Don Tai (Canada) Blog

For me, Toronto’s loss of democracy at the G20 Summit in 2010 has not faded one bit. I have commented on this debacle of an event in 2010 and have kept current with the news and have updated my blog accordingly. So critical is this issue that I will remember it for the upcoming provincial and federal elections. I know Canadians have a very short term memory and that politicians would rather us all forget the past and vote for them in the future, but the complete breakdown of democracy and the brutal beatings by the hands of our once trusted police cannot go unpunished. Justice must be served.

Effortless and costing nothing, kind words are easily forgotten by the speaker. It was really nothing. Yet to the recipient, these kind words, at the right time and place, can uplift spirits sufficiently to allow them to continue their life, no matter the difficulty. We need more of these kind words, so spread the word.

What does it take to be nice to someone when you could have been equally harsh? At times words that correct bad actions are needed, and in the end will greatly benefit the receiver. They may not like it at the time, but hopefully they will appreciate the time and effort it took you in order for them to improve.

As a nation Canadians talk large about the need to conserve energy and treat Mother Nature with more respect, i.e. let’s not continually hurt her. In many examples, recycling of food and consumer packaged goods comes to mind, here in Toronto I feel we are doing a very good job. Yet when you look around out streets I continually see a large proportion of very big personal vehicles such as SUVs. These new vehicles, while professing energy efficiency, do the exact opposite when used only by a single driver.

Who knew that buying Italian bread would be so educational. Today I made a purchase of bread at a local Italian store here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and they refused to take my money: specifically my pennies. After I made a fuss about refusing a Canadian legal tender, they relented. All this drama for $0.03CAD! If that is not value for money I don’t know what is.

Some things should stay the same, and this is particularly true for money. You work, you get paid, then you spend your money. This money should not be refused by stores, for if it is then you would not know where your money can be used. It gets confusing. Money, in this case the Canadian dollar, should be freely usable here in Canada.

With four fancy pieces of paper from three universities and one from a college, I consider myself educated. It is with dismay that I find obtaining employment difficult, both for myself and for many around me. It is not that we are lazy, oh no. We are at risk of sacrificing a generation of workers, in what I see as a structural change in long-term employment. We must critically look at the implications of high unemployment amongst young people. Whether there should be changes, or not, I cannot say, But to do nothing is unacceptable.

Flippant I am not, so bear with me. I ask this question seeking a genuine and honest answer. Should American companies hire Americans? Should Australian companies hire Australians? Do you really need to hire people from your own country? Sadly I should not even need to ask this question, but we live in an age of greed that we should explore the possibilities.

Royal Bank of Canada is laying off some of their IT staff here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in order to outsource their IT operations to India. They obviously feel that they have no obligation to hire fellow Canadians to do the work to serve fellow Canadians.

When you buy new fish to add to your existing aquarium, you really should quarantine the new fish in order to check them out. To add them in directly might contaminate your existing tank and/or make your new fish sick. You would then need to treat all your fish, new and old, to medical treatment and risk the possible loss of existing fish.

We do not have the latest and greatest TV, so when some kid’s TV channels started disappearing, I called Rogers, here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They said that I needed a box between my analog tv and the input cable, and that I could pick one up, no charge, from a local Rogers store, and they told me the address. I went to that local Rogers store today and they were out of stock, a box was not reserved for me and I should call back to the store to get one because they do not know when these boxes come in. Thanks a lot Rogers. My experience with your company was decidedly negative.

One day you might realize that your down is up and your up is down. At first it is most disorienting. Your head spins at first as your world is violently shaken up like a snow globe, but eventually you accept the reality, or non-reality, of the situation. Acceptance of the situation is the first step to rehabilitation. The alternative is to go crazy.

Having your down become up is most frightening. What you thought was your base has now become your ceiling? This leaves a most unsettling feeling in the gut of your stomach, which, for a long time does not go away.

Feeder goldfish, after quarantine, make excellent fish. Seen here eating Chinese veggies. Photo by Don Tai

Not having money and wanting to keep fish had me researching all the possibilities. On one hand, I knew nothing about raising fish, so the possibility of killing a few would be a near certainty. On the other hand fish can be $3-4 each. Since I do not like to waste money that I do not have, I turned to feeder goldfish, sold for $0.18CAD each, here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Feeder goldfish, as I read on the internet, are full of diseases and will quickly die, so do not bother. On the other hand there were others who said they raised feeders to become large fish that were strong and healthy. I am decidedly in the latter camp. Feeder goldfish are goldfish, just that they have been badly treated. Overall feeder goldfish can be beautiful, graceful and easy to care for.