Ottawa & it's surroundings

COTTAGE LIFE
With all the parties and social events we were attending within the first few days of landing in Ottawa, Aaron and I needed to unwind and simply relax ! BIG TIME ! When living abroad people back home typically ask the same questions over and over, and while I underdstand they are curious and are trying to make conversation, it is boring to explain the same thing repeatedly especially being jetlagged... so with that being said, Aaron and I went up to the Lac Bleu area, about 2 hours north west of Ottawa, for a cottage retreat. I would really like to thank Michelle and Phil for graciously allowing us to use their beautiful cottage!

Cottage life is much different than anything Im used to in Dubai... the remoteness of the cottage, the wilderness around us, the trees and greenery, the great outdoors! I guess what people would typically call "roughing it", which in our case meant no cell service, no dishwasher, no takeaway or food delivery, no cable television, no internet, etc. HAHA. Daily activities included lounging, relaxing, reading, board games, paddle boating, napping, hiking, cooking, drinking, and more drinking. A

STEREO:
As soon as we booked our trip, I immediately checked who was going to be spinning at my beloved Stereo. And... it was one of my all-time favorites, Victor Calderone !!! So it was set, we would go to Stereo for Victor :) The last time I had been, it was to see Nic Fanciulli - and while it was a good night, we were just so tired & had a hard time getting into it... so this time we changed it up a bit. Instead of staying awake all night, and going to Stereo a bit tired, we went to sleep fairly early the night before, and got up at 5 am, ate some breakfast, and got ready to party! What a great plan!

By 5:30 am, we were out the door and heading to a party! A bit strange in theory - but whatever, we went with it. The party was already in full swing when we got in, and within 30 minutes, we had let our morning guard down and had joined the party. It was quite easy since Victor was killing it! Plus, Stereo had a new visuals guy in to add to the ambiance - although it did have a strange 80s feel to it, haha. Not only was the music and the visuals rocking, everything else was Stereo as I know it - the staff, the people and the vibe... simply put, it was a FABULOUS party! Victor you are one of the best at Stereo, and I look forward to your next releases... a big THANKS to Tommy and Mike for everything xo

BEACH CLUB:
After Stereo, we had a mini nap in the hotel, then headed to Beach Club for their annual Ibiza themed party with many DJs including ATFC, Prok & Fitch, King Louis, and D-Formation.  Since we got there in the early afternoon, I took the opportunity to just relax on the beach, listen to the tunes and people watch. It's not exactly like a beach in Dubai since it was nowhere near as hot, and the beach was on a lake, but it was still nice. A few hours later, Audrey and a great Ottawa crew arrived to join the party, and we danced some more.

I love the entertainment provided at this party - the dancers on stilts, the costumes, the themes - they are pretty great additions.  This year there was room to circulate around the venue since there werent as many people as last year, which was probably due to the menacing rain clouds all day, but  it only really rained once.
Note: It was an interesting feeling to be back at Beach Club... I had spent most of the 2010 summer Sunday afternoons there; and in a year, nothing had really changed. But this time, I actually felt more like an outsider looking in, and I was ok with that. Could I be getting old? Or is this called growing up? hahaha anyways...

Since it had been an early morning, we were starting to get tired - but I wanted to see D-Formation... well it got to be about 7:30 pm, the dark rain clouds were moving in again, and so we decided it was time to head back to Ottawa considering there was still a 2 hour drive back. It was one of the worse drives EVER - the thunderstorm followed us most of the way home making it rather stressful. Once back in Ottawa, it certainly didnt take us long to fall asleep that night - we had had a long day to say the least, close to a 14 hour party day. WOWWY.

xox <3 xox

Ottawa & it's surprises !

OTTAWA TRIP #2 - 2011:
At the beginning of Ramadan, I travelled back to Ottawa for about 2 weeks. This was a rather last minute trip, and was planned only 7 short days before departure. We figured with the start of Ramadan, and the event season getting pretty slow, why not travel ? But, there was a more important reason to travel back to Ottawa... my mom was retiring from Canada Post after 33 years of service, and ending on such a high note as the Ombudsman. I simply couldnt not be there for her during this momentous occasion.


