On a recent P.A. Day I took my children out to a popular buffet restaurant for lunch. Their grandparents & cousins joined us so we had 4 adults and 5 children ages 6-12 in our group. Because it was a P.A. Day there were a lot of children in the restaurant along with the regular work crowd. As we were eating, a large party came in and were seated near us. Their party also had children that outnumbered the adults. A couple of the children in the party were excited and werenrunning around the table trying to find the "best" seat so they could sit beside their favourite friend/sibling/cousin. Their server (who was also serving our table) started to take their drink orders and said in a polite and concerned voice "Don't run, please". When he was ignored by the children (and also the adults at the table) he raised his voice slightly and said again, "Don't run, please - it is dangerous". One of the ladies, looking incredulously at him snapped back: "They are just children". The server then went on to apologize saying "Sorry, but it is dangerous to run because there are a lot of people walking around". The children seeing this rather embarrassing encounter unfold quickly took their seats while their parents were still giving the server evil eyes and muttering under their breaths.
Really? Where have all the manners gone? What are the adults teaching these children? Not only did they not reprimand their own children but had the nerve to feel offended by the server and defend their children! It is no wonder that a lot of people complain we are raising a bunch of entitled, spoiled, dependent children that are rude and have no respect for authority!
A few years ago we were having dinner with a group of friends at our local Swiss Chalet. We decided to have a "children's table" and an "adult's table". At the end of our meal our server complimented our children for being so well behaved. Not only did they order on their own, and helped each other out, they sat and talked and entertained themselves while the adults finished their meals. Yes, Swiss Chalet is a family restaurant that had colouring/activity papers to keep them busy. And yes, the meal only lasted a little over an hour, but we are talking about a bunch of 3 - 8 year olds. So a pat on the back to our group of friends.
Fast forward to this past Chinese New Year when my husband's family of 24 went to Dragon Legend Buffet to have dinner. It was a busy evening, the place was crowded, the wait staff were hustling, clearing tables, and getting drinks. As the evening ended, our server came by the "adults" table and mentioned how well behaved our children were - there were 12 of them ranging from ages 6 - 22 sitting together. She said they were so polite and weren't wasteful - they only got enough food that they could finish. They were having good conversation and weren't on their devices. They were truly enjoying each others company. I thanked her for the compliment and felt quite proud that my children were showing such good behaviour.
Is this what our social skills/etiquette is coming to? Are expectations so low that it is shocking when children are polite to servers, not wasteful, or not on electronic devices during a meal? Do parents not teach children to be engaging and enjoy the company they are with - and do they not set examples for their kids to follow? After thinking about it, I've decided that my children's behaviour isn't particularly outstanding - it is what I expect and it is the norm for us.
Y.C.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Maple Yip Seafood Chinese Restaurant - Old School Cantonese
Looks like a normal Crispy Chicken from the outside...but it is completely deboned & stuffed with sticky rice (糯米飯)!
Recently, I wanted to find a Chinese seafood restaurant to try with 7 friends and decided on Maple Yip because of all the positive reviews on TripAdvisor and other review sites. We made 7:30 reservations for a Friday night and we were promptly seated when we arrived. Based on the reviews, we had pre-ordered the Winter Melon Soup ($45) and Chicken Stuffed With Rice ($42). The waitress was friendly, and when we told her we wanted seafood she gave us some suggestions on the fresh seafood they had. We decided on live Vancouver Crab With Ginger & Onion ($16/lb), steamed fresh Red Snapper ($23/lb), fresh Scallop With Garlic & Vermicelli ($9 each), Clams In Black Bean Sauce, and 2 veggie dishes. The seafood was fresh, the cooking method was perfect, and the taste was authentic Cantonese style - exactly what we were looking for. The bill was $461 (with tax & tip already included). This was a bit expensive, however the waitress had told us the prices at the time of ordering so we knew what to expect.
We live in an area that has hundreds of Chinese/Asian restaurants within a 20 minute drive and there haven't been any that I've tried in recent memory that I've wanted to recommend to my family until this one. So a week later I made another reservation for 7:30 on a Saturday night for my family. There were 18 of us so we had a table of 10 and a table of 8 - once again I pre-ordered 2 Winter Melon Soups, a Chicken Stuffed With Rice, and a "Eight Treasured Braised Duck" ($48) which is also one of their specialities that must be pre-ordered.
