It's summer time

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder “– I don’t know the origin of the quote but I do believe it, to be true.  This quote is applicable to so many things 'under the sun. ' We'll, and this time, I’m actually talking about the 'sun' , which is the star at the center of our solar system and is responsible for the earth's climate and weather. 

I did really miss the sun during my first long and cold winter in Canada.  They say you only really appreciate happiness once you have experienced sadness. The same is true for sunshine. I know it now.

I come from a country that is near the equator and I, like many other people from that part of the world took the bright sunshine that we got all year round for granted.  You only really appreciate the spring and the summer once you have been through the harsh winter like the recent once I experienced in Canada, my first Canadian winter.

Last week the temperature rose to double digits of around 18-20 degrees C and people were out in their shorts and driving around in their convertibles with the tops down. I thought to myself if I were in India, people would be all covered up in this temperature. 

Such are the winters in Canada, that the first sign of moderately warm temperature and bright sunshine, people are out there making the most of it. You probably heard the expression ‘make hay while the sun shines’.  I am really looking forward to my first summer in Canada and I hope it is as memorable as my first winter. 

I'm ok

The general response to the question, ‘hi, how are you? ’ Would be ‘I’m good. How about you? That is how we have been programmed to respond and that is how people expect us to respond. I also get asked that question a lot. And my general response to that is ,’I’m doing ok’. And then people would ask me in a surprised manner, 'why just ok, and not good.' And I have no response to that.

This then got me thinking, is something really wrong with me? Why am I not good? Then one day it occurred to me. I’m doing ok because life is not that bad to complain about and it’s not that good that I have anything to boast about.

Can a person really be good and happy all the time? I don’t think that is really possible in this day and age, with so many things happening around us.

I read an article the other day, by Tim Lott, a British author, in The Guardian where Tim says, ‘Disappointment, Fear and Loss are much a part of life as Achievement, Hope and Joy. But this intermediate state no longer seems to be socially acceptable…There is plenty of unhappiness. We shouldn’t dwell on it but we shouldn’t refuse to acknowledge it either.’ Thus, giving meaning to the phases of one's life.

So the next time someone says to you, I’m ok. Just let them be. Maybe they are content with being ok and there is nothing wrong in that. Let them have a day, after all making it through one is all that matters. 

Not what it used to be.

I joined the social media bandwagon way back in the early 2000s when I first registered on Orkut. The younger generation will not have heard of Orkut which is long in its grave now. The popularity of Orkut started to decline with the advent of Facebook and so did my loyalty towards Orkut. I eventually switched to Facebook. Over the years many other social media sites came up but Facebook still tops my list.

Facebook is a good way to keep in touch with people across the globe. If you hadn’t seen someone for years, you could just go on facebook and browse through their photos to see how much their bellies have grown horizontally or shrunk or the places they have been to and place they have settled in. Those were the good old days. 

The reason I say ‘those good old days’, is because the other day, while surfing Facebook, I realized that there wasn't a single update of a friend but random videos, inspirational quotes, tips on life etc.  This got me thinking. What then is the purpose of all this? The whole point of me logging on to Facebook was to catch up with friends and see what they were up to in their lives.  If I wanted fitness tips or tips on life I would have just Googled it.

I may sound a little old fashioned when I say, I wish Facebook would go back to being the way it was. When it was only about the people I followed. Don't you sometimes wish you could get rid of the clutter?

6 Things every kid will love doing this summer..

Here is the link to a little something I wrote for www.lilbluvan.com

http://lilbluvan.tumblr.com/post/115286843198/6-things-every-kid-will-love-doing-this-summer

The black ice effect..

The scene from the movie ’27 Dresses’ where Katherine Heigl screams in panic,” We’re hydroplaning, We’re hydroplane.” Ever wondered what hydroplane means? Well, I didn't know what nor was I bothered to look it up. It was only when I moved to Canada, is when I learnt about hydroplaning and black ice.

Google said,'Hydroplaning' by the tires of a vehicle occurs when a layer of water builds between the wheels of the vehicle and the road surface, leading to a loss of traction and 'Black Ice' is a thin coating of ice on a surface. It is not actually black but almost transparent.

