USA & Canada, 13 June - 2 August 2012

Robert Tyabji, 2012

LOS ANGELES, CA – Just in time for Cianna’s birth! - 26 June 2012

Hootoksi and I were met at LAX by Kito with little Porter, Michel and Anais in tow. We made it to the hospital just six hours after Cianna was born! That was the 14th of June, the same day her great grandfather Amin was born 110 years ago. It was the most heartwarming, uplifting experience to be with Michel, Rosa and baby Cianna at that joyous. Ann was there too and it was nice to see her again.

AUSTIN, TX - Shehernavaz, Shannon, Kershasp and Shannon's family, 28 June - 2 July 2012

SEATTLE, WA - Farhad, Azura and Sophia, 2 - 15 July 2012

VANCOUVER, BC - Caelynn, Adil, Christina, Mark and Britta, 15 - 31 July 2012

OKANAGAN VALLEY, BC - Alan and Barbara Tyabji, Josie Tyabji, Michael Daley and Christine Tyabji-Daley

Adil and Christina drove us all the way to the gorgeous Okanagan Valley to visit the Okanagan branch of the Tyabji Canada clan. Caelynn stayed strapped into her child seat for most of the 7-hour trip, for the most part quiet and, as always, good-humoured and ready for a laugh.

We spent one night at Josie's and 2 nights at Alan's.

The last time Hootoksi and I met the Okanagan Tyabjis was when we attended Josie and Michael's wedding, 24 years ago. Alan and Barbara live on a farm near Oliver, where Alan started out as one of the Okanagan Valley's pioneering wine makers. Josie, Michael and their daughter Christine live on the lake in Penticton; Josie is a senior player in the wine industry and Michael, an engineer, is a property developer.

POWELL RIVER, BC - Judi Tyabji-Wilson and Gordon Wilson

We spent three nights at Judi and Gordon’s at their waterside home. It was a treat; great company, good food and drink on the deck, with sheep grazing the pastures nearby, and sailboats and whales cruising the waters below.

SECHELT, BC - Liz Kool and Grant Clayton, Dick and Vona Clayton, Matthew and Kim Wilson and their girls Evelyn and Lyla

Liz and Grant put us up for a night in their Sechelt home.

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA - Friendly, kind and considerate Koreans, 1 -2 August 2012 (Vacations – South Korea)

This was our first visit to Korea, a 30-hour Korean Air stopover between Seattle and Kuala Lumpur. The enormous size of Seoul and its satellite cities became apparent from the observation deck of the Seoul Tower, from where one can see all the way to the border with North Korea. But what impressed us most was the ordinary people we came across on the street, in the cafes and on the trains. Random people went out of their way to escort us towards our destinations, explain road signs, teach us how to use the ticketing machines and how to claim refunds, and in other ways to be helpful to two strangers in the big city, without even being asked! We bought a plaice from the fish market (reputedly the biggest fish market in Asia) and visited a local restaurant where one fillet was served raw on a bed of shredded radish, and the other barbecued and served with a variety of sauces and two kinds of leaves. People from a neighboring table taught us how to prepare the leaves as wraps for the fish, which sauces to dip into, and how to correctly eat the delicacies. Once we got the hang of it, getting around Seoul's vast subway system looked easy! Koreans are very disciplined, very polite and have great respect for older people. We will not hesitate to visit again.

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