A Season of Growth

I've been back in Vancouver for three weeks now. Vancouver is so beautiful. There is so much life, creativity, just prettiness and care everywhere. I absolutely love being in a city that comes together. Like just going to Stanley Park for bright lights, thinking about all the hours the firefighters put in to put up the lights and deco. The effort just to make the place festive for families. It's nice you know. Then back in Brunei i had a customer msg me asking me if i had to take down my Christmas deco! what? so now we are not allowed to put up even a tree in public places...a new religious enforcement thing. Its really sad. Where is the openness?

Ive been thinking a lot the last few days on where im going to be in the new year. If i decide to stay here what about my Bistro. I dont want to leave my work but I think there is a limit of growth happening in Brunei. I went for a job interview the other day. It was just a last minute decision when i saw a posting for a nutrition and life skills coordinator to apply. It was a really good interview but ironically after the interview I had the feeling that i rather go back to school. Going through with the interview showed me that I am capable yet there is part of me that wants me to really follow my heart. I think with certainty now i can enrol in culinary school.

random things why i love vancouver
ppl compost and recycle
mountain views
chilly air
diversity of ppl
transit
ppl on transit
grocery shopping
downtown
libraries
community
hockey
watching the news
asians who speak perfect english
artsyness everywhere
fam & friends

2015 is just a sleep away. 2014 has been an absolutely awesome adventure. Be brave, be true to yourself, and don't settle for less.

Connections

"It is only with the heart that one can see clearly, anything essential is invisible to the eye." the little prince

My flight over was amazing, for such a long time in a plane it felt like a bus ride away. It was so good to hear “Canadian” English on the announcements followed by French. Just to feel the professionalism in their voice was a nice change.

Relationships itself are invisible. It’s not like an object, not like a cat, you can see a cat, touch the cat, snuggle up with a cat. I think it’s so philosophical the whole topic of relationships. No one was born without a relation. Our DNA strands can confirm that. Relationships are what connect. It is this need to belong and to be longed for. It is so important. It drives, sustains, and gives hope. God really created us like this for a purpose. A craving to desire what can only fully sustain, and what can really give us love, joy, peace, patient, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. At the root of the why and how’s of relationships is God.

Relationships can only be seen when an out pouring of love happens which creates an action. How do we build and celebrate connections with people? How do we get to really know someone? Spend time with them, talk, be real, open up to trust, share truth and not lies, want the absolute best for them, do what matters, laugh, cry, and support.

It feels like I was just here yesterday due to the relationships that pick right back up. Let’s not take for granted the people in our lives that know and care for us. Colman picked me up and pulled out a gift from his hoodie front pocket. It was so awesome a free Budweiser Canucks toque. So perfect really. My family is such a blessing. I forgot about this thing called commuting and traffic on the way back from the airport, I need time to adjust back to “real” life. I’m really excited to be able to be around Abby and Riley even though Chey Leng keeps on warning me! Haha im ready to have some energy zapped out by kids that want to play, how can I say no to their cute Aunty Fiona, Aunty Fiona calls. Will see how long I can last. Haha! 

Thinking out loud.

"life can only be understood looking backwards, but it must be lived forwarid"

im in hong kong right now, waiting for my flight back to vancouver. and really thought it is such a perfect time to blog. it has been two years since my last post. even before Bistro Chez Fio opened! oh how time has flown. Chez Fio is not just a random blog of my thoughts anymore hahaha i hope random customers dont google search and find this ... perhaps time for a blogspot name change ... ill think about it later...  what has played out over two years!

i cannot of imagined the experience and people i have met and what has played out in Brunei. it has been nothing but amazing. living a dream really. doing what i love and getting to feed so many people. i realize how awesome being out of vancouver has been, there were times i was so home sick, times i wanted to give up. even extremely frustrated with how things are run. yet my appreciation for the simplest things has grown. living in a small country def has its pros.

Bistro Chez Fio has grown so much since the first day- from different menus, opening hours, staff, but what always remains was that no matter what God always provided. It has only been two years am i ready to move on? I mean what comes next? I dont really know what it means to be a restaurant owner actually. I do know that I believe in people and trust that when people see the passion and care that is placed into a goal things are done well. Love goes a long way. i feel like i have contributed to the Brunei food scene and that makes me happy.,giving people a special place to dine and even hold events and most of all expanding their food vocab..it amazes me when someone has never had a candy apple in their life or even had pecan pie! hahahaa.... over the past two years the food industry has expanded with a ton of new restaurants, better eating choices, and a closer community of restaurant owners... what is next? im hoping farm to table dining, increase in sustainability, local eating, and maybe even one day in brunei they would have its own dairy farms! i think that might take 20 years hahaha jk

Its interesting how life just happens sometimes. you meet people, share experiences, and grow. sometimes i feel like im still 16 other times i feel like im an adult and can make my own decisions and mistakes..yet times i feel so ready to just be an adult cuz im not there yet. whatever that means. maybe it means paying more bills getting married and having kids... lol i dunno. is that what defines adulthood... or when your financially independent and living on your own?

how do we know what we want out of life? im not really sure if there is even anything i want... maybe im more of a giver.. i dont know what i want yet i know i want to give as much as i can to others...

can it just be as simple as Living simply, Laughing often, and Loving deeply....

 Im going to just enjoy my time back in vancouver. excited to spend so much time with people. and just be present. i will make the most out of every day.