pisa.  it was all magical!  more to come on that!

i'm sure there are things i have forgotten and left out, but as you can see it has been a year of mixed emotions.  ups and downs would describe 2011 well for me.  some great times and some tough times...that's for sure.  and not just for me, or my family, but for many friends as well.  so, let's hope for a happy 2012 - with more ups than downs - good health, lots of laughs, and wonderful experiences! xo

my baby

on saturday i talked to my mom on the phone and while we were chatting, cow jumped up on her lap for a little cuddle.  anyway, i wanted to say hi to my baby so my mom held the phone up to him and i was talking when suddenly, he started to PURR!!!  i could hear him on the phone!!  it was SO sweet!!  and then i cried.  cause i miss him a lot.  a lot.  a lot!!

meet gizma

the other day on the way to school we saw a little wee kitty outside of lindsay and phil's apartment.  she was just this little wee thing, laying under pat and kelly's car.  but, we had to go to school so i just tried not to think about the poor little thing, laying there in the heat all day long.  :( 

after school i was walking on the treadmill when there was a knock at the door.  i ran to the door and there was cathy yelling, "have you seen it?  have you seen it?"  and there, in the hallway was the little kitty!!  on the SEVENTH floor of the apartment!!  and not only that, but cathy said that before i came out into the hallway, the little kitty was just sitting there, staring at the wall.  but then, when i opened the door, the little kitty was trying to get into our house!  she found me!!  SHE found ME! 

so of course i fell in love instantly.  but i knew i couldn't keep her because phil is so allergic and it wouldn't be fair to cow.  i picked up the kitty and brought her back downstairs.  i  felt so bad!  then alex and lindsay came home and we brought the kitty some milk and water and a little bed that we made out of a shoe box and some towels.  the kitty didn't want any of it.  she just wanted love.  she wanted to cuddle.  as i was squatting to pet her, she just came over to my foot and laid down against it.  i kept petting her and it seemed that he was happiest when she was getting some love.  naturally, that's when i tarted crying and knew that i had o leave before i got too attached.  we did decide that she needed a name though, and lindsay thought of gizma because she is kinda strange looking.  like gizmo.  but for a girl.

the next morning gizma was no where to be seen.  and we haven't seen her since.  i am going to imagine it's because someone else saw her and loved her and brought her home.  now she is probably living with more love than she can handle!  poor little gizma....
i'm telling you i was SO close to having a kuwait kitty....cow what do you think??  oh!  you think you would like a little brother or sister?!  ok :)

take a moment...

poor phil

this week the tears seem to be flowing freely here at the parkinson residence.
first lindsay and i cried when trying to convince phil that i should just live here. 
then i cried again when the looming move was getting closer.
then lindsay cried at the thought of receiving a flash mob for her birthday...

poor phil!

i miss my boy!

 

i want to hug him.  and kiss him.  and love him.  and cuddle him.  and play with him.  and love him. and kiss him.  and hug him.

Good grief!!

I know, I know!! It's been a while. Also, it appears as if typing on my iPad avec auto correct is taking away from my signature style. ANYWAY, Linds said that I had to blog before I left so I could tell you about saying goodbye etc. Well, I'm sitting in the Soo airport and my flight is delayed and I am a bit nervous about getting to toronto in time for my next flight BUT I'm here. I'm not likely going to get an emergency exit seat so cross your fingers for an aisle!!!

As for this morning, I had to say goodbye to cow. That sucked. Huge. I cried, like a baby, starting at 6 this morning. Blah. Then we drove to the Soo
And every time I thought about him, I cried. FYI.

Then there was the cry saying bye to my aunts and then my parents. I hate goodbyes. So why do I choose a profession where I always have to say goodbye??? Who knows.

Anyway, I plan to be back at the blog faithfully once I'm in Kuwait and don't fret, I have a list of things to blog about because I am so far behind.

