RECOMMENDED CHARACTER TRAITS

for SUCCESSFUL IMMIGRATION INTO CANADA



A new year is about to start. Will it become a year to start a new life in a new country? If your goal is to immigrate to Canada, if your intention is to make a fresh, extra-ordinary start here in British Columbia and you want  to make this transition as smooth as possible, please take a minute to read through this compilation of character traits - you never know, it might helpI If you don't want to immigrate, no harm in reading further either.

The successful candidate

- Must be loaded in order to participate in the great outdoors (e.g. skiing in winter, zip-lining, golfing or sailing in summer).



- Should be a lover and admirer of casual wildlife found in their own backyard. We are talking bears, cougars, squirrels or deer. Needless to say, this doesn't apply to you folks in downtown Vancouver.

- A Master's degree in household economics and accountancy is required. Household and school excursion bills arrive on a regular, irregular basis. You need to stay on top of the situation and pay them on a regular, irregular basis.

- Can be deaf, or at least display a high threshold for beeping household appliances. I swear to you, every household item in our house beeps, rings or makes noise in one way or another. It beeps to let me know it's time to get up, to let me know the coffee is ready, the laundry is done or dry, the oven has reached its temperature or the microwave popcorn is ready. One word of warning, stay away from the singing egg timer! You will never hear the end of it! This egg starts singing after 5 minutes in boiling water and doesn't stop- even after you take it out of the water!

-  Can have a short attention span and a weak bladder when it comes to watching tv or going to the movies!  Leave it to program makers to interrupt any nail biting scenes to air commercials to tempt, educate, scare and annoy you! But of course, this is the perfect opportunity to hit the washroom (WC, toilet).

I have the sneaky suspicion movie theatres aren't worried about our bladder. All they care about is how much popcorn and coke they can sell to us during a break in an 80 minute long movie!  I might be wrong, just saying...

- Needs to redefine the European definition of cosy (England), gemuetlich (Germany) or gezellig (.Holland). Here, a cosy pub is situated within a purpose built building, displays an open fire safely tucked behind a glass wall and has several tv screens(?) running! (Exceptions are the rule)

- Should know exactly what one needs and hold a tight grip on the wallet. Temptation is all around us: "Deal of the week, Specials of the day, Groups of 4 Deal, January clearance sale, pre-sale, end-of-line-sale, liquidation sale, stock clearance sale, pre-Christmas sale, Boxing Day sale, Boxing week sale, summer sale, midweek sale, pre-Easter bargain, Halloween specials..."

On the other hand, it is your choice to be part of the consumer driven society or not!

- Doesn't necessarily need to speak fluent English. Mandarin or Punjabi will do just fine!

If you posses any of these characteristics, I highly recommend you pack your bags and come on over If you don't,  pack your bags.anyway. Regardless of what you just read and how it sounds like, our whole family loves it here in Beautiful British Columbia and we are looking forward to our next, extra-ordinary chapter her.

Whoever you are, wherever you might be, - whatever your decisions will be for the NEW YEAR, I wish you a HEALTHY, adventurous and prosperous 2013!



I am looking forward to connect to many more of you wonderful blogging and reading individuals. Warm wishes,

Christina

 

An ACT of MADNESS

When I first heard about this tradition I was shocked! Then I shook my head in disbelief: "You guys can't be serious! You will actually go shopping on Boxing Day? Good Lord, this is too crazy for me!"
My second thoughts were somewhat different: "Why not? I should go too, just for the experience."
At least I will have my opinion (i.e. bitching about it) based on real life experience. There will always be a next year to go back to the tried and tested German tradition of drinking, eating and be merry!

The story goes, various shops will offer their first 50 or so customers a gift or at least discount vouchers. These words worked magic on our boys and three out of the four decided to join me on this unholy event.

Oh what a joy to get up at 4am, to arrive at the mall by 5am, to stand in line - outside in the cold- for an hour and finally walk through the doors into the holy grail of electronic stores!

All this for what? Personally, I don't care about and need any more electronic devices in my life (I am happy I know how to operate the ones which already live with me)! Electronics are my least favourable item to shop for - and no, they NEVER promissed gifts either, only unbeatable prices on flat screen TV's.

I did it for our middle son! He had his mind firmly set on 'beats' headphones. But fortunately he came to his senses when he saw the discounted price of $ 250.00 was still not discounted enough.

In the time span of three hours we lost each other at least five times, we got pushed around and stood in line for hours to pay for our bargains. The boys were so hyped they needed a greasy McBreakfast to concentrate on their next purchases again.

Shopping on a budget offers a real insight into the future spending habits of children:
- Our teenager knows what makes the world go round and what stimulates any economy. He would pass any Immigration spending requirements in a heart beat ( he spent it all!).
- Our Korean exchange student displayed a magnificent talent for bargain hunting. He found the best possible deals for his desired objests and brought back over half his money.
- Our middle son doesn't have the insight knowledge of his teenage brother yet, nor does he have the patience and mastermind of his foreign 'brother'. He is a simple soul with a one track mind: It has to be 'beats'or nothing. He will only rest when he finds the right set at the right price. Needless to say, he didn'r buy anything!

And I? In the name of experience I sacrificed my much needed beauty sleep and ruined most of my waking hours to accumulate savings of $30.00 for these two beauties:



It is not extra-ordinary to have our own traditions in life - what is extra-ordinary is to stick to these traditions regardless of the country you find yourself in.
Believe me, sometimes it is ok NOT to go with the flow. Next year on Boxing Day I will be back to eating, drinking and reading a Jackie Collins book while slouching on the sofa!

