The Engleson Files

Yes, today my wonderful grandmother turns 85 years old. I wish her all the best and hope she has a great day. Happy birthday Grandma!

Just received a book in the mail from Grandma W the other day called The World is Flat, which is a very detailed synopsis of the globalization phenomenon that has been occurring over the past 5-10 years. While some of the information discussed we already know, much of the news is frightening. Did you know that there are some McDonalds restaurants that have a service counter representative taking your order from India who then communicate that order to the cooks inside? Yes, cost effectiveness ladies and gentlemen, the sign of our time. From what I have read so far, which isn’t much, this book is a must read for all of us to get a better/different perspective about how our world has changed and what that means for all of us in the future.

Not the Engleson pumpkins

For the past three days, Magnus and I have been frantically carving our five jack-o-lanterns for the upcoming Hallowe’en activities this Wednesday. Both father and son have been enjoying the process immensely and will have all our pumpkins ready to go.

Well, today we confirmed our reservation at the JW Marriott in Phuket, Thailand for the dates of February 1st-8th, 2008. Thanks to the wonderful graces of Mom and Dad, we are going to have a wonderful week of rest, water, sunshine and relaxation! The whole family is very excited about this week and look forward to going there after our little adventure into Burma. Only 12 more weeks to go!

Click here for more specs on the holiday digs.

Rangoon, Burma, or, Yangon, Myanmar

Well, as we officially begin the dog days of our school year, one of the key ways to get through this tough time of the year is to plan our 5 week winter holiday in January/February. This year, after much cajoling, I have been able to convince Kristin that Burma would be a pretty cool place to go. Now, yes, I know of all the issues that have been going on down there and have been monitoring the situation very closely; but, if all works out well, and everything is fine that will be our destination this year. Now, one compromise I had to make was to have our holiday end at a lovely resort in Phuket, Thailand - yes, the sacrifices we make! I am extremely excited about our upcoming trip and hope everything works out great in the end.

Much to the chagrin of J. Jonah Jameson, Spiderman has once again saved the day. In Dalian, China the evil villian Slobbs wreaked havoc over a local village and thanks to the heroic efforts of Spiderman peace was restored.

Photo courtesy of Blake Defieux

Yesterday, the Engleson’s and Defieux’s went out into the Chinese countryside for the great pumpkin hunt in light of the upcoming Hallowe’en activities. So, at 9 am sharp, as the Weekend Ayi cleaned our house, we hired a driver to take us out into the countryside where we rummaged through local villiage markets and then did the odd walkabout through other people’s fields. It was a beautiful autumn day and in the end we were able to sneak away with 10 pumpkins that we split (drafted) between the two families - which basically all cost us $15 Canadian. Then, once the hunt was over, we stopped in at our local Western eatery (Eddie’s 77 Cafe) for a couple of pieces of delicious pumpkin pie. It was an absolutely fantastic day and I hope to make it tradition for as long as we live here!

Photo courtesy of Blake Defieux

Yes, the little girl is getting much stronger on her feet these days and can stand on her own without too much difficulty; she just had her 9 month birthday yesterday!

Well, I have no idea what it is, really, or how it works but the Engleson’s have officially downloaded this Skype thingy and have also just bought a web-camera and microphone. It is our hope that the grandparents in Canada will hook into this internet magic so they can watch the kids as they talk to them, but if anyone else is on this program let me know and I will see if I can figure out how to get in touch with you. Yes folks, Skype - the future is here! (I am sure the Chinese government will shut it down in a couple of weeks!)

Yes, in all of China’s infinite wisdom the dreaded Youtube video sharing outlet has been banned. Why may you ask. Well, one thing you learn very quickly in this country is to never ask a “why” question because you will always come away more confused. I am sure it has something to do with the 17th National Congress going on right now in Beijing, but really, who knows. This kind of crap occurs on a regular basis over here and it has long reached the point beyond being comical, or “just apart of the whole experience” - now, it is just downright stupid. China (and all their benevolent leaders) are all claiming to be a progressive country, but these kinds of tricks only show the true colors this place still beholds. So yes, way to go China, you win again, and the rest of us minions are in your awe!

I am sorry people, but I am on a roll here! In going with the same principles and guidelines of yesterday’s post, I would like to ask a question that has been burning at me for quite sometime. What constitutes a snack versus a treat? Now, I have already burdened some of you with this question already, but I feel it is one that needs constant revision. How do we classify what gets labeled a snack and what gets labeled a treat? Can a chocolate bar be a snack, or does the ingredient of chocolate automatically negate that? Or, on the flip side, can a bag of chips be a treat? What is the difference between the two? Is it ingredients, time, or something else? Please, help me out and leave a comment with your thoughts on this matter…

There are a few things in this world that bother me greatly - one is when people open up the cereal bag inside the box improperly, and two is the word: treat. Now, I realize that I used this word in yesterday’s post and, believe me, it troubled me greatly doing so. I am not sure what it is about this word that I dislike, but it just makes my skin crawl whenever I hear it. I remember specifically being a young child hearing this word and having a total feeling of humiliation when I did; basically to the point where I was almost too embarrassed to accept the offer. I think this word has a very condescending tone to it and feel it puts the receiver of the gesture into an inferior place when used, “would you like a treat, young man?” I know the word is supposed to be a nice word that conjures up nice feelings, but for me, I just cannot stand it! Thoughts?

After one has gone out for a brisk walk in the cool, crisp October air and is now sitting at their favorite chair ready to watch a crucial baseball game, don’t forget to throw in a nice piece of pumpkin pie to finish that great day off. Oh yes people, pumpkin pie - yet another reason why October is a fantastic time of the year.

Another aspect of October that I love is the sports. In October, baseball begins its playoffs and the games become fascinating to watch. Now, I am not a huge baseball fan (in fact, I am not even a big fan) but when everything is on the line and the managers begin to get involved, baseball is a wonderful game to watch - especially in the NL. Also, October means the beginning of a new hockey season. After the long, hot months of the off-season where every team has tweaked themselves into contention, it is great to see the games finally begin. Yes, just another spice of life that makes October the greatest month of the year.