Surprise Surprise: The Phil Blog

The Library, The Public Library

2011-11-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

The Toronto Public Library recently announced that branch closures were not part of their budget cuts, which comes as a relief for some residents. This could've been a heartbreaking decision as a member of the library board had proposed that as many as 38 branches should close.

As a reader, I'm thankful these cuts weren't approved, because for many residents, the library has been their centre of learning.

Let me take you back to this month, 1997. A nine year old in the city of Brampton received his first library card and proceeded to take out books related to the computer industry.

As time went on, these books became guides to the internet, and the same library branch took this boy's knowledge further by providing computer time.

The books he read became computer scripts, and these scripts became pages on the internet. They then had photos, audio, video...

Which brings me here today, 14 years later, the product of what I read. Thanks to a library book, my dreams were realized.

To shut down a library branch is to shut down the brain of a community. And cost cutting should never be the reason to end the dreams of our community's readers. There's a hidden cost in cost cutting.

A little bit about fares...

2011-04-20T11:49:00.001-07:00

It's the quarter of a billion dollar technology that was supposed to simplify how we pay for the bus. But after years of delays, the contact-less Presto fare card is still not being rolled out in a wide manner, and people are still milling for change, with change.

Every single city, town, or region has its own prices for their systems, and GO Transit charges commuters by distance. If I suddenly walked off the Airport Express bus from Pearson in Richmond Hill and headed north to Beaverton by York Region Transit and another GO bus, I'm still paying three different fares!

The province needs to step up with its Metrolinx division by finding a much more simpler fare system that would put riders on the fastest mode for the least fuss, from any node. Hong Kong, London, and Brisbane, Australia are excellent examples where transportation authorities have a simple system applying to all public operators who charge on distance. In other words, people don't pay for the different buses or transit they take, but where and how far they go.

Presto will not change a thing no matter how much money we're pouring in, if we don't find a quicker, smarter way to use it.

A Loveless Marriage

2011-02-12T21:22:00.000-08:00

Veolia Transportation and the Amalgamated Transit Union local 113 will be meeting for one last time before York Region Transit employees serving the region's southwest will officially be in legal strike position. The YRT says in an e-mail to me that the dispute was between the two above parties, and it was simply out of their hands.

What does this say about trying to make public transit a viable option for all stakeholders? What about the tens of thousands of York Region commuters who make the smart choice by not hogging the roads in tonne-heavy cars, who will now have to take costly alternatives to get to where they're going?

The regional government should never have let anyone who would provoke a strike take a contract. Part of a harmonious (and conflict-free) workplace involves keeping everyone happy and if the quality of transit has to suffer under crippling strikes (remember Viva a couple years back), it's not worth the savings that the lowest bidder for the contractor provides.

Veolia has only operated local service in Southwest York Region for only a few months now. What does this say about an employer who can't keep their employees happy enough not to get a settlement in a quick, timely and painless manner?

And then the ATU. They sent a press release claiming that it was Veolia that has forced them to strike. What truly intrigues me is the fact that this union can speak of things like sick days when the patrons who take service operated by their stakeholders usually have none of these liberties. Students lose marks if they don't show up to learn, and many employees (union or otherwise) could even lose their jobs because they can't get to work as efficiently if at all.

Not listening to employees: Not cool. Not seeing outside of union demands: Not cool. Washing hands in regional government when a contract goes awry: You guessed it.

For I, a college student, have prepared for a prolonged egotistical mania - saved by my hometown of Brampton (with their buses running through Woodbridge) and ironically... the TTC, which has union staff.

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Eco "Tax"?

2010-07-09T12:25:00.000-07:00

This is clearly a lesson in the quest to ensure that the facts are accurate, because some in the media have put a weary political spin into what was supposed to be a levy that manufacturers pay to make sure that their products are disposed properly.

With Canadian Tire receipt in hand the Toronto Star made light of the issue, correctly saying that it was manufacturing that pays the fees, and that consumers are paying the new fee because these companies aren't absorbing the cost.

CP24, the local almost-news channel, had spun the eco fee out of its original set up, scaring at least one citizen through their live eye into thinking that the province sneaked the extra cost onto him. Not the greatest thing to do in such a fragile economy and state of mind.

Let's make this clear: some companies are passing on the eco fee to consumers, while others might not.

A minister says that not a penny of this fee will land in government coffers at the end of the day. How could this be a tax then?

Sweatbox, T.O.

2010-07-07T07:58:00.001-07:00

Global warming seems to be looming like the Angel of Death as a heat wave struck Toronto, making even the evening feel like an unbearable sweatbox atypical of the usual weather that is encountered this time of year. Some residents have begged for this sort of heating up for quite some time after an unusually tepid July and August last year, but this seems just a bit selfish considering the consequences of this extreme.

Let's start thinking about the elderly and the vulnerable - why should we? With weaker immune systems, this important part of society is much more susceptible to the ailments of temperature fluctuations. There's a reason why local governments suggest that we check on family and friends; heatstroke is just as dangerous as frostbite.

It's not just heat that's the culprit: Humidity and the power of the sun has made us feel much warmer than what is forecasted. An official from Environment Canada told a major daily newspaper recently that it may feel as hot as 50°C thanks to the above two factors. We're essentially in a desert and a tropical rainforest at the same time, which is definitely not very pleasant for some people.

The City of Vaughan has opened "cooling centres" which proves the severity of the situation. It might just be a few droplets of sweat for you, or Niagara Falls for others, but this is the time to make sure that everyone is alright.

So visit your Nana, or Popo, et cetera...

The True Choice

2010-03-23T03:52:00.001-07:00

The conventional television viewer, whether it'd be the giddy tween who is looking forward to another horrible bit of American teen drama, or the butch man who focuses on hockey games, is becoming quite a very rare breed indeed. According to a recent Ipsos Reid poll, Canadians spend an average of an hour and six minutes more on their personal computer than on the black box, panel et al.

It's the result of a gradual transition as the information superhighway becomes a haven for the bored and lovelorn, while conventional broadcasters try to ignore the news with the sort of content that drove their audiences online in the first place.

Just like when television forced radio into a source of elevator and commuting music, this decades old technology is finally not the dominant medium of this dear land.

Let's face it: We have more choice over what we see online, and the repetitive nature of programming (especially those reality shows) are the main reason why the traditional airwaves are losing their control.

Meanwhile, the CRTC thinks that the courts will figure out whether or not broadcasters can spend more, or if cable and satellite companies will want to jack up their rates.

Face it, Corporate Canada. Stay tuned for a good old activity called "adapting to the current market environment". You haven't done so until now.

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The Province of Toronto?

2010-03-16T08:24:00.000-07:00

Who knew: A Progressive Conservative MPP, of the same stock who had transformed what used to be Metropolitan Toronto into the City of Toronto, wants it separated to form its own province? The same party also came up with the idea of uniting various municipalities in York Region into pasteurized pockets with names like "York North" and "York South", and is trying to win the rural electorate by some sort of separation.

First of all, this is the first ever instance of separation, proposed by someone else, rather than as an act of self-determination.

Mel Lastman, the first mayor of the megacity, had played with the idea before, but it would seem that people will be a bit more serious to the idea this time around - there are newspaper rumours where London could usurp Toronto as Ontario's provincial capital.

Would I be a happy camper as a citizen who is no longer Ontarian? Absolutely not.

Said MPP was worried about how urban issues have been dealt with in more often a manner than rural issues such as agriculture. He may be correct in saying that people need a more representative voice that includes the farmer et al, but isn't that the point of a county-level government?

This proposal would exclude the rest of the GTA from separating - what kind of a twisted divide is that?

No one should separate because of such solvable problems like this, and said MPP should be reprimanded for trying to force the Ontario out of Ontarians.

A Matter of Moisture

2010-03-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

Environment Canada says that we've had the driest winter since records were first kept, a long, long time ago, but it is a very strong clue as to whether or not the climate is changing (or has changed) - I presume it has.

I am not trying to approve or debunk any theories in regards to the state of the environment, but the oddity of not having enough snow to cover my shoes is not a very positive sign at all; and my feet lack proper arches, which means that we really were lucky this year.

Before you start flaunting the fact that it was a warm and comfortable welcome to the low temperatures and the snow aplenty of old, we have to really focus on the consequences of having so little moisture when the banks are supposed to pile up, which is similar to how another type of bank rolls in the profits.

The Spring melt, along with the Ides of March, means that much of what is supposed to pile up, ends up in our rivers and lakes. What can we expect to have in our lakes without a steady supply of runoff like in previous years?

Many of us depend on lakes and streams for our supply of drinking water, and most of what we see as "white terror" is now sitting, or rather melting, near Washington, D.C.

Obama should do the right thing and return that snow! It belongs to us!

Retail Shock Therapy

2010-03-07T20:30:00.000-08:00

For the mountains of people who are living in the Town of Georgina right now, hoping for Walmart to set up shop up there, you must face the music and deal with the fact that there won't be one under today's unique conditions.

I know that a lot of you love the low prices or the convenient shopping and such, and I'm not trying to promote or criticize this American retail chain, but to be a tactless dork who has heard of a handful, I can tell you that you won't get one if you keep shopping there.

Why? First of all, Northern York Region is within driving or commuting distance of Newmarket and East Gwillimbury, which means that Walmart will be hesitant to add unneeded costs involving the transport of merchandise to their targeted crowd. You encouraged this inaction since they don't see a problem with supply and demand.

Second, you do not live in a large enough community to support a Walmart within such close proximinity with other locations. Any retail chain won't cannibalize their business if there are "so many places to serve you", according to one corny advertisement. Southern York Region has plenty of locations, because three times as many people live here, and that sadly doesn't carry any favour for you at all.

Please, do yourself a favour and stop trying to search for possible miracles regarding this issue using search engines.

The Romantic Bus Ride to Newmarket?

2010-03-06T20:49:00.000-08:00

Farewell, Newmarket "B".

It's ironic, but some of my happiest memories living in York Region were actually aboard a bus, and these keepsakes of mental substance are still packed in my head, nearly six years after they happened. It's also not a very normal occurrence to hear about a transit route, any transit route, being cancelled in a growing community like this.

It was during my high school years when I discovered what commuting was all about, and I did fall in love with the picturesque landscapes that laid ahead on Yonge Street. I commuted north in the morning, so the GO Newmarket "B" was a speedy, efficient way to get to school. I carried large instruments from the school band to a roll-away backpack when the books started piling up, onto this unassuming mostly quiet little coach.

According to York Region Transit, GO Transit will be ending this route soon, and for me it will be sad to see it go, since it played an interesting role in my increasingly free young adult life.

Viva simply doesn't have the hurried drivers, or the comfortable seats. The silence is superseded by eliminating duplicate routes and et cetera.

I also remember bringing a girl on board... but that's another story.

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"Dost" what?

