@aishaaround

Since moving to Canada I have become a huge fan of the Food Network. If there were any bad daytime soaps on, I would most probably be addicted to them, but thankfully even Canadian TV (like everything else here) is bad!

I regularly watch a show called Restaurant Makeover, where a renowned chef and designer will go around fixing up failing restaurants. Last year I watched an episode based in downtown Toronto, at a place called Reliable Fish & Chips. Unlike England, you don’t find many fish and chip shops here, so I was quite excited to find one so close to home.

A few weeks back the three (and a half) of us decided to go and have lunch there and I was not disappointed. I had the cod and chips; the cod was crispy and the chips were nice and soft, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! The vinegar on every table was in what looked like a re-used Lysol spray bottle which sounds really dangerous but a great way of getting an even coating on your food! Even the owners were Chinese, which reeally reminded me of home :P. The only criticism I have is that the chips were too thin, somewhere in between British chips and American Fries.

One of the things I’m really looking forward to when I arrive in the UK is walking down Stoke Newington high street and buying a massive bag of soft fat chips (open, of course) covered in salt and vinegar. Oh man, I can taste ‘em already :D

Not too long ago I found out I was expecting my second child. I was taken over by feeling constantly nauseous/crap and didnt give anything much thought unless it was about the closest place to puke my guts out. Four months on and I’m back to my usual old self. The excitement is definitely kicking in and I’m eager to go and shop!

The first thing I would really like to invest in is a double buggy (or ‘stroller’ as it’s called here in Canada). I definitely dont want the tandem or the side by side ones, there’s just too much difficulty in pushing those huge contraptions around. Lately I’ve seen many mothers sporting what I call 'double decker’ buggys; I think they are absolutely fantastic and oh so convenient! Ok, so I realise my newborn wll be a little close to the ground, but I’m sure it’s perfectly safe. My two favourites so far are the Btitax B Ready and the Phil&Teds.

I took a trip to Toys R Us yesterday and this is the Brittax. So light and easy to push around. I still have ages left to mke a decision though, but this one is definitely a likely candidate!

In less than three weeks time I’ll be flying off to London. Im super, super excited about this. I’ll be seeing friends and family after nearly two years so I have loads to catch up on. My husband and I will also be visiting Malaysia for 10 days, and Wales for a weekend. Currently we are packing and re packing, and being Indian, we are bound to be seriously overweight. I’ll only be relaxed and happy once I get through UK passport control greeted with a ‘welcome home’ :)