“When you do something best in life, you don’t really want to give that up – and for me it’s tennis.” – Roger Federer The literal translation of the French words in the above title is “game of the palm.” The game of tennis then started as a handball game, and whenever the French would serve, they would… Read More »
PART II BY: EDWIN DE LEON Newfoundland was far from the consciousness of the world community until John Cabot, in the late 1400s, declared: “fish ( cod ) was thick by the shore that we hardly have been able to row a boat through them.” Thus began the waves of Southern Europeans, chiefly migratory fishers from Spain and Portugal took… Read More »
“But I have learned that kindness and love can pay for pain and suffering.” Alan Paton, Cry, the Beloved Country (1948). Wedding day is one of life’s important milestones for a woman. Being the centre of attention once in a while is a reaffirming moment to an elevated status that is hard to come by. That was on… Read More »
I trust you all enjoyed your Canada Day long weekend. It was especially memorable for me because I now have a Japanese maple tree planted in our backyard. My wish come true – thanks to my family and to Vic, my husband who diligently researched and prepared for the proper planting of the tree seedling. And, mind you,… Read More »
PART I That sound, that jabbing, reverberating buzz of a chainsaw; not very often, you hear it around Mississauga. It was distant but distinct to me, one that I can identify from miles away. A flood of memories when I hear that sound. Why? Am I a lumberjack in the off-season? Close! There isn’t a hint of it in my resume—forty… Read More »
“Ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa paroroonan.” What’s that hyphen for? Does that mean you’re not a pure Pinoy anymore? Yep, I used to be one but I renounced it to become a Canadian citizen. Also, I have lived a lot longer in Canada than the Philippines. My daughter and granddaughter were born here. Canada… Read More »
By: Teresa Torralba June 2021 is an incredibly special month to our Filipino-Canadian community. It is when we celebrate the Filipino Heritage month all over Canada. As well, Filipinos around the globe have events throughout the year to celebrate the Quincentennial year of the Philippines. It was 500 years ago that the Philippines was discovered by explorers led… Read More »
Ready, willing and able, but only requires a second chance By Faye Arellano Is there hope for permanent residence (PR) for out-of-status caregivers whose lives are in limbo? The short answer is yes. But how to achieve the desired result may be more complicated than that. Application on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) ground is one legal remedy that… Read More »
By Faye Arellano Maria, 35, arrived in Canada a decade ago under the defunct Live-in Caregiver’s Program. Her initial employer changed her mind about hiring her and immediately released Maria on her first week. It took Maria about seven months to find a new employer who was willing to do the required paperwork. This time, Maria endured almost… Read More »
In pursuit of the elusive PR By Faye Arellano After several failed attempts to restore her legal status even with the help of a lawyer, Maria eventually became undocumented in 2014. “I incurred so much debts in the course of my legal battle, to no avail,” recalled Maria. She added that she was desperate to renew her work… Read More »