Cancelled Edmonton Visit

I am so glad that our supposedly Christmas trip to Edmonton didn't push through. Sobrang lamig daw doon ngayon.

My husband has a 10-day break this holiday season (their office shuts down from Christmas to New Year) so we had a chance sana to visit our friends (who we consider our Canadian family) in Edmonton. It's been 15 months since we left and we miss them all. Sobrang kinukulit din nila kami talagang magpunta doon kaya umabot sa "80% probability of going" na kami. My friend Mylene was so excited na bibili na talaga siya ng bagong mattress para sa room "namin" sa house nila.

But I sort of backed out the last minute. Nitong malapit nang mag-Christmas, napag-isip-isip ko na marami rin palang dapat inconsider sa pagpunta namin doon.

First, is it ok to drive during winter time? We've done several Edmonton-to-Vancouver trips before pero palaging summer. Parang nakakatakot kasi baka mag-snow habang bumabaybay kami sa bundok. Pero the weeks before Christmas, maganda ang weather dito at sa Alberta. "Mainit" nga daw doon at hindi nagi-snow so medyo nahikayat na rin ako.

Then came the budget issue. In my conservative estimate, we will be spending at least a thousand bucks (or Php40,000+) for a 5-day trip to Edmonton. My friend was insisting na gas lang naman ang gastos at sagot na niya ang pagkain kasi nga sa house naman nila kami mag-stay, pero syempre hindi naman pwede yun. We are not free-loaders noh. Saka I want to bring them pasalubong syempre (Purefoods hotdogs from Seafood City Seattle and siopao from Newtown Bakery). Tapos dahil Christmas, we have to buy gifts for the kids (and adults din). Aside from that, yung mga kain pa namin sa labas at contribution sa mga kainan at inuman. If the weather is bad pa, kailangan din naming mag-hotel in between our trip/s because Ford will have a hard time driving at may kasama pa kaming bata.

To add, wala nga pala kaming proper outfit for Edmonton weather. Well, kami ni hubby meron namang thick coats/jackets and boots/winter shoes kaso nabaon na sa storage. Kailangan pang sobrang kalkalin. Si Nathan ang wala so kailangan pang ibili, kaso nga hindi naman masusulit kasi hindi naman magagamit dito sa Vancouver dahil hindi ganun kalamig dito. At uuwi na rin kami sa Pinas sa January 8 kaya talagang masasayang lang.

Then Ford informed me that if we will go, kailangan na niyang pumunta sa casa para mapalitan ng winter tires yung kotse namin! What?!? Oo nga pala, di kami naka-winter tires dito kaloka. Meron naman kaming winter tires sa storage kaso dahil nasa open parking space kami ng apartment complex, walang lugar na pwedeng pagpalitan. Kaya kailangan pang dalhin sa casa at ibayad. Tapos papapalitan na naman ng regular tires after. Doble gastos pa!

That's when I finally decided na manahimik kami sa bahay. Yep, it was my SOLE decision kasi keri lang naman sa asawa ko kahit ano.

But of course, meron pa ring panghihinayang kasi nga sobrang miss ko na ang mga kaibigan namin. I am sure na mag-eenjoy din si Ford kasi makakainom siya nang todo. Kahit si Nathan matutuwa kasi marami siyang makakalarong bata for a couple of days. But $1,000 is $1,000. I mean, it may not mean that much now, pero by next year when we buy na a place of our own, makikita namin ang relevance ng amount na yan. Ang dami-daming nakaambang gastusin talaga. Saka nag-splurge na rin kasi kami sa California trip namin last November., tapos uuwi pa nga kami ni Nathan sa Pinas this January.

At this point, grateful na rin ako na hindi kami tumuloy dahil nga sa weather doon. Had we gone there, mag-stay lang din kami sa house ng friends namin dahil sa sobrang lamig. I planned on going to South Edmonton Common pa naman to shop (5% lang kasi ang sales tax sa Alberta) kaso open-air shopping area naman dun. Saka delikadong magdrive kung ganyan ka-extreme ang panahon.

