Thursday, September 13, 2007
Throwback Thursday #13
Yay! It's Thursday! You know what this means! It's Throwback Thursday time! Make sure you check out the Pinks and Blues Girls' blog too. They're the geniuses behind these weekly walks down memory lane.This set of photos are pretty special to me. I often post old pics of my family on my mom's side. The reason for this is because I don't have too many photos of my dad's side. We are all separated geographically (Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec, New York, Trinidad, and the Dominican Republic). It's hard to get together on a regular basis. Growing up, I lived just around the corner from my cousins on my mom's side, so we saw each other all the time.
In the first photo, I'm with my cousins from Toronto and the Dominican Republic. Now, some of them are in their 20s and the rest are teenagers! I cannot believe how fast time flies! I don't know why, but both my brothers are missing, along with my two cousins from New York and my cousins from Ottawa and Quebec.
Here's a family photo with my grandmother (Dad's mom). She's a really fit lady! She goes speed walking in the mornings! I can't believe how little BabyBro is in this photo! Now he's in his last year of university!!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
You know you're an English (as a second language) teacher when...
1) You get a kick out of Engrish and laugh for hours about a funny sentence or word.
2) You can understand your students when no one else can :)
3) You love doing grammar activities with your students!
4) One of your favourite websites is http://www.engrish.com/. (Photo from engrish.com)
5) Your dreams are filled with dipthongs and dangling modifiers.
6) You know that "iJa Ja Ja!" means "Ha ha ha!" in Spanish, "Chusok" is Korean Thanksgiving, "Ohanami" is the Japanese cherry blossom festival and "Caipirinha" is Brazil's national cocktail.
7) You keep a book of all your favourite quotes from students.
8) Your students are some of the most important people to you.
I actually do have a book of quotes from students. I take out the book and read some passages when I need a pick-me-up :) Some of the quotes are so endearing and just so sweet. Take for example:
*"I love to eat octopus balls." *"I hate he!" *"Time flies like arrow."
*"I am confusion." *"I like to play with my boyfriend on weekends."
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
I'm a Geek...and I know it!
The CBC aired a show the other night that was intended to "Test the Nation" on our language ability. It was a very clever show and you could take the interactive test while watching the show on TV or log onto their website and take the test there. I often comment on how upsetting it is for me to see many basic grammar rules misused (subject and verb agreement, the use of double negatives, dangling modifiers, etc) and it sometimes irks me when people make very basic spelling mistakes (to/too, who's/whose, there/their/they're). I hate to admit this, but I am pretty uptight when it comes to these things. I blame this on me Majoring in English in university and teaching advanced grammar in the ESL schools I've taught at. Of course, on the blog and in e-mail and Facebook messages, I try to be a little more relaxed about writing and language. I am trying to let the blog be my place for free-writing and stream of consciousness-type writing. I do try to turn a blind eye if I spot mistakes in my writing, but it's something I must learn to relax with. I get angry when I see stupid/careless mistakes in my posts, but I need to learn to not be so anal about things.
I love English tests, word games, word puzzles, Scrabble, and anything to do with English grammar and vocabulary. Hubby and I took the "Test the Nation: Watch Your Language" test the other night, and I was very disappointed in myself. I scored 66/70. That's 94%...not 100%! True, I'm still a nerd, but I still didn't get a perfect score.
My score breakdown is as follows:
Spelling, Eh! 5/5
Modern English 4/4
Everyday Mistakes 10/10
Made in Canada 11/12
Nursery Rhymes 4/4
Euphamisms 4/5
Word Origins 7/8
Language Terms 4/4
Txt Talk 5/5
Plurals 4/4
The Arts 3/3
What The...? 2/2
Expressions 3/4
Though I pulled an "A" on the test, I wasn't thoroughly pleased with myself. I was a bit peeved that I got all the grammar, spelling, vocabulary and linguistics questions correct, but had trouble with some of the word origins questions. I thought the word origins questions would be something like "Which language is the root for this word?" or "Is this originally a Germanic or Latin word?". I would have been okay if they asked "What is the meaning of this word in Latin?". How on earth am I supposed to know what a nickname is for a person from Saskatoon? Do you know what a "BC Special" is? I thought it was marijuana. Apparently, it's a type of housing. Those questions stumped me.
