Black and White and Beyond: 2016

11.20.2016

MY SPA DE JAVU EXPERIENCE

Sea salt foot soak for 5 minutes before the reflexology foot massage.

11.09.2016

Going out for some important transaction downtown isn't so much fun at all! The not-so-cold but not-so-warn autumn weather, fairly cloudy with rainshowers in between at 12 degress and me wearing a pair of knee high boots, leggings, black top underneath with white tee as my top and the heavy wool coat to keep me warm is such a nuisance! I prefer a pair of slippers, plain tee and jeans walking around but that's not always the case in this part of the world. After all, it's 6 weeks before winter!

Going downtown without a car from Northshore means getting into the 239 or 228 bus, get down Lonsdale Quay for the seabus going to Waterfront for 15 minutes and a 5-minute walk to the World Trade Center-Vancouver where the Philippine Consulate office is. Well, that's my case. Others either take the bus or the skytrain to get around places. Going back of course, will still be the same, unless you opt on riding a bus to Park Royal via Dundarave if you're not in a hurry.

In riding the bus, seabus or the skytrain, we use compass card. "Compass is the reloadable fare card that works everywhere on transit in Metro Vancouver. To travel on SkyTrain, SeaBus or West Coast Express, you need a Compass Card or Compass Ticket to open fare gates or to tap on a station validator. You can keep using cash, bus transfers and FareSavers on buses, but you’ll need Compass to transfer to rail or SeaBus. Compass Cards can be loaded with Monthly Passes, DayPasses and Stored Value. Loading Stored Value onto your Compass Card is just like adding cash to your card, so you can pay-as-you-go". (www.compasscard.ca)

Now there's 2 kinds of compass cards: blue for adult and orange for concession or HandyCard.

"Eligible for HandyCard holders are seniors 65 years and older and youth 14 to 18 years with valid photo identification proving age, and children 5 to 13 years. Children under 5 years ride free when accompanied by an adult (maximum 4 children per adult)".

For passengers who wish to use a single ticket, a compass ticket is also available but not reloadable.

Fare is as follows:

Source: compasscard.ca

With this so much info from the website and campaign ads, there are still people (sadly) who don't take things seriously!

Going back to North Vancouver after filing one document to the consulate office and sending it to the Philippines took me 45minutes and going back, I'm taking the same route of taking the seabus then bus 239 to work. This will take me less than an hour should I take the cab to my workplace from Phibbs Exchange.

I was sitting quietly near the exit when a huge man in his dark blue uniform just popped up inside the seabus a minute after it took off.

He asked every passenger of their compass card for checking. Now this scenario isn't so common! Police or transit security are seen around bus/seabus stations but them doing random check isn't a routine especially at this unlikely not-so-busy hour of the day. Random spot check is done by scanning the card thru their own scanning machine. And what does that mean when a passenger is caught using the wrong compass card? "Didn't you know that it has severe penalty that comes with it?", said he to my seatmate, a normal adult who was busted for having bought a single concession ticket. Speaking in his Russian accent, he tried to explain that he's "new here and doesn't know". The security guy talked louder and slower, trying to explain to him that the card he bought wasn't the right one for him. He tried to have him talk and admit that he bought the cheaper ticket to save money but the guy can barely speak English. Words were few and hand gestures frequent as he tried to convince this transit police that he can barely understand the language and insisted he really don't know what a concession is and what's that for. The tansit security explained that he can be penalized with a hefty $123.00 as fine. Tho' the man tried to stay calm and listened intently, I can tell that he's nervous and agitated. After the big guy in uniform told him the consequences of being fraudulent with compass cards, he then moved on to my side and checked my card.

Well, he must not in the mood to penalize anyone he caught (4 of them actually) today! He just reminded them that the next time they get into any of translink's mode of transportation, they should purchase the right compass card and fare to avoid penalty. These guys were lucky to have gotten away. But this isn't only a reminder for them, it's also a lesson learned for me. Many times, my sister would remind me to always load my compass card and not to forget to tap it to get in and when I'm exiting. She'll always say that once caught, it isn't only the penalty that's the issue, the record of having been fraudulent can also sever my work status in the country. "Put this in mind, Better be safe than sorry" were her way of saying obey the rules!

Character indeed is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by, and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught. Lucky was that guy! He got away with this today but I hope he learned a great lesson from his experience. I did!

Looking from afar, I'm just glad that I'm back at North Shore! It's been a long morning for me on one Monday morning.

*The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The hard part is doing it. ~ Robert H. Schuller

9.04.2016

MY TESTIMONY

It's September 4 and it's the first Sunday of the month. First Sunday of the month is the testimony Sunday in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Testimony is sharing your uplifting experiences and feelings about the Savior Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

Today, Bishop Bateman conducted the sacrament services. After the partaking of the sacrament, it was announced that the pulpit is already open for testimony sharing. There were few people who stood up, some were "not prepared" or didn't plan to really stand on the pulpit to say their testimonies. When there was blank space, my nephew Kirby nudged me, signalling I stand and bear my testimony. I wasn't prepared neither! But there was none who was anyway! And so when I found courage, I stood up and bore my testimony.

This was what I remember saying:

Back in the Philippines, whenever we go to Church on Sundays, my daughters and I ride a tricycle. A tricycle is a motorcycle with a side car that carries 3-4 passengers. Every time we ride a tricycle, I would instruct the driver to bring us to the true Church. And the driver would ask: "Where is that?", and my answer will always be "Just few meters away, at the Mormon Church". My daughters would often give me a look, or a word "mommy", in the most disgusting manner, or sometimes they just smile or laugh. For the whole time that I was with them, they got used to have me say to the driver on Sundays, "We're going to the True Church". And whenever the driver will ask "Where is that?", my answer will always be "At the Mormon Church!"

