it might possibly be a universal trait in families that they all have the tendency to be 'dramatic'. on the positive light, such drama can be comical... or frustratingly so.
in the 10 days that mummy and papa visited me in the midwest, i had to endure the constant (but loving) nagging that seemed to have gradually grown unfamiliar with the years... about all things relating to 1) my being so faraway, 2) my not being nearer to them so they could pester me, 3) my not seeking employment in the same country as they are based... 4) that traveling the crazy distances to see each other is made more miserable because i) flights and connections to the midwest are weirdly unpopular(?) and ii) aisle seats on Boeing 747s are scarce and iii) being squashed in the middle of the plane can and often do lead to very grumpy and miserable mums...
i thought i had it all planned out! indeed all the hours mulling over the what, when, where, who, and how! =) i meant that Spring was supposed to have just arrived with all the flowers blooming outdoors... and the weather ought to be brilliant! in reality, well, you might be just a little too keen to nudge me out of my optimism. the weather was a constant ambivalence. Spring was fighting to be heard, and seen... and it was a little too chilly for our liking; even in late April! although the occasional fleeting sun did allude to warmer days to come, the impatient rain got the better of our optimistic forecasting.
mum and dad were excited to meet the people who have welcomed me as a friend in this country, which at times seems half familiar (bureaucratically), yet it is in so many other ways very foreign. they are people who i'm honored to call my friends.
on the first day, we drove in my wee zippy and went along the Mississippi river, saw the wreckage of the recent I35W river bridge collapse and the rebuilding process and stopped to admire the stone-arch bridge of St. Antony Falls. we had lunch at Cecils with the Boeffs, who were ever so generous and gracious... Cecils, the neighbourhood diner, was a perfect American welcome... and if i might add, the owner seemed comfortably fluent in Mandarin to return my papa's compliment with an understated modesty. we also visited the madhouse i work in... met some of the peeps that helped me kept sane... some who drove me up the wall... others who pondered why i was ever here to begin with. an evening of pleasant chamber music at the College of St. Catherine, ended our adventures for that day. the music programme (Bela Bartok's Rumanian dances; JS Bach's Brandenburg Concerto no. 4; St Paul Suite by Gustav Holst) was the antithesis of the dissonant juxtaposed medley of post-modern and classic pieces typically offered by some more established orchestra in the metro area; a refreshing reminder of some of the best works of creations from the Baroque and Romantic modern era...
we made a road-trip over the next 5 days, passing only but a marginal circumference of the Lake Superior and crossing the US-Canadian borders to Thunder Bay. it was a long drive up North; physically long and mentally draining. my parents have not been on a road trip before, and they have never really had much confidence in my driving. (i have memories of my attempts in trying to get some driving practice whenever i visit them but it would always be a nerve-wrecking experience. it is not easy to go from not having the opportunities to drive (or practice driving) to driving like a pro, let alone the fact that stick-shifs are so intuitive. it's an impossible catch-22 situation, where i don't ever have much chance of winning.) moreover, the concept of vast distances is relatively new to them; we would drive for miles and miles and there would be no sign of any real civilization. that made them uneasy. and in such unfamiliar territory, it was natural for one to retreat to familiarity.
we made it to Canada though, and met up at the town village restaurant with Pina and Karl, who we have not seen for over 15 years. theirs is a fairy-tale-like life story to be told in person someday... Pina was my nanny/ au pair when my brothers and i were little-r. mummy and papa worked full-time and we were obviously quite a hand-full! i spent most of my childhood on my own and returning from school, Pina would be there with a hearty lunch and a warm smile to welcome me. she was part of the family and still feels like one! with the turn of fate and destiny, she met her husband through writing. who would have thought that pen pals would later become life partners? little did one foresee that farewells like the one we bade Pina would one day lead to another reunion.
it was so good to see Pina again, and to meet Karl properly for the first time. i indulged in Pina's cooking and it was fun to learn about life in the country-side. they have a farm near the Kakabeka Falls, with brown hens and rabbits, a home-made greenhouse with seedlings awaiting to be replanted in flowerbeds when it would only turn Summer!
