2015-12-26
2015-12-22
2015-12-17
I'm starting to really love Justin Trudeau
I know I don't live in Canada and maybe I'm missing some of his flub ups but the bits of Trudeau that leak down here to the States are pretty marvellous.
Click on the video below the text to see how he responds to Donald Trump.
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/justin-trudeau-takes-on-donald-trump/
I love his point that diversity makes us stronger and that the characteristics that make humans similar are always more important that the parts that make us different. Try explaining multiculturalism to Americans and it is difficult. But it is a basic tenant of Canadian culture and I am proud of it!!!!
Click on the video below the text to see how he responds to Donald Trump.
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/justin-trudeau-takes-on-donald-trump/
I love his point that diversity makes us stronger and that the characteristics that make humans similar are always more important that the parts that make us different. Try explaining multiculturalism to Americans and it is difficult. But it is a basic tenant of Canadian culture and I am proud of it!!!!
2015-12-13
Modern kids
Bryn: hey mum, I want to write a letter to Santa.
Me: ok, I'll get you some paper and a pencil.
Bryn: I think I want to type it.
Me: ok, then we can print it and send it.
Bryn: Actually, do you think Santa has an email address?
Sent from my iPhone
Me: ok, I'll get you some paper and a pencil.
Bryn: I think I want to type it.
Me: ok, then we can print it and send it.
Bryn: Actually, do you think Santa has an email address?
Sent from my iPhone
2015-12-11
Proud Canadian
I have never been more proud to be Canadian than today when I heard how Canada and Justin Trudeau greeted the Syrian Refugees.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/syria-refugees-arrive-1.3360154
"They step off the plane as refugees, but they walk out of this terminal as permanent residents of Canada with social insurance numbers, with health cards and with an opportunity to become full Canadians,"
I am so grateful that there are some places in the world where people are showing their humanity. America is not one of them. (at least not with regards to the Syrian refugee crisis).
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/syria-refugees-arrive-1.3360154
"They step off the plane as refugees, but they walk out of this terminal as permanent residents of Canada with social insurance numbers, with health cards and with an opportunity to become full Canadians,"
I am so grateful that there are some places in the world where people are showing their humanity. America is not one of them. (at least not with regards to the Syrian refugee crisis).
2015-12-02
Fwd: Tragedy averted by fast-acting staff, law enforcement
There were 153 school shootings in the USA in past 15 years (2000-2015).
There were 7 school shootings in Canada in the past 15 years (2000-2015).
There were no school shootings in the UK in the past 15 years. In fact, there has only ever been one school shooting in the UK which occurred in Dunblane, Scotland in 1996.
sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_shootings_in_the_United_States
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_shooting
In particular the shootings are getting more frequent in the USA.
There were 49 school shootings in the USA between 2000 and 2009 (in a decade). But there were 104 school shootings in the USA since 2010 (in the past 5 years).
Its getting worse!!!!
This is not ok!!
This incident in Barrington has hit me hard and I am questioning why we live here.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Dr. Brian Harris, Superintendent of Schools <districtadmin@barrington220.org>
Date: Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 3:21 PM
Subject: Tragedy averted by fast-acting staff, law enforcement
To: Schoolwires Alert Recipients <alertrecipients@schoolwires.com>
From: Dr. Brian Harris, Superintendent of Schools <districtadmin@barrington220.org>
Date: Mon, Nov 30, 2015 at 3:21 PM
Subject: Tragedy averted by fast-acting staff, law enforcement
To: Schoolwires Alert Recipients <alertrecipients@schoolwires.com>
| ||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
2015-11-26
2015-11-22
2015-11-21
2015-11-14
2015-10-31
2015-10-27
2015-10-26
2015-10-12
2015-10-10
Helping the Syrians
I met a lady named Amanda from Virginia on the plane who is on her way to help with medical aid at Syrian refugee camps in the Middle East.
She shared this link
I am grateful there are people like her.
2015-10-07
Picture of Bryn in the newsletter!
Hough Street School won a Blue Ribbon Award and the picture they chose to go with the story has Bryn in it. Cool!
http://www.barrington220.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&ModuleInstanceID=20586&ViewID=7b97f7ed-8e5e-4120-848f-a8b4987d588f&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=31772&PageID=15991
http://www.barrington220.org/site/default.aspx?PageType=3&ModuleInstanceID=20586&ViewID=7b97f7ed-8e5e-4120-848f-a8b4987d588f&RenderLoc=0&FlexDataID=31772&PageID=15991
2015-10-04
2015-09-29
One Year On
It has been one year since we arrived in the United States so I wanted to reflect a bit on what the last year has been like, what I've learned about living in America.
First of all, a gratitude list:
-I am so grateful that we made it through that tough transition period. Anyone who has done an international move knows that it is hard! Not just all the logistics but the readjustment and putting down roots in a new community.
