Little Sumo Girl

Feb 2013 Highlights

11 Mar 2013 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Montreal, Travel Tags: Galerie La Capitale, Quebec City

My new monthly segments, which I hope to be able to share on a regular basis…Since my days are quite jam-packed with fun-filled activities, I sometimes find it hard to stay regular with my posts…

Spring is in the air – finally the sun’s come out and we’re getting ready to shed those wintery layers….aah!

Although I love playing in the snow, it will be great to not have to put on the snow pants, scarf, hat, coat and mittens every day. Mom & dad will particularly appreciate it when they come pick me up at the daycare, since it won’t take 30 mins to leave every night…What they didn’t realize is that I am actually able to get dressed myself, rather than them having to force the clothes onto me…but sometimes I just like to see them sweat it out a bit.

Gotta move!

Second week swimming with the older kids at Regent Lacoursière’s swimming school in Anjou (http://www.regentlacoursiere.com). No parents allowed!! So we get to splish & Splash while learning new swimming skills without the critical eyes of mom & dad…I won’t tell you the special “technique” that Regent uses…you’ll just have to come check it out for yourself….

Another big milestone this week – skating on my own! Soon it will be time to say ‘bye-bye’ to skating support bars – Yeah! Next step….Triple Axel, ok maybe not so soon!

Bye bye skating support bars

Yummy for the tummy!

For those who are in the Plateau area, you gotta check out Boulangerie Guillaume at 17, ave Fairmont Est (http://boulangerieguillaume.com). Best little Brioches ever! Mom also loves their different variety of breads – her fave is the Quinoa bread!

White chocolate brioche from Boulangerie Guillaume 🙂

Looking Fab!

Paris Fashion Week just wrapped up with the Fall/Winter 2013 collections. I’m not quite into all the fashion trends yet, but I know what I love and those are my comfy-ruffly tops that allow me to dance and twirl away. For me they are the perfect dress that allow me to bounce and spin and groove to the beat, all while covering up my well-rounded belly 🙂

Ruffle tunic by Gap – my dancing dress

My bad!

Growing and getting taller is always great and being able to reach things over the counter top is definitely exciting…However, beware when you reach for things blindly with the tips of your fingers.

The bag of milk that was spilled all over the kitchen floor was a result of my zealous attempt to pour my own glass of milk. I stretched onto my tippy-toes and reached for the freshly filled milk pitcher….But can I truly be blamed for someone leaving the FULL pitcher so far back on the counter top??

Talking About!

“C’est pas grave” – a very practical French saying that translates to: “It doesn’t matter!”. Can be used in many, many, many circumstances – for example, when you spill a full pitcher of milk 🙂

I’m sure you can think of many other occasions to use it!

My fave!

This week was ‘spring break’ for most schools in Montreal. I actually had my week off the week before and I must admit the first few days with mom and dad were BO-RING! But then we headed to Quebec City and I had the time of my life at ‘Les Galeries La Capitale’ (http://www.galeriesdelacapitale.com/en/families.php)

I know a shopping mall doesn’t sound all that exciting, but this place has a skating rink (check schedules ahead of time cuz it was closed the day we went), and they have an amusement park with fun rides for all ages…I was too short for a few them, but still loved the Mushroom/Turtle and the Hot-Air balloons!

Big Mushroom ride at Galeries La Capitale in Quebec City

Hot Air Balloon ride at Galeries La Capitale in Quebec City

SuperBowl weekend

10 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Fun Facts, Restos & Food Tags: snacks, Super Bowl

Some days you wake up and you have no idea what’s in stored, or that pleasant surprises are just waiting for you to enjoy them 🙂 Last sunday, was SuperBowl weekend and one of those fun-filled days!

The day started off great with my amazing swimming class. Splishing-splashing in the water drains my energy out (and mom’s too), and I always look forward to the yummy snacks that I get to eat afterwards. It’s always better when dad prepares them cuz he’s way more generous than mom (Triscuit crackers, cheerios and dried fruit is pretty much the standard, but this week dad added something new – sesame sticks and some sweet cookies too!)

Then dim sum with Gong Gong (grandpa) is always a treat…as you can see anything related to food is the way to my heart 🙂

Since we were all having so much fun, I even got the opportunity to skip my afternoon nap. I HATE going to bed, what a waste of time. There is always something more fun to do than going to sleep…even if I’m totally exhausted. Today was great cuz I did not even have to fight and nag my way out of nap time. Mom & dad must have simply forgotten that I normally have a nap scheduled in the afternoon. I got to run around and chase mom & dad around through aisles with really big TV screens, some little black and silver boxes with smaller screens, and through men dressed in some boring uniform of black polo shirts with “Future Shop” written and beige pants.