HAPPY FIRST ANNIVERSARY

Today, exactly one year ago, we arrived in Canada: Two adventurous parents and their three apprehensive children!

We had no job waiting for us, no network of friends to guide us, no family to support us, to colleagues to teach us. All we had was each other, five suitcases filled with clothes, five backpacks full of memories and the burning desire to make it 'happen 'in an English speaking country!
It was a year long effort to create our new life, to make new friends, to build a support network and to create our own job opportunity! Twelve months down the road I can raise my glass and say: "We made the transition, the first part of our mission is accomplished! All five of us are happy and settled. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!"

What are the extra-ordinary ingredients for a smooth transition from old to new?

For us it was / is a healthy dose of common sense, an open ear, being friendly, being open minded and most of all, the willingness to reach out and let everybody know we have arrived! Nobody will knock on your door! YOU have to go out there and knock on many different doors, to let everybody know the new girl / boy in town is here!
It is up to you to MAKE IT HAPPEN!
To stick to the Christmas theme, I let these two photos speak for themselves to demonstrate our transition from
"Just ARRIVED":



to "HAPPILY SETTLED:"



P.S. Vegetarians, please forgive me!

GIMME GIMME GIMME

6,30 am: I just dropped off our teenage son for a(nother) fun day out snowboarding in Whistler - as part of the BC school curriculum.



7.10 am: Our youngest son got up crumpy because we didn't wake him up earlier, i.e. deprived him of some serious pre-school gaming activity on the x-box (yes, we let him, it's the last week of school before the holiday). Furthermore, he is pissy because we told him our Secret Santa is only allowed to spend $ 10.00 on a present. His comment: "You can't buy anything good for $ 10.00!"

7.30 am: Our middle son shuffled in from up his man-den. After a thorough inspection of our cabinet (filled with pop tarts, bread, peanut butter, syrup. oats and honey), our breakfast shelf in the pantry (cereal boxes of all shapes, sizes and colours, nuts, granola), the fruit bowl and the freezer (waffles, ice-cream, fries, garlic shrimps) he shrugged and complained: "We never have anything good to eat."

8.20 am: I time our school run so I can listen to the 'sleeze "on Virgin Radio - my daily dose of gossip,Today, the breakfast team skipped my beloved feature. Instead, I listened to a heartfelt story of goodwill here in the Vancouver area. The radio team was on location to bring Christmas Cheers to a family in need. In their case it was a single father with four children. According to the report this family didn't have enough food items in the house to feed a mouse, they don't have proper beds or bedding, no propper winter jackets or extravagent toys - i.e. electronic devices for entertainment. With the help of money and food donations of a major super market, a furniture institution and volunteers Virgin Radio was ready to offer this family a Christmas to remember.

At this point it hit me: We live in British Columbia, named after the Goddess of Wealth. BC, the Canadian province of wealth (timber, water and minerals)! This province offers one of the most varied landscapes in the world, consequently, the outdoor opportunities for sport, fun and recreation are as varied and fantastic as nowhere else in the world. (Please correct me if I am wrong)!



It is the province of plenty - plenty for some, but not all. To live in this extra-ordinary part of the world doesn't mean its residents live the wealthy lifestyle.

Awareness for the less fortunate is all around us. Newspapers and schools are bringing us up-to-date on how to bring relief for somebody in need. I am baffled by the extra-ordinary efforts institutions, stores, sport clubs and individuals are taking to collect toys or food. We are talking strip-athons, bra auctions, free train rides, tossing teddy bears on the ice after the first goal is scored at a major hockey game, fundraisers or good old money donations.

Yes, love and awareness is all around us and we are doing our best to let it show. Mysteriously, our emergency dinner supply - canned soups and pasta- disappears on a regular basis only to be found back as a donation for the Foodbank!



Our children may not be aware-ye t- of their fortunate situation in life, but it starts with awareness and hopefully will end with appreciation!

12.45 pm: Back at school to help selling raffle tickets before our Christmas concert. We were selling tickets to help our school to purchase playground equipment; we were selling cookies to help 'Bring Water to Kenya'.

We were ready to sell, our parents were ready to buy. We sold the lot! It was fantastic!

This is the real wealth of British Columbia: The willingness of many to create a difference in the lives of others either here or around the world.

Dress to Impress & to Party Crash

We left our home turf, Suburbia, for a house warming party in Yaletown. This was our first outing to celebrate with the childless, 30-something crowd since our move to Vancouver. Needless to say, we were excited and we promised ourselves to have a fantastic time!



We followed the instructions on the invitation and dressed to impress, brought our BYOB and an appie. For a joyful occasion like Christmas or a house-warming I refuse to wear black. I prefer to sparkle and shine in other colours. Like in this one:



Dominic recommended to wear this piece as a dress, complete with pantyhose and  heels. As he put it:"Remember, you will compete with the young ones!" Common custom here in BC is to take your shoes off before you enter someones house. Therefore, wearing high heels defeats the purpose, especially if you wear reindeer socks. I chose comfort over fashion, squeezed into my skinny jeans and pulled on flat boots.

Dominic didn't have a problem putting on his decade old Tuxedo - the pants come with an elasticised waistband!



We found the allocated street and house number easy enough. The trouble started when we had to decipher the second part of the address: PH4. This was another Canadian slang (like 'PoP") we haven't heard of. We somehow knew it couldn't stand for PHfun on level 4.  The best I came up with was Party Here on level 4!

I was wrong! PH stands for Penthouse! Ohlala, little did we know about our young friends; they are living the high life in one of the trendiest areas of the city, in close proximity to BC Place and Rogers Arena.

