Wednesday, March 31, 2010

牛奶樽 / Milk Bottles


Before someone suggests that I am making it up, or intending a double-entendre 雙關語 ....

Here is a picture of the kind of milk bottles I mentioned in my previous article. Usually, fully homogenized milk comes in a bottle/jug with red cap, 2% blue, and skim green.


Reference / Photo credit: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

「兩週一聚」第三十五期: 無盡鄉間路 / 「2weeks1gather」 : #35: Farm Road With No Return


鄉村生活就像一首民謠,簡單的調子,週而復始,一如天空的日月星斗,每一個時刻都有規律地轉動著。今天是星期二,是牛棚車派牛奶的日子,她送了丈夫上農場後,趕忙回家,用皀水冲淨了兩個玻璃空樽,放在門前当眼之处,等待牛棚車的來臨。

她今早特別穿上了透花的襯衫,和一條寬闊的裙子,在加拿大住了多年,她的身裁還是那樣苖條,或許就是和沒有孩子生有關係罷。移民離港在机場的時候,工廠的姊妹說:『妳真比我們在這裏挨騾的好運氣,嫁了個金山阿伯,它日衣錦榮歸回港,不要忘記探望我們呀!』一個無知的少女遠渡重洋,就做了比她年紀大二十多歲丈夫的「郵購新娘」(mail order bride)。

馬拖的牛棚車在她家門前停下,那壯實的小伙子跳下來,粗大的手臂拿著兩樽紅蓋全脂純奶,她胸脯起伏望著他,投了一個笑意。溫暖的春風繞過洛磯山脈,跨過小河,從麥田迎面吹來,樹梢好像悄悄地說,牛郎織女,每星期二他們都会渡河相会。

她再沒有回信給香港工廠的金蘭姊妹,怎樣解釋她們也是不会明白的。在農村她的生活就像一首民謠,簡單的調子,週而復始。她讓自己獨自一人默受,在異地織夢,走那無盡的鄉間路。


Roadmap to other related articles:

* 2weeks1gather 10年03月30日第三十五期: 無盡鄉間路

Monday, March 29, 2010

My Belated Responses to Your Comments

Finally, I have a chance to respond to all the outstanding (in both sense of the word) comments you have left on my blog while I was away. Please click on the titles of the articles if you wish to see the originals.

1. 旅遊南非洲: (一) 首章 / Travel to South Africa: (1) Introduction (Sunday, December 20, 2009)

Imak / 火羽 / Best Actor / Space / 啤酒花™_J / Michelle / Hyacinthus

2. 塞翁之馬 / Life is Full of Surprises (Friday, December 18, 2009)

Michelle / 新鮮人 / Exile

3. 全馬拉松賽跑: 心力 / Running a Full Marathon: Mental Strength (Sunday, December 13, 2009)

Space

4. 小小說: 道歉 / Short Short Story: Apology (Wednesday, December 09, 2009)

Space / Xiao Zhu / Wo_木土人_od / Gwenzilla

5. 人之初,性本善 / What Keeps Me going - Faith in the Human Race (Wednesday, December 02, 2009)

Kempton

6. 兩週一聚 (二十七期) 「我本將心向明月,奈何明月照溝渠」 / 2weeks1gather (#27)「The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions」(Saturday, November 28, 2009)

Space / Exile / Kempton / Sam / Hevangel

7. 旅遊南美洲秘魯:【與海獅嬉泳】 / Travel to Peru, South America:【Frolicking with Sea Lions】(Tuesday, November 24, 2009)

Sam

8. 鮑照【朗月行】的英文翻譯 / An English translation of the "Moon Shine Song" by Bao Zhao 414-466 (Tuesday, October 06, 2009)

Daurora

If I have missed any comments, please let me know.

Thanks !!!

Haricot

Sunday, March 28, 2010

渥太華河: 如履薄冰 / The Ottawa River: Walking On Thin Ice

Photo caption: Ice melting early on the Ottawa River

攝影圖片: 渥太華河冰雪提早融解

This year's early spring-break of the Ottawa River caught many people by surprise. The ice has been melting away earlier and faster than what is considered normal at this time of the season. Earlier near the Quebec shore, a vehicle broke through the ice and a woman trapped inside was drowned in the ice-cold water. A few weeks later, the same thing happened. This time, a driver who had been trying to haul his fishing shack off the melting ice was pulled underneath when his half-ton truck sank thru the ice into the fast-moving current.

