Happy New Year from Hoi An, Vietnam!

Or Happy Next Year as some people say here! We arrived in Asia over two weeks ago. After spending some time in Phuket, we joined our group in Bangkok. We're having a great time so far. I am most impressed with the food. I am generally picky overseas but I haven't stopped eating since we arrived here. Not to mention all the beer the British and Australian people on our tour are getting me used to!

Today we went to a cooking class held in a local restaurant. We first went to the market to buy all of our ingredients (among other things very alive squids and shrimps). We then made spring rolls, squid salad (hmm not so good), fried rice (pronouced "flied lice" around here), and shrimp/cashew stir fry. It was great despite my 3 rd degree burn (ok, 1/2 degree burn) caused by the boiling oil.

Salut!

I passed, I passed!

Looks like I still remember how to write a multiple choice exam.I passed my marketing research exam, whee!

Quebec and the whole nation thing

Being born and raised in Quebec City, I’ve been asked a million times what I think about the new status of Quebec within a united Canada. The answer is… What’s a nation?

My preliminary thoughts:

#1 Before defining Quebec as a nation, shouldn’t the concept of nation be defined? Now we’re working backwards trying to come up with a definition that will make Quebec a nation. How silly is that? Very silly.

#2 It was a dumb, opportunist political move by the Conservative party. One aiming at stealing much needed seats from the Bloc Quebecois. Any party voting against the motion would have risked losing Quebec’s support. Who in their right mind was going to do that? Since all parties voted for it, we’re left with no winners and a big huge constitutional mess ahead.

#3 The “within a united Canada” part never made it to Quebec. Defining Quebec as a nation is only going to fuel the separatist movement. Thanks a lot, Steve.

Liberal Leadership

It could be worse, I suppose. Bob Rae and his NDP ideologies could have won. I know, terrifying thought.

The only positive thing about Stéphane Dion is his PhD in Sociology ;-). Not only is he not liked in English Canada, Quebecers don’t particularly like him either. What were the delegates thinking? They simply went for safety. Dion is squeaky clean and has enough experience not to make controversial comments at the wrong time.

The party needed new blood. Michael Ignatieff was new blood. This sucks. *sigh*