Spring just around the corner!!

It is March, and for the first time in ages, we can feel the warmth of the sun and walk outside without all those layers!! The bikers are out, in their leather gear and loud engines, the snow is melting and people are out in t-shirts. What a drastic change in just three days.

In the news for the last week has been the Canadian National Anthem, and should the Government change some of the wordings in it. During the Winter Olympics, Canada won 14 gold medals, which means that the anthem was played that many times. Later, people wrote in to newspapers saying that their young daughters wanted to know, why the anthem mentioned 'sons' and not 'daughters'. The offending line was “in all thy sons command”, and they wanted it changed to "in thou dost us command”. But after many debates, angry letters and loud opinions on television, Prime Minister Stephen Harper tabled the idea.

Other than, the housing market seems to be on a high here in Canada, with a 77% increase in home sales compared to last year at the same time. The average price of a home is also up by 19%.

Next week the schools close for Spring Break. Tons of activities going on around the city at that time, from ice skating classes to tennis lessons and soccer camps. Also, daylight savings time!!

More next week. Let me know if there is anything in specific you would like to know!

Nal

Go Team Canada - Go Canada Go!!!!!!!!

It has been an amazing two weeks of an extremely successful Olympics for Canada, I must say!! From screams of 'Go, Canada Go' to people everywhere wearing Red and White colours, to 'Canada' written all over any kind of clothing........the spirit, patriotism and pride of a Country was practically in your face for two weeks. And what a glorious two weeks it has been!

Canada finished third in the overall ranking, behind the US and Germany, but if you ask any Canadian, they will tell you that after beating the US in BOTH women's and men's hockey, that they came out the winners!

14 Gold medals, more than any other host country for any Winter Olympics before 2010. That is just awesome! Today, most of Canada was sitting on the edge of their seats, watching the men's hockey finals. At one point, the US and Canada were both neck and neck with two goals each, and then at the last second possible, Sidney Crosby scored the third goad for Canada. The entire Country erupted in unision..........screaming with joy....that the impossible had finally become possible. (Like India playing Pakistan in a cricket finals!!)

It is late, just watching the Closing ceremony. Will fill you in tomorrow and add some pictures at this spectacular finale of a truly memorable Winter Olympic Games!

We're up to 7 golds and counting!! Canada in fourth place right now.

The Olympics took a back seat this week for many Canadians who got hit with two days of continuous snow, and another three more days to go. So instead of watching the Olympics on t.v or reading the newspaper, most people were out shoveling snow and cleaning their car windows! Also, driving anywhere took longer because of the slippery roads and iced road conditions.

Canada is doing pretty well considering the odds when they first started. In fourth place, ahead of Russia is something to cheer, although the US seems to be way ahead in the medal tally. Doesn't look like there are enough medals left now to catch up!!

The biggest medals left now are of course the men's and woman's hockey finals. The woman's team made the finals and will be playing the US. The men still have to qualify. I'll keep you posted on what is happening.

One really interesting piece of news that I'm sure every Indian knows already is that Sachin Tendulkar became the first person to get 200 runs in a one day international cricket tournament!!! It was so awesome to see him cross that line and get that run.....then to have him later dedicate it to the Country. Congrats Sachin from all Indo-Canadians too!!

Canada is up to Four Golds!!!

Jon Montgomery

We have a new hero in Canada today!!!

Jon Montgomery claimed victory in the men's skeleton event on Friday night. He says his gold is "Canada's medal." Jon is a 30 year old used car salesman from Manitoba, Canada.

Jon's win is the second straight victory in men's skeleton for Canada at the Winter Games. Duff Gibson won the event at the Turin Olympics four years ago.

Canada is in fourth place with four gold medals, three silver and one bronze.

First Canadian Woman to win a Gold Olympic Medal on homeland!!

Canada's Maelle Ricker - Gold Medalist 2010 Olympics!!