-I am grateful that we ended up in a fabulous house on a fabulous street. I would not have made it through this first year without our caring, open-hearted neighbours. Yay for Westwood!
-I am also grateful for Hough Street School. It is an amazing place with dedicated teachers and staff and a wonderful parent community that has welcomed us with open arms.
-Finally, I am grateful for our Siemen's community. They have reached out to us and that has been so meaningful when we knew so very few people here, especially at the beginning.
Second, a list of new things we've learned about:
-humidity - England was damp but now we understand the combination of wet and heat. You need a dehumidifier in the summer otherwise you get mould all over your basement. But, in the winter you need a humidifier otherwise your wood and skin crack in the dry. Try and get your head around the irony of that!
-sump pumps - Everyone in Illinois has one, they run all the time pumping water out of your basement. You even need a battery back up sump pump in case the electricity goes out. Even your insurance policy is affected (higher rates if you don't have prober sump pumps in your house).
-lack of elevation - We thought England was flat but at least we had the Cotswolds. People from Calgary please don't laugh. The Cotswolds were a far cry from the Rockies but at least we had some change in elevation. Illinois is so flat that the ski hill here is actually made of garbage. They piled up all the refuse from an old landfill to make a hill you can ski down. I am not joking!
-air conditioning - this is closely tied to the humidity item. I've never lived anywhere that you HAVE to have it before. It is a complex and tricky thing to get the exact right conditions in your house for a decent night's sleep. Sweltering outside but freezing inside. Weird concept! Am more used to freezing outside and warm inside. Although we have that too in Illinois all winter.
-water softeners - again, something you MUST have. The water here is so hard that if you don't have a softener all your appliances, shower heads, kettle, etc. get gunked up and conk out in a few months. You can tell you need to add salt to the softener when you can't get the soap to suds no matter how much you use.
-paying for health care - What's with that??? I pay my taxes, I should get free quality health care. Not here! There is always some sort of fee. But also a lot more choice. Although that can be hard too, not used to 'shopping' for a doctor or other services who are all competing for your business. That being said, you do get good health care here, mostly because everyone is so paranoid of getting sued that they are very conscientious!
-critters - there are a whole host of new living organisms to get used to here.
- mosquitos - yeah, lots and lots of the blood sucking monsters! So spoiled after all those years in England where you don't even have screens on the windows.
- fireflies - BRILLIANT! The first time we spotted them was magical. We couldn't quite believe that those sparkling lights were actually living things. Think this is one of my favourite things about living in Illinois.
- cicadas - They are soooo LOUD! Seriously, who would have thought a bug could possibly make that much noise. They call to each other to find a mate. But they must all be deaf because seriously, he's right there!! Can't you hear him?
- coyotes - They are little mini-versions of the ones you get in Canada. I was so worried when I heard people say there were coyotes living in the green space behind our house. Then I saw one. No problem!
- chipmunks - They are so cute! And oh, look, we have a little family with babies living under our front step! What? They build so many tunnels under there that it will make the cement crack? You mean you've spent over $2000 repairing the slab under your porch? Ok, time for the chipmunks to go. But how? Softie that I am I couldn't live with killing them. So instead we have been live trapping them and driving them to a nature reserve 20 minutes away and releasing them. Except that we are on chipmunk number 15 now and are still catching them. Oh dear!
Some cultural difference in America compared to Canada and England:
-guns - Its a bit nuts. The statistics on violent deaths and suicides in America are disturbing and its because they are more readily available here than any other country on earth. You can buy them at Walmart!
-politics - Donald Trump. What else can I say? It's almost as if its a popularity contest with whoever can be the most entertaining or shocking coming out on top. Americans value independence and self sufficiency which lends itself to rooting for the maverick/gunslinger/outsider/underdog. The political system (or at least the election process) is also about money. The more you have the more likely you are to win. Nigeria has nothing on Illinois for bribery and corruption in politics. There are at least 12 politicians including state governors and senators who have served jail sentences. Right now the state government is without a budget because the politicians can't agree. So they don't have enough money to pay teachers or other government workers. CRAZY!
-race relations - I did not understand the class system fully until I lived in England. And I didn't fully understand the problems of race relations in the USA either until I moved here. But now I know a bit more about the sad truth of being black in America. You have a way higher chance of being poor, going to terrible school, being discriminated against at work and of being mistreated by the police. In fact, you have a higher chance of being killed in America, just for being black. I can't even express how sad and disheartened this makes me. I know there is racism in the UK and Canada. But it pales by comparison to what black people face here. If there is one thing that makes me want to move away from here, it is this.