By the time we arrived the party was in full swing! A crowded room full of young, well groomed and exceptionally well dressed young adults greeted and welcomed us! As I mentioned earlier, I programmed myself to have fun and I did. It was a fantastic evening! The only slight annoyance was the music: Way too loud and too monotunous.

During my younger years I preferred to stay till the end at any party out of fear to miss anything. Not anymore! Now I have a very simple party credo: Leave at the height of your enjoyment!

To preserve our fun memories we bid our hosts farewell and were ready to hit back home. On our way to the lift we got slightly side tracked by the loud music at PH1. Dominic and myself looked at each other, we both had the same thought:'Should we or shouldn't we?" We were definately dressed the part - so we did it: We knocked on the door with the intent to crash their party! Guess what:

They let us in! That was truly an unexpected surprise to both of us - or, is a sophisticated, good looking (?) , freshly shaven (Dominic that is) couple hard to resist?

Our new hosts Mark and April welcomed us with open arms, a hug and glasses of wine - told ya, Canadians are friendly! Their get-together was less crowded and less noisy. It was an unexpected, very enjoyable twist to our already super evening! We talked German Gluewein, April offered us a deliscious dinner and we retaliated by introducing them to their neighbours in PH4. The result: Their two parties turned into one!

Dear PH1 and PH4, you gave us a glimpse of our past. You made us relive moments of our life! Thank you!                                                                                                          We drove back to our children with the warm, fuzzy feeling that "the oldies" brought some neighbourly X-Mas spirit to a penthouse community somewhere in Yaletown.

And the extra-ordinary moral of this story? a) Sometimes just do what your gut feeling is telling you and b) dress to impress if you want to part crash!

If you wondered what BYOB stands for: Bring your own beer.                                           Appie= Appetizer                                                                                                       POP= soda/ soft drink

TRUE RELIGION

The biggest mysteries growing up were the neatly dressed men and women standing on street corners, holding up a copy of 'Watchtower'. They never talked to us, we never talked to them. Mom always hustled us along, telling us (my brother and me) they are 'weirdos'. Sometimes, these neatly dressed people rang on our door bell - only to get the door shut back firmly into their faces once it was opened.



These humans remained a big question mark for all these years -  until recently that is. Blame it on curiosity, too much time on my hands, the Christmas spirit, my ongoing quest to learn something new or the simple fact that Canadians are so friendly, I opened our door to let Jehova's witnesses into our house and into my life!

I am receiving a weekly, complimentary bible discussion. All my questions are  answered in the comfort of my own home.



So far we covered the main differences between them and me: e.g. no birthday parties for them, a big bash for me.

No Christmas celebration for Jehova's witnesses, they don't recognize December as the birth month of Jesus - my religion said yes to the date and I will bring it on, year after year.

I got enlightened about the reason why we get old and must die - in the biblical sense that is. It has something to do with what Eve did to Adam in Paradise. (Ladies, it rings true to this day and age: We have the power to break or make a man! Be wise and very careful on how to use this power!)

They triggered my memory on the 'fact' that Satan stands for 'the opposer'. Satan,  a fallen angel from Gods own crew.



Furthermore they let me into the WHY, WHEN and WHAT will happen next.

It is all fascinating stuff. Years of religious education from school is coming back to me. I am not sure if the ladies are on a mission to convert me - I put the cards on the table from day one: No converting, just talking!  But if they are, they are doing a good job of  'selling' me GOD. Religion is truly a funny topic, we are all looking for the same things, we just use different vehicles to get where we want to be!

So far, I made only one mistake along the road to a 'different truth': I called my parents! I shared the good news that they don't need to worry about the neatly dressed people anymore. They are no bogy men! Big mistake! Now, I am responsible for their sleepless nights and nightmares. They are convinced "I will get seduced and lulled into the big religious trickery where one submits ones own free will and becomes a slave of the belief". Their words, not mine!  Where did they read that one? They are worried I might leave husband and kids in exchange for standing on street sorners, holding up a little brochure.

 We fear and judge what we don't know about! Interesting, isn't it? I better don't tell them I started reading  "Dianetcs" by L.Ron Hubbard...

By all means, I am not extra-ordinary by letting Jehova's witnesses into my home. If a rabbi would knock I would talk to him too, as well as anybody else who holds a different belief for that matter. Being extra-ordinary is more about being curious about something new and different - and to keep an open mind to accept or reject it into ones own life.

True Religion? For some it is expensive denim - or-  whatever makes us happy!

SHOW SOME RESPECT

This morning I had two posts forming in my head. One is a compiled list of personality traits required to live a happy life here in Canada. The other one is to add my perls of wisdom to the current discussion on prank calls!

The list has to wait, I need to get this one off my chest first: You are most certainly aware of the English nurse who took her life after fallen victim to a prank call made by two DJ's, pretending to be the Queen and her husband..



Personally, I think the idea of pretending to be the Queen of England is funny; to get away with it is even funnier. The unfortunate outcome of this particular joke is rather unexpected and very sad indeed.

What bothers me most about the call is that her Majesties 'servants' from Down Under failed to show the proper respect to their future (?) Queen.  I am pretty sure Kate knew what she got herself into when she married Prince Charming. But still, leave this girl alone!



Being photographed on a daily basis is one thing. It must be awfull enough during most days, even if you feel quite glamorous. But now add morning sickness - the worse of all throw-ups - to pregnancy! And the hungry hordes of photographers still want to snap you, during your stage of feeling like crap, looking even crappier. There is only one place to find refuse for these two conditions (puking and photographerts): The hospital. Here you should expect quiet and peace from a crazy outside world. But no, you get a phone call from your mother in law who wants to make sure you, the mother of the third in line to the throne, is being well looked after- only to find out it wasn't your real mother -in law.  Why? Doesn't she care at all?