Canadian Maelle Ricker won the first ever Gold Medal by a female athlete during a winter Olympic games on Canadian soil for Snowboard Cross!!

It was really exciting to watch and the expressions on the faces of the spectators was just priceless when they realized that she had won.

Keep reading this blog for updated information on how the Canadian and Indian athletes are doing.

Moving to Canada? Start reading my blog from the July 2008 posts.

Many readers keep asking me about the schools, how to find a house, and other questions relating to things I've written all about in my earlier posts. If you are moving to Canada, I suggest you start reading the posts, basically 'backwards', starting from July 2008.

If you see the right hand side of the blog and scroll down, you will find the calendar year and click on 2008. Then click on July. You will find information on everything from what you need for school admissions, school rankings and what to look for when buying or renting a house.

This month I know of four readers who are moving and making the final 'landing' to Canada. I wish them all the best and hope they like it here as much as we do!

Medals so far

Day five of the Olympics and so far the medals table looks like this:


USA 2 gold 2 silver 4 bronze

Germany 1 3 1

France 2 0 2

Canada 1 2 1

Switzerland 3


With many more events to go, we'll keep watching the scoreboard closely to see if Canada can rise up the ranks. (Which I'm pretty sure they'll do!!)

Discovered on YouTube and showcased to the world during the Olympics!

Shane Koyczan

Shane until the Olympics was an ordinary guy who wrote poems. Then he was discovered on YouTube and asked to say his poem during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. It was the highlight to many Canadians, and with that, Shane became an over night sensation! Here is his poem:

A transcript of Shane Koyczan's poem, "We Are More," as delivered during the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games:

"Define Canada

You might say the home of the Rocket

Or The Great One

Who inspired little No. 9s and little No. 99s

But we're more than just hockey and fishing lines

Off of the rocky coast of the Maritimes

And some say what defines us

Is something as simple as 'please' and 'thank you'

And as for 'you're welcome,' well, we say that, too

But we are more than genteel or civilized

We are an idea in the process of being realized

We are young, we are cultures strung together then woven into a tapestry

And the design is what makes us more than the sum totals of our history

We are an experiment going right for a change

With influences that range from A to Zed

And yes, we say 'Zed' instead of 'Zee'

We are the brightness of Chinatown and the laughter of Little Italy

We dream so big that there are those

Who would call our ambition an industry

Because we are vineyards of good year after good year

We reforest what we clear

Because we believe in generations beyond our own

Knowing now that so many of us

Have grown past what we used to be

We can stand here today

Filled with all the hope people have

When they say things like 'someday'

Because we are more

Than a laundry list of things to do and places to see

More than hills to ski

Or countryside ponds to skate

We are the abandoned hesitation of all those who can't wait

We are first-rate greasy spoon diners and healthy living cafes

A country that is all the ways you choose to live

A nation that can give you variety

Because we are choices

We are millions upon millions of voices

Shouting, keep exploring

We are more

We are the surprise the world has in store for you, it's true

Canada is the 'what' in 'what's new'

So don't let your luggage define your travels

Each life unravels differently

And experiences are what make up

The colours of our tapestry

We are the true North

Strong and free

And what's more

Is that we didn't just say it

We made it be"

Canada wins its first ever Home Won Gold!!! Bilodeau makes history!!

Alexandre Bilodeau carved his way into Canadian history Sunday at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

The 22-year-old from Rosemère, Que., became the first Canadian to win an Olympic gold medal at home, finishing first in the men's moguls skiing final at Cypress Mountain.

No Canadians won gold at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal or the 1988 Winter Games in Calgary. Over 500 Canadian athletes had missed reaching the podium's peak on home soil and Canada had been the only multiple Olympic host never to win gold at home. So you can imagine the pressure that Vancouver was under!!

Until Bilodeau won gold yesterday!!

