The recent discovery of the bodily remains of 215 indigenous children near Kamloops, BC brought back many memories of the summer that I worked in the northernmost part of British Columbia forty years ago. Five out of the six local families were First Nations. I listened to their stories and learned about their culture and hardships of living in remote parts of Canada. I also knew about the forced separations of kids from their families to live in residential schools far away. Some parents hid their children from the Canadian government. I remembered riding on the back of a motorcycle driven by a 14 year old indigenous boy who did not have a birth certificate. In my 18-year old mind, indigenous people are strong yet gentle. I have gained a deep respect for the First Nations Canadians.
So far no details were revealed about the identity of the 215 children. I pray that the identity and cause of death of each child could be sorted out and proper reburials could take place soon. With modern technology, this task should not be too challenging even though many school records are missing or destroyed. The First Nations people have expressed their desire to keep the residential schools standing. Perhaps some of these buildings could be turned into museums so that future generations can learn from this dark chapter in Canadian history how to maintain equality of all cultures in Canada. Multiculturalism can then truly exist in the country. Defacing the statues of historical figures such as John A. Macdonald and Egerton Ryerson does not do anything to rectify their wrongdoings or to change history.
In terms of the atrocities that the residential school students had to face under the administration of the Catholic church, the Pope should apologize to the First Nations families for the prejudice and negligence of the priests and nuns who ran the residential schools. In addition, the church should submit all the records in their possession. It is a common practice for three levels of Canadian government to "contract" out everyday operation of public services e.g. schools, hospitals, housing, etc. to non-profit organizations. More often than not, these NPO's breach the trust that the public has placed in them and mismanage according to their whims. In this case, the abuses these residential school students suffered, were apparently results of the personality flaws of the authoritative figures (priests and nuns).
People in mainstream society worry that there will be a lot of litigations brought forth by admitting to past mistakes. However, we must realize that reconciliation and moving forward can only start by uncovering the truth, acknowledging and apologizing to wrongdoings. To all the children who suffered and/or passed away in residential schools, I offer you my heart and tears. May all these young, innocent souls rest in peace.
My usual practice is to compose a yearly review in the last few days of a year but I have decided to write my review earlier this time around. 2020 is a memorable year for most people around the world, better be gone and forgotten. The Covid 19 pandemic has turned life upside down for a great multitude of people since mid-March. My daily routine did not change much except for the 3.5 months that I stayed in the Philippines during the lockdown. Well, there is a first for everything.
Fireworks at the Dubai Mall for the New Year countdown
I celebrated the birth of 2020 in Dubai, U.A.E. My visit in the country was pretty unremarkable until I met a local man in Al Ain. I spent a couple of hours in his farm in the oasis. I learned so much about the culture of UAE from him and experienced Arab hospitality.
In Al Ain Oasis
The late Sultan of Oman passed away on the day that I arrived in the border town, Burami. The country was then in public morning for the following days, and everything was closed. If it were not for the Pakistanis and Indians residing there, I would starve and die out of thirst in the first week there. LOL Out of the many places that I visited in Oman, the Sunday market in Nizwa stood out the most. It is the kind of authentic experience that I would not experience elsewhere in the world.
Animal auction at Nizwa Market
Pakistan was the next country that I visited. By then, there were more news about rapid spread of Covid 19 outside China. International travel was still business as usual and I thought I would be able to complete my itinerary by April 22nd. The obstacles in my Pakistani visit were of a different nature. Budget accommodations are very limited and so is intercity transportation. However, I managed to visit all the UNESCO sites in Pakistan in the alloted time. My most memorable experience has to be Mohenjodaro. It was the first time that I was accompanied by an armed policeman throughout the duration of my visit in an archaeological site.
A group selfie with my tuk-tuk driver and armed policeman in Mohenjodaro.