How large is your lexicon? How versed are you in the vernacular? Take the test and find out here.
| You Scored an A |
 You got 10/10 questions correct. It's pretty obvious that you don't make basic grammatical errors. If anything, you're annoyed when people make simple mistakes on their blogs. As far as people with bad grammar go, you know they're only human. And it's humanity and its current condition that truly disturb you sometimes. |
Sunday, September 09, 2007
Freaky
It seems like everyone is on Facebook now. My entire family is on Facebook. Yes, even my mom and dad are on Facebook! There are many things I love about Facebook, like how it has enabled me to get in touch with long lost friends from elementary school, high school, college, university and from my work overseas. Without Facebook, we would probably not have otherwise been able to find each other. The social networking service also helps me keep in touch with family and friends regularly by us leaving messages for each other.
One of my aunts recently sent me a message that really alarmed me. A friend of hers wrote this e-mail to her:
"I have never gone near Facebook because it is one mechanism used by "bad" people to find out information about someone they want to do an "identifty theft" on - the more they know about someone, the easier it is to impersonate him. So I'm not sure if being on facebook is a good thing or not...I feel complimented, but wary..."
This is actually not the first time I have heard something like this. I read a few articles on MSN news and on other online news sites about this very topic. With internet fraud and identity theft, services like MySpace, Facebook and Orkut (just to name a few) make it easier for someone to impersonate you on the internet. It's quite scary!
Am I going to stop using Facebook? No. However, I'm going to be a lot more careful of what I do on there and what information is divulged.
**UPDATE**: I added GoogleAds on the blog and was alarmed when I saw an ad for "Boys in Panties". I was rather freaked out since I don't want any "questionable" material on here. That just really worries me. Anyway, a friend (thanks, T!) checked out the link and it was an ad for the "boy cut" style in women's panties. The link takes you to Shopzilla, where you can find all styles, sizes and colours of "boy cut" panties. Thanks again, T. That was really worrisome!
Thursday, September 06, 2007
You Hairy Beast
"Please, Mommy...Don't do it!!!" is probably what my poor pooch was thinking when he saw me walking towards him with a pair of grooming scissors in hand.
I love my dog. I really do. I've even been told that I baby him too much. He's got a zillion toys and a fluffy bed, an insulated two bedroom dog house with a roof that flips open (that he rarely even sleeps in!), and he gets to go on road trips and regular trips to the beach.
I can't help it. Chance has been my baby for five years. He is my first baby. I remember getting him when he was a tiny little thing. He fit into the palm of my hand and weighed about 4 lbs. He loved taking baths in the bathroom sink. He was the cutest, funniest, sweetest puppy ever. He's been my companion, my buddy, and confidant through many good times and some not so good times.
When I lived in Toronto, Chance used to get groomed twice a year. I'd drop him off at the groomer's and a few hours and nearly $100 later, I'd come back to be greeted by a sheepish looking pooch, all decked out in a red scarf! Too cute!
Now that I live in the country and Chance is no longer a "city dog", he doesn't get the same kind of pampered pet treatment (mainly because I still haven't found a groomer yet). Much to Chance's dismay, it's up to Mommy to brush his coat, get rid of his undercoat, clip his nails, bathe him and trim his hair.
This dog is hairy. No matter what lengths I go to in order to keep him presentable, he still always manages to come out looking matted, shaggy and just plain messy! Poor thing. Ask Curiosity Killer! When she was visiting us on the island, she even helped me cut some burrs off of the shaggy dog's hair! He always has burrs in his coat!
This is what Chance looked before I got scissors-happy:
...and this is what he looked like after. Gosh! Poor doggy! I am sooooooooo sorry!!!
Yes, I realize I still have to trim the hair on his leg, get a few more burrs off his tail, and maybe trim the little wings near his ears. Now I know how my younger brothers felt every time they saw my mom walk towards them with her scissors and razor kit. Hey, at least Chance won't complain to his friends about having a bowl cut!!!
