目前分類：My Ordinary Life in Canada (59)

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Taipei 101 was the first stop on our list to visit. I was at Taipei 101 last year with my mother and two nephews and very impressed with the massive structure and engineering technology. On the observation deck last year, we also had the most expensive ice cream cone that I had ever had, which my two nephews still talk about it till this day. This year I was the seasoned visitor to lead Da Pong around to visit the building of Taipei 101.

 

We took the subway and buses to get to Taipei 101. Although we had obtained our international driver’s licenses before we left Canada, we decided not to rent a car in Taipei. My brother also offered us his car for our stay in Taipei but we just didn’t feel comfortable driving in Taipei. I have to say that my driving record has been excellent, but I am not so sure that I can ever adjust to the Taiwanese driving style. What I don’t need is to have an idiot driver changing lane illegally to pass me by and scratch the car, which is rampant in Taipei anyway. The Taipei subway system is excellent in my view, and the bus system connected to the subway is quite good. On top of all, the taxi is not too expensive, either. So, risking our lives to drive in Taipei is out of the question.

 

The wealth that Taipei 101 displays is beyond our comprehension. We were there on a Monday which might not be the busiest day for the retail business. We were in awe to see all the expensive shops under one roof and wondered how the stores could have stayed alive in business. Then we soon found out how.

 

Da Pong left his camera strap in Canada. Without the hand strap, it could be dangerous for him to lose his grip on the camera which was a Christmas present from me. So, while we were in Taipei 101, one of the biggest shopping malls in town, we decided to look for a hand strap for his camera before any of our out of town trips. Sure enough, there is a Sony Store inside Taipei 101. We were hoping to find a generic hand strap for his Nikon camera. How difficult could it be for a simple hand strap?

 

The salesman at the Sony Store was very kind and attentive to show us the only two hand straps they had, which were only two hundred New Taiwan dollars apart. We calculated the prices and somehow felt strange with the number we were given. Well, it appeared to be cheaper, compared to the prices we might pay back home, but hey, “This is Taiwan!” we thought, and maybe we got a good deal. Six dollars might just be the right price to pay in Taiwan. We happily picked the more expensive one, walked to the counter and gave our credit card to the salesman. Only did we find out later that we were just not very good with the money conversion math. Duh! We moved one place too many on our place value math!

 

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Our flight landed at 5:30AM! Days before my departure, I already told the family not to bother to come pick us up at the airport. (For God’s sake, it was 5:30 in the morning!) Anyway, we really took our time walking through the corridors, waiting in line for the immigration and claiming our luggage since we figured that no one would be waiting for us at the gate. By the time we stepped out the custom, it was about 7:30AM. Suddenly, I heard, “Julia!”

 

No way!

 

My brother and my sister-in-law had been waiting for a long time for us to come out. (Some people just don’t listen, especially the loved ones! ) My brother was supposed to fly out to Vietnam later on the same day, but he delayed his departure just for us. Luckily, he and I got to spend a whole day together with the whole family. I really appreciate their efforts for us.

 

My number one travelling rule to beat the jet lag: Always stay up when the sun is up!

 

Shortly after we had arrived and freshened up, the family decided to go to Jin Shan to visit the mausoleum where the ashes of my father and all the ancestors are kept. It was a good decision for us to be out for the day just to keep ourselves awake. On the way back to Taipei from the mausoleum, we drove along the coast to visit a few scenic places. WOW! There are lots of coffee shops along the coast!

 

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A few years ago, one of my coworkers told me once about how her daughter was dismissed from her employer on a cold winter day. We were shocked to discover that she was let go in the most degrading manner that an employer could do to their employees. With no prior notice, she was sent home in a whim after “the chat”. She was not allowed to go back to her desk to pack up her personal stuff. Apparently, the office desk is considered as the company’s property. The employee has no claim to retrieve their belongings unless with permission from the employer. Her computer password was locked immediately.

 

Nowadays, the method has sadly become a common practice for some big companies. One of our acquaintances, Keith, was recently let go from his job. His case was way worse than the one I heard before. (The characters’ names were changed to protect all the people I know.)

