After bidding a bittersweet farewell to Shanghai, Jerel and I arrived in Vancouver for the first of several homecomings. Vancouver felt completely deserted compared to Shanghai, and we eagerly soaked in the open space and the ‘sound’ of silence. We were also both struck by how much easier life is when you can understand everything going on around you, and know the rules of engagement. Although it was a real treat to communicate freely in English, I have to admit that my ears perked up whenever I heard Mandarin spoken around me (not that I let on!).
We soon headed up to Whistler for few days of unusually chilly, snowless ‘skiing’ (and socializing), returning to the city just in time for a spectacular snowfall, bringing one of the whitest Christmases I can remember! Jerel built goodwill with his in-laws with his snow-shoveling prowess and ability to drive coolly on unplowed roads (unlike a certain truck driver who hit our (parked) borrowed car!). A definite highlight of the trip was an improvised toboggan session with all the sibs and significant others (except Ami’s Mana) - see Ami's Facebook page for a video!
After bidding a bittersweet farewell to Shanghai, Jerel and I arrived in Vancouver for the first of several homecomings. Vancouver felt completely deserted compared to Shanghai, and we eagerly soaked in the open space and the ‘sound’ of silence. We were also both struck by how much easier life is when you can understand everything going on around you, and know the rules of engagement. Although it was a real treat to communicate freely in English, I have to admit that my ears perked up whenever I heard Mandarin spoken around me (not that I let on!).
We soon headed up to Whistler for few days of unusually chilly, snowless ‘skiing’ (and socializing), returning to the city just in time for a spectacular snowfall, bringing one of the whitest Christmases I can remember! Jerel built goodwill with his in-laws with his snow-shoveling prowess and ability to drive coolly on unplowed roads (unlike a certain truck driver who hit our (parked) borrowed car!). A definite highlight of the trip was an improvised toboggan session with all the sibs and significant others (except Ami’s Mana) - see Ami's Facebook page for a video!
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