Yes, I realize I still have to trim the hair on his leg, get a few more burrs off his tail, and maybe trim the little wings near his ears. Now I know how my younger brothers felt every time they saw my mom walk towards them with her scissors and razor kit. Hey, at least Chance won't complain to his friends about having a bowl cut!!!It's Here!!!
It's finally here! After much anticipation, my book has arrived! Imagine my excitement when Hubby walked in with the mail. I love, love, love getting stuff in the mail! Wait, let me rephrase that. I love getting stuff in the mail that isn't in the form of a) bills or b) junk mail.
I've been reading Diesel's blog for over a year now. He is a really funny guy. If you haven't seen his caption contests, you simply must take a peek! In his posts, there is a touch of wit, charm, humour, and a good poke at the absurd. When he said that he was coming out with a book, I just had to check it out! Since the book is somewhat of a compilation of the things you'd read on his blog, it truly is an Antisocial Commentary.
Can't wait to delve into the book! Thanks Diesel!
PS. I love how the personal inscription is written upside down! For some reason, it seems quite fitting! ;)
Throwback Thursday #12
Every week, I look forward to posting my Throwback Thursdays and checking out other blog members' photos and stories. It always amazes me how this wonderful trend (which was initiated by the girls at Pinks and Blues) has become such a large part of many people's blogs around the world.In this set you will find some of my favourite photos. The first one is of Dad feeding me when I was only a few days old. I was only 5 lbs. 6 oz when I was born and my poor Mom was in labour for almost a day! I had jaundice and I was colicky. Being first time parents, sleep deprived, and having to deal with a baby that cried all the time because of colic was just so hard on them. They survived though :) My grandmother lost a few pounds and dropped a few dress sizes when she came to help my Mom with me!
I love this next photo of Dad and me. Check out the glasses! Dad and I were buddies when I was little. We even wore matching tees! 
Fast forward twenty years (OMG...it sounds scary to say that! It makes me sound so old!). Here we are on Dad's visit to Japan. I was teaching in Japan for two years and halfway through, I got homesick. Dad was on a business trip in Hong Kong and made a pit stop to see me for a week. I was soooooo happy to see him. I really miss the time we spent together in Japan. It was really special. I don't think I have ever spent that much time alone with Dad ever. I learned that he was funny, fun, crazy...when all along I always knew him as being super strict and all about work, education and business. We went bar hopping together and stayed out late going to Karaoke bars, singing really bad 80's songs with my friends.This photo was taken in the mountains. One of my very good Japanese friends knew my Dad loved plants and flowers, so she took us to this really beautiful place in the countryside.
Just a shot of me in my very little apartment. That one room was my living room, dining room, and bedroom!
This last photo was taken last year. What an emotional day.
Just a shot of me in my very little apartment. That one room was my living room, dining room, and bedroom!
This last photo was taken last year. What an emotional day. Tuesday, September 04, 2007
The F-word!!!
When I was 13, my youngest brother was 2 years old. Back when VHS was still popular, we had the habit of renting lots and lots of movies. Every Friday was "family night". We popped popcorn in our brand new, fancy microwave. Ooooh, la la! Microwave pop corn! What a novel idea back then! I have no idea why, but my dad had rented a bunch of Richard Pryor movies. Apparently, he had no idea that there was so much swearing in R.P.'s movies! We grew up in a very strict household, where absolutely no swearing was tolerated! In one particular movie, Moving, we were all howling with laughter because despite the film's poor choice of vocabulary, it was a funny film. Well, every second word was F-this or F-that. F*** everywhere. 
We were laughing and my baby brother was giggling too. He went up to the huge aquarium we had and tapped on the glass and said, "F-you, fishies!!!" We were shocked and were silenced for a moment...and then we broke out in laughter. Mom was not impressed.
Baby Bro then went to my dad and bopped him on the head with his toy and said, "F-you, Papa!" Again, the laughter was unstoppable. We could tell Mom was clearly worried now.
We were laughing and my baby brother was giggling too. He went up to the huge aquarium we had and tapped on the glass and said, "F-you, fishies!!!" We were shocked and were silenced for a moment...and then we broke out in laughter. Mom was not impressed.Baby Bro then went to my dad and bopped him on the head with his toy and said, "F-you, Papa!" Again, the laughter was unstoppable. We could tell Mom was clearly worried now.
