Category: Life & Times
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The failure of a small business
I feel kind of sad as I write this post. If you ever ran a small business that failed, you would know the feeling. It was not my business. But, you still feel for the people who tried really hard and still failed. The neighbourhood restaurant and bar had opened about a year and a half…
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When Your Child’s Student Loan Is Bigger Than Your Mortgage
We did the math. After we picked up half the tab, my daughter’s student loan was going to be larger than the mortgage on our house. It was not a comforting thought — letting your child rack up a debt of that size even before she starts working. My daughter’s first career choice was to…
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Second Career: Be Careful What You Wish For
When I missed it the second time around, I started to worry. It was my third week at the job; my second career – truck driving. I tried to remember the instructions from the truck driving school. Don’t let your ego come in the way. When in doubt, GOAL – Get Out And Look. Acting normal,…
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Don’t Be a Hero in a Morgue
This post is not about squash or tennis. Deji Odetoyinbo, this week’s guest blogger, is Toronto veterinarian by profession. Deji is a cycling enthusiast, squash player, and photography buff. In this narrative, interspersed with some hindsight, Deji takes us through a cycling incident and its aftermath. You don’t have to be a cyclist or a sportsperson to…
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A Ride Too Far – A Cycling Tale That You Should Read
You might be a hero in a morgue. But you’re still in a morgue. I crashed at the 190th kilometer of a 215 km ride. Joey, my co-rider, told me later that when he saw my body smack the road and stay still, he was absolutely certain that I was dead. I was relatively new to road cycling.…
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Who is A True Blue Aussie?
I begin this article by acknowledging the traditional custodians of this land, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Who is a True Blue Aussie? Not that hard to describe. For those of you who have watched ‘Crocodile Dundee’, Paul Hogan is the best fit. For others who have not yet had any friends, colleagues,…
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How I got my first job in Canada.
The interview was scheduled for 9:00 a.m. I was excited. Potentially, it was going to be my first job in Canada. The hiring company was an International Distributor of consumer products. I located the office on a warehouse-lined street. It didn’t quite fit the settings I had built up in my mind. Far more people…
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What do you do when you find out that your child is dying?
I have spent the past year waiting for my daughter to die. Findings and opinions were many. One in a billion genetic mutations. Only three known cases in the world. Your child is dying; she’ll be dead in fifteen months. Enjoy your time together. That was the initial prescription – enjoy your time together. Everything…
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The Elusive Canadian Experience
The well-dressed lady behind the counter was polite. I had seen the “We’re Hiring” sign on her store window and had walked in to see if she would consider hiring me for the job. As she glanced through my resume, I looked around. The store had an expensive feel to it. The sign outside said…
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The Retirement Calculator – A Light-hearted Look
The retirement calculator was not complicated, but detailed. My friend Dino had sent it to me. Conversations among the folks that I hung out with at the club seemed to always drift towards retirement planning. No one was getting any younger. I had met Peter, my financial advisor, at the club. And then there was…