Wadi Dahr (Dar Al-Hajar)

Wadi Dahr (Rock Palace) is a house designed on the ruins of an old temple. Perched atop a rock pinnacle at the famous Wadi Dhahr Valley, it seems to grow out of the rocks. The Palace was built as a summer home for Imam Yahyain the 1930s.

Arriving in Sana'a, this was the first place Yahya took me to visit. It's about 25 km away from the city cnetre.

Merry Christmas!

Woke up with a call from my brother in far away India. Then listened to a Punjabi Christmas Jingle which my friend had sent via WhatsApp. Meeting a friend in the afternoon for lunch. And here I am, picking up my writing once again.

Merry Christmas!

Brewery Tour & Wine Making Class

I've been taking classes....oh yes, I have!

Last Saturday, it was to Minhas Micro Brewery that I went to learn a bit about Beer. And I am enlightened! Beer = Barley + Water + Hop + Yeast. Beer is the world's most widely consumed and is likely the oldest alcoholic beverage. It is the third most popular drink overall after water and tea.

Now I know the difference in taste between an Ale and a Lager! Ales tend to be fruity while lagers are clean-tasting and frequently described as "crisp." To a Brewer, the main difference between an Ale and a Lager would be in the type of yeast used during fermentation. The "top-fermenting" yeast would be for ales while the "bottom-fermenting" yeast would be for lagers.

The owner Moni Minhas, father of Manjit & Ravinder Minhas who runs the Brewery came up for a little chat and narrated a bit about how he came to Canada with 4 Dollars in his pocket all the way from New Delhi in India. What a story! Well, he's made it!!

The Growler that I got home - Sunshine Lager

I bought more Beer .....White Wolf, Lazymutt and got a sample of the original Cream Soda!

This evening I was off to learn how to make wine at home! It was an introductory class teaching us all about choosing our first wine kit to bottling and everything in between. It seems not so difficult and knowing that my current Boss too makes wine at home I think I too can do it. I would just need some space to set up my wine making kit....the Primary Fermenter and the secondary Carboy.

Don who took the class today and shared the tricks he learnt over the years.

The lessons have been exciting! And now I'm looking forward to making my own wine!

I pumped gas!!

Last evening, for the first time in my life I pumped gas! And I'm feeling super thrilled! 

Until I came to Canada I only had Gas Attendants pumping gas for me but that was how it was in all the countries that I had lived so far.

Ever since I got my car last October, I've had friends/work colleagues coming along and helping me in getting gas. They did the work while I looked. Few months back after getting detailed instructions from a work colleague as to what I should do as soon as I slide into a Gas Pump I was all ready to do it by myself. However it so happened that the Gas Station I went to on my way back home had a Full Service that I was not aware of. This meant someone doing it for me! Since then I had been going to this particular Gas Station.

However yesterday I was at another Gas Station. Was feeling a bit apprehensive if I would get it right. I got out of my car. Tried to open the Gas Tank lid but it just wouldn't open! Ultimately had to ask for help to the Truck guy pumping gas just beside my car. Made me look so incompetent?! Then I lifted the Gas Pump Nozzle....selected the type of gas I wanted....put the nozzle in the tank and squeezed the trigger and felt the gasoline flowing into the gas tank! Yay!! I pumped gas!!! Finally! Whew!!!

My first year here in Canada!

It's been a while since I wrote anything here.....work and other things consumed me but again I know it's no excuse. A recent praise ...."Good Blogger" from a person that I know remotely....even though he may just be biased to my writings has given me the much needed motivation to do a post today. So here goes....

I completed a year here in Canada.....a few days back! Time sure flies! 21st of Feb 2015 around 7pm I land at the Toronto Pearson International Airport. It was cold......I had flown straight from Dubai via Paris. After living in the Middle East for the past 13 years.... Brrr! It was freezing here!!

The first 2 months passed by searching, connecting, applying to quite a few companies for a job. It was a bit frustrating as days passed by not knowing when I would find a job or if I would get a job in my own field. An advise that I was getting from well-wishers ......"pick any job"...."don't be choosy"..."get some Canadian experience".....was freaking me out! Why should I pick any job? If the job was to play a movie star...sure! But that was not what they were hinting at.......being in retail...they were pointing at me applying for a "shop girl's" position. 

Am glad things worked out my way....got a job in my own industry and I couldn't have asked for a better Company! It was a cold call that I had made. First day...interview with 2 AVPs. Next day interview with the VP for Planning! A week / ten days later, a voice mail on my phone (had missed the call) from the VP updating me that they were still interested....just that the process was taking long since the company was a part of a big Conglomerate, the Corporate HR procedures were being followed. In just over 2 months here I was with a job in a Company that I really like.....and my Bosses are all so nice! People say I'm lucky!

In April of 2015 I did a bit of travelling inside Canada. I visited Niagara-on-the-Lake in Southern Ontario where you have the Niagara Falls. It was a beautiful day and it was awesome to see the Niagara Falls which I had seen in books/magazines/movies. 

Niagara Falls....awesome sight to see.

Here's a church that I passed by as I walked down to the Niagara Falls. Nestled between the leafless trees just at the bend of the road....it looked quaint and beautiful.

I also got to explore a bit of downtown and midtown Toronto. To walk around with no hurried agenda is something that I really enjoy. Love the old houses, the architecture....it's so rich.

Casa Loma in Toronto. This is a Gothic style house and the history about the man who owned this is equally fascinating.

CN Tower (on the right looming from the trees) visible from Lady Mary's bedroom in Casa Loma.

Spadina House was another old house that I visited. This is now a museum.

It was again in April that I flew to Calgary a small city in the province of Alberta.....a city that is beginning to grow on me.

Calgary Skyline

Another small town I got to visit was Banff, located in Alberta's Rockies. This is a resort town and is a popular touristic destination.

8th August 2015 - Chuffed to bits! My first challenging hike....2300 feet vertical gain / 17 km / about 6 hrs!! National Geographic describes this hike as one of the World's 20 Most Thrilling Trails!

Crypt Lake, at last! Worth the long hike!

8th September 2015 - Weekend Trip to the Okanagan Valley, BC. Walking from one vineyard to another in Kelowna and Penticton tasting wines and buying bottles of most of what we tasted!

 

The Buck that Sal and I chased away! (Sal, owner of the vineyard where we stayed. Sal in the above photo pouring me some wine...."just a splash"!)

4th October 2015 - Another great hike that I did, Rawson Lake Hike. Rawson Lake is a beautiful alpine lake buried in the mountains above the south side of Upper Kananaskis Lake in the shadow of 10,414 ft Mount Sarrail. The trailhead is at the farthest end of the Upper Kananaskis Lake parking lot which offers amazing views across the Upper Kananaskis Lake.

Upper Kananaskis Lake from where we started the Hike.

None of us expected snow when we started! And here we were....but it was really a good hike!

Rawson Lake

2015....it was an exciting year! Coming to live in a brand new country, new job, new company, new colleagues, new friends! It's all worked out so well. Am grateful for that!