On Cloud 9

The last four months brought many wonderful blessings, which I will forever be grateful for. Who would have thought that last August when I was all set to leave and teach in Korea for a year, that I would be back in one month’s time, supply teach at the school board of my choice, land a short 4 month 1/2 day job teaching at the school board with the same class everyday (LTO), and then a full day LTO (which lasted me until the end of the school year).

As if that rush of opportunity wasn’t enough, I also had an interview with York Region District School Board for a full time permanent job towards the end of June, and was later offered the job at a school close by that will start in Sept 2012 (the bonus is that it’s a school that I have worked at before, and teach a grade 3/4 class with a little French ). For those of you familiar with the teaching industry, over the last several years, it has been tough finding permanent work in the field due to a surplus of teachers and declining enrolment. Lucky for me, I was able to secure something shortly after finishing teacher’s college which looking back was quite a risk, quitting my corporate job.

Then came mid July, and after 6.5 years of dating, Ben decided to propose and I said yes! (The exact date was on July 20th in case anyone was wondering ). I have to admit the recent ride has been pretty nice. My goals from the past year have been achieved, and my wishes for the year 2012 have so far been granted. I could not be happier with how my 27th year has unfolded.

Green Tea Cookies

Sooooooo… aren’t these adorable!??! I fell in love with these Miffy cookie cutter cookies the moment I saw them. Thanks to my friend Amie from HK who recommended the cookie cutter to me, so B and I could order it online . They came JUST in time for when I had some friends coming over, and they loved the cookie itself and the cutter too!! ^.^

So Many Things to Celebrate!

Today marks the first day of a glorious new year! Happy to be alive and well, surrounded (whether physically or emotionally) by the people I love and who I love most. Thank you for all the blessings in 2011! From graduating from Teacher’s College after a ‘mid-life realization’ (lol) and becoming a certified teacher in Ontario, to venturing out to Korea for a job (meeting the most adorable children and exploring one of the many beautiful places on earth), then coming home to a Board opportunity (that will hopefully turn permanent in the near future), and ending the year with many lovely memories of places traveled, food eaten, people I’ve met and reconnected with, and the countless dishes shared from ev’s kitchen. I am happy to say that 2011 was an amazing adventure and year of growth. I am excited for the year ahead, as it will be a busy one, with courses and work. But, it will be full of life, love, laughter and tears especially since I will play a special role in three of my dear friends weddings in 2012!!!! It is a blessing to be a part of their special time and witness personally the warmth in their hearts.

Today also marks my parents 30th wedding anniversary!! It’s amazing to see them grow old together!! I wish them many years of love, happiness and good health! They are currently enjoying a feast of a meal in HK with all my relatives! Wish I could be there.

Finally, it’s also my birthday!! And this post is dedicated to how I’ve decided to spend it. With good friends, doing something that makes me (and hopefully them) and others feel good. Inspired by The Birthday Project, originally from this blog post, I wanted to do something similar and spread some kindness cheer with the people around me, especially to start off the new year! With the help of my B.F.F. (best foodie friend June), my trusty sous chef (Helene), and sous chef for life (B) haha, we baked 100+ cupcakes that we will decorate, package and give out at the local skating rink this afternoon. They are ‘just because’ cupcakes that are meant to spread some holiday cheer and kindness to strangers we meet today. I know that some may think it’s odd and may be skeptical about receiving them, but I assure you, there is/was no ulterior motive! I just want to do something nice for others that may not be expecting it, and which could possibly brighten their day just a little bit more!

DIY mini marble magnets

I love DIY. I don’t think I’m the best DIY’er around, but I do love to create and make pretty things. As a THANK YOU to some dear friends who supported me throughout my year in school and my decision to teach abroad, I made some mini magnets for them that I thought were really really cute. I love the ‘bubble’ and shiny look that it has! I first saw this idea from Not Martha and wanted to make them for the longest time. I finally got the chance to make them and they look great if I do say so myself

Seoul Searching 2011: A Teacher’s Guide and More

I have ALWAYS wanted to teach abroad, and for several years I have considered what it would be like to work abroad on my own and do one of the things that I love to do… teach. After contemplating a few different opportunities previously, the opportunity and timing to leave Toronto after completing my BEd earlier this year presented itself, so I wanted to take it as I knew how difficult it would be to find a job teaching at the school board. I just wanted to start my career and get teaching and learning and improving my skills as an educator. Living in Asia was something I wanted to do too, and Korea struck me as an interesting place as I’ve heard from many friends and acquaintances how ‘good’ their experience was.

Of course, leaving Toronto meant leaving friends, family and B behind. But it would only be for a mere 12 months and I was going to have visitors here and there anyway. I must admit, the first week or so it was tough getting use to life in a small condo by myself in a foreign city which didn’t have many English speaking people or signs or menus :S. I was homesick but thanks to my supportive friends I managed to get through those gloomy days. THANKS ^.^

So much LOVE… A Surprise Farewell Party

Last weekend, my beloved Laurier family (the girls) threw a surprise farewell party for me to celebrate my move to Korea for the next year. It was definitely a surprise as I had no idea that it was being planned and that all the girls would show up at one of my gf’s place!!! I was actually so shocked I was shaking even after seeing all their faces when supposedly it was a 3 person quick dinner before heading downtown for a birthday party.. perfectly planned and executed!

Trinity Reach Farm Summer Dinner

So I’ve been anxious to post about my most recent culinary adventure with the boys at Trinity Reach Farm (TRF, for short)! Atlas, I have time and am excited that they will be the first ‘official’ post to my Pretty Yummie food blog .

Just to give you a bit of background, 20somethings Paul, Jacob and Dave have been renting out a house within downtown Toronto for the past while. They work at restaurants by day (or night I guess since they work dinner shifts) and the rest of the time, they up keep their ‘farm’ in the backyard of the house. Not just any regular farm though… one with a chicken coop and 3 healthy hens. Vidafine recently wrote about the experience visiting their urban farm. You can read about it and see the video here.