My visit to Myanmar was remarkable even though there are many similarities between Thai and Burmese temples. Many people raved about Bagan. But I really liked Mandalay and particularly enjoyed my stay there. When I was visiting the reconstructed Mandalay Palace, I felt like I was time-transported back 200 years ago. I was at ease with my surroundings even though it was scorching hot.
My favourite selfie at the Mandalay Palace
Before flying off to the Philippines, I made a detour in Thailand to visit River Kwai in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. Crossing the land border into Thailand from Myanmar made me realize that Covid 19 had turned into a pandemic. I witnessed a Japan tourist being detained at Thai Customs when his body temperature was higher than the acceptable 37.5 C. By the time that I got to Don Muang Airport in Bangkok in a couple of days, many international flights were cancelled. I was given a face mask by a stranger at the Don Muang International Airport.
At the Kuala Lumpur Airport on March 15, while waiting for the connecting flight to Yangon, I learned that Philippine President Duterte had just announced that Luzon would be under a lockdown for a month. The staff at Air Asia told me that my flight was not cancelled and I would be allowed to enter the Philippines if I did not come from China, Italy or other outbreak countries. I took the flight to Manila and was instructed to go to my reserved accommodations right away. I was not allowed to take a flight to other islands until further notice. I was told by my host that people would not be allowed to go outside except to the supermarket or pharmacy starting on March 16. There was a curfew from 8 pm to 6 am. The streets of Manila were empty.
All my subsequent and rebooked flights were cancelled. In the first week of the lockdown, most of my waking hours were spent calling airlines, banks, travel agencies and accommodations. Nobody knew when I could fly out of the Philippines or receive the refunds. When things started to settle, I formed a support group on Facebook. For three months, I prayed the rosary every day and tried to help stranded Canadians to return to Canada. When limited public transportation became available in early June, I took the LRT and MRT and visited several places in metro Manila. The most memorable visit has to be the old city centre, Intramuros.
Intramuros, Manila is full of Spanish colonial structures.
After the 14 day of quarantine, I moved to my current home in July. Many international students and working holiday visitors had returned to their home countries by that time. Finding a decent place to live in Vancouver was relatively easy this time. During the summer months, there were very few new cases in British Columbia. However, I chose to stay inside and learn how to cook even though there were no health restrictions. I have mastered a few dishes that I thought I would never be able to make from scratch. I also sewed a couple dresses by hand. I had plans to form an NGO to help eradicate extreme poverty in developing countries but once again these plans were put on hold. Instead I am all caught up on old TV shows and movies that I did not get to watch for the past ten years. LOL
By early November, the second wave of the pandemic arrived in Canada with a vigor. There were numerous health restrictions. Even there was no lockdown in Vancouver, people were told to stay home as much as possible. Non essential businesses were closed by Christmas. The new normal is wearing a face mask in public places and carrying bottle of hand sanitizer in my purse at all times. Starting next year, I would also be carrying a reusable shopping sac because one-time shopping bags are banned in Canada starting Jan 1, 2021. I prayed for a white Christmas but got a soggy Christmas. 2020 had been unpredictable from beginning to end.
According to Wikipedia, The name Pakistan literally means "land of the pure" in Urdu and Persian. It alludes to the word پاک (pāk), meaning "pure" in Persian and Pashto. The suffix ـستان (-stān) is a Persian suffix meaning the place of, and also recalls the synonymous (and cognate) Sanskrit word स्थान (sthāna).
Before I start describing my experience during my nineteen day visit in Pakistan, I would like to present a map of Pakistan. Other than having conflicts with India over Kashmir, Pakistan is generally on good terms with its neighbours - Iran, Afghanistan, India and China. People think of Pakistan as a Taliban stronghold since 911. I saw no evidence of that opinion.