2010-03-05T03:52:00.000-08:00

"Thou dost in us command"?

I remember nearly a decade ago when our national anthem, "O Canada", was last over-analysed and poked at - for the sake of political correctness. Somehow, the word "God" seemed to be just as offensive since everyone didn't worship to a higher being.

In my honest opinion, I understand the fact that this patriotic sonata was not inclusive at the time of its release, and "O Canada" is supposed to represent the country behind the song, sons, daughters and otherwise.

But is it really that necessary to modify a few words to reflect this situation? I'm not against the possible changes, but does "thou dost in us command" scream of gender equality?

I think that the only way to prove that we are inclusive is to prove that we are equal as Canadians - by paying the same salaries to women as men, and by extending parental leave for new fathers as well as mothers. After all, what's a musical promise without substance?

The federal government needs to stop pestering us with such an aesthetic issue.

As well, for those people who accuse us of being sexist by using the word "sons" exclusively: Aren't you sexist by exclusively defining "sons" as males?

Go West!

2010-02-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are living under a very large rock, it is likely that you will be surprised over the fact that I grew up in Brampton, and I still call the place my hometown. Over the eleven years that I have spent living away from there, I have wondered what life has become out west.

I remember a visit that I took about four years ago, as we were passing through the city on our way back from Mississauga, and Mike was rather miffed at the idea of living in this growing suburb. He stressed that this wasn't exactly a riveting place to be in, and a teenage mother agreed with his overtures, cussing away in order to counter my romantic nuances on a Brampton Transit bus.

I recently had to go back there in a series of vain visits to my cellular service provider's retail location, as they still can't provide the proper service I wanted. This was also a mixed experience as it seems that my memories have no connection or relation to what my hometown is now.

Over a decade after moving from the place where I was bred, I wondered whether if change really was a good thing in this aspect.

"Pie" equals 3.1415...

2010-01-28T20:09:00.000-08:00

As a Canadian of Chinese ethnic descent, I continue to believe that tofu deserves to be served as a pure dinner item, savoury but rich in iron. But a supporter of PETA has heaved a concoction that she calls a "tofu cream pie" onto Fisheries Minister Gail Shea, creating a temporary sugar coated mess. Bleh.

Said American protestor could have used key lime or chocolate, but she has destroyed the purest ingredient in many Asian cuisines, on a Conservative out of all people. And said Yankee headed to Halton Region to do the trick, which makes her "terrorist" act rather pathetic and fearless.

She wanted to expose the cruel government's support of the seal hunt, but it has actually made me laugh, and said message is not getting through.

A "terrorist attack" in Burlington?!?

Well, it's too bad Emily McCoy is from New York City, since any local would realise how silly and futile such an act may be. If memory serves me right, former Prime Minister Jean Chretien got the tasty message nine years ago, while Ralph Klein (the former Premier of Alberta) was a more recent victim.

McCoy, you are an enemy of Chinese cuisine!

"Positioning" for Danger

2010-01-18T05:02:00.000-08:00

Let's make this clear and simple: You should not be on the road if you don't know where you're going.

The recent advancements that have brought us choice in what we watch and listen to, have also resulted in a device called a "Global Positioning System", or GPS. If used correctly, this is the sort of machinery that can be put into very good use.

But drivers are buying these gadgets in increasing numbers, believing that it is appropriate to map out your journey while you are driving. And this is where everything becomes less of a pleasure, and more of a danger.

Ontario recently passed a law banning cellular phone use while the car is in motion, knowing that drivers are easily distracted on the road while using these devices. A GPS is no different in this regard, because anything that takes away the attention of the driver is a danger to himself, the public and safety in general, even if this is a way to make life easier.

What is the best way to drive? With both hands on the steering wheel, along with a sense of direction that is "configured" in advance.

Nothing beats the precision of a proper map, if you figure out your journey beforehand.

The Prorogue Rogue

2009-12-30T10:42:00.000-08:00

The Right Honourable Prime Minister, VIP, MVP, and ultra modern GG-fan.

At least that's what I think after visiting the residence of Canada's head of state - and yes, we do have one.

Blaming the most important event ever to happen in the federal government's history - yes, the Winter Olympics in Vancouver - Mister Harper has announced that parliament will not reconvene until March. If you remember recent Canadian politics, he has played this card before, preventing an unholy coalition of opposition parties to defeat the Conservatives and try to run the government instead.

First of all, that coalition was not illegal, no matter how the Conservatives spun that development. Under the constitution, Michaelle Jean has the power to dismiss and appoint the federal government. That's her job for those of you who don't know.

This time around, I am rather stunned at how arrogant the Prime Minister is in suspending the workings of our parliament. He has now done this twice.

There is absolutely no emergency going on and since I live thousands of kilometres away from Vancouver, and the capital is within a similar distance, what kind of ridiculous childish and self-serving excuse is that?

Rideau Hall should take a stand and do it's job as the highest office in Canada.

Small world, big telcos

2009-12-23T14:04:00.000-08:00

So what if Canada's cellular phone companies aren't fully and completely Canadian owned? That is the excuse that the incumbent companies have used to prevent the establishment of new competition in their industry.

In making that argument Rogers, Bell and Telus have become a bunch of school bullies who seem to be distracting curious citizens from questioning their own "commitment to Canada". Apparently, this will be the end of our cultural identity in the telecommunications sector if the new companies weren't entirely locally owned, but what does that have to do with the poor consumer?

Australians, for example, have been debating about foreign ownership for years, yet the second largest telecom company is owned by Singaporeans for quite a few years.

If "citizenship" had to do with Canadian values, then we are living in a third world country. For years, the "size of our map" was an excuse for charging outrageous rates, and these same companies can be accused of outsourcing to other countries.

Considering that cellular technology is now mostly manufactured in South Korea or China, I highly doubt that operators who are "fully Canadian" could stick to such a flimsy campaign to thwart off one company.

Aren't we in a small world after all?

WINDs of Change

2009-12-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

For the first time in a very long time, a new cell phone company is being launched in this country, and it has ruffled feathers even before service has actually commenced. This development could be great news for the average consumer, or the end of an era in "homegrown telecommunications ownership".

Critics, which obviously include the organizations' competitors, have cried foul over the ownership structure with their new nemesis; they say that an Egyptian is the financial backer, and they should be banned from providing service in Canada as a result of that fact. It seems that they're more worried about the impact on their own revenues.

Who cares if this corporation is "fully Canadian" if we have been gouged for years? The patriotism of Bell, Telus and Rogers can be questioned from their outsourcing and treatment of the average consumer, so this is not a matter of citizenship.

Consumers are joyful because there is a competitor that wants to be entirely different, and although I won't name this company directly, I bid them good luck in their continuing battle.

A letter to the CRTC

2009-10-21T01:58:00.000-07:00

Dear Secretary General:

As a cable subscriber, I have seen the prices of my services go up. Through the years, I have actually rolled back on the channels that I watch because of the increased cost.

The major television networks are essentially asking me to support their "local television", but they're loaded with programming that isn't close to Canadian, let alone local. You made the rules. You made this happen.

I beg of you to stop listening to the television networks because, even if they promised the world to you, they are fundamentally bent on providing the most popular programming to Canadians, and at this moment in time, it is no where close to local.

In fact, the only local television that I would label "local" is the community television channel, and even if it's loaded with self-serving ads, they're the only channel that's truly focused on where I live, here in York Region.

Don't tell me that networks should be given more money because I barely watch anything on my set as is. The increasing costs are stifling my choices and only the internet is keeping me sane in a way. Oh, and as an amateur videographer myself, I'm trying to be as local as you want it to be, but I am not getting a penny of this money.

True local television does not come from Los Angeles. I beg of you to consider that.

Sincerely,

Phillip Hong
Woodbridge, Ontario

The Impending Election

2009-09-12T15:29:00.001-07:00

Prime Minister Stephen Harper: The Ultimate Peacemaker; the head of Compromise Central; the only gentleman today that is destined to end all hostility and disunity in the federal government.

At least that’s what we have been thinking at the most optimistic of times. As citizens, we were supposed to expect a lot more from the Prime Minister, more than the blame games and name calling with the opposition parties. Minority government is supposed to be a way to unite the House of Commons on a common goal of bettering the country – at least until the next election. For the past five years, whether it’s a Liberal or Conservative government, the voice of the people has reflected the ongoing apathy with political parties in general.

Now Mr. Harper wants to play nice. For the past year, since the last election, the federal government has risked complete collapse due to their hostility towards everyone else on Parliament Hill. I am not saying that the opposition has been clean and clear with their own attacks and whatnot, but there is a lack of good will that continues to plague this country, and voters are unhappy about threats from politicians of any political stripe.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff is “revoking probation”; NDP Leader Jack Layton speaks of Harper’s choice of “an election or making parliament work”. The Bloc Quebecois has already started an election-style advertising campaign, presuming the worst. The threat of an election is imminent.

So when does the Conservative Party talk about “making parliament work”? If you’re monitoring the news lately, they’ve been talking about how Canadians don’t want an election, citing a recent poll. Is Stephen Harper only cooperative if parliament is facing collapse? That’s a conciliatory gesture that has come way too late.

I don’t like Stephen Harper. The current Prime Minister has angered me for months by releasing advertising that demeans and dehumanizes the people who he is supposed to work with, in the first place. These partisan tactics are not the answer when people are weary of partisanship in general.

In constrast to the United States, we are not in a situation where politics has been polarized; most of us are united under one specific apathetic banner. Party loyalists are a true minority in this country whether or not they like hearing about this. The problem with elections is that we are electing people whose conduct and attitude are driving future voters away! Important values such as getting along and giving peace a chance are falling on completely deaf ears whether it’s within the halls of the Prime Minister’s Office or in the House of Commons.

The upcoming election speaks of two things: Are we ready to elect a government that will work for us instead of to their political advantage, and are they ready to put aside their differences and provide a government that citizens are actually proud to elect?

Five years of minority government. That’s either unstable government, or the people are putting partisan politics on the backburner.

The Streetcar Factor

2009-06-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

I am not amused by John Baird. The perennial loud-smith has done it again, calling Toronto's streetcar project "inappropriate" for federal infrastructure funding and telling the largest city in Canada to "f-word off". The Transport Minister and former provincial cabinet minister was quick to point out that streetcars will not be built in Toronto itself, and short-term jobs will not be created anyway.

Frankly, I would not be surprised if Baird was never a regular streetcar rider; and the commuters of public transit in Toronto will be quick to reciprocate the swearing, care of Ottawa, in the next election. It is simply pig-headed to talk in such defiance, knowing that Thunder Bay will benefit from the streetcar contract, and then saying it would not help anyone right now.

If our dreams were timed to their original commitments, and politics weren't as dirty, then the subway extension to York University and Vaughan would have been open right now. And those "new streetcars" would have been delivered in 2010. Next year.