The end. See you in Kuwait. Xo

passport: UPDATE

GOOD NEWS!

just kidding.  turns out the FedEx LOST my passport.  can you believe it?!  so today i'm on my way to thunder bay today so that i can be at the passport office first thing in the morning to apply for an emergency passport.  i won't have time to get my work visa before i leave but apparently i can get in as a tourist and then apply for a work visa when i get there. 

thankfully, everyone around here has been really helpful (with the exception of FedEx).  i got my passport photos done and was not charged, a new copy of my police clearance for free, special service from purolator, no charge at the lawyers office, and of course huge amounts of advice and support from the wonderful lady at the kuwait embassy of canada. also, my friends have been great.  sarah made a special trip to the passport office in tbay for me and is letting us stay at her house tonight, tiff is taking a day off work to come to tbay with me, and lindsay and phil have been super supportive and have offered many emails, phone numbers, and words of advice. and of course, my mom and dad have been great.  putting up with my tears, making calls, taking faxes, etc., etc.

so, i'm on my way soon.  i guess i'll just have to try to make the best of this not so awesome situation....

from brother luke

on Saturday night we had our year end celebration for the teachers of CIS.  there are 14 of us who are leaving this year and the social committee and other staff members made presentations to those of us who are leaving.  each departing staff member had a little speech written about them by one of their friends or teaching partners.  i was lucky to have my speech written by my teaching partner/friend/brother LUKE!  (luke and i share the same last name...so he's obviously my brother!!)  anyway, although luke couldn't be there, he had kelly read my speech to me, and it was so lovely that i wanted to share it with you. 

dearest sister emily,

i am so happy to have shared our first year of teaching grade 5 together.  you just may have been the perfect teaching partner.  with your thoughtfulness toward our students as well as our colleagues, your ability to keep track of all the craziness we encountered throughout the year and to deal with it, and your ability to keep a sense of humour through it all made my year not tolerable, but enjoyable.  when things got overwhelming, you were like my rock, always willing to help out and always eager to share ideas and work together.  but possibly the best part of working with you, was your easy going nature.  everything was just...easy.  you were so flexible and willing to adapt to whatever situation was thrown at us.  you were so forgiving and patient if i forgot about something or screwed something up.  it was a pleasure and an honor to work with you.  

it's difficult to say in words how much i appreciate you, so i think i will express my thoughts through an acrostic poem.

E - E is for emancipation proclamation, because you set your students' minds FREEEEE!

M - M is for macaroni, because it's really, really good, and so are you.

I - I is for "i can't believe we only did ONE karaoke night together!"  But it was the best karaoke night ever.

L - L is for loveable. isn't emily just so darn loveable???

Y - Y is for yellowstone national park.  the home of "old faithful"..  emily is not old, but like old faithful, she can be relied upon.

A - A is for awesome!

B - B is for boat.  if our cruise ship went down, i would want to be in emily's life boat.

B - B is for beer, because it's really, really good, and so are you. 

O - O is for oxygen, because you're like a breath of fresh air.

T - T is for terrible, as in, it's terrible that you're leaving us.

T - T is for terrific, as in, although i'll miss you, it's terrific that you are off an another adventure in another amazing new land.

i'll miss you sis.

love luke

I KNOW RIGHT!  i cried like a baby (as i'm sure my mom is after reading this).  i feel blessed to have worked with you brother luke.  thank you.  thank you.  thank you. 

VS.

what i WILL miss about vietnam vs. what i WILL NOT miss about vietnam

• i WILL miss cheap pedicures and manicures and super friendly ladies who do them for me.
• i WILL NOT miss the traffic and lack of concern for others on the road.
• i WILL miss after school smoothies for $1.  and before school ca phe sua da (vietnamese iced coffee and milk).  and bubble tea without the bubbles.
• i WILL NOT miss the spitting on the sidewalks every three seconds.
• i WILL miss the wonderful friends that i have made in saigon.
• i WILL NOT miss the litter.
• i WILL miss annam sandwiches.  YUM!
• i WILL NOT miss the cockroaches.
• i WILL miss instant warmth (just by stepping outside of an air conditioned room).
• i WILL NOT miss the rude stares and points.  i look different than you.  i get it.  leave me alone.
• i WILL miss my students.  a lot. 
• i WILL NOT miss rainy season.
• i WILL miss the freedom of riding around on our scooter.  

it's a bitter sweet time really.  ready to be home.  sad to say good bye.  excited but nervous for the new challenge that lies ahead.