What pressure this girl is under:She has to look good at all times, under any circumstances. She finally bowed to public (?) and internal (?) demand to get pregnant. Now the added  burden is to produce a male offspring to the Windsor family.



Dear DJ's, this girl has enough on her plates without your attempt to spice up your radio show in Aussieland.

Of course, anyone could have come up with this hoax. The poor nurse who put your call through was doomed one way or the other. Imagine the Queen really called."Hallo, this is Elizabeth, Your Majesty the Queen, may I speak to my daughter- in- law please?" And the nurse answered:"Of course my dear, but could you please prove to me that you really are who you said you are?"

Oops, highly embarrassing - one way or the other. But whom am I?  I didn't  grow up with a monarch. Little do I know about proper, traditional English palace protocol  concerning the Queen and making phone calls.

Let's face it: This is the time we live in. We do whatever necessary to get our radio station more listeners, our tabloids more readers, our company higher sales. Prank calls have been done before this tragic incidence; they will be done in the future. As embarrassing as they are to the individuals involved, as entertaining they can be to their listeners.

How can it be extra-ordinary to have fun at the expense of others? To play tricks on others, to hurt their feelings or to violate their privacy. If you need to do it, keep it a private joke! Show some respect and refrain from using social media to tweed and facebook the incident around the world!

If we want to entertain others we should make fun of ourselves!

X-MAS JIGGLES of a Different KIND

There are three things I have to accomplish on a daily basis: To make sure my family is well fed, to exercise and to strategically plan my moves on how to convince the book reading population to purchase my book when it is published (January 2013!, See: "There is a Sucker born every Second").

I enjoy the wonderful feeling of freedom to do whatever I want to do, whenever it suits me. I discovered, To have no schedule is the best schedule to be on!

When I am in need of loud music and human contact I will join a class at our local Leisure Center. For the price of a fancy Starbucks coffee I get a 60 minute workout and can swim at the adjacent pool. I believe this is called 'prioritizing'.

Today was the day I decided to spice up the daily exercise routine (trail runs, power walks and yoga). Leisure Center, here I come!



Usually I end up participating in the class with the ill-mannered instructor, wearing her ill-fitting sports bra! Here is a word of warning: Jiggling "twosomes 'in front of your eyes can be distractive to your workout! It takes all my will power to focus on my foot work and not on the wiggling, jiggling body parts in front of me! And this is said by a woman, imagine what the instructor does to her male participants!  But truth to be told: I haven't seen any men falling of their step yet...

It was my lucky morning:  I had a new lady in front of me; far less distracting than the other one (only a few tattoos, nothing too fancy) and a new  piece of equipment to concentrate on: The BOSU ball.



Her routine was easy enough; to keep the balance was a different matter altogether. Stepping on and off the ball reminded me of a bouncy castle, only on a smaller scale.

I loved it!  A few other ladies were new to this equipment as well. Together we embraced the challenge and opportunity to experience and learn something new. It was wobbly at times, so what? We weren't perfect, but we had fun and we had a good laugh at our own expense.



From the aerobics room I ventured into the pool area. Before I got into the water I watched a few wheelchair bound teenagers. Their caretakers carefully helped them to get into the specially designed pool.  Another teen was put into a lift to help him get into and enjoy the water. Every member of the group displayed either a mental or a physical disability..

Our Municipality here in B.C. prides itself for the wonderful equipment they offer for our handicapped (better:"challenged") citizens, All public areas, facilities or buildings are designed to grant easy access for all. The buzz word is INTEGRATION!

I started to swim, my body capable, healthy and strong -  and it hit me like a hammer on the head how ridiculous my thought process really is! I am getting worked up about the jiggling instructor and loosing track of my footing, whereas right next to me are teenagers sitting in a wheelchair because they can't walk!

Sometimes I really need a slap in the face to realiize how fortunate we are to posess and control a healthy body and mind! Being born free of disability and illness should be the norm, but unfortunately it isn't.

Being "normal and healthy"isn't extra-ordinary! Do you know what makes 'healthy and normal 'extra-ordinary?  APPRECIATION!

To appreciate our wonderful, capable body regardless of its shape, size or age. And our ability to fully learn and experience something new - even if it's the small task of stepping up and down a BOSU ball.

The Illuminators

If you read some of my posts before you know that Canadians don't really care about fashion (check out: "High Fashion") and Vancouver has been voted as one of the 'most unfashionable cities in the world'.

Canadians wear what they want as long as it is 'comfy'and protects against the weather. But let me tell you this, as unfashionable as they are in the clothes department, Canadians know how to dress up their houses during the Christmas season!



If you are North American and you are reading this, please excuse my ignorance.Of course you are used to twinkle lights on every house, bush, tree or ornaments attached to your property. I, on the other hand, am a money conscious, energy conserving, disciplined German housewife! The only extra-vaganza my parents indulged in was the lit up pine tree in front of our house. In Germany, electricity is expensive! We turn off the water while we brush our teeth. By November we bought a whole seasons' supply of candles from IKEA. My mom said she wanted to create a wonderful, cosy atmosphere.-but I figured they wanted to save energy!

Let's go back to fashion in Canada: Nobody gives it a second thought if you wear your pyjama bottoms to the shops, nobody cares if you wear shorts in the middle of winter (aka, now) or if you prefer flip-flops over winter boots. Everythings goes and I am loving it!   I noticed a certain change of consciousness when the season changed from autum to nearly winter:  At the end of November an invisible switch switches on in the brain of most Canadian house owners!