When I arrived in Canada, my sister told me that I should never say anything about Church or God to people because they will think I'm weird. One time, we rode a cab and I tried saying "We're going to the true Church!" in my smallest voice. The cab said, "Where?" "To the Mormon Church, 941 Lynn Valley Road", I answered firmly. Tho' the cab driver knew where the Mormon Church is, he never asked anything about the Church.

One time, my client asked me if I go to a certain Church so I said yes, I go to the Mormon Church. Then I shared our belief about the Plan of Salvation. After sharing with her my belief about the premortal life, us when we were spirits, then came to earth for a purpose then when we die, our spirit goes to the spirit world then we can be resurrected. Her reaction? "That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard!", she said with her eyes rolling. And so I thought that my sister might be right after all! DO NOT TALK ABOUT GOD OR CHURCH BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL THINK YOU'RE WEIRD!"

Last week, after I received the endorsement from the previous shift, the caregiver who's about to leave exclaimed that she's happy having not to work on a Friday and Saturday. I asked why and she said she's going to a church activity. Then she asked if I belong to a church. I said yes, I am a Mormon. Then she asked the difference between her church and mine. I mentioned about the living prophet, of which she said, we have a pope, too. Then I recalled once again my belief about the premortal life, our purpose on earth and the life here after, of which she again said, we believe in that, too! And then she incessantly asked, "So what's the difference between your church and mine?" So I said, "Mine is the true church!" And she stopped asking questions!

Yesterday, I received a message from my daughter that she has a good news! I asked what was it but because of slow internet connection in the Philippines, she wasn't able to message back immediately. I was so excited to know what the good news was. I sent her bunch of messages but still, she will not tell me. So I called her on the phone the next day. Then she said that the good news was that she was able to finish reading her Book of Mormon for 17 straight days and that she've gained a stronger testimony of the Gospel and the Atonement. She mentioned that when she read the dedication I've written in the first page of the Book (of Mormon) I gave her as a gift before I left for Canada that her faith will grow stronger when she read the book was true after all. Subsequently, all of the many testimonies I`ve borne to my daughter have paid off. Be it telling the tricycle driver that the Church is true or writing it in the book I gave her, she finally have known to herself that the Church is indeed true.

Sometimes, the testimonies we bear, no matter how or where we say it can have an impact in other people`s lives. It may not be soon but surely, somehow, there`ll be people who will benefit from it. And today, I bear you my testimony that the Church is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I received praises after bearing my testimony. Yet in my heart, I knew that someone down there in that congregation have felt the sincerity of my words. That somehow, they might be inspired that when someone ask which Church we go to, they`ll say with conviction: IT`S IN THE TRUE CHURCH!

MY TESTIMONY

It's September 4 and it's the first Sunday of the month. First Sunday of the month is the testimony Sunday in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Testimony is sharing your uplifting experiences of and feeling about the Savior Jesus Christ and His Gospel.

Today, Bishop conducted the sacrament services. After the partaking of the sacrament, it was announced that the pulpit is already open for testimony sharing. There were few people who stood up, some were "not prepared" or didn't plan to really stand on the pulpit to say their testimonies. When there was blank space, my nephew Kirby nudged at me, signalling I stand and bear my testimony. I was prepared! But there was none who was anyway! And so when I found my courage I stood up and bore my `testimony.

This was what I remember saying:

Back in the Philippines, whenever we go to the Church on Sundays, my daughters and I ride a tricycle. A tricycle is a motorcycle with a side car that carries 3-4 passengers. Every time we ride a tricycle, I would instruct the driver to bring us to the true Church. And the driver would ask: "Where is that?", and my answer will always be "Just few meters away, at the Mormon Church". My daughters would often give me a look, or a word "mommy", in the most disgusting manner, or sometimes they just smile or laugh. For the whole time that I was with them, they got used to have me say to the driver on Sundays, "We're going to the True Church". And whenever the driver will ask "Where is that?", my answer will always be "At the Mormon Church!"

One time, my client asked me if I go to a certain Church so I said yes, I go to the Mormon Church. Then I shared our belief about the Plan of Salvation. After sharing with her my belief about the premortal life, us when we were spirits then came to earth for a purpose then when we die, our spirit goes to the spirit world then we can be resurrected. Her reaction? "That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard!", she said with her eyes rolling. And so I thought that my sister might be right after all! DO NOT TALK ABOUT GOD OR CHURCH BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL THINK YOU'RE WEIRD!"

Yesterday, I received a message from my daughter that she has a good news! I asked what was it but because of slow internet connection in the Philippines, she wasn't able to message back. I was so excited to know what was the good news, I sent her bunch of messages but still she will not tell me. So I called her on the phone the next day. Then she said that her good news was that she was able to finish reading her book of Mormon for 17 straight days and that she've gained a stronger testimony of the Gospel and the Atonement. And as she read the dedication I've written in the Book (of Mormon) I gave her as a gift before I left for Canada, she said that I what I told her that she will be stronger in the faith when she read the book was true after all. All of the many testimonies I`ve borne have paid off. Be it telling the tricycle driver that the Church is true or writing it in the book I gave her, she finally have known the Church is indeed true.

Sometimes, the testimonies we bear, no matter how we say it can have an impact in other people`s lives. It may not be soon but surely, somehow, there`ll be people who will benefit from it. And today, I bear you my testimony that the Church is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

I received praises after bearing my testimony. Yet in my heart, I knew that someone down there in that congregation have felt the sincerity of my words. That somehow, they might be inspired that when someone ask which Church we do belong, they`ll say with conviction: IT`S IN THE TRUE CHURCH!