Instead, our representatives in Queen's Park and Ottawa are quick to play games, elections and "liar, liar, pants on fire". The lack of forward-thinking in government means that the Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay won't be churning out any new streetcars until Minister Baird decides not to continue his big-ego attitude towards this issue.

Excuse after excuse. "Not enough Canadian content", "this funding is allocated to roads and bridges", "the City of Toronto should bump up future construction and find the savings to fund the contract". Anything to avoid saying "fat chance", since the electorate would not be happy hearing that.

Toronto has enough roads and bridges to choke itself from smog. Public transit is an investment that covers more than just Toronto. There is an increasing need and want for fast, efficient service.

And all Baird wants to imply is "streetcars are not infrastructure".

Semantics? You've got 'em.

Periwinkle Mood Swings

2009-01-28T18:32:00.000-08:00

I admire the individuality of my walkman cell phone. It's a device that lets me choose the tone of my day and gives me the choice of listening to conventional radio. It doesn't treat me like a confused sheep or an ice cream product posted "Made in Canada" but with significant content from New Zealand. My attitude towards life can be as blissful as a Celine Dion tune or as torturous and melancholy as... a Celine Dion tune.

I gave the conventional radio station a try the other day and was enjoying the influx of new tune to supplement the outrageously drowsy elevator music that I, and around ten percent of the radio audience in Toronto are used to, according to last industry survey.

Considering we're into a new year, and another minority term of federal government over in Ottawa, I was startled to hear an ad from our gorgeous friends, the Conservatives.

"Let's make government work," screamed this ad's overall tone and bit, "we need to reach a consensus bladdy-blah..."

Is this because Stephen Harper was denied a majority?

Was this because our Queen of Canada... ahem... Governor-General gave Stevie a Christmas break slash pick me up from certain political death slash let the public forget my latest boondoggle?

Frankly any political advertising, especially from the governing Conservatives, about a consensus "anything" is patronising and insults a regular voter like myself to believe that they were always this conciliatory to political opinion and opponent contrary to their own. Do the Conservatives really think that I forgot their pathetic ways to "crush" what they see as representatives of the dominion undeserving of their seats even though we voted for them? I'm still reeling from the fact that Conservatives even run partisan ads in a post-election non-election period.

The mongrels we have in parliament, regardless of political stripe, are pathetically laden with archaic semantics only acceptable in the Victorian era. I am certainly not fond of public advertising calling opposition moves as "Un-Canadian" or compared to a coup of any sort.

No, that's called democracy in the Canadian dominion. And any political party should be sued for calling what is legal, "illegal". It's an arrogance that drives me further away from ever voting periwinkle.

Maybe I should just use my next ballot paper in the bathroom instead. That's what our current Prime Minister suggests with his current ad campaign and put-downs.

Voting: So (A)-pathetic

2008-11-02T03:24:00.000-08:00

Why is it so hard to vote?

Even with minority governments, the time in which we can exercise such a fundamental right is so easily wasted and ignored by an uninterested public.

I turned eighteen years old the day before municipal elections were held back in 2006. All I had to do, even without my name on the official voters' roll at the time, was to bring appropriate identification. It was easy, quick, painless and I got to say it was a calming feeling.

Earlier that day, a female friend and I were trolling (which is probably a lousy way to describe it) on Yonge Street in Toronto, entering an adult-themed shop just because I could as a person over the age of majority. It wasn't as painless or calming as voting, but for some voters they would rather enter an adult shop than vote at all.

For the record, I glanced and gave a disgusted look considering my naivete and baby face to boot, dragging my suddenly amused female friend out of the store.

People are definitely not liking the government as we see it in general. I'm certainly not thrilled with partisanship, or corporate donations, or moustaches for that matter. But voting was a right that we as a country fought for in war and with the British.

I'm sure that this history lesson has already bored most apathetic voters I'm trying to convince.

Election laws stipulate that you have the time to vote. You can be excused from work or probably school just to slip that ballot into the ballot box.

But why such low turnouts these days? Sure, we're not satisfied with politics.

But without voting, even with a spoilt or blank ballot, you as a non-voter has given all permission to let the current system continue its apathetic voter-making ways.

So take your damn Voter Information Card, and say what you need to say on that small piece of paper. Why is it so hard to vote?

Let Girls Be Girls

2008-08-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

For you parents who have growing teenagers in your family; watch out. A life of bad habits may be developing from here.

It's probably most important to shield your kids to most harms in life; this can be learned from school in the right instruction at least. Some may not have received important talks, but judging by judgment, those not told would know better.

Like refraining from excessive alcohol.

I don't know if a couple of close friends of mine are crazy, but I was sitting in an overpriced hotel room wondering where in heavens they were. They were at least, in my watch, drinking alcohol willfully and left soon after.

What am I to say to myself? I had a drink myself but this is simply not right. I should've stopped them. But I couldn't as they're legally adults. But they say they're responsible.

It's impossible for me to figure this out: should I put my moral foot down like the father figure they prescribed me, or should I just sit and chill as advertised?

Time to figure that out. And you'll have to too.

Security Check

2008-07-31T19:58:00.000-07:00

"You need to complete this form," the flight attendant told me and fellow passengers on a plane from Tokyo, Japan. She was distributing and holding arrival cards for the inevitable descent and entrance into the United States.

I had no intention to enter the country. I was just coming back from a week-long vacation that was long needed and I wanted to go home. But I had to complete an arrival card anyways.

That's the cost of flying these days. Many passengers who plan on going to faraway countries are sometimes restricted by requiring a connection through the US. Thanks to airline alliances and the hub and spoke system, the economy of flying in recent times meant the most interesting trips through American security.

I have no beef or any kind of protein towards the theory; if it means I can fly with whomever I want under a reasonable fare, sign me up. But sometimes the checkpoints of airports in the United States can be stunningly tactless.

I recall my first trip to Tokyo, coming home with a delicate present made of glass for a close friend of mine. As I approached the security checpoint at Chicago O'Hare, my bag was gregariously emptied, its contents making a big thump. The oversensitive red-haired officer squealed that I couldn't touch my backpack whilst I was trying to help.

But sometimes, one will find a bit of heart inbetween the metal detectors and security equipment.

This time around, I was guarding against any future damaged souvenirs. I am probably worried enough about what I carry after the security check, to the extreme point of making sure I didn't splurge in the airport shops on anything delicate or breakable.

As the backpack went through the machine, a security officer yelled "bag check". I cringed at the fear of another uncomfortable experience.

The second officer passed on the bag to me, unemptied. "Am I alright?" I asked.

"You're good. You have a nice day, sir."

Maybe this "third country" idea isn't as bad.

Get it Yourself!

2008-04-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

So, I was working hard one day at my desk when I had a sudden urge to consume something that was quick, fast, and damaging to my overall health. Remembering the days as a child where fast food was such a delight, I quickly scrambled to find a telephone number of some fixed protein conglomerate that could deliver.

I reached the cordless phone and in about three or four rings later, to my delight, an operator picked up and asked for my street address.

It's not hard to find me: I'm down the road from a pizza establishment.

"Is it (your address) in Bolton," the female voice sensually asked. Bolton? That's several miles away from where I was.

I then gave my postal code to her when she gave me some advice that made my liver ever happier: They can't deliver.

"You can't deliver?!?" I exclaimed. She then explained that I was quite a ways away from any delivery area they serve.

I then hung up, frustratingly in silence. The smell of a "deep fried something" permeated my mind and I was desperate for saturated fat.

Another phone number was pulled from my Yellow Pages directory, this time for a pizzeria. They're known for fat topped and tossed in fat, stuffed with fat in the sensually fatty crust.

The operator from this restaurant sent me to a local franchisee, who then proclaimed that "he didn't deliver" and proceeded to send me to a franchisee who did deliver. From that crosstown location, the third operator sent me back to the main line, where another operator told me that no one delivers to my area!

I then realized that these calls led me absolutely nowhere. Who orders delivery nowadays? In fact, the two chains I called are owned by the same company.

I gave up. I walked to the grocery store next door and fed my gastronomical mandarins with home cooked food. My liver has never been so thankful.

Truscott Vindicated

2007-08-28T18:58:00.000-07:00

At the age of fourteen years, a young man was enjoying his life growing up in a town not too far from Windsor, Ontario.

This young man was riding his bicycle, and even gave a helpful lift for a classmate he knew. You could tell that this man was very gentlemanly.

Suddenly, in a blink of an eye he was arrested, charged and brought to death row, reportedly staying there for over a decade. The young man found out that his classmate, the one he gave that helpful lift to, was murdered, and he was the culprit least according to the authorities at the time.

The outrage caused by his potentially lethal sentence was reduced to time in prison, and after he was released the man had lived discreetly, never to be heard until recently.

Stephen Truscott sought to clear his name, and the same court system that sentenced him to the gallows, acquitted him.

As a miscarriage of justice, it was about time he was cleared of something he didn't do. This case shut him out from enjoying the most lively years of his life, and I for one am angry that it has happened in the first place.

At least Mr. Truscott can live the rest of his life confident that he was vindicated. That is good to hear.

Political Seal Fluff

2007-08-01T04:18:00.000-07:00

A Californian has got me riled up again.

Ignoring the ridiculously airy fluff you can otherwise find in budget ice cream at your local Loblaws, comes the frothy but lucrative views of American politics.

The constituents that elected the House of Representatives of our southern neighbour passed a resolution that doesn't affect them at all. In fact, a good-sized group of Maritimers would be affected first (if it affects anyone at all).

Tom Lanos, a US representative from the Golden State presented, and successfully passed, a bill condemning the so-called "stunning barbarianism of Canadian hunters".

Might I remind you, I have fumigated most of this premises before with the seal hunt. But this has happened in the wake of Belgian lawmakers giving us a shot in the foot.

Let's face it. Some politics are dirty. And some, corrupt. But this is ridiculous...

Given that seal pelts are sold mainly in China and the less confrontational (compared to Belgium) countries of Scandinavia.

The Poor Old Loonie (and its rise to even more confusion).

2007-06-07T18:22:00.000-07:00

It's obvious that patriotism will be in quite a high recently, given that our humble Canadian Dollar has soared into the sights of rates we haven't seen since "King of Kensington" was still on television. It's not very shocking at all for some, but others are worried of a possible death knell to an important part of the Canadian economy. But that's life in a capitalist society like ours.

Canada has been known to be cheap. So cheap, a lot of economic life depends on us being cheap. And other than those "No Name" brand generic products you see in the supermarket, it's quite a good thing to have. That means more employment for people all around, from moviemakers who have moved their craft to Spadina Crescent for a good vigorous filming to carmakers who like their parts being a bit cheaper to produce.

