Category: This Town

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EllenWood Park For A BBQ

I have been in this town for 10 yrs to date and this is the first time that PB brought us to Ellenwood Park – yes! you see how adventurous PB is. So you all can start feeling real bad for me now – hahahha!! No food – no traveling – no adventure – and gotta deal with some verrrryyy.. verrrry.. strange people at times. PB’s parents/relatives think that I’m outspoken/blunt – but wait till they meet some of the people we meet and have to deal with.

Thank God for good people like Mr B & his family – they invited us for their son’s birthday – at Ellenwood Park for a BBQ – and if you know me – i heart BBQs. So we had a day of outing and we had beef stew ready for dinner/supper when we get home and I did all my housework on Friday night – and PB went out to get groceries with Chloe while i cook and shower and off we went. Ellenwood Park was great – next summer – we have to come here more often for swimming.

The lake was pretty clean and all – but mannnn.. the toilet !! i heard no plumbing ! bad management on the town or the government here – such a nice lake.

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Moms Going Back To Work

Some had asked me when I am going back to work – now that Chloe is almost 7 yrs old this December and I’ve given some serious thoughts about it. You see all my life I’ve held management jobs, whether I was a management trainee or a business center officer – they are all considered management – whereby i only report to the big boss. My last job a office manager to a Spanish firm was also a management job where i got to travel a lot with my bosses and engineers or the regional director. So you see – when people ask me if i am going back to get a “real” job – i often wonder what there is here for me – to work as.

Don’t get me wrong – I would do any kind of work – when the need arises – but if what I am doing now – makes the same amount of money – why would i need to go out and get a “real” job right? Now if I were home or in different part of the world – maybe things will be different? or if we move to the city? maybe it would be different? I enjoy my time with Chloe and being there for her – I enjoy being able to do what I want – when I want – but not without restriction – since being owner by association to the spouse’s business doesn’t really quite seems to be what people think. And yes – if an opportunity arises – and an offer is placed in front of me – or my ex-bosses called to ask me to go work for them – I would even travel overseas to work – if the pay is right and the remuneration package meets my entire family needs. But for those moms going back to work – I feel the same way you do – all the anxiety of leaving your kids on their own – and having to fit in again – with the younger generation and all the new technology – you have to get use to. But yes – as moms – we all know we can do anything – if we put our mind to it and if you are anything like me and keep yourself up to date – then you are all set. And to moms going back to work – I salute you all – because you are the greatest!

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Don’t Sue Me !

Two weeks ago – one of our neighbor’s kid came over with his football uniform to play with Chloe – and I had said he looked so good. Our neighbor’s kid is a joyful one – we just love seeing him around – because he would always come and hug chloe and play with her. Anyhow, I asked the lil’ boy if I can take a picture of him – and he had said yes – but i’ve learned my lesson from the many years in this town – i also asked him to ask his mom if it was alright. He came back and said his mom was alright with it and i took a picture of him. But when i saw his parents out in front of their house the same night, I couldn’t resist opening the door and telling them – “Donch sue me now! i don’t have $40K to give you!” muahhahahaha!!!

You must also be wondering what i’m going on about right? well, you see many year ago – when we first moved into our new home – I had taken a picture of the little boy of our chicken shit neighbor – and put it up on my blog – back then. A few months later – they had come over and told me they weren’t happy with the picture on the internet – and that i could be sue for US$40K – muahahahah!! firstly, their kid was fully-clothed, secondly, i did not say any unkind things about the kid nor them – so why the big boo-ha? go figure. They claimed that there was a pedophile down the road from us – but what has it gotta do with me and my blog? if there was a pedophile down the road – he would have his own collections right? And really???!!!?? was there a need to say something like that? just a simple ” i’m uncomfy with my son’s picture online” was suffice. I would have promptly taken it down and promptly apologized. But nope – they didn’t do that – so that was lesson #1.

2 yrs ago – when Chloe went to school for the first time – french immersion – her home room teacher was told about Chloe’s blog. A few months later – she got the principal to tell us that she was uncomfy about having her “name” mentioned on Chloe’s blog. Yes ! just her name!!! WTH right..??? like my chicken shit neighbour both of these people have their pictures on the internet that could be easily found when i google for them and on Facebook. So what was the big deal ? i don’t really know. So now .. after 11 yrs here in this small town. I am darn smart now – i never mention names.. nor would i put out a picture or take a picture without permission. I don’t know what is wrong with some people in this town – i’m just glad that there are only a handful this way – crazees – thank God for the good people in this town though.

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Focus On The Good Stuff

We are already into the 4th week of Summer Camp and everyday we asked Chloe how did it go. Of course, she would go on and on – about how some kids were bad to her .. and how some wouldn’t play with her. And her favorite words these days is “This is the worst day in my life!” – drama much ? So yes – it had been going on for a few weeks now and everyday – we promised to talk to the camp coordinators about it for her. Which we did – but you see – we weren’t teaching the kid the right thing – because then she would think that everything has to go her way – so last week – we taught her to focus on the good stuff. This evening – when i was bathing her – washing her hair – i asked her how did camp go ? she didn’t wanna tell me at first – but when she did – i reminded her that she need to tell me the good stuff first and then the bad. So she told me the good stuff – and forgot about the bad. So yes – focus on the good stuff – but that doesn’t mean that you don’t listen to her grieve – because what we may think is a small matter – is a big deal to them. But as parents – i remind myself to teach Chloe to also focus on the good things and only tell on others when she is “really” hurt. What about you ..?? are your kids this way? how do you steer them to the right way/direction?

