No internet

Hiya all, just a note to say that we still don't have our own internet connection here, despite Gord organising it before we left. This is because the Telstra equivalent, MTS, is just totally totally totally PATHETIC. Basically they just can't get it together enough to mail us a router. The first one they tried to send us ended up in Portage la Prairie, and the second one has apparently been in the post for two weeks. Just to get something from Winnipeg to here. Yesterday when Gord rang for the bazillionth time, they said they'd ring back in an hour when they'd sorted it out, but they didn't even do that! Very very frustrating, to the point where it doesn't bear thinking about - hate that feeling of bashing your head against a giant corporation, whose workers couldn't give a shit about the service they're supposed to be providing.

Anyway, long way of saying, I haven't really been able to upload photos and stuff to this blog, cos even though we're 'borrowing' a neighbour's unsecured wireless network, my laptop doesn't pick it up very well. I can at least put up text though...

Today we're off to Gord's uncle and aunt's cabin with Pat, Darlene and Matthew (cousins). It's near the Manitoba/Ontario border. Yesterday I was feeling somewhat peopled out, cos we've been doing lots of socialising - it has been Christmas, after all. But feel a bit more up to it today. I've been tired cos I haven't wanted to go to bed before midnight or later (which works well when Aussie friends ring without calculating the time difference!), but last night when I did go to bed earlier, I just lay there awake - frustrating!

We had a lovely Christmas with Gord's immediate family on Christmas Day. Lots of yummy food. Good spacing of the day - the kids opened their presents, then we had lunch, then we played outside in the snow. Jeff gave me three, I repeat three, snow washes, as payback for the night we went carolling and Sheila and I got him twice. This is basically where someone wrestles you to the ground and shoves snow in your face! I hadn't realised there was an element of asphyxiation to the snow wash! Let's just say I was glad to come away with my life! It certainly wakes you up!! The kids has lots of fun on the sled pulled along by Gord's Dad's four-wheeler across the yard. Then back inside, movie for the kids while the adults opened their gifts. More talk, more food! Good time....

Oh yeah, and I bit the bullet and bought a sewing machine. I feel better and better the more I have my creative tools around me. Gord and I have also been enjoying reading Pat's back issues of Geez magazine, a Mennonite social justice/eco/faith zine. We're also keen to check out a new movie by Morgan Spurlock, the guy who did Supersize Me and the 30days episodes, called What Would Jesus Buy? Should be good. Anyway, better go and get ready to head to the cabin. Love to all.

Snow play

It's a busy time of year, eh. I just finished Gord's present last night, and vaguely wondered if there was a point wrapping it up if we're going to open presents tomorrow. But hey, I'm always up for the packaging! Just finished some other presents tonight too - might blog about that on my craft blog if I get around to it.

Anyway, we are going well. Settling in. There's a few more photos of the fridge, we've seen a few more friends, a few friends have been to our place. I'm getting used to the cold, to the point where, when it was only -1 to -5 during some of the days this week, I felt like it was WARM!

We had the Wiebe Christmas gathering last night - that's Anne's side of the family. Good fun. Piper loved her pet shop present from Grandma & Grandpa Wiebe. I uploaded a whole whack of photos - you can see them here.

(Here I am throwing Piper into the snowbank in our front yard.)

Piper and I were out shovelling snow today, and while I was hard at work, Gord pushed me right into the snow bank. I could hardly get myself out, it was so deep. This was payback for a bit of a snow fight that happened when we went carolling (again with the Wiebe side of the family). And then, as if he felt bad or something, he took a running leap and threw himself in as well - crazy man!

Jasper's been waking up a fair bit at night. Sometimes every two hours, which is rather tedious. So I'm feeling run down, somewhat, and yet I value the space late at night where Gord and I talk (yes, talk! well, most of the time!). It's the only space in the day we have to ourselves!

Getting around this frigid town!

This is how the kids and I get around. I've forgotten the name of this thing -I call it the chariot, but it's actually something else but I can't be fagged walking out the frigid garage to check! I felt almost normal on Wednesday, when we headed to the main street, hit a few shops and then the library. Like that's what I normally do with the kids in Melbourne, we just don't have to spend five minutes rugging up before we step out the door!



Jasper gets a bit lost amid all the layers! Takes a bit of getting used to, for him, being dressed and undressed all day! (See our nicely shovelled driveway?!)


On Tuesday we headed to Lorette, half an hour away, between Steinbach and Winnipeg, to visit Shaun and Helena, our good friends. It was sooooooo nice (words can't express) to be offered a Stella upon arrival and a white wine with a meal. Made me feel normal, it's what we'd often offer!


