Food which People Had Died For in Canada

How willing are you to die for your food?

Have you ever had food so good that you would risk your life to buy some so that you can eat it?

Yes, people had died trying to buy their favorite food in Canada!

On our way to our little cabin up north during the long weekend, we always take Highway 400 and drive past Orillia.

Not long after  pasting the city of Orillia, we would see a steel overpass high above the highway allowing pedestrians who have parked their cars on either side of the parking lot to cross to the other side .

This overpass was built after nearly a dozen people had risked their lives crossing a four lane highway and trying to get
to the other side to buy food from the restaurant, Webers, where hamburgers, fries and ice creams were sold.

We stopped by and ordered the famous hamburgers plus some poutine from the restaurant. It has been in business for a long time. In fact,  Webers is celebrating its fifty years this year.

One of the neat things about the restaurant is its seating for customers. There are an abundance of seating available. Customers can choose to sit outside on its beautiful huge green property or dine in the refurbished dining railway cars. 

We chose to be close to nature and enjoyed our food outside on the well manicured park like lawn.  The hamburgers were fresh and tasty; we enjoyed the food and the beautiful setting.  But would I be willing to risk my life, cross the four lane highway in order to have this food?

 I don't think so!

R.T.
Webers near Orillia, Ontario

Finally, a Memorable Lunch with My Son

Friday, May 17, 2013

I was invited to Queen Alexandra School to speak to students in two assemblies in the morning.  It was uncharacteristic of me to feel a little nervous.  I have spoken to students and young people at assemblies for most of my professional life and I actually enjoy public speaking. However, I had not done a formal school wide presentation for a little wide since my retirement and I was not sure what to expect from a few hundred of teenagers who might or might not be interested in my topic.

 I did it and it went well!  My presentation on Asian History in Canada was well received and there were a lot of questions at the end which told me that students did pay attention and wanted to know more about it.

I asked my son, Jonathan, to come and video tape my presentation so that I could improve on it for future presentations. We went out for lunch on Danforth afterwards.

It was the best lunch I ever had with my son!!!  We tried Greek food, something different, and the dishes were delicious. But the best part of our lunch was our honest exchange in our conversation.

I must admit that my relationship with my younger son has not been ideal. As parents, we love our children and we always want the best for them. However, the way we express our love may have been misinterpreted as being intrusive at times.

As an educator, I have been able to reach many difficult students and parents when they come to me for help. I could always listen to them, keeping my head cool and helping them to diffuse their unpleasant situations.  But things changed when dealing with my own son. My husband, our son and I could be too emotional at times therefore unable to conduct meaningful and calm discussions in times of conflict.

 I remember vividly how many of our casual discussions had turned into heated  arguments with us saying hurtful things to each other. A few years back, we couldn't substain a conversation without ending up arguing with each other. As recently as last Christmas, a casual discussion in the car after the big annual family dinner  (at Susuan and Dave) turned ugly and Jonathan ended up feeling extremely upset with me because of a remark I made. Sometimes, our grown up children are so sensitive of some topics that I feel as I were walking on thin ice and have to tiptoe around
them.

This afternoon, our conversation was lovely, absolutely marvelous! It was an honest, polite exchange of information and opinions about what each of us has done recently. Jonathan, who quit his very secure and stable well paid teaching job to pursue his artistic interest,  shared with me about his success and failures in his new pursuits, hopes and dreams. I listened attentively without making any remarks nor did I offer any motherly advice ( which I used to do in the past and got him angry with me.)  He was in the mood to talk and I was glad that I was there to share his life experience with him. Our lunch hour flew by quickly without any awkward moment of dead silence.

I just realized that this was the first time I have had a real  pleasant  adult to adult conversation with my younger son. I am delighted to discover that my relationship with him has turned a new page and that our relationship has evolved from  a parent-child relationship to a best friend supporting,  respecting and loving each other relationship.  I thank God for this positive change and I look forward to many more pleasant lunch conversations with our sons in the future!

R.T.
At a Danforth Restaurant
Toronto

Cherry Blossoms at High Park, Toronto

One of My Most Favorite Places - High Park, Toronto

A couple of Fridays ago, I heard on the CBC ( Canadian Broadcasting Company, an excellent radio station!!!)  that particular weekend would be the best time to see the cherry blossom at High Park in Toronto.

That Friday happened to be a really nice day with temperatures around 18 degree C. I called my mother living by herself at the St. Paul Senior Apartment. Having been cooped up in an apartment all winter long, my mother loved the idea of walking around in a park.

Cherry Blossoms were in Full Bloom Last Week

So I picked her up and we took the subway to High Park.