But the heydays of a booming Canadian economy leading from the 90s are ending, quite soon perhaps. We have been in quite the limbo when you think about it. Economic resources and unusual politics have given us some more wealth, but the manufacturers and city governments who used to cherish those dollars coming in are worried they would cease to exist in advantage to other places because our loon has flew up near space.

Should we be worried? In my opinion, no. Back when the Canadian Dollar was worth less than the Canadian Tire dollar in morale and spiritual principle, residents were complaining of how much their money isn't worth so much in places like ahem... south of the border.

Maybe that spending from companies outside the country will be headed back to where they originated? We all don't know.

But we remain envious of Alberta's flower gardens; remember, they have no debt anymore!

Birchmount Bitching

2007-03-23T16:24:00.000-07:00

Birchmount Park Collegiate in Scarborough was home to quite the set of disturbances earlier today. And in the end, in my opinion, the events that followed was the fault of everyone, apart from the police and media.

The freedom of speech is cherished here in Canada, to the point of being legally enshrined. This was the message that students brought out in their protest after a number of students were suspended for making comments online. The demonstration grew, especially after the fire alarm was pulled, and thanks to an altercation with police, a couple of students are now detained.

What is the point of the freedom of speech, anyways? Well, even the Charter of Rights and Freedoms has its legal interpretation, but in the raw, it's about expressing views.

The school was right in the first place for determining that the students were basically striking down the reputation of the teacher involved. It is unfair and intolerant to have teachers being disrespected to this point. It's ridiculously arrogant, however, to suspend students without explaining what these comments were. It is too much for the Toronto District School Board to have a heavy hand over something they don't have authority in. The internet is open to all, but responsibility involves the school, not just the students.

The students involved are just as arrogant, even self-centered, to use such a fundamental right to further their own interests. I understand that the right to speech is paramount, but by high school, students are taught that there is a responsibility involved with a line between freedom of speech and libel. It's ridiculously rude to bully, even teachers, and it's not freedom of speech if you cross the line.

It seems that students and teachers have feet in their mouths. That's fine... if you can walk with your buttocks.

We celebrate for less, everyday.

2006-11-12T06:10:00.000-08:00

I am reminded by a commercial for Wal-mart that aired a few years back. An employee of this conglomerate approached a member of the famous country group, Lonestar, asking if he knew a particular tune that caught her attention. It was, quite obviously, one of Lonestar's early hits that this employee was belting out, and this member of Lonestar decided to follow the sing-a-long. That was the first commercial I've ever seen from Wal-mart.

Several years later, this large retailer decided to put the word "Christmas" back into holiday shopping. The mandatory advertising campaign that most retailers undertake has seen a dramatic turn into the politically correct, and Wal-mart decided to revert to "the good old days", when speaking of holidays were not frowned upon.

I am reminded by the outrage that was the result of renaming Toronto's Christmas Tree. Critics and pundits alike feasted on this decision with indulgence, claiming that "Holiday Tree" simply doesn't make sense for a holiday mostly celebrated in Canada by Christians.

In my opinion, the kind of changes we have seen to have our December holidays more inclusionary have done quite the opposite, creating havoc to those that are religiously convicted.

No one in this right world will say "I'm Dreaming of a White Holiday" or re-tooling that hit by Wham, "Last Holiday". Mariah Carey won't say that all she wanted for holiday is you. That's like touching the Koran and calling it "The Religious Book".

Regardless of my opinion in the severity of making the holiday season politically correct, I believe that Wal-mart's right. We should be inclusionary, not exclusionary to everyone.

Isolationist Tendencies

2006-10-11T11:16:00.000-07:00

School shootings have been a plenty recently here in the great continent of North America. It comes as no surprise, as we have all gone through this before, and the only thing we can do is hope it doesn't happen again.

But how do these shootings happen in the first place? Some say that the social fabric of an educational institution can leave a few out of "the mainstream". Others believe the system of gun control, or lack of one, may be the cause of all this. Or could it be the parent to blame, not preventing their attacker/child from performing all this suffering?

In my humble opinion, it's probably a combination of some or all of these factors. The childhood playground may serve as a temporary nirvana to students, relatively innocent to the eye.

But the prescence of bullying can be just about common in many playgrounds, isolating those who then consider themselves as "loners". As a child, I admit I had been subjected to this kind of war tactic, but although I remained peaceful into the high school years, some may want to take revenge. If this was the cas,e inclusion to the social fabric would have solved most of the concern.

As some people may bring grudges into adulthood, our next step to preventing such heartbreak would be controlling the flow of guns. If a possible assailant can't get ahold of his killing machine, we needn't worry. But we obviously know that we cannot control every single gun.

Our could it be the parents? The shooter in the Dawson College incident was an avid collector of guns, and his mother never realised his deadly potential.

All in all, we cannot pinpoint on any one cause. We need a very effective strategy to figure this all out.

Electric Slide

2006-08-02T13:04:00.000-07:00

The smeltering warm weather that is summer has encouraged me to flock indoors. As a winter person, I'm not taking the heat wave very well.

And so, the hydro utility people have come up with yet another message. Conservation has been their principle of zen for quite some time now, but as I hear the wining of the air conditioner outside, I can't help but wonder what happened three summers back.

Temperatures were as sweltering as they usually are this time of year. Heat wave and heat alerts had been issued for much of the summer. Then one afternoon, in the middle of August, the power suddenly shut off in much of Ontario and the northeastern states. The resulting power failure plunged many people into the darkness, sweating from such high temperatures.

It was just after four on August 15, 2003. I was, quite ironically, writing into this very journal. I remember a lot from when the power failed. The stereo was playing a Celine Dion, and whilst all the lights were shut down, the song warped in pitch and eventually faded out. The fridge and freezer were suddenly untouchables as I tried, quite vainly, to keep its contents from turning bad.

I went (out) around four to see lights that were turned off and traffic building. The neighbourhood was now a four-way stop, and at least the motorists had patience.

Eventually, the power went back on, sometime during the night (in Vaughan). I hope this is never repeated again.

Hippie Lesson

2006-06-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

As seventeen suspects were hauled off into the William G. Davis/Grenville courthouse in Brampton, the media started to roar. Agencies, local and international, pumped out headlines and mulch that were from quaint to outrageous.

There were a few media reports that suggest that the most basic Canadian principle we hold as a dominion, multiculturalism, was going to wane. This could be quoted from newspapers within the country, in the United States and most of the glove. An American congressman blamed our "lax immigration policies" from all this.

My question out to the open is: when? As a Chinese Canadian, I did not see any difference before and after the sting operation. It angers me that the media has sensationalised all this, even though no lives were (directly) affected except those of the subjects (those being detained and their families). Don't we have our courts to decide whether all of this is right?

In this world, there are always two extreme points of view, and a moderate balance. It is no fiction that some people are following a violent interpretation of Islam. But there are also people bent on hurting Muslims due to the acts of an extreme few. Canadians need to know that these are still accusations, and the last thing we all need to hear in this post-9/11 world is a sensationalised media.

I'm disgusted at those preaching violence in such a peaceful religion. I am also disgusted at those bent on reeking violence at any certain group of people, regardless of circumstances. Haven't we learned from history that a peaceful world is better than a world of plight?

Canada shall remain peacefully multicultural, regardless of circumstances.

A Homegrown Disgrace

2006-06-05T01:51:00.000-07:00

As proven in a terrorist sting instigated by police officers in the Toronto area, the threat of bombs going off and people getting killed is no longer theorised as "what happens outside Canada".

As told in a police conference, the suspects held, in their posession, around three tons of explosives, three times more than what was used in the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building back in 1995 around Oklahoma City. The media and citzenry had speculated on where they would've bombed: Our gracious CN Tower, the offices of CSIS (Canada's intelligence service), the subway system? Police won't officially say.

What I do want to make clear, however, is that this is an isolated group, bent with the principles of Al-Qaeda. Muslim clerics in Toronto have condemned any violence at all, which doesn't surprise me due to Islam's teachings of peace. This, a disgrace to those who tried to handicap the Great White North, gives not only people of all ethnicities a fit of anger, but they have disgraced the country some of them hold citizenship with. Talk about biting the hand that fed you!

I am giving my two cents on the matter because this deserves a look into. I would never wonder, back in my childhood looking in my backyard onward to Mississauga, that this Toronto suburb would be home to misled extremists. I am deeply saddened at their motive to destroy the country that I love. The country that extended its hand when my family had no where to go thanks to war. The country in which I am proud to be part of.

Shame.

A Dirty Habit

2006-06-01T01:17:00.000-07:00

For smokers in Ontario and Quebec, lighting up will be so much harder from now on.

A smoking ban that blankets just about every single indoor public space will be in effect, and restaurant owners and smokers are less than thrilled aobut this development.

In my humble opinion, smoking is not a matter of nuisance. Smoking affects the lives of way more than just the person who lights up. People around this smoker have a higher chance of getting cancer. None of these people even lighted a match and they're at risk of dying. Is it fair for one to risk the lives of others so coldly and needlessly?

In these lazy hazy crazy days of summer, business owners need not be worried about their business. What is the point of grumbling over the inevitable? Just set out a patio and sell some good cold beer. The law would only apply indoors.

It's funny how over a decade back, people even smoked on airplanes. People are starting to realise how smoke could affect someone's life so easily. It angers me to hear about how the poor smokers can't have a smoke and a drink. What bullshoy! The two sins in life that will impair your health in such a "McDonald's" combo!

For smokers, I say this is tough love. I'm tired of hearing about cancer caused by second-hand smoke. It upsets me to hear people talk of "government oppression" when this is done for the good of society!

People who smoke indoors as a matter of choice risks a right other humans deserve to recieve: the right to life. I find this (accusing government) a childish excuse for not quitting.

Take your smokes outside.

Here Comes The Rain Again

2006-05-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

However cynical I am about politics is about to change dramatically. The tides have turned and I am as cynical as ever.

Alberta Premier Ralph Klein recently announced that he would be seeking legal advice in regards to withdrawing from the federal equalisation plan. The province has recently reaped some great benefits due to the upward price of crude oil, stimulating its economy.

So what is equalisation? In Canada's ten provinces, there are those provinces that have a well-developed economy, and are called "have provinces". Other provinces, who can't provide the same government services on their own are called "have not" provinces. They simply couldn't afford it.

The federal government a few years back came out with a plan with much fanfare that tries to lessen this gap from the have and the have not provinces by asking for money to suppliment that budget of have-nots. This is done by contribution from the have provinces. This helps create a uniform way of providing government services.

In Ontario, provincial politicians are raising a little hell about this issue. Allegations flew about Ontarians not getting their fair share of money in, money out. A few billion dollars, perhaps.

But the subways are deteriorating, schools are poorly maintained and built and the health care system is almost in critical mode. What to do?

In my tiny opinion, this equalisation scheme should be cancelled. I could care less whether we need to "equalise" government services. This is just the federal government's way of saying "we're too lazy to develop our country".