Shaun and Helena have an eighteen-month old son called Zachary, who we hadn't met until this week. He & Piper played pretty well together, and we had fun playing chasey in the loungeroom. I'll try and work out some rhythm of seeing Helena, and all of us seeing each other, cos they're such beautiful friends...


To finish, Piper wants to say: Dear Poppa, we won't see you for a long time, but we're not going to say anything to Pippa cos she's coming in a long long time, but not on the same aeroplane as us. (yes my Mum's coming over in May-ish.) Pippa, when you come to Canada, you can have a look at my beautiful wrapping paper and my beautiful reindeer sticker, and when it's early in the morning, I'll open it and you can see what's inside. (I just wrapped her Christmas present and stuck it under the tree. Oh yes, I should take a photo of our tree, decorated with stuff we found at the opshop.)

Our house is a very very very fine house...

What makes our new home a distinctly North American 80s home?

The electric can opener attached to the wall, and the coffee percolater permanently in place on the bench.

The cassette deck and radio/clock unit attached to the cupboard.

The hanging basket of fake flowers.

The lamps in the loungeroom connected to the light switch on the wall.

The lack of fences around the front or back yards.

Totally dry air! Cos of heating and very dry (albeit) cold weather outside.

And some food differences. Here:
- people drink cream in coffee
- they eat hamburger soup (hamburger as in mince meat)
- no one's heard of waldorf salad
- filo pastry is written as phyllo pastry (I find this hilarious, for some reason! Which one is correct??)
- you can buy a slice of pizza and a coffee and eat/drink them while walking round the supermarket!
- and of course, the cheddar cheese is orange! How could I forget??

Hey, and check this out: Weetabix! With an Italian accent please! They even have rounded corners!

Funny how it's in the minutiae of daily life that I am constantly reminded that I'm in a different place.

While we were doing a big shop in 'The Great Canadian Superstore' (yes, honestly, that's what it's called!), I picked up a package of halva, the Middle Eastern sweet made with sesame seeds. A man came up to me and asked me if I knew what it was, cos he'd looked at it a few times but had never seen anyone else looking at it. I was able to explain what it was, and how you might eat a thin slice of it with a coffee for dessert, and after a very pleasant conversation, he put the halva in his trolley and said goodbye. I felt really good to be able to facilitate him trying this new food.

Other than that, I whpped the hell out of my arms playing boxing with Pat and Gord on Garth & Wendy's Nintendo Wii. I can hardly hold Jasper now! I'd never played before. Garth and Wendy are people we were in a small group with last time we were out here. They have three kids, Chelsea, Aimee and Zachary who is one week younger than Jasper. Anyway, Aimee, who's four, I think, said something to Garth, and he thought she was saying, "We play tenderly", but what she was actually asking was, "We play Tendo Wii?" Cracks me up!

As you can see, I'm trying to get used to being here, even though every difference reminds me of Australia. It's been pretty busy seeing people. We've been home one night out of four, and it will be two out of seven at the end of this week! Haven't had time to journal yet, I'll feel better when I do that, I reckon.

Today we went and bought a real Christmas tree from a local farm. Went on a sleigh ride, but because I don't have the right shoes, I absolutely froze my feet off!! it wasn't even that long of a ride! Must get to Value Village soon! Or the Self-Help! Bought a whack of decorations at the self-help yesterday - a mixture of cool and crap. Picked up a bunch of other things too - I'm gonna mine that store for vintage gold! Later on today we went swimming with Jeff & Sharon & co. at the local pool, which apparently is the best in Manitoba (and you pay for it too - $6 for an adult to swim). The activitiy was a cover for the main event of the evening: Sharon's Surprise 30th Birthday.

Anyway, must get to bed! Jetlag is still taking its toll - I was up til 5am yesterday. Here's some photos:
Arriving at the airport: Amanda (cousin), John (dad), Anne (mum), Matthew (cousin), Darlene (cousin), Jasper, Sharon (sister), me, Gord and Sheila (cousin) with Piper

Jas all rugged up!

Our house: 14 Poplar Cresent, Steinbach (but don't send mail to this address - there's no letterboxes, everyone has a post office box).


The view from the back door.

Love you all!

Wish you were here...

Windchill warning issued

Environment Canada has issues a wind chill warning for tonight.

The weather service forecasts wind chills of -40C tonight and tomorrow morning. Such chilly gusts are imminent or already occuring, said a warning sent out this afternoon.