Huynher's Adventure: HAPPY HOLIDAYS

It has officially been 4 months since Kenny and I have been traveling. We are coming close to an end at our stay in Melbourne and moving onwards to our first stop in Asia – Singapore.

Christmas is also coming up in just 5 days. It certainly is weird to be celebrating Christmas in such hot weather with no snow in sight. It is even odd to be hearing Christmas carols when it’s almost 30 degrees Celsius outside. But hey, we are not complaining. Everyone here are in shorts, t-shirts, tanks and sandals rushing around in the city getting last minute Christmas gifts. However, if we were in Canada now, it would be a total different scenery. Everyone would instead be wrapped up like a big fluffball, crossing their fingers for no snow blizzards. Be it snow or sun, we wanted to wish everyone a very happy Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year. Hope you will all have a great holiday and remember to eat, drink and be merry!!!!

With Christmas season here, it makes Kenny and I miss home a lot including a few other things in Toronto. Anyone who has traveled should know that there are things you won’t be able to have until you get back home. It is either not sold in the foreign country or it is made or taste differently. Well, Kenny and I sure do miss a lot of things about Toronto. We compiled a list of what we miss most below: (it is not listed in order of importance)

1. Driving, especially our “Scooby”. We are both beginning to hate being so dependant on the public transportation. We always have to adjust our schedule accordingly to the train schedule. It is not convenient especially in Melbourne when we live in the suburbs and the bus service ends before the mall closes. How does anyone go shopping?

2. Family. We miss spending time with them and listening to the latest family gossip and trying out new recipes. We will especially miss them during the holidays. It won’t be the same without our traditional gift openings during Christmas time.

3. Nathan (Kenny’s nephew). We miss his smile and his cute shenanigans like how he doesn’t let anyone touch his baby car seat when you sit beside him in the car. He is a cutie!!

4. “Bon Yiu”, “Bao Bao”, “Home cooked Pho”, and “Tomato and beef” dishes

5. Our friends. People Connection. Don’t get me wrong, Kenny is a great hubby to travel with, but there are times when I just wished there were other people to talk to besides him, like maybe another girl.

6. All you can eat Japanese Buffet.

7. Some food items: Ketchup chips, a medium double double coffee from Tim Hortons, a French culler donut, Coffee Crisp & Oh Henry chocolate bars (this is more of what Jamie misses)

8. Nitro. We miss playing ball with him and knowing that as we pick up the ball, our fingers will get bitten off by him.

9. Having access to high speed internet at your fingertips rather than having to rummage through the city looking for internet cafes

10. My soft pillow. It always seems to have the perfect spots to sleep on. (This is more of what Jamie misses)

11. TV (this is again applicable to Jamie only). I miss all of my favourite TV shows like Amazing Race, Lost, and pratically anything else that is on TV.

12. "Mein Bao Po" (Bakery Eatry Store on Midland and Finch..Ben's favourite haa haa) We miss their ice tea and lemon tea.

13. Three for a $1.00 chinese buns. They are the best. They have a wide variety of yummy buns. For just $2.00, you can fill up your stomach with 6 different kinds of buns including BBQ pork bun, curry bun, and red bean pineapple bun and Kenny's favourite, the white fluff ball.

Surely enough these are a few things that we miss about Toronto. However, we still toy with the idea of extending our trip. We keep thinking (especially since I have started working again in Melbourne to earn an extra few bucks), why rush home? Why rush home to become corporate slaves again in the dreadful cold weather. There is still so much more to see and experience out there in the world.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE AND HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!