thanks

To the people who wished me happy birthday, thanks.

-facebook friends, near (across the street) and far (australia, montreal, los angeles, hong kong...)
-friends for life and friends recently met
-cousins who call and text
-brother and SIL who send a card for London
-the drivers license renewal lady
-my mom's credit union teller
-salespeople and the administration at the Richmond Automall
-my life insurance guy
-DQ friends and family

first words new immigrants learn?

Yesterday at the Deeq, mom was helping a customer. As her cheerful self, she asks,

Mom: so that's a 10" cake, would you like anything else?
Customer: (struggling with English) uh...... condoms?
M: um...
C: (reaches into backpocket and pulls out...)
M: oh, CANDLES!

Mom was visibly relieved.. Ha!

tales from a fast food joint

I love talking to strangers.

That being said, it's limited to small talk about nothing and strangers that will remain strangers.

Not the ones who find out your name and add you to fb.

Or the ones that are twice or thrice your age, give you the sly smile and ask what time you're off.

Nor the teens who comment on your change in appearance and ask questions assuming you're the same age.

Lincoln, Roosevelt, Kennedy, Obama...and Sheman?

As America fixates its hopes upon every word of President-elect Barack Obama, the world watches with great anticipation as well. Obama has created a stir, an interest, an excitement in politics that has not existed for decades. This fervor crossed ethnic and economic divides and even international waters.

West Kenya was celebrating the election of one of their own; Obama, Japan is just happy to have the same name; Canada...? We were more interested in this election than our own. Who's our Presid er...Prime Minister again?

Every generation has had a President (PM?) that captured the hearts and imagination of the people. A man with charisma, a great orator, someone who effectively raised the hopes of the young and the old. Trudeau, was my father's hero. Mom remembers school being canceled and everyone in tears when JFK was assinated. Our generation had lacked a political "hero," until now. Yesterday, I think we (they) elected one.



And I'm pretty sure my kids will look to this kid (man).