As of March 6th, 2020, the government of Canada has the following travel advisory: PAKISTAN - AVOID NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL
Avoid non-essential travel to Pakistan with exceptions (see below). The security situation is unpredictable. There is a threat of terrorist attacks, kidnapping and sectarian violence. Regional advisory - Avoid all travel Avoid all travel to : - the area within 10 km of all international borders, except the Wagah official border crossing point - the Kashmir region, including Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan - the province of Balochistan and its capital city, Quetta - the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, including Swat, the city of Peshawar, Khyber, North Waziristan and South Waziristan Safety and security situation Islamabad - Exercise a high degree of caution Exercise a high degree of caution in Islamabad due to the threat of terrorism.
Map of Pakistan
In planning my visit, I tried to avoid all the "problematic" areas mentioned in the travel advisory. Fortunately none of the six UNESCO sites in Pakistan is located in any of these regions.
My e-Visa for Pakistan was literally granted to me at the 11th hour after I shouted at the staff at the Pakistani Embassy in Muscat, Oman and publicly announced on Facebook that I would not be visiting Pakistan ever, on the day prior to my scheduled flight from Muscat to Karachi. If my e-Visa was not sent to me at 2:11 am on Jan 28th, I probably would have missed out on an opportunity to explore a young nation with a very long history.
How do you get around in Pakistan? If you are a driver from the UK or Australia, it would be easy because you can hire a rental car and get to different parts of the country using the extensive network of tolled highways and freeways. Or if you enjoy train travel like I do, trains are a more affordable option, especially during winter time when air-conditioning is not necessary. The least preferred option is the intercity coaches because of their unreliable schedules. If you are flexible, traveling in minibuses and vans would give you ample opportunities to mingle with the locals and save you money. Some young travelers even hitchhiked between cities in Pakistan.
What surprised me was the lack of public buses in urban areas except in Karachi. Tuks-tuks are still the major means of transportation in both cities and towns. There are regular taxis in addition to shared vehicles using cell phone apps such as Uber, Careem, Swvl, etc. It was rather amusing to see elderly men booking Careem rides on their phones which they they barely use 10% of the functions. Technology is playing an important role in their daily life. I recommend that visitors purchase a local SIM card for 200 PKR (1.5 USD). Data rates with different duration periods are very affordable. It would only make your Pakistani visit that much easier.
Get ready to feel like a celebrity when you are visiting touristy places. Pakistani love to take selfies with foreigners. I remember how happy a young mother became when she suddenly took the space next to me outside Badshahi Mosque in Lahore Fort. She totally forgot about her crying baby for a few moments. After taking dozens of pics with her cell phone, I tried to take a selfie using my cell phone and she stopped me. When I promised her not to post it online, she agreed to have one selfie with me. Later someone explained to me that it is not customary for Pakistanis to post their photos on social media. Respect their privacy and do not post photos of people without their permission.
A selfie with my guide at Faisal Mosque in Islamabad
If you are interested in visiting UNESCO sites in Pakistan, be prepared for police escort at all times when you don't have a guide. An armed policeman escorted me the whole morning during my visit to Mohenjo-Daro. Even though many foreigners have visited these sites before, local governments are worried for the safety of the international visitors. I don't think you would be robbed or kidnapped; it is more likely that you could trip over a stone and hurt yourself. Because most of these sites are in rural areas, there are panhandlers especially near the entrance and exit. These panhandlers usually target wealthy local tourists and foreigners.
I only stayed in three cities - Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore. I had to stay in a hotel in Karachi for my first night in Pakistan, and then another night in Larkana during my visit to Mohenjo-Daro. There are no hostels, guesthouses or pensions for the budget travelers. Airbnb has just started in major cities. Hosts are learning the about the hospitality business along the way. In comparison to other Asian countries, Pakistan does not have a plan to handle massive tourism. As it stands, budget travelers are less likely to choose Pakistan because of the much higher accommodation costs.
