Posted on April 28, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with one comment

They came to Nova Scotia to further their education. They discovered a positive, accepting community in Antigonish and have decided to call it home.

Meet Cathy Lin and Melvin Tan.

Cathy hails from Canton, China where education is treasured.  “Study, study, study…” was the mantra in her community. “Education was everything,” she says.  She learned 3-D design in university and, when she decided to do a Masters degree, she discovered an internationally recognized university of the visual arts thousands of miles away: NASCAD, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Melvin grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He was a good athlete and musician, learning how to sing, play drums, guitar and piano. With three uncles living in Toronto, his parents sent him off to Canada to finish high school. When things didn’t go as planned, he returned home. His parent agreed to give him a second chance and he made the most of it, completing his high school at prestigious Kings-Edgehill in Windsor, Nova Scotia where he learned discipline … and snowboarding. He played on KES’s 2004 provincial volleyball championship team.

Melvin was very interested in the food business and completed the hospitality and hotel management course at Compu College in Halifax. He worked in a restaurant, and his new friend (and future wife) Cathy ended up working in the same restaurant.

At the time of their wedding, Melvin was holding down three different jobs. One of his duties was making sushi. Bento Sushi told him about an opportunity at a large grocery chain in Antigonish. Neither he nor Cathy had ever been to the small university town. Their initial scouting trip occurred in July of 2012, shortly after their son, Ethan, was born. They were flabbergasted at the volume of traffic on the outskirts of the town, only to discover that this was due entirely to the road construction associated with the twinning of the Trans Canada highway!

They found the tree lined streets of the town “relaxing” and felt a positive vibe watching so many people out strolling. They were concerned about moving to a small community, having been city people for so long. They didn’t know a single soul but they had a gut feeling that this was a good work opportunity and they took the plunge.

The first year was tough, as they rented a house adorned with its own hornet’s nest inside, and didn’t meet any new people. Cathy’s mom came for a visit. “You don’t have any friends, “she said and immediately took to the streets to rectify the situation. She walked into Tim Horton’s and started to chat with some of the patrons. Not long after this, Cathy and Melvin made some new connections, none more important than Fran Wittgens, who introduced them to the International Potluck.

Cathy has established herself as a top -notch graphic designer in the community. And the sushi business is thriving.

But this young, energetic and entrepreneurial couple is dreaming big, and hopes one day to expand their food business by operating a food truck specializing in Asian food. They see great potential for Antigonish as a destination.

That’s food for thought.

 

Posted on April 25, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with one comment

Homeless in Victoria

No, this is not a campground. At least it`s not “ officially“ a campground.

Nobody is perfect… not even Victoria.

Amid all the beauty and prosperity that the city enjoys, it has challenges like every other town and city in this country.

The photo is a tent city that sprung up in front of the Provincial Court House in downtown Victoria about 6 months ago. It is occupied by hundreds of homeless people. The picture doesn`t capture the scope of the problem. There are hundreds of tents, cardboard boxes , shopping carts and every manner of shelter imaginable.

Homelessness is a huge issue here. Because of the moderate climate, Victoria attracts a lot of people trying to escape harsh Canadian winters. Most of the problems can be traced to the lack of affordable housing which is singularly one of the biggest issues facing our country . Many of the residents of this tent city have mental health issues .

The local and Provincial government are doing everything they can to deal with the situation. As you can imagine the neighbors are not very happy with the encampment, the fires and the noise at all hours of the day and night. Arrangements were made to move a large number of the homeless to other accommodations but just like waves crashing on the shore, another wave of homeless took their place.

I don`t claim to know much about homelessness but one would think that there needs to be a coordinated National Strategy . The solutions here in Victoria are bandaids and we all know that bandaids have a short shelf life.

Many of you will recognize the two faces in this week`s “ Faces in the Crowd.“ They are yet another young couple from far flung places in the world who have chosen Antigonish as the place they plan to put down roots. They will make a significant contribution to the cultural life in our community… and to its gastronomical life as well!!! Stay tuned for “Food For Thought.“

Have a great week.

Posted on April 21, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with one comment

 

“It’s like a gift wrapped up in barbwire.”

Meet Linda O’Brien

Like many of her peers, Linda grew up in a large family and was a country girl, spending countless hours traipsing through the woods or fishing in the streams near her home. Later on she would become a self-proclaimed gym enthusiast.

In high school she had a knack for sciences, so it was no surprise that she ended up as a medical lab technologist.  “I was very lucky.  I found something that I loved at an early age.”

In the Spring of 2004, a bout of dizziness caused her to have some testing done, thinking that it was merely an inner ear infection.  It turned out to be much worse.  Later that year, she discovered that she had a rare form of cancer called Myelodysplastic Syndrome, or MDS.  At that time a stem cell transplant was the only recourse.  Two family members presented a perfect match.  In April of 2006, she received the life saving transplant from her brother.

Linda’s problems were just beginning.

Initially she got along very well, but high doses of medications and other complications that come from stem cell treatment caused a myriad of issues, including irreversible lung damage.  This would require a double lung transplant.  She spent much of 2007-08 being tested and undergoing rehab in an attempt to become a suitable candidate for the transplant.

Finally, in October of 2008, she was officially put on the list and moved to Toronto.

And waited.

Her days were spent doing physio and exercises to make sure that she would be in the best shape possible to undergo the surgery.  At 1:00 a.m. on March 16, 2009, she was awoken from her sleep. “You got your call.”

“There was no trepidation.  It was excitement,” claims Linda.  “All I wanted in life was to be able to walk and breathe.”  That didn`t seem like an unrealistic goal.

The long road to recovery was not easy.  Linda says that the support of family, friends and her new found transplant support group was the crucial healing remedy.  No one was more important than her mother.  All that, and her unshakeable faith.  “Some days my faith was all that I had to hold onto.”

Now Linda’s job is to maintain her health.  This includes daily medications, and trips to see doctors and other medical specialists.  Because of the unpredictability of her health, many travel plans with friends have been thwarted, but this doesn’t bother Linda.  It’s just part of her “new normal.”

Gratitude.

 

It is hardly a word that one would expect from someone who has been through so much.  Linda broke through the barbwire of poor health to uncover the priceless gift of friendship.  For that she is so very thankful.

 

For more information on how to become an organ donor, go to www.legacyoflife.ns.ca

For those seeking support and information about rare bone marrow disorders, go to www.AAMAC.ca

Plan to attend the first annual Antigonish Transplant Trot on Sunday, June 12 at 10 a.m. at Columbus Field.  You can pre-register at the Running Room: http://events.runningroom.com/hm/index.php