I took this photo on the beach of Petri Island, not far away from where the ice-fisherman drowned. In fact, I could see his fishing hut half-sticking out of the melting ice. Needless to say, I did not take one single step onto the ice while taking the photo.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

有關美國貿易保護主義崛起:中國國內市場 / Some Thoughts on Rising US Trade Protectionism: China's Domestic Market

The following are comments posted on Space’s March 18, 2010 blog article entitled “美國人欺人太甚” http://mindnecessity.blogspot.com/2010/03/13015435-412-23-15-21-130fox-3000-4.html

微豆 Haricot said... Sunday, March 28, 2010 12:40:00 PM

Policy discussions in the US appear to be very divisive, polarized and partisan these days. So, I am not surprised to hear different policy opinions coming from different parts of the same country. Generally speaking, when times are tough, ppl tend to have a more "conservative" view of the world.

Canada has also gone thru some tough negotiations with the US on various trade-related issues. Obviously, the higher the Canadian dollar, the more difficult it is for our manufacturing industries to export to the US, which partly explains why the Ontario economy is in such bad shape.

As for China, it is true that the purchasing power of the growing middle-class could help create a sustainable domestic market, thereby potentially reducing the economy’s dependency on export to the US. However, there are challenges facing both the supply and demand sides of such a vast internal market, including but not limited to:

- infrastructure for the transportation of skilled labours, feed materials, services and goods across the country (this is currently being addressed in part by China’s national hi-speed railway program)

- a modernized financial infrastructure with multi-nodes interlinking efficiently and reliably urban and rural centres across the country

- the development, implementation and enforcement of clear and transparent legislation, policies and regulations on commercial investments and competitions applicable to large national / provincial / regional enterprises as well as SMEs

- good governance practices by the different levels of govts/officials; and good management practices by the entrepreneurs and their partners (lessons learnt from the not-too-distant past !!)

- sufficient consumer confidence in the branding and quality of "made-in-China" products and services so the population will choose local (本地貨) over foreign suppliers (外國貨).

The above are just some thoughts for your considerations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Please note the mentioning of other authors in this blog does not necessarily constitute my endorsement of their positions or opinions.)

Friday, March 26, 2010

添丁之喜丶添丁之憂 ∕ Life Before and After Children BC & AC

最近有好几個朋友懷了孕或生了孩子,有一個更從歐洲抱著新誕生的嬰兒坐飛机來加拿大探親,我們圍著新母親慶賀,但卻不好意思問她丈夫為什么不來,是他工作事忙嗎?還是俩人婚姻觸礁?

一個家庭新添了小孩子,不論是弄璋或是弄瓦之喜,都是值得喜慶之事,但如我在網誌故事【驀然回首】 指出,孩子的誕生會在無声無形中影響夫妻的關係。

当我在南非旅行的時候,導遊曾經不止一次的警告各人,小心切記不要在新生野獸和它們母親之間穿過,母愛是動物天生的本性,養育下一代是本能,任何对她後代有威脅的人或物,做母親的是会不顧一切的挺身而出,甚至付出生命來保護弱小。

人類也不是例外,BC時代,兩口子生活有規律丶有節奏,羅曼蒂克,風調雨順,但孩子誕生之後,有很多做丈夫的會突然發覺自己再不是妻子的宇宙中心,大有被打落冷宮之感。添加家庭新成員是好事,但如果男仕們未有作好凖備「第三者」的加入,在心理和生理上適应和遷就妻子,他們可能会低估母愛宏大的力量。

Related article:
「週日名采」:【驀然回首】 / 「Sunday Brunch Series」:【Looking Back】
http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2009/03/sunday-brunch-serieslooking-back.html

Thursday, March 25, 2010

「兩週一聚」四月專題: 換季 / 「2weeks1gather」 Monthly Feature April 2010: Changing Seasons


北國的春天姑娘總是姗姗來遲
冬天老人又三心兩意
不願带冰雪返回北極
在這青黃不接的季節
太陽担上了裁判的責任
把金色彩霞投射在那雪山巔峰
樹林歡迎那溫暖的愛撫
雪花閃爍在松針的懷抱
在晨曦中一個滑雪者提起了相机
心中充滿了換季的喜悅

附加貼堂作品: 新鮮人

碧藍中泛起一片橙黃,
像金光初現,
雲霧漸散,
倒影漂蕩,
就像要說春天已要步來!

