the stories that I'm telling.

Category: Our Stories

  • An update on Jean Luc Picard: a lion in paradise

    An update on Jean Luc Picard: a lion in paradise

    Those of you who know us super well know that Kevin and I have a complete and total obsession with our cat, the beautiful lion that we call Jean Luc Picard.

    If you’ve ever or heard him in a vehicle (mad whining, people!) you know that he is 100% not fit for air travel. So, where the heck is he?

    LIVING WITH MY PARENTS!!

    Though we never really had a consistent pet growing up (we had a dog for a small period of time, then cycled through various birds and hamsters), we were never a true pet-having family. When we told my family that we’d be moving to Cambodia for awhile, we were surprised and very pleased when my parents offered to take in our Jean Luc. And we’re more happy about that everyday, because we get regular updates from the family about him. And believe me, people, that cat is living. the. life.

    Here is a sample of the things Jean Luc Picard does on a regular basis:

    • naps in one of his two beds that are placed on a table at window height. Of course, the beds match the decor in their corresponding room.
    • Drinks water from a special bowl that keeps the water moving. This is because they kept letting him drink out of the sink, and he got used to the moving water and now refuses to drink from a regular bowl
    • Goes outside for walks on a leash
    • Sits with my mom on the deck while she reads
    • Comes running to greet someone whenever they come home
    • Takes turns alternatively sleeping on my parents’ laps while they watch TV from the couch
    • Sits in the washing machine while my mom folds laundry
    • Chases bugs and snakes in the garden
    • Freaks out when he sees birds or squirrels through the window
    • Naps. All the time. #catlife

    Here’s a video of his newest toy:

    In addition to photos and videos, my mom also shares some great anecdotes:

    Luc did a bad thing yesterday. He was on the bathroom counter while your dad was shaving and the cupboard door was open. He took his little paw and knocked out the whole glass container of Q-tips. Glass everywhere. Nicked the granite. Dad picked him up quickly so he would not cut himself. Too much, too early.

    – September 21, 2014

    Well yesterday Jean Luc had a very interesting day.
    He bit his first snake. I thought he had killed it. It curled up really tight and didn’t move for a long time. When Luc bit him, he released some kind of warning odour. The lion didn’t like it and jumped back up on the deck. Lol. Not a noticeable smell but I googled to see if it would hurt him. Nope.
    After dinner, Miss Kitty, the cat from across the street made an appearance by the back kitchen door. Luc was very upset by this. The hair on his back raised up and he hissed and let out a mean yowl. Miss Kitty was scared through the door. She wouldn’t go away though and so I went out there and chased her away. Can’t have her upsetting out lion now. She came again later but Tony chased her away. I will have to keep an eye on that. Douse her with the hose.

    – July 30th, 2014

    Last night we had a big thunderstorm and I picked him up and cradled him in his favorite blanket and he buried his head. Then Tony took blankets and covered the coffee table and made a cave for him.  He stayed in there until the storm passed. Poor little guy.

    – September 6th, 2014

    Clearly he’s in good hands – thanks Mom and Dad!!

    See photos here:

     

     

  • The Jesus Cleanse

    The Jesus Cleanse

    I’m on a cleanse of sorts – let me tell y’all all about it!

    In Cambodia, a single beer costs anywhere between 50 cents, and $1.50. The beer I’m talking about is good ol’ Cambodian beer, which in many ways is just alcoholic water with some flavour. That is, it’s not a heavy beer, and it’s not expensive at all, so it’s very easy to drink at least 2 or 3 in one sitting. And it’s very easy to do this every single day.

    Naturally, once you’re a few beers in, you’re sick of it. Don’t wanna drink beer? Don’t worry, a gin and tonic is only around $3.00 a glass, so treat yourself!

    As a result, after a few months in Cambodia I realized that I’d been consuming an inordinate amount of beer and gin, for no reason other than it was easy to do so.

    Enter: the Jesus Cleanse.

    My Jesus Cleanse, which began on Sept 9th, was supposed to accompany a 30 day yoga challenge, but that was short-lived. I have done yoga maybe 6 or 7 times in the last 11 days, which isn’t bad, but I’m too jazzed up about the Jesus Cleanse to care one way or the other about my 30 day yoga challenge.

    Hold up the phone, Heather – what’s a Jesus Cleanse?

    Like most cleanses, it’s a bunch of nonsense that I’ve made up. But unlike most cleanses, it’s pretty simple and it has no unseemly freeing effects on my digestive system/bowels (I live in Cambodia, people, that’s already taken care of!)

    Jesus Cleanse = only drink water and wine.

    Exceptions are allowed for juice and smoothies. This weekend I also allowed an exception for Coco-Cola, as I enjoyed a rare trip to McDonalds while we’re visiting Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

    When we go out to eat, when we go to the bar, when I’m at home, I only drink water or wine. For me, it’s been a great way to cut back to alcohol intake while not totally giving it up altogether.

    Besides, as a founder of Wine Wednesdays, I could hardly survive giving up wine.

    It’s worth noting that the Jesus Cleanse has nothing to do with Jesus other than being a name. I figured that since Jesus supposedly turned water into wine, and I’m only drinking water and wine, the name was apt. It’s also easy to explain to people – “sorry, no beer for me, I’m on the Jesus Cleanse – water and wine only!!”

    I don’t know that my cleanse has blessed me with any amazing feeling-ness, but I drink a lot less now, which I think lends itself to some mental clarity. I also get a prideful kick out of actually sticking with this cleanse. And honestly, there’s not much in the world that’s better for drinking than water or wine.