On this Saturday night we had to wait 20 minutes before we were seated but the staff were very apologetic and we were prepared that there may be wait. This evening's dinner we ordered 2 Black Pepper Tenderloin, 2 Sweet & Sour Pork, 2 Scallop In Taro Birds Nest, Braised Pork Belly With Preserved Vegetables, a Cantonese Chow Mein, and a tofu/veggie dish. The bill was $387 (tax & tip already included). Reasonable for the size of our party and the amount of food we ordered. My family was happy with the recommendation and were generally pleased with the quality and taste of the food, the service and the prices.
This restaurant reminds me of the Cantonese style restaurants in Toronto Chinatown (Spadina/Dundas) in the 80's before they started migrating to Scarborough & Markham and before the "fancier" Chinese restaurants of the last 10-15 years. If you don't mind the tables close together, waiting a bit even with a reservation, and the old-school décor (or lack of), and just want some good Chinese food definitely give this place a try.
Here's a tip: Opt for the 7:00 or 7:30 reservation even though you may not get your table on time. The early reservations get "rushed" out even if you want to sit and chat or are slow eaters because the parties have arrived for the next reservation.
We live in an area that has hundreds of Chinese/Asian restaurants within a 20 minute drive and there haven't been any that I've tried in recent memory that I've wanted to recommend to my family until this one. So a week later I made another reservation for 7:30 on a Saturday night for my family. There were 18 of us so we had a table of 10 and a table of 8 - once again I pre-ordered 2 Winter Melon Soups, a Chicken Stuffed With Rice, and a "Eight Treasured Braised Duck" ($48) which is also one of their specialities that must be pre-ordered.
On this Saturday night we had to wait 20 minutes before we were seated but the staff were very apologetic and we were prepared that there may be wait. This evening's dinner we ordered 2 Black Pepper Tenderloin, 2 Sweet & Sour Pork, 2 Scallop In Taro Birds Nest, Braised Pork Belly With Preserved Vegetables, a Cantonese Chow Mein, and a tofu/veggie dish. The bill was $387 (tax & tip already included). Reasonable for the size of our party and the amount of food we ordered. My family was happy with the recommendation and were generally pleased with the quality and taste of the food, the service and the prices.
This restaurant reminds me of the Cantonese style restaurants in Toronto Chinatown (Spadina/Dundas) in the 80's before they started migrating to Scarborough & Markham and before the "fancier" Chinese restaurants of the last 10-15 years. If you don't mind the tables close together, waiting a bit even with a reservation, and the old-school décor (or lack of), and just want some good Chinese food definitely give this place a try.
Here's a tip: Opt for the 7:00 or 7:30 reservation even though you may not get your table on time. The early reservations get "rushed" out even if you want to sit and chat or are slow eaters because the parties have arrived for the next reservation.
Y.C.
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
Safe
I am at my monthly doctor's appointment today. On good days it is just another minor inconvenience, but on others, it turns me into a nervous wreck - heart palpitations all day, insomnia for the preceding week, and all the worst possible scenarios playing out in my mind over & over until I almost cannot tell the real from the imagined.
It is also March Break. So along with having to deal with these appointments and the wave of emotions & feelings that come with it, I have 3 school-aged children at home who have been trying to "play nicely" with each other - yesterday they made slime by themselves (without too much yelling & screaming) and they even cleaned up the mess they made on their own - definitely a successful day!
Today they are bowling with their cousins & they'll be with them again on Friday when I am back to do part 2 of my appointment. My kids are close to all their cousins, but are particularly so with this family. They are close in age and they go to the same school. They have lots to talk about & will play board games, video games, watch movies, and we'll even go on vacation with them. Besides the obvious help of taking care of my children when I am at my appointments, my extended family provides something even more important. For me, it is knowing that my kids are taken care of, they are having fun & are distracted, when I am not able to do that for them.
My children know why I have these monthly appointments at the hospital. Our family schedule & their social activities must be planned around me. It could be a very stressful time for them too but I think we do a good job at creating as much normalcy as possible. I think my children know that outside of our immediate family, there is always going to be another place for them, with their aunts & uncles, cousins & grandparents, where they can feel safe & loved.
Y.C.
It is also March Break. So along with having to deal with these appointments and the wave of emotions & feelings that come with it, I have 3 school-aged children at home who have been trying to "play nicely" with each other - yesterday they made slime by themselves (without too much yelling & screaming) and they even cleaned up the mess they made on their own - definitely a successful day!
Today they are bowling with their cousins & they'll be with them again on Friday when I am back to do part 2 of my appointment. My kids are close to all their cousins, but are particularly so with this family. They are close in age and they go to the same school. They have lots to talk about & will play board games, video games, watch movies, and we'll even go on vacation with them. Besides the obvious help of taking care of my children when I am at my appointments, my extended family provides something even more important. For me, it is knowing that my kids are taken care of, they are having fun & are distracted, when I am not able to do that for them.
