Tag: israel

Reflecting on Daily Life: My First Journaling Experience

February 9, 2026

Digital media often invades privacy, or should I say always. Ads for shoes, books, and cars follow online searches. Banners even remind me to journal (writing down daily thoughts, feelings and experiences). I’ve never done this before but yesterday was both challenging and interesting and decided to put it to writing.

Yesterday was challenging because the garage door would not open. Both cars were locked in, leaving us immobile with no public transit nearby. It took time to discover the problem—the spring was broken. Bottom line: I couldn’t get the 2010 Mazda3 to a repair shop for an appointment. The car needed a diagnosis for a knocking noise when turning right, and the brakes were pulsating.

I tried to disengage the door from the lift engine and just push it up. Because the spring was broken, the door was too heavy for me to lift. I used an 8-foot-long 2×4 stud as a lever but still could not lift it. A neighbor came over to help me. Together, we raised the garage door and put a stud under it to keep it from closing. I managed to drive the car to the repair shop, arriving late for my appointment.

Addressing the garage door issue promptly was important, as an open garage without cars inside can jeopardize security. Once I managed to drive out, I called the repair service, and fortunately, they had time in the afternoon to come over to fix it. This was an unanticipated and unwelcome expenditure, adding to the day’s complexity; I got lost driving to the garage even with my GPS on. I took an Uber taxi home.

Yesterday’s other event that made an impression on me involved the Uber driver and the two garage door technicians—all were recent immigrants. It made me wonder: are most service workers in Canada immigrants? While my sample was small, I found it interesting that all of them I met in one day were newcomers.

In halting English, the Uber driver related that he came from Cameroon 8 months ago; he was French speaking. This was his first winter in Canada. I gathered that he had three children under 10 years of age, and that his wife worked as well; they needed two incomes for the family to live. Driving a cab gave Yves, the driver, the opportunity to get home when the children needed him.

He could not find employment in Cameroon in his field, food processing, and immigrated to Italy, where his wife was already living. There, however, he felt that Italians were too close-knit and would not embrace foreigners. For example, he said he never saw a black bus driver in Milan. So, they decided to come to Canada and arrived last summer. On this day, the temperature was minus 20 degrees Celsius or minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday, a huge climatic difference from Cameroon.

I also had interesting conversations with the two technicians who came to fix the garage door in the aafternoon. The lead technician was from Punjab, India. With his Punjabi accent, he explained the meaning of ‘Punjab’ to me; it means ‘five rivers’ in Punjabi. He also talked about the partition of India while instructing the other repairman, who identified himself as a Palestinian.

Talking with the Palestinian, I learned that he grew up in Jordan but never goes to Gaza, where he has relatives, because of the Israeli road checks. In spite of carrying a Canadian passport, whenever he tried to cross into Gaza, the Israeli soldiers harassed him. So, he no longer visits. On leaving, he advised me to oil the moving parts of the garage door a few times a year and showed me the product he used, which is available at Home Depot. I never thought of oiling the garage door before, a learning experience.

Meeting three immigrants prompted me to reflect on Canada’s diversity. Statistics show that 1 in 4 Canadians is a first-generation immigrant, and another 17% are second-generation. Over 40% of the population has recent immigrant roots—it’s a remarkable diversity. I would not be surprised to find Canada to be the most diverse country in the world.

Late afternoon, I called the repair shop to check on my car. I was shocked to learn their huge estimate to make the car “safe” again. However, after discussing it with the mechanic and hearing his detailed explanation, I felt confident in his recommendation. I realized I had not had the car repaired for years, I thought it was indestructible.

I had to decide whether to choose repairs, knowing that more issues might arise soon, or consider buying a new/used one. First, I thought it was time to trade up. However, I reconsidered; the suggested repairs could extend the car’s use for another year or two. I have spent nothing on this car for years, and I liked the gearshift; they do not make gearshift cars anymore.

Reflecting on journaling, I do not expect every day to be as eventful as yesterday, worthy of journaling. Writing the journal required time and thought. It made me realize the importance of maintenance and discovered the impact of immigration on Canada via direct experience. Some days may be less striking, but journaling can still offer value.

Celebrate with Mother’s Day Brunch and Dinner Recipes

May 14, 2025

It has never failed. Each year, on Mother’s Day, the same question arises: “What will you do for me?” My response consistently points out I am not your mother; you are my wife. However, as usual, this was not the correct reply, so I offered to prepare breakfast, not just the usual fried egg and toast, but something better.

The children always call on Mother’s Day, but they can’t fix meals at our house since they live thousands of miles away. The first call came at eight; I initially thought it was a prank call. Luckily, I decided to pick up the phone.

