Another birthday, another year :)

I received this yesterday :) The FedEx guy actually came the day before, on the day of my birthday but alas, our doorbell was not working so nobody heard him. I found the failed delivery notice when I came home and was going to throw it away. Reason was I was not expecting any parcel, plus I received another delivery at about the same time. My friend sent something and the person called my friend when nobody answered the doorbell. So my friend was able to contact me and I called home to get someone to receive that parcel. So I thought maybe the failed delivery notice was from that parcel. 

Luckily I called my friend to check if she used FedEx and if I could throw away that notice. She asked me to check the tracking online or call the customer service as she did not use FedEx. I did and found out it was a parcel from the USA. Phew! 

It was a birthday gift, with a card (birthday and Valentine and CNY wishes) from Harry & David, my favorite store for truffles in the States. A basket full of assorted cookies in a wire-mesh cloth covered basket. Useful. I could use it when the cookies are all gone. 

There are a lot of cookies in there. 

• 6 Blackberry Galettes (0.67 oz. each)
• 2 Apple Raisin Cookies (1 oz. each)
• 2 Giant Chocolate-Chocolate Chunk Cookies (3 oz. each)
• 2 Giant Walnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies (3 oz. each)
• 2 White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies (1 oz. each)
• 2 Macadamia Chocolate Chip Cookies (1.1 oz. each)
• 2 Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies (1.2 oz. each)
• 2 Moose Munch Cookies (1 oz. each)

It has been a wonderful birthday, celebrating it with friends and family on the actual day and days before and after it. 

I didn't even know Harry & David delivers internationally. Apparently it is limited selection for International delivery though. I guess it is due to the delicate nature of foodstuff. But I am very happy with the cookies and the thought behind it. Plus it was delivered on my birthday even though the expected date given by the company was much later. 

Goodbye Fire Dragon, Hello Water Snake

Happy Chinese new year! Another new year. Another opportunity for new beginnings.

Christmas Eve Dinner - 24 December 2012

I touched down in Vancouver on Dec 23 and spent Christmas in Canada. My friend celebrated Christmas with a dinner on Christmas Eve. It was a simple affair, with a hearty home cooked food, with a touch of Romanian dishes.

It was a wonderful Christmas eve dinner with old friends and new friends. Just a cozy evening in a cold country and Christmas lights all around. Being back in Canada was still like going home. I guess Canada will always be a home to me, it is where I grew up to being an adult. A place which taught me to be independent, to drive, to analyze, to vote, to drink, to know every little bit counts.

Store bought apple pie which was delicious, and I hardly buy pies from the grocery store.

Another store bought dessert - baklava

My favorite dish of the night - Cabbage rolls. Minced meat and veggies stuffed into cabbage leaves and then boiled in a tomato infused soup.

The turkey!

Black forest cake from Superstore which was also pretty good.

Romanian soup - meatball soup which was great for the cold weather.

My dinner plate. Stuffed from all the food.

Chinese New Year Eve

Since I missed posting on 1 January 2013 or on 31 December 2012, I decided to make up for lost time by doing it for the Lunar calendar. I do have a very good excuse for the no posts. I was traveling and up in the air :p

Okay, okay, technically I was not in the air the entire time crossing numerous time zones though I could be. Instead I only crossed a couple of time zones. From PST to EST, and I traveled on Dec 30, 2012 from Vancouver and arriving in Toronto on Dec 31, 2012 and then to New York City still on Dec 31, 2012. But as I was too tired from all the traveling, I was actually sleeping the afternoon away upon reaching my destination. As that was followed by a night of partying, New Year's Eve in Times Square, New York City, I think I deserve some slack :p

Reflecting on 2012, I do think it has been a good year for me. I fulfilled many of my dreams, wishes or whatever you call it.

1. Visited Angkor Wat in Cambodia, my birthday wish and trip
2. Went back to Canada and even to the States (Vancouver, Seattle, NYC, Orlando, Washington, DC and many more) for a holiday
3. Found all Canadian documents and stuff a few months before my trip (God is really good, I found them just before and I started my search a couple of years back)
4. Had a relaxing and wonderful vacation in Phuket, still my favorite beach holiday in SE Asia
5. Met someone whom I like and the feeling is mutual :)

What did not happen:
1. No wedding for me :p
2. Weight remained the same, no loss or gain (maybe I should be grateful there is no gain)
3. No big fat bonus

That was my 2012. It was filled with ups and downs. A tension and worry filled mid year when my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. It has been arrested and thank God he does not need to undergo chemotherapy. It is a wake up call to everyone that health is precious and hospital bills are astronomical!!! Again, thank God we are able to shoulder it.

Dental bills are also crazy when I went through my dental implant. Just 1 implant plus a gum flap extraction surgery cost about $8k! I spent most of 2012 visiting my dentists because of the implant. I became very well acquainted with needles and anesthesia.

I also did a thorough eye check up in 2012 but only got new lenses for my eyeglasses last month. I finally found a good and experienced optometrist. I will be getting new contact lenses after CNY. So I shall be all set for the Snake year.

The upside of 2012 was of course most of my wishes/dreams came true. I am always thankful to God for his grace and love to me. Even if I do not talk much about it or attend church every Sunday, God is very much in my life, every minute, every hour and every day. That is the beauty of having God in my life. I can talk to him anytime, anywhere. I do not need a physical building to find Him.

As the Dragon year closes with a bang and a roar, I find myself looking forward to the year of the Snake. I never really like the snake when I was young but now that I am older, I find myself identifying much with the attributes of the Snake. Maybe I am just a confused child or maybe I am lucky to have both Dragon and Snake elements in my sign, being born in the Snake year but before CNY, so technically a Dragon, but then it was after 4 February and some said it is still a Snake. So what the hell, I shall just embrace both Dragon and Snake attributes wherever applicable :p

Enjoy the last of the Dragon year and the reunion dinner for those who celebrate and observe such traditions :)