The Tomato Project


I should really update, before I get flogged by the village-idiots.

Now that the Canucks are out of the Playoffs, my life has settled quite a bit – with an occassional (*correction* – make that every 2 days ) fix of hockey, cheering for other teams. I have made a vow NOT to talk about hockey during meetings, or even allow other associates to bring it up. I tend to get distracted, and those meetings will go off-tangent for a good 10 minutes. Everyone in Canada it seems, knows a thing or two about how to run a hockey team. In everyone’s fantasy, they SHOULD be the General Manager of some hockey franchise, well, somewhere.

We have moved recently. A week to be exact. We are enjoying this new place very much. though boxes still abound around the house, but we’ll get to it. My mum and Busu are coming in July – so I am looking forward to that. I have been planning a list of to-dos while they are here and I realise it IS a tad challenging. I need to charm mak – because I want her to be go home convinced that Canada is not-too-bad. She does not have an impression on Canada, so this first visit will be the benchmark. Other than the sea, the mountains, the rivers and the gorgeous wildlife that I know she will love, what else can I do to make her WANT to spend time here as an annual affair?

So I came up with an idea. It HAS to be something that my sister’s lovely house in JB cannot compete with (hah, she will probably be shaking her head when she read this!). I know mak has been planting stuff in a little plot in my sister’s garden…but I bet she did not get to plant….*drum roll*…. TOMATOES!

Oh my brilliant mind ! How I love thee! I am so determined to make the tomato planting work its charm on Mak (and Busu!) that I have been spending time reading about it. Growing tomato plants in the balcony in Vancouver is not impossible it seems – and you can get an abundant harvest most times. You can also accompany your planters with salad leaves, cucumbers and many other vegetables in your mini-balcony garden. I bet you can throw in a chicken or two in there.

Now the problem is – I am ZERO-skilled at planting. I don’t have green fingers – just brown ones. My not-so-brilliant mind in gardening obviously needs help from the experts, and I think I may have to call up Dr N’s help on this. Her parents have not only SUPERgreen fingers, they have them in BRIGHT LIME green! I remember how I gushed over their vegetable garden in their huge backyard. So lush, and so productive!

So let’s see if this tomato project becomes a reality. You know it is successful when mak wants to come visit again NEXT summer saying “Aku nak pergi rumah Uja lah. Boleh petik tomato.”

That would be awesome.Even when it means I am competing for mak’s attention with a red, round fruit.