Just NB

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!!! Feeling a little sentimental these days....looking back on old posts and pictures. This Valentine's Day, it's a regular work day...and we actually forgot about it until about an hour or so after waking up. I'm excited because I have something cute to give to Louis. What's crazier, is that last year we celebrated Valentine's Day in Paris !!!! How is that even possible!? I remember FREEZING and soaking wet a lot of the time. I also remember being happy Louis and I were together on the Hallmark Most Romantic Day of The Year.

It's hard to believe that this was a year ago ! 'Cause even though we've had a lot of moments like this: We've had a ton of moments like this: Sometimes I think that it's just our marriage that has bumps and ups and downs. Because we're from very different cultures and upbringings and we work weird hours and have a weird lifestyle. At the end of our workday, it's pretty hard to give our relationship the attention that it might need. Whatever the reason or however we make it work, I can't imagine my life any different right now. I am so incredibly lucky to have my best friend along side me in the jungle. And my best friend is a pretty amazing person. I had these like weird/unknown expectations for our first anniversary. So yeah, I kind of wished I had a "Celebrating Anniversaries for Dummies" because I don't know what we're supposed to do. Well, I think a normal person would think that they are supposed to do what...

Both of my wishes came true . I'm a lot luckier than I realize sometimes. :)

I'm on day...2 or day 1 of jetlag. I think day 2. It makes me kind of a horrible person. Or at least not a pleasant person to be around because I'm exhausted, I can't form sentences, and I'm ridiculously sensitive, and get annoyed pretty easily. It's great timing because tomorrow's my birthday. Part of me is torn because I feel like I should do something special to celebrate...but I really just want to relax. And drink an iced coffee. And watch Mad Men with Louis. The weather here is weird-ish. Sort of cold (25*C?), sometimes a bit windy, sometimes really windy, raining a bit, or sometimes raining a lot. I guess the storm is still passing through. I had an early flight so I was up sometime in the 4am range (although I'm not complaining because if I didn't have the early flight, I would be flying with Air Madagascar, which I'm not sure I could handle this jetlagged), and it's only 13h10 and I have to stay here at least until 18h00. Or until ...

It's not fun to say, but most times when I leave Edmonton, I'm haggered and exhausted, and kind of stressed. I try to cram in too many things and I fuss too much about who I want to see and what I want to do and it seems like I end with a list of ninteen hundred "to dos" and I haven't spent half of my time actually spending time with the people that I wanted to spend time with. This time, I'm tired, but I'm leaving with my heart full of love and happiness. (Wow, that is incredibly hippy-sounding, but true). Instead of running around, I made one day in one spot where everyone....well, sort of came to me. Those who could make it made it, and those who didn't, didn't. I had a few stressful moments because I planned a surprise photographer and a surprise "We are all wearing matching pajamas and then the proffessional photographer is taking a picture of us", but other than that, no stress. Love, family, friends, no running around. No erran...

The New Year's Eve party was a blast. I kind of babysat my drinks because even though it's NYE, we still had to work the next day. I was so bold as to not go into work until 08h00, but Louis went in at our regular 06h30 time. I know, I'm bad ass. The party guests were the best mix of people. It's weird how expatdom makes you have friends that you normally never would have even met. A few Cubans, Canadians (Albertans and Quebecers), Jamaicans, French, Malagasy, Burkinabé (from Burkina Faso), Peruvians.....I think that covers it all?   Ages people ranging from 23 to 60. There were a couple of songs played that I loved....that I remember listening to when my parents had a house party. It was a good time. And yes, before you even ask, we did all do the Gangham Style dance, and it was ugly.  There is video.  This is my first NYE spent in Madagascar and it was a great, awesome time. Louis was dancing with me all night. And instead of fire...

This is actually my FIRST New Year's Eve in Madagascar! Although I spent Christmas here in 2010, I was in Belgium for New Year's....ridiculously tired...and in bed by...20h00? Wow. I went through a rough time there for a while and it sure showed in my energy levels. Anyway. This year, a few friends got together and decided to throw a party. There is also a party at the Tropical Bar...but we weren't sure how well organized it was and we didn't get the official announcement until the 28th...so we went ahead and planned ours. Today, two friends/co-workers and I went into town to buy MORE alcohol (I think we had enough) and juice, pop, etc. Anyway, there is a Duty-Free store and we went a little crazy. I think we'll have enough for every party in 2013. Then we went to Score, which is like our Walmart, except about 1/214 of the size and 1/4819481934 of the selection. The two friends I went with are guys. Who were not happy to be sweating their b@lls off waiting in th...

