Owner: Earth To Danie! URL:http://earthtodanie.blogspot.com Join Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:59:15 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Canadian, Mom, Expat, Trailing Spouse, Traveler, Chocoholic, Blogger...Earth to Danie! Site statistics:Click here
Japanese Tea 2008-02-13 20:22:47 While discussing social situations with a friend yesterday, she seemed very surprised when I said I'm not very sociable. It's true. I'm not a fan of big social events. I like to socialize with a couple of friends but not in a large crowd. I swear, I'm turning into my grandmother.For this reason, I'm not sure what I was thinking yesterday but I went to a Japanese
Tea that the Overseas Women's Club had organized. And I asked myself that question repeatedly as I walked up the driveway alone to the Japanese Consulate General's home. Thankfully, I saw friendly familiar faces right away.There were some demonstrations but I really didn't get to see much of it. I was in a good spot for the Japanese Tea Ceremony until Rude Guy shoved me out of the way and out of the shade. Then I couldn't s
Around the World in 55 Days 2008-02-11 23:04:48 Wild oxen could not make me stay in Chennai for another summer. There is an exodus on the last day of school and the city becomes completely devoid of expats. We had our reasons for staying last summer, but not this year.This summer, we're outta here! Me and my guy are going to travel around the world in 55 days in an effort to see some of the Wonders of the World
. We're going to keep South America and Africa for future trips. We crossed off the 'Wonders' we've already visited (or about to visit) and that left us with:- The Hagia Sophia (532 - 537 A.D.) Istanbul, Turkey- The Colosseum - Rome, Italy- Stonehenge (3000 B.C. - 1600 B.C.) Amesbury, United Kingdom- The Statue of Liberty (1886) New York City, U.S.A.- Chicago, Illinois (a taste of our previous 'home')- Calgary, Alberta - The
"Import"ant Food Items 2008-02-11 02:55:42 Imported food items have reached ridiculous prices in India. Are they important enough to pay imported prices? How much would you be willing to pay for ham? What about decent cheddar cheese?We went to a gourmet shop to pick up a few things that we can't buy anywhere else. At least not of the same quality.$20.74 US Bacon $21.09 Cooked Ham $21.88 Smoked Ham$22.95 Cheddar Cheese$86.66 TotalHow "import"ant is that ham and cheese sandwich, now that it's reached luxury status?PS...A loaf of bread can be had from the bakery for about $.45, but man cannot live on bread alone.
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, Items
Per Person vs. Per Plate 2008-02-08 20:57:33 I just learn something new everyday. And usually it's a forehead-slapper when I realize I've been doing it wrong all this time. That's me!Buffets. When we go to a buffet restaurant or a catered function, the cost is usually per person. The waiter takes your plate if you push it aside because it's 'taboo' to take your plate back to the buffet. Taboo meaning unhygienic.Fast forward to Chennai. All this time, I've been pushing my plate aside and taking a fresh one. As I've just learned this week, the cost here is per plate. Not per person. So every time I was taking a fresh plate, somebody was paying twice, three times per my stupid head.This knowledge came about while trying to plan our own party with a caterer. Visions of children taking a fresh plate for a piece of chicken, then Read more:Plate
I'm A Canadian Woman, Dammit. Hear Me Freakin' Roar. 2008-03-12 12:28:49 I do not even know how we got on this topic tonight. You never know where the conversation will g...Now I remember! We went out to dinner with a friend this evening. I'm pretty sure McGvyer thought it was weird that I went out to dinner with a man other than my husband, but if he did, he kept it to himself. On our way home, around 9pm, I asked McGyver if he had gotten dinner. He told me that he usually eats dinner around 10 or 10:30pm. I laughed and told him I'd be asleep in my plate by then. "Didn't you once tell me that you wake up at 4am? You must not be getting much sleep, huh?""No, madame. Alarm goes at 4am, and 15 minutes later, and 15 minutes later. Like that.""Huh. I'd kick your butt out of bed so I could go back to sleep without the alarm waking me up every 15 minutes," Read more:Canadian