Even if the average house owner is not interested in the latest fashion, they sure know how to decorated their houses for the season! I believe there is a secret competition going on around here who can outshine the neighbours with the brightest, most colourful and fancy arrangements. All I can say is this: What Canadians saved over the previous 11months in fashin goods, they will spend on their electricity bill at the end of the year.

Normal and unassuming during day light, houses transform into a festival of extra-ordinary illuminations as soon as it gets dark!



 



It is a feast for the senses! All this was prepared by caring husbands who gave up their free Saturday: Every single light bulb was single handidly polished before the string was artfully stapled around every window frame and along the gutters,



 

I personally prefer 'simple'over éxcessive'.

I keep our light decoration inside the house and wouldn't want to force my light spectacle on innocent by-passers. But this is me- and this is what life is all about: We are all different- We all like different things! And this is how it should be! This is what makes us all so extra-ordinary!

Whay do you think of this one?



I nearly crashed into the nearest lamp post when I saw this house. All I could think of is this:

"Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder".

Guidelines for Cheating Husbands

When I read about the 'David Petraeus Affair' I felt strangely compelled to write this post. There is nothing new or surprising about married men in powerful positions cheating on their wives. It seems to come with the job description. Mr. Petraeus is just another man in a long line of others caught with his 'pants down'.

But this incident made me wonder: If the Director of the CIA can't keep his extramarital affair a secret, WHO can? I believe the lads in the cheating department need some help!                                                                                                                       
 Ladies, don't get me wrong, I am on your side!. There is no excuse for a lying, cheating other half. But if men do it,  at least they should conduct their affair with some integrity and with no pain inflicted to their wives.

Considering my real life experiences either as 'being cheated on' or being 'the other woman', I am actually unqualified to write these guidelines ( as far as I know-). But, during my years as a coffee lounge owner I listened to enough real life break-up stories and I read enough Jackie Collins novels' to know HOW the straying guys get caught.

Therefore, my housewife brain went into overdrive and I came up with these few, but simple guidelines for the cheater or wannabe cheater:

Gentleman, IF YOU DO IT, DO IT RIGHT!

But first of all let me tell you: You should be ashamed of yourself; there is NOTHING extra-ordinary about having an affair! If you are adamant about having 'a woman on the side', at least make sure you

DON'T GET CAUGHT (This is why having á secret affair 'is called secret)!

This involves                                                                                                                                                KISS & DON'T TELL!  Nobody wants to listen to a tattle tale. Haven't you outgrown your bragging stage yet?

Try to keep your 'lady of lust' in the dark about your personal life and who you really are!                                                                                                                                         
 This in turn means your affair doesn't know where you live (remember the movie Fatal Attraction?) , what your telephone number is or how to get hold of you via e-mail.

Make sure your 'side interest' doesn't have any friends, i.e. she can't brag about you!

Destroy all written evidence on paper or on electronic devices. Remember, if your wife does the laundry she will search every pocket of every piece of clothes you own!

If you need to use modern telecommunication devices keep in mind, deleted messages are still traceable. My suggestion for secret communication? Buy yourself a trained, mail pigeon! You only need to explain the arrival of the bird to your wife. I am sure you will find a plausible explanation!



If you mentioned you are going out of town, leave town as promised. You never know if your wife took one innocent look at the mile reader before you departed...

If you are a well known public figure, make sure your other woman lacks ambition. God forbid she would use you for her own personal enrichment. (this is only applicable if you violated rule No.2)

If you are important and interesting to human mankind, start a blog or write an autobiography. If you have more pressing matters to attend to and need a woman to write your biography, make sure she is a) a good writer and b) totally unattractive!



Don't make promises like "I am leaving my wife and kids for you". All hell breaks loose if you don't follow through. We women can be quite persistent and nagging about these issues...

If all this sounds too complicated, follow the advice of our good friend Michel. His philosophy in life is: "Keep it simple, stick with your wife!" ( the one woman only- rule)

Now, most people I know would call this the norm, but for any cheaters or wannabe's this may sound extra-ordinary indeed!

STAYING DEBT- FREE during CHRISTMAS TIME

Is this the impossible task or a mindset?

My legs were begging me "come on, let's move"and my head told me "I need to think about something". Therefore, I went for a run!

It was pouring down with rain, but the small gesture of tying my shoelaces only reconfirms the old saying:  Mind over Matter;  if we really want to do something we will do it -regardless of the circumstance(s)..

Yesterday was Black Friday, the day after American Thanksgiving. Two days ago my new neighbours across the border praised the Lord; Americans were thankful for what they have and were counting their blessings.

Yesterday, Canadians and Americans alike were counting their blessings for the opportunity to purchase consumer items tax free.Yesterday, we were grateful for the invention of credit cards and we praised our banks for their willingness to lend us money.

It is a crazy world we live in: We purchase in the name of 'keeping up appearances', in order to keep our children happy, to look good in front of our neighbours... or for whatever reason we decide to open our wallets for.

The real Christmas frenzy hasn't started yet, but Black Friday is a good indicator of what to expect. Tempted by too many Special Deals and Big Savings for items we don't really need we spend and spend. The sad, but true fact about money is, you can only spend it once! Therefore we should 'hand it over'  wisely. Apparently not so. It is much easier to spend invisible money  (i.e. put it on credit) than real bills and coins because we can't see and feel them.i.e. it is so easy to lose track of expenditures!