People out here warned me about black ice at the start of winter, and narrated a few of their accidents with the same. It seemed to me, that if a person has lived in Canada through the winter, he or she must have  slipped and fallen due to black ice; mind you I speak of the careful ones too.

Now, we are towards the end of winter and the temperature has started to rise during the day causing the ice to melt and form small puddles. However, the water that does not evaporate, freezes at night forming black ice.

I've had my share of near misses in the last couple of weeks but luckily haven't fallen...yet. So to end this, I would say I had a good winter; my first experience with snow; other than just excitement. 

Looking forward to what the next season this new country has to offer!! 

For the Beer Lovers.

Here is a nice little article that every beer lover must read.

http://lilbluvan.tumblr.com/post/113942767858/7-beer-mugs-that-every-beer-lover-must-have

PDAC 2015

I first heard about the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) in 2010 when my ex boss and his colleague were on their way to the PDAC conference.

They were really excited about it. Up until that point I had not heard of PDAC. So I decided to do some research of my own. PDAC, is one of the biggest mining conferences in the world ever held. It first began in 1932 and has been held every year since then.

This year I got a chance to attend PDAC. This was my first industry related conference. PDAC 2015 was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Center. There were over 500 mining companies at the event. Many of the junior mining companies had some very interesting projects to showcase. But, as is the present state of the industry, many of them were stalled due to lack of funding.

I really enjoyed my first mining conference. It was a new experience for me.I met a lot of people and got their perspective on the present state of the industry. Many were still hopeful that the industry will bounce back soon, which is a good sign.

Ins't this is how we humans are ? Always living in the hope for a better future, Or at least hoping for one.

Getting my Driver's Licence

February 18th 2015, was another landmark day during my ‘Great Canadian Journey’. It was the day I became a licensed driver. Yes of course, I studied a bit before the test and also took some classes. These classes taught me that knowing to drive is the easy part but it takes more than this to get a license here. Knowing the rules constitutes a major part of the test. I was told the do's and the don'ts of each section. I met a few people who shared their experiences and how they failed the first time they gave the test.

Their stories made me a bit nervous as failing was not an option. Not because I don’t like to fail it was more because giving the test is not only an expensive affair but also a very time consuming. The test was booked for 9 am. I went to bed early, but was up most of the night tossing and turning worrying about the test.

It was an unusually cold February morning. The awaited time had come. My heart was pounding. The only thing going through my mind was "Garvin don’t mess this up. It's your only chance." The test started off well, yes, I did make a few mistakes but there were no major mishaps or accidents and I finally returned back to the test center without any major mishaps.

All nervous, I sat there waiting for my results. it all ended when that sweet lady looked at me and said those words my ears longed for "Garvin Rebello, congratulations! You've passed the test."
All adding up to:
Driver's License: Check.

Canadian International Autoshow

Here are a few clicks from my trip to the Canadian International Auto show held at the Toronto Metro Convention Center. This was my first visit to an auto show and it was such a great experience.

Women's Day

Next month, on the 8^th of March, the world will celebrate 'International Women’s Day.' First celebrated in the United States, 1909, this day is celebrated to honour women for their achievement in various fields.

Why celebrate women some would ask. To them I say, why not? Look at how far women have gone in today. From running corporations to countries, they have come a long way, when you look back at history and read about the struggles they faced to gain equal rights as men. They do deserve some credit.

From the Joan of Arc, to Rosa Parks not giving up her seat on the bus to Angela Merkel of today, and the women they represent; they sure deserve credit for their achievements.

In spite of all the progress, we as society, have made in terms of treating women equally, there are still so many parts of the world where women are still suffering.  Every day, we hear the news of women being attacked, raped, kidnapped, denied education, harassed at the workplace etc.

On Women’s Day, let's make it a point to not only celebrate their achievements but also create awareness about the struggles they still face in many parts of the world. They deserve respect. Let's set an example.

Here is a little article, dug out from the archives for International Women’s Day that will help put things in perspective.

https://www.marxists.org/archive/kollonta/1913/womens-day.htm