Pic taken from a friends FB account

We miss Edmonton pero hindi pa nga siguro time na bumisita kami roon. Who knows, baka sa summer. Kung hindi pa rin (kasi nga balak na naming magstart maghanap ng house by April 2018), yung mga kaibigan na lang namin muna doon ang aantayin naming dumalaw dito.

Reunited with snow

December 20, 2017. Before going to the mall, I let the little boy play with snow first.

He was so thrilled! Noon lang siya nakapaglaro sa snow eh.

Nathan was born in Edmonton, where there's snow for at least six months. But we left that place before he even turned two so he had no memories of snow. Last winter naman, nasa Pinas kami kaya hindi niya rin na-experience.

The last few weeks, he's been begging me to take him to 'snow." Nakikita niya kasi sa youtube at akala niya lugar iyon. I silently prayed na sana mag-snow dito sa Vancouver para maranasan niya naman before we leave again for Pinas this January 8. Kaya super happy talaga kami the other day kasi nag-unexpected snowfall nga. Unlike in Alberta, bihirang-bihira raw mag-snow dito eh (tapos mabilis din matunaw). Kaya nga many people prefer to live here kasi hindi ganun kalamig.

The snow's not that thick pero keri na rin haha.

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We actually experienced the first snowfall of the season here in Vancouver last November 3, 2017. Nathan wasn't able to play nga lang that time because we were rushing to his cardio doctor's appointment. I just let him touch the snow sa isa sa mga kotse sa parking lot haha.

Paglabas namin ng clinic (mga 2 hours din kami inside), wala na kaming naabutan. Tunaw na lol!

I miss Edmonton.

Tama sila, mas maaappreciate mo ang isang tao o bagay pag wala na siya sa iyo.

Picture taken by my friend Bonivie and posted in her FB account)

Oh how I badly miss Edmonton and all its winter beauty! Kung makakabalik lang sana talaga kami. =(

Winter at Unit #99

It's winter time and this is how our humble town house looks like now...

February 1, 2015

It's been a year since we moved in here and we are grateful. This is home.

No snow shoveling for us

We live in a townhouse. We deliberately chose to live in one because it is practical -- i.e., we don't have to shovel snow.

November 28, 2014

Have you imagined living in a place with snow for at least 6 months? And very thick-and-lasting snow, mind you. Though having our own laned home with (front and back yard and all) is tempting, especially now that we have a son who could use the space, the recent heavy snowing the past days made me remember why we chose to buy a town home in the first place.

I've seen so many friends post on Facebook about their shoveling activities and I am not a bit envious haha! It's a chore that we would gladly skip. I've grown up in Pinas and I am not accustomed to removing chunks of snow from front and drive way in a negative 15+-degree weather. My husband already has too many tasks on his hand, he couldn't possibly accommodate another heavy house work. Home owners are obligated to 'clear' their areas from snow or they will be charged with penalty or worst, sued if someone accidentally slides within their vicinity.

Since we are townhouse residents, we just have to pay a monthly due of $135 to our Association then we can go sitting pretty. The Association is in charged of hiring people who will maintain our common spaces. We don't have to shovel during winter nor do gardening on summers. I am not an outdoor person so I don't mind not having a say on my garden anyway.

I am not sure if we'll be staying here "forever" but as of now, I am contented. Our house is big enough for the three of us and it's low maintenance.'  Again, I have no desire for shoveling snow any time lol!

Hello, Winter!

I woke up this morning to this...

View from the second floor (master bedroom)

Nakakasilaw ang kaputian sa labas, kaloka! Ito yung snow na hindi na matutunaw. Hanggang March or April na na maputi ang paligid.

It was snowing the whole day. Ford and Daddy Jaime were able to change our car's tires na into winter tires. I wanted to go out and walk but I am afraid na baka madulas ako. I also do not like to wear winter boots yet (wearing socks and boots is tedious if you have an 8lb+ baby in your tummy).

According to Yahoo's weather forecast, it won't snow tomorrow and in the next few days -- but it will be a lot colder!

Oh well, what can I say but... hello, winter! Please don't be too harsh on us this year, oki?


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NOTE: Winter technically starts on December 21, 2014 pero talagang winter na winter na ngayon pa lang eh. Kaloka!