The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning

I know it’s been a long time since I last blogged. Recently, I was assigned a project at school in which I had to read a fantasy novel and do a response for. Therefore, I have decided to do a blog on “The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning” (WARNING! If you have yet to read this book, and you do not wish to have anything spoiled, DO NOT  read on)

Before I start, I’d like to give you a quick summary so you don’t get lost or confused. The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning is the third book in the Land of Stories series, written by Chris Colfer. The two main characters are Alex and Conner Bailey, twins who are from another realm, called The Land of Stories. At first, they didn’t know another realm existed, when they did find out they learned that the fairy godmother was their grandmother. In each book, there is a huge problem that usually, Conner and Alex help settle, facing a series of obstacles in their way. In this book, there is a French army that had been put in a portal from Earth to the Land of Stories by the fairy godmother, and they were not to emerge until two hundred years later. Fast forward two hundred years later and the French army arrives in the Land of Stories. Seeing that the fairy godmother has fallen ill, the fate of the fairy tale world rests on Alex and Conner’s shoulders as they are the grandchildren of the fairy godmother. Some other characters I may be mentioning in this blog are Bree, Conner’s friend and love interest, Emmerich, a boy who helps Conner and Bree find the portal to the Land of Stories, and Mother Goose, one of the fairy godmother’s oldest friends. That is just an outline of what happens in this book, I really enjoyed it, and I think many other fantasy readers would enjoy it too.

In my opinion this book is very detailed and well thought out, it was showed in chapter eleven where Conner and his friend Bree had to use a special poker chip that he got from Mother Goose to access her vault in the Lumiere de Etoiles (Starlight) Casino. She said in her vault there was a panpipe that could open the portal to the Land of Stories. The poker chip they had used to access the vault was given to Conner in a previous book in the series, meaning that the author had his story well thought out from the beginning, or it was simply just a coincidence. I think this book can also give the reader courage, and teach the reader how to persevere through tough problems. An example of this in the text is in chapter two when Alex is training to be fairy godmother, and her goal is to grant three wishes each day. One day, it seems as though everyone who she helps, is snotty about it, and instead of thanking her, they insult her. Even though she did not get the respect she deserved on her first and second try, she persevered and completed her goal of three wishes.

My favourite part was when the Grande Armee was approaching the fairy palace and everyone was panicking since Alex and Conner hadn’t returned. Then, they all saw a blast of light, almost like an oversized comet shoot through the sky. It came bolting towards the fairy palace, just before the Grande Armee were about to strike, and in front of the fairy palace appeared Alex, Conner, and the remaining armies from all the kingdoms. This was my favourite part because the battle was about to begin, and as it was so exciting it was also so nerve racking, because it was their first battle they’d have to fight without the fairy godmother. But, they were very brave, and confident in fighting the Grande Armee and (SPOILERS) they won the battle. My least favourite part was when the fairy godmother (MORE SPOILERS) dies. She came back to fight the dragon that the Masked Man had brought at the end of the war, when the fairies thought they won. As it was approaching the fairy palace, Alex ran up to her grandmother’s chambers, kneeling at the side of her bed begging for her to wake up and help her. When she looked up, the fairy godmother and her wand were gone. The fairy godmother had come back to fight the dragon and defeated it. This part was my least favourite because once she had diminished the dragon she stumbled to the ground, feeling satisfied, and ready to leave. This part actually made me cry. It was amazing to read this because the description was so in depth and I could understand how they felt, almost as if I was losing the fairy godmother too, even though I knew she was a fictional character.

As you can see, The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning is a great book to read, if you want a book to read for pleasure, or even for a project. I hope that if you do read this book, you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

Basketball

It's past 3:00 am and I can't sleep.  I have a lot on my mind.  I have medication to help me sleep but lately that hasn't been working - nothing seems to be working.   I'm trying to find some distraction yet keep focused...

* * * * *

Today was M1's last basketball tournament.   This marked the end of her first basketball season on her school's team - the very first one she's ever tried out for.  Although she lost more games than she won and her basketball "skills" need a lot of work, I know she loved the experience and is looking forward to doing it again next year & is even talking about trying out for other school teams.

There are so many things I see my daughter has taken out of this experience: the camaraderie with her team mates, the sense of school pride, losing with grace, and a strong, athletic body.  She is also setting a great example for her younger sisters.   I'm so glad I went to watch some of her games and I know she was happy to see me (even at the ugly losses - and I'm talking about 47-4 ugly).  Because in the big picture of things, there's only a small window of time, or a handful of opportunities, when your children will truly NEED you,  when your presence is a source of encouragement and not embarrassment, and when you will matter the MOST.