their many acres of grass will soon turn into hay and be packed into bales for sale. we talked a lot, shared a lot, and drank quite a lot of good Canadian Maria Christi red wine. there was much laughter particularly in the company of Pina's in-laws, who live on the hill across from them. although they joke about it, i still wonder if they do really yodel to each other! afterall, both Pina and her sis in-law, Erica, are married to Swiss men! 
mum amused herself with all the 'not-so-still-life' painting she could... the bird-feeders outside the two families' home were full of constant activities; starlings, sparrows, honey suckers, red squirrels... they all came for something. if it were truly Spring... i reckoned mummy would find it hard to leave, for all the blooming flowers, trees, and scenery would be reason enough for her to stay and paint all season!
we made our way back to the Twin-Cities stopping as before in Grand Marais for a night and along the scenic North Shore near Duluth for lunch. Here are our tasting notes:
Crooked Spoon, 17 W. Wisconsin St., Grand Marais, 218-387-2779
soup of the day (cream of mushroom with wild rice) was a lovely warm and cozy thing to have on a rainy April day! & we shared 3 side dishes: crab cakes, seared ahi tuna with tangy-citrus sauce and carviar, fresh table salad with walnuts and raisins --- generous servings; the crab cakes were succulent and the salad refreshing. the dressing for the seared tuna is a little strong, unfortunately.
Gun Flint Tavern, 111 Wisconsin St., Grand Marais, 218-387-1563
a rather touristy setting... but the warm spiced wine was quite a delight. Creme Brulee was rich and creamy but not spectacular. the view out to the lake was a treat.
New Scenic Café, 5461 North Shore Dr., Duluth, 218-525-6274
delightful wooden cabin-style restaurant, with laid back atmosphere surrounded by hung art pieces of local artists and very friendly staff. hearty menus, of which the daily soup options (wild rice or roasted vegetables with middle eastern grains) were a delight and the freshly baked bread was amazing! the dessert choices required one to feel decadent. don't forget to leave a wee travel note in their leather-bound restaurant journal! an absolutely charming place!
this is one restaurant stop you should not miss on your way up or down the NorthShore. mum and dad absolutely loved it; the details and professional effort put into the food creations were felt with every mouthful taste... the pear vinegarette salad dressing is subtly beautiful! and the light profiteroles drizzled with the house chocolate sauce provided much chocolatey fun at the end of the family luncheon!
we spent the next few days visiting some of the Twin-Cities' touristy sights: Como Park Conservatory, the Minnetonka and Eagan suburbs, visitor's shopping at the MALL of AMERICA... well, actually mainly the Nordstrom Rack -- where, i've learnt, one can find some good sales! they were particularly amazed and overwhelmed by the size of the stores here, e.g. SuperTarget, and by how far apart things are located compared to how they are in e.g. Asia, and Europe.
what i particularly enjoyed is the cooking we did and sharing it with my friends here, for it is a special treat to be able to taste mummy's culinary creations and to help out in the kitchen like i used to. we even got papa to help out when we prepared fresh spring-rolls, a wonderful family affair i am always fond of, which was hilariously epic!
best of all... i got to have mummy's amazing layered-cake (baked layer by layer!) that she transported from home, and it lasted long enough that i got to enjoy it over my birthday. what a very special treat! =)
well, as the days flew along, the jet-lagged moodiness of the first day or so gradually made way for giggles and silly banter. playing 'parent' and dealing with the 'stubborn-ness' of the adults were admittedly challenging... but i am so glad mummy and papa were here to visit, and got to see a bit about how life over here is like. i am also glad that they are now able to put me into a familiar context the next time we connect through the phone or internet or in person. i sure hope they had as much fun as i did. but if little else, at least mummy and papa got their aisle seats on their flights home!
for days after, i pottered about in my apartment wondering what's oddly missing ... it is so quiet now that they have left!
posted by ~overacuppa~ on Sunday, 11 May, 2008 at 17:22 hrs*Note: in case you were thinking of leaving a comment and the option isn't here anymore... it is because the comment section of each entry is closed after sometime to prevent malicious comments... if you are looking for the actual entry, type in the keyword(s) in the little box on the main page http://overacuppa.com where it says "fossicking pebbles & seashells" and press *search*... thank you for popping by and happy browsing!