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Life In This Small Town

Tis’ very sad to see restaurants/bistros/movie places – closing its door one at a time during the last few months – i wonder what is next for this town. 6.5 yrs ago – when i was pregnant with Chloe – i could eat nothing but quiche from this bistro – just a few doors away from our store. This Bistro kept me and Chloe alive for at least 6 months – i just couldn’t stomach anything. There are so many good people like the owner of this bistro trying very hard to make a living – but end up losing so much – just for trying. Owner of this place is very talented – i’ve eaten there many time during my 11 yrs in this town – so it came as a shock to us that they just up and left with no notice whatsoever.

There is currently a new MP – elected – a very young one – promising from what i see – so i’m hoping that with this new MP – we will see some small changes. Lately, the town councils have been more and more disappointing – i just read in the local papers – how they are $100K unprepared – so they claimed a mis-interpretation! WOW!! already there had been a lot of mis-interpretation in this town for the last few years – plus i can’t see how the town is not aware of what is going on with SWDAS – all these years – when they are even involved in the tri-county school thing. I am deeply troubled by what a lot of folks of this town suspect – but time will tell eh – time will tell. I’m just glad that our business haven’t been affected *touch wood* and thank God ! we are keeping our fingers and toes crossed.

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Local Library

We all believed in teaching our kids good value in life and reading is one of them. Chloe is no different from any kids and although we buy lots and lots of books for her – we still go to the library – to borrow some – so that she knows that reading is good. A few months ago, during the March break – I had brought Chloe to the library to color and read – she loves coloring and when she saw that there were coloring print outs for her to color – she wanted to go to the library more.

Alas, it was short lived – not the going to the library part but the print outs – after our first trip to the library – the subsequent ones were greeted with no new print-outs because the clerk there said that – that was all they have. She suggested that i bring my own coloring books the next time. You and I know that kids love the novelty of “new” stuff – they don’t want to bring their own coloring books. But that was alright – i didn’t say much.

But one afternoon, a friend came by with her kids and said “meet us at the library!” and since it was a saturday not really much to do in this small town – we said ok. I packed my laptop and got PB to send us to the library. The friend had 2 kids and they had gone to ask for some paper from the clerk – she gave them 3 pieces. When the kids were done that paper – Chloe being Chloe wanted more paper – so i went instead to ask – for some reason/s the kids didn’t wanna go. So this time the clerk told me matter of factly that the paper were for printing – and not for giving out to the kids – again she suggested that i bring my own the next time.

I was kinda taken aback by the lack of tactfulness – we are dealing with kids here – kids that the library had encouraged to come to the library – because reading is fun. But nope they won’t give us a few pieces of paper. So i guess – our donation to the library 2 months ago – thru’ “Adopt – a -book” for the library – didn’t mean a thing? What is a few pieces of paper right? 3 kids – 3 pieces of paper and they refused to print anything out for the kids to color ? We haven’t gone back to the library since – because of that incident – we are also re-thinking if we should encouraged our family and friends to “Adopt – A – Book” – afterall, donating more than $120 for those books didn’t mean nothing to them *shrug* – so we might as well be nonchalant and not do anything. Again, I am writing this after a month – not because I’m being petty – but moreso – I feel for my kid – who was quite hurt that the clerk won’t give her some paper to draw. And I feel bad for the many kids who will be going to the library and to be told off – to bring their own paper – if they wanted to draw. I’ve witness an incident whereby a foreign student had asked if he could borrow the phone to make a phone call only to be told to bring a quarter with him the next time *slap forehead* – i had actually wanted to come forward and give the kid the quarter – I can feel for the kid – and I know that if it was my Chloe – she would wished the floor would open up and swallow her. Tactfulness is important when dealing with the public – especially where kids are involved – for now – my kid (Chloe) doesn’t wanna go to the library – why? she said the clerk was a “meanie”. A lasting impression the library has on her for now – i can only hope that she will forget with time – but so far – i’m not getting any luck.

PS: i have no problems bringing my own paper but at times – when a parent forgets – i feel that the clerk should have been a lot more understanding and a lot more flexible. A little bit of kindness goes a long, long way.

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Summer Fest 2010

So Canada’s Day is over and we are waiting for Seafest 2010 to begin – which is in the middle of this month. So far the weather had been hot and humid and doing my nuphedragen reviews can take a while because with the heat – i just can’t concentrate much. But yes – Chloe starts summer camp in a few days – and we can only hope that she wants to go there after the first day. You see – previous years – she was afraid – she needed to bring her babysitter a long – which defeats the purpose of training her to be more independent.