iPod Meme 2008-03-11 09:14:52 I'm not tagging just one person on this one, I'm tagging everyone. If you're reading this and you have a blog...TAG! You're it. Instructions: Go to your music player of choice and put it on shuffle. Say the following questions aloud, and press play. Use the song title as the answer to the question. NO CHEATING.How does the world see you? What it Means (Jeremy Camp)Will I have a happy life?God is Love (John Reuben)What do my friends really think of me? Come Home (One Republic)What do people secretly think of me? Things I Would Do (Sara Evans) How can I be happy? Ain’t Life Amazing (Kim Mitchell)What should I do with my life? Greater Love (Out of Eden)Will I ever have children? Suddenly (Superchick)What is some good advice for me? Awaken (Natalie Grant)How will I be remembered? Here it G Read more:iPod
Shopping is Very Taxing 2008-03-14 23:09:28 Although it's not very funny, it is a common joke around here how everything is more expensive for foreigners. Expats call it the "White Tax." I'm generally willing to pay a little more than the Indian prices by shopping at stores that have "fixed prices." This is because I don't care to spend the time haggling and arguing my way to a fair white price. I'm not so delusional to think I can negotiate my way to the Indian price.I had been looking forward to plant shopping with our gardener, but one thing led to another and I wasn't able to go. I gave McGyver 3000 Rupees (approx $75 US Dollars) for the two of them to buy whatever plants the gardener wanted.They chose these...And these...When they got home, McGyver gave me back a wad of bills. "Only 450 Rupees, madame," he explained."Only Read more:Shopping
Flashback: Connor 2006 2008-03-17 22:55:45 I just found a folder on my laptop that had some photos from 2006. I'm not sure where they came from, but they managed to survive the big accidental photo deletion. 2006 was a big year for Connor
!The first SCUBA diving experience in St. Thomas. And now he's hooked.Connor's first time on TV. He was very nervous. He reviewed Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett for Reading Rainbow.Connor's first time at sleep away summer camp. He had a fantastic week at Miracle Camp.The first season of tackle football. Connor played left guard for the Peoria Patriots in the Pee Wee divsion. It was a tough season requiring a new level of physical fitness.The first day of school at Peoria Academy. After five years of homeschooling, Connor enrolled in "regular" school.On second thought, 2006 was probably
Saturday Night Fever 2008-03-16 21:28:22 We checked in to the Asiana hotel around noon on Saturday
. It's a beautiful hotel....the biggest ball room in Chennai, fantastic catering and events, one of the best Thai restaurants in town, nice hotel rooms, lovely spa concept, modern and clean. There were some disappointments in the details, but I'm hoping it's only because it's a new hotel and that the kinks will be worked out.After having lunch at the Thai restaurant, Silk, we went to the ballroom to help out with the setup since I was on the fundraiser committee. "Was" being the keyword there, but oh well. I wasn't needed in the ballroom. Thankfully, this was the last big event of the year and my committee days are over.What better way to spend our afternoon than to visit the spa. We wracked up an order from the menu like we Read more:Night
, Fever
, Saturday Night
, Saturday Night Fever
Wigging Out 2008-03-16 00:40:44 We're going to a school fundraiser tonight. The theme--70's Saturday Night Fever. Since the event is going to be at a hotel about an hour outside of town, we booked ourselves a room so Connor could be closer to us. While we were packing our bags with various costume items, Priya (our housekeeper) came in and complimented me on the pants that I was packing. I think she was mesmerized by the lace and beading, missing how cheesy they were meant to be. Well then I couldn't wait to show her JB's shirt. An even cheesier disco shirt, pimped out with sequins.JB put on a 70's feathered wig to come upstairs to show her. Passing Kasturi along the way, she thought sir looked very funny. The two girls haven't been around JB very much. He's sir. A sir with an image that I'm quite sure didn't include goo
My Legacy in England 2008-03-19 20:06:02 It isn't often that a person gets to know how or if they've had an effect--if they've made a difference.When we arrived in England
for a three year assignment, the first question I was asked by a company expat was, "Do you scrap?" Apparently, she had been asking every company expat this question, and I was the first to answer, "Yes!" During one of our many scrapbooking get-togethers, we were trying to figure out a way to replenish our supplies. We found out that Creative Memories was new to the UK, but there were only a handful of consultants all living near London. We agreed that since she worked full time, I would become a consultant just so we could get the goods.Little did I know that a year and a half later, we would be moved to the other side of England where there were no compan Read more:Legacy