Yeah yeah, call me a redneck, but Ontario deserves its own tax money.

Snow on Vicky Day

2006-05-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

Whoever came up with the four seasons must be scratching their head right about now. The depressing rain fell as the weather that closely resembles Vancouver has replaced the normal oven bestowed upon Toronto.

Today is the day before Victoria Day. The first long weekend in the summer season. But hold on! It has been unusually cold this week, to the point where the Northern reaches of Ontario will expect snow tonight. Now, normally, we'd be looking towards temperature up to 25 degrees centigrade, but it has been rain all week.

Mother Nature has some mood problems.

If it was warmer than usual, I must admit that I would grip just as much as I am right now. I really don't get why the weather has been so moody lately. This rainy spell should probably be temporary, and I'll probably be griping about the increase in temperatures soon enough.

That quote "April showers bring May flowers" is starting to get confusing.

In Japan, sakura flowers begin to bloom right about now. Well, sort of. Its pink beauty shined like a delicate blossom, leaving those in observance drooling into a slight awe.

Now, why can't we plant more of these sakura trees? People brag, in the fall, about the many colours that are pronounced among the falling leaves, yet all we see from trees right about now is green, green and green.

Last year, I visited Washington, DC. What I expected was the first bloom of the sakura trees donated from Tokyo, but when I was there it was as bald as an aging man. Where's the "beauty" in that?

Ahh well, let's enjoy what we have until the sun burns us.

Just Desserts

2006-05-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

Justice for me is a two-pronged approach. I am a proponent of sentencing criminals to fair sentences, but from a human standpoint, I also believe in healing and forgiveness.

Take the case of Min Chen. He was the person who murdered Cecilia Zhang back in 2003. The crime sent shockwaves to mainstream Chinese-Canadians, seeing that something like this could come out of our own backyard.

A few minutes ago, whilst I was gathering my thoughts, the news radio station finally reported on how long Chen had to remain in prison: fifteen years.

Min Chen was a mislead man. His student visa was about to expire, and in order to remain in the Great White North, he had to pay for a marriage of conveinence. Cecilia was his ticket to staying in Canada.

In my honest opinion, if Chen had meant to kill the talented young girl or not is nothing compared to the heartbreak and tragedy caused by him when he entered the Zhang home that night.

The Zhangs will never see their heart and soul, and my heart aches to hear such a tragedy happen within Toronto. Cecilia did not deserve to die, and Chen's greed caused this great misfortune.

I believe in rehabilitation; I am sure Chen will understand his wrongdoing while serving his fifteen year sentence without parole. A man needs to understand the human side of what happened just three years earlier.

The Pizza Day Craze

2006-05-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

At lunchtime one day, I picked up my little sister, Jen, from elementary school. Whilst I was waiting for her in the main hallway, two ladies with around thirty boxes of pizza were organising the slices for the students who ordered in each class.

It was then I realised that it was Pizza Day that afternoon. If you are not familiar with the idea, it is where the students could order pizza from the store en masse, where the school acts as a middleman earning a small profit.

I was confused to see all the ruckus in the hallway as I waited for Jen. The lunchladies were telling everyone to return to their classes because the lunch bell hadn't rung and that they were not ready to distribute the savoury goodies just yet. A little baby who apparently participated in this ritual was crying because two or three kids started playing peek-a-boo, and according to one of the lunchladies "she doesn't like being peek-a-boo-ed at".

As I read the mail that I picked up on the way to the school, a couple of boys came along the hallway and started fiddling with the boxes that sat on designation. "Don't touch it! We're not ready yet," a lunchlady quickly snapped, and the two boys quietly retreated to the corner.

The bell then came a sudden rang, and students from all three hallways started rushing through. There came Jen who was surprised that I showed up.

So that's how I got my pizza when I was little!

Scarborough Fair

2006-05-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.
Remember me to one who lives there.
She who was a true love of mine.
- Traditional English Ballad

Of course, this traditional English ballad is talking about the town in Yorkshire, England, but what about the Toronto suburb (of the same name)? This part of the city has a very interesting history, which sadly has a bitter aftertaste.

It was the wife of the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada who described the Scarborough Bluffs as "extremely bold". Hence the Simcoes named this plot of land Scarborough because its rolling bluffs reminded them of the town back home. As this romantic tale unravelled, the town was eventually transformed to a suburb of multicultural proportions. What baffles me is that the former home of Mike Myers would be compared to this romantic tale of homesickness and memory.

This Scarborough Fair, in her majesty's dominion, has become somewhat of an eyesore in recent days. What saddens me is the growing amount of crime that has stricken this part of Toronto. It is forever unfortunate that the most culturally autonomous part of the Golden Horseshoe has to be seen in this light.

A number of people propose to build a causeway along the bluffs to alleviate traffic. Seriously, is this even a serious suggestion? Would it be as much of a romantic ballad if Scarborough Fair was held in ye olde North York? Cheh.

In a Perfect World...

2006-04-17T11:08:00.000-07:00

For me, a perfect utopia would be a world without any violence at all.

Instead of beating each other up because of principles, why can't the world's problems be solved with dialogue and comprimise? As the principles of Buddhism state: There are two extremes, and the middle road is the most harmonic to follow in this mad, mad world.

I am most concrned with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Recently, western countries including Canada have stopped "official" funding to the Palestinians. Of course, this is the result of Hamas being elected. One side claims they are liberators tending to a nationalist cause. The other believes it is a terrorist group bent on destroying Israel. This is further complicated by religious devotion and value.

For the record, I do not support the definition of Hamas from either side. You can claim that you are trying to fulfill a patriotic cause by liberating your people, like in the toppling of the monarchy in China, but there is an ill cause where a group is bent to violently destroy another nation. This, I find absolutely unacceptable.

I don't believe that violence is an answer to anything. Open dialogue is what I believe is the best way to go.

Being pragmatic and peaceful is a lot better than destroying the Israeli state violently. So is abruptly ending aid to a government struggling to put food on the table.

Why must the world draw blood, like inconsiderate barbarians? The pen is way mightier than the sword, and whomever is causing human suffering regardless of side should be ashamed of themselves.

Cold Blood

2006-04-10T00:45:00.000-07:00

Never in my right mind did I ever expect anything like this happening in Ontario.

Eight bodies were found just south of London, Ontario. Police believe the victims knew each other. News organisations scramble to delve out as much information as they could grasp, even though the authorities have been tight lipped. Residents are interviewed by the scene, wondering, like the news crews, what went on.

To be honest with you, this has caught me by surprise. I normally viewed the Southwestern area of Ontario as quite the quiet place. I thought most gang-related murders happened within the Greater Toronto Area. Of course, I was naive with those thoughts.

Even the police were caught by surprise, the first investigation into so many deaths.

Mass murder isn't exactly a common occurence, even in the Greater Toronto Area. Actually, crime itself isn't rampant here. Bu when you hear news like this, it definitely concerns you; what can you do to prevent further crime and such.

But what CAN we do to prevent crime? It is such a puzzling component to society that I do not understand.

Therei s always the examination of what leads to the crime. Community service workers believe that one's economic state could play a factor in committing said crime.

You could bet on teen angst, anger or just plain stupidity that results in breaking the law. But for this specific investigation, organised crime could be involved. That, and only that makes the investigation even more complicated.

Government Inaction

2006-03-31T18:23:00.000-08:00

I am probably the last person who can criticise the policy of broadcasting regulations, but I have a very big beef over how the Canadian Radio-Telecommunications Commission is working from case to case.

The appropriate decisions the CRTC have not made recently really have bugged me. In late 2004, the company who ran MTV Canada was taken over by the parent of MuchMusic, CHUM Television. Because of branding contracts, MTV Canada had to adopt a new brand name, and as a result MTV Canada and MTV 2 became MUCH-branded channels.

When the parent of MTV, the American Viacom conglomerate, signed an agreement with CTV to reincarnate MTV Canada, CHUM Television had thew their chins up, worried that the new-old old-new channel will swamp the ratings of MuchMusic.

What I don't like is the fact that there are over 10 MUCH channels and the government hasn't done anything about the issue.

PUNCHMuch, MuchMoreMusic et al is swamping the music television market with a multiopoly, if that even is a word. As soon as a possible competitor moves in natural MUCH turf, the CHUM mafia started swiping with their claws. Why is the CRTC so hush hush about CHUM running a dangerous monopoly?

While the two companies snot each other out, the television channels relating to music has swamped the digital spectrum, while people are gradually watching less television.

I've been on the MuchOnDemand audience before, and like a communist government, we clapped when they wanted us to clap. Eeek.

Tax Blues

2006-03-30T17:42:00.000-08:00

This week is a hectic one for many people; whomever earned income from the previous year will have to file an income tax return. This year is probably the worst one to file a return for me because my former employer was the first to send me three separate slips. I never thought that I would have trouble figuring out paperwork before.

The language is confusing, the guidelines can be hard to follow, and if you spend money in donations it adds to the confusion. That would explain why so many people are employed in the field of income tax preparation.

There are so many H&R Blocks that are closed until tax time. I used to wonder how they can afford the rent! But then again, it's not my money that funds it. I prefer to file by myself, even if it confuses me.

Behold the misery of accounting we all have to go through. A high-school like class where, like a high school class, students don't understand the work assigned.

You could say those tax preparation people are the smart elite that you pay to do your homework. For those of us who have to earn money somewhere else, it is their pleasure to earn money off calculating stuff.

Hey, maybe math teahers should promote the job as the true "stay at home" job. All you need to open up this type of business are a bunch of tax forms and a pen or two.

With little start-up cost and high income potiential, why don't all of us open an H&R Block-type business?

Blasted Curfews

2006-03-29T16:07:00.000-08:00

A Toronto city councillor proposed, for the umpteenth time now, a bylaw imposing a curfew on children and teenager at a certain time. And, for the umpteenth time, the motion was voted down by Toronto City Council. This represents yet another attempt to apply unfair ageism, governmental parenting to those who cannot even vote.

Like some opponents to this bylaw, I believe the parents should do the parenting on this issue. The last thing we need is for a civic government to spend less time on a deteriorating transit system and other more important issues.

I will not deny that there are a few bad apples among the population who have yet to approach the age of majority. Which reminds me of youth city councillors.

In my opinion, they don't make sense either. For one to truly represent the youth of a muncipal government, the person has to be elected. In other words, if every member of a City Council have to be elected, why must a seat be appointed? This isn't right or democratic at all.

On Vaughan City Council, they require people to have impeccable grades and a spotless record. This limits many possible applicants as the city only wants people from an academic elite, an academic bourgeiosie. So when do you need good grades according to the School Board, to be wise in representation?

What an undemocratic corner of a democratic country we live in.

Canadian Drama?

