Surprise, I'm Back!

Well, i'm at another internet cafe right now, but instead of being surrounded by obnoxious prepubescent boys, all i hear is the humming of the coke machine behind me and the howling wind outside that is so typically fall weather in .... CANADA!Yup, i'm back in Canada! This was a planned (surprise) visit where i wanted to come back to see family and friends in a less frantic kind of pace like it was in July.

I flew direct from HK to TO 4 days ago, a tedious 15.5 hour flight with crappy movies and stale, bland food. AC is definitely not the kind of airline that makes you feel that you want to rebook with them again.

But i digress, it was probably me just being picky about things when really i was just trying to get used to the idea of being separated from Matt for 16 days, the longest we've ever been apart since we met!

While i'm out and about doing random things in a non-structured kind of schedule, Matt has already started work with CONERGY and is in Beijing now for a conference. He'll then fly to Hamburg for training/orientation. We'll meet back in HK in 2 weeks, but just after 4 days, it seems like centuries away.

Ok, enough whining from the peanut gallery.

Upon arriving in Toronto at night, i went straight to my friend's Ritu's apartment. She's a good friend of mine from highschool in Ottawa. Whenever we were going or coming from somewhere, we were known as the 'caffeine twins' who would stop for a "Timmy's Double-Double".

We spent the night jumping up and down at the excitement of seeing each other, drinking copious amounts of wine, walking out to get Japanese tempura and noodles, sharing a moment on her balcony, cigar/cig in hand. It was great to see her again.

The next day i rented a car and went to see my grandparents at their flat, unfortunately they had already left for lunch so i managed to track down their whereabouts with the help of my Aunt Judy and we went to surprise them at the restaurant. It was great to see their expressions, stunned and in disbelief.

Visited my Aunt Amy's new house afterwards. Their dog, Chummy, was so excited to see me that i got a little 'welcome tinkle' that i could have really done without.

That evening i went to surprise my grandma at her 80th birthday dinner. When i walked into the restaurant carrying a dozen roses, my whole family just sort of sat there, not moving. I had called GM the day i flew out to wish her a happy birthday and she could not get over the fact that i was there now in the flesh. It was magic.

Yesterday, Ritu and i drove to Waterloo to visit Michael L.R. and Colin (aka Peter) who are doing their graduate studies there. It was unbelievably windy and dreary, the kind of day that is perfect for staying at home, curled up on the couch with a good movie or book. The drive up was amazing, all these golden coloured leaves were swirling and dancing around the car as we sped down the highway. I'm glad i'm catching just the tail end of the fall colous, i missed that most.

All we ended up doing was sitting in Mike's apartment, eating delicious pizza, drinking beer, reminiscing and just talking (conversation topics ranging from Nine Inch Nails concerts to the trials and tribulations of how one chooses a life-long mate). I was so comfortable i even fell asleep at a point during a discussion regarding the newest and hottest music hits in Canada- just goes to show i've been away for too long!

It was so great to be able to hang out and be so comfortable doing so, even though it's been over a year since we've all been together. I appreciate how we all enjoy each other's company but we have no expectations of one another and so although we don't communicate on a regular basis, we can still pick up from where we left off each time. I am fortunate to have befriended them in highschool and very lucky to still call them my good friends today.

Today i spent the day with grandma. We went shopping at Scarborough Town Centre for about 5 hours, the same mall i was taken to as a toddler to watch the hot-air balloons rising and falling, completely mesmorized and in awe. I then took out all 3 of my grandparents for dinner. Being with them 3 has proven to be a test to my limits in terms of consumption capacity. My stomach always expands when i'm in Toronto, and this time is no exception.

Ok, better go now. Will update more in a few days i'm sure.