Having talked about the not-so-appealing points about traveling in Pakistan as an independent traveler, I would highly recommend Pakistan to any adventurous travelers. I can guarantee you that your Pakistani experience would be unique. Even though I did not visit northern parts of Pakistan, I believe their majestic mountains and glaciers could be compared to that of the Rockies in Canada and the mountains in New Zealand from the numerous YouTube videos that I watched. What I am most impressed with Pakistan is the warmth of its people and their sincere desire to connect with the visitors. Often the locals would take the initiative to start a conversation with me just to find out what I think of their country.
The Boyz and I at Takht Bhai Buddhist Ruins
Visit Pakistan, the place of unspoiled beauty, inhabited by people of pure hearts at the crossroads of ancient civilizations before everyone else finds out about this mysterious country.
I started 2019 in the idyllic island nation of Cape Verde in West Africa. Then something unthinkable happened in Senegal the next day; my cell phone was stolen in the Dakar Airport on January 2nd. Though there were cheaper versions of smartphones on sale in West Africa, I opted not to buy a replacement one in Africa because of their poor quality. During the subsequent three months, I had to depend on an outdated Lonely Planet guidebook and verbal instructions of locals to make my way through West Africa.
My journey from Senegal to Ghana was nothing short of an adventure movie script. Many a times the sceneries were so extraordinary. The sunsets and sunrises were phenomenal.
Sunset in Touba Kouta, Senegal
West Africans would often say to me, "Mama, Africa is suffering." I would just nod in agreement and reply, "I know and I am suffering with Africa." Life is what you make out of it. African children are eternally joyful. I met a number of them in Guinea and Ivory Coast. They are my inspirations.
At a catholic mass in Grand Bassam, Ivory Coast.
Just when I thought my journey would be less challenging when I reached Accra, Ghana at the end of February, I contracted a life-threatening bacterial infection in my right foot on March 8th. The prognosis was not good in the first week because the infection was taking place at an alarmingly fast rate. I thought I would die in a Ghanaian public hospital on March 13th after 32 hours of receiving no medication. But I survived! Subsequently I braved a 28-hour trip back to Vancouver on March 24th with a plane ticket that I purchased around Christmas 2018.
I was seen by several Infectious Diseases doctors at two different hospitals in Vancouver. They could not come up with a definite diagnosis. The treatments were trial and error. Fortunately, after a surgeon accidentally removed all the infected and scarred tissues on my calf during a biopsy, the debrided wound began to close. I think I have contracted Necrotizing Fasciitis (flesh eating disease). Walking long distances for extended periods of time seemed impossible even at the end of July when I bought the plane ticket to go to Malta. The wound care nurses advised me that I should not walk than 10,000 steps a day until the wound is totally closed. I have allowed for extra time for each country on this journey to avoid complications.
Two days after the Federal election in Canada, I embarked on my Around the Tropic of Cancer journey. The first countries were relatively uneventful. Malta is very Baroque. Cyprus is a little more difficult to get around during the off season.
Valletta, the capital of Malta.
Before going to my next country, Lebanon at the end of November, I had alternative plans in case the demonstrations got out of control. I even had plans of spending Christmas in the Holy Land. In the end, I stayed in Lebanon for 32 days until I was due to fly out to Dubai. In the first week of my visit, I spoke to many young people in Beirut and asked them to act rationally, and to avoid another civil war in Lebanon.
On December 21st, after the visit to Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, I found myself stranded at the hilltop. The cable cars had stopped at 5 PM and there was no taxi. I made a conscious decision of walking all the way down to the highway to catch a bus ride back to Beirut. It was a 1.5 hour walk (25,000 steps) and for the most part no lighting on the road. It was very symbolic, just like what the Lebanese people are going through at the moment. The path was very dark. I pray that the Lebanese people would have the faith to rely on Divine Providence. They will overcome all the obstacles with God's help.
I am going to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks at Dubai Mall tomorrow to finish off an eventful year. May 2020 be more peaceful for all the people around the world.
