Cebu Weather

It's so HOT! I checked the Weather Channel online to see what the temperature was. It's 87 F(31 C), mostly cloudy, 81% humidity, and apparently "feels like" 101(38 C). Yes, it does. Now I feel validated. When I come out of my air conditioned bedroom to refill my glass of water in the kitchen it's like walking into a steam room. Yesterday Andrey and I spent time in our un-airconditioned living room working on our computers. We had at least 3 fans going to make it bearable. Maybe this will give some perspective to some of you who might not be enjoying the cold.

Furlough Summary

Sorry friends. As you may have noticed I haven't done a thing on this blog for at least 3 weeks. Sorry about that. We're back in Cebu after a fine month spent in the US and Canada. I'll start by giving a synopsis of what's gone on since my last entry.

We had the most FABULOUS time in Nova Scotia with Andrey's family until October 11. It was such a relaxing and refreshing time for both of us. A highlight was seeing an influx of relatives (including Andrey's last living grandparent, 85-year-old Grandma Loewen) come from Saskatchewan & Manitoba to celebrate Thanksgiving with us. While they were in town we surprised Marilyn with an early 60th birthday celebration brunch. She was surprised and entertained as we, with all the cousins, wrote and performed a rap for her - complete with kazoos, shakers, homemade drums and stick-on mustaches. Here's a shot of the occasion taken by our very own Uncle Allen (thanks, Al).

"Sixty schmicksty, she's still quicksty, our radiant hero nears 6-zero!"

We also spent some time at the numerous nearby beaches and took a trip to Cape Breton (see last post). Here's a great family shot (by Allen). (In fact most of our pics from this trip were taken by others since our camera was being repaired in Manila while we were away.)

After our time in Nova Scotia we traveled to Montgomery, Alabama to be with my parents for a few days prior to driving to North Carolina. In North Carolina we met the rest of my family members who came up from Tampa for a week in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The time with my family went exceptionally well and we were so blessed to spend time with everybody. We had a lot of fun. It was the perfect time of year to be in North Carolina. The weather was cool at night, warm in the day, and the leaves had just begun changing. We did some hiking, visited a few waterfalls, watched NFL, played games and ate really well. At the end of the week we stayed with dear friends Pam & Charlie Lee in Asheville until our departure on October 23rd. I'll post some photos of North Carolina and more from Canada soon.

Weekend in Cape Breton

Good news! This blog entry that I wrote weeks ago and thought I had lost has just been found! So here it is...
During our time in Nova Scotia we took a 6 hour road trip to nearby Cape Breton Island, which apparently is one of the most beautiful islands in the world - or so said a survey by Conde Nast Traveler magazine in 1999. It was a beautiful drive (and a comfortable one because we took the RV) with some amazing views. We stayed in Cape North (the very northern tip of the Atlantic Coast) in a small inn that used to be a general store in the late 19th century. From the back of the inn it was a short walk to the ocean. We took kayaks out to Four Mile Beach which we had completely to ourselves. Thanks Mom & Dad! Here are a few photos.

What I am thankful for in North America in Autumn

• Drinking water right out of the tap (the tap water in Canada tastes excellent, by the way)
• Not worrying about getting Dengue fever when I get bit by a mosquito
• Maple products, goat cheese, brie, fresh salmon, frozen berries, non-Asian pears, real orange juice, scones, microbrewed beer, fresh corn on the cob, cranberries, fresh pumpkin, chips without MSG, crackers without trans fat, prepared salsa in a jar, whole wheat tortillas, yams, turkey, tender beef
• Being able to leave food on the counter without ants crawling all over it
• Enjoying hot drinks and hot soups because it's cold outside
• Open space, trees, birds, nature, parks, lakes, ocean boardwalks...space!
• Sidewalks
• Clean air
• Cool air
• Very minimal sweating
• Not constantly feeling thirsty & getting dehydration headaches
• Only needing 1 shower a day
• Driving faster than 50km/hour (30MPH)
• Not getting stared at or laughed at (fitting in)
• Watching sports on TV during the day
• Family