2006-03-22T11:35:00.000-08:00

Why, in this whole wide world, must we Canadians be abandoned from homegrown soap operas? Whilst the Japanese have doramas, and Latin-origin Canadians get to watch novellas acted out in their language, we English-speaking Canadians must live in a drama-less life. But this is everyone's fault, of course.

The government's handling on the issue is at best, ambiguous. The definition "Canadian Drama" could mean a plethora of series, where even comedies count as long as the regulators think they count. Very depressing.

In this cost-cutting world, the best drama I've ever watched in this decade was the courtroom drama "This is Wonderland", starring none other than young adult startlet Cara Pifko. It was the best series in years, at least until public broadcaster CBC cancelled it earlier this year. It had the serious moments that another series, Street Legal, was famous for; coupled with the more bashful comedy of Red Green, but more city like.

Must I remind you that a few of the great stars that front "This is Wonderland" happen to star in Street Legal? Though they are two separate series, it twinkled the CBC's logo while they lasted.

Officials at the CBC believe that low ratings caused its cancellation. It's a whole new world now that the public broadcaster attempts to act like its commercial rivals. The result? Utterly depressing.

I have to admit: I am no fan of the new Degrassi, nor Falcon Beach. When there seems to be a new drama with meaning, its broadcasters suddenly shy away from it, leaving flamour skeletons like the former on air. And that is just plain sad.

Those Cute Little Seals (Part 2)

2006-03-11T08:53:00.000-08:00

I find it ridiculous to hear that the McCartneys actually care about the seal hunt. It sounds like they were pawns of the animal welfare organisations that engage in extreme tactics to line their coffers.

A big first reminder is that Paul and Heather McCartney were invited by these protest groups, including The Humane Society of the United States. When have Americans actually give a care about Canadian issues, especially one where misinformation is rampant?

This is not a fully factual debate but a crazy tactic meant to publicise one bias, one view of an issue that has many shades of gray. Opportunity to be publicised, the use of the McCartneys on false pretenses. How would I know, being such a "Mainlander" Canadian? I am certainly not against the hunt, but I am not a cold barbarian like what animal rights groups label me for not opposing it.

I am proud to be a card-carrying member of the New Democrats, a centre-left party here in Canada. I do believe in conservation and the protection of the environment. But there are two extremes on issues such as this.

The McCartneys claimed during the debate that they were in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador after being invited there by Premier Danny Williams. But they were in Prince Edward Island. If they don't even know which province they were in, how the heck do they know about the Seal Hunt issue?

P. MCCARTNEY: Well, we're here, Danny. You don't need to invite us. Thanks for the invitation, but we're here. We're actually in the studio here. We are in Newfoundland. And we saw the seals yesterday...

WILLIAMS: Heather, first of all, Paul, you're in Prince Edward Island now. And I'm in Newfoundland and Labrador. I'm inviting you to come to my province to see that.

Premier Williams was right in that debate. Killing is still killing and no matter what gets killed, it's killing. It's Opportunism in my opinion. Even CNN took advantage, publicising about the McCartneys. And no word on a "debate" until minutes past the hour.

Those Cute Little Seals

2006-03-03T04:48:00.000-08:00

The Canadian government has given valuable answers to dispel charges made by animal rights groups and the Hollywood Bourgeoisie.

Must we be reminded of that useless shirt worn by magnate daughter and American snobhead Paris Hilton. Club sandwiches, not seals the shirt says, blatantly disregarding the fact that the ingredients that make club sandwiches may have been clubbed! This, for animal rights advocates, was a campaign to stop the so-called brutal, senseless killing of baby whitecoat seals.

Whitecoat seals, first of all, are untouchables here in Canada. It's illegal under Canadian law to actually club a whitecoat seal, and even though that might not dispel all clubbing, this fact makes the claim seem ambiguous at best. It is also not right to lie, folks!

I am sick and tired of celebrities charging and barking at government authorities about issues they don't even know correctly about. A lot of these rich guys have profited at the expense of others, as claimed by these activitists. It's heartless, and offensive to stick your nose in issues you have almost no knowledge about.

Try that club sandwich Paris Hilton has been encouraging people to eat, rather than killing seals. Chickens, cows, and pigs are slaughtered too, and probably the only reason why Paris here cares about baby seals are because they look cute. I, for one, reject that kind of thought, which is rather bigoted in my opinion.

Paris, just go and continue on your sex tapes and voyeur shots. Leave the Seal Hunt to those who actually know more about baby seals other than their looks.

Courtyard Memories

2006-02-19T14:35:00.000-08:00

I always believe in being a tourist in my hometown; my philosophy is if you haven't been in every nook and cranny of where you live consider yourself a tourist. It's always exhilerating to see things you never usually see in your day-to-day routine.

As Glass Tiger sang in a duet with Rod Stewart over ten years ago, "Bring the wind to carry me over/lead me home to my town".

I remember a lot of fond memories leading back to my quiet childhood. I had an innocent time being a kid, though people who interact with me may dispute that and say that I haven't lived my childhood. But I won't go nuts over that fact.

One of the fondest times I remember, one that never spares me from tears, is playing with Sapna, my childhood friend. Yes folks, I have actually been a child in my lifetime and one of the best events in my memory was playing with her. We had done things like flying kites along with my sister Liz in the semi-vandalised park, or me being drenched from water sprayed from bottles to celebrate the Water Festival. It sure takes me back to my younger self to remember all this.

I hope all of you have had good memories of childhoods yourselves. These are memories you may never forget and life just doesn't seem to be complete without living a childhood of any sorts.

Must one be celebratory about such times? I say yes becuase life in that stage was very innocent and things like politics to money didn't matter much at all that early in life. This phase of life reminds us that humans still enjoy being themselves rather than be pretrified at everything.

If you excuse me, I need a tissue.

Off the Pirate Ship

2006-02-13T16:05:00.000-08:00

Canada's Global Television Network affiliate in Toronto reported recently that pirated movies could still be found regardless of a York Regional Police sting that occured last November.

But really, when are pirated discs going to stop being sold?

I have seen the selling of pirated VCDs and DVDs, passing along the booths in a local Chinese mall on my way to chow down in one its finest food establishments. The thirst for cheaply sold Hollywood blockbusters will forever maintain a black market, and this is because everyone is at fault for this going on.

A Toronto Police officer commented on the legality of pirating, explaining to the Global News reporter that though the practice is illegal, that when they are prepared to press charges they would.

I must disagree with a lot of this news report, seeing that a lot of these pirated discs have pretty good quality. A spokeswoman from Cineplex Entertainment had said that these movies had a lot of coughing, and some of these pirated discs did not have an audio track at all. Of course, this is a representative of a cinema company that charges an arm and a leg just to maintain the overbuilt and over-expanded mega-theatres.

In my community alone there are two mega complexes within one hundred metres of each other and four more within easy driving distance, irregardless of the brand or competition with each other.

Then there is the unbelievable thirst for all of us to find the best price to watch a movie. Of course this is all the fault of producers for pricing DVDs at such a high price.

Maybe that's why I don't watch movies at all.

Free Speech or Blasphemy?

2006-02-03T07:13:00.000-08:00

When is free speech a dangerous weapon?

Recently, the Danish newspaper Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten published a set of caricatures, showing depictions of the Prophet Muhammed. These editorial cartoons range from an Islamic version of Don Quixote to one where a bomb is in his hat. This attracted some deadly controversy in the Islamic World, and have produced threats ranging from the boycott of Danish goods to death threats for the editor and cartoonists who authored all this.

I personally do not support nor condemn these acts, partially because I don't understand the point of all this, and that I am not educated very well about Middle Eastern culture in general. But when is free speech stepping the line? And when is the reaction to this issue crossing the line? This is yet another delicate tight rope and cultural misunderstanding.

A more Canadian example of stepping the line would probably be Conservative Member of Parliament Jason Kenney. Back in January, 2005, Kenney had visited the family home of then-recently deceased Zhao Ziyang, a former Premier of China.

The media had considerable attention on this issue, and for Kenney to visit a mourning family irregardless if they're in Canada or in China is terribly disrespectful. It looked like Kenney tried to make the media portray him as a saviour, but he didn't even know Zhao in that level.

Wouldn't it be disrespectful if you barged into someone's funeral if you don't even know the person?

Irregardless of the scenario, there is a line between celebrating a free society and showing disrespect. The line, however is an ambiguous one, and we need to be cautious.

Lunar Turnover

2006-01-31T07:28:00.000-08:00

I did not celebrate New Years back on December 31st that well, even though I was with friends exploring Niagara Falls.

As a Chinese Canadian, my big New Years' bash would be on Lunar New Year, usually on a date in late January or early February. Since my childhood, this holiday was celebrated a lot more than most other holidays on the schedule.

I remember, back in my childhood, when Lunar New Year was a fun experience. Greetings exchanged in various Far Eastern languages were given and recieved. Children like I were given money all around in red envelopes.

At one time, sixty Canadian dollars was a lot of money. It was Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds when relative after relative passed their red envelopes to us children, in increments, like donations in a collection plate. The highness extracted as a result of this materialistic cocaine-like substance was tough to beat when I was 10 years old, and my wallet was full of small bills.

Tangerines, mandarins and oranges were set out within the household as symbols of prosperity. The television was always loud and played karaoke songs about New Years in the filial dialect of Teochew.

Everyone had a good meal, which included the favourites, including Spring Roll-like rolls made out of taro to many different kinds of kueh, scattered all around the dinner table.

Vietnamese influences are in the food, the dialogue and every nook and cranny you could see. This was perfectly complimentary to my family's ties to Vietnam up until the Vietnam War.

It was one big giant Oriental melting pot.

Growing Up In Democratic Suburbia

2006-01-23T23:11:00.000-08:00

Today is election day. Well, whatever day could be election day given the uncetainty of a minority government, but one must remember to vote. You can choose not to vote, and in a way that is a way to vote. Whatever happens, one should remember that the result of any election was our making.

I grew up in a relatively stable political environment. Life was relatively innocent leading into the late 1990s. My parents were terrible cynical politically, maybe because there wasn't a need to vote. Chretien was still a popular Prime Minister and it didn't seem that corruption would rock the country leading into now.

Bakc in Brampton, political signs popped up and were scattered across the neighbourhood. But my old street, Kesteven Crescent, was very cynical. At bes,t only one political sign would be put on someone's lawn, a peanut in the whole bush.

I grew up in the midst of a growing bullish economy and a majority government that was, most of the time, socially progressive. This was long after Prime Minister Brian Mulroney sang "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling".

Now that we are in the midst of another minority government, you might think that I would be personally upset as a result. In some ways I am, but there are Pros and Cons to everything.

Canadians currently have a Conservative Minority House of Commons, a Liberal Majority Senate, and an almost kingmaker front by the New Democrats. What's more to like?