 

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Keith worked for a big company as an engineer for more than 20 years. He was a foreman in charge of a large production line. His job paid well but now the whole industry has been under a lot of pressure during the economy downturn. For the last two years, his company has been going through a lot of restructuring. Many of his co-workers were either stressed out with a nervous breakdown or simply retired early whenever they could. 

 

One Monday morning, Keith came to work early as usual. The plant started at 6:30 and by 9:00, the whole place was hopping. He was running around to “put our fire” as usual and to make sure the production line would move smoothly. Around ten o’clock, he got a phone call from the plant manager. The conversation went on for a while. In fact, most of the time, Keith just listened silently. By the time the phone call almost ended, a security guard already stepped closely behind him along with a nurse from the medical unit.

 

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By the Taiwanese standard, I am living in a small city. However, I have noticed a lot of city folks here still have a so-called small town mentality. I actually don’t have to go too far to find people like that. The idea of writing this article came from a heated discussion I had with my Tai Chi instructor about international travel today.

 

I go to a Tai Chi club every Monday and Saturday. There are very few Chinese members in the club. In fact, I almost can count the number of Chinese members with one hand. Many of my fellow members thought that I had pretty solid kung fu skills when I first joined the Tai Chi club. (Thanks to my high school Ph Ed. Teacher and all those Kung Fu TV’s and movies I watched!) However, sometimes I wonder if they think every Chinese must be good at Chinese kung fu.

 

Most of my instructors are volunteers. So, most of them are members who took lessons from some other volunteers who took lessons from other people who happened to take lesson from the Chinese Master long time ago. (Hehehe… It is a mouthful, isn’t it?) These instructors might not have even met the Master in person ever. 

 

One senior member in my club just came back from Mexico after five months of extended stay in Mexico. We were joking about how lucky this member was to return to Canada before the swine flu hit Mexico. We have a lot of retired seniors who stay in the south during the cold winter season and come back to Canada when the spring arrives. We call them “the Canadian snow birds” because the retirees “migrate” to the south in the winter. Anyway, my young (he's my age) instructor immediately commented that he would never want to travel outside Canada. Some people chimed in right away to say that how backwards some other countries are.

 

I should have kept my mouth shut as usual when I heard his comment, but I jumped in to encourage my instructor that he should travel. I told him that I used to travel quite extensively. Travelling often offers me a totally different perspective about life, people, cultures and the world. I truly believe that travelling can help people become more open minded and respect the cultural differences. Travelling definitely has contributed to my appreciation for different cultures.

 

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JD, a good friend of mine, quit teaching last year. It was a complete surprise to all of us. She volunteered for years at a school and went through a lot of trouble just to get into Faculty of Education to get her degree. It was a big career change for her in her late 30s, switching from hotel management to education. It took her a while to finally get a job with the school board after graduation. She is extremely passionate about education. So, I couldn’t understand why on earth she would suddenly decide to leave her teaching post.

 

Later, we finally got the whole story from her. I am not ready to disclose her side of the story just yet, but I can only say that she was distressed and totally depressed when she quit. She was a victim of institutional politics and fell under the pressure of bureaucratic hypocrisy. At one of our dinner dates, I suggested that she should just go ahead to open her own school. It has been my dream to run my own school for years. Unfortunately, I am already in the education field and it is hard for me to jump from one mud puddle to another.

 

Since JD’s sudden departure from her school, she has been working for an education centre as a literacy tutor. Two weeks ago, I sent her an email to ask her how she has been doing lately. Surprisingly, she replied to me in her email saying that she just bought a residential property and she is ready to turn it into a little kindergarten school. Boy, she has guts! In her late 40s, she took out a new mortgage as well as her life saving, she is ready to make another career move and turn her passion into a reality. Her school is currently under full renovation and is planned to open door in the coming September.

 

I admire her! When one door closes, another one opens. She was disgusted and fed up with the system and decided to take on a new mission to fulfill her dream. She wants to create an environmentally sound and welcoming institution for children with sensitive health issues. It may be a difficult time to start a new venture, but she is determined to take on the challenge and give it a shot.

 

JD, three cheers to you. I wish you all the best! BTW, if you need a night custodian, you know who to call, I will volunteer!


