Expat to Expat Q&A – Food

May17

I’ve just discovered this great bunch of expat bloggers; Belinda at Found love now what? and Bailie at The Hemborg Wife  and couldn’t wait to join up with their linky sharing my expat experiences.  This months questions are all about food.

1. What is your favorite food tradition in your new country?

The Thanksgiving turkey dinner. It’s like Christmas day without the presents. ;-)  After a long summer when it’s far too hot to have the oven on for any period of time Thanksgiving, in early October, is the first roast dinner of the autumn, yummy!

 

2. Where have you traveled to that you thought had the best food to offer?

Banff in Alberta, Canada. Alberta beef is certainly the best beef I’ve ever had plus there is a big variety of restaurants, some that fly in fresh fish and seafood from the west coast, which is absolutely divine.

 

3. What is the typical breakfast where you currently live and would you eat it back home?

Pancakes & maple syrup is a weekend breakfast that we partake of quite often.  We would never have had anything sweet for breakfast back in England but now we love it.

 

4. What type of restaurant, either style or type of food, do you think is lacking in your new home?

Without any shadow of doubt it’s fish & seafood. This is the downside of living 500 miles inland, the lakes are fresh water so no seafood and few species of fish.

 

5. Do you think your home state/city/province has a food everyone should try?

I lived on the East coast of England where you were never more than a few miles from an amazing seafood restaurant.  My favourite one was The Pier, in Harwich and was about 10 meters from the sea.  They would land fish in the morning and cook it that night.  You can’t get much better than fresh East Anglia fish.

 

6. What is your favorite dish to prepare that you would never have made back home?

Anything baked (does that count as a dish?)  I never baked anything back in England as I never had the time or inclination to learn how so now I’m a SAHM I love spending hours in the kitchen baking.  Cookies and cupcakes are almost a staple here so it’s great to make them for my boys, as they love them.

 

7. What is the oddest food in your new country?

I have to agree with Molly at The Move to America Definitely beef Jerky. Dried bits of meat in a bag, stored at room temperature and eaten as a snack? What on earth is that all about?????

 

8. If you could have a crate of one type of food sent to you from your home country, what would it be?

Anything Cadburys. Chocolate is just not the same here and even though we have Cadburys it’s made to a different recipe so it’s taste odd, it baffles me why they would do that!

 

Care Package

9. What three foods remind you of summer?

Strawberries, new potatoes and hamburgers.  We used to love going to the local ‘pick your own’ farms in June to get strawberries and new potatoes. Burgers just scream barbecue weather, don’t they?

 

10. What food from your new country are you surprised to enjoy?

Pumpkin Pie.  Scooping out the innards of a pumpkin at Halloween used to make me gag.  Who knew when it was combined with some spices and baked in pastry that it would taste so heavenly?

 

Bonus:  Where was your favorite place you ever took a summer vacation to?

 

This is a hard one because as adults we haven’t had many summer holidays as we’ve been in the air conditioning industry which is, obviously, our busiest time.  I’m not sure I could honestly say it was my favourite holiday but it is certainly our most memorable holiday and that was when we drove from England down through France and Spain and across to Morocco, off roading and camping in the Sahara Desert was pretty awesome.

 

Reasons to be cheerful #9

May16

I’ve got lots of reasons to be cheerful this week, here are just a few of them

Mothers’ Day

It was mothers’ Day here in Canada last Sunday and I had a couple of lovely cards from my boys.  The rest of the days didn’t go exactly according to plan as my husband had to go off to work after an urgent phone call but I spent the day relaxing and we got a take away for dinner so I didn’t have to spend the day cooking, fab!

 

Volunteer Of Distinction Award

I have been given a Volunteer of Distinction Award for the work I do at youngest Son’s school.  It was completely unexpected and I’m really chuffed.  Another great thing related to this is one of my very young students who I have been working with is coming on in leaps and bounds, he has some pretty big speech issues that we have been working on and I can hear the difference it’s making.  I’m so proud of him.

Long Weekend

We have a long weekend coming up.  It’s the first one since the weather has warmed up so it will be lovely to have an extra day of relaxing in the sun and soaking up some vitamin D.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Camping

While I enjoy sitting here tapping away on my laptop what I should be doing is packing because we’re off for a weekend of camping fun in a stunningly beautiful provincial park a couple of hours north of us.  I am so excited and really looking forward to getting out into the wilderness and getting the boys away from the computer.  The photos above were taken when we went drove through there while here on holiday 5 years ago.  it will be lovely to stay for a few days this time and explore a bit more.

 

 

Top 5 Canadian Shopping Destinations

May15

It is a well-known fact that Canada holds some amazing sights and views and plenty of things to do but, few people know that Canada is a great destination to partake in some retail therapy. Canada has a huge variety of shops enabling you to find something to suit, whether you are looking for a small boutique, a big department store or chain and even a large mall. If you are exploring Canada it is worth knowing the top haunts to get everything you need as well as the odd thing you don’t, such as a little holiday treat.

