About two months ago, Filipinos all over the world celebrated their Christmas Eve with Noche Buena and their New Year’s Eve with Media Noche. These special times are celebrated with friends, family, and of course, lots of food! Filipino-Canadians’ tabletops were most likely a fusion of traditional Filipino and Western fares. During my family’s annual Noche Buena feast,… Read More »
Communicating with Your Teenage Kids Most parents will agree with me that parenting teenage kids are not the same as parenting infants and toddlers. Teenagers pose a different challenge, especially in this world of openness, connectivity, and modernity. Indeed, life is more complicated now than 20 years ago, before the advent of social networking and skyping. As a… Read More »
March is Nutrition Month. Every year, Canadian Registered Dietitians (RDs) take this opportunity to highlight the role of nutrition in people’s health and wellness. Note that to be qualified as a RD in Canada, one must have completed the requirements of his/her provincial governing body, for example the College of Dietitians of Ontario, and adhere to its professional… Read More »
Welcome 2012! One challenging year is gone. Another year beckons and another chance to live a renewed, positive life. All of us will be a year older but hopefully a year wiser. Although most people welcome the New Year with gladness and enthusiasm, some are still hounded by gloom and uncertainty. I can’t blame them. With a backdrop… Read More »
Christmas is here! Although the holiday season elicits cheers and excitement especially among children, some people feel stressed, nauseated, and overwhelmed by just the thought of it. Why is it so? Isn’t Christmas supposed to be fun and jovial? Nowadays, Christmas has been so commercialized that many children yearn for the latest, expensive gadgets. Some kids, even toddlers… Read More »
As Black Friday kicks off a month-long activity of gift-giving and partying, I’m here to reflect on what it means to give and to know ones gift. In giving, the giver feels the joy of the gesture, and the receiver feels the happiness associated with kindness. Both the giver and the receiver of the gifts experience a shared… Read More »
In Part 1 of this article, I discussed the first three strategies in preventing unnecessary, draining, stressful, and time-consuming confrontation. As mentioned, unfriendly encounter can happen at a time and place when we least expect it. It’s vital to know and carry out some basic strategies: First, expect it to happen; second, choose your strategy; and third, be… Read More »
Last October 10, Canada just celebrated Thanksgiving Day! Indeed, Canadians have a lot to thank for. Unlike other countries, Canada has been spared from the wrath of economic recession. Newfoundland, with its oil and mineral wealth, has grown strong during this period. In fact, this province has maintained its “have” status despite the many challenges besetting other places.… Read More »
Summer has begun! School is closed. Students welcome the new season with gladness. Of course, how can anyone not enjoy it? No homework. No quizzes or reports. Jobs are open. Here in Newfoundland, frequent rains have dampened the spirits of some outdoor enthusiasts. With dark clouds hanging in the air almost daily, many people hesitate to get involved.… Read More »
After three agonizing years of untreatable illness, my father (Papa as we fondly call him) finally succumbed and quietly passed away this month. Over the years, I’d seen him fought long and hard, using his every strength, humor, and motivation to get physically and emotionally better. But his aged body had to give up . . . And… Read More »