After reviewing various recipes, I chose to make Shakshuka by Ottolenghi (and I’m sure I don’t need to describe Ottolenghi to cooking aficionados). This light and refreshing Middle Eastern dish features diced tomatoes, red peppers, and spices like harissa and ground cumin. My son, Tony, mentioned that they served it every morning at the breakfast counter in his hotel when he was in Israel.

Some recipes I read for shakshuka also called for onions, which I like, and I decided to modify Ottolenghi’s recipe and diced up a large onion. After boiling and simmering these ingredients, I cracked the eggs into the dish and cooked for an additional 10 minutes to set them. I served it with pita bread and caffeinated coffee; we drank decaf in the morning. This meal served more as brunch than breakfast, which was good since it took me a while to get everything organized, and it was getting late in the morning. Since the recipe yielded four portions, and we ate them all, we were set for the day.

I must admit, though, that I had help from Kathy. My cooking is slow and tedious, as I prefer to gather all the ingredients on the kitchen table and prepare the food before I start cooking. I diced the peppers and onions (and used a can of diced tomatoes) and mixed the spices and garlic in a small dish before beginning to cook. Kathy became hungry and started cooking with the prepared ingredients.

After indulging in a rather large brunch, we took a long walk to burn some calories. We enjoyed a peaceful stroll along a rail-to-trail path in Stittsville. As is typical for rail-to-trail routes, the walk was straight and flat. On our return, we stopped at my favorite coffee shop, the perfect way to end any walk. Naturally, the next topic of discussion was what to have for dinner.

Feeling inspired, I offered to prepare dinner and suggested fresh salmon steaks. Kathy agreed it was a great idea, so I bought two slabs of Atlantic salmon with the skin on one side at the local fish market. I like to marinate the salmon using a mix of soy sauce, maple syrup, and grainy Dijon mustard, based on a recipe I found on Allrecipes.

I enjoy this recipe – maple glazed salmon – because I can roast vegetables on the same sheet pan as the salmon. This time, I had some cauliflower in the fridge, so I cubed it, tossed it with oil and salt, and baked it for 15 minutes before adding the salmon to the pan. I also bought some Tater Tots and put them on the sheet pan, which drew some criticism from Kathy; she believed frozen French fries were healthier than Tater Tots. They were similar in nutritional value, so I chose the Tater Tots for their appealing cubic shape. To cover all bases, I also cooked a potato in the microwave in case the Tater Tots didn’t meet with acceptance. The dessert consisted of low-fat lemon yogurt topped with blueberries. The dinner was enjoyable, despite the lack of family, a common situation today as families are frequently scattered across North America and globally for many.

My Rant Today

January 30, 2025

I’m feeling rather irritated right now. The US administration’s illegal actions are shocking. How can they do all of this? They are firing civil servants protected by legislation and freezing programs Congress approved and funded. Surprisingly, I have seen little outrage or opposition in the news yet.

Why does this matter to me? I live in Canada and am not a U.S. citizen, but I have friends and family there and visit them often. The new president’s recent actions require observation; only time will tell if their impact exceeds mere headlines. The administration might revoke some orders. However, given the recent announcements, it is not unrealistic to expect border restrictions or even the requirement for visas to enter the U.S. from Canada. That would be pretty inconvenient.

Two items about the recent batch of activities surprise me. Disgust me is the right expression, and one is bullying. The handling of the Colombian affair is a prime example. When Colombia refused to allow US military planes to land, the US administration announced tariffs on the country, knowing it could devastate its economy. That was, instead of trying to resolve the conflict gentlemanly and diplomatically. The complaint from the President of Colombia was understandable. The US response wasn’t a measured reply but a brutal attack.

The other item is the incredible ignorance shown by the administration. The case in point is the President’s request to Jordan and Egypt to take in Palestinians. It has been policy by both countries not to allow Palestinians to settle in their countries; Jordan already has millions of them, and Egypt fears terrorists. Furthermore, both countries advocate for a Palestinian state, but what becomes of this goal if Palestinians vacate Gaza? As well, the Palestinian people do not want to leave their land. This is common knowledge. So, why would this administration flog an idea that has no currency?

Political events do not form my discussions with friends and family in Canada and the US. I know such subjects lead to significant disagreements, especially those concerning President Trump. He is a convicted felon and a liar whose only interests are to amass power and money. Think of his cryptocurrency coins, selling running shoes, etc.