This is what I am focusing on now.
Y.C.

The Exception Or The Norm?

I've written about our large extended family before.  My home is a central hub for aunts, uncles & cousins - coming and going at all hours (because we live with our in-laws but mostly because Uncle Pepe lives next door).   And although it can be overwhelming at times, I wouldn't have it any other way!  For every time where I've felt I needed my space and wanted to complain, there are 100 times that I've felt so happy to be a part of this crazy (some may say dysfunctional) family.

This week my FIL was sick and had to be admitted to the hospital for some unexpected surgery.  Thank goodness, he is fine and recovering well.   It is times like these that I think what a wonderful family I have.  It reminded me when I was sick 3 years ago and everyone took shifts at the hospital as they are doing this week.

This week's experience also reminded me what an amazing health care system we have - one that is practically 100% funded by our government.   There are a lot of horror stories of how inefficient our health care system is.  We read about people having to wait days to see their family doctor (and some not even having one).   There are numerous reports about long wait times for specialists and hospital tests.  My family has been very lucky.  I was, and continue to be very well cared for by our health care system and by our hospitals.   This week my FIL was able to get an appointment with his family doctor, had an x-ray in a neighbourhood clinic, got the results of the x-ray, was sent to the ER, had a CT Scan, was admitted to the hospital, saw a specialist and had surgery all within 48 hours.  I'm not sure if our experiences are the exception - I really hope it is the norm.

So today I am feeling very grateful for all the nurses, doctors, hospitals, and all the health care providers we have in our community.

Y.C.

Exhausted - In A Good Way

I'm exhausted - and it's only 12 noon.  Sometimes exhaustion is good.  Right now it feels good.  I feel like I have accomplished a lot.  Today I felt like I needed to keep moving - I wish I had energy like this everyday.  If my body was up to it I'd channel all this energy into cleaning my house.  It would be spotless!  But right now the best I can do is putter around in the kitchen on days like today.

This morning I was able to make my kids a hot breakfast AND a hot lunch (pat on the back) got them out the door on time (barely) and whipped up my morning green juice, Chinese herbal tea (blah), a salad for lunch (enough for 3 meals), banana muffins (for afterschool snack) and my special Chinese sweet potato dessert soup (also enough to last a couple of days).  Whew!

A lot of times it's the little things that add up and before you know it - voila!  It becomes a big deal - or like today, I end up with a kitchen full of food!

 

It's Not About The Money Money Money

This Saturday is Chinese New Year Day.  I've written about how our family celebrates Chinese New Year in the past (mostly by eating) and I must admit I truly love the traditions The Big Oh's family have.  However, there is one tradition in particular that has been of some discussion in the last couple of weeks - that of giving out red pocket money - "lai see".

When I was child a highlight was when my family would meet my uncles & aunts for dim sum or dinner during Chinese New Year and upon us hollering "Gung Hei Fat Choy" we would be given our lai see.  By the time I reached my early twenties Chinese New Year gatherings with extended family were less frequent - and when we did have a chance to meet up during this time of year, aside from my own parents, we no longer received red envelopes.  Hence I thought lai see was something fun & special for children.

So when I started spending Chinese New Year's with The Big Oh's family I learned that every family has their own traditions when it comes to giving lai see.  What I thought was suppose to be just a token amount ($1, $2 or $5) inside the red envelope turned out to be significantly more in his family.  I grew up with the notion that at some point you would be too old to receive lai see.  Not so in The Big Oh's family - around here you can get lai see until you have children of your own even if you are married and 50 years old!  I always assumed that lai see money was given to a "generation below".  For example, I would receive lai see from my uncles and aunts.  When I got married I would give it to my nieces & nephews.  Again different in The Big Oh's family.  Their family rule is that you would give lai see out as soon as you were married - even to family members in the same generation (it wouldn't matter whether they were older or younger than you, and even married) as long as they didn't have children.

I don't know what the majority thinks, but to me, these rules just don't sit well.  Here are a couple of examples why:  (1) The Big Oh and I were married before his older sister was, so there was a few years where we gave her and her boyfriend/fiancé/husband lai see until they had children of their own.  (2) The Big Oh has a cousin close to 40 years old who is in a co-habitating long-term relationship and assuming that they never get married or have children they will continue to receive lai see forever (and never have to give any out themselves).  I just think these scenarios are stupid - they kind of take away the fun out of what I thought giving/receiving lai see was about - that it's something special for the children.  If you know me you'll know it's not about the money - in this case, it's about silly rules (traditions, if you like) which people are too afraid/lazy to suggest a logical change to.