As a citizen of the modern world I own both, a credit- and a charge card. And truth to be told, I love them both! But, before I put them to good use I always think of my father. His philosophy on credit cards is:"Only charge what you can afford to pay back straight away. If you can't buy it now, save up for it!"

I like this particular pearl of wisdom from him and live accordingly. The banks don't like me much, but my frugal spending habits have served me and our family well so far.

BUY within your budget. Honestly, how hard is that? Such a simple formula, but so hard to live with!?

Everyday we are listening to radio and TV reports of how much the average US and Canadian citizen spend during the most wondewrful time of the year! There is more spending frenzy between now and Dec. 31 than at any other time of the year and the individual debt is pilling up.

Dominic came home the other day and gave me a big, fat kiss! The kiss was one of relief and happiness. He just listened to another disturbing report on the radio about the hardships individuals are facing when they can't pay off their Christmas debts by next March or April."I am so happy you don't behave like the rest of this continent", refering to my conservative, old-fashioned budgeting.

I liked this spontanuous and small gesture from my husband. And yes, during Black Friday I joined the madness. But, I knew my limit and stayed within it.

Ïf running in the pouring rain is a mindset, so should be  debt-free shopping. Both take discipline and a certain mindset - and this in today's world seems extra-ordinary. Don't you agree?

There Is No Such Thing as a Boring JOB -

It is you who is boring!

Tony Robbins said this! A very long time ago I heard him speaking about the connection between a positive                                                       attitude and enjoyment at work:   "We are in charge of our own job satisfaction and enjoyment at work."                                                                                                                                                                                            I believe him!  Therefore, his pearls of wisdom have been my credo for at least two decades;                                                a mantra to get me through some mind numbing tasks.                                                                                                           As you  know, fame and fortune hasn’t come by - yet!                                                                                                                 The summer job is over and I decided to fill up my bank account doing part time                                                                       work as a “Brand Ambassador”. On Sunday I represented a well-known Canadian drugs company who offers a                                                                     supplement line for women during' different stages in their lives'! Where: A well known Canadian Drugstore                                                                                                                                    Location:   Coquitlam                                                                                                                                                            Time:   Sunday morning 10-2pm                                                                                                                                        Weather condition: Rainy, cold and miserable                                                                                                               Task: To raise awareness among the female shoppers for these supplements! Equipped with my fold-up demonstration table, the store manager                                                                                         positioned me at the corner of the vitamin isle - but somehow I ended up                                                                                  stuck in between the ‘magic-touch nail dryer’ and the new line of gift stockings. I had nine products on offer and a savings initiative of adding 2000 points to the                                                        customer’s shoppers- savings card if they purchase one of the supplements.                                                                       (Canadians love their bonus points! They redeem them for ‘free ‘stuff later on!) I don’t  know if it was the weather, the time of day or the day itself, but hardly                                                                            anybody was around during my 4-hour shift.                                                                                                                        Especially the vitamin aisle was deserted for the longest time! All in all, I feared the worse: Boredom might set in!  Four hours can be a                                                                             very long time if you have nobody to talk to.The voice of Tony became alive in                                                                      my head: “There is no such thing as a boring job. It is up to you to make it interesting!" I  memorized nine different instruction lists, the main ingredient lists and                                                                          benefits of these nine supplement bottles.  I was so focused and so keen to put my                                                                  knowledge to the test that the first question of the day totally caught me off guard:                                                                   “Where do I find the umbrellas please?” My product line is designed to help women to get through the first                                                                                        signs of menopause, helps to relieve symptoms of PMS, enhances sexual desire,                                                                   promotes healthy hair, skin & nails to name a few.                                                                                                               That meant, any men wandering down the aisle were rendered ‘unsuitable’ due to their gender alone. The few teenage girls I saw were still too young to worry about                                                                                             “abnormal cell growth in their breasts”. The ladies of desirable age let me knew that                                                                                                                          ‘they were swallowing way too many pills already’. Or, they knew exactly                                                                               which brand they were looking for and didn’t want to switch                                                                                                  from the known to the unknown. If I didn’t want to experience job boredom and render to the                                                                                                     fact that I am boring, I had to come up with a rescue plan:                                                                                                          I changed my approached and abandoned my post at the                                                                                        vitamin/supplement aisle and moved to the front of the store.                                                                                                Positioned at the corner of 'Beauty' and 'Parfumerie' I handed                                                                                            every 'suitable 'woman a flyer  ("Ï know how to keep a job interesting, I am Not boring”)! I started moving around, changing my position and finally, time went by much faster.                                                                                                                                                                                       And thank God for the elderly gentleman who needed my help to find the                                                                           chips in the long container’. Or the girl who was desperate                                                                                                          to locate digestive cookies, covered in    chocolate.                                                                                                                                                                                        It took all my imagination, creativity, sense of humour                                                                                                      and good attitude to make something extra-ordinary out of this somewhat dire situation!                                                                                                                                                                                      I fought for four hours – and I lost.  But sometimes,                                                                                                                    a woman needs to listen to herself and render to her own judgement:                                                                                         I did my best, I had a good enough time, but still, it was boring!                                                                                             Over the years I discovered that yes, sometimes tasks we are performing are boring!                                                         This is a simple fact of life!                                                                                                                                                   And, it has nothing to do with our attitude towards the job.                                                                                                            Boring is boring!  But I also discovered,                                                                                                                                     'doing a job can be boring, but that doesn't mean I am boring!'