To read other articles, please visit “四月專題 : 換季” at http://2weeks1gather.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/april-feature/

Photo Credit: I took this pic during a hut-to-hut, cross-country ski trip in the Chic Choc Mountains

Saturday, March 20, 2010

旅遊魁北克省加斯佩半島思索山Travel to Chic Choc Mountains Gaspé Peninsula Québec


I love travelling and often find myself exploring, hiking or skiing in different parts of North America or the world. Ever since when I was young, I have always found it hard to sit still for long periods of time without moving. Perhaps that's why I am a marathon runner, cross-country and alpine skier, and an amateur athlete of different self-propelled sport (I was a rock climber once but have been grounded because of family responsibilities. Apparently, I worth more alive than dead, an assessment that I should feel grateful to accept.)

So, here I am on the move again. This time, I am taking a 9-day back-country ski trip to the Chic-Chocs, which is a group of mountains on top of the central Gaspé Peninsula in Québec, Canada. The name "Chic-Choc" comes from a Mi'kmaq (aboriginal) word meaning "impenetrable barrier". These mountains are heavily eroded, with flat tops and steep sides. So, it will be fun skiing up the hills and bombing down (and hopefully not over) the cliffs. There are over 25 mountains with peaks higher than 1 km; the highest being Mont Jacques-Cartier at 1,268 m (4,160 ft).

I am expecting to encounter caribous and other wild animals but few humans, while cross-country skiing on the network of trails, including the International Appalachian Trail that extends south to the USA. I will stay overnights in designated wilderness cabins built by Parc de la Gaspésie. My winter sleeping bag is rated to -20 deg C, so it should keep me warm throughout the night at this time of the year up in the mountain. I will bring a hand-held filtering device to provide me with drinking water from melting snow. Since there is no electricity up there, I will have no access to computers and Internet, which is just as well if I am to enjoy nature and stay away from the modern world for a while.

Well, I better start packing !!!

Source of info / Photo credit / References: "Chic-Choc Mountains" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chic-Choc_Mountains

(to be posted on March 20, 2010)

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

中國資本主義,美國社會主義?/ Chinese Capitalism and American Socialism?

If you had asked me abt 20 years ago whether China would ever venture into capitalism, I would have replied "Impossible !!" At the time, the "Tank Man" story was hitting the front-page and people were reminded of China's hardliner position during the Cultural Revolution, But then the Berlin War fell, the USSR dissolved, China opened up its economy and joined the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the rest is history (for now anyway).

Similarly, who would have predicted that Mr. Obama, an African-American (on his father's side) would occupy the Oval Office and that General Motors GM would become "Government Motor"!! So, while China is pushing state-owned factories to embrace capitalism Chinese version, the US and Canada are intervening heavily into the automobile industry by taking 60 and 12% ownership of the once iconic giant. Meanwhile, Mr. Obama is struggling to reform the US health system, a proposal that some label as opening the door to socialism American style.

But behold !!! Did we just learn that a Mexican tycoon has replaced Bill Gates as the richest man on earth and that some of the billionaires are from the People's Republic of China?

Well, all to say that in a globalized economy, predictions have become more difficult and that the only constant is change.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Bill Gates no longer world's richest man
Matthew Miller and Luisa Kroll, Forbes
Published: Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Carlos Slim Helu takes No. 1 spot on Forbes World's Billionaires list as a record 164 10-figure titans return to the ranking amid the global economic recovery. For the third time in three years, the world has a new richest man.

Riding surging prices of his various telecom holdings, including giant mobile outfit America Movil, Mexican tycoon Carlo Slim Helu has beaten out Americans Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to become the wealthiest person on earth and nab the top spot on the 2010 Forbes list of the World's Billionaires.

Slim's fortune has swelled to an estimated US$53.5-billion, up US$18.5-billion in 12 months. Shares of America Movil, of which Slim owns a US$23-billion stake, were up 35% in a year. That massive hoard of scratch puts him ahead of Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates, who had held the title of world's richest 14 of the past 15 years.

Reference:
http://www.financialpost.com/story.html?id=2667942

Saturday, March 13, 2010

兩週一聚 (三十四期) 「問蒼天」 / 2weeks1gather (#34)「Que Sera Sera?」


"God seems to have left the receiver off the hook, and time is running out !!" Arthur Koestler 1905-83

傳統中國文化,視蒼天如神靈,芸芸众生求簽問卦,無不祈望上天保佑,添丁發財,盤滿砵滿,要風得風,要雨得雨。無奈天有不測風雲,人有旦夕禍福,每当事与願違之時,善男信女亦不免感到造物弄人,信心動摇,怨天怨地。

