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Everyday Asia – 17th Quarter Summary
Who counts 17 quarters? Seriously?!
Quarterly updates was a tradition I began years ago – once a quarter share a bit on what is happening both in real life and a blog recap. So four and a quarter years later, I may not be regular but Everyday Asia is still around!
So what’s up?
I already shared the biggest news of all – getting married in Manitoba! Which sparked a bit of travel to London, Winnipeg (Canada), back to London, Mumbai, on to Singapore and finally back home. Not much has changed, with a few minor exceptions!
I also shared work has been busy… keeping me exceedingly pre-occupied pre and post wedding, surfacing only 2nd week of August. Reflections on one aspect of such projects led to my sharing The numbers game aka “When 1 + 2 doesn’t = 3” (or elephants have 2 trunks!). I’ve since shifted gears back to the regular activities and efforts, much neglected with the project pressures.
Ms Zoe has had a gentleman caller – Mr Q. While these two felines may not be best friends, they did become fridge buddies and could be found scampering around the flat. Q has since gone back to his home, and Zoe has repeatedly demonstrated her happiness at having her home back!
On that front… we were given notice… Our beloved rental home was up for sale. Which prompted us to consider finding our own place. After an initial check on the market, decided though prices have come down, what you get for what you pay still isn’t justified. So redirected our efforts to a rental flat. Found one… were about to sign… only to have our landlord announce he’d changed his mind!!?
As it made more sense to stay, we backed out (with much chagrin). What a weird, short but fascinating glimpse into the absurd Mumbai housing market. Sheesh!
We are taking advantage of a bit of a lull to continue to tackle reducing our clutter – move or no move – and catching up with friends. All in all a good quarter.
As for Everyday Asia? The top posts for the quarter are:
- No surprise, “What’s really been going on” gets top billing…
- Followed by “Being Mrs Smith – Life post shadi” and our “Aspirations of becoming a zamindar… sort of“
- My last Jakarta related post keeps getting attention with Sunday at Como Park, Kemang
- Thanks I’m sure to all his 6 co-parents, Quantum & Zoe’s interactions quickly grabbed attention!
- My morning routine in Singapore also made it with East Coast Stroll
Given my other blog Whisky Lady has been prodigiously producing content, my last three monthly round up made it into the top 10 with Whisky Lady’s May 2017, June 2017 and July 2017 summaries. That blog has been blasting through all expectations with the range of whiskies sampled, now surpassing Everyday Asia with over 500 posts and over 3,000 followers – yowza!
While my Everyday Asia posting may be sporadic – little when busy with projects and a sudden burst when between gigs – it continues to fun sharing a few insights into the amusing, mad and sometimes remarkable life of a Canadian transplant in India!
Thank you as always for joining the journey…
Earlier updates:
What’s really been going on…
Ever have a time in your life where so much is happening, it seems almost unreal? As I wrote my immigration form a few hours ago to re-enter India from Singapore, I declared my travels in the last 6 days – Singapore obviously, but also India for a day, before that the UK and Canada.
And why so much travel? The real reason combines the personal and the professional.
On the personal front…
Lots of different things however the real big news is… drum roll here… my partner and I finally took the plunge to sign a piece of paper in Winnipeg with a wee wedding at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. We knew from the moment we met over five years ago that we wanted to spend our lives together, however took our time to get to this stage of bringing our respective families together in celebration.
It still feels strange when folks teasingly call me “Mrs Smith” – a last name I am not adopting but respect completely. I apparently even accidentally hung up on a consulting associate who merrily greeted me that way! (in fairness, the call didn’t connect properly)
Within a week of being wedded in Winnipeg, I was on more planes and found myself in Singapore for some work related meetings. Which is only the tip of the iceberg so to speak as on the professional front as much has happened over the last few months:
- I was delighted to be back in Jakarta working on a project from September 2016 to December then back briefly in March and April 2017. Naturally this meant a few stops in Singapore in my crisscrossing back and forth between India and Indonesia…
- January and May were pre-occupied with India projects that enabled trips to Kolkata and Kochi – it had been years since I was in Kerela so that was a particular treat!
- February brought me to Delhi to co-facilitate a remarkable conference
- More is unfolding in the technology space with the India company association… plus some new developments brewing that seem particularly exciting!
Beyond the personal and professional, everyday life in India inspired a few amused cribs about:
- Ready or not, July 1st introduces India’s Goods & Services Tax with some absurd moments and migration migraines from Service Tax to GST
- After a couple of years of effort, I finally successfully withdrew my last Indian Provident Fund. If ever anyone has tried to do this – foreigner or Indian – you will understand this is NOT necessarily a simple process!
- After even more effort, a weird system error was finally corrected so that the Indian government was finally convinced I actually had paid my taxes in 2009. Really… honestly… I did… it only took 8 years for them to admit it!!