FLIGHT:
We took a United Airlines flight from Dubai to Washington - which took a LONG 14 hours. We had been able to upgrade to the Economy Plus which features an extra 5 inches of legroom, and it was well worth the cost. It sounds ridiculous that 5 inches makes a difference, but I would strongly recommend this option for long flights ! Ok so we got the flight over with, but the killer was the 13 hour stop over in the Washington airport ... the earlier flight to Ottawa was full so we couldnt catch it, and then our plane was delayed ! On that note, NOT impressed with United ! The airplanes are old, the service is mediocre, the food is hardly edible, and the flights tend to be generally delayed BUT also, they dont even serve alcohol on those long international flights. Now that's cheap !

THE SURPRISE:
We had only told my Dad about our travel plans so that we could surprise my Mom for her special occasion. And prior, I had told my Mom small lies about our plans during Ramadan so she wouldnt suspect and it worked. To come get us upon arrival, my Dad mentioned he was going to visit a family friend. Nothing out of the ordinary there. But then when we all got back to the house, my Dad went in the house and told my Mom that he had been in a car accident - that someone had hit him...and I hid beside the house. When my Mom came outside the inspect the damage, we jumped out from behind the house and SURPRISED her, to say the least. She nearly fell over & was in shock !!! Looking back on it, I wish we would have filmed the whole process, but it was definitely special. We settled in and got ready for more surprises.

MOM & Jacquey boy

SURPRISE #2:
The next day was my Mom's SURPRISE work retirement party, with colleagues, family and friends. Two huge surprises in two days - WOW ! My mom thought she was being taken out for a special retirement dinner by friends of the family. She obviously wanted us to come along too, but since the car wasnt big enough for 6 ppl, I went to the restaurant early for a drink. Since it was a surprise, everyone was there early, and we all eagerly waited for my Mom's arrival... About 30 minutes later, with all the guests in the back of the restaurant, and Aaron & I sitting normally at a table, she walked in and had no idea that her colleagues, friends and family were all there to celebrate her retirement ! Finally, it clicked - she realized what was happening !!! Again, my Mom was so surprised, it was truly moving :)

The event was a great success, and it was worth the long journey back to Ottawa. Quite simply, my Mom is an incredible woman ! Not only is she well respected in the workplace, but also within the family & her circle of friends, and also in the local and Kenyan community. To see all those people at her party, sharing so much love and respect, smiling and laughing, rejoicing in the great memories and looking to future memories - essentially, giving my Mom the praise and recognition she deserves so she can finish one huge chapter of her life, and continue creating future successful chapters.

During her speech - to which she hadnt had notice to prepare since this was all a surprise, a few things stood out for me. While my Mom always made it look so easy, her career was not always smooth sailing; nonetheless, she always found ways to perservere and keep moving forward. From my point of view, I saw how much she dedicated herself to Canada Post thereby investing so much time and energy, working long hours, working during evenings and weekends, and travelling for business - she really did contribute to the workplace and will leave a lasting legacy. I truly think that Canada Post is at a loss that both Goodfellows are now retired! Finally, I especially loved hearing my Mom's mantra:

"the good of the many, outweighs the good of the few"

- Spock, Star Trek 

FAMILY & FRIENDS:
With the retirement party, and many celebratory parties that ensued, it was a great time to connect with family and friends. I love my family !!!! I find it hard to be away from my wonderful family while we are in Dubai...although, technology has made communicating so much easier - but it's still not the same.

I couldnt have a family and friends section without mentioning one of my bff's Audrey. I miss her dearly while we are apart, but the good thing is that when we do get together, it's like we had never been apart.  We got together a few times, and it was so nice to have that girlie time with her and just be silly with her in our ways. What also makes it special is that our boyfriends get along, so it's a really fun group! I had thought that there would have been time to go visit Nadine in Toronto but we simply ran out time and needed to budget for part B of the trip.

I have learned that living abroad and visiting home is no vacation - its exhausting! There are so many people to see & spend time with on top of regular plans that it's difficult not to disappoint some people. And with this being a family oriented trip, I didnt even tell alot of people I was home... I left it up to fate, and who happened to be where I was going... I didnt manage to see everyone I had hoped to see, but that's that.

OTTAWA:
We visited Parliament buildings, the ByWard market, Elgin Street, Sparks Street, ate BeaverTails, poutine, maple syrup and had Tim Hortons. With the Ottawa Canal, the parks, the scenery, the museums, the sights & sounds - Ottawa is truly a beautiful and great city !

xox <3 xox