The opening ceremony opened with a bang leaving everyone who watched with wonderment and excitement over what was to come. Well let me tell you, that the pas two days of events like the ski-jump, luge and the 10km Cross Country has been nothing short of exhilarating to watch!

Skiing - a sport that has speed, tremendous expertise, skill and sometimes even spills.....adds to the thrill of watching a sport like that either live or on t.v.

The day before, all of Canada watched as the country just missed it's first Olympic gold on home ground. Jenn Heil came in second on the short downhill ski run, winning the Silver medal while her American rival, Hannah Kearney won the Gold.

So with the first Gold won, it can only go uphill from here on the medal tally.....

Go Canada!!

Feb 13th at the Winter Olympics

Spectacular opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics that started Feb 12th 2010

The Medals of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics

The Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympics

Yesterday, at 6pm Pacific time, the Opening Ceremony started with the singing of the National Anthem of Canada in front of 60,000 people at the indoor stadium, and millions watching on t.v.

The opening ceremony for the 2010 Winter Olympics began on a somber note Friday night as members of the delegation from Georgia mourned the loss of one of their fellow athletes, who died earlier in the day, in an accident at the Luge site where he was practicing for his event.

The seven-athlete delegation, wearing black armbands for 21 year old Nodar Kumaritashvili, entered the stadium to a standing ovation.

"The whole Olympic family is struck by this tragedy, which clearly casts a shadow over these Games," International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge said.

The ceremony then went on to lively performances from Canada's indigenous people, who danced throughout the lengthy introductions of the delegations from the 82 competing nations.

A high-flying snowboarder opened the ceremonies by jumping through a giant set of Olympic rings, prompting roars from the crowd inside the domed stadium -- a first for a Winter Games.

The crowd erupted when Canadian speed skater Clara Hughes, carrying the Canadian flag, led her team into the arena. The Canadians hope to top the medal tally at these games, and count on winning gold in both men's and women's hockey, the country's favorite sport.

After a tribute to the athletes, sung by Canadians Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado, the ceremony turned into a technological spectacle celebrating the country's diversity and natural beauty. More than 100 screens around the stadium projected video and images to turn the venue into a re-creation of Canada's constellations, oceans, rivers and forests.

Singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan, a British Columbia resident, sang as members of the Alberta Ballet danced among holographic images of the huge trees of an old growth forest.

There was a mechanical glitch when four Canadian sports legends tried to light the Olympic cauldron. Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, speed skating hero Catriona LeMay Doan, NBA star Steve Nash and alpine ski star Nancy Greene each were supposed to light one beam of the structure and then watch the flames rise to meet in the cauldron. But one beam failed to emerge from the floor of BC Place, the first indoor arena to host the opening ceremony.

A second cauldron, near Coal Harbour, was lit because the indoor caldron was too hot for a closed arena.

It is going to be exciting to see which countries win those medals. Keep reading my posts for the latest!!

The Winter Olympics is finally here!!

Part of the opening ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver!

The Official 2o1o Olympic Logo

The Ilanaaq (stone carving meaning 'friend') after which the Olympic Logo was made.

The three Olympic mascots of the 2010 Winter Games

The 2010 Winter Olympics logo was unveiled on April 23, 2005, and is named Ilanaaq the Inunnguaq. Ilanaaq is the Inuit word for friend. The logo is based on the Inukshuk (stone landmark or cairn) built for the Northwest Territories Pavilion at Expo 86 and donated to the City of Vancouver after the event. It is now used as a landmark on English Bay Beach.

The mascots for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games were introduced on November 27, 2007. Inspired by traditional First Nations creatures, the mascots include:

• Miga — A mythical sea bear, part orca and part kermode bear.
• Quatchi — A sasquatch, who wears boots and earmuffs.
• Sumi — An animal guardian spirit who wears the hat of the orca whale, flies with the wings of the mighty Thunderbird and runs on the strong furry legs of the black bear.
• Mukmuk — A Vancouver Island marmot.