1. Toronto Queen West

As Canada’s largest city Toronto is full of exciting and interesting things to do, one of them being shopping. If you head down Queen West you will be met with tons of one off boutiques and vintage shops allowing you to pick up a unique bargain. If you are into your art you will also find lots of independent art galleries to browse around up and coming artists. Our favourite shop is The Public Butter where you can find a ton of designer vintage clothes to snap up.

 

 

2. Toronto Yorkville

If you are looking for something a bit more mainstream as well as some great high end stores then head to Yorkville. Often touted as Canada’s version of Fifth Avenue or Rodeo drive it homes your typical high-street stores as well as major designer names like Gucci and Hermes. With 100’s of shops in the area you can easily spend a day exploring and if you get hungry along the way there areplenty of tasty dining destinations to wet your appetite.

 

 

3. Tofino Surf Shops

If you are after a more tranquil getaway you would do well to head to the quiet area of Tofino. With under 2000 residents on the area of Vancouver Island you can really enjoy some time to yourself. Based on the West Coast there are some beautiful views to be had going out to sea. As well as this, it borders one of British Colombia’s most beautiful nature reserves. Tofino is definitely one for the active visitors, with lots of walks as well as some great waves to catch a surf. In terms of shopping there are several great one off surf shops, which also offer great surfing lessons if you are no expert. There are lots of great Tofino hotels available too if you are staying for just a couple of days or want to make the most of it and stay even longer.

 

 

4. Montreal’s Rue St- Denis

If you are more of a cutting edge fashion kind of person then you couldn’t do any better than to hit Saint Denis Street with its multitude of charming boutiques and quirky designer stores.  This is especially a street to hit in the summer with plenty of cafés and restaurants with terraces that soak up the ambience of the strip. As well as some well-known and commercial shops there are plenty of one off unique stores from up and coming designers allowing you to stay ahead of the trend.

5. Quebec City, Rue St Paul

Rue St Paul also in Montreal, but in the historic area of Quebec  provides you with a completely different scene than the young and hip St-Denis. Saint Paul’s cobbled streets are steeped in history mapping the route of a path that bordered a former fort.  As Montreal’s oldest street it is perhaps fitting that it is renowned for its bustling antique stores. Whether its china, furniture or art, your vintage and antique needs can be met here and you will be sure to find some unique items in an excellent condition.

 

This article was written by Susan Varano, a freelance writer specialising in travel. Susan is well travelled and has reported on destinations from all around the world.

 

 

The Gallery – New

May15

I’m kind of spoilt for choice with Tara’s theme this week for The Gallery but nevertheless I still spent the best part of two days deciding what photo I would use or what new thing I would talk about.

 

So I chose this photo of a new shoot that was taken last week when my husband was giving me some instruction on the use of my camera.  I thought it represents us perfectly.

Part and parcel of expat life is the newness of it all.  New experiences and new discoveries are still everyday occurrences: driving down a new street, finding something new in the grocery store or meeting a new person.  As we rapidly approach the two-year mark since our move we still have that feeling of being brand new immigrants and we’re still trying to find our feet in many respects.  The upcoming summer months promise to continue on this trend of newness.  My husband is unhappy in his job so is looking for a change either he’ll change his role at work or we’ll go ahead with our own business again.  Eldest son leaves high school and is off to College and we’re planning on exploring some more of this amazing country we live in.  So that new little green shoot represents our family who are just at the beginning of our expat journey with the promise of it blossoming into something amazing.

Magic Moments – Volunteering

May13

I’ve wanted to join in with Jaime’s Magic moments for a while now but as my boys are quite grown up the days when there are real magic moments regularly like first teeth, first smile, first steps etc are long gone.  So when I had a bolt from the blue this week I knew it was perfect for my first magic moment post.

 

I volunteer regularly at my youngest sons school.  For two days a week I take students who need extra help and give them individual attention and one day a week I help serve pizza lunches to raise funds for the school.  I am also the secretary for our School Community Council (SCC), a regular assistant for our immunisation clinics plus any other things that the school needs help with including the odd school trip.

Is it crazy that it’s only now that I’m writing this list it occurs to me that I’m there quite a lot?!

Anyway, I digress. At our penultimate SCC meeting last Thursday I’m busy taking notes for the minutes and the Principal is working through her agenda when she comes across the next item, the Volunteer of Distinction award.  I was totally gob smacked when she announced me as the recipient this year.  As revealed  in my I Am Me post last week I can’t bare being the centre of attention and I embarrass easily so I was really grateful that I have long hair to hide behind as my face burned scarlet while my fellow SCC members beamed at me.  I’m so glad no one had a camera handy because it was such a surprise my mouth was hanging open, boy, I must have looked like a complete idiot!

I don’t volunteer to get anything in return, I do it because have the time to do it and it is rewarding work.  I certainly never expected to be singled out to receive an award for it.  Anyway, I’ll have a presentation at the headquarters of our School Board in the autumn where they have a ceremony to honour the Volunteers of Distinction but more than that I am just so pleased to be appreciated and it’s great to know that I am making a difference.

I am Me

May10

 

I am Me

 

I was totally blown away when I read this post by Jaime at The Oliver’s Madhouse called I Am Me where she shared how she was so much more than just a mum, which was an idea originally started by Rachel at Three years & Home and now it’s a bit of a new fad spreading through the blogosphere. The idea really struck a chord with me and I immediately decided I wanted to join in and do the same.