微豆当年十八廿二,曾自誇要修身丶齊家丶治國丶平天下,青年血氣方剛,滿腔雄才偉略,敢作敢為,不問父老,不求蒼天,玩弄命運於指掌之間。唯獨歲月不留人,在談笑風生之際,不覺時光溜走,往事隨風飛逝,午夜夢迴,猛然驁醒,舉首問天:

1.天生我才,未必有用?天生無才,所為何事?
2.大病不死,絕處逢生,皆感謝天靈保祐,見証神跡。但亦有聞雷劈神廟,火燒教堂,麥加朝聖教徒自相殘踏死傷,不禁疑問何神跡之有?
3.駭閱歷史新聞報導,戰爭罪犯屠殺異族,教堂牧師姦狎男童,微豆於社会染缸浸淫日久,对幼讀之【三字經】亦有疑問,人之初,性本善?人之初,性本惡?

日月如梭,今日豆芽在加國落地生根,開枝散葉,前瞻後顧唏噓之餘,敢問蒼天上列三項難題。

Related thoughts:
* Man proposes, God disposes. Que sera, sera - your thoughts?
* "... We look up at the sky and ask: What is the meaning of life? The same sky looks down and sees billion of faces like us asking the same old question in the last 10,000 years." (source: Lotusandcedar
問蒼天 / The Silent Sky
)

Photo Credit: I took both photographs while travelling in South Africa last year.
Top: " Storm in the Veld" Dec 9. 2009
Bottom: "Lightning striking the African Sky" Dec 4, 2009

References:
* 「兩週一聚: 旅遊」之【修身,齊家,治國,平天下】(一) / 「Bi-weekly Series: Travel」【Refine One-self; Get Married; Govern the Nation; Bring Peace to the World】(Part 1)
http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2009/01/bi-weekly-series-travelrefine-one-self.html
*
兩週一聚 #34 "天問" 浪子m: "... 你有解不開的疑問嗎? 你有問天嗎? 你感到無奈,憤怒,無助嗎?..."
* All other related articles at 2weeks1gather website:
第三十四期: 天問
* "Arthur Koestler", Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Koestler

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

兩週一聚 (三十三期), 旅遊南非洲 (二): 完美的一餐「油泡白蟻」 / 2weeks1gather (#33), Travel to South Africa (2):「A Perfect Meal - Deep Fried Termites」


「山珍海錯」系列之「油泡白蟻」 / My List of Exotic Foods - Deep Fried Termites

在南非森林旅遊露營,有問Safari探險導遊,如在荒野迷失路途,手無寸鉄,怎能獵食生存?答曰:『非洲叢林,白蟻種類繁多,肥大美味,營養豐富,油泡後如吃爆穀,粒粒鬆脆。』言後導遊指示營厨,在附近白蟻山巢左翻右挑,精選百隻生猛蟻兒,放入油鑊鮮炸,未幾灶君禮成,山珍上碟,導遊食指大動,与營厨佳餚美酒,大快朵頤,微豆亦不甘後人,力為唐人面子爭光,嚼咬一口子油泡白蟻,其他/她歐美遊客見狀面面相覤,不知如何是好,有拒而不受,面露尷尬者,有小心翼翼,畧試少嚐者。其實南非白蟻,類似香港龍虱,觀之皆屬天然食品,昆蟲疍白質豐,迷途旅客於非常時期,可用以充飢偷生,故予在此將「油泡白蟻」標籤歸錄,存入「山珍海錯」網誌系列,行善救人,奇文共賞,一石二鳥,亦無不可。

During my trip to South Africa, I asked my Safari guide what a lost, unarmed tourist could do to sustain life in the bush. He replied without thinking: "You can eat deep-fried termites. There are lots of them big and juicy ants in the bush and they taste crunchy like popcorn." He then asked the camp cook to find a termite mound near by and dig up about a hundred of the fattest and most juicy ones he could find. The creepy crawlers were deep-fried live and upon their demise, were served up like popcorn on a plate. The bush guide and camp cook then whipped out a bottle of cheap wine and proceeded to dine eagerly on the exotic dish of insects. Being the lone representative of the Tang people in the tour group, I grabbed a handful of the crunchy termites and stuffed them in my mouth. However, my fellow American and European travellers were less enthusiastic. Some politely declined the offer while a few picked at the plate and gingerly tasted one or two of the critters. The yuck factor aside, there is no difference btwn eating termites from South Africa and water beetles from Hong Kong, both being wild insects high with naturally occurring protein. By posting this article on my blog under the tag "exotic foods", I am hoping that the indigenous knowledge might some day save the life of a hopelessly lost tourist in the African bush.