Miga and Quatchi are mascots for the Olympic Games, while Sumi is the mascot for the Paralympic Games. Mukmuk is considered a sidekick, not a full mascot.

The Torch from Turin, Italy 2006 Winter Olympics

Todays events:

Feb. 12, 10:00- Ski Jumping - NH Individual Qualification Round

Feb. 12, 18:00- General - Opening Ceremony

Feb. 13, 9:45- Ski Jumping - NH Individual 1st Round

Medal Event Feb. 13, 10:45- Ski Jumping - NH Individual Final Round

Everybody knows about the Summer Olympics in countries like India and the Middle East, but don't realize that there is also a Winter Olympics just for winter sports in countries like the US, Canada and parts of Europe.

Infact, only after going through the list of athletes did I come to know that Indians and Pakistanis were taking part in the Winter Olympics too!!! Did you know that? There are more details on the three Indians taking part later in this post.

Like the summer Olympics, the winter Olympics is also once every four years and has exactly the same extensive planning and importance.

In 2003 the IOC awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics to Vancouver, thus allowing Canada to host its second Winter Olympics. With a population of more than 2.5 million people, Vancouver will be the largest metropolitan area to ever host a Winter Olympic Games. Vancouver is a low-altitude, seaport city with a relatively mild oceanic climate. Most of the venues will be located in the Vancouver metropolitan area, with the exception of the alpine, Nordic, and sliding events, which will be held in Whistler.

Trivia: Did you know that Canada has never won a gold medal in Canada? The Govt. has spent 118 million dollars for this Olympics, to study each event in order to give Canadian athletes a scientific advantage. Let's see what happens!

The events that you will see are:

Alpine Skiing
Biathlon
Bobsleigh
Cross Country skiing
Curling
Figure Skating
Free style skiing
Ice Hockey
Luge
Nordic Combined
Short track
Skeleton
Snowboarding
Ski Jumping
Speed Skating


Countries represented include Russia, Switzerland, Canada, USA, France,India, Pakistan, Sweden and about 20 others.

For all the information on dates, events, schedules and all about every single Country and Athlete taking part, take a look at the official website:

www.vancouver2010.com

The 3 Indian Athletes taking part in the 2010 Olympics are:

K. P. KESHAVAN Shiva

Sport:Luge

LUNDUP Tashi

Sport:Cross-Country Skiing

NAMGIAL Jamyang

Sport:Alpine Skiing

Good luck to all the athletes!

The countdown clock is ticking and it will be so exciting to see who wins Gold at these Olympics!!!

Go Canada!

Shoveling the snow

All about shoveling snow and what to use:



Snow shovels

Electric snowblower

Man using the snowblower

Snow Plough used to clear the roads.

Snow can be both beautiful as well as a big pain to anyone who has a driveway, walkway and or sidewalk in front of their home.

Doctors and physiotherapists across Canada are seeing more patients than usual due to snow related injuries.

Chiropractor Steve Riggleman says poor shoveling technique and falls are major issues in the winter.

You should use the legs and arms more by keeping your back straight and bending at the knees. Push the snow forward and when lifting, straighten the knees.

Also, using a shovel that has a Teflon coating keeps the snow from sticking.

Avoid twisting and throwing while holding the weight of the snow as the turning motion can strain the back.

"You shouldn't lift you should push it forward but the problem with this snow is it's so heavy and wet you can't so you have to take little bites but if you pick it up, bend your knees, use your upper body, shoulders and muscles to lift it, you have less chance of an injury," said Riggleman.

Shoveling can be made more difficult by the weather. Cold air makes it harder to work and breathe, which adds some extra strain on the body. There also is the risk for hypothermia, a decrease in body temperature, if one is not dressed correctly for the weather conditions. Make sure you dress in layers to help keep your body heat trapped in between the clothing.

