Traveling in Shangrila –Cambodia

One thing that I miss so much is that I traveled to few countries before coming to Canada, it is full of meaningful memories and life lessons for me.




A few hours flight from Taiwan to Vietnam, and transfer to Cambodia. When we landed, the airport was far away from contemporary lifestyle. The roof was made of banana leaves, lots of ceiling fans spinning to circulate the unbearable heat. We know it is the sign of development of tourism. The pace is way much slower than Thailand but relaxing and more enjoyable.




Visiting temples is the main agenda for tourists. Most of the temples are over centuries old, Angkor Wot is the latest one and is being maintain perfectly among others. Going there for the sunrise and being surrounded by ancient and historical stone palaces made our trip remarkable.



Boat Houses living style is for the people who are fish men, they move around with the high tide and low tide season of the river. There’re grocery store, hard ware store, school, restaurant, gas station all on this river.
(What you see from this picture is while we were being toured on the river, kids they commute on their boats to school. From hanging on the end of the commercial boat, saves them energy from rowing.)






These kids were playing next to a temple with the flowers in their hands. They reminds me my non technology childhood but full with happiness.














The greatest thing of traveling is that it brings you out of your familiar comfort zone and living style, rooted cultural, ordinary thought to a whole new vision. This trip let me realize that how lucky I am to be born in a no war time and wealthy country, to treasure the resources that I can reach and have in my material life style. Spiritually, it teaches me to be a humble person from the selfishness, be more appreciated and respect at how people’s experience changes their lives.

Global Warming Alert

We’ve been hearing about this crisis from the news, weather forecast, radio and newspaper, TV etc. for a long time. The first time I heard about this was from my geography teacher when I was 15. Today, 10 years later, the earth cries out loudly again.

You must be going to ask what made me so enthusiastic to write about this topic. After watching the movie “ An Inconvenient Truth”, I was shocked into awareness by the consequences that Global Warming will bring, the huge impact on the mother earth, the next generations and us.

You must be made aware of this phenomenon so you can help to fight against Global Warming, we all need to do our part. To find out more, please check www.climatecrisis.net and try to watch the movie “ An Inconvenient Truth”.

Please share your idea and feedback with me.

My first Waitress Job in Canada

I was lucky to find this Job in town while I was about to give up and going back to Taiwan. Fortunately, this job helps us survived our most difficult time. I would never think that I would work in the restaurant again. But, the chance to apply my English language skill and with lots of Asian Immigrants/students, this first job made me feel partly at home. There are people from HongKong, Mainland China, Japan and Taiwan. Well, I call this place "little Asia" in my town with lots of white people.



This sushi bar is the "trading post", where lots of sushi and sashimi come from. Where the customers can sit down and social with the chef, I love the interaction here. Customers are highly interested in the co-workers who work in the restaurant, because most of us are from other country. They're interested in hearing the stories from each waitress and exchange their Asian experience while they traveled overseas.

I appreciate what I'd learned from this place, but I'm glad that my life being moved onto another place. I just started my training at one westerner run restaurant,a waitress job again!? I'm sure it will be better than first one, and I enjoy it so far.

A Messenger

One day afternoon, just started the dinner shift, it was totally empty. Half-hour later, two customer sat down by the Sushi bar. They were eating and chatting with sushi chef as other customers normal do. The customers were looking at me once a while,

“Would you like some more drink, sir?” I asked.
“We’re fine, thanks.” they said.
After a little while, they looked at me again.
“How’s everything? Would you like to order something else?” I asked.
“No, everything is great, than you.”
I started to chat with my co-worker.
They started to look at me, again! (Is it just because there wasn’t any body else walk into the restaurant, so they feel weird. Or, they thought I’m Japanese, try to observe what Japanese like.)
I walk forward to them and try to put away their dishes.
“ Would you like some coffee or dessert?”
“We’re still waiting for more food coming.”
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“It’s okay. (In Mandarin) one young guy said.
Wow, this guy surprised me and we started to chat with him and his father.

