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Summer

Posted: - Modified: | canada, life

It definitely feels like summer here. Not quite the dog days yet – there's still a touch of coolness in the air – but sunshine and warmth, hello!

2015-06-24a Summer -- index card #summer #seasons

2015-06-24a Summer – index card #summer #seasons

On my walks, I often play with superimposing my memories of other seasons on the present. I look at the leafy trees and remember their stark branches, or the buds, or the colours. I feel the breeze slip through my sandals and think of the clomping of winter boots, the security of wellingtons. And then I think of the colour and the warmth and the sun of the present, and I bring all those things together. It's an interesting thought exercise that makes things even more vibrant. The practice helps me make winters a little bit better too, when I carry the memories of heat and vibrant colours with me.

2015-06-24b What do I want to tweak this summer -- index card #summer #seasons

2015-06-24b What do I want to tweak this summer – index card #summer #seasons

I'll have only so many summers, after all, so maybe I can learn how to fully enjoy them. I wonder what I'll tweak this time around. Maybe I'll focus on eating more fruits and vegetables. I've been treating myself to yummy fruits on sale, and sometimes even when they're regular-price: strawberries, nectarines, peaches… Soon it'll be time for corn on the cob, then melons.

More sitting in the sunshine or shade, too, with friends or solo. Last year I said yes to more time hanging out in parks, and that was quite enjoyable. =) I wonder if any of the cats will put up with being in a harness if that means they'll get to sun themselves on the deck…

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Planning for winter – tweaking my layers

| canada, life

It's getting cooler here in Toronto, with possible snow showers and scattered flurries this weekend. Time to think about how I can make this winter even better!

The Scott Quest Vest is working out really well, allowing me to leave my belt bag behind. I haven't quite gotten the hang of all the pockets, but I can generally find the most frequent things I use. One of the earphone loops has worked loose and gotten frayed by nearby Velcro, though. I'll check with the manufacturer, since I haven't figured out how to securely hand-sew elastic loops like that.

I've started wearing my thermals again. With that, the vest, and maybe a sweater, I'm pretty okay with the 5-10C temperatures these days. A rain jacket is handy, too. A hoodie and maybe gloves will take me down to 3C or so.

Here are some notes I put together while thinking about what kind of coat I wanted to get this year:

I ended up deciding on a waterproof jacket with an interchangable lining that's compatible with a down jacket. I'm still keeping an eye out for a large, warm hat, but I can probably get by with a nice warm scarf and my winter hats. It turns out that I'm somewhat picky about hats, so I haven't quite found the one I like the most yet.

The new office my clients have moved to is directly connected to the PATH, so my winter exposure during consulting days will just be the 10-20 minute walk to the subway station. I plan to be at Hacklab more often, though, so that will still involve a bit of waiting. The new Hacklab has nicely vivid accent colours, so I'll probably head over there if I feel colour-deprived.

I probably need to get new winter boots. I noticed last year that my insulated boots were no longer waterproof. The shoe stores don't seem to have brought in their winter boot selections yet, but I'll check again in a few months. I tried looking for winter boots at end-of-season sales earlier this year, but since I have small feet and a preference for simple styles, the sizes tend to be sold out quickly. I had the same problem with coats, too, which is why I decided to get a new coat early in the season instead of waiting to see what the rest of the options were.

Compared to last year, I'm even more comfortable with cooking and baking, and I'm looking forward to keeping the house warm and the fridge full.

Bring it on!

View or add comments (Disqus), or e-mail me at sacha@sachachua.com

Things to tweak or try this winter

Posted: - Modified: | canada

Single digit temperatures have returned to the weather forecasts for Toronto, and people are starting to suit up in scarves. I even saw people wearing gloves. Winter is coming. Eventually. It's not here yet, but I might as well get ready for it!

I've been accumulating quite a collection of winter tips and experiences. Last winter worked out pretty well. What will I try this year?

2014-09-12 Things to tweak or try this winter

2014-09-12 Things to tweak or try this winter

I think it's time to get a new coat and a pair of winter boots. Oh well! I didn't find anything I liked in last year's end-of-season sales, so I guess I should probably reconcile myself to paying full price or close to it.

I liked last year's idea of thinking in terms of longer nights, since I do tend to divide my activities into day (work, writing) and night (relaxing, drawing). Maybe I'll play with that some more.

Hey, maybe the Canadian citizenship grant includes cold tolerance. Always wondered why W- and J- think ice cream season is all year long!

View or add comments (Disqus), or e-mail me at sacha@sachachua.com

Becoming Filipino-Canadian

Posted: - Modified: | canada

Last week, I took the Canadian citizenship oath. Yay! So now I'm Filipino and Canadian, and will probably not have to be so anxious about travel. (Or I'll end up find new and different excuses why I'd rather stay home, now that I can worry less about being stuck on the wrong side of an immigration counter.)

2014-09-05 Becoming Filipino-Canadian

2014-09-05 Becoming Filipino-Canadian

Excellent timing, since we have elections coming up.

The process was faster than I expected. I lost my passport (well, technically, Canada Post lost it, harrumph) and had resigned myself to the prospect of a delay of year or two. Happy to get this all sorted out earlier!

View or add comments (Disqus), or e-mail me at sacha@sachachua.com

Canadian winter tips

Posted: - Modified: | canada, clothing, life

Coming back to cold weather was not particularly fun, but I'm learning to deal with it. I've got the thermals, the sweaters, the jackets, the scarves… There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to figure out how to cope with winter. =) Anyway, here are some tips for people who are new to Canada or other cold places:

2014-01-06 Canadian winter tips

Canadian winter tips

If you like this, you might like my 2009 blog post with some more notes on what makes winter better.

Other winter notes: My insulated winter boots have sprung a leak. I still have a pair of leather boots and a pair of rubber boots (in bright red!), so I think I'll make it through this winter. I shopped around for a replacement pair this weekend and didn't find anything I liked, despite the sales. I was thinking about whether I should get a pair for when these boots wear out, but I'll probably move away from wearing insulated boots and move towards thick socks and hiking shoes or regular boots instead. It's also a good time to see if I can repair the boots I have. Oh well!

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Submitted my application for Canadian citizenship!

Posted: - Modified: | canada

After allowing a few months just in case there was any doubt about the residency calculations, I’ve finally sent in my application for Canadian citizenship. This is important to me because I don’t want to ever get stuck on the wrong side of an immigration counter, or to sweat over renewals and paperwork like I did before. Both Canada and the Philippines permit dual citizenship, so I don’t have to give up being Filipino (as if that were possible! ) in order to have that certainty. It’ll be nice to be able to vote for bike lanes and libraries. :)

The government website says 80% of applications are processed within 19 months. Time enough to learn history and geography and politics.

I’ve lived in Toronto for a little over seven years now. I’m getting the hang of where things are, and have gotten to the point of also having old friends here. I know! Boggle. The multicultural diversity of Toronto means I don’t feel out of place, although I’m conscious that I don’t hear or speak as much Tagalog as I probably should. Always a little awkward with it even back home, except in the relaxed and freeflowing company of friends, and here, just unexpected conversations at banks and on the street. Facebook and blogs and Skype chats with family, news articles and charity and trips home… If I don’t have those spontaneous connections, I just have to make my own.

All people who move find their own balance.

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A braindump of tips for other new immigrants from the Philippines

Posted: - Modified: | canada, philippines, tips

For Anna Simbulan (welcome to Toronto!) and others this can help along the way. =)

View or add comments (Disqus), or e-mail me at sacha@sachachua.com