Referred Torture 2008-03-18 20:28:25 Anyone who knows me, even a little bit, knows I've had a butt-load of dental work done--and I really hate sitting in the dentist's chair. I do, however, love my (Illinois) dentist. He's the first dentist who had told me he would fix the problem, and actually did it.A few close friends watched me go through my traumatic bite reconstruction surgery against the deadline of moving to India. Apparently, one such friend, who had also needed some bite work done, took me up on my advice to have it done by someone who has been successful at it. Or, at least had a consultation.So today, I received a letter from the dentist's office thanking me for referring my friend to his practice. Enclosed was a Starbucks gift card, which is really nice, and really torturous. It's going to be months before Read more:Torture
Global Idol 2008-03-21 21:39:49 Don't you love YouTube?! I sure do!Believe it or not, it DOES get worse than Amanda Overmyer. Don't get me wrong, I like her whole bad-ass look, I just don't think I could handle listening to her nails-on-the-blackboard voice for even half of a CD. I think America got that one right.Connor, however, doesn't think so. He'd really like to see Jason Castro get voted off. I didn't agree until the Michelle My Belle routine. Connor has taken to to chirping like a gecko every time Jason makes an appearance on screen. Now we'd both like him gone.Now, this is all tongue-in-cheek because I can't sing a lick. The thing is though, I know I can't sing, so I wouldn't be going up on stage making an ass of myself. You see?Bulgarian IdolSlovakian IdolIndonesian IdolWest African IdolBecause you c Read more:Global
March 22 - World Water Day 2008-03-20 19:53:30 In 1992, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly passed a resolution designating March
22 of each year as an international day of observance and action to draw attention to the plight of the more than 1 billion people world wide that lack access to clean, safe drinking water. With each passing year, the observance has grown larger and stronger. This year, Ethos Water, Starbucks and leading NGOs are working to bring even greater attention to the world water crisis on World
Water Day. With events planned in 26 cities in North America, World Water Day 2008 will be among the largest organized observances of World Water Day ever. Also see
Barkhouse Zoo Now Opening Monkey Exhibit 2008-03-24 09:05:47 Check me out. My life house is a zoo.Sunday, while I was out for brunch, I missed a snake. Monday, while I was out for lunch, I missed a monkey! Today, I'm staying home in hopes that an elephant might show up.The King said he didn't think I would be interested in seeing a monkey (wha??) so he didn't bother to tell me that we had one. It sat up in a tree, peeling leaves off of the branches and dropping them to the ground.Yesterday, when he came back again, he scooted along the top of the wall and went to the back yard where there are mango trees. Only the mangoes aren't ripe yet, so he took a few bites and threw the mangoes aside.I had watched a television program a couple of weeks ago about the rooftop monkeys of Jodpur. I watched them steal fruit and vegetables from the carts in the Read more:Zoo
, Exhibit
Introducing New Snake Guy 2008-03-23 19:50:17 So it turns out that Snake
Guy III isn't as good as Snake Guy I or Snake Guy II. Snake Guy II says he can smell snakes. That's who I want to come running when I call--the guy who can smell 'em. Snake Guy III--not so good--left without the darn snake. That's right--without. Which means, it's still in the trunk of the tree. Dang.When we got home from Easter brunch, we were told there was a snake and they tried to burn it out of the tree. "Did anyone call Snake Guy?" I asked. Of course not, because only our driver would do that and he was with us. So, McGyver called Snake Guy and he was here within a half hour. Good response time. He tried the 'smoke 'im out' technique. And as we know from previous attempts, this technique doesn't have a very good success rate.Until we see the sn Read more:Introducing
The Easter Bunny Brings Cool 2008-03-22 21:51:12 The EasterBunny
has upped his cool factor this year.This morning we found glow-in-the-dark Easter eggs stuck to windows and picture frames, hanging from door knobs and hiding in other cool new places.Perhaps I'm still morose from Good Friday, but I'm quite melancholy today. I miss our church, I miss brunch at the clubhouse, I miss my friends, I miss our cats. Really, I miss my last life, and I'm really feeling it today.I'm not sure how I went from the coolness of the Easter Bunny to a sad whoa-is-me post, but there it is. I think I'll go see if the Easter Bunny left any eggs for me.Have a cool Easter everyone.