After chatting, I just met a person who is teaching in the Kaoshung and familiar lot of area that are getting fading in my memory. Lots of things that I forgot, he reminds me a lot through the conversation. The convent and efficiency life style, economic scooter transportation, interesting English teaching job, easy travel country, cheap food, late-night entertainment and air pollution (this is the least that makes me miss).

Lots of memory and emotion coming up, lots of the scenes plays like movie in my mind. It’s been almost tow years in Canada, look back the life in these two years, and we’ve been through a lot. In the beginning, uncertainty, excitement, to struggling, frustrated, cultural shock, waiting for work permit, till now, fighting for the job opportunity.

It’s so hard to find a job in Canada, the life expense is expensive, and the tax rule strikes me the most, less population less opportunity and higher tax. No wonder why Canadian people all come to Taiwan or Asia, if I were Canadian, I’ll definitely do exactly the same thing “ escape from my country”.

What do I enjoy Canada so far? Life style, fresh air, clear wide sky, less pollution, friendly people, close to nature, less traffic, less pressure. Job opportunity, hardly open for people who are immigrant without Canadian education and professional skill and background.

One more year to gamble, if not thing really progress. I think it’s time to go back.

I'm back!

After a long resting, I gotta get my self warm up again for this abenden blog. I try to move forward further for my life in Canada. Too fast to stop and smell the flower and enjoy the sunshine. No way! I must treasure the sunshine in this short summer. I'm back.

Toronto Day Trip

Leaving Cambridge for Toronto is one of the most exciting thing. The quiet life is good enough, sometimes need some busy city life excitment to bring me back to the way the I used to familiar with. Woke up early, took but at 7:45am, it's so great that there's direct bus to Toronto. That benefits people who don't know how to drive yet!



One of the wonderful things traveling Toronto is this Day Pass for all the public transit. Bus, city car & subway, all you can ride in one day only CDN$8! What a blessing!



This is City Car goes around the city. The cool thing is we actually took it in under-road tunnel, and the the car goes out of it to the road. This kind of seen used to show on one of the movies, it made me feel like in the movie and old English style.



We went down to a "Second Hand Street", there're tons of secondhand clothing stores, you can try on and explore lots of new stuff. This store sells lot of "boots", very heavy cow boy atmosphere. Don't I look like a "Mexican Cow Boy"!



The flavor of Chinese Food is unforgetable. This "Dinsum" place serves fresh-made dishes let us mouthwatering all the time. The satisfaction is not enough to describe.



I'm so happy to have these girls with me spending a day together and have fun. The Karayoki is one of the entertament that we accustomed to. Cheers and sing out lound for girls' Day Trip!

Valentine's Day

This is the best Valentie's gift that I have ever had from Eric. I can't believe he baked a cake, especially it is "heart shaped". We didn't go out spend lots of money on this day, this simple but meaningful gift that was mad by his hand. It moved me so much.

Second Canadian Christmas

One of my favorite holidays in Canada is Christmas, people really put lot of energy into it. Decorate their houses from inside to outside, just reminds me we put red pepers on our doors in Taiwan. Seems some holidas have some similiar ways to relate. Jean always decorate the house perfectly for Christmas or Holliween, she is a holiday lady who was on the newspaper once!



This library is one of my favorite spot to spend my leisure time. Especially, you can hear people play piano once every week, the harmony sound from the piano perfectly suits its cosey envirement. I read more than I used to be, cause the time allows me here more to do things and enjoy some moments for myslef. The facilities in it is awsome, there are tons of books, magazines, newspapers etc. You can even borrow CD, VCD, VCR home. There're tow options for internets, desktop or wireless. It is also a gallary, there are different topics going on once a while. Adults and children even can join different events and art, photography classes. They also have movie night here which popcorns and coke are included.


The most exciting part of Christmas is opening gift on Christmas Day! I was so spoiled, lots of gifts that I need and want. It's also nice to see familys' facial expressions full of surprising and happiness while they're opening gifts. We mad waffles for breakfast from a waffel machine which is one of my gifts, what a wonderful morning, feels like being a kid again.