- social inequality - There is a huge gap between the rich and the poor and it is getting bigger. I realize this exists in England and Canada too but at least we have socialist leaning governments that provide some safety net for those less fortunate. But not only are programs to help the needy here so much less developed there is a mentality that they are not needed. It goes back to the prioritizing of individuality. You should be pulling yourself up by our own bootstraps, not looking for government handouts. I know this sentiment exists in Canada and England too but at least there is some level of collective agreement that society as a whole has some responsibility for the poor. Not here! If you can't take care of yourself, too bad!
- "the best" mentality - There is a huge focus here on winning, on being the best. Americans thrive on aggressive competition, conflict and battle. In everything from their sports to wars. It's imbued in every part of their culture. Participation, just joining in or being average are not good enough. In some ways this has worked well for America. They are top notch in many things. But I don't think its healthy for society as a whole to always be focusing on winning. What does that say to our kids that they aren't valuable unless they are at the top? Because lets be honest, most of us are in the middle!!!
If you are still with me then I applaud your diligence. I feel a bit bad that many of my impressions of America are negative. I will be brutally honest and say that so far, it is the least favourite country I have lived in. But there are many wonderful things about America and I am grateful that we are making a pretty good life here. We have our freedom, our safety and the ability to earn a good living. I spoke with another immigrant, she was from Mexico and she loves living in the USA because of the safety and freedom she has here. Guess I am a bit spoiled that my other two reference points are Canada and England!
Look for my reflections next year at this time. Perhaps I will have softened into the American culture by then. Hey, I am starting to really like baseball! Its a start right? :)
First of all, a gratitude list:
-I am so grateful that we made it through that tough transition period. Anyone who has done an international move knows that it is hard! Not just all the logistics but the readjustment and putting down roots in a new community.
-I am grateful that we ended up in a fabulous house on a fabulous street. I would not have made it through this first year without our caring, open-hearted neighbours. Yay for Westwood!
-I am also grateful for Hough Street School. It is an amazing place with dedicated teachers and staff and a wonderful parent community that has welcomed us with open arms.
-Finally, I am grateful for our Siemen's community. They have reached out to us and that has been so meaningful when we knew so very few people here, especially at the beginning.
Second, a list of new things we've learned about:
-humidity - England was damp but now we understand the combination of wet and heat. You need a dehumidifier in the summer otherwise you get mould all over your basement. But, in the winter you need a humidifier otherwise your wood and skin crack in the dry. Try and get your head around the irony of that!
-sump pumps - Everyone in Illinois has one, they run all the time pumping water out of your basement. You even need a battery back up sump pump in case the electricity goes out. Even your insurance policy is affected (higher rates if you don't have prober sump pumps in your house).
-lack of elevation - We thought England was flat but at least we had the Cotswolds. People from Calgary please don't laugh. The Cotswolds were a far cry from the Rockies but at least we had some change in elevation. Illinois is so flat that the ski hill here is actually made of garbage. They piled up all the refuse from an old landfill to make a hill you can ski down. I am not joking!
-air conditioning - this is closely tied to the humidity item. I've never lived anywhere that you HAVE to have it before. It is a complex and tricky thing to get the exact right conditions in your house for a decent night's sleep. Sweltering outside but freezing inside. Weird concept! Am more used to freezing outside and warm inside. Although we have that too in Illinois all winter.
-water softeners - again, something you MUST have. The water here is so hard that if you don't have a softener all your appliances, shower heads, kettle, etc. get gunked up and conk out in a few months. You can tell you need to add salt to the softener when you can't get the soap to suds no matter how much you use.
-paying for health care - What's with that??? I pay my taxes, I should get free quality health care. Not here! There is always some sort of fee. But also a lot more choice. Although that can be hard too, not used to 'shopping' for a doctor or other services who are all competing for your business. That being said, you do get good health care here, mostly because everyone is so paranoid of getting sued that they are very conscientious!
-critters - there are a whole host of new living organisms to get used to here.
- mosquitos - yeah, lots and lots of the blood sucking monsters! So spoiled after all those years in England where you don't even have screens on the windows.
- fireflies - BRILLIANT! The first time we spotted them was magical. We couldn't quite believe that those sparkling lights were actually living things. Think this is one of my favourite things about living in Illinois.
- cicadas - They are soooo LOUD! Seriously, who would have thought a bug could possibly make that much noise. They call to each other to find a mate. But they must all be deaf because seriously, he's right there!! Can't you hear him?
- coyotes - They are little mini-versions of the ones you get in Canada. I was so worried when I heard people say there were coyotes living in the green space behind our house. Then I saw one. No problem!