It can be dangerous to shovel snow if you have a heart condition or a bad back. Get someone else to do the hard work if you have any underlying medical condition. Fifteen minutes of shoveling snow is half the exercise you need in a day according to a study done in 1995.

Deciding whether to get a shovel or a snow blower is upto you. If you have a health problem that prevents you from shoveling, or too big an area, then the snowblower would be a better option.

Some people also buy salt that is available in most big stores to put on the driveway and sidewalk. This melts the snow to some extent, making it un-necessary to shovel if you have a very light snowfall. The salt is different from what you cook with, and is big and coarse. See the image below.

Coarse driveway salt

During or after a heavy snowfall you will see snow ploughs (one of the pictures above) on the roads clearing it up immediately. Main roads get cleared first and then the side streets.


Remember, if there is any sidewalk in front of your house, you are responsible for clearing the snow off of that too. If anyone falls and gets hurt because you didn't shovel the walk, you could be fined.

You can a lot more information from this website : www.brampton.ca

Happy winter and safe shoveling everyone!!

What's happening here in Toronto

All about Canadian Ice hocky, Curling and American Football !!


Ice Hockey - This is the goalie of the Maple Leafs of Toronto

curling

American Football

This was a very exciting weekend, with the Superbowl on Sunday evening. When you move to Canada or if you live here already, to really integrate with your Canadian co-workers and friends, you have to learn something about the games that are played here. Mainly Ice hockey, Curling and American Football.

For Canadian Ice Hockey you can check out this website that will give you more information on the teams and the league.

www.hockeycanada.ca

www.nhl.com (The National Hockey League)

www.mapleleafs.nhl.com (The Maple Leafs is the name of the Toronto hockey team)

For Curling: www.curling.ca - This is a game played on ice in which heavy stones with handles are slid toward a target. This game is also played during the Winter Olympics.

Superbowl: In professional American football, the Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League (NFL).

www.superbowl.com

Yesterday was the Superbowl for the year 2010 played in Miami, Florida in the United States.

The two teams that played the finals were the Saints of New Orleans and the Colts of Indianapolis. The Saints won the game which was great for the state that got hit by the massive hurricane Katrina a few years ago, and deserved something worth celebrating after so much devastation.

This will give you a head start on learning about these games, the teams and the main players.

My next post will be on the Winter Olympics starting on Feb 12th in Vancouver!!!

Have a good week!!

Schooling in Canada

When you are moving to Canada with school or university age children, like most Indians, your top priority will be to get them into good if not the best educational institutions.

Every region of Canada has different school boards. Each board is in charge of a number of schools in the district and control the syllabus, teaching staff and anything to do with the students in those schools.

Some of the board sites are:

http://www.cdnsba.org/ This is the Canadian School board association

http://www.peel.edu.on.ca/ This is the Peel board for schools in Brampton, Mississauga and Caledon

http://www.vsb.bc.ca/ This is the Vancouver school board site

http://www.tdsb.on.ca/ This is the Toronto school board site

http://www.ucdsb.on.ca/ This is the Upper Canada school board website

http://www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/ This is the York region school board

For information on rating of the schools:

www.fraserinstitute.org This institute rates schools and will give you an idea of where the top schools are. Don't forget, only the schools that have been in existence for at least five years only will be on the list. Also, a school that has a ranking of 200 may still be one of the top schools considering the number of schools in the region.

Hope this is of some help to you!
Here are some websites that will help you with the different types of schools and admissions processes.

http://www.studycanada.ca/ gives you information on higher studies and institutions.

http://www.schoolsincanada.com/ will give you more information on the same as above.

http://www.schoolfinder.com/ will help you find schools in different parts of Canada

If you have any specific questions please do write to me at the email id mentioned on the home page.

Thanks

Nal

Immigrating to Canada information

It is -17 C today, the sun is shining bright..and it is just another winter day here in Toronto.

