Happy New Year

December 31st. We got up this morning just in time to celebrate the coming of the New Year - Manila time. It was 8:00 a.m. here in British Columbia, midnight there. It brings back memories of last year, watching those amazing fireworks from the windows of our 30th floor apartment - a scene I will never forget (New Years Eve in Manila).

Manila New Year 2011 fireworks - taken from my window last year

We've been back in Canada for 6 months now and it has been a wonderful new adventure. I've spent quite a bit of time on the west coast but have never lived here before so it's all an exploration. I've also never lived in a small town before, so that's all new too. The rhythm of life is different now that Howard has also retired. I retired four years ago when we moved to Asia but it’s quite a change now that the Monday to Friday thing is no longer in play. The other big difference from my life in Asia is that I decided to take a year-long break from airports - staying in one place feels very restful.

Now it’s playtime. Our garden is a blank slate so we’re preparing for power shopping in the garden centers this spring. I built a beautiful cedar greenhouse to grow fuchsias and seeds and my daily puttering is a dream come true. The Bunkie in the backyard serves double duty as both guest house and studio, where I spend time on my projects, including the construction of a miniature theater. Howard bought a sailboat, a Nonsuch 26, which he’s had his eye on for a long time, so exploring the coast is in our future when spring comes. He's loving retirement (what's not to love?) and among his own projects is brewing beer. Our cottage home is now host to The Fuchsia Ranch, The Pot House and The BrewHouse. What can I say, life is good.

The DreamGreenHouse, decorated for Christmas

Someone asked me a few months ago if I missed Asia. "No", I replied, as the truth was at the time I was so busy settling in to my new life and dealing with all the trades working on the house that I barely thought of it. Then one day I cooked Kao Soi*, a Lao dish, and the aroma brought it all back in a huge, overpowering flood of memories. The power of scent. Yes indeed, I miss Asia. I subscribe through my newsreader to a site called Lao Voices to sort of keep in touch with my favourite country, and when I hear news of the recent horrible typhoon in the Philippines it brings back vivid memories of that country as well, and makes me terribly sad to imagine what those people are going through. I also miss my friends although half of them have also left Manila for other lands.

Perhaps one day we'll return to Laos once my self-imposed grounding has ended, but meanwhile this geography which is now home is fascinating to me and there is much to explore.

This year was the first time in years we have had Christmas at home (other years we were in Victoria, Laos, Viet Nam and Mangenguey Island in the Philippines) and I had great fun decorating the house and dusting off the old favourite recipes. Number 1 Son Steve came out from Ottawa to spend it with us, a huge present.


In the new year I will likely get on with creating a new platform for my tales and photos, leaving this blog behind for reasons described earlier. I will of course, post the new link here. I have expectations of great joy and creativity for 2012 and wish both my readers a very happy new year.

*Kao Soi

10 dried chili, stemmed, seeded, soaked and minced

Onion and 5 garlic cloves, chopped really finely

A couple of tablespoons fermented black bean paste

Pound of ground beef

Wide rice noodles

Beef broth

Baby bok choy or spinach

Chopped cilantro and green onion

Brown the onion, add garlic, chili and black bean paste. Add beef and brown. Cook rice noodles and bok choy, divide into bowls, add a little broth (this is not a soup so just a bit). Add a dollop (technical term) of the beef mixture, sprinkle with cilantro and green onion. 

Serve and dream of Laos.