High Park, Toronto, is a beautiful spacious parkland with about 450 acres of land. I have been to the Central Park of New York City. To me, our local High Park rivals the Central Park of the Big Apple. High Park is just as accessible by public transit.

We took the subway and got off at the High Park Station on the Bloor line and we were there!!!! No traffic congestion, no parking headaches!

Lots of People Went to High Park to Enjoy the Cherry Blooms

It was marvelous being outdoors, breathing air filled with the smell of spring and enjoying the sight of fresh sprouting green leaves and branches bursting their ways out of ground.

There were kids riding their bikes, elderly folks holding hands strolling along the walking paths, numerous groups of young people sitting in circles, laughing and enjoying their picnic lunches and yes those sun-starved souls sprawling on the green lawn with their blankets and soaking hungrily in the afternoon sun.

 It was only a Friday afternoon, still a working day. We were surprised to see the number of people in the park enjoying a gorgeous spring day.


Ah, people were here to admire the full blooms of the cherry blossoms. There were a full hill of those beautiful pink and white flowers.

It was magnificent and quite a sight!I have lived in Toronto for the past thirty some years, yet this was the first time I took time out to enjoy the flowers!

 How many beautiful days like this have I missed in the past? I wondered why we did not bring our children here every year to enjoy this wonderful scenery and God's gift to man.

Though eighty seven years old, my mom was able to strolled around the park,  invigorated by the sight and sound of  nature and all the beautiful plants around her. It is not easy for an elderly person walking for a few hours and not overcome by exhaustion.

I was careful making sure that we took a few breaks in between, sipping tea, refueling ourselves with snacks and later dining in the outdoor restaurant enjoying barbeque ribs, my mother's favourite dish.  My husband also came after work and joined us in the restaurant.

 My mom and I had such a good time in High Park that I will treasure this fond memory in the years to come!

R.T.
High Park, Toronto  

When Life Mistreats You not Once but Twice

Sometimes things happen in life and we wonder and ask why? Why is life so easy for some yet so unfair for the other? Some people, talented, become rich and famous, adored and loved by millions around the world at a young tender age such as Justin Bibier while some have been devastated not just once but twice by circumstances beyond their control.

A true hero, when being dealt by life's disasters and struck down,  picks up the pieces in his/her life, continues in the journey of life and marches forward with courage inspiring others along the way.

Steven, one of our friends at church was devastated a few years ago when his wife had cancer and passed away. Left with three children, Steven worked hard to hold the family together. He did not waver in his faith; hecontinued to serve at church while attending bible school part time to finish his master degree of divinity at Tyndale Seminary/University. Things started to get back to normal.

Steven receiving his degree from Tyndale Seminaryé Univeristy

Just when Steven thought that he could breathe a little, disaster struck again! A few months ago, Timothy, Steven's youngest son, barely twenty years old, was diagnosed with bone cancer, a huge blow to him and the family.

Steven depends on God, clings to his faith and asks his friends at church to pray for his son. While looking after his son who is going in and out of the hospital for surgery followed by chemotherapy, Steven did not fall apart nor cave in to such devastating event. I never heard him complaining about how unfair life has been to him. He continued with his master courses and graduated last Saturday from Tyndale University.

Steven - Celebrating with friends

Friends and family were there to show their support for Steven, a hero, who refused to bow down to tragedies and unfortunate incidents in life.

Steven is my hero! A hero keeps going when the going is tough, persevering and achieving his/ her goals at the end!

We thank God for people like Steven, not giving up in life!

R.T.
Toronto

Obessing over a Problem - Maybe a sign of Depression

I was extremely busy for the last couple of weeks as I have been involved in helping a family in crisis.

We have known this couple with two boys and they have been struggling with some marital problems for sometime.  Two  Saturdays ago, the husband fell prey to a phone scam and about a thousand dollars were stolen from the couple's account. When the wife asked the husband what happened, he did not explain to her and she went berserk over this.

The incident triggered a full blown depression in the wife and she was not herself at all.  She resorted to attempting suicide as she saw no hope in this marriage. The police was called and she was hospitalized for a few days. The doctors made sure that she was stable emotionally before they released her to a relative's home. Because this couple has two children, therefore Children Aids have been notified and are involved.

There were  a culmination of many things that her husband did which frustrated this lady. But one thing that annoyed his wife most has been his obsession of asking his wife and children eating healthy food and drinking milk at every meal.

 According to Jan Wong, a well known Canadian journalist ( former Beijng Bureau Chief for Globe and Mail ) and author of "Red China Blues",  recently published " Out of the Blue" about her depression illness noted the following:

" I was in the grip of of a ruminative cycle..... Ruminate from the Latin for chew again describe the way cattle chew, swallow, regurgitate and re chew their food. In psychiatric terms, rumination means obsessing about a problem, therby reinforcing and prolonging the negative mood. Ruminating is the thought process that defines depression....."