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I have not written anything for my blogs for a while because I have been really busy at school. Plus, by the time I get home from work, I am completely exhausted. I just want to relax and recuperate. The economy is not great and, like everybody else, I am very much clouded with concerns that my life saving investment has gone south. All in all, I have not been too excited about doing any writing. I totally needed some days off. This week is my March Break and it is great to be able to sleep in, read books and temporarily purge all the heavy loads off my mind.

 

I just came back from my Monday Tai Chi Club. I used to think that Tai Chi is only for seniors who can not move swiftly or who require very low impact exercise. Boy, I was dead wrong! I quite enjoy the way that all muscles get to stretch out entirely through each slow but solid move. I usually incorporate the breathing exercise I learned from Yoga to my Tai Chi workout. It is quite amazing that I am often drenched by the end of each session. At this point of time, I think I have reached the plateau for this class. It is time to move on to a higher level of Tai Chi. Maybe, I should start looking into the philosophical essence of this Kung Fu. Any philosophical study may help a little bit at this point.


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Hot Pot or Shabu Shabu

 

Hot pot or Shabu Shabu? However you want to call it, I don’t really care. I just know that it is not fun to have this hot pot all alone by yourself. I don’t usually have many opportunities to have a hot pot although I love it for a meal with a group of friends on a cold winter day. This morning I happened to have three friends over for a visit and I decided to have a hot pot for lunch. I didn’t want to cook a fancy meal right after my big New Year Dinner. Plus, I had another engagement to attend this evening and I did not want to spend too much time preparing for this lunch. So, what is the quickest and easiest work? Hot Pot!

 

What a great social event! We just talked while the pot of food was cooking. I happened to have some frozen ingredients and tons of condiments for the hot pot. We mixed peanut butter with some spices and created a really unique flavoured sauce. Yum! It did not take much time to prepare for this meal but it sure made the kitchen all messy. I didn’t care though because the food is more important here. (We have to get our priority straight here!) Last time when I had a hot pot was when I visited Taiwan last summer. Friends, comfort food such as a hot pot seems to be so trivial for you but it is all different here. It is a wonderful thing to me!!!!   ^v^

 

  

International Party

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 Listen to my audio greetings, please click here.wishes 2009 for blog.jpg 


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I finally finished packing. The airport shuttle will pick me up in about 4 hours. I really wanted to travel light this time but I still ended up with two pieces of luggage, which puzzled me tremendously. The airline just reduced the baggage weight allowance to 23kg due to the worldwide soaring fuel prices. I may have to end up paying the penalty charge. I didn’t go to bed till three this morning trying to see what I could do to jam pack everything in there. I could not take out those presents for friends and family. I could not leave those pricy stuff requested by friends and family. I could not say no to friends who want me to deliver food supplements to their relatives. Well, the only things that I could take out would be my personal stuff then! So, out my dressy attires, no more dress shoes and no bottles of personal make-ups. Well, I did pack really light for myself but I still have two heavy loads for the others. Anyway, friends, don’t be surprised when you see me in Birkenstocks, shorts and T-shirts when I hand you a present or when I deliver your mother's package to you. That's my sacrifice! Sloppy J1492 is coming home and dressing like a UPS delivery guy in shorts! I guess there will be tons of shopping to do in Taiwan. The only problem is I really hate shopping!

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There were a few times that I was almost ready to quit teaching all together. Here is one of those stories that happened to me years and years ago when I just started out in Canada. Things have changed so much for the better that I think it is about time for me to write down some of my interesting encounters.
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After I had started teaching in Ontario for about a year, the education sector began to feel the funding crunch from the government during a recession. At first, I thought I had hit the jackpot to finally get a teaching job after three long years of unemployment, but the good time did not last. There I was about to be laid off a year later. I, along with more than 400 other new teachers, was given a lay-off notice in the spring. Fortunately, the bad news only lasted through that summer. I eventually got called back by the Board to a substitute position a few months later in September. Although the supply job was not a permanent position, it was definitely better than doing nothing at home.

The school I was assigned to was in the same neighbourhood where my old boss resided. It was such a coincidence that I happened to be placed in the very same community school where his children went. My old boss had warned me in advance about the school and the principal before I even started my new teaching post. He claimed that the principal was “a racist”. My boss was of South Asian descent and I knew for a fact that, my boss already had a few interesting meetings with the principal when I was still working for him. However, I kept telling myself that I needed to go to my new job with an open mind.