Here's where things get interesting. Baby Bro, Middle Bro and I had a dental appointment the next day and the dentist said that Baby Bro was too old for his bottle and needed to get weaned. He said it wasn't good for him to still be on a bottle at 2 years of age. Mom didn't have the heart to take away Baby Bro's bottle, so the dentist said he'd do it.
Our dentist (the coolest dentist ever!) spoke gently to Baby Bro, saying he was a big boy now and didn't need his bottle. He took the bottle and put it in the garbage can. Baby Bro was in shock and stood there for a while. He then opened the garbage can, retrieved his bottle, and looked the dentist in the eye and said, "F*** YOU, Dr. (insert name here)!!!!"
I remember my mom's face getting pale, her eyes bulging out of their sockets and her mouth dropping to the floor. Then she scooped up Baby Bro and we were out of there in a flash. We never did return to that dentist again...
Sunday, September 02, 2007
She Came Bearing Presents...
My dear friend, Curiosity Killer is a thoughtful person. She traveled from the other end of the globe and brought some pressies for us.
Included in my loot were:
*and finally, a bottle of pre-mixed Mojito. Ooooh la la!
Now, CK is a very attentive listener (or reader). She noticed that I had mentioned the word mojito several times prior to her trip to the island...or perhaps it was all the virtual mojitos I was sending everyone on Facebook? Anyway, CK knows that I'm not much of a drinker and that my current lifestyle does not permit for the debauchery of my college days. [Note: I've had only a handful of drinks in the past year and those were only when: a) we were at a wedding and b) we were with friends from out of town and they wanted to share some wine.] However, the occasional drink on a hot summer afternoon, while lounging with a good friend is sometimes a very welcomed treat. The one thing CK knew was that I was craving the sweet, refreshing citrus drink. My first taste of the sweet lime drink was when a student of mine from Mexico made it for me. It's a traditional Cuban drink made with mint, rum, sugar cane juice, lime and carbonated water.
Here's a funny story for you. CK and I decided to pop open the ready to drink mojito mix. I poured us each a glass and we, being the classy gals that we are (*laughing because you know what's coming*), we sipped our mojitos and did some long overdue catching up. As the giggle fest ensued, we noticed that after only half a glass each, we were quickly becoming inebriated. We started laughing at our sad display and decided to put the mojitos back in the fridge and take a break from them.
Included in my loot were: *a bag of Milk Chewy candies- They're little, chewy, milky sweet candies. They remind me a bit of that Chinese White Rabbit candy.
*a box of cracker-type sticks that look like pretzel sticks. I don't know what they are called because I can't read Chinese. I should have asked CK what they're called. Hubby and I haven't tried them yet, but they look yummy. From the picture on the box, it looks like it's vegetable flavoured.
*a box of Lovely Puff cookie thingies. It looks like they're little chocolate-filled cookie puffs. You've got to love Asia. Most Asian countries have amazing snacks!
*a few packages of crackers. They remind me of a Japanese snack I used to eat when I was teaching in Japan. It's hard to describe the taste. The crackers are both savoury, yet slightly sweet and at the same time, a little salty. Does that make sense? I split a package with Hubby and he enjoyed the crackers as much as I did. I'm somewhat of a scrooge with it comes to things like this. I try to ration things so they last longer! LOL!
*and finally, a bottle of pre-mixed Mojito. Ooooh la la!
Now, CK is a very attentive listener (or reader). She noticed that I had mentioned the word mojito several times prior to her trip to the island...or perhaps it was all the virtual mojitos I was sending everyone on Facebook? Anyway, CK knows that I'm not much of a drinker and that my current lifestyle does not permit for the debauchery of my college days. [Note: I've had only a handful of drinks in the past year and those were only when: a) we were at a wedding and b) we were with friends from out of town and they wanted to share some wine.] However, the occasional drink on a hot summer afternoon, while lounging with a good friend is sometimes a very welcomed treat. The one thing CK knew was that I was craving the sweet, refreshing citrus drink. My first taste of the sweet lime drink was when a student of mine from Mexico made it for me. It's a traditional Cuban drink made with mint, rum, sugar cane juice, lime and carbonated water.