The last month or so, I have been answering the dozens of emails I receive on a daily basis, from potential immigrants to Canada from all over the world. Mostly Indians who live in other countries and in India.

Some of the questions that many have are related to the actual paperwork, documentation and what is expected from the immigration officials on landing. One of the best websites that you can take a look at that gives this information is www.canadavisa.com

www.cic.gc.ca is another website that will give you information on many questions you may have regarding work, getting the different paperwork once you land (permanent resident cards, police check for a job, etc) and the different options you have for further studies.

www.vivelecanada.ca will give you first hand information on problems that other immigrants have faced, which may help you avoid making the same mistakes. Lots of good reading here.

www.garamchai.com/canada is another wonderful website that gives many first hand stories about people who have immigrated. Lots of advice and information here.

All the best to all those who are moving in to Canada this year!

A reminder

Make sure that you are dressed warmly when you go out during the winter months. Don't just check the temperatures, but make sure you also check to see what the Windchill factor is. For example: It may be -5C outside, but then the windchill may be -11 or -15. This means that you must be dressed for the windchill temperature.

In case you have forgotten this very important website, here is a reminder so that you can keep checking the weather reports before venturing out.

www.cp24.com

Your 24 hour channel on the internet and tv. Make sure you check the all day weather forecast before you leave your home. With temperatures dropping suddenly during the day, you don't want to be stuck without your warm jackets, mittens and hats.

Check out this link to see a cute video on how to dress your kids right for the winter. Cut and paste it in a new window and then press enter.

http://www.settlement.org/sys/library_detail.asp?doc_id=1004151

With February being the coldest month in Canada, be prepared for the temperature to drop further and more snow. Winter can be fun if you are prepared! Try a new sport...skiing or snow boarding. Ice skating can be fun for all ages. Go to your local community centre to check out their ice skating class dates and rates.

Parks have ice skating areas that are safe for families and small children. Try the rink at Gage park in Brampton....you can see kids of all sizes skating here. You can enter here from Main Street.

Have fun!

2010 links to things happening in Toronto and the GTA

If you are visiting or already live in Toronto or the GTA (Greater Toronta Area), here are some website links for you to check out to see what is happening in your city or town.

www.toronto.com

Check the above link out for all plays, theatre performances, restaurants and events in Toronto. There are tons of links to movie tickets, calendar of events through the year and tons of information on things to do.

www.brampton.ca

Brampton - the flower city. Check out the above link for everything that is going on in Brampton.

www.mississauga.ca

Mississauga - leading today, for tomorrow. The catch phrase for this city. Check out the link!

www.oakville.ca

Vision: To be the most livable town in Canada. Check out the link to see what they are doing to achieve this.

www.burlington.ca

Most of these cities and towns have their own network of events and happenings through the year. Go through the websites and links to see what you may be missing out on!!

I'm Back!!

Yes I am back in good ol'Toronto...........it is -4C today with a windchill of -11. Just three days ago I was in sunny India, 20C......perfect warm weather....and now I can only dream about it!!

The biggest news here right now is the earthquake in Haiti, and how all of North American is helping with money, food, aid and helping hands. The destruction and numbers who have perished in just unimaginable. If you want to help, make sure you give your money to a trusted charity group or the government. The Red Cross, World Vision etc are all good charities that you know will use the money for what it is intended.

The kids are back in school. They didn't seem to miss much even though they missed two weeks of school. If they caught up in just one day.....exactly what is it that they are learning?? My kids are thrilled though..........my son has rock climbing in school for four weeks and for her next field trip my daughter is going skiing and snow boarding. Sounds like fun!!

Guess what? I finally got my Police clearance certificate, allowing me to volunteer at my kids school and the Church. In order to work with kids, you have to get a police clearance report saying that you are not a convicted Child Molester. This is a good thing!!

There were two pedestrians struck down and killed this morning, in two seperate accidents. Please be careful when driving and taking those right turns. You never know when a person is crossing the street.