Related Articles:
* 旅遊南非洲: (一) 首章 / Travel to South Africa: (1) Introduction http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2009/12/travel-to-south-africa-1-introduction.html
* 出題者 "Just Little Something": "... 很喜歡吃,而且覺得和誰吃好東西很重要,所以此這一題主要是「吃什麼」,和「跟誰吃」。吃什麼可以寫詳細的三至五道菜,可以mix and match中西日法越印(甚至快餐、街頭小吃)而成,也可獨沽一味,總之是愛吃的。跟誰吃也很重要,人物古今中外、虛構(動漫人物)的也可。可以談內容也可不講。..."
* 兩週一聚第三十三期: 完美的一餐(食物/人物) ,開餐了 !!!

Sunday, March 07, 2010

第82屆奧斯卡金像獎 2010 / 82nd Oscars Academy Awards 2010 Results


There you have it .... the much anticipated results of the 2010 Oscars / Academy Awards (among others):

Best Actor: Jeff Bridges
Best Actress: Sandra Bullock
Best Movie: The Hurt Locker

While I enjoy watching hi-tech 3-D animation movies, I am also happy to see real actors and actresses being awarded the Oscars !!!

Photo Credit: stylematters dot us

Related article:
2009 Oscars / Academy Awards http://lotusandcedar.blogspot.com/2009/02/81-81st-oscarsacademy-awards.html

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

UPDATED MARCH 8: 2010 Oscars Results (source: New York Times)

• Best Picture
o Avatar
o The Blind Side
o District 9
o An Education
o The Hurt Locker
o Inglourious Basterds
o Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
o A Serious Man
o Up
o Up in the Air

• Director
o James Cameron
o Kathryn Bigelow
o Quentin Tarantino
o Lee Daniels
o Jason Reitman
• Actor in a Leading Role
o Jeff Bridges
o George Clooney
o Colin Firth
o Morgan Freeman
o Jeremy Renner
• Actress in a Leading Role
o Sandra Bullock
o Helen Mirren
o Carey Mulligan
o Gabourey Sidibe
o Meryl Streep
• Actor in a Supporting Role
o Matt Damon
o Woody Harrelson
o Christopher Plummer
o Stanley Tucci
o Christoph Waltz
• Actress in a Supporting Role
o Penélope Cruz
o Vera Farmiga
o Maggie Gyllenhaal
o Anna Kendrick
o Mo’Nique
• Original Screenplay
o The Hurt Locker
o Inglourious Basterds
o The Messenger
o A Serious Man
o Up

• Adapted Screenplay
o District 9
o An Education
o In the Loop
o Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire
o Up in the Air

• Foreign Language Film
o Ajami
o El Secreto de Sus Ojos
o The Milk of Sorrow
o A Prophet
o The White Ribbon

• Animated Feature
o Coraline
o Fantastic Mr. Fox
o The Princess and the Frog
o The Secret of Kells
o Up
• Original Score
o Avatar
o Fantastic Mr. Fox
o The Hurt Locker
o Sherlock Holmes
o Up

• Original Song
o 'Almost There'
o ‘Down in New Orleans’
o ‘Loin de Paname’
o ‘Take It All’
o ’The Weary Kind’

• Art Direction
o Avatar
o The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
o Nine
o Sherlock Holmes
o The Young Victoria

• Cinematography
o Avatar
o Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
o The Hurt Locker
o Inglourious Basterds
o The White Ribbon
• Costume Design
o Bright Star
o Coco Before Chanel
o The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
o Nine

o The Young Victoria
• Makeup
o Il Divo
o Star Trek
o The Young Victoria

• Documentary Feature
o Burma VJ
o The Cove
o Food, Inc.
o The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers
o Which Way Home
• Sound Mixing
o Avatar
o The Hurt Locker
o Inglourious Basterds
o Star Trek
o Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
• Sound Editing
o Avatar
o The Hurt Locker
o Inglourious Basterds
o Star Trek
o Up

• Visual Effects
o Avatar
o District 9
o Star Trek

• Film Editing
o Avatar
o District 9
o The Hurt Locker
o Inglourious Basterds
o Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire

• Short Film, Animated
o French Roast
o Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
o The Lady and the Reaper (La Dama y la Muerte)
o Logorama
o A Matter of Loaf and Death

• Short Film, Live Action
o The Door
o Instead of Abracadabra
o Kavi
o Miracle Fish
o The New Tenants

• Documentary Short Subