The Santa Clause Parade

Today Lucas, Michael and I went to the Vancouver Santa Clause parade. It was a very nice afternoon of listening to Christmas music and waiting in anticipation for Santa!!

Us!

The police were out in full force and I was thrilled with my Rudolf nose :)

Some of the many floats on display today

A Canadian (Lets do what we can to keep this true!)

An Australian Definition of a Canadian
-Written by an Australian Dentist

Pakistan Newspaper Ad - Reward for killing a Canadian
You probably missed it in the local news, but there was a report
that someone in Pakistan had advertised in a newspaper an offer of a
reward to anyone who killed a Canadian - any Canadian.
An Australian dentist wrote the following editorial to help define
what a Canadian is, so they would know one when they found one.

A Canadian can be English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German,
Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. A Canadian can be Mexican,
African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian,
Asian, Arab, Pakistani or Afghan.
A Canadian may also be a Cree, Metis, Mohawk, Blackfoot, Sioux, or
one of the many other tribes known as native Canadians. A Canadian's
religious beliefs range from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim,
Hindu or none. In fact, there are more Muslims in Canada than in
Afghanistan. The key difference is that in Canada they are free to
worship as each of them chooses. Whether they have a religion or no
religion, each Canadian ultimately answers only to God, not to the
government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government
and for God.
A Canadian lives in one of the most prosperous lands in the history
of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the
Charter of Rights and Freedoms which recognize the right of each
person to the pursuit of happiness.
A Canadian is generous and Canadians have helped out just about
every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking
a thing in return. Canadians welcome the best of everything, the
best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the
best services and the best minds. But they also welcome the least -
the oppressed, the outcast and the rejected.
These are the people who built Canada. You can try to kill a
Canadian if you must as other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world
have tried but in doing so you could just be killing a relative or a
neighbor. This is because Canadians are not a particular people from
a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of
freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, can be a Canadian.

A Reflection on Graduation

It has now been 5 months since I walked across the stage and received my diploma from Simon Fraser University. I remember the day as if it were yesterday. My Grandparents had flown out to see me graduate and I was so proud to have them in the audience. My closest friends and family came to celebrate the day and I was elated. That morning I went and had my hair done, I had new shoes with a matching purse for the occasion; in many and all ways this day was more significant to me than any other day before that. This was the day I had worked for. This is the day that all the late nights, extra caffeine and heavy backpacks were for. I was very proud.

So my question is, why do I now look at my degree with contempt? Last night I was so angry at that piece of paper I almost took it off of my wall. I still want to take it off of my wall. I still might. These past few weeks I have received my Student Loan repayment papers. I went from a young person with a good job and a few minor credit card payments to a young person overwhelmed with debt. A debt that according to these papers I will be paying off until I reach the tender age of 38. That's right, I'm due to pay my last installment in the year 2022. This can give you an idea of what the final amount is (I don't feel up to displaying this here). I can honestly say that I feel trapped. Just a few months ago I had decided that I would stay at home for an extra year in order to help my Mother out as she's always been there for me and this was my opportunity to give back to her. Now I feel like that choice has been stripped from me. I now have no choice but to live at home. In a city where the cost of living rises on an hourly basis the opportunities for young people are just not there anymore.

My whole life I believed that a degree would bring me opportunities and open doors. Nowadays companies expect more than just a degree. I had always thought that going back to school would be an option for me. Now I can't see how I could possibly go back to school while working and trying to pay back this loan. Taking a second job sounds more like it.

So now when I look at my degree I see it seeped in money that I am drowning in. It's a constant reminder of an overwhelming debt that I have to live with for years and years to come.

This being said, I'm not trying to ignite sympathy from anyone. I just think that by sharing my story people can be more prepared for what's coming to them. I'm also not planning on wallowing in this and becoming defeated. I'll pay this money back and I'll pay back every penny on time because that is how I was brought up. It won't be easy but it's also not impossible. My degree will take me places because I will make it. For now though, it may just need to retire to my closet.

The Evils of Aspartame

So, now that I'm back to work and normal life I can go back to my normal posts of general things that inspire me to write here. Lately there has been a lot of talk around my household about Aspartame and the horrible consequences that come from its consumption. People around me have started to try and test these findings by cutting the chemical out of their diets completely. The results are startling as the health of the people closest to me improves from simply cutting out such things as diet-coke or sweetners. So, if you are one to choose a diet-coke over a coke or a sweetner over a sugar packet, please follow the links below and educate that decision. You may find that your choice changes.

General Information on Side-effects

Personal Stories of people who's lives have changed since cutting Aspartame out

Information on the chemical itself, along with more possible side-effects

Goodbye to Belize : (

Well today is our last day in Belize and as you can see we're leaving having as much fun as we were arriving. Belize now occupies a very warm place in our hearts from the pure beauty of the land to the beauty of the people. We will always come back to Belize and will never forget the wonderful memories we made here. Thank you to everyone in Belize who made our trip everything and more than it could have been. We love you all. And as we've grown accustomed to hearing...Much Love and Respect. Bless.