The school had a large ESL student population. The principal treated me all right when we first met. He was friendly but did appear to be a bit eccentric and a loose cannon when communicating with others. Sometimes he would blurt out something that might not be appropriate for his position. I also heard rumours saying that he would only hire tall blond teachers. In fact, I was told by some staff that if I were not assigned to that post due to my contract with the board, the principal wouldn’t have hired someone ethnic like me. As a minority teacher, I used to hear comments like that, but I would usually listen with a grain of salt and keep my thoughts to myself. The truth is that you can not simply believe everything you’ve heard!

 

A few months into my teaching at that school, I gradually got to know the people there better and how the school’s dynamic operated. However, I did not know all the students and parents well enough even though it was only a school of about 600 students. Certainly, not all the parents knew me well, either.

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I challenge you! Hope to get you on board!

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(the view of the house with the snow)

The sun finally came out with full force for the last four days. As the snow starts to melt, my body is also recovering and gaining strength.
 
The school is a very dirty environment. Imagine that we all coop up in one room all day long. When it is too cold with less than -20 degrees wind chill out there, children don’t get to go out for recesses. My classroom has two very small to almost non-existent size of windows. The airflow solely relies on the air vents. But, how clean are those vents and ducts? That I don’t know. Children don’t always wash their hands after their sneezes or coughs no matter how many times I have told them. Now I wash my hands like crazy because I don’t want to pass the germs on to other people. It is not fun to have a cold or flu.
 
It is our March Break this week and I have the week off to recuperate. Other than my yoga and Tai Chi classes, I have not done much. It has been a lazy week for me but I think I deserve every minute of it. I will gradually post a few photos of our latest projects at school. It is something quite motivating for students. I definitely enjoy the fun whenever I do it with my grade three students. (Hey, if it was not fun, why would I want to waste my time doing it?)
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I have gone out to shovel the driveway twice this morning. While I was clearing the snow off the driveway, I joked with my retired neighbour next door who was doing exactly the same thing because we were worried that the snow would get too heavy to lift later on. I made a comment that I would pray that the street plower (the truck with a big pusher in the front) would be “kinder and gentler” today. We both laughed and shook our heads after I said that. Of course not!
 
The plowers seem to time their arrivals every single time. They always, I mean “always”, show up right after I have cleared the snow off the property and then dumped the snow from the street back onto the driveway again, which, of course, blocks the entire entrance to every single driveway on the street. If you were out when that happened, you wouldn’t be able to drive back in. If you happened to be in the house, you wouldn’t be able to leave your house with your car. YOU WOULD BE TRAPPED!
 
After my first shoveling this morning, I left for an emergency doctor appointment, I came back home an hour later and sure enough, my driveway was blocked. Thank Goodness that I had shoveled and piled some snow onto the front yard before I left. At least, the load would be lighter. So, back to square one, I had to shovel it all over again.
 
I have been enjoying the snowy view from the comfort of my home for the whole day. The old man winter has returned and it is still lingering as we speak. It seems that the snow does not intend to leave. It has been snowing solid for the entire day. My inner voice tells me that I should go out and do some shoveling again and forget about my Yoga class. But, DO I HAVE TO?
 
The only good thing came out of today was that I had a snow day. All schools were closed for the day. Oh, I could not even imagine driving to school and back in stormy winter weather like today. Often, the school district would only cancel school buses for students but schools would still be open for students who usually walk to school, which means that teachers still have to report to school for duty. Teachers often say that if it was too dangerous for school buses to take students to school in a stormy snowy weather, why on earth would it be all right for the teachers to risk their lives to drive to school? We drive on the same city streets, don’t we? Why don’t they close all the schools instead of cancelling buses only? Are teachers’ lives not as valuable as the drivers’ and students’? (It is a logical argument but it is kind of petty. Hehehe…)
 
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Dear Santa,
 
I have never written to you to request anything for Christmas because Chinese New Year still holds a more important place in my heart than Christmas. After so many years of helping you get presents ready for my family and friends, now I am ready to ask you for a special present. By the way, I have been a really good girl all year and I always have been. Santa, please send a snow shoveling robot, a snow shoveling butler or a snow blower my way for Christmas!
 
