When asked, I like to tell people that from primary to grade 8, I attended “The Convent” (it became a Sacred Heart School). And from grade 9 to graduation, I attended a grammar school. Because, you know, in the real world where private school alum are swamped by former public school kids, you have to focus their attention to your uniquely sheltered lifeview with monikers like “Catholic girls school” and pish-posh British-sounding “grammar school”. Yup, although my ten-year non-reunion rolled around 4 years ago, I think the sheltered life still …

Yay, I’m back and it feels like I’ve had a second job this week uploading, captioning, tagging, and deliberating on photographs from a mere ten days spend on the Right, er, East Coast….
First off, you must know that NPY was along for the ride – and I do plan a crazy ride – and he was Meeting the Parents for the first time. However, it went smoothly, much unlike the movie, and only I felt a twinge of guilt that while I was physically in Halifax, I kind of had …

Although there’s a temporary break today, it’s been snowing seemingly non-stop in Vancouver and it’s wonderful. It’s the light fluffy type of snow and the depth accumulated at NPY’s walkway is one foot!
It has also brought upon me some nail-biting agitation about the state of my flight(s) home starting at 11:59 p.m. on the eve of Christmas Eve. There’s not much to know when there is more than 24 hours until my flight. Reports are flooding in that I am tuned to of friends and friends of friends being stranded …

It’s been a million years, okay just 6 years, since I was treated to immersion in the warm company of the Halifax Vietnamese community. I seeked and did not find the Chinese equivalent and that I found to be a tad saddening.
It’s hard to believe that I was away and in the midst of my friend’s wedding dreamland less than a week ago. I’m already plotting and scheming my next Toronto layover for my people-to-visit in that city has suddenly increased several-fold. ~Rubs hands together with glee.~

I left Friday night a week ago and returned nine days later, late on Sunday night.
First, I was in Toronto for the weekend that was well-timed for the August long weekend, Caribana (the Caribbean festival), and an influx visitors for the party long weekend. Short one of our girls, Vin and I still had a really nice girly weekend complete with a parade, a soca party, drinks, eating, shopping, and a good dose of best-friendly chatter.
Then it was back to Halifax and splitting my time helping Thuy with her wedding …

Our gift to our parents was a very large plasma TV and for family, it’s not quite so tacky to pick up your gift in Boxing Day sales than it would be for gifts for non-family. =P
On the 26th (mad shopping day for regular folk), J- told me that while out in Richmond around midnight, he saw a line form at Future Shop and so Lil Sis and I cruised to our local one to see, to her utter astonishment, five people in queue for the doors …

Given there was a continous drizzle during the inaugural year and gail-force winds that forced postponement and a course change during the second year, this year’s overcast skies (for the first two hours) were a welcome sight….!
Since Halifax is a “home city,” I was able to attend the Friendship Run on Friday night. John Stanton (The Running Room founder) has 60 marathons under his belt and thus can motivate, inspire, and jest about the training and racing experience with credibility. It did not, unfortunately, make me feel …

(Originally posted on a now-defunct blog. Posted here November 21, 2006.)
i was pretty nervous going in on a few grounds….

being utterly alone throughout the race
appearing an oddball running all alone, bopping to my music… and at the back of the whole pack
passing out at the 1:30:00 mark. that was my longest run in the past month. or otherwise cramping up.
falling further and further behind the 2:15:00 pack, or inadvertantly trying to keep up with them (my projected time was 2:30:00) and screwing myself up (i trained at …