This year will be the first summer – we don’t have a babysitter – and yes – we are grateful for all the years our sitter was with us – 4.5 yrs – but Chloe had grown so much 6.5 yrs old now and she really needs to be independent – plus i cannot afford the drama-rama. So yes ! it worked out pretty good when the sitter asked for her separation papers last year in October – when we didn’t have much hours to give her.

Has it been different without the help? Yes – but not very much – because the sitter is always with us – except for nights she brings Chloe home for a few hours to feed her but we managed for the last 8 months and we did pretty good but that’s not to say we are not grateful for the sitter’s help for the last 6 yrs. But it all worked out really good – as you can see – Chloe is a lot more independent and we get to save a bit of money – and in return I don’t need to do so much work online. So yes! have a great summer everyone! if you have a babysitter – good for you – if not – it’s still good.

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Relationship With A Foreigner

So you think that you survive a long-distance relationship or even fall in love with a foreigner and live happily ever after? Before we even begin – let me tell you about the dark circles under eye, from the time difference we have here and Asia. And for those who are not aware of this – most of the “angmohs” i’ve met can be very quick to fall in love and also to fall outta love.

Why do i say that? well, we have a long time friend who just came back from Calgary – and he came out of a very bad relationship. When he first visited us – a few weeks ago – he swore never to see another “crazy” Canadian again – hahah!! apparently, the one he was with or left – was psychoville. But guess what today, he was in the store and happily introduced a woman to me – and called her the love of his life. *slap forehead* – well i can understand if the woman was a beauty or with legs or bums or whatever – but this one – *ahem* – no legs, no looks, no body, no hair, no nothing – if you know what i mean.

Plus he isn’t the first person doing this since I’ve been here for the last 10 yrs – relationships in this town can be as flimsy as your napkins these days it seems. It saddens me – to see people treat relationship this way. So if you are thinking of having relationship with a foreigner – well, i have only one advice – make sure you spend enough time long – distance with him to know that he is worth it.

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Migrate To Canada Pros & Cons

Canada is an awesome place – most people are nice – but like everywhere else – there are crooks, scammers, cheaters – well, you get the idea. Like I tell everyone back home and friends from afar – had we not own our own business – Canada would be a wonderful place and this town wouldn’t be so harsh looking and scrutinized that badly by me.

So you heard that health care is free in Canada – yes ! you heard right but if you need prenatal vitamins or any kind of antibiotics – and sometimes – if your doctor had been given favors to recommend certain pharmaceutical medication – you will be paying an arm and a leg for them. And yes – Canada is scenic – but did anyone tell you about the weather here ? It’s May here – and it’s still chilly! Winter can be harsh too – but there are no tornadoes here or earthquakes.

Ok, ok! so you still wanna migrate to Canada – i hear yer! free school for children – yes ! but like all public system in any part of the world – free means – not enough teachers to go around and if you are in the city – there are private schools but that would mean you have to work 24/7 or be in a high paying job or filthy rich.

I get asked this often – is it hard to migrate to Canada? I don’t really think so – Canadian immigrations have a few plans for those considering their migration – as for me – i came as a visitor and then became a permanent resident with my spouse sponsoring me – and of course – don’t forget you have to pay to apply to migrate here and take all your medicals here – like x-rays- blood test and an immigration doctor has to see you . Thereafter, you can apply for citizenship after 5 yrs. I’ve heard horror stories about immigration before – but in my experience with the Canadian immigration – they were nothing but nice to me – always helpful and insightful. If you heard stories of given a hard time – that must mean that there were problems with the application – I doubt Canadian immigration is out to get the colored people or biased in any way. I’ve always been treated with respect – be it a phone call or letter writing – so there you have it.

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Racism In Canada

My girlfriend from Hong Kong who is planning a trip to visit me this summer for supplements – asked me about how the “ang mohs” treats me here in Canada – if there was racism in Canada. I had replied that – there is no more than any other places and that the people are generally ok – and treated me with respect – I think more so because we own our own business and they sorta see me as a respectable figure – albeit the fact that I’m still the Crazy Chinese Woman in Canada – HAHA!

But I’ve spoken too soon – when I was reminded of the hate crime – so widely publicized recently about a Nova Scotia woman who awoke to the sight of a burning cross on her lawn and then her car was torched. And then last nite a customer of the store was told off on Facebook to “F” off and “F” back to China by someone who apparently lived in our midst – in our community. I do not know this person but I’m truly shocked to see such behavior and the fact that no one stood up and speak up for this customer. Everyone thinks it was a joke !!! I’m indeed shocked – and here i sit thinking – Chloe looks very Asian – what happens if this happen in school when she grows up or when she is out at the mall? Hate crimes and racism shouldn’t be taken lightly – i spoke to PB about it – and of course – he wasn’t too concerned because it was an isolated case – but i’m thinking ahead and trying to be pro-active and prevent what will happen in the future. What would you do in my shoe? would you be like the rest of the 7000+ members on FB and ignore it because it wasn’t you it was directed to? or would you speak up?