Following all that running around, we took a ride to our friend C’s new place and I got to play with her cat, “Meru”. I even got to feed him little ‘snacks’ directly to his mouth. Speaking of snacks, I got to try this new thing called “Popcone” which are these small crunchy balls. Mom and dad had this huge bowl which I got to pick from… at first. But then, they decided to give me my own small bowl, so I did not have to share with them. There were orange ones that were salty and turned my fingers orange, but I much preferred the brown ‘cawamel’ sweet-flavoured ones.

We never get to this at home, but as I was snacking away on my ‘Popcone’, mom and dad were watching the Big TV and kept screaming at this men dressed in red. They were skating really fast, and it was so amazing cuz they never fall. Mom told me they were playing ‘Haw-Kay’ and that the red men were nice and that the white men were bad, so also started screaming at the TV.

Mom decided that i needed to take a break from all my snacking, so we started dancing along to this fun music that C decided to play for us. It was great cuz as the music was playing, there was this funny looking man on her big-screen TV who was also dancing and saying the words ‘Gangnyam Sty’. I loved it so much that I think we listened to it at least 5 times in a row! I love to dance.

Then I was drained and needed some energy, so more ‘popcone’…Mom and dad didn’t see, but I was able to sneak a few extra ones by asking C in a my sweetest and most charming tone and she could not resist… Yes! Mom then hid the bowl and started giving me carrot sticks, cucumbers and peppers, which I also love…especially when there is ‘Dip’!!! Yummy!

Later on more friends came to join us and we got to eat some more while watching some other men running after a brown ball, called “Football” I was too busy eating to really watch what was going on between the men with helmets chasing the ball, but I always love eating with other people around…it’s like going to a party!

For dessert, instead of fruits, I got to try these crunchy squares that dad made in the morning. They’re called ‘Lice Klispys’…they’re the best. I easily got away with two squares, but then as I attempted to get my hands on a third, I was told it was time to leave 😦

It was way passed my bedtime, and I did not want to go to bed but I could not complain too much since I had an amazing day filled with fun and lots of Snacks!! I resisted a little bit, cuz that’s part of the bedtime routine afterall, but I did not really try to hard. I was really hoping that when I would wake up the next morning, it would be SuperBowl day all over again, and every day after that!!

Words of the week: No Dodo

01 Feb 2013 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Uncategorized

It’s been a while since I’ve had time to post an update, but life has been keeping me quite busy over the past year. Getting adapted to life in Montreal where temperatures can vary from +30 to -30 deg Celsius was one major element.

On top of that, I had to learn to sleep in a ‘big’ bed – Without bars to keep me in – ah, what freedom!Then there was learning to eat with utensils, learning to ‘wear’ underwear, etc…

I’ve been learning tons of great tools that have been quite useful for my words of the week: No Dodo….

Why would I want to go to bed, when there are still so many things to do. I often feel like there is not enough hours in a day for me to do all the things I want to do. So when comes to bedtime, I often like to get out of bed and try sneaking in a few more activities. I’m quite impressed by how much I can actually get done, even when it’s officially past bedtime. For example tonight, after I had duly completed my bedtime routine, which consists of brushing my teeth, reading a book, peeing one last time, tickling dad who pretends to sleep in my bed and finally listening to a lullaby before going to ‘sleep’, I still managed to sneak in the following activities:

– Peeing a 2nd time – in the potty
– Drinking water
– Putting lip balm on my chapped lips
– peeing a 3rd time – in the potty, only because mom refused my request to do it in the toilet
– attempting a #2
– calling out 10 mins for someone to help me bring up my blankets, to finally learning to do it myself
– peeing a 4th time, in the potty of course, with mom’s impatient eyes staring down at me 😦

Between each activity, I lay back down in bed and mom thinks that I’m off to dreamworld, but I am able to slip out of bed, open the door and ask my parents to assist me with the next ‘activity’. It is impressive how one can extend the evening by employing this special technique of appending a new activity after each ‘bedtime’…Perseverance is definitely a quality that I’m working on, and I am also learning alot about patience, which my parents seem to be lacking by the end of the evening….

