Fire in manhole...

See the contrast between the buildings on the left and right... the west downtown core was out of power for 4 whole days earlier this month..

Seeing the sunny side of things.. this is what I'm talking about. Thanks Mayor Nenshi!

Among city officials, only Mayor Naheed Nenshi would posit a possible explanation, albeit a cheeky one for a city bedevilled lately by fire, September snow and flooding.

“I have been doing my own analysis of the situation, and I have pretty much ruled out zombies and aliens. Zombie aliens, however, still remain in question.”

On Parenthood

Being a parent is hard. Let's not beat around the bush about it. It's hard because all of a sudden you're overwhelmed with this sense or responsibility. You, after-all  brought this child to this world. The kid is totally dependent on you (or your delegate, in our case, my poor mum..) for everything. Starting from the time he wakes up, to the time he sleeps. Well, actually, even when he sleeps - as our little one "demands" to co-sleep with us.

Being a parent forces you to grow up - in a sense. I'm sure Danielle would argue I'm still somewhere in that process as I toy with, and increasingly being serious, about the idea of doing a PhD. The need to satisfying one's intellectual curiosity pale in significance in the face of, more pressing needs such as, feeding your family. This is a delicate thing, you see. If not handled properly, could well evolve into a situation where one just having to feed, oneself...

I had the pleasure of looking after Jonathan a few weeks earlier this month. It was a pleasure, no doubt about it. I love him to bits. His giggles would make the most upsetting thing in this world seem insignificant. His refusal to eat, on the other hand, would make you want to pull your (or his?) hair out. Recently I have come to the conclusion that as a parent, you really have no choice but to love your kid unconditionally. For there is no viable, alternative way to live if you don't love your kid. I guess it is also this "unconditional" love that lies the root cause of all this forever endless barrage of often, unwelcome advice that once the kid turns into a teenager, has to endure.

As Jonathan approaches 1 year old in less than 2 weeks time, again I pray and hope that he will grow up to be a confident, healthy little boy in the coming months. I am forever grateful for my dear wife, who brought us this bundle of joy to the family.

Less than 1 month to go till..

Till little Jonathan is 1 years old! See how he's standing next to the suitcase.. aunty Caroline is currently visiting.. he is spoiled to bits at the moment!

An up-market espresso machine vs Dyson..

I haven't read a book from cover to cover for a long long time. But after I read this extract from "Single Father, Better Dad", I was tempted. The story is tragic (not that I'm particularly into tragedy) and the writing of the author is compelling. I'll let you read for yourself here..

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/love-sex/10371037/The-three-words-that-ended-my-marriage

Angelic smile

Jonathan, remember this moment as you grow up. I can't recall what made you so happy and satisfied but life is not that complicated, happiness is indeed all around us, and within our reach, always.

Jonathan - almost 9 months

Danielle took a picture of Jonathan today while I was working in the hospital. This has to be one of the best photos of him.  He is a week shy from 9 months and he is already turning into a confident toddler with eyes beaming with joy, ready to take on the world! (at least in my mind..)

As I look at him, I wonder what sort of world he'll be growing up into. No matter what it looks like, I hope and pray that he will lead a fulfilling life.

Happy 5th Anniversary

European Stroke Conference 2014

4 days of "work", followed by 3 days of "holiday", is the perfect recipe for a short overseas trip. The latter part of the trip is of course crucial, for what's the point of even going far away if it's just for work? I do have that luxury, for now anyway. Look around my seniors, "work alone" travels certainly dominate their schedules. 

Nice was "nice". Milan was even better - food, travel, everything but their seemingly legit but rather shady money exchange shops..the 14% commissions defy the purpose of us bringing hard currency from home. Might as well use credit cards and put up with their transaction fees (28 degrees issued by GE in Australia is the go-to-card with no foreign transaction fees). 

There is always this strange post-holiday fatigue that sets in right after you return home. I got hit quite hard this time with almost daily late afternoon headaches for 2 weeks..  the high altitude of Calgary might be to blame. 

Well, until next time...

Limbic encephalitis

This is a story that could have otherwise gone horribly wrong. It could have been headline news.. if the young girl died, rather than in the "lifestyle" section of the paper/website.

A nicely written piece on limbic encephalitis. 

Vila Joya

I haven't blogged on food for a while. I think both me and Danielle had "enough" of the fine dining scene and we have "moved on" to just be happy with "good food", at home or from anywhere in the neighbourhood. Dani might say it is just an excuse for me to be frugal....

That's not to say news release like "the best restaurants" doesn't catch my attention. I have a lot of respect for the people in the restaurant trade. One thing I think I know for sure is that it is not easy to survive in the era of urbanspoon and the torrent of food blogging sites.

I'm glad that we did dine at Vila Joya during our Honeymoon in Algarve - ranked number 22 this year. Since none of the Calgary joint features on the list, might have to think hard about where to go for our 5th Anniversary dinner?