And The Mountains Echoed

Let me begin by saying that I am a huge fan of Khaled Hosseini. His first novel, The Kite Runner, is unlike anything I've ever read before, and in its poignancy, still haunts me to this day. His second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, was also remarkable in itself, so one can imagine my excitement...

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Moraine Lake

If you google images of Canada, there's a popular picture that is sure to grab your attention. In fact, if you do that right now, I'm 100% positive your eyes will hone in on a picture of a lake, with trees around it, and with the Rocky Mountains in the background. That, my friends, is Moraine...

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Rueon Thai Restaurant

I'm not too big of a fan of curry, and since I've never really had real Thai food, I thought I wouldn't like Thai cuisine. Boy, was I wrong. Last night, on our quest to find as many ethnic restaurants in Alberta as we possibly can, hubby and I stopped at Rueon Thai Restaurant in Red Deer....

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El Pooch-o

Yeah, yeah. I know that's not how you say dog in Spanish, but that is how my husband likes to call them anyway. And yup, we have a new little pooch. I never thought I would like small dogs, but when we moved into our new place last month, we were surrounded by little doggies. We wanted one then...

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(Almost) Dream Car

I've always wanted to own a sedan. To me, they look so chic and sophisticated. But of course, my parents never wanted one, so we never had one in the Philippines. They were either too small, too low, too long, too impractical... so I drove an efficient hatchback, and then a big-ass SUV. Fast forward...

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Habemus Papam

We have a new pope, and I'm so excited for the Catholic church! After the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis I, the Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, has been elected as the new pope, after just five ballots in the conclave. He's the first Jesuit pope, and the first pope...

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The Landing

When you come to Canada as a permanent resident, you're often referred to as a "landed immigrant". It doesn't matter if you've visited the country before on a tourist or work visa, you're only "landed" when you enter the country as a permanent resident. This status is coveted by a lot of people,...

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Home Away From Home

For the longest time, I felt like I was born in the wrong country, that I was meant to be somewhere else, and meant to be with someone who was not where I was. When I met, and then married my husband, it was an unexpected yet somehow fated falling into place. Now, I live in Canada. Alberta,...

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