With all this back and forth of going in and out of bed is now getting me exhausted, so I think I’ll finally take my mom’s ‘advice’ and get some shut eye…Bonne Nuit and see you first thing in the morning!

You better rest up too, cuz we have so much more to do and learn tomorrow…oooh I can’t wait!

Waka Waka

19 Mar 2012 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Cool Stuff

A few weeks ago, I went to a dinner party and got to meet up with some ‘old’ friends….

When you’ve been away from your home country for some time, it’s always nice to hook up with your close friends and loved ones and reconnect. It usually doesn’t take me too long to get over my initial ‘shyness’ and then we’re all happy and playing together. Particularly, when my buddies are about the same age and size as me, and have tons of toys to share too 🙂

We had a blast playing together, enjoyed a yummy home-cooked meal (my favourite ‘Pou-Let’, ie. chicken) and crispy winter salad, and delish sweet potato salad (gotta make sure mom get’s the recipe for that!)

But the highlight of the night was definitely at the end of the evening, when the lights came down…and no it was NOT bedtime!! But instead it was Party Disco in the dark time, with DJ Clean in the house!!! Our lovely hostess MH gave us little glow in the dark bracelets (mine was pink!) and we were dancing the night away! My fave was the ‘Africa – Waka Waka’ song by Shakira…you can ask my parents, who must be tired of hearing me say Waka Waka every few nights so I can shake my bootie…Hey, what better way to burn off those extra winter calories, by dancing to great tunes.

Note that I do not have Shakira’s talents of belly and bootie shaking…to my dad’s relief! But I’m working on it!

I’m still trying to master the “Jump in the Air” move, and actually get a split second of air time…

Who cares how silly I look as long as I’m having fun….DJ, Please don’t stop the music! (as Rihanna would say!)

Simple pleasures of life

13 Feb 2012 1 Comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Cool Stuff, Restos & Food

Sometimes it doesn’t take much to make your day! I was having lunch today and was not too impressed by what mom & dad had to offer: Leftovers that just didn’t get my taste buds excited.

So mom brought out some cherry tomatoes, and I just wasn’t interested. By then, I’d already lost my appetite. But they insisted so much that I decided to taste one just to please them a bit. I put the entire tomato in my mouth and then… it happened! As I bit into the cherry tomato, a mega explosion of tomato juices squirted inside and outside of my mouth! It was so powerful that I had sprayed my dad’s face as well as the window, which was almost a meter away. Mom and dad were cracking up, and I couldn’t help but laugh as well.

Needless to say, I had to take another tomato, and then another, trying to extend my reach with each bite…It was fun and nutritious at the same time. although a bit messy. Mom had to take out the Glass Cleaner after lunch…but it was all worth it!

Nothing like a simple Cherry Tomato to make our day!
Keep on smiling & Enjoy the simple things in life 🙂

Suddenly I’m an Onion

24 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Cool Stuff, Fashion, Montreal Tags: UGG boots, Winter Coat

About a month ago, I was chillin’ out at the beach, wearing tank-tops, shorts and flip-flops all day, riding the motorbike and enjoying the life in Bali.

After 3 very long plane rides, and at least two to three weeks of adjustment to my new environment, I’ve now realized that I’ve become an onion. Getting ready in the morning used to be so easy… Now, everything is 3 times as long, cuz I have so many layers. First there’s the Mammy Poko (ok, they’re called Pampers or Huggies here, but I still call them Mammy Poko), then the leggings and long sleeve shirt, then a polar fleece and an extra pair of pants on top of that, then on the feet there are the socks or UGG boots, which my mom wishes were hers!

UGG Boots - Indoors Only...Mom is so jealous!

All this is so that we can stay indoors, can you believe it!

Then when we go out, I have to wear a scarf, a tuque, my winter coat, mittens and let’s not forget the boots! This is when my parents are too lazy to put on my snowpants, on milder days only!!

When we come home, it’s time to peel each of these layers off, one by one….Hey, at least I don’t make you cry like an onion would…well, maybe I should I ask mom & dad, what they think about that?

PS. Big Thanks to Aunties Sas & Kaz for the UGGs and keeping me fashionable even while indoors…and don’t worry I won’t wear them outdoors, cuz you told me that is so NOT Cool!. And Thanks to Auntie M for the Snowsuit which keeps me warm and still looking cute, although a bit like an Astronaut from Outer Space…But heck, when it’s that cold outside, you don’t really worry about your looks anymore!

