toronto & off to calgary

Currently relaxing at aunts' house after having a big dim sum-ish feast with Pheuy and Betsy up in the northern boondocks around Finch and Yonge. Intriguing concept at the restaurant: nice, fresh dim sum served on an English-style tea tray (3 layers, gold-rimmed plates) and with a couple of lovely scones on the top. We're hoping to sneak out on Seung Yi and go catch Hancock with Emma and Adam at the Beaches at 5:00. All in all, a very fine Toronto day.

I'm currently anxious about my impending driving test on Wednesday. Don't want to write about it much but it'll be my G test. Hopefully it'll go well. I'm also starting to think all the time about plans for the new school year. It'd be nice to have a week to just sit quietly in front of a computer and get life sorted out, but since when do those opportunities arise when you need them?

Upcoming plans include Phet departing for Bangkok with his Dad tomorrow and then after a night there he'll carry on to Delhi and start to get life geared up there once again. It's always kind of surreal when we're about to transition from one place to the next. The current place that I'm in suddenly takes on extra savour but also a bit of an air of unreality. And then for the first few days back in the new place it's all very disorienting. This time, the thing that struck me when we hit London was how extraordinarily clean and perfect everyone's clothes were. Like, not a spot not a stich out of place. On anyone. So I'm starting to mentally prepare to be back in Delhi, but you can never really get ready for a place until you're actually there. Y'know what I mean?

For the last couple of weeks Ji and Seung Yi and I will first be in Toronto doing errandy stuff (I have my 6 month dermatology check up with the wonderful Dr. Jambrozic coming up) and then I'm going to take Princess off to Calgary to see her Great Grampa. The big news out there, as you may know is that Grampa IS SELLING THE FARM. He finally decided that the time had come to find alternate arrangements. He's 88 now and with Rob in the hospital still in physical rehab (and likely to have to have further support for his other challenges) it won't be possible for them to stay together as they have been since Gramma went into the nursing home. Dad has been out there full time since the week before school ended, helping Grampa sort things out and taking care of him and also visiting Uncle Rob every day at the hospital. Of course it's been a total drag because we haven't seen him and on his side of course it is very stressful, but the good news is that in our absence, he's gone wildly techno: he bought a Mac laptop, a new digital camera, and a CELL PHONE. Daaaang.

***

Ok: the next day. Hancock was confused; should've been a funny anti-hero story or a tragic romance of the ages but tried to be both. Lovely to get to hang out with my sister and her wonderful husband, though. Haven't mentioned it, but Adam is a terrific, terrific uncle. He has inherited Frances and Don's calm and happy approach to hanging out with and entertaining kids and is a massive favourite with his neice and nephew. He not only takes them swimming, plays with them, listens to them, but also does things like actually AGREE to tell Ji Hong the most disgusting story he could come up with (I accidentally sat at the table when this particular story was being told and had to leave quickly after the first sentence I heard - coming from Adam - contained Ji's favourite three gross out words, 'vomit', 'pooh', and 'pee'), and at Mum and Dad's barbeque the other night spent hours with Ji Hong sketching an anklyosaurus. Now that is a fine uncle in the tradition of Uncles Pat, Phil, John et al.

Family kudos are also going out to Pheuy's girlfriend, Betsy, who hosted lunch at a cool restuarant yesterday, talked to Ji about crazy science stuff (she, as a pharmacist, is in the know), and then when they met up for dinner brought an ice cream maker in the shape of a ball you can kick around for Ji Hong, and a no-colour marker Princess colouring book for Seung Yi. Wow, we are lucky to have such wonderful people in our family, teaching and entertaining our kids.

Now, today it's 10:08 and Phet and his Dad are off to the airport very shortly. We wish them luck as they journey to Bangkok and we hope that Phet will do a few posts on Fixed Address next week because he's taking the computer and (because I'm stoopid and don't do an online blog) I won't have access. Love to everyone, and thanks for such a wonderful summer holiday.

[Toronto-13-July-2008]