Just found out that 'Rogers' added a 'On Demand' channel for kids and that it is free!! This works like a library of videos, that you can pick and watch on your t.v. Most of the On Demand channels you have to pay for. So this was a nice change!!

Wish you all a wonderful 2010! Welcome to all the newcomers and hope all of you who moved last year are settling down and are enjoying your new life in Canada.

Will keep you posted on what is happening here in Toronto and the rest of Canada.

Until then,

take care
Nal

Indian traffic

 

Lighting crackers for the New Year on New Years Eve.

 

Back in Canada day after!

Since we're leaving tomorrow for Toronto, the kids have been playing overtime with all their friends and I have been packing and sorting out all the things we have managed to collect in the one month that we have been here. With Christmas and two birthdays......tons of gifts to carry back!!

It has been so warm and wonderful here and now we dread to go back to the cold! But once we are there, I'm sure we will adjust and get back to our routine of school and work.

Once I'm back, will fill you in on what is going on in Canada and what is new this year.

Until then, take care!

Choice of sauces and pickles at the Raintree at the Taj Connemara Hotel in Chennai

 

Saw this interesting cart with an assortment of pickles and sauces at the restaurant during dinner.

View of the restaurant interiors

 


The roof was made to almost look like the inside of a houseboat. This is the 'Raintree' restaurant in the Taj Conemmara in Chennai city, India. Very traditional southern Indian food, with a choice of veg, non-veg, spicy or non-spicy. If you are lucky, you will see a live Indian dance. They have a live Indian music playing too. Worth the money and memories!!

Banana Leaf cut to fit inside a plate

 


This is what is called an indo-western fusion idea! The banana leaf is something many traditional Indians eat on, as it is clean, organic and easily disposable. No trees were cut for this! The leaf is cut into the shape of the plate in this case, for an upmarket restaurant in Chennai. Looks exotic, doesn't it?

Copper cup and bowl in an Indian restaurant in Chennai.

 

One month of no posts...........

In case you are wondering what happened to me.......I've been in India for the past month, home for Christmas and the New Year.

We are back in Toronto on the 13th and can you imagine .....going from 21C pleasant weather to -14 in 48 hours!! Dreading it after a month of perfect weather and no snow to shovel!!

Will get back to posting once I'm back at home.

Until then, take care and a very Happy New Year to all of you!

November happenings...........

We are now in the month of November, and the only news still seems to be H1N1 and who is eligible for the flu shot and who isn't.

This last week, announcements were made as to who were in the priority group (pregnant women, children below the age of five, people with respitory problems,health care workers etc) and therefore eligible to get the H1N1 vaccine first. People stood in lines from early morning and finally one van distributing the vaccines made its way to the various centers, delivering one batch only by 11am. One father said he had been waiting there since 5am with his little boy!! They got the 'van' problem sorted out, saying that the company hired to distribute the vaccines used only one van instead of more. Is this a joke??

Then the shortage happens, and many people from the priority group are still waiting for their vaccine. In the mean time, it is announced that star athletes and children in private schools ( and some businesses ) managed to get the vaccine......and no one knows how they cut the line, but they did.

So this week.....they have layed down the law. No matter who you are........you have to wait for the vaccine if you are not in the priority group. Glad they got that sorted out.

Halloween is over..and was fun for the kids as usual. Going house to house dressed up in fun costumes and getting a years supply of candy and chips from strangers?? What could be more fun than that? Christmas!! Yes....Xmas decor is all over the decks, halls and stores..........enticing you to buy your Christmas present NOW before they run out of stock!! Hurry...I think they only have 249,503,394 Wii's left!

Like the Pragati Maidan in New Delhi for huge exhibitions and trade shows, in the GTA area the place to go to is the International Center, Toronto. Tomorrow the Graphics Canada show is starting and should be fun to visit. They also have on going sales there of designer brands, like Locoste, Crocs (did you know that the original Crocs are made in Canada??) and Arrow.