MazaMorra

24 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Restos & Food Tags: MazaMorra

The great thing about coming back to North America, more precisely to the lovely city of Montréal, is the multi-cultural experience. There are people from all over the world here and it’s great to be able to discover and enjoy new things from each culture.

Today, as my afternoon snack, I had the chance to taste a Peruvian MazaMorra. It is a pudding made of purple corn, pineapple, apple, cinnamon…Oh so Yummy, but beware, it can get a bit messy. Mom was quite surprised to see my purple lips (and forehead) when she came to pick me up today!

Thanks to Monica for making this tasty snack, and to Sandra and Maria for cleaning my up afterwards!

Happy New Year!

03 Jan 2012 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Cool Stuff, Travel

Yeah! After a 30-hour+ trip and a transition from +30 degree Celsius in the sunshine to the wintery cold of -15 degree Celsius…I can say I SURVIVED!

I’m still adapting to my new environment and especially to the ridiculous time change, but so far life is good…although a bit tricky at times just to get out of the house (with the scarf, hat, mittens, boots and the bulky Astronaut suit to put on first)

And now that the Nice Man with all his gadgets came by this morning to install some cables into our wall, I’m back online!!

Thanks to all those who’ve been following my sunny adventures from Bali in 2011. I hope you’ll stay tuned into the new year. Who knows what’s in store for me in 2012, but I’m sure it’ll keep me busy!

Happy New Year to Everyone!
Wishing you All the hugs, smiles, food!, and Everything that makes you happy in 2012…

Resto Review: Waroeng WAHAHA

18 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Restos & Food, Travel Tags: Batu Belig, Naughty Nuri's, Ribs, Waroeng WAHAHA

Ribs Ribs Ribs…Finger lickin’ Good! That’s what mom & dad were craving for the night we headed out to check out Waroeng Wahaha.

Although set on the very busy Jalan Sunset Road, the resto was relatively quiet this Friday night. As usual, the extra staff were hanging out by the bar discreetly chatting away or texting on their HPs (Hand-Phones).

There are large wooden tables suitable for large groups. The decor is quite interesting – they have Big, Weird faces of pigs painted all over, and funny animal/kid faces painted on the side of counters – not quite sure what they were? Dad was actually surprised that I was not frightened by these supposedly funny faces. Unfortunately, they did not have a high-chair, which to me is a no-no for any family-friendly wannabe resto. Luckily, mom & dad were prepared and had brought my trusted Portable booster chair!

As mom brought me over to wash my hands (note that most restos in Bali have convenient little sinks that are placed by the dining area so you can wash your hands pre and post meal time – perhaps this is geared for motorbike-riding clientele like us), dad order me a spaghetti bolognese from the Kids menu and a side of steamed veggies (extra soft).

Needless to say, mom & dad went for the house specialty : Rack of ribs! As we waited for the food, the friendly staff kept flashing friendly smiles at me and I quickly found my favourite ‘Ibu Putu N’ who gave me a personalized tour of the resto and the private garden in the back. Don’t forget to bring your mosquito spray if you’re planning to head that way early evening.

Then, my ‘botetti’ (as I like to call it) arrived. It smelled yummy and tasted good, although a little on the sweet side for m taste. The steamed veggies was nicely presented on a long narrow plate and glistened with the ‘butter’ – yummy!.

However, I quickly lost interest as soon as mom & dad’s plates arrived. Ooohh, I was excited! What was this? Just a little word of advice to my little friends out there, when the food on your parents’ plates is different from what is on your own plate, chances are theirs is WAY YUMMIER – so do what you need to, to get their attention and get a bite (or two) off their plates! Just what I learned from experience – don’t want you to miss out!

Mom & dad sank their teeth and their fingers into their ribs. It didn’t take long for dad’s fingers to get all gooey and sticky – but that’s just his special technique when eating things with hands ( I seemed to have inherited that technique (or lack thereof) – although messier, food seems to be tastier!) Dad said that the sauce was a little pepper-y and it was not the ‘fall-off-the-bone’ type of Ribs they were drooling for. As my dad said, it’s sorta like ‘Chinese-Style’ Ribs. Although not what they expected, they were still very pleased.

And I actually liked the ribs very much. I enjoyed it even more than my own dish, and forget about veggies when you have fingers licking ‘Ayam’! I know ‘Ayam’ is actually Chicken in Bahasa Indonesia, but to me all that meat-y stuff is about the same…the trick to getting me to eat it, is all in the Sauce, baby! And this one was yummy!