Here's a funny story for you. CK and I decided to pop open the ready to drink mojito mix. I poured us each a glass and we, being the classy gals that we are (*laughing because you know what's coming*), we sipped our mojitos and did some long overdue catching up. As the giggle fest ensued, we noticed that after only half a glass each, we were quickly becoming inebriated. We started laughing at our sad display and decided to put the mojitos back in the fridge and take a break from them.
Is it because I'm Asian and Asians can't really tolerate alcohol? Is it because I don't drink much to begin with? Is it because I'm no longer in my 20's? CK thinks it's because we drank it straight and that's what did us in. You mean you're not supposed to drink the stuff straight? Oh, and yes... I ran out of ice. I don't know what it was, but we were both laughing about it. Hubby thought it was funny too, when he saw CK's and my half-filled glasses in the fridge.
Ahhhhh...CK, thank you for the laughs. Thank you for the pressies. Thank you for visiting! Hope you enjoyed your few days on the island, and we hope you enjoy the bottle of homemade maple syrup, courtesy of Hubby! xo
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Curiosity Killer's World Tour- This Stop: Canada
This post is a joint effort between Curiosity Killer and yours truly. Photos by: CK and C (but mostly by CK). Check out CK's post in a few days. She'll be posting after she returns to Hong Kong and perhaps after she recovers from jet lag!
Many of you know that my gal pal, Curiosity Killer is in the final stretch of her Canadian Tour. After partying, visiting with her friends, shopping and enjoying her time in Toronto, she concluded her North American visit with a trip to the Island.
CK and I were friends in Toronto, but have surprisingly grown even closer after we both moved away. Thanks to the Internet, e-mail and blogging, we've been able to keep in touch.
There's no doubt that when CK said she'd be coming up to the island, I was excited! I just love this girl! She's so much fun, she's crazy like me, and she is intelligent and super talented! She's an accomplished pianist and a piano teacher, a fantastic cook, and is just filled with creativity and imagination. She's been one of the few friends of mine who has made the trip to the island every year since I've been up here. She was even at our wedding last summer.
CK and I spent the first day sightseeing. We went to the Bridal Veil Falls and then kicked back at my place with some mojitos. We then met up with Hubby and CK's friend, Mr. Über Coolness at the Garden's Gate Restaurant for supper. As always, the food was delicious. Hubby and I both had the Fettucini Alfredo with chicken. Mr. Über Coolness had the blackened trout, and CK had the whitefish. The mushroom soup and the vegetables were also very mouthwatering. None of us had room for dessert, but being the horrible people we are, we all decided to have some. I had the keylime pie (how predictable am I?), while Hubby and CK had the chocolate torte and Mr. Über Coolness had the Mad About Chocolate Cheesecake. We would recommend everything on the menu, because everything is so delicious! There isn't anything on the menu that we don't like at this restaurant.
The following day, CK and Mr. Über Coolness wanted to buy some fish from Purvis Fishery. I was impressed that they knew about Purvis fish! On Fridays (in the summer), the Purvis truck comes to town and parks in the parking lot where the Farqhuars' Ice Cream building is. People line up on Fridays for this! It's an event in its own! The fish is delicious and so fresh. I'm not a fish person, but I do love Purvis fish! I'd like to recommend the smoked trout in cajun flavour. 
Afterward, we went to Red Lodge Resort. Hubby and I are friends with the owners of the resort. They have a lovely restaurant nestled in the middle of the most picturesque setting. We had the dumpling soup, vegetables, mashed potatoes, and Rouladen, a German dish of meat rolls filled with bacon, onions and pickles. Instead of mashed potatoes, CK opted for the homemade Spätzle (German noodles). CK and I were bad and shared a Peach Melba for dessert.
For a unique dining experience, Red Lodge is also a nice place to try. It is really neat to be able to eat authentic German food and be by the water.
Lounging around at the Red Lodge. How relaxing and perfect can an afternoon possibly be?
On Saturday, Hubby and I were invited to Mr. Über Coolness' cottage for a BBQ. Hubby and I brought our homemade burgers and brought buns and drinks, while CK cooked up a storm. She made a deliciously sweet carrot soup, bacon covered in Hubby's homemade maple syrup, bruschetta with pesto sauce and topped with trout from Purvis, and some BBQ'd trout prepared with one of CK's wonderful assortment of ingredients.