    If any of you have ever heard of this cleanse, or tried something similar, I’d love to know – leave a comment!

     

  • Birthday surprises with old and new friends.

    Birthday surprises with old and new friends.

    I’ve already written a bit about my birthday, but it’s my birthday and I’ll double post about it if I want to.

    Unfortunately I was unable to bite into the delicious cake that Rebecca made me, but I was given a second cake surprise in El Nido (and before that, an adventure). Like many of my stories, this one is long and rambling – grab a tea and get ready for some nonsense.

    The night before my birthday was our first night in El Nido. We started out strong, taking a chartered plane to the small airport just north of El Nido. It was pretty darn fancy – with a red carpet and everything. The airport in El Nido is mostly intended for people arriving to stay at super fancy/expensive resorts (aka not us), so it has a small choir awaiting visitors, along with lovely scenery and snacks. Check the photos below.

    Once settled in, myself and Kevin, along with my friend Anne and our new friend Loc (her former colleague who happened to arrive in El Nido on the same flight as us) spent the evening eating and drinking on the beach. At a certain point, Kevin, in total Kevin-styles, wandered off and made friends with some nearby women from Manila.

    When Anne and Loc each retired to their respective cottages, Kevin and I ended up spending the rest of our night with his two new friends, Carmela and Diana. Before the night was over, we made plans to meet the next day (my birthday) for dinner.

    (This is the tangent part of the story) After we said our goodbyes, Kevin and I embarked on the most treacherous walk of all time. In El Nido, electricity is a limited commodity, so our rural road walk from the beach to our cottage was a poorly lit to say the least. It didn’t help that we weren’t smart enough to bring a flashlight, there was a new moon (aka no moon), and it had rained that day. So, we grabbed each other’s hands, and slowly shuffled along a 600 metre rural road – a winding road that takes you past beach, farms, and a cemetery. El Nido is probably the most remote place I’ve ever been, so this walk was full of unfamiliar and occasionally terrifying sounds. For the most part, we walked in complete darkness, looking toward a small light in the far distance to guide us. When we were almost home,  I heard a strange noise, and we realized there were two cows on the road ahead of us. I was prepared to just stop and wait until they left (5 minutes previous I had considered just turning around and sleeping on the beach), but Kevin grabbed a giant stick and tapped a fence to scare them away. He then proceeded to make much noise for the rest of the walk, until we made it back – safe, and very relieved. Technically this occurred on my birthday – believe me when I say I’ve never begun a birthday with such an adventure.

    Flash forward to the next day: we woke up in paradise, and then went on a boat tour (more on that later). That night, Anne, Kevin, Loc, and myself made our way to Altrove, where Carmela, Diana, and their friends Jackie and Joel were awaiting us at a table for 8. As dinner was wrapping up, I suggested going elsewhere for dessert, but was quickly told that dessert had been pre-ordered. Ten minutes later, I was shocked when the lights went off and people began singing “happy birthday”. I actually thought “oh, fun! it’s someone’s birthday”, and turned around to see whose it was. Turns out, it was my birthday! Cake, gelato, and tears soon followed.

    I was completely taken by surprise. I spent all day with Kevin, and hadn’t seen him plan this, but that’s because it was actually Diana and Carmela who had spent a good chunk of their day coordinating all of this (at Kevin’s behest). It turns out that the night before, not only had he made 2 new friends, but he had asked them to put together this birthday surprise for me. Surprises and generosity really are the best, and I am so thankful that we’ve made such great new friends (who we’re looking forward to seeing again tomorrow in Manila!)

    Birthdays are good, but friends are great.

    tl;dr – Heather and Kevin made new friends, and Kevin conspired with them to surprise Heather with a cake at dinner on her birthday. Tears ensued. Photos below! (PS, Mom and Mom’s friends, “tl;dr” means “too long, didn’t read”)

    Our boarding passes.
    Anne and I waiting for our chartered plane to El Nido
    Not our plane, but very similar to the one we flew on.
    The view as we’re landing
    Of course when you get off a private jet, you do so on a red carpet.
    The Jeepney that took us (the short distance) from the red carpet to the waiting area (where someone later handed us our bags)
    The runway in El Nido
    Me grabbing some snacks when we arrived at the airport
    A water buffalo at the airport – because why not?
    Arriving in El Nido – check out the Canadian flags on our tricycle driver’s livery
    A scene from our scary late night walk
    Our late night walk also took us past this scene.
    Cake and homemade gelato!
    Dancing on the beach after dinner 🙂
    Our group at dinner!
    Check out Kevin’s cat sushi t-shirt!
    Kevin’s fancy new CAT SUSHI t-shirt!!!
  • Birthday Cake!

    Birthday Cake!

    For the past week, we’ve been in the Philippines, where our internet access has been woefully limited. That said, it’s well worth the isolation, because we’re actually in paradise right now. Google “El Nido, Palawan” and then start planning your own trip. It’s outrageously beautiful here. So, we’ll have many, many photos to share once we’re back in a city, but for now a quick post about my birthday cake.

    Those of you who really truly love me know that my birthday was last Saturday, August 2nd. This year on my birthday, I received something truly unique – a birthday cake, a continent away!

    My bff Rebecca writes an awesome food blog over at itsanourishingthing.com and for my birthday she baked me a cake and blogged about it! And not just any cake, but a carrot cake cheesecake. When she asked what my favourite type of cake was, I couldn’t decide whether I preferred carrot cake or mascarpone cheesecake, so she found a way to combine the two. Check out the photos below, and check out her blog as well. It’s a one stop shop for tasty yet healthy recipes that will have you rushing for the kitchen.