Aha! This explains why this lady was constantly complaining about her husband's concerns about eating healthy food. She has been complaining to us and obsessing over this problem for the past few years and a couple of Saturdays ago, a particular incident was the last straw on the camel's back plunged her into a serious depression.

Reading "Out of Blue" has given me some basic and very useful background information about depression. Instead of being bored and at times annoyed by someone's chronic complaints on the same subject, I may look at that person differently wondering if this person might be going through a rough time or possibly exhibiting one of the symptoms of depression. This lady appears to be a cheerful person but has in fact been on medication for depression for a little while. Other than ruminating about her annoyance over her husband's healthy food concern, I would have never guessed that she was a patient with a mental illness.

I need to learn more about mental illness so that I can understand more about it and recognize it so that I can find help for friends and family members possibly dealing with depression alone and secretly.

R.T.
Toronto

Making Dinosaur Fossils!

I was invited as one of the four judges at a Science Fair Project competition at an elementary school. I had fun looking at all the projects and admiring the work and efforts that the students (and their parents) put into their work.

Dinosaurs Project Done by Junior Kindergarten Students

What I really enjoyed looking at when I was at the Science Fair competition was the group projects which the kindergarten students did with with their teachers.


The one project that I really like was the dinosaurs project in which the teacher  talked about the various types of dinosaurs - carnivores or herbivores and then had the students made some fossils from some easy to find everyday recycled material.


It was evident that the kindergarten students really enjoyed making these dinosaurs fossils and they proudly showed and explained to the judges what they did with their teacher.

I immediately asked the teacher for the recipe as I regularly give workshops to teachers who are always looking for excellent hands on activities for their students.

Dinosaurs Fossils Made from used Coffee Grind

Here is the recipe for making little fossils with kids:

1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup used coffee grind
1/2  cup cold coffee - any left over coffee will do
1/2 cup salt

Mix all the ingredients together. Press small  plastic animal in dough.
Remove the plastic animal and let dough dry overnight.

Enjoy this great activity with the children!

R.T.
Toronto
p.s. If you live close by a Starbuck Coffee cafe, you can ask them for coffee grind. They have a store policy for giving out coffee grind to local residents who may use it as fertilizer. 

Science Fair Projects - Who is Learning More? Parents or Students ?

One of the privileges of being a retired school administrator is the different opportunities and invitations I am given to do various things for the community.

Last week, I was invited as a judge at one of the prestigious Toronto private schools at their annual Science Fair.I got there at 9a.m and met with my fellow judges. There were four of us, two of us were assigned the task of judging the primary school projects while the other two were assigned to the junior students' ( Grades 4-6) projects.

After we had been given judging criteria and instructions, we began our task.

There were numerous projects displayed along the two walls in the hallway. All the projects were beautifully set up, with titles and write up written on computer, printed and neatly pasted on display boards. Many projects had pictures of students performing their experiments at home, with charts, and graphs showing the results, data and conclusion of their findings. The science projects submitted covered a wide range of interesting topics such as the Solar System, the Tornado, Which Diaper is the best? Steam Power, Demonstration of Magnetism etc.  Students took turn to explain their projects in front of their peers to the judges and answered our questions. We were impressed by how confident these Grades 1 and 2 students were and the excellent efforts which were put into these projects.

However, as we looked at the meticulous writing and detail explanation on the science projects, I kept asking myself the following questions:

Am I judging the students' Science Fair projects or am I judging their parents' projects?
Who is learning more from this Science Fair project experience, the students or their parents?

Although it appeared that the students were involved in the preparation of these projects, it was also evident that many parents did a huge amount of the presentation work on the display boards. One of the components on the judging form was Student Presentation which became a deciding factor for us judges. We felt that regardless of how beautiful the presentations on the display boards looked,  the students must be able to articulate their understanding of the projects and answer our questions.

While we were impressed by some students' presentations - two of the Grade 2 students dressed their part in their crisp white lab coats looking every bit like a scientist, and adorably explaining their projects, a few could not pronounce the key words in their write ups.

Overall, we were delighted to see the whole school being involved in this Science Fair project competition. Students as young as pre school age started asking questions and try to find a scientific explanation for their questions. It was a pleasant experience reminded me of my pre retirement days working at my schools and serving the community. How I enjoyed my work in my schools!

 I am retired now and am enjoying what I am doing everyday serving parents, students and my community in a different capacity.  Being involved in various educational projects in communities across the greater Toronto area gives me a lot of satisfaction. A day such as today was a productive and great day for me indeed!

R.T.
April 25, 2013
Toronto