Filipinos on ice—that's nice

Among our other Christmastime adventures in the greater Toronto metropolitan area last week, we got almost the whole group up on ice skates down at the City Hall ice rink. My sister-in-law Ann offered lessons for the erstwhile ice cadets.



Dennis, somewhat surprisingly, took to the ice like a fish to water—icy water.



Koby loved the experience as well, which gives me hope that Canadian passports might be a reality someday! Now that we're back in Boston, we'll be hitting the Frog Pond on a regular basis.

It's all downhill from here

Koby was afraid of snow when he was two. I guess he outgrew that. We took him on our first sledding trip together last weekend. The hill wasn't treacherous, but a decent way to start things off. If he's going to be Canadian, this is something he has to enjoy doing!

Down in the DR

Well, I made it down to the Dominican Republic last week, where I was greeted by Olga—tropical storm Olga, that is. She dumped her unseasonable moisture all over Santiago, where I was scheduled to give a presentation (for Cengage). With over 150 invitees, we were lucky to get the 20 people we did.



The weather did bring on a craving for comfort food, which was plentiful. My gracious hosts Johann and Manuel took me to a highway-side cafe for some yummy DR breakfast treats: mangú (smashed plantains topped with vinegar-simmered onions) and fried cheese—all washed down with the best organic coffee.



After the presentation and the long drive back to Santo Domingo, we stopped at "La Cool Vita," a drive-thru bar, where they pass you bottles of El Presidente wrapped in little brown paper bags out a window.



The next day I gave a presentation to about 120 teachers at the Instituto Cultural Dominico-Americano (ICDA). Before that, however, Johann made sure I got a little local culture in with a visit to the Zona Colonial and all the "New World of Christopher Columbus" sites. Very impressive.



I resisted buying a hat, but next time I might change my mind.