He talks a good game, but I do not see how his policies benefit his supporters, except business people expecting a tax cut. And that baffles me. Did he con his supporters, close to half of all Americans? An example is the State of Louisiana, which receives over fifty percent of its budget funded by federal sources. The temporary shutdown of all federal programs announced Tuesday would have devastated the heavily Republican state of Louisiana, which relies on federal funding for over half its budget (fortunately, the order was rescinded today).

Trump’s campaign involved outlining his policies, and he’s currently implementing them. Did people vote for him but not believe him? In my experience, the American people are not stupid. I studied and worked there. Recent events, however, have negatively affected my viewpoint on the American people. Republican legislators are eyeing social programs for cuts to free up money for tax breaks for the rich, actions that would have disastrous impacts on the many people who voted for him.

The Rich History of Jew Town in Kochin and the Chinese Fishnets

December 20, 2024

The next day Dinesh showed us the Chinese fishing nets. These were stationary lift nets. Circling them, I discovered teak pylons hammered into the ground supporting a shoreside deck, from which the enormous net cantilevered. Four poles, lashed together at the apex, supported a twenty-meter-wide net stretched between their bases. Two of the poles connected to the edge of the platform while the other two cantilevered over the water.

From the platform, workers used ropes tied to the apex of the four poles where the poles met, to raise and lower the net into the water. It took up to six men to pull up the net when submerged. The workers lowered the net for about ten minutes, then lifted it to remove the fish. Tourists could buy the catch of the day, prepared as fresh fish, at little sidewalk restaurants. The entire operation was a crowd-pleaser, and I watched it for a few hours.

I heard two stories about where the nets and this construction came from. One was that the Chinese explorer Zheng He brought such nets from the court of Kublai Khan. The other story was that Portuguese traders returned with the idea from their travels in China; confirmed by the fact that many fishing net parts retained their Portuguese names. Both narratives dated the fishing nets back to the fifteenth century. There were only eight such nets left. Watching the nets go down and up was a relaxing sight.

But Kochin had more to offer us; Dinesh took us to Jew Town. I said, What? The idea of a city area named after an ethnicity seemed unique to me, until I remembered examples like Ottawa’s Little Italy and the many Chinatowns. I learned that the oldest Jewish settlement in India was in Kochin and that they traced their ancestry back to King Solomon. Known as Malabari Jews, they built synagogues along the Malabar coast, starting in the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. Following the expulsion of Jews by the Spanish in 1492 in Iberia, Sephardi Jews made their way to the Kochin area. These people were called Paradesi Jews—the word means foreigners.

The Sephardim spoke Spanish but learned the Judea-Malayalam language from the Malabari Jews. The two communities maintained their respective ethnic identities, languages, and customs. In the late nineteenth century, some Arabic-speaking Jews immigrated to the Kochin area and became known as Baghdadi Jews. The synagogue we saw dates back to 1568. It was one of only eight synagogues left in Kerala that were functioning and had congregants; the oldest congregant was ninety-six years old. After independence in India was declared in 1947, many Jews moved to Israel. Today, there are few Jews left in Kochin, and Jew Town consists mostly of antique stores, and the one synagogue that we saw.

We went inside the synagogue and learned how the various Jewish ethnic groups used the synagogue. Synagogue membership was granted in full to the Paradesi Jews, also known as White Jews, who were of Sephardic descent from Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands. The so-called black Jews, or Malabari Jews, could worship in the synagogue but were not admitted to full membership. I did not learn the status of the Arabic Jews.

The 1968 four-hundredth anniversary of the synagogue saw global Jewish communities celebrate, with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in attendance. The celebration demonstrated how the Jews from Kochin melted into the global diaspora.

On our way to the Green Woods Bethlehem Homestay, Dinesh convinced us to visit the Church of St. Francis on the site of old Fort Kochin. Kochin’s history and its succession of rulers are interwoven with the story of St. Francis Church. The history of this church started with Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer who discovered the sea route from Europe to India. Portuguese explorers later built Fort Kochi in Kochin, which contained a church honoring St. Bartholomew. The construction of this wooden church was completed in 1506.

In 1516, Franciscan friars replaced the wooden church with a brick-and-mortar structure dedicated to St. Anthony. Vasco da Gama died in Kochin in 1524 and was buried in this brick-and-mortar church. After fourteen years, they moved his remains to Lisbon. But the gravestone of Vasco da Gama was still visible on the ground at the southern side of the Church of St. Francis.

The church remained Franciscan until the Dutch captured Kochin in 1663 and converted it to a Protestant government church. After the British captured Kochin in 1795, the church’s denomination changed again—this time to Anglican, run by the Anglican Communion, and renamed the Church of St. Francis. Historians believe the Anglicans changed the name to St. Francis. The church we saw was small by European standards and needed renovation.