Had my last running practice this morning before the half-marathon on Sunday. Ran 10K, took just a little over 60min, a personal record!
Have been disciplined enough to regularly practice while vacationing. Practiced about 5 times, but doubt that it’s enough for the coming half-marathon, will try my best and enjoy the run on Sunday!
Been back to my “home and native” land for about 10 days already, and I’m still constantly experiencing friends’ warm welcome and hospitality! Had 3 different meet and catch-up meals with old friends over the pass weekend, there were lots of joy and laughters. Many friends seeing how much I missed Canada suggested I move back, a few of my old colleagues even said they would welcome me back to work in the office! I told them I couldn’t leave my parents back in HK, and they counter suggested I come back to work part-time for 6 months a year. 😅
One of my fellowship friend flew to Thailand and HK for a missionary conference and personal trip yesterday and insisted on lending me her car to use while she’s away. Saving money on car rental is one thing, I’m super grateful that my friend trusted me with her precious possession!
It’s thanksgiving long weekend here in Canada. Besides friends, I’m really thankful that my sister’s family welcomed me to stay in their house during this long vacation.
And my sister cooked us a wonderful and warm thanksgiving dinner tonight!
Joined Sunday service at my home church here in Toronto, many things and people seemed the same as before, strangely felt like I had travelled back in time to 6 years ago. Had lunch with a few of my old fellowship sisters afterwards, the 6 years of separation didn’t seem to have distanced our relationships, we broke a few laughs while catching up with our recent happenings. They wouldn’t let me chip in for the lunch bill.
After returning home, an old pal of mine picked me up to visit his home. He moved back to Canada more than a year ago with his wife and son after working and living in HK for 10+ years. We chatted a little in his home before walking out for dinner in our high school neighborhood. Happy to see that my good friend and his family is settling well here. Again, he wouldn’t let me chip in for the dinner bill even though he had already saved me a lot of money by lending me his old car.
I couldn’t be more thankful to have such good friends here while visiting.
At the Toronto airport customs, I was asked when I last visited Canada, I told them it has been more than 6 years, and the personnel’s response, “wow, it’s been 6 years?! You should come back more often to see family and friends!” Not exact wording, but that’s seriously what he sounded like to me.
My sister picked me up from the airport and we joined my brother-in-law and 2 nieces for dinner outside. My 2 nieces welcomed me enthusiastically.
After dinner, we headed home, I took a shower and slept like a baby from 10pm – 4am. Haven’t had such quiet and restful sleep for a long long time!
Really thankful to feel being welcomed in my “home and native land” once again.
In preparation for my upcoming long vacation, I have been procrastinating in the last couple of weeks trying to get things done so that I could have a worry-free break. Managed to finish up work and head home for mid-autumn dinner with my parents tonight. Rested a little and napped a couple of hours before packing my luggage overnight. 5:45am now and I’m more or less ready for my afternoon flight.
Didn’t even have enough time to properly plan this much anticipated month-long vacation to Canada, only thing I’ve scheduled to do is a half-marathon run in downtown Toronto on 22nd. Besides that, I hope to spend more time meeting and catching-up with friends, some of whom I haven’t seen for more that 6 years since my last visit. At times when my friends are busy, I may spontaneously do some short natural scenery trips and photograph the colourful Fall foliage, something I had never done for the 16+ years I lived in Canada.
Since this will be a considerably long vacation, I would probably still have a lot of time left besides running, seeing friends, and short scenic trips. The idea of resident artist came to mind recently, it should be fun to set up a little art corner in my sister’s basement and indulge in art when there’s nothing better to do. So I packed a lot of art supplies from my studio, will see how that goes!
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