- chipmunks - They are so cute! And oh, look, we have a little family with babies living under our front step! What? They build so many tunnels under there that it will make the cement crack? You mean you've spent over $2000 repairing the slab under your porch? Ok, time for the chipmunks to go. But how? Softie that I am I couldn't live with killing them. So instead we have been live trapping them and driving them to a nature reserve 20 minutes away and releasing them. Except that we are on chipmunk number 15 now and are still catching them. Oh dear!
Some cultural difference in America compared to Canada and England:
-guns - Its a bit nuts. The statistics on violent deaths and suicides in America are disturbing and its because they are more readily available here than any other country on earth. You can buy them at Walmart!
-politics - Donald Trump. What else can I say? It's almost as if its a popularity contest with whoever can be the most entertaining or shocking coming out on top. Americans value independence and self sufficiency which lends itself to rooting for the maverick/gunslinger/outsider/underdog. The political system (or at least the election process) is also about money. The more you have the more likely you are to win. Nigeria has nothing on Illinois for bribery and corruption in politics. There are at least 12 politicians including state governors and senators who have served jail sentences. Right now the state government is without a budget because the politicians can't agree. So they don't have enough money to pay teachers or other government workers. CRAZY!
-race relations - I did not understand the class system fully until I lived in England. And I didn't fully understand the problems of race relations in the USA either until I moved here. But now I know a bit more about the sad truth of being black in America. You have a way higher chance of being poor, going to terrible school, being discriminated against at work and of being mistreated by the police. In fact, you have a higher chance of being killed in America, just for being black. I can't even express how sad and disheartened this makes me. I know there is racism in the UK and Canada. But it pales by comparison to what black people face here. If there is one thing that makes me want to move away from here, it is this.
- social inequality - There is a huge gap between the rich and the poor and it is getting bigger. I realize this exists in England and Canada too but at least we have socialist leaning governments that provide some safety net for those less fortunate. But not only are programs to help the needy here so much less developed there is a mentality that they are not needed. It goes back to the prioritizing of individuality. You should be pulling yourself up by our own bootstraps, not looking for government handouts. I know this sentiment exists in Canada and England too but at least there is some level of collective agreement that society as a whole has some responsibility for the poor. Not here! If you can't take care of yourself, too bad!
- "the best" mentality - There is a huge focus here on winning, on being the best. Americans thrive on aggressive competition, conflict and battle. In everything from their sports to wars. It's imbued in every part of their culture. Participation, just joining in or being average are not good enough. In some ways this has worked well for America. They are top notch in many things. But I don't think its healthy for society as a whole to always be focusing on winning. What does that say to our kids that they aren't valuable unless they are at the top? Because lets be honest, most of us are in the middle!!!
If you are still with me then I applaud your diligence. I feel a bit bad that many of my impressions of America are negative. I will be brutally honest and say that so far, it is the least favourite country I have lived in. But there are many wonderful things about America and I am grateful that we are making a pretty good life here. We have our freedom, our safety and the ability to earn a good living. I spoke with another immigrant, she was from Mexico and she loves living in the USA because of the safety and freedom she has here. Guess I am a bit spoiled that my other two reference points are Canada and England!
Look for my reflections next year at this time. Perhaps I will have softened into the American culture by then. Hey, I am starting to really like baseball! Its a start right? :)
2015-09-27
2015-09-21
2015-09-19
The Refugee Crisis
Get ready for tears.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBQ-IoHfimQ
I felt so overwhelmed and helpless after this. And so angry. Its just not fair! So I donated to MercyCorps which is an organization helping refugees, most of them from Syria. The charity has been vetted by someone I don't know but who I trust, an author named Patrick Rothfuss. He has done lots of fundraising in the past for excellent causes and is now working to help refugees.
Here is his blog:
http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2015/09/doing-what-we-can/
Here is where you can donate:
https://www.classy.org/events/worldbuilders-for-syrian-refugees/e58113
I am sending all the energy I have into the universe that the wars will stop and that these people will have some relief from their suffering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBQ-IoHfimQ
I felt so overwhelmed and helpless after this. And so angry. Its just not fair! So I donated to MercyCorps which is an organization helping refugees, most of them from Syria. The charity has been vetted by someone I don't know but who I trust, an author named Patrick Rothfuss. He has done lots of fundraising in the past for excellent causes and is now working to help refugees.
Here is his blog:
http://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2015/09/doing-what-we-can/
Here is where you can donate:
https://www.classy.org/events/worldbuilders-for-syrian-refugees/e58113
I am sending all the energy I have into the universe that the wars will stop and that these people will have some relief from their suffering.
2015-09-14
2015-09-12
2015-09-07
Long fun weekend
Ellis went for a 2.5 k run with me this morning, we managed part of our chipmunk problem, enjoyed Ellis's baseball practice, fixed the squeaky bed, and floated part of the fox river! Oh fortunate living, we are thankful.
Thanks Poppa for the fish hunter.
2015-09-03
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
