Birthday breakfast with Tahir, Mississauga, Canada, November 2021

Ten days in Ontario, visiting Tahir and friends has passed very fast indeed. I am writing this update from the plane, en route to Panama City, somewhere over Cuba.

It was a very relaxing, and somehow one of the more special holidays that I have had in recent years. Except a few appointments (like my Portuguese language exam at the Consulate of Portugal in Toronto), we just took things really easy, and we played by the day… doing whatever we felt like at the given moment. Somehow, we ended up staying out of the city and crowds most of the time, and we just stuck to nature parks and small villages and towns in southern Ontario. Canada is certainly famous for its space, lakes and natural wonders, and I was very happy to have a glimpse of some of these with Tahir and friends.

Obviously, being in the beautiful environment encourages long conversations. It was good to have a chance to catch up with Tahir and learn about the challenges that he needed to go through during the COVID pandemic, but also learn a bit about his future plans and ambitions. I felt happy to know that he enjoys his life in his adopted country and makes best out of it for himself, but also for people that are important to him in Canada, Pakistan and beyond.

As I head back to Panama, I am now eager to learn about the results of my Portuguese exams (it will take some time, and I do have doubts whether I have passed it), but also think of the days and weeks ahead.

Good news is that on Tuesday, I will be meeting with my doctor to fix my hearing aids (yes, the insurance approved their purchase), so that I can start adjusting my life to experiences of the world of sounds that I may have forgotten!

I am also going to be preparing for my next humanitarian mission, which is likely to be in the Province of Salta in northern Argentina.

And of course, when I am actually back to my Panama life properly, I will sort out the pictures from the trip to Canada and share them with you here under the 'photo section'.

I hope to hear from you soon!