We have not had much of snow for the last few winters; however, Canada is a country of winter snow. It is inevitable that we occasionally have to shovel the snow during the cold winter season. For the last few years, we have been paying the kids across the street to cut the grass and to shovel the snow, but kids are kids and they are not reliable. We also had a service come in to shovel the snow before we hired the kids, but the company had to deal with so many clients, especially the commercial plazas which always take their priority. By the time the service truck got to our house, it was dark and late and I had almost done my driveway myself. I couldn't wait for the service and had to do it on my own because I couldn’t move my car up to my driveway.
 
We are having a big snow storm which started at around eight o’clock this morning. This afternoon, I had tears in my eyes when I discovered the city’s street-plowing truck had passed by my house and shoved all the snow from the street onto the entrance of my driveway which blocked my driveway and the sidewalk. I had to climb over a knee-high of snow bank to get into my house. In a time like this, Santa, I apologize that, in order to let the frustration off my chest, I had to use a few nasty words that I normally don’t say at all. Thank God, in the end, I finally had a few good neighbours who came to the rescue with their snow blowers along with a couple of kids who were paid to shovel the driveway with me.
 
Santa, I am exhausted and damp. A mug of hot chocolate is not going to help much because I know the snow is still falling and blowing everywhere outside. When I think of that, I get chill to my bones, my old rattling achy bones after the shoveling. It will be a chore to get my car off the driveway tomorrow morning. (A snow day will be great if you could make it happen ASAP.)
 
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It’s getting to look a little bit like Christmas. We got snow last night, the first snow that stays on the ground and covers everything with fluffy white dust. This is the kind of snowy day I like. I am home and have nowhere to go and no errands to run. I can just look out my window and enjoy the beautiful snow-covered yards with a cup of hot tea in my hands. 

Can it be like this forever? No, it’s Monday tomorrow. The drive into work would be treacherous. Bummer…. 


PS, Don’t envy me just yet. Wait till I write about how heavy it is to shovel the darn thing off my driveway. I will break my bones today for sure. Where is the Bengay? Mmm…. 


To Friends, Bro and Sis, 
Do you wanna make some snowmen? You have to fly over here though and promise to help me shovel snow, hehe.

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Happy Thanksgiving to all friends new and old who are in or from the U.S. of A.! 
American Thanksgiving is always the day that all Christmas decorations or sales would come on in full gear. On my way to school this morning, the radio was finally blasting with Christmas songs for the first time. We also got the first "white stuff" in the air today, not enough accumulation to stay on the ground but enough to cause many car accidents. I like to watch snow when I am home with a mug of hot coco, but not too keen on driving on the snowy road. The freezing rain made the road to work even more treacherous this morning. It is dangerous enough to drive in the freezing rain, but, somehow, people forget how to drive properly after half a year. There are always those people who have big “I”(a five-letter word that ends with ot and rhymes with riot) stenciled on their forehead when driving on the first day of snow by zooming, changing lanes and passing recklessly. Thank God for getting me to work safely.
I always like the thought of Thanksgiving. My students are currently working on the Native Studies. When we had our Canadian Thanksgiving in October, I read a simple picture book about the Thanksgiving prayer from the native Chiefs. I don’t remember the exact book title, but here is a very similar one on line from http://www.aaanativearts.com/article1011.html. It is a great concept to teach the children about how to appreciate the Mother Nature. 

I thank the web site for kindly sharing this prayer with all of us.
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Haudenosaunee thanks giving prayer....KEYWORDS: native American prayer thanksgiving prayer Haudenosaunee prayer Seneca prayer turtle clan prayer corn planter tribe Indian prayers prayer of thanks giving give thanks

AUTHOR: Family members state that the following prayer, as translated into English, was confirmed as being accurate by a woman who, at the time, was the hereditary Grandmother of the Turtle Clan of the Corn planter Tribe of the Seneca Nation of the Haudenosaunee. (She has since passed.)