Show up at work thirty minutes late because Louis and I are both TIRED! (We're so bad....we got to work at 07h00!) Call my mom as I wasn't able to get through the night before (no tears) Work until 12h00 and head to the cafeteria....with hopes of having that amazing cutlery again. Try to hide my disappointment that we're back to the "pretend" forks again. Work until 18h00 (slacker day...get to work early and leave early....) Went for a run Had a quiet supper and went to bed early. Almost slept through the entire night! So, it's like that. Life is back to normal (whatever that means) and the thing that I think kept me going was knowing that I'd see most of my family in January and that I spent two weeks with my mom in November. The tears and the drama pale in comparison to two years ago when I was here around the holidays. Two years ago, it seemed like everything was so chaotic. Now it's even more chaotic, but in a way that's....I don...

DRAGged my butt out of bed. I think we were an hour late for work. Worked until noon, and then go to the cafeteria for A SUPER AWESOME MEAL! Like, this never happens!! To actually ENJOY the food we're provided? Wow! It was pretty funny because there was like a crowd of people surrounding the cutlery area. For Christmas....we got to use...REAL FORKS!!!!!!!! We usually get these forks that look like metal...and feel like metal...but if you use a little too much pressure to pick up your scrambled eggs...either the fork tines fall in weird angles, or the handle itself collapses. Our other option is plastic cutlery. Yesterday, there was this stir around the cutlery area and everyone around was holding up their forks saying, LOOK!! LOOK at the fork I got!! The thing is - I'm not joking. This is both sad...and hilarious. Went back to our place and Louis worked for an hour or two. Watched a few episodes of Mad Men. It's only taken me 3 years to start watching the series...

{Yes, the point form is lazy...but I can't think of a way to write out the day's events. I must be ready for a vacation!} Arrive in Toamasina around 07h00 on the charter - thankfully!!!! Felt mega nauseous. I think it's due to lack of sleep and my stupid attempt to drink Malagasy coffee Get sick. Spend an hour and a half resting...come back feeling actually pretty good all things considered! Get a very thoughtful gift from my wedding-witness. Work until about 18h00 or 18h30. Go for a run with an awesome Santa hat that lights up!!! (You get the idea.)   Meet up with my Expat family at the Tropibar for laughs and story-telling. Literally - various hilarious versions of "The Night Before Christmas" - tailored to our current environment - were read aloud Oh, I can't forget to put up some pictures of our Christmas house! (So yeah..we're one of 3 houses that put anything up (but one does have like a serious...

My blog's been pretty active the last week which usually means that I have a lot going on in my head and don't know how to get it out. The visit to Tana this weekend, although it took a toll on my energy (weird eating times with crappy food, a bit of alchohol, little sleep), was sooooooooo good for my heart. I truly love Louis' family, even though I barely know them. But each and every time that I've seen them, I go away so happy (ok, happy and tired), and even though I don't get to see them often, I really, really enjoy our visits. The family dynamics are so different than mine - a grandma/mom, five siblings and their spouse, each with their own children (11!) and step-children (2-4...I can't keep track!) of all ages from 1.5 to 27!!!! I think most of the time I'm there I am quieter or chat with one or two people at a time. No - I think most of the time I'm there I just sit back and watch! Louis' family has welcomed me from the moment they m...

When I was in Canada, I picked up some small gifts and Mother's Day cards to mail. I even went to the post office and got stamps. I even addressed them. And then I brought them to Madagascar. I could have put them through the shipment we send to our Toronto office each week...actually, I did!! But I did that....today. I guess they'll be a little late. Anyway, I thought it would be a nice idea for my mom, my grandmother, and Louis' mom to get a simple bouquet of flowers the Friday before Mother's Day. My mom got her order, no problem. I'm not even sure what company I used, but I saw a picture and they looked perfect! Louis' mom got her flowers too! The card was supposed to read (in French), "Happy Mother's Day! We love you!! Louis, Claudie, Laurie, Maggie, and Nicole. xoxo". Maggie (the dog) and myself got left off of the card. Not a big deal...but when you factor in the ridiculous delivery charges...kind of a big deal. So when FTD.c...

Let's start with when I came home from work and grocery shopping. Our housekeeper left ALL of this water. What this typically means is that a cyclone is coming. I hadn't heard about one...so I thought it was confusing.  Anyway, while I was putting away groceries, I really looked in our fridge. Um...it kind of makes me want to call Alcohol Annonymous?  First - mix for beach drinks.  Next, Maple Whiskey, Prosecco, a bottle of Rossi and a bottle of gin to make Negronis, 2 bottles of Captain Morgans that I bought in Duty-Free for a reason I CANNOT remember..  Some bitter orange for Negronis...oh, at least there's some healthy food. Amazing Grass , wheat grass, and eggs. But then, three or four different types of beer. Those Guiness ain't cheap!! It works out to $5USD/can!! That's a lot of money invested in beer....especially since I don't drink beer.  More alcohol to make Negronis. Oh - a Coke. That won't last long.  Some more....scotch, Dzama, Dzama coo...