"hi, may? where did you go???"

um....it's june!  how did this happen??  where did may go??  and why did it go in such a hurry???

i like june.  don't get me wrong.  here are some of the wonderful things that happen in june:

june 4 - my parents will celebrate their 34th wedding anniversary!

june 9 - CIS will hold it's 2nd annual Art for Action event.

june 15 - it's my momma's birthday!

june 24 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! (but i will miss my kids!)

june 26 - MY birthday!!!

june 27 - leave HCMC, via hong kong, headed for the promise land!

june 28 - cow and i will arrive at our "summer home" in wawa!

add to that more birthdays of wonderful friends and colleagues along with some not so wonderful goodbyes and that's that.  JUNE.  whoa.  it will be over before we know it.

thinking of salma...

it's already been more than two months since this precious girls life was taken far too early.

you'll never be forgotten salma. xo.

i'm back

thank you for being so understanding.
i needed this time.  to process.  to think.  to grieve.  to sleep.  to wonder.  to understand.  to cry.  to laugh.  to remember.
so thank you.

 now.
what better way to come back than by introducing you to.......COW! 

my new kitten!  i'm just fostering him for now but i have a sneaking suspicion that i might fall in love and not be able to give him up!
anyway, isn't he the cutest thing you've ever seen?!

i got him from a vet here in HCMC who rescued him from a garden.  when cow was found in the garden he was still so small that his eyes were closed!  so sad!!  anyway, he's six and a half weeks old now.  and doing well.  he has the funniest little tail.  it's just short, apparently that's common in this particular breed of vietnamese cat.  but cow's tail goes sideways!  like 90 degrees.  it's so cute.  he is also missing most of his whiskers...i assume they'll grow back but who knows!  his final quirk is that sometimes his meow doesn't work!  it's so funny!  he tries, but nothing comes out!!

oh....i love cow already.  who am i trying to kid?!?

quiet time

i'm here.  i'm fine.  i just need some quiet time.  don't feel much like "talking".  but i'll be back.  i just need some time.  some quiet time.

goodbye, beautiful girl...

the world lost a wonderful, beautiful, kind, and caring young girl today.  she was only 7 years old.  and she will be missed dearly by many.
i love you salma.  rest peacefully.  xoxo

today.

today, march 11/11 would have been auntie dia's 87th birthday.  i miss her.  i think of her often and am inspired by her.

today i got some terrible news.  one of my students from egypt who i was very close to is ill.  it's really bad.  she is in a coma.  and they aren't sure if she'll make it.  something about red blood cells...?  she is 7 years old.  she shouldn't be going through this.  neither should her parents.  

today the world got some terrible news.  the earthquake and tsunami in japan have literally shaken us all up.  millions of people are suffering.  

what a world we live in.  please pray from salma and her family.  i know that everyone is thinking of all the people in japan, but please save some positive energy for salma.  i'm sure it will make her stronger. 

today.  not a great day.  let's hope for a brighter tomorrow.

those dreaded phone calls

last night i spoke to my parents (as i do every sunday) so this morning when kelly handed me his cell phone and said, "it's your mom", i knew it wouldn't be good news.  i've become pretty familiar with the bad news phone call since living abroad.  and even throughout university.  but it doesn't make it any easier.  