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This is a song of my past. Every time when Bryan Adams started with that "Oh, thinking about all our younger years...” I used to feel so sad that all my close friends were so far away in Taiwan. Although I have lost contact with so many friends throughout the years, I have made new ones as well. Somehow, no matter how many friends I have made or how many years I have been here, once a while, my heart still aches whenever I hear the song play on the radio.
 
I have been in Canada for a while and have made this place my home. For those people who have left your home countries and have been far from friends and family for years, maybe some of you can understand my sentiment here. I sometimes feel like I just don't belong to a particular place anymore, a misfit. When you situate yourself in a foreign land, no matter how long you have been in the place, you are always looked upon as an immigrant from afar, an outsider. I know I have made this country my home, but once a while, I have this romantic thought about the rosy past in Taiwan. I miss my past and everything old. I love Taiwan.
 
The truth of the matter is I probably would miss Canada if I were in Taiwan right now. I love Canada, too! Last time when I was in Taiwan, I could sense that I was treated as a guest in my own country. The sense of belonging has gradually faded. Sometimes I wonder if my world in Taiwan has changed to the point that I can not recognize or relate to any longer. It simply has become a completely different reality from the memory of my past. I have close attachment to both places, but I also feel that I don’t belong to either. I am merely a passenger through time.
 
A few days ago, an old classmate accidently came across my blog and got in touch with me. I was so excited to hear from an old pal from the past. Through blogging, I am also getting in touch with people, strangers, schoolmates and acquaintances alike, whom I would have no way of communicating years ago. I am grateful and also cherish deeply for this kind of special encounters. The world at large is suddenly only a click away on my desk by my coffee.

 
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I usually go to Tai Chi class every Saturday. I have been taking the beginners’ class for about three sessions over the span of two years. Every time when we started a new beginners’ class, I would sign up for it. I don’t practice much Tai Chi other than on Saturday, so it has not been easy for me to memorize all 108 moves. Consequently, I was hesitant to move up to the continuing class because I couldn’t remember the sequence very well.
 
After two years, the beginner class gradually becomes uninspiring because the class is really geared to people who start from zero experience with Tai Chi. The repetitive class from point zero is no longer challenging enough for me. In mid-September, when the new classes started again, I decided to join the continuing class this time and then stay late for the beginners’ class as well. The decision turned out to be the best way to push myself forward.
 
Immediately, I could see myself making progress! Although I joke about the instructor who is like a drill sergeant and pushes us to do tons of Don Yu squatting over and over again, I am beginning to refine my skills and correct the errors and bad habits that I have accustomed to from the last few beginners’ classes. Sometimes I stay longer for the beginners' class after my "Tai Chi Boot Camp",  I can take my time to break down steps and review each and every move that I have just reviewed from the boot camp.
 
Human nature often forces us to step back and withdraw ourselves from unfamiliar situations. We are afraid of the unknown and concerned about embarrassing ourselves in front of the others. As a teacher, this experience is definitely a lesson learned. I usually encourage my students to take challenges but there I was so hesitant to do so myself in the adult world. It is a good example of why teachers should always encourage students to set a higher expectation for themselves. To aim high and work solidly for the goal is the only way to push yourself forward.
 
After the beginners’ class today, a few of us stayed late to do a whole set of Tai Chi. My instructors from the beginners’ class took me aside to talk to me. They told me that they have been very interested in me and would like to recommend me to take the assistant instructor’s role. Hahaha…. Me as a Tai Chi assistant instructor! No way.  I know myself every well. I would be just the same as my continuing instructor who really pushes students forward. (Oh, no! Attention! Grandmas and Grandpas in the beginners’ class, watch out for that spunky Julia. Here she comes!) Honestly, I don’t think I am ready for the role, but it certainly could be a goal to aim for in the very near future. It is an honour!

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The other day I went out for lunch with a couple of friends who were originally from Hong Kong. YZ has all her family members in Ontario, but KC’s relatives are all in Hong Kong. I asked KC if she had been back to Hong Kong after all these years in Canada. She replied that it is very difficult to plan a trip, which is also extremely costly, for her family of five to travel back to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, her children have gradually lost touch with all the family and relatives on the other side of the world. I felt for her and understood her sentiment as I was listening to her and thinking about my own family.
 