On September 23rd, 2019, I watched a YouTube video of Greta Thunberg delivering a speech regarding the Climate Change Crisis to world leaders at the United Nations Assembly. For the following five days, I would post a note on Facebook everyday telling Greta what I did that day to rectify the situation. Here are the notes: Sept 23 Dear Greta, When I was doing my daily walk an hour ago, I saw a 500 ml water bottle on the sidewalk. It was wet and muddy but I picked it up. When I got home, I rinsed the bottle and put it in the recycling bin. There is a plastic re-purposing plant in Vancouver. I know one less plastic bottle would go to the landfill. Sept 24 Dear Greta, This morning I called my bank up and requested an address change. When the rep asked me if there was anything else that he could help me with, I replied with a question. "Is there any way that I could receive all the annual reports electronically?' He said to me, "It would cost you to opt out of the mailing list but there is no guarantee that you will never receive printed materials from us again." After 30 minutes of very heated discussion, I still opted out. I am sorry that I could not stop the bank from printing my copy of their annual report which is readily available on the bank's website. Sept 25 Dear Greta, As I was getting out of the house for my daily walk today, I saw my neighbour. We waved at each other. I asked where she was going because she was sitting in the driver seat in her car. She told me she was going to the bakery to pick up a birthday cake for her grandson. I told her that I was heading that way and could pick up the cake for her. The bakery is only 1.5 km away. I reduced a bit of CO2 emission and fossil fuel consumption today. Sept 26 Dear Greta, This morning I visited my grandfather's grave. I brought a pot of chrysanthemums to visit him. The cemetery does not allow artificial flowers except for Christmas wreaths during the holiday season. Knowing that cut flowers are grown in heated greenhouses, I purchased the potted mums this time because they are grown in unheated hothouses. I shook off some of the soil and put the flowers with roots into the bronze vase and recycled the plastic pot. Sept 27 Dear Greta, I used to buy packaged baked goods. Those clear plastic containers are pretty but bad for the environment. Today I made a dozen cheese scones from ingredients that I bought in bulk. There is a store in Vancouver that sells food stuff by bulk only. Customers would have to bring containers and bags to carry their groceries. We can save a lot of resources (paper, plastic, metal and glass) by eliminating packaging for all dry goods. Sept 28 Dear Greta, The Climate Strike week has come and gone. I hope your message would remain in people's conscience for a long time. As an adult, I apologize for not being able to pass the environment to you and your generation in the same condition that I found it 57 years ago. Don't despair; there is still hope if people are more conscious of their lifestyles and change their ways of handling resources. Love, Rowena
Last summer I quit Facebook cold turkey after getting fed up with online social media and developing an addiction to checking news feed constantly. I lived happily in the real world for about four months before I reactivated my account. I had to join a FB group to get up-to-date information and advice for my West African journey. I am once again active in social media. But I am a bit smarter this time. I would use social media as a platform to educate and to change mindsets in addition to sharing my travel photos and experiences.
Recently I did a series on Eradicating Poverty on Facebook. I am going to copy and paste the posts into this blog and hopefully create the first ever multi-media post on blogger. Here it goes:
Day 1 For the next week, I am going to post ways to eradicate poverty. This issue has been on my mind for a long time. I don't have solutions to the problem yet; however, by going through the discovery process, hopefully we will be inspired to do something about it.
Douglas Kruger is a South African author whom I recently discovered on YouTube. He is a very convincing speaker. I also like the topic he writes about - Getting out of Poverty. He tackles the issue at a micro level. By changing our mindset, we can escape poverty. Today I bring forth two of his principles:
1) Raise your personal value
2) Repay trust with ''Excellence''
Day 2 Eradicating Extreme Poverty on a Global Scale
Dr. Rosling was an expert in presenting data, even meta-data. This 5 minute video clip does not tell us how to eradicate extreme poverty; however, it certainly makes the task not so daunting. Unfortunately, Dr. Rosling passed away in February 2017.