SALMON RUN

All salmon spawn in fresh water, usually in streams. Many salmon, especially Pacific salmon spend their adult lives in the ocean, returning to their native streams to     spawn. Unlike other salmonids, Pacific salmon die after spawning. They are     famous for their ability to home precisely to their place of birth to spawn.I found this at: www.kanada-british-columbia.de/en/salmon_run/index.htm

You most probably know this!                                                                                                                                    As embarrassing as it sounds, I was blissfully ignorant of the spawning habits of Pacific salmon until we moved to British Columbia. Until our relocation, salmon were an expensive delicacy on our dinning plates. Now, with the new gained knowledge I have tremendous respect for these swimming creatures. Today, whenever I eat them I can taste the added flavours of respect, admiration and the slight hint of sadness.

What I want to know is this:  Do the salmon actually know they are going to die after they spawned? Do they know they are paying with their life for ‘reproduction’? Come to think of it, I don’t believe fish rank high on the evolution ladder (dear fishermen or salmon experts, please correct me if I am wrong!). 

Why am I telling you this?                                                                                             This extra-ordinary behaviour is in full swing and it is happening right in front of our door steps!

On our way to school we are walking along the Alouette River.



As soon as we get close to the water our children accuse me of having a ‘gastro-intestine’ problem. How often do I need to say it:” It is not me, it is the fish! The stink comes from their dead bodies, plugged apart by seagulls or left, half eaten, by bears.



Let me take you on a tour to prove my innocence:

The river runs for app. 100 km until it reaches the Pacific Ocean – i.e. for this length the adult fish swim and fight against the current to reach their original “breeding” ground.



This in itself is a major accomplishment. If you add the current heavy rain falls, the thought of swimming against a very heavy current just to spawn is extra-ordinary indeed.





I can’t leave you with the image of dead fish! I will keep it fishy, but will switch from real life to the silver screen: Whenever you feel like having salmon, try this one:

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen:

Full of wicked British humour, spiced with silky smooth Scottish accents, embedded in beautiful scenery!  It is delicious!

WHEN IN SEATTLE, EAT!

Here is my account of our road trip to Seattle. On our quest to take the children places, to widen their horizon and to appreciate city life, we discovered that it is the simple thing that kept our boys happy!

Here we go again: During the recent long weekend we took the opportunity to spice up our‘daily life’ and took our boys across the border to visit Seattle.  We like to describe ourselves as ‘cosmopolitan parents’: “It is our duty to take them places and to let them explore other cultures ( I am not sure if Seattle qualifies)”

If it wouldn’t be for the border control, Seattle is only a hop and skip away from Vancouver (i.e. a two hour car ride).

Seattle, the birthplace of our modern, coffee drinking civilization (i.e. Starbucks)!

[caption id="attachment_313" align="alignright" width="300"] The first ever store![/caption]

Seattle, the home of one of the richest man in the world. The man, who made sure computers are a household item (Microsoft)!

Thanks to the invention of TV shows (in this case I – Carly), our boys were familiar with the city and the Space Needle way before we arrived.



During this recent trip we took the Sumas border-crossing, followed by a beautiful ride through winding, picturesque countryside through rural Washington State. I always ‘make sure’ that our children appreciate the beautiful surroundings they find themselves in. During this trip it somewhat back fired on me: “You always tell us to look at mountains, they all look the same.” Or a better one is: “Everything is beautiful here!”

Can I blame them? Not really. We moved to B.C., one of the greenest, most beautiful places on earth.                                                                                                                                                                               For 15 years now we are in the parent business and we discovered it is much easier to go with the flow and the ever changing times than to bang our head against the wall - wishing the 'good old times back'. Gone are the days when our –now- teenager was happy to draw for hours, play with his Lego blogs or stare out of the window to count cows during a car trip. Nowadays it is the screen in front of them instead of the screen ahead of them which holds their attention. It is the 21th Century and hand held devices rule when it comes to entertaining children during a car trip!

We arrived, fought for a parking spot and started our adventure!

First stop: Pike Market at the Waterfront

[caption id="attachment_315" align="aligncenter" width="150"] A very crowded Saturday[/caption]

It is Saturday and very crowded. We are six, only two of us have a mobile phone and we are all wearing dark jackets - in case of separation we will have a hard time relocation each other again! Needless to say, I love all this hassle and buzzing around me -  our boys couldn't care less. 

If fish throwing, singing fish mongers can’t hold their attention, what can? And guess what? They didn’t appreciate some of the advertising either!



The simple solution to a complex dilemma?   An authentic Gyros Food stall:  Give the children food and they will be happy and contend!

Second stop: Space Needle

It is a 41 second elevator ride to the top of the Space Needle. Once at the top you are rewarded with a 360 - degree panoramic view. This trip alone set us back $120.00! I personally have no problem spending all day at the top to make sure I get enough ‘views for my money’. Unlike our boy. Money doesn't mean anything to them. If this isn't bad enough, five minutes upon arrival and a sprint around the platform we heard the first:”Can we go now?” Followed by a: “Are we done yet?”



Parents can only take so much nagging, so we followed our credo: Go with the flow and give the children what they really want: Food. This time we landed in the massive Food Hall next to the Children’s Museum:  It was MOD Pizza for four of us, Subway for our oldest and Big Food (aka a hot pork sandwich) for Dominic.

Third stop:

With a tummy full of food it is easy to enjoy The International Fountain. The fountain spouts  water to the backdrop of classical music and finishes with a grand finale.  It is simply put, Spectacular!



Fourth stop:

As young as our children are, the already know the universal truth: Goods in the USA are cheaper than in Canada and the choice you have here is much bigger! Therefore, it was enough sightseeing for the day and we headed for the next shopping mall and outlet stores! Let me rephrase this: A nirvana found for parents and kids alike. During the next few hours all we heard was the happy chatting of four happy boys comparing the newest Halo games while trying on Nike shirts or searching for the perfect winter sweat-shirt.

