Evaluation

So, I just did my mid-evaluation. What I find quite a difference between Denmark and Canada, that in here (at least in my company), your manager doesn't try to make you feel bad and put you down. Yes, that is the Nordea style (for some) unfortunately. And to tell you the truth, that works much, much better! Instead of been pointed out your mistakes all the time, you try to take your strengths and use them even more. On the down side of the evaluation, I have again and again been confirmed that I am a nerd. "The only one who can calculate a correlation factor manually"  And yes, that is a complement! Ok, I will admit, Oracle, SQL, SAS and statistics will not scare me at all but, please, think about how on earth one should develop good relationships in the company with that kind of description, especially when you are trying to be a lady. But... I am working on in. I am trying to be more social and getting out for a beer or two once in a while with my colleagues or eat lunch and discuss hockey, murders, politics and not! medical care. ;-)

Camp, junior, apartment

I gets lots and lots of e-mails around the world, asking if we are fine and that people don't hear a lot from us at the moment.
I do appreciate your emails and I am answering them as fast as my time allows me.

So...  a little update on us.

The youngest addition to the family is desperately trying to terminate his lease with me and to get into this world. Even that he has been told that according to Quebec rules, he is not allowed to do so at least until week 38, so that is in a while. The desire to ender this world is so big that I have to keep my walking to the minimum, and knowing me, my lifestyle, that is almost impossible.

Summer is coming. As shocking as it can be, it is coming, even in Canada. And guess, what do you do with the kids during the summer in North America? Well, the day camp. Thanks to Jessica, who told us how things work, and Nathania, who told us all about good places to dump, sorry, place our children. And that is not a cheap thing, 2000$ per kid for 8 weeks. But yes, we made it. Our kids are sign into the Champion camp, and it is all about sports. So, Jewish kids with sport... Hmmmm. All right, I am keeping it positive. US boarder is only 45 minutes by car.

We are slowing but surely starting to pack our stuff. However, we are trying to rent out our apartment, as we have a house already.
I am not sure if I told, how it works in Quebec regarding the rental agreements. If you have signed the lease, it is for a year, and as a renter, you can't get out of your lease, unless:

• you got a cheaper place, subsidise but the government of Quebec
• you moved to an elderly home
• you can't access your apartment (if you end up in a wheelchair and your apartment on the second floor and there is no elevator)

There are the only 3 reasons! Yes, so if you decide to die, do it at the end of the lease, otherwise your relatives will be responsible to pay. And yes, I am not joking. So unless we find someone who would sublet the apartment we would have to pay double rent. We would prefer not to. 

Well, this is all for now. We are about to leave for vacations to explore a new state in America. See you soon.

12 years ago...

12 years ago I was sitting in the plane taking off from Moscow to Copenhagen - crying, knowing that this trip will change my life forever.
I was going to Denmark, to a country, I had quite a limited knowledge: Hans Christian Andersen, Hamlet, Queen Margrethe and Little Mermaid. That is about all. OK, I knew it was not a part of Sweden at least. 
In a way I was very happy and proud of myself. I was going to be an exchange student for Copenhagen University, a bright student, full of life and ideas, chosen and gotten a full scholarship. On the other hand, I was sad, as upon my departure, I got some clear instructions NOT to come back, no matter what. Not because my mum didn't want to see me, or she didn't want to have anything to do with me. No, it was simply because I had to create a better life for myself, a safe and a stable life for myself, not matter what.
This is how a new chapter of my grown-up life began. Me, beginning 19 years old of age, facing life all by myself. And I have decided:

If I ask any of you, I guess, you all will answer me the same way. I do live my life memorable. Why? I guess, with all ups and downs, challenges and successes, every time, I am trying to get the best out of every situation.
These 12 years gave me the most wonderful husband, whom I love dearly, and that is why he gets to hear and experience my hysterical fits once in a while; my 2 kids and 1 on a way, whom I love dearly, too, and who get to experience a "tiger mum" constantly going after them with homework, violin, behaviour (and yes, the new one will get to experience his share of love); my 'former' colleagues and my friends, who have been crying with me, fought for me and are there for me, even there is a 6-8 and 12-hour difference one way or the other.
Thank you. Thank you  for being there for me (not matter it was all 12 years or just a few months) and I do hope that the years to come will be as fun and will feel life a roller coaster as it did so far.