Democracy in Canada does not usually directly affect individuals in our society. Usually it is when something goes awry that one sees democracy in action. I guess we take democracy for granted, until it is somehow revoked. Some people look for trouble and get arrested, while the rest of us lead law abiding lives and stay out of trouble. For the average citizen jury duty breaks the veneer of average living and brings democracy to the fore. Jury duty is when your average citizen is called to potentially be selected as a juror for a court case. Mandated by law and therefore mandatory for all citizens over 18 years old, citizens are randomly selected for jury duty, and again randomly selected to become an actual juror. In a world of technology, where certainty and sharp contrasts prevail, I found this randomness surprisingly refreshing.
Rocker RA-200 dreadnought acoustic guitar, Made in China, surprisingly good quality
My friend bought this guitar and, due to lack of time, gave it to me. This acoustic guitar is a low end “Made in China” acoustic dreadnought, purchased here in Toronto, Canada. For the low price of $60CAD, this guitar is surprisingly high quality. It says in tune, sounds very good, is well finished and looks great. The neck is straight and intonation perfect. The action is high but can be somewhat lowered. I do hate the “Rocker” brand name. Whomever chose this name should be shot.
Ten bad driving habits, by Chen Xin, People Daily, equally applicable here in Toronto, Canada
As a lifelong resident of Toronto I can attest that many fellow Torontonians wonder out loud why Chinese drivers are so terrible. I am one of them. As I live in Scarborough, a heavily Chinese area of Toronto, there are certain major intersections that I avoid due to a very high proportion of Chinese drivers that approach 100%. As my ethnic background is Chinese, I have ruled out genetics. Moreover I know many Canadian born Chinese, or Huayi, that are excellent drivers. Further, anyone from Hong Kong can attest to the prowess of their local driving skill. So why are Chinese drivers so terrible?
My local grocery store Chung Hing at Kennedy Road and Finch Avenue in Scarborough/Toronto, Canada was held up by gunpoint yesterday, Saturday February 20, 2011 at around 16:10 in the afternoon. Five black guys, faces hidden behind bandanas and guns drawn, marched into the store and demanded cash. The cash registers were locked. While these thieves would rather steal for a living, they also risk the lives of those that shop and work at this store. For me, my wife and two kids had just checked out. They were petrified. A single police car with one officer arrived just as my wife left the store. An hour later a neighbour reported that there were 12 police cars at the store, now long closed for the day.
Sometimes our Canadian multiculturalism goes a little too far, even for a Chinese Canadian like myself. Here in Toronto, Canada and especially in Scarborough, my area of the world is biased towards Chinese, especially from the Mainland. Nofrills, a local big box grocer, decides to put Billy Bee Honey, 1 litre bottle on sale for $6.88CAD. This is high quality Canadian honey, which I have used for many years without issue. At the store I pick up four bottles and head to the cash, only to find that those I picked up are not the ones advertised on sale. The difference between the two: the advertised honey has an English-Chinese label and the one I picked up has an English only label. It was annoying to have to drop my bottles of honey at the cash, reenter the store and purchase what Nofrills calls “ethnic” Billy Bee honey. I am all for ethnic but please do not discriminate against English only labels and products. Nofrills, intended or not, you need a smack upside the head.
Billy Bee Honey: Bottle on the right called ethnic is on sale, the one on the left is not
The Chinese character Dai/Tai: the earth/dirt, a field, to share, a saber (weapon)
dai/da4i (Mandarin)/Tai (Cantonese, Japanese)/Thài(Gan, Jiangxi)/Tè (Hokkien)/?ái or ??i (Vietnamese)/Dae (Korean): Ranked 57 of the 100 most common Chinese surnames (2006), gaining from 64th in 1990
Zhao Lianhai's 3 year old son was hurt by tainted milk, was jailed for 2.5 years for protesting
Confused, I am, when China has a scandal that hurts a lot of Chinese people, there is a government investigation, and those that protest and asked for the investigation, and their lawyers, are given long jail sentences. A world of hurt landed on the shoulders of Zhao Lianhai, the father of a 3 year old boy sickened by China’s tainted milk scandal in 2008, who just received a 2.5 year sentence for “inciting social disorder”. As a strong supporter of the People’s Republic of China, I question why they need to use a sledgehammer to kill a gnat. Zhao Linhai‘s sentence is unjust and casts China’s government as a bunch of thugs.
Hallowed Eve, or Halloween is an interesting tradition in North America, where kids of all ages dress up in scary costumes, and knock on neighbour’s doors for candy and treats. The kids will exclaim “Trick or Treat” and will expect some kind of treat. Halloween is a North American farming tradition where ghosts and other scary monsters call on your house. They will leave you in peace and allow you a good harvest season if you give them a treat. Here are some guidelines to follow for Toronto, Canada for parents of Chinese kids.
New employees at Toyota Motor Corp. attend a welcoming ceremony Thursday on their first day of work as President Akio Toyoda speaks at the firm's headquarters in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture.
China's 60 mile traffic jam of coal trucks lasted 10 days.
Contrary to popular belief, China is still Communist. There has been no change of political will, only the naive belief of foreigners that as China becomes wealthier that China will abide by its own rules of law. This is not the case, as the Toronto Star’s Asia correspondent Bill Schiller, found out. He traveled a little outside Beijing into the countryside only 3 hours train ride away, only to find out that things are run differently in the countryside. Reporters do get hassled and told in uncertain terms to leave.