This Little Piggy Went to Market Hospital 2008-03-26 04:44:04 Sometimes the cultural differences in India are like regular moments that pass by, except for the added mental effects of flashing neons signs and loud ringing bells. These moments almost always take place when medical care is involved.This story is all hearsay. JB has only just started to read my blog. Posting...is not likely.It all began last weekend when JB was playing soccer with Connor and the guards. Anyone who knows my husband, even a little bit, knows that he is extremely competitive. So, it's very possible that that competitiveness and a dash of ego played a part in him unloading everything he had into a poor little innocent soccer ball--against our 11 year old son. Only, no he didn't, because in the instant that his foot was stretched out behind him, ready to strike, he mi Read more:Piggy
, Market
Crispy Masala Roomali 2008-03-28 20:44:48 We went to dinner with a few of the administrators of the EMBA program from Bradley University. Do to several slight miscommunications, we were waiting quite a while for them.The waiter brought a CrispyMasala
Roomali to our table to munch on. We told him it looked fantastic but we hadn't ordered anything yet. "With our compliments." Very nice.What is Crispy Masala Roomali? It's like the Indian version of nachos. There one large crispy roti, spread with tomatoes, cilantro, onion and crispy corn thingies.Very messy to eat, but otherwise, not bad!
No News is Good News 2008-03-27 21:04:21 I'm keeping it short and sweet this morning because I need to start packing for our trip.I've had several blog posts picked up by Chicago Sun-Times.com and Reuters.com recently. It's not really a big deal, but I'm still happy about it. Here are a few that are still live...Terrapin Soup at the Chicago Sun-Times.comTravel Tips at the Chicago Sun-Times.comFisherman's Cove at the Chicago Sun-Times.comEnd of the Series at Reuters.comPrevious posts that were picked up by Reuters.com, but are no longer live...Dubai and BackRate of InflationThings I miss About IndiaMy Hometown...Bathurst, NB
Read more:Good News
The Prayer of the Expat Wife 2008-03-26 22:09:30 Half funny, half true...Heavenly Father,Look down on us your humble obedient expat wives, who are doomed to travel this earth following our loved ones, through their working lives, to lands unknown.We beseech you, oh Lord, to see that our plane is not hijacked or doesn't crash, our luggage is not lost or pillaged and our overweight baggage goes unnoticed.Give us this day, divine guidance in our selection of houses, maids and drivers. We pray the the telephone works, the roof does not leak, the lightbulbs quietly terminate without shorting out the house or exploding, that the power cuts are few and the rats and cockroaches even fewer.Lord, please lead us to good, inexpensive restaurants where wine is included in the meal and the food does not cause dysentery. Have mercy upon us Lor Read more:Prayer
, Expat
Oh*P*I 2008-03-30 12:23:34 Since I'm so out of touch with what's going on in my old world, it was a pleasure to have a current American magazine for the flight to Dubai. I was so giddy when I saw an ad for my favorite nail polish, OPI, and learned that their new spring/summer collection for 2008 is everything India. New colors include...I'M INDI-A MOOD FOR LOVEELEPHANTASTIC PINKBLACK CHERRY CHUTNEYKEYS TO MY KARMAMONSOONER OR LATERMOON OVER MUMBAIYOGA-TA GET THIS BLUE!GET ME TO THE TAJ ON TIMECURRY UP DON'T BE LATECHARMED BY A SNAKELUNCH AT THE DELHIROYAL RAJAH RUBY...India in so 'in.' Who knew?
Outside My Window 2008-03-29 19:45:05 There has been a gecko outside my office window on and off for a year. It may not be the same gecko--I don't know--but there has always been one chirping and going on.It creeps me out.