We were stuffed and the pooch was exhausted. Chance thoroughly enjoyed himself at Mr. Über Coolness' cottage. He swam, fetched sticks in the water, and entertained himself by chasing rocks.
It was indeed the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon. CK, we miss you already! xo
Many of you know that my gal pal, Curiosity Killer is in the final stretch of her Canadian Tour. After partying, visiting with her friends, shopping and enjoying her time in Toronto, she concluded her North American visit with a trip to the Island.CK and I were friends in Toronto, but have surprisingly grown even closer after we both moved away. Thanks to the Internet, e-mail and blogging, we've been able to keep in touch.
There's no doubt that when CK said she'd be coming up to the island, I was excited! I just love this girl! She's so much fun, she's crazy like me, and she is intelligent and super talented! She's an accomplished pianist and a piano teacher, a fantastic cook, and is just filled with creativity and imagination. She's been one of the few friends of mine who has made the trip to the island every year since I've been up here. She was even at our wedding last summer.
CK and I spent the first day sightseeing. We went to the Bridal Veil Falls and then kicked back at my place with some mojitos. We then met up with Hubby and CK's friend, Mr. Über Coolness at the Garden's Gate Restaurant for supper. As always, the food was delicious. Hubby and I both had the Fettucini Alfredo with chicken. Mr. Über Coolness had the blackened trout, and CK had the whitefish. The mushroom soup and the vegetables were also very mouthwatering. None of us had room for dessert, but being the horrible people we are, we all decided to have some. I had the keylime pie (how predictable am I?), while Hubby and CK had the chocolate torte and Mr. Über Coolness had the Mad About Chocolate Cheesecake. We would recommend everything on the menu, because everything is so delicious! There isn't anything on the menu that we don't like at this restaurant.
The following day, CK and Mr. Über Coolness wanted to buy some fish from Purvis Fishery. I was impressed that they knew about Purvis fish! On Fridays (in the summer), the Purvis truck comes to town and parks in the parking lot where the Farqhuars' Ice Cream building is. People line up on Fridays for this! It's an event in its own! The fish is delicious and so fresh. I'm not a fish person, but I do love Purvis fish! I'd like to recommend the smoked trout in cajun flavour. 
Afterward, we went to Red Lodge Resort. Hubby and I are friends with the owners of the resort. They have a lovely restaurant nestled in the middle of the most picturesque setting. We had the dumpling soup, vegetables, mashed potatoes, and Rouladen, a German dish of meat rolls filled with bacon, onions and pickles. Instead of mashed potatoes, CK opted for the homemade Spätzle (German noodles). CK and I were bad and shared a Peach Melba for dessert.For a unique dining experience, Red Lodge is also a nice place to try. It is really neat to be able to eat authentic German food and be by the water.
Lounging around at the Red Lodge. How relaxing and perfect can an afternoon possibly be?
On Saturday, Hubby and I were invited to Mr. Über Coolness' cottage for a BBQ. Hubby and I brought our homemade burgers and brought buns and drinks, while CK cooked up a storm. She made a deliciously sweet carrot soup, bacon covered in Hubby's homemade maple syrup, bruschetta with pesto sauce and topped with trout from Purvis, and some BBQ'd trout prepared with one of CK's wonderful assortment of ingredients.
We were stuffed and the pooch was exhausted. Chance thoroughly enjoyed himself at Mr. Über Coolness' cottage. He swam, fetched sticks in the water, and entertained himself by chasing rocks.
It was indeed the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon. CK, we miss you already! xo
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About the Blog Author
City girl moves to the country, falls in love, and marries a farmer. She tries to incorporate her city ways with her new country lifestyle and blogs to keep in touch with friends, family & students who live far, far away :) Can this city girl go country? Watch as she learns all sorts of exciting things about life on the farm and in a small rural community. *UPDATE* We are now parents! Our baby girl was born on Nov. 11, 2008 (at 28 weeks gestation- 12 weeks premature, but she's quite the trooper)!!!
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