Was a little busy the last couple of weeks and will post more pictures and happenings soon.
Is there anything in particular you would like to know about Canada? Let me know!!

Easy Rasam...made the Canadian way!!

Can you believe I made this in under five minutes?? And yes, it tasted great!

The latest in Canada

Wow...what a week here in Canada. First of all....every channel you turn on or every newspaper you open...has the same thing.....the H1N1 virus and where you can get the shot for it. One school made it compulsory, while others are waiting and watching. I guess no one wants to be a guinea pig, right? No one wants to get the shot and find out one year down the line about some long term affect...like losing hair...or getting some other disease instead. It is just too new..and how much research has really gone into the side effects of the H1N1 vaccine? Most countries looked like they were in some kind of race to be the first ones to produce the vaccine. Just how much testing did they really do??





At the end of the day....it is up to the individual to decide what they want to do. For now, we are waiting for more information before we take the vaccine or give it to our kids.





They caught a young 23 year old guy driving 185 km per hour on one the main highways a couple of night ago...in a 100km zone. Yes, it turned out he was intoxicated.....got caught...and taken to jail. Not worth it people!!





Talking about the road system here in Canada.........my husband and I were just saying how easy it is to find places here because they are SO organized. The entire road system is made like a grid. All roads go West to East or North to South in relatively straight routes. So there is no one way to get somewhere. When saying an address, you say the intersection of the two streets that cross nearest to the place you are giving directions for. This makes things easy, and once you are familiar with the street names, you will know at once which area they are talking about. For instance, there is a huge shopping mall in Brampton called Shoppers World. If I were giving directions to someone, I would just say, 'intersection of Main and Steeles'. In one second you would know where it was.





Leaves, leaves everywhere!! My kids are enjoying the end of the season, jumping in the huge pile of leaves on our lawn and spreading it around even more! We managed to fill two huge bags with the leaves yesterday and put it out for the garbage collection round this morning. Half our tree is gone..and so we will still have a lot of raking of leaves to do!!





Coming Saturday is Halloween! My kids are going as Dracula and a Witch. My son who is in 7th grade, also has a school dance the same day and has to wear his costume to school. The school normally collects $2 for this as they provide snacks and juice.





My son also attended a Leadership Conference yesterday. They were taken to another place from school to hear a speaker and learn about Leadership skills. He enjoyed it and was inspired to do something to help with the 'Food' program in school. They collect canned food to donate to donation centres. This is a huge help for families in need of extra food especially in these times with the recession hitting so many families.





Job oppotunites and sale of homes seems to be on the rise. Last year I noticed plenty of 'For Sale' signs near homes, but this year I am noticing that there are more and more 'Sold' signs. This is a good thing and means that the recession looks like it is ending.





It has been raining here this week.....yesterday I did a marathon session of cooking.......sambar, fish fry, rasam, cauliflower and potato and for the kids some chocolate cake. The rasam recipe I have is basically a five minute one....literally! Using tomato and tamarind paste, it tastes exactly like the rasam made using other recipes. Send me an email if you would like the recipe.

The Bluff's at Scarborough

I'm trying to get a better map....but if you look at Toronto on the map above, you will find Scarborough on the upper right. (North East).

Keeping up with our weekend day trips before Winter sets in, this Sunday we drove to Scarborough...to a beautiful place called the 'Bluff's. It was a forty five minute drive, and from the City of Toronto it will hardly take you twenty minutes to get there.

There is a huge parking lot when you get there with free parking after September. (They collect parking from June to September) You don't have to pay anything to see the Bluffs.

Lake Ontario is right there, and you can take a walk around the park and make your way to the Bluffs.

The 'Bluff's are huge cliff side structures made up of clay and mud. They look like stone, until you walk right upto it and touch the surface. Amazing!!

Take a look at the pictures....they speak for themselves!