Politics can be so hard to understand, and it seems that voters are starting to listen to the necessity, that is, to vote.

Bitterly Cold

2006-01-16T04:41:00.000-08:00

I remembered so well back in my childhood that there would be at least two snow days due to snow. I feel oh so very sorry that the little kiddies nowadays cannot enjoy and endeavour nature's abundance in snow; for those of you thinking that five centimentres is an "abundance", you must not remember the late 1990s.

The weather outside in Toronto nowadays in definitely a polarising experience. It felt like spring for a good week before everything froze to ice. One day too warm for your coat whilst another day where even the bulkiest of jackets would not protect you from the bitter cold. Life was so much more simple when winter was one continuous period.

I wonder what teachers are doing when the subject of seasons arises. It can't be that easy to decipher what winter feels like now that snow has become an optional condition.

At least in Toronto, it seems that people are praying for a White Christmas, when in the past it came on its own. Is this a degredation of our relations with Jack Frost that will inevitably become a break-up? Snow has become such a rarity compared to older times and it has fallen here since written records of history began. Are we the Prince Charles of the fairy tale wedding with Princess Diana, a marriage that feel apart?

I'm not too sure, but making things emotive has depressed me even more. Must be the lack of Vitamin D we get thanks to the lack of good sunshine we endure during winter.

What has happened to the satire about the snow, one year making Mel Lastman, the former mayor, call in the army? It must be because I was born in winter, a water sign arrogant about changes, that I am asking these questions. Oh well, I apologise for complaining.

Leap Year

2006-01-12T00:29:00.000-08:00

I must remind you that 2006 is a leap year. Of course, to me it still feels like 2005 plus a few days, even with the fireworks down in Niagara Falls and all, but that's not even the point. But I owe you, and myself, a reminder that every four years there is an extra day towards the end of February. Yes, It's this year. It seems that the kindergarten lesson about February 29th has helped me realise that. It must be quite special to have 366 days in a year.

This, however, does not make eight days a week, but I still do hope The Beatles are right in singing about this.

I must feel for those guys and gals who celebrate a birthday on February 29th. When they turn 19, how do they figure out when it's legal to drink or smoke? Would it be February 28th, or March 1st? Of course, it would probably be the 1st because since your birthday symbollically passed, you'd be perfectly legit getting drunk and getting lung cancer.

You can say that I feel relieved that regardless of leap year findings, the date is during the Western Astrological sign of Pisces. Yes. The sign of "money isn't everything" and sensitive fish.

Of course, most Pisceans wouldn't even bother holding a birthday, thanks to tbe small fact that material happiness isn't for them. I have to admire those born on the 29th to think this way.

Thanks to our Gregorian calendar, sun dials were reduced in prominence. It seems that though we don't directly focus on the sun to tell the time, we can still talk about the options of using shadows and the sun to do so.

And what about Leap Seconds? Though Leap Seconds and Leap Years are different from each other, the first time I've ever heard of it was back in 2005. They've used it for a long time!

I am so confused.

Death of a Legend

2006-01-02T22:46:00.000-08:00

Everyone has their childhood television icon. For some, it may be the Care Bears, or more recently, Lizzie McGuire. For me, it was none other than the operatic chef Pasquale Carpino.

Before Emeril Lagasse, there was the cooking show host that was not afraid of using his voice as well as his food to entertain audiences, of which I was one of them for so long. You may remember him from the long popular cooking show "Pasquale Kitchen Express".

With his italian accent and hearty dishes named after icons in opera, Chef Pasquale would bring his homey image towards the television. Before cable television started offering the Food Network, "Kitchen Express" and the Saturday morning cooking lineup on PBS was my entertainment. This, in an era where Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was popular to kids.

His beautiful crooning used to occupy me while he made the most tantelizing Italian Cuisine I've ever seen so far. Pasquale was an immigrant, like my parents, who made his name by working hard and enjoying it.

Long after the Kitchen Express was neglected by I, I always wanted to be as jolly as he looked when I look towards my future work life. So far, I have not reached that stage of enlightenment.

My parents were extraordinarily thrilled when the focus of my childhood television viewing was a cooking show in such a time where family viewing became hard to find. I'm sure I sound a bit old-fashioned, but when was the last time you would let an 8-year-old child watch "Sex In The City"?

We have lost a television icon. Pasquale was a true innovator who would welcome you to his television kitchen. May he rest in peace.

Niagara Falls

2006-01-01T10:06:00.000-08:00

I am currently writing from a hotel in Welland, Ontario, around 15 kilometres west of Niagara Falls. Myself, along with a couple of friends decided on a road trip and an overnight stay in the area. It is absolutely very close to a new year, at time of thoughts, and things are better enjoying than I thought.

Niagara Falls tends to be a very frequent stop to travel inbetween years. However, this trip turns out to be the first I've ever took without parents or school-related assignments; absolutely refreshing for a persion like I who had been sheltered for so long.

The hotel that I and my friends were staying in was a little normal, but not as run down as those in Niagara Falls itself. You may find a few posh resorts lying on the straits of Niagara Parkway, but on New Years Eve the prices skyrocket to a point where it is absolutely not with the driving.
I am an avid passport stamp collector; however, when entering the US for a piece for my memories, I was told that for Canadians this would not be instituted. Disappointed by this fact, I walk back to Clifton Hill as promised. After listening and watching a zealous cover band perform standards from such acts as Maroon 5 and Paul McCartney, we realised that standing for a full 4 hours in the snowing cold winter night was not for us. So we are currently spending the last night for year 2005 in the hotel room I reserved. All by myself. I am proud and childish.

I have learned some very important lessons in my tenure here in Niagara Falls.

Immigration agreements (and its related customs streamlining) my tear back a long border but may not help a novelty passport stamp traveller-collector.

As well, Niagara Falls has its unique beauty during winter; some may think it would freeze and lay dormant, but it seems that it doesn't.

Sudden Depression

2005-12-27T13:25:00.000-08:00

For more information, and other posts from me while I was in Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan), check out my "Phil in Asia" website: http://pll.onsrn.com/movemania/asia. You'll love it. - Phil

The tour bus finally stopped at its terminus at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, finally bringing my tour in Taipei to an end.

As I try to contemplate my week ahead, the Immigration official who screened me was marvelled at my full first name.

"Ba-lion Phi-hil-wip", he exclaimed with courtesy to my dismay. It actually sounded quite funny, but for a minute I contemplated the week ahead.

Do you know when you get a thought and then something happens? Even while the plum blossom chain of events opens up you just sit there thinking. Either it's supreme focus, or rudeness to the other person you're talking to, but it just seems a little inquisitive that I would actually feel this way. Numb, with a little bit of curiousity and confusion. Let's see Emeril Lagasse kick that up a notch.

After nearly four weeks abroad, I will return back to Canada on December 1st, from Hong Kong.

I won't end on a depressing note. We depart on the 1st in Hong Kong, the morning of, and we arrive in Toronto on the 1st, the morning of. Hmmm!

Phil

All or Nothing

2005-12-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

Most families somehow some way have an excercise regime; for me, it involves getting off your bottom and dancing your heart out.

This new tradition started about four years back when Luce, Cher and Liz were enjoying the most rebellious aspects of life. Listening to Linkin Park and enjoying video games set on a self-instituted 3-day weekend. That's tween angst if you know what I mean.

In the light of extremes, the horizon of teenage-hood if that is a word, the three of them decided to haul the stereo two floors down to the basement. Ah, the basement; our oasis, the first place one can actually calm down in the house. We rode bikes, took nasty pictures and played in-the-dark hide and seek in the basement.

I can officially say that the soundtrack to the movie "Save The Last Dance" made my family start a truly normal excercise regime. You could film a television variety show screened only on sets in Macao with the kind of group bonding and group dancing I saw.

In a way, you could say the three of them were trying to form a girl-band. Of course, Lillix didn't arrive for a year, but you could see all the aspects of dancing with more than just yourself.

If you noticed the fact that I didn't dance myself during this excercise phenomina, you are absolutely correct. However, the only price you're going to get is a pad on the back for being so aware.

It was traumatising, actually, but silly for me, about how dancing became a dormant yet past activity. Back when I was in Grade 2 Gym, dance was part of the excercise regime. Remarkably, the Macarena was a popular dance at the time, and it was my favourite. When I asked for the "Macaroni" instead, the whole class started wiggling like al-dente pasta!

So much for my English as a Second Language education.

John Lennon

2005-12-09T09:42:00.000-08:00

It was on this day back in 1980 when former Beatles member and passionate peace activist John Lennon was murdered in his apartment in New York. He brought with him a musical icon, who was not afraid of saying that all violence was cruel.

To me, and for other Canadians, his greatest moment was sitting with Yoko Ono in a bed, a love in at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal; singing those lyrics that all of us remember. "All we are saying/is give peace a chance". The message that was conveyed from Give Peace a Chance is relevant, even to today's world amongst the countless punk rock imitation or otherwise bands out there.

It's all so soad for me to imagine what John Lennon was pitted against when he conversed the message of peave and love. As I remember (from reading), it was during the Vietnam War when John and Yoko were at the love-in. The war that happened in most of what was Indochina hit a lot of people at home, including myself. If it wasn't for the Vietnam War, my parents would never emigrate to Canada and I wouldn't exist.

They probably would've emigrated anyways, but John had tried to end the suffering inflicted by violence; and this includes war.

My first time listening to John Lennon was through The Beatles. I remember back in my childhood when piano seemed to occupy 99.9% of my free time on weekdays. Every afternoon I had to practise Yesterday to my confusion.

I admit at first I didn't understand what the song meant, but I was in the middle of repeating (Celine Dion's) My Heart Will Go On for the umpteenth time.

As the song went: "Yesterday/all my troubles seem tso far way/Now it looks as though they're here to stay".

Curling Fever?

2005-12-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

Everything is happening here right now: Election fever is... lukewarm, while the city has been through two medium-sized snowstorms and subsequent warm-ups, ready for more. So, while the snow has been a-falling and a-melting, I must remind you that curling trials are underway to produce the home team at the upcoming Olympic games in Torino, Italy.

While global warming and politicians severely affect the course of this winter, I have looked foward to watching curling since... the last time I watched curling. Yes, I am a fan of the sport.

Joke all you want about it, expanding the sport's criticisms ever further to the point where it's not even considered a sport, I doubt that allegations, but when the Winter Olympics seem to arrive I watch the curling and the curling ONLY, from trials to medal standings. While people were watching Canada win double gold in hockey, I was rooting for our curling team.

I am definitley not a new fan; my interest is drawn back from my childhood. So no, I didn't pick this up from "Men with Brooms". The game is more about strategy than visuals, so I do understand why hockey fans would not like the quieter and assault-free alternative; Until the players REALLY learn about other uses for their brooms.