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, Window
Dubai: The ER Dentist 2008-04-03 01:00:26 Just typing the title "The ER Dentist" makes me feel sick to my stomache. I really hate going to the dentist. I really hate going to the dentist in a foreign country even more.When we got back from Wild Wadi, we were sitting in the hotel room munching on some treats while Connor was showering...he called dibs to shower first. Like the stupid dumbass that I am, I popped a hard chewy caramel into my mouth--it was more like a toffee--and it pulled a bridge right off. Then I chomped down on it. I was sure I damaged it. If I were living in the US, I would have plopped it back on and hoped for the best until I got home. But home is India, and I wanted this fixed right away. We called the hotel concierge to arrange for us to get to a dentist. We were sent to the Cedars Jebel Ali Internati Read more:Dubai
Dubai: Wild Wadi 2008-04-03 00:25:29 The day started out very slow. After breakfast, I had a little nap. I've been burning the candle at both ends and it caught up to me.Our plan was to go to the Wild Wadi Water Park. We arrived around noon. I've been to many of these types of parks over the years and it's generally not my favorite thing to do. Wild Wadi, however, impressed me. There were at least six things that were new to me and I thought were very clever. For example, tubing water slides that shot us up before we came down...like a roller coaster. Unlike traditional water parks, the water slides--with the exception of the 80KM/H Jumeirah Sceirah--all started at the bottom. I also thought the cashless payment system was very smooth. No wet money or lost money. Smart. We spent five hours or so playing in the wave pool, the Read more:Dubai
Dubai: Good Karma, Bad Karama 2008-04-01 11:41:32 We didn't get enough shopping at the Mall of the Emirates so we headed to the Karama Markets today. "Come lady, I show you genuine fake and co-pee." Don't get me wrong, I'm all for a bargain, but show me something good. I'd rather pay more for the real thing as opposed to paying less for crap. Bad, bad co-pees. We checked out the IBN Battuta Mall which is divided into six themed sections: Andalusian, Tunisian, Egyptian, Persian, Indian and Chinese. Truthfully, visiting from India and China, I didn't think we were going to enjoy this mall, but it was very interesting and we spent the rest of the day there.Penny and Connor in the India section of the mall. Connor's impression of Paris Hilton.We wandered up and down the mall spending all afternoon looking for sneakers and cool sungla Read more:Dubai
Dubai: R&R&R&R 2008-03-31 23:25:55 As soon as we arrived to the hotel and unloaded our bags, we set off for the Mall of the Emirates. I very rarely have the opportunity to shop for clothing, so I did a full-on power shop with my asistant (Penny) and my fashion critic (Connor). We found me a few goodies.Today, being our first day in Dubai
, we had a relaxing day. We hung out by the pool, walked on the beach and vegged out all day long.At one point during the day, we came back to the room to get Connor's snorkel and mask. Being the kind of terrible mother that I am--using my kid to endlessly entertain myself--I dared him to wear the snorkel mask in the elevator and through the lobby. He did it. Goober.My kid, who has a terrific sense of humor.On the beach in Dubai.This evening we went back to the mall for Italian and Dunkin D
Dubai: Ski Dubai--Again. 2008-04-04 11:58:01 What fun we had at Ski Dubai
! I was so amazed how how much more in control Connor was of his skis and how much more confident he was. When I praised his improved skiing ability he said, "Pappa Ricky gave me a few pointers." I have no idea what the pointers were but they sure made a difference.I think the skiing was the highlight of Penny's trip to Dubai. We had a good laugh when a photographer stopped us at the bottom of the hill for photos with each of us with one ski up in the air. Poor Penny might still be there as I type this without some help to get that ski back down. We're still laughing about it!We were supposed to meet a Chennai expat friend for dinner tonight but none of us thought Lebanese would be a good idea the night before flying. We had a quiet dinner at the hotel a Read more:Again
Dubai: Psyche Restoration 2008-04-03 13:22:00 I was really psyched out after my trip to the dentist. We were supposed to go skiing today but I was just not fit. I had little energy and needed to regroup. In other words...hair cut, mani and pedi by a salon full of Greek gods. Well, technically they were Lebanese, but you get the idea. The hair cut went much better than the one I had in Sri Lanka...no major catastrophes.After I had my psyche restored, I spent the rest of the afternoon belly to the pool bar with Connor and Penny. This evening, we swung by the Hard Rock Cafe to scope out a geocache and drop a couple of coins. It was an easy find, which was good because I had the wrong coordinates. We checked out the menu but the lure of Chili's chips and salsa was too irresistable. And off we went to pig down two basket loads...chased dow Read more:Dubai
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