Since moving to Canada I find myself constantly justifying my ‘stay at home Mum’ status.  People are naturally curious about where we have come from and why we are here but one of the first questions is ‘what do you do?’ I guess it makes people feel comfortable when they can put labels on you.  I admit I would use the phrase ‘just a mum’ and now I say ‘I’m not working right now’ even though my days are full to bursting of unpaid work and I really don’t think that sounds much better.  I am fed up justifying who I am, what I do and what my choices are.

 

I am a

Wife, mum, daughter, sister, grandaughter, auntie, sister-in-law, loyal friend, worrier, people pleaser, self doubter, volunteer, hardworker, organiser, day dreamer


I am sometimes

Quiet, homesick, lonely, overly sensitive, an over thinker, brave, determined, protective, shy, generous, impulsive, emotional, easily embarrassed


I Like

Taking walks, spending time with my family, colourful nail varnish, pretty shoes and handbags, chilled dry white wine, iced latte, yoga, camping, forests, flowers, sailing, being by the sea, going to the zoo, seafood, making lists, my Pandora bracelet, lay ins, singing loudly in the car, having a back massage, reading a good book

I dislike

Being the centre of attention, spiders, disloyalty, selfish people, being taken advantage of, peas, being away from my family and friends, crazy drivers, ignorant people, disorganisation, leaving things to the last minute, dishonesty, laziness, stress,

 

I am me. I am way more than just a mum.

 


Reasons to be Cheerful #8

May9

Last week wasn’t a particularly good week, truth be told, and not really for any specific reason other than I got up on the wrong side of the bed Monday morning and I didn’t managed to shake the grumpy feeling for days so I didn’t join in with R2BC last week and then everything change…

 

Spring has Sprung

In fact we kind of bypassed spring and leapt feet first straight into summer.  The weather has been glorious for days now, it’s hard to believe two weeks ago while I went out for my walk it there was a -5 wind chill and today I got sunburned going out for an hour. This is a fabulous time of year when we are outside and soaking up as much vitamin D as possible after a long winter.  The birds are singing their little hearts out, it’s been lovely and warm and everywhere you look things are shooting and blooming all over.  I’ve made time to get out for a walk everyday so far this week and even treated myself to 20 minute break sitting on the sand on the beach to cool down after a long hike.

 

 

I’m learning to say “No”

I admit I’m a bit of a people pleaser, I can’t bare letting people down and I like to help people where I can but often find people take advantage of that.  I’d made the decision not to be so soft when we emigrated but slowly I’ve been slipping back into my old ways.  I volunteer at youngest sons school and although I enjoy the work I admit have taken on too much and I feel like they are taking advantage of my generous nature a smidge but I made a commitment and I shall stick with it until the end of term but in the meantime I won’t be saying yes to every extra thing they ask me to do if I can’t fit it in.  It’s only 6 weeks until the end of the school year, the boys will be home for the summer and I can do as I please, I can’t wait.

 

Bloggy stuff

I was mentioned in the Brit Mums newbie round up this week, see here.

It’s so hard starting out as a blogger and I admit that as I have little self confidence I often wonder if anyone is actually interested in what I write or if I’m good enough so it has been really great lately that I’ve had loads of positive feedback, lots of new followers, great new opportunities have come my way and I’ve had a few mentions on some big websites.  I’m really glad I joined the blogosphere.

 

No More Illness

After over a month of sickness bugs, throat infections, eye infections, coughs and colds we are finally all healthy.  Phew!

 

Snuggles with a newborn

It’s been a while since I’ve had that so it was lovely at the weekend to have cuddles with my cousin-in-law’s (is that even a thing???) 6 week old daughter. She is gorgeous and gave me huge smiles and fell asleep in my arms, bless!

So what are your reasons to be cheerful this week?

 

The Gallery – The Weekend

May8

This week Tara gave us a much kinder Gallery theme than last week – This week our prompt is The Weekend

 

This is where I spent the majority of last weekend as the temperature finally rose into the 20’s.  In fact this is where I will spend the majority of my time over the weekends until mid October.  My multifunctional deck which during the summer months transforms into my dining room, kitchen, lounge and office.

Since our move to Canada our weekends have become much less valuable.  When hubbie and I were running our own business in the UK we had a need to escape the house, and my office, during the weekend in order to relax and get away from it all but now that our whole life is calmer we are perfectly content to spend our weekends at home.

So Saturday and Sunday finds me here on the deck, writing, skyping my family in England or simply sitting in the sunshine watching the birds on the feeder or the squirrels chasing each other through the trees.  Fortunately my husband made a very good choice when he chose our house as we back on to tall trees and a river so we get a vast array of birds and animals in the garden.  The river is a haven for wildlife and my deck gives me a great vantage point to observe it from and if you sit quietly enough you get to glimpse a sight like this:

 

If I’m not chilling on the deck I’m walking by the lake soaking up the sun and getting some exercise or better still sitting on the beach listening to the waves.