As I remember, my childhood was a very quiet one; life used to be quite innocent, and curling was a little less criticised back then. My school participated in a mock-opening ceremony, and my class represented Great Britain. I can say that Nagano 1998 was pretty much a wonderful year for myself and for curling.

It was when Saskatchewan-born Sandra Schmirler and her team won the gold medal, when I really started watching the sport. That childhood event remains stuck in my mind to this day.

I am grateful to see the Olympic trials, and that was why.

Travelling Tribulations

2005-12-07T10:23:00.002-08:00

The fact that I am now home from a month-long trip overseas had made me numb when I finally put my suitcase down in the living room of my residence. Home. This numbness has finally wore off, and normal life is slowly but surely coming back in my mind.

I wish that I could say that with my biological clock, however. Since we departed from Hong Kong for the final time, I am still following the time zone that's now 13 hours ahead of me.

One the flight home we passed through Taiwan and Japan, and as light turned into dark we crossed the Pacific Ocean, flying close to Alaska.

The sun gradually rose as the plane passed through time zone to time zone. We finally arrived at Toronto Pearson International Airport at around 2 pm local time, ready to call for two taxis thanks to the baggage amount.

It is 1:30 am in the morning as I am writing. An election has been called here in Cnaada. Oh, swell, am I looking forward to that in an extremely cynical and sarcastic way.

Since I arrived home, I have heard news of my friend Kathy going on a program called Katimavik: A national volunteering and travel experience program. She is currently in New Brunswick, and instead of me being 3 hours ahead, thanks to time zones she is now an hour ahead of ME. Interesting.

Interestingly enough, Kathy doesn't miss home. It's quite unusual, because only four days into my vacation I already missed someone and pouring my heart out through writing. It could be that I have different emotions, or it might be the stars as Kathy is a fellow Scorpio.

I've learnt many things about travelling in my first vacation in years, and it seems that emotionally and mentally, it's all a learning experience.

Driving Off The Wall

2005-11-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

Today was considered such an eventful day. Probably the first I've seen in a long time, until now.

Whilst waiting in another Toronto suburb for a friend to use the bank's Automated Teller Machine, a nearby near car space right beside from where I was sitting, and waiting, impatiently, was being occupied.

The man, with one hand on the wheel and a cell phone on the other, knocked in the driver's window of the car I was sitting in. He immediately opened the car door, and demanded that I somehow move my car so he can stick is big ferocious SUV into the space beside us, only fit for a mini or smart car.

"I can't. It's not my car!" I exclaimed in that brutal dialect of Cantonese, and after some insistance he buggered off, seriously clipping the car on his right side. That driver didn't even notice it had been scratched!

I knew from the brief metal... bang.

The humourous end to this story was a lot about ignorance. The driver of that scratched car, after she came back from the plaza, just drove off, suspecting nothing.

Tip for you kiddies looking towards a drivers' license: Don't. Take transit. It's less damaging!

Vaccinations, Vaccinations...

2005-10-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

When you travel to a different country, you may have to take one for the team, the team being your immune system, by taking certain precautions and taking vaccines.

In about a week I will be venturing somewhere out of the normal life of western culture. China is a very anxious place to me, home to my filial ancestry, but I am afraid that I will feel like a foreigner within my ancestral country. You could say I am vaccinating my own emotional and mental thoughts, preparing to take a deep plunge into what I feel is going to be an eventful month.

I probably have seen more repulsive days, and I am sure a humourous aspect into this whole thing must be the fact that I just drank a vaccine for travellers diarrhoea. You can say that my immune system is filtering my mind to think like this, but I am prepared to see the best, and worst, of a country such as China.

A country where tradition is everything, but everything is changing. A country where capitalism is the new proleriat, in a country adjusted to collectivity. Everything seems so complicated or confusing to me.

Or it might be my immune system acting up again.

Cheese Update

2005-10-18T17:00:00.000-07:00

For you fromage fans, you might remember a headline or two back from late July:

CFIA officials aren't too happy after almost a tonne of Quebec cheese was sunk under 40 metres of water in a very interesting but illegal aging process.

Last Fall, the Fromagerie Bovoin in La Baie, Quebec tried a new approach into aging cheddar by submerging 10 barrels containing around 900 kilograms of cheese into the Saguenay fjord.
They had planned to pull the cheese up next month where it had been resting in waters just over the freezing mark. However, Fromagerie Bovoin won't be able to commercially sell this cheese.

It's probably going to turn out better than another batch of Boivin cheese. On Wednesday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency issued a recall for a spreadable cheese produced by Fromagerie Boivin, saying it could cause botulism.

Well earlier this month, they came to one conclusion after thousands of dollars trying to find that hunk of cheese, interestingly enough, like a bunch of mice.

Sadly, this lump of cheese won't be spread on a cracker. They called off the search at La Baie des Ha ha, and it seems that there won't be that surge of Ritz Cracker sales after all. Mr. Christie. Stick to making your good cookies.

Skipping a School Day...

2005-09-19T12:22:00.000-07:00

Today, I did not show up for school. For those anal-rententive folks from the district school board reading this, it's parent approved. Anyways, today I got to go downtown to get my student transit pass updated.

To be brief, I take around 5 hours of my day every day on the way to and from school. I'm a public transportation boy; even if I had the certifications I wouldn't be just driving my car it would be too nerveracking. But anyways, because I travel around 90 kms or so to school and back, the costs of it jump up into the roof. As a result, I got myself a student discount card for the transport system which cuts the costs around 15%. Quite modest.

Anyways, I had to go to Union Station, and since I haven't been there since February, things looked very different. Walking outside I saw a bunch of school-clad lads waiting for their bus. They're probably on some trip here from the United States seeing that they had suitcases, bags and other interesting packs with them. One of them grinned at me, to my disgust. I don't exactly like men in that particular way.

Though I am quite modest budget-wise, I ate lunch inside Union Station. If you've ever been in downtown Toronto before, then you'd understand why I just contradicted myself. But while I was enjoying my Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, I saw a bunch of females and a bunch of males, just sketching the place. I find it very intruging that a place of such commuter commotion could become a beautiful piece of art. But I was proven wrong.

As I got home I was too preoccupied with the high rises. How could a city like Toronto have such a metropolis feel? That question was quickly solved, my mouth shut faster than "a speeding bullet" as the tall buildings harassed my view of the road.

Life Inside The Cheque Book

2005-08-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

This evening is a very boring one. And believe me, being a person who's usually doing paperwork, it's not very normal for myself to be "Mr. Accountant". Sounds a bit contradictory, but I like doing work writing words down, writing articles, doing all sorts of English-type work; yet, as a writer myself, I find it difficult to keep a financial balance in track. Confusing, isn't it?

Anyways, I resorted to doing my finances this evening. Believe me, a person like me is obviously bored when he or she is writing down balances in the Transaction Register for this month. But when I read it, it's telling a story.

Having all your eggs in basket is bad. However, having many baskets and few eggs to spread evenly is another story.

Whenever I read:

BALANCE FOWARD - BALANCE
Royal Bank - ACCOUNT BALANCE
HSBC Bank Canada - ACCOUNT BALANCE
President's Choice Financial - ACCOUNT BALANCE
ING Direct - ACCOUNT BALANCE

I start thinking of a conversation I had with my sister Liz back in early 2003. I was opening a second bank account, and she roused the fact that I was doing that for the good because I'm not keeping all my eggs in one basket. However, as you see, when you have way too many baskets and you have only a few eggs to put in each of them, it looks very confusing. Which explains why I keep a Transaction Register in the first place.

Sons: Your no-fee no-hassle borrowing alternative.

When I read:

BORROWING OUT
Mom $400.00 (to be paid back in July 2006)

I am reminded of the usual Chinese financial practice of borrowing out from relatives. I am reminded by stories told by my father that if he got into trouble there's always a net to carry him because his loving relatives would happily lend him money until his financial straits were much better. He never needed this net, but it definitely sounds like a secure situation.

However, when you do have money, and you're not in an unstable financial situation, you are sometimes told to give out money for borrowing. Plus side: You have money carrying dust at the bank, why not use it for the better? Downside: Your mother now sees you as the no-fee alternative to a banking loan. What can I say? I'll gladly lend out money to anyone who needs it or in my mother's case, wants it to buy something big without all the bank paperwork.

In conclusion, as you see, I have learned this lesson: Even in boring, confusing alleys, you'll always see an interesting story in everything.

The Journal of Phillip B. Hong

2005-08-04T20:39:00.000-07:00

"Surprise Surprise: The Phil Blog" is the audio version of The Journal of Phillip B. Hong.

If you want to read the blog, click on either of the following links:

Kid Wacky Version: Since 2003. A more childish version. http://xanga.com/urbanreformer

Mature Version: More understandable for the older. http://spaces.msn.com/members/pbhjournal.

Audio versions of the visual blog will be posted here, all spoken by Phil himself.

My Odeo Channel (odeo/c6f30ff7a125928f)

Time and Populism

2005-08-04T17:53:00.000-07:00

Just another hot day today. And I had to work. Without A/C. I really detest anything without A/C nowadays.

Temperature... affects... writing...

Today I am writing shorthand. The reason? Well, it's so bloody hot it is grounds for shorthand. I must remind you that it is 33 celsius out where I am. And believe me, if you've read previous entries I made it clear that my preference is in November. Don't start complaining about November, now that July was a scorcher and August will probably be the same.

Adolescent women were everywhere, all in their outer and inner beauty today. It seems that some of them, in their near skimpy clothes are probably actually wearing their near skimpy clothes due to the heaty today, rather than just self-image. I remembered one day it was the most stark winter, and one of my friends was wearing a mini-skirt. At that time, I didn't realise that it was a statement due to image, rather that she didn't catch The Weather Network that day! But you know what? Even if she became an ice cube, her head was probably still into popular image I must say, that seemed extreme to live.

"Look guys! I'm shivering and getting frostbite... but look at my cute new pink miniskirt!"

I remembered that today's fashion statements are different since I was a child. Another time, quite recently, I had seen a closer friend wearing something that looked very pajama-looking. I thought that morning that she didn't have time to change and wanted to make it to class! I later realised that, nope, that's today's casual wear.

What has happened to fashion and populism nowadays? It seemed that today's norm is showing your pierced belly in front of everyone. I honestly think that everything is all different now. And it seems that I haven't changed.

Personally, I'm not the populist type, but given the fact that populism evolves over time, I now feel like I'm living in a nostalgic past. Which refers back to time. I admit, I'm a time conservative. I don't like things I savour to go so quickly. I'm absolutely afraid of aging. But what can I, a typical son of recent immigrants with nothing but humble writing, to do? Rather nothing, because of my finite time as a human. Populism evolves as time goes by. That is a surety. And believe me, the populists of yesterday, wearing pajama-like casual wear and showing their midriffs, will soon see themselves as geezers, nostalgics of time.