My children know why I have these monthly appointments at the hospital. Our family schedule & their social activities must be planned around me. It could be a very stressful time for them too but I think we do a good job at creating as much normalcy as possible. I think my children know that outside of our immediate family, there is always going to be another place for them, with their aunts & uncles, cousins & grandparents, where they can feel safe & loved.
Y.C.
Sunday, February 19, 2017
The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning
I know it’s been a long time since I last blogged. Recently, I was assigned a project at school in which I had to read a fantasy novel and do a response for. Therefore, I have decided to do a blog on “The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning” (WARNING! If you have yet to read this book, and you do not wish to have anything spoiled, DO NOT read on)
Before I start, I’d like to give you a quick summary so you don’t get lost or confused. The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning is the third book in the Land of Stories series, written by Chris Colfer. The two main characters are Alex and Conner Bailey, twins who are from another realm, called The Land of Stories. At first, they didn’t know another realm existed, when they did find out they learned that the fairy godmother was their grandmother. In each book, there is a huge problem that usually, Conner and Alex help settle, facing a series of obstacles in their way. In this book, there is a French army that had been put in a portal from Earth to the Land of Stories by the fairy godmother, and they were not to emerge until two hundred years later. Fast forward two hundred years later and the French army arrives in the Land of Stories. Seeing that the fairy godmother has fallen ill, the fate of the fairy tale world rests on Alex and Conner’s shoulders as they are the grandchildren of the fairy godmother. Some other characters I may be mentioning in this blog are Bree, Conner’s friend and love interest, Emmerich, a boy who helps Conner and Bree find the portal to the Land of Stories, and Mother Goose, one of the fairy godmother’s oldest friends. That is just an outline of what happens in this book, I really enjoyed it, and I think many other fantasy readers would enjoy it too.
In my opinion this book is very detailed and well thought out, it was showed in chapter eleven where Conner and his friend Bree had to use a special poker chip that he got from Mother Goose to access her vault in the Lumiere de Etoiles (Starlight) Casino. She said in her vault there was a panpipe that could open the portal to the Land of Stories. The poker chip they had used to access the vault was given to Conner in a previous book in the series, meaning that the author had his story well thought out from the beginning, or it was simply just a coincidence. I think this book can also give the reader courage, and teach the reader how to persevere through tough problems. An example of this in the text is in chapter two when Alex is training to be fairy godmother, and her goal is to grant three wishes each day. One day, it seems as though everyone who she helps, is snotty about it, and instead of thanking her, they insult her. Even though she did not get the respect she deserved on her first and second try, she persevered and completed her goal of three wishes.
My favourite part was when the Grande Armee was approaching the fairy palace and everyone was panicking since Alex and Conner hadn’t returned. Then, they all saw a blast of light, almost like an oversized comet shoot through the sky. It came bolting towards the fairy palace, just before the Grande Armee were about to strike, and in front of the fairy palace appeared Alex, Conner, and the remaining armies from all the kingdoms. This was my favourite part because the battle was about to begin, and as it was so exciting it was also so nerve racking, because it was their first battle they’d have to fight without the fairy godmother. But, they were very brave, and confident in fighting the Grande Armee and (SPOILERS) they won the battle. My least favourite part was when the fairy godmother (MORE SPOILERS) dies. She came back to fight the dragon that the Masked Man had brought at the end of the war, when the fairies thought they won. As it was approaching the fairy palace, Alex ran up to her grandmother’s chambers, kneeling at the side of her bed begging for her to wake up and help her. When she looked up, the fairy godmother and her wand were gone. The fairy godmother had come back to fight the dragon and defeated it. This part was my least favourite because once she had diminished the dragon she stumbled to the ground, feeling satisfied, and ready to leave. This part actually made me cry. It was amazing to read this because the description was so in depth and I could understand how they felt, almost as if I was losing the fairy godmother too, even though I knew she was a fictional character.
As you can see, The Land of Stories: A Grimm Warning is a great book to read, if you want a book to read for pleasure, or even for a project. I hope that if you do read this book, you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Basketball
It's past 3:00 am and I can't sleep. I have a lot on my mind. I have medication to help me sleep but lately that hasn't been working - nothing seems to be working. I'm trying to find some distraction yet keep focused...
* * * * *
Today was M1's last basketball tournament. This marked the end of her first basketball season on her school's team - the very first one she's ever tried out for. Although she lost more games than she won and her basketball "skills" need a lot of work, I know she loved the experience and is looking forward to doing it again next year & is even talking about trying out for other school teams.