One disadvantage about moving to a foreign land is that it is so darn difficult to visit family and friends back home. During the first few years in Canada, I could not travel freely because of the immigration process and my study at the Faculty. A few times I had to make a few emergency trips to fly home for funerals. Then, summer time is the only time that teachers can take different courses for professional development or for higher education. So, I spent many summers to take AQ (additional qualification) courses and for my graduate study. We don’t travel to Taiwan frequently because we simply could not afford to do so due to our vacation time arrangements and mostly the pricey travel expenses.
 
First of all, a flight ticket alone is so expensive during the peak summer season. Unfortunately, being a teacher, I can only travel during the summer time. (We do not have a long winter break. My Christmas and New Year break is usually about 12 days. Da Pong can get five days in total. ) When we plan a family trip to go somewhere in the summer, it is not an individual outing but a whole family event. So, you can imagine the total price of the plane tickets alone could be substantially costly.
 
When we go back to visit Taiwan, we don’t tend to stay for a week or two because of the time difference and jet lag. It would take up at least three days to travel and then a couple days to recover from jet lag. So, at least we (or I) would have to stay for a month (four weeks). I have the perks of having the summer off, but Mr. Da Pong does not usually have that kind of luxury. The maximum vacation time he could get is probably two to three weeks. Then he would also need a couple days to recuperate from the jet lag before going back to work.
 
Living cost could be expensive as well for travelers. Travelers also have to eat as well. (It might also be a good time for us to go on a diet. Ha-ha) How often can you live off family and relatives’ kindness and have feasts from one invitation to another? Often we have to pay for food or take them out to dinner in return, which could be quite expensive when paying for the large group of people. We usually avoid accepting any invitation to a banquet. This way, we could cut down the frequency of spending money at the fancy restaurants. But, it is inevitable that we would have to eat at restaurants whenever we were on the road to visit people or places. You can imagine that the traveling expenses for a family could be skyrocket high.
 
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F.Y. and I have become very good friends after we met at the Chinese School. She immediately included me as an additional family member. Since then, whenever she needs help and her children are not around to assist her, she would just call me up. I remember when I first met her, she used to be terrified of driving on her own on the highway. She had to rely on her oldest teenaged son to be the driver, which made her life really difficult. Who can count on a hormone-raging teenager to stay home all day long to take his mom places? Of course not! Her son wanted to go out with his friends to do those typical teenager things most of the time. I don’t blame him.

One day, we planned to visit a friend who lived in the next town. I had never been to this friend’s house. F.Y. was supposed to be the driver to take both of us there. It took us forever to get there because she took a long route around the city instead of the highway. She was terrified to drive on the highway you see. I told her that I would sit beside her to coach her on the way back. There was no way that I would let her take the city roads again. So, she had to take the highway for the first time in Canada. Well, we did get home safely, but she was completely soaked with sweat when we arrived! After that day, FY was not afraid of getting onto the highway anymore.

One day, I was telling F.Y. about the RRSP that I invested for my retirement pension. She suddenly asked me if I could take a look at a few letters she received. Those letters were sent by the company where she invested her money in order to immigrate to Canada. She then started telling me her immigration experience. I was in awe.

F.Y., like many investment immigrants, went to those investment seminars for immigration in Taiwan. Those seminars usually are set up by Taiwanese immigration consulting companies along with investment funds companies from Canada. In order to have her children educated in Canada, she decided to take the easiest route for her, to invest money in Canadian funds and apply for investment immigration. According to the regulation then, she had to invest certain amount of Canadian dollars. I am not sure how much exactly the amount should be invested to qualify for investment immigration to Canada, but I do know that she purchased 250,000 Canadian dollars worth of funds alone from this particular company from Saskatoon, Canada.

I looked at the letters sent to her from the company in Saskatoon. The address on the letterhead was only a mailbox address, which was alarming to me. A reputable company would not be based on a mailbox address. I tried to call the company, but it was only an answering machine, another alarming sign. I asked F.Y. whether she had received an annual statement from this company every year or not. Apparently, the company did send out the annual statement to F.Y., one of many shareholders, and a letter to inform her about their loss in a few bad investments. Their share prices have been in decline, and the company has been in deep financial trouble.

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