Day 3 Eradicating Poverty through Sustainable Development
Back in 2015, the United Nations announced its goal of eradicating poverty worldwide by 2030. How could we eliminate poverty in fifteen years? The old model of foreign aid has been gradually replaced by sustainable development. I am sure you would have heard about SUSTAINABILITY. But what is it exactly? The following clip provides a very basic explanation of sustainable development.
Day 4 Eradicating Poverty - Defining Poverty Line
In October 2015, the World Bank updated the international poverty line, a global absolute minimum, to $1.90 a day.
To me, $1.90 USD a day makes no sense and is an arbitrary figure. I have visited countries which are in the Top 10 Countries with the Lowest GDP per capita. I would think food cost would be much lower so that most of the working class would be able to afford basic necessities. That is often not the case.
For example, in a medium size city in Ethiopia, a hotel clerk earns $120 USD a month. He could barely provide food for himself, his younger brother and grandmother living in his grandmother's house outside the city. He could not even afford bus fare and walks to work six days a week. He supplements the household income by selling gadgets and working as a local guide in his spare time. His grandmother grows vegetables for their own consumption in front of her house. Meanwhile, the cheapest room in the hotel is $40 USD per night.
One day last summer in Vancouver while waiting for the bus, I had a conversation with a new Canadian who was also waiting for the bus. He works part-time as kitchen help in a restaurant and gets paid minimum wage. After payroll deductions and taxes, his monthly disposable income is roughly $750 USD a month. He pays $400 USD for a room in a shared house. His biggest and only entertainment is talking to his wife and children on Skype. He scrambles to send $100 USD to his family in El Salvador every month.
In a rural setting, basic survival is more about having clean drinking water and proper shelter. Subsistence farming would provide food for the villages. $1.90 might just be enough to live by...
Day 5 - A Case study: Zero Poverty 2020
A plan to eradicate poverty in the municipality of Concepcion, Iloilo in the Philippines was launched in August 1999. The following link is a short summary of the results of the initiative. The plan was executed in a top-down approach with emphasis on population control and changing mindsets.
Today, Concepcion, Iloilo is a tourist attraction with many resorts. Its residents enjoy a much higher standard of life though a second coal-fired power generation plant is in the works. Is it urban development that has gone wrong? You'd be the judge. I hope to visit the place in my upcoming journey and see for myself.
Day 6 - Alleviating Poverty Through Entrepreneurship
After the basic needs (such as food and shelter) are met, we should consider ways of improving the local economy to create and maintain sustainable development. Do not underestimate the power of street vendors. I am going to illustrate my point with a couple of examples.
While trying to find some lotion for my bedbug bites in Gabu, Guinea-Bissau, I had a conversation with a store owner who sells plastic household items imported mainly from China. He told me that a big part of his business comes from his "mobile sellers". These people would visit nearby villages with his merchandise regularly. Even though the profit margin is not that great, these sellers do make a good living. At the same time, they are also providing an invaluable service to the villagers because the paths in between are not particularly easy to travel in, and often people have to walk 20 kms or more return trip to get a few items from town.
When I was visiting Goree Island in Senegal, I noticed that souvenir shops and art galleries are everywhere on the island. They were mostly empty and the storekeepers would be aggressively soliciting business on the streets. There were only two fruit carts in the town square. They were both manned by older ladies. They had so much business that they did not have to sell for more than four or five hours a day. These ladies make enough money to send their grandchildren to school.
I always "preach" to the vendors in developing countries. Sell what people need and try to sell something different from time to time. Now, I ask the customers to buy local, and from small vendors. When traveling, I always eat local food and buy from street vendors.
Day 7 Eradicating Poverty - Some final words.
Poverty is a worldwide issue. There are some exceptions but not many. As with any other mega issues, there are no one-size-fits-all solutions. Often the rectification process would have to be tweaked to make the results jive with the ever-changing environment.