There are so many things I see my daughter has taken out of this experience: the camaraderie with her team mates, the sense of school pride, losing with grace, and a strong, athletic body. She is also setting a great example for her younger sisters. I'm so glad I went to watch some of her games and I know she was happy to see me (even at the ugly losses - and I'm talking about 47-4 ugly). Because in the big picture of things, there's only a small window of time, or a handful of opportunities, when your children will truly NEED you, when your presence is a source of encouragement and not embarrassment, and when you will matter the MOST.
This is what I am focusing on now.
Y.C.
* * * * *
Today was M1's last basketball tournament. This marked the end of her first basketball season on her school's team - the very first one she's ever tried out for. Although she lost more games than she won and her basketball "skills" need a lot of work, I know she loved the experience and is looking forward to doing it again next year & is even talking about trying out for other school teams.
There are so many things I see my daughter has taken out of this experience: the camaraderie with her team mates, the sense of school pride, losing with grace, and a strong, athletic body. She is also setting a great example for her younger sisters. I'm so glad I went to watch some of her games and I know she was happy to see me (even at the ugly losses - and I'm talking about 47-4 ugly). Because in the big picture of things, there's only a small window of time, or a handful of opportunities, when your children will truly NEED you, when your presence is a source of encouragement and not embarrassment, and when you will matter the MOST.
This is what I am focusing on now.
Y.C.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
The Exception Or The Norm?
I've written about our large extended family before. My home is a central hub for aunts, uncles & cousins - coming and going at all hours (because we live with our in-laws but mostly because Uncle Pepe lives next door). And although it can be overwhelming at times, I wouldn't have it any other way! For every time where I've felt I needed my space and wanted to complain, there are 100 times that I've felt so happy to be a part of this crazy (some may say dysfunctional) family.
This week my FIL was sick and had to be admitted to the hospital for some unexpected surgery. Thank goodness, he is fine and recovering well. It is times like these that I think what a wonderful family I have. It reminded me when I was sick 3 years ago and everyone took shifts at the hospital as they are doing this week.
This week's experience also reminded me what an amazing health care system we have - one that is practically 100% funded by our government. There are a lot of horror stories of how inefficient our health care system is. We read about people having to wait days to see their family doctor (and some not even having one). There are numerous reports about long wait times for specialists and hospital tests. My family has been very lucky. I was, and continue to be very well cared for by our health care system and by our hospitals. This week my FIL was able to get an appointment with his family doctor, had an x-ray in a neighbourhood clinic, got the results of the x-ray, was sent to the ER, had a CT Scan, was admitted to the hospital, saw a specialist and had surgery all within 48 hours. I'm not sure if our experiences are the exception - I really hope it is the norm.
So today I am feeling very grateful for all the nurses, doctors, hospitals, and all the health care providers we have in our community.
Y.C.
This week my FIL was sick and had to be admitted to the hospital for some unexpected surgery. Thank goodness, he is fine and recovering well. It is times like these that I think what a wonderful family I have. It reminded me when I was sick 3 years ago and everyone took shifts at the hospital as they are doing this week.
This week's experience also reminded me what an amazing health care system we have - one that is practically 100% funded by our government. There are a lot of horror stories of how inefficient our health care system is. We read about people having to wait days to see their family doctor (and some not even having one). There are numerous reports about long wait times for specialists and hospital tests. My family has been very lucky. I was, and continue to be very well cared for by our health care system and by our hospitals. This week my FIL was able to get an appointment with his family doctor, had an x-ray in a neighbourhood clinic, got the results of the x-ray, was sent to the ER, had a CT Scan, was admitted to the hospital, saw a specialist and had surgery all within 48 hours. I'm not sure if our experiences are the exception - I really hope it is the norm.
So today I am feeling very grateful for all the nurses, doctors, hospitals, and all the health care providers we have in our community.
Y.C.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
Exhausted - In A Good Way
I'm exhausted - and it's only 12 noon. Sometimes exhaustion is good. Right now it feels good. I feel like I have accomplished a lot. Today I felt like I needed to keep moving - I wish I had energy like this everyday. If my body was up to it I'd channel all this energy into cleaning my house. It would be spotless! But right now the best I can do is putter around in the kitchen on days like today.
This morning I was able to make my kids a hot breakfast AND a hot lunch (pat on the back) got them out the door on time (barely) and whipped up my morning green juice, Chinese herbal tea (blah), a salad for lunch (enough for 3 meals), banana muffins (for afterschool snack) and my special Chinese sweet potato dessert soup (also enough to last a couple of days). Whew!
A lot of times it's the little things that add up and before you know it - voila! It becomes a big deal - or like today, I end up with a kitchen full of food!
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