It doesn’t need to be complicated, educational or eye-opening: When it comes to children and being an extra-ordinary parent, we keep it simple: we offer them what they want! Food and outlet stores! Quite simple, really!

There is a Sucker Born every Second

My book has arrived for its first proof read- slowly but surely I am moving towards publication date! It is exciting and very scary indeed. For the previous five months I have been bombarded (I really MEAN bombarded) by US based marketers with their free telesiminars, video calls, and free subscriptions, free listen –ins etc. All in the name of book promotion to the masses! Three hundred million people across the border are reasons enough to listen to the tips and tricks of these master marketers.  I have to know what makes American tick!                                                                                   This is what I learned: By far the most important, single item on the list is to have a good sob-story to share.                                                                                                                              Oh these Americans, they still LOVE the old fashioned “From Rags to Riches” tale.  If you want to connect, to really connect and gain credibility in the American market you should have risen like a phoenix from the ashes – e.g..

Escaped a destructive husband and marriage.

Survived a near fatal car crash.

One should have been broke, bankrupt or nearly broke with maxed out credit cards.

One should have experienced the death of a loved one.

Other good topics are being evicted from the house, become unemployed, lived on the street, being a single parent...

Now I begin to panic:  What happens if you Don’t have a story to tell? What about if your story is about ‘the deep desire to follow your heart', and your only life motto is “to JUST DO IT” (Nike, I love you for this slogan).

Very soon I will find out if  "Only a sad story is a good story” Or if I will stand a chance in the US market with my "happily married, three children, fun life story".  One thing is still for sure, none of these ‘suckers’ will get my money!

My husband is deeply concerned that I will eventually break down and will part with my money to get the help they promised. As I said in blog " Ïmpulsive Decisions, write a book & shrink my waist, I don’t believe in short cuts. In order to reach the No.1 spot on Amazon .com I actually want people around the world to read my book and recommended it to their friends- i.e. the old fashioned way. It may take much longer than any tried and tested road map from Mr. Marketer, but at least it is honest and much cheaper.

On this note I will raise my glass to every wonderful, unique individual out there who prefers to explore the path of the unknown without the help of an expensive guru! The road ahead may be more bumpy, but at least it is your own!

Prost to being extra-ordinary!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOVE IS IN THE AIR

It is official: Our teenage son has a girl-friend! After weeks of speculation, casual remarks about her, several visits to her house and late night text-messaging I finally - officially - met Mystery Girl!

Good Lord, our son has taste! (He probably got that from his father...) She is gorgeous! Everything about her is long: her overall size, her hair and her legs! If this isn’t enough, she seems to be very nice, polite, fun, well brought up and well mannered! It seems to be too good to be true, but pretty and nice can go hand in hand together.

Here I am, home alone with our teenage son and his girl-friend. They went up to his room – and from then onwards, silence! What are they doing? Actually, I leave this to your imagination and mine! I did what (hopefully) every mother would have done: I avoided the upstairs – in fear of being accused to spy on them! Instead of sorting through our laundry upstairs I decided to spent a delightful afternoon on YouTube, searching for the songs which would bring back vivid memories of my first kiss, slow dance and the other innocent, but still slightly naughty things I did when I was a teenager!

What was I worried about? A stolen kiss? Or that little bit more? I don’t really know!  Our teenager is fully aware of the story with the bee and the flower (i.e. reproduction). He spent his first ten years in the Dutch school system. A system were they don’t shy away from graphic illustrations when it comes to sex education and STD.  This country has the lowest pregnancy rate among teenagers in all of Europe! Need I say more?  Honestly, I am pretty sure our son knows more about any of the dating do and don’ts than I ever knew. So if it’s not the S.. I was worried about what was it?

From now on I am the mother of a teenager who has a girl-friend! This is a new step into unknown territory for me!   Am I the only one or do you agree when I say, as a parent you have constantly new territories to conquer? On the other hand, this new job-description is another opportunity to shine as an "extra-ordinary" mother (e.g. don't spy on them).

Finally, after I relived all my first time adventures, the laundry couldn’t wait any longer.  Hesitantly I went upstairs only to realize the couple wasn’t around after all!  At that moment I figured I had to avoid our den. But, I am only human and a woman and my curiosity got the better of me. I went downstairs.

I was prepared for hot flushes and embarrassed looks! But all I could hear was rapid gun fire (good decoy) and laughter. Here they are, in front of our TV screen:  The gorgeous girl-friend was kicking my son’s ass on the Xbox!

So much for my vivid imagination! When I was a teenager we didn’t have electronic devices! We had to entertain ourselves with different objects of desire...

HALLOWEEN 2012

Today was our first TRICK or TREAT PARTY ever!

During the last 12 years in The Netherlands we had to improvise to keep this scary, sweet tradition alive-in the name of my American husband of course!

The Dutch know what Halloween is, but nobody really cares about it!  As soon as our children were old enough to appreciate the sweeter things in life we were off:  Our cars were filled to the rim with dressed up children and we drove around the neighbourhood to our pre-arranged addresses!

Not today! Let me take you on a tour around the neighbourhood and show you what our boys had to deal with: 

This one is quite harmess!

 Fall decoration in front of our house:



Let the fun begin:

Further along the road:You will find lots of skeletons on our Ridge:

If that isn't enough, dead people are hanging everywhere!

Actually not, this is just the spiderweb!Around the corner:

Are they real or not?