In the more developed countries where there is a high level of infrastructure, socio-economic and political stability and automation, wealth distribution is transforming from a bell-shaped curve to a bipolar distribution. The size of the middle class is shrinking rapidly. As the median age of the general population in developed countries increases, the need to replenish the work force also increases. Human ingenuity to re-invent ways of doing things and maintaining sustainable development might be the key to eradicate urban poverty. The top-down approach would be more suitable.
In the developing countries where there is less infrastructure, more political instability and an agriculture-based economy, improving the standard of basic needs such as food supply and living conditions is paramount. In statistical terms, we would try to shift the bell curve to the right. The median age of the population is much lower than that of the developed countries. Therefore, education is the key to developing sustainable development. The bottom-up approach would be more suitable and escaping from poverty happens at the micro level.
As I mentioned on Day 1, I don't have a particular set of solutions to eradicate poverty. I welcome your comments and opinions.
According to Wikipedia, "...In the 21st century, Chinese immigration from Hong Kong has dropped sharply and the largest source of Chinese immigration (to Canada) is now from Mainland China." These new Chinese-Canadians tend to concentrate in Toronto and Vancouver. More often than not, the parents would buy big houses and expensive cars in the cities for their "only" children so that they could go to high schools or post-secondary institutions in Canada. The parents would return to China and periodically come back to Canada to visit their offspring. These young Chinese people are usually spoiled by their parents and expect to be treated like royalty by others . They have little or no morals or ethics. They have no respect for laws and rules. I am going to share my personal experiences with four of these Chinese princes and princesses of Vancouver. One summer afternoon three years ago, I was walking on a major street in Richmond, a suburb heavily populated by Chinese immigrants. A Ferrari sped by, almost running over a mom pushing a stroller on the pedestrian crosswalk. A police car was approaching from the opposite direction and managed to pull the Ferrari over to the curb. When I passed by the two cars, the policeman stood next to the Ferrari, trying to issue an infraction ticket for speeding and dangerous driving to the young Chinese man driving the Ferrari. That young man could not be more than eighteen years old. While the policeman was writing out the ticket, the young chatted nonchalantly on his cell phone as if nothing wrong happened. A few years ago, I volunteered to do translation for a study on the Diet Habits of Chinese Diabetic Patients. The medical student, that was hired as the research assistant for the study, is a girl from Shanghai, China. This young woman has no work ethics and is egotistical. She would make me do her work. When I confronted her with this issue, she retaliated by not reimbursing me the bus fares which include a monthly bus pass and single bus tickets in the amount of $120 CAD. She created her own rules for the transcription of the interviews and got away not paying me a single penny, claiming that I did not comply to her rules. When I expressed my displeasure, she just smirked at me. A couple weeks ago, one of my roommates hit me with her fist when we got into a heated disagreement. Her family immigrated to Canada a few years ago but she would not stay in the house that her parents bought because she did not want to be under the watch of her relatives and grandparents. Like some youngsters, she is messy and does not clean up after herself. Instead of using the doorbell, she kicks the front door when she locks herself out. She swears and lies often. To end my blog on a high note, I would you tell you the story of Victor. This story also took place three years ago in Richmond. I was supposed to attend an orientation meeting for volunteers for an annual event. I was walking in circles at the wharf for twenty minutes, trying to find the meeting place. A young Chinese man came to my rescue. His name is Victor; he was also looking for the meeting place. Eventually, his parents had to drive us to the other end of the dock. Victoria immigrated into Canada in 2011 and landed in a small town in Nova Scotia. There were hardly any Chinese immigrants in that part of Canada. The family learned to speak English and integrated into mainstream society in no time. They moved to Vancouver in 2015 only because Victor was accepted into UBC. His parents could not bear to be separated from their only son. Victor is a well-mannered, bilingual young man who likes to give back to the community. In my eyes, he is a true Prince of Vancouver.