anyway, back to today's phone call.  turns out that my great uncle bud passed away in his sleep on saturday night.  i know it's a nice way to go but it was unexpected so that makes it a bit hard to swallow.  back in the day, maybe 20 years ago or more, uncle bud had like a triple by-pass or something crazy and then lived until now so i guess that's pretty good.  on saturday night he was at his friend's camp and thankfully spent the night there.  he went to bed early because he wasn't feeling good and when his friend went to wake him up in the morning, he had passed away.  

i'm thankful that he went peacefully.  and i'm thankful that he was with someone when it happened.  i'm thankful that i saw him this past summer when i was home and that we had dinner together.  

there is no service, as per his wishes.  my dad and aunt have gone to take care of everything today.  i'm thinking of them.  and thinking of uncle bud today.  

rest in peace uncle bud. xo

the breakdown

friday night was our staff christmas party.  it was on a rooftop at a restaurant and was really fun!  there was great food, lots to drink, great people, and lots of laughs.

after the party we went to a couple different bars and went dancing.  it was a really, really fun night!

then it happened.  there was a live band that was really good and we were busting a move. then they started singing "what's going on" by four non blonds.  and i started crying. the situation was so similar to when ann would sing to me (and the drinks didn't help) and i couldn't hold it in.  i missed her.  a lot.  BAH.  i felt so silly.  i know it's allowed and i know it's good to let it out.  but at the bar?!  yeesh.

anyway, i sang the song, through my tears for you ann.  love you lots and miss you more.

never easy

i've been  thinking about ann a lot lately.  maybe it's the time of year, maybe it's hitting a three month wall, maybe it's just that she was an awesome person and deserves to be thought about all the time.  i miss her a lot.  i know that i didn't get to see her everyday before but it's different now.  knowing that i will never see her again.  people say it get's easier.  it's not easier yet...will it get easier??  i don't know.  how can something so crappy ever be easy?  and when i am feeling down i just think of her family.  how are they feeling if i am feeling this way?  how can they deal with this?  how have they held on and been so strong?  

i remember the last time i saw ann.  like it was yesterday.  she was living in wawa but had decided to move back east.  i was back in wawa after being away at university and had accepted the job in egypt.  i am pretty sure it was june 22, 2008.  we went out to the columbia for open mic night and a "few drinks.  her sister cheryl was there with us, as well as my friends tiffany and heather (and it was heather's birthday).  we drank a lot.  and listened to ann as she sang.  she had such an amazing voice.  then we drank some more and talked about when the next time we would see each other would be.  we talked about meeting back up in newfoundland.  i thought that sounded like a great plan.  her and cheryl were always so much fun together.  they adopted me as the third sister.  i love them both so much!  we hugged at the end of the night and cried a little.  not knowing when we would be together again.  if i had known then what i know now, i never would have let go.  

i smile sitting here thinking about ann.  what a woman.  what a character.  what an inspiration.  

she used to sing "what's going on" by the 4 non blonds to me.  i loved it.  we would sing at the top of our lungs. 

And so I cry sometimes when I'm lying in bed
Just to get it all out what's in my head
And I'm, I am feeling a little peculiar
So I wake in the morning and I step outside
And I take deep breath and I get real high
And I scream from the top of my lungs
What's goin' on?

every time i hear this song, i think of ann.  some days it's harder to listen to than others.  but it will always keep me connected to her.  

.....i miss you ann. 

a night for moses

tonight (in newfoundland) there is a benefit concert for my friend ann's son, moses. this poor child is only one year old and has lost his mother...what a tragic loss.

some wonderful people have gathered together to make music and celebrate the life of another wonderful musician. all proceeds will go to moses.

i wish there was a way to go back in time and record ann as she was singing. she had a wonderful voice and was an amazing writer. i wish that moses could hear her sing when he grows up.

if you want to donate, there is a paypal account set up. i'm not sure how much longer it will be around but it's there for now. just go to http://apps.facebook.com/fundrazr/activity/65eb56774abc4e5897b19de8a3e29a9a?share=true and it's pretty easy to figure out and make a donation.

thinking of you ann. sing them a tune or two up there tonight! xo