My “botetti” was packed up into a nice piggy-bag (take away) and made for a great lunch the next day!

Food: ***1/2
Deco/setting: ***1/2
Service: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Waroeng WAHAHA
Jl Sunset Road Barat 1689 Seminyak, Kuta – Bali, Indonesia
Phone +62 361 886-9858
http://www.facebook.com/WaroengWAHAHA

Just in case you were wondering, how does this place stand up to the popular Naughty Nuri’s Warung on Batu Belig (or in Ubud). I’ve only been to the one at Batu Belig, but to me the setting was way cooler there. The attention to detail, merchandising was really well done. There are really big Ogoh-Ogoh like pigs hanging from the ceiling, which are really impressive. Unfortunately, they totally freaked me out and made it a little difficult for me to enjoy my meal (Tasty, but not my best, Soto Ayam).

Dad had the ribs and mom order the hamburger – they were both extremely pleased with their food. This was before I actually enjoyed eating meat-y textures, so I can’t objectively compare it to the Ribs at WAHAHA, but from the way dad licked his fingers at Naughty Nuri’s – I think those rocked his tasted buds more than the WAHAHA ribs – I guess it’s just a matter of preference.

The staff was just as smiley, and I still remember the super friendly ‘Ibu Laundry’ who greeted us there. Of course, it’s not her Real Name, duh! She left me a sweet gift to remind of the yummy Buta that we ate…

Pig Ears from Naughty Nuri's (1st Year Anniversary)

Naughty Nuri’s has the cool setting, friendly staff and yummy food going for them – and they have high chairs – Yes! However, I think their prices may be a little higher than at WAHAHA, and it can get a little smokey later in the evening… I would definitely head back there, and try to conquer my fears of the Ogoh-Ogoh Pigs! Oh yeah, there’s an ode to little Miss piggy hanging above the bar

Food: ****1/2
Deco/setting: ****1/2
Service: ****
(out of 5 stars)

Naughty Nuri’s Warung (Batu Belig)
Jalan Batubelig, #41, Kerobokan
Denpasar, Indonesia 80361
Phone: +62 (0) 361 847 6722
http://www.naughtynurisbali.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Naughty-Nuris-Warung-Batubelig-Bali/161789547181944?sk=info

Naughty Nuri’s Warung (Ubud)
Jl. Raya Sanggingan
Ubud, Indonesia
Phone: +62 361 977 547
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Naughty-Nuris-Warung/56957597025?sk=info

Gotta get the braids

18 Dec 2011 Leave a comment

by Little Sumo Girl in Bali, Beauty, Fun Facts, Travel Tags: Braids, School girls, uniform

I know that it may be the trend for some people to get ‘Ze Dreads‘ or the ‘Ze Braids‘ while vacationing on the beach, but that’s just not the look I’m going for.

When I talk about wanting to get the braids, I’m talking about the two SUPER long braids that the local school girls sport on a school day. They all have super long, thick, black hair that seems like it has never been cut. They all coif it exactly the same way, and I mean EXACTLY the same way. Two regular braids (no fancy stuff like French Braids or the like) that start low and fall lankily on either side of their slender bodies. I really wonder if it’s a rule from the schools or if it’s just a fashion trend and ALL (without exception, that I could see so far) the girls are wearing The Braids to school. Some have little colourful ribbons tied at the bottom which adds a nice accent…But even then, all the girls from the same school have the same ribbon.

The fact that their braids are perfect seems to match the way they wear their uniforms. It’s really interesting to see the mass of school kids walking or biking home on the narrow roads with their uniforms worn very neatly. Each school has its own uniform, and pretty much everyone wears it the same way: T-shirt tucked in, skirts exactly below knee length, black shoes, perfect braids and smiling while chatting with their buddies, with broom in hand (don’t ask me why, haven’t figured that out yet…)

Hey, watch it! Motorbike coming!

I know that if I were to wear a uniform, I would be doing little things to add my own flare to it – Gotta express myself and have my own look!

I really wonder if the low braids is a rule from the schools or if it’s just a fashion trend and ALL the girls (without exception, that I could see so far) are sporting braids to school.

Although I may not follow all the rules regarding the uniform (especially the ‘keeping it clean’ part – shuuut! Don’t tell my mom), I would definitely wear the braids. Unfortunately, my hair is still not long enough – I’m still growing it out, but one day I’m going to be flaunting my own set of braids too 😉

School girl walking home - with 2 braids of course!

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