A couple of years ago someone in the Big Oh's extended family suggested scrapping giving out lai see altogether.  I can only guess to the reasoning behind this because no consultation, no vote, no real explanation was given - just a couple of aunts & uncles said "Let's stop giving lai see" and then our family was told not to give it out anymore.

Well this year I'm starting a mutiny.  I am going to give lai see - under MY rules.  I will be giving out lai see to children because I remember what fun it was to receive pockets of money once a year.  I remember counting the crisp bills or shiny coins and thinking what a fortune I had and what treats I could buy with it!  And when I think you're too old to receive it I'll stop giving it to you - and I'll tell you so too!  I won't be afraid to say,  "Aren't you a little too old?  It's really for children, and besides you make more money than my husband & I combined!".  And if I get asked why I'm giving out red pockets because it was decided that the family would not, I won't be afraid to say, "I like giving out lai see to children.  It's my tradition."

So there....now I'm off to the bank to get some brand new crisp $5 bills to put in our red envelopes.

Y.C.

The Crash Of My Life

This month is turning out to be a pretty crappy month.  I have been feeling a bit "down" since the beginning of the year.  And I lost my e-reader yesterday!

Perhaps it's the short days & long nights.

Maybe it's the awful weather - gone is the beautiful white snow & crisp winter air that we had around Christmas, lately it has been dreary drizzle and overcast skies which just makes the roads wet and slushy on good days, or a dangerous sheet of black ice on bad ones.

The feelings I'm having could be an emotional/mental "crash" from the "highs" that come with Christmas holidays, feasting with family & friends, and just spending some quality time with the people I love.

Or it could be just because it's January.  It was a day 3 years ago in January that brought me to who & where I am today.  It was horrible devastating news that was delivered to me on a January day, similar to the ones we've been having lately, that changed my life.  

I was driving my shiny red car on a familiar highway cruising at 100 km/hr and all the other cars driving with me were keeping a safe distance.  I knew where I was going.  I had a clear destination in sight.  I knew this road like it was the back of my hand, I had driven it thousands of times. It was a beautiful day.  The skies were clear and the sun was out but not blinding - just right.  The trees, houses & building, and scenery alongside the highway was enough to keep my drive interesting but not distracting.  I'm smiling and singing along to a favorite song playing on the radio.  Then without notice, without reason, without any cause at all I lose control and my car is spinning out of control in the middle of the road.  The brakes don't work, the steering wheel has a mind of it's own, and all I can do is sit there and watch out the windshield of all the cars I'm hitting  knocking out of the way, meanwhile my car is still spinning, still accelerating at 100 km/hr.  My heart is beating so hard I feel pain in my chest, my mind is racing & my head is pounding, and I am screaming for everything to stop.  I don't know how long this went on for but I am still inside my bashed up, broken car.  It's all scratched up, dented, pieces of it left behind in the carnage. It's no longer shiny, but rusty & scratched up and it'll never go fast again - my beloved shiny red car!

I'm still driving, though the conditions are all different now.  I'm not on that familiar highway and I'm not cruising anymore, no never again.  It's stop and go, slowly ploughing through foreign roads in places where I don't recognize.  It is a rough, bumpy road, full of sudden turns and dead ends, there are no signs or directions.  There will be moments of deja vu - that I've driven this road before and maybe I can let my guard down but it never lasts long before I am back to unfamiliar territory.  The skies are cloudy, but I know there is a sun behind those clouds and sometimes a ray of light will sneak out for a brief moment to remind me it's there.  The radio still works and music still plays but I can't seem to tune into my favorite radio station anymore - the one that plays all the songs I love and know all the words to.  Sometimes I will still try to sing along.  I DON'T know where I am going but I can't get out of my car.  I HAVE to keep driving.  There is no other choice.

Y.C.

Big Oh's Top Ten List of 2016

10) Auston Matthews
9) Summer trips to Wonderland
8) Wifey's ladies only trip to Tampa and stories about Uncle Rich
7) Watching Legend of the Condor Heroes with my daughters and seeing that they understand it and are enjoying it
6) Going to dance competitions and watching my daughters
5) M3 learns to ride a bike
4) Canada Day trip to Ottawa - witnessed a lot of "true patriot love" and it was educational for my daughters
3) March Break cruise - first vacation requiring a plane ride since M3 was born
2) My three daughters
1) My beautiful wife - a true inspiration


Big Oh