Experiencing Canada

It was the toughest time of SARS spreading when we came to Canada. I was quite nerves when I entered the immigration office at the Vancouver airport and when I arrived Montreal one day later. During these early weeks, nobody looked at me with any hostility or suspicion because of SARS. I was really comfortable and had a feeling of welcoming home.

Years later, I had a business trip to the States with two colleagues from China. I found them bringing some masks. I can’t laugh at it because China is fulfilling very strict control and protection of H1 Flu recently.

Just at the day before they left the States, suspected H1 Flu contacts were inspected in two aircrafts into Beijing airport. All the passengers in these aircraft were traced and requested several days’ quarantine. Worse situation: about 20 passengers had already left before the quarantine was taken into action. Thousands of staff was still working in tracing and checking them.

During our stay at the States, everything is normal; we’d never seen anyone with masks in the office, at the conference or restaurant. But for my colleagues, I was quite worry about their travel back and kept calling them till I contacted them and confirm everything fine. Lucky, a week of quarantine would be a nightmare.

Generally, we used to the life here. One day, I went to Karaoke. This was the first time in my several years living in Canada. Because I don’t like it? No, because it’s totally different issues from the Karaoke in China.

At this entertainment was born in Japan many years ago, it’s only a leisure outing of family or friends. But gradually it has become a part of business.

Chinese don’t like talking about business in the meeting or conference room. They prefer more leisure circumstance. It’s a good idea at the dinner time. But if you want to endeavor yourself, we can go to a night of Karaoke.

With the globalization, more and more people go to China for business. But still no westerner really understands this or really likes Karaoke life. It doesn’t matter – just remember this is the Chinese saving face time. Everyone laughs and talks. If we won’t try to well know each other and foster deeper personal relationships at this moment, then when?

Of course, please not select the company rep by his singing skill. The senior the better. Send business professional who can enjoy Karaoke to China, and send singing professional who has commercial potential to Canadian idol.

So, we experience Canada as well as Quebec. Hello, here Quebec, C’est ne pas une pays, c’est liver.

This winter from 15th of Dec, 2008, the winter tires are mandatory for all the vehicles. Why? And why this winter?

I just realized some reason from the salt.

Yes, salt, not snow.

This winter, there is basically no more salt to melt the snow any more.In some residential area, the snow is piled at the sides of the road. It won’t be removed and cleaned until it melts by itself in the warmer days till late spring. It’s even worse for some small streets – quite some snow won’t be cleared to the sides of the road. We love hockey, now we have hockey streets everywhere.

In an industrial section, these kinds of road-side snow hills were removed in a week – normally, in last winters. But I can see some hills before the Christmas are still there. No salt anymore, the snow is becoming more and more solid like an ice hill. Can you park your car onto it?

5cm snowfall in last overnight makes about 30 minutes traffic. Can you believe that?Yes, you got it – we had ever a 30cm snowfall in last Dec, my friends had an average two hours delay!

Now everyone has their winter tires, but there is still much more traffic, much more energy consumption, much more risks, much more delay.

No salt on snow – is it really a good idea?

As a relevant new-comer to this country, I am always curious of my neighborhood and future-being neighborhood, and have strongly willing to know more. I often drive through all the roads around whenever in winter or in summer. On a Saturday of last month-end, we attend the arts show at Mason Lantier and immediately recalled myself that I’d ever passed this place to tour the cottages when we just moved here at the end of Dec 2010.

On Sunday, I came back with our kids. Many artists recognized and hello to us because we might be the only Asians appeared in these two days.

Margret still sat there. She gave our kids another balloons.

I came back again for a historical tour of Mason Lantier. Mr. Pete’s presentation summarized the 284 years history of this house and its neighborhood. After three centuries, this building is being well maintained and has because the Culture Center. I cannot imagine this could happen in my home country where most of old buildings have been demolished to build boring blocks and concrete roads.

Original 2008-2011

Revised in June 2016