- We also learned to survive the aftermath of November 2016’s demonetization in which cash was temporarily dethroned
So from newly wedded bliss, professional developments, to the everyday follies in India, life continues to be an amazing adventure!
There you have… a bit of insight into what’s really going on…
Related posts:
Everyday Asia 2016 – Happy New Year!
It is a time of celebration. It was a year of change. From some nerve wracking months when I didn’t know whether I could remain in India to manic work back in one of my favourite places – Jakarta – 2016 had lows and highs and many moments in between.
Blogging honestly hasn’t been a priority. From September, I was more in Indonesia than India. Even when home, my focus was on the project. However I didn’t just work in Jakarta. I did manage an escape to Bogor to breath in oxygenated air at the Botanical gardens and even attend a Christmas fair in Kemang.
Did you want this box?
3rd year + 13th Quarter – Belated update
After a bit of a hiatus, time to bring back a quarterly summary of what’s been happening.
In real life, there have been a few fairly momentus changes in the last few months. Most are ones I don’t tend to talk about. Bottom line is I had to leave India to change my visa… thankfully was successful!
There were many hopeful moments of a return to Indonesia or Malaysia or other opportunities that have finally materialized with a project in Jakarta starting later this month!
I also had my first article published on Scroll.in :
A foreign woman’s response to Mahesh Sharma: It’s got nothing to do with dressing modestly (more…)
Neglected blog
You know you have a neglected blog when you are inundated with offers for content ‘support’ from various corners.
A year ago, I felt the need to change the way I approached content on Everyday Asia to give greater focus to four different areas: Home, Away, Work and Play.
Did it stick? Not really… partly as my travels significantly reduced and the work situation became complicated. Even on the play front, I would attend so many amazing events but these did not translate into posts… (more…)
11th Quarter Summary – Confession time
Most folks who blog get to a point where they hit an impasse… and things either flounder, falter and flop or…. change. I’m not yet ready to give up, but have certainly faltered a time or two.
Let’s be honest, I’ve been pre-occupied with a crazy long list of company / business related activities, interspersed with enjoying life and… yes… distracted by my other blog ‘Whisky Lady.’
Sure I still WANT to write but the ideas that pop in my head inspired by an experience or conversation just haven’t been making it to the publish stage.
And don’t even get me started about drafts! Anyone else have an embarassing 60+ gathering dust in your drafts folder?!
Clearly it was time for an intervention, clean-up and figure a way to get “back on the saddle” for a a renewed posting groove! (more…)
Everyday Asia 2015 – Happy New Year!
How was your 2015? If anything like mine… zap! It was gone!
After an insane amount of travel in 2014 with a small project in Malaysia, a big project in Indonesia (I MISS Jakarta!!), some work in Japan, China, Philippines and Singapore… 2015 seemed rather tame.
Partner and I at BAFTA
Only a couple trips to Singapore, a jaunt to the UK and Canada plus a few domestic trips to Delhi, Kolkata and Jodhpur thrown in for good measure to augment everyday life in Mumbai.
10th Quarter Summary – Everyday Asia’s aging!
Wow! We’ve officially entered double digits for quarters… Merci all ya loyal readers and welcome newbies!
This quarter, I was interviewed & featured on two sites – how cool is that?
- Expat Focus – A website for globe trotters and bloggers from around the world…
- Learning India on working in India – a great website started by an American consultant in Chennai to help folks interested in working or living in India
Life brought a few developments too:
- Jumping for joy with the Canadian election results – finally Harper is gone!!
- Travel-wise had three trips: Delhi & Kolkata for work, Jodhpur purely for pleasure
- As for the ongoing structural repairs? After the water spray fiasco, the main building repairs are done though painting is pending… alas we still have one bedroom / balcony / bathroom to go!
- On the whisky side – started a brilliant ‘Whisky Ladies‘ group with a special guest from Inver House
9th Quarter Summary – Still at it!
Bravo you brave soul for sticking it out! For those who’ve been around since the journey began 9 quarters ago, many thanks! For those who just joined, welcome!
July brought a wee shake-up in the approach to the blog as ‘Every day adventures in Asia (mostly)’ morphed into the simpler Everyday Asia with four core themes – Home, Away, Work and Play. Fear not – this blog remains grounded in the everyday mundane activities of a transplanted Canuck living in Mumbai and traveling (mostly) around Asia. (more…)
Sisterhood of the world!
Just before our big trip to Canada and the UK, the super cool “Sisterhood of the world” award swung my way thanks to Travelgirl47 !
So a huge shout out to Jenn and now what follows is…
- I get to answer a few burning questions from Jenn
- Then nominate some more fabulous sister bloggers and….
- And ask them some questions too!
Simple, eh? (more…)
Everyday Asia 