Christmas is one of must be "scene" of christmas, brighten up the whole house with pleasent feeling.





Looks so homy, it's nice to have a fine dinner with family after being working hard whole year long.



One time, we drove passed this house, it's lights and dedicated decorate amazed us, people are being carried away a little to much.

Second Winter In Canada

The biginning of December, flaky snow came down from a piece of white sky. Walking down to the bus station to work, so many feelings mixing up in my mind and heart, What a beautiful season I have ever had! This winter, fell less cold because I'm well prepared for the cold, but also it's not as chilly as last year. It' hasn't snow as much as last year, hoping it'll be soon by Christmas!

25th Birthday

Time flew by without notice. My 23rd year was working hard for making money to live in this Western country that I'd been dreaming for a long time and traveled around Cambodia, Vietnam and Singapore. My 24Th year was a big another turning poing in my life.

Ad jesting new life in a new culture and society that completely worlds different from the other half of earth. 24Th year, is suffering and blessing. Suffered for homesick, no friends, financially crisis, not able to work, not able to attend ESL class. Blessed by, starting up my own small business experience, luckily finding a job at a restaurant, steady income, having friends. Another big blessing is living in this friendly and Cleon country, it's my big dream came true that I would never believed.

My 25Th birthday just passed. I feel a little bit nervous about be 30 in 5 years. Wow~ the number just so powerful to a woman. Years ago, always looking forward to being 18 and able to work. When 18, then looking forward to feel be real adult in 20. When 20 just graduate from school, looking for jobs, tried to fit into the out side of school circle. Teaching is the best job and experience that I appreciate in Taiwan. Without it well-paid income, I wouldn't be able to do traveling.

Cheers, 25!

Taiwanese Fried

I love being around with people. After being here one year, I met these friends at restaurant. So lucky that be able to know some body from Taiwan and hang up together and share some similiar Taiwan experience in our lives.

Dollar Store

This is the Dollar Store which locate everwhere in Ontario, don't really know if it locate in other provences. Everybody loves this store, because you can find everything you can think of in here. Except fresh vegetable, dairy food. Only CDA$1 (= NT$30),you can get cookie, candy, toys, pans, towels, kitchenware, hardware, stationary supplies etc. What a wonderful place! There's one thing, everything is mad in China! Which is not common to see in Taiwan.

Fall in love with cats

This is one thing that I would never believe myself love cats before coming here. People take dogs as pets more than cats. There are many super specious sayings, Like cats are evil etc. Even my grandfather used to have quit a few cats, but all I remember is they had lots of fleas that made me so itchy.

Remember the first time the younger cat "Normy" came to our bed and made noises. That freaked me out in the middle of the night. I thought he's going to scratch my face or whatever. After figured out that just because he loves the touch of the comfy blanket, felt so sorry for accused him having "evil" intention. I guess our relationship started from one time he sat in front of rice cooker from beginning to the end while the rice is cooking, curiosity kills cat, not at all.

The older cat "Satan" has been in this house for over 15 years, that's 105 human years. (Eric used to make fun at me about converting animals age into human age.) Satan has been staying up stairs with us ( me & Eric have out own space in up stairs) for quite a while after half year figured out he is a gentle and loves to be cuddled. Sometimes he sleeps on the chair, uses his paws to draw my attention while I sit on the sofa watching TV , reading or on the computer. The sweetest thing is, when I get up in the early morning,he will specially wake up and come to me with his sleepy face. For petting, no. Another attention time, getting tuna for breakfast. But, not anymore.

Their independence; able to leave the house and play all day and still knowing to come back home, don't need to be showered, don't need to take them go for a walk and don't have to worry about their "toilet time". They will be my first option on my pet-wish list. My family in Taiwan must be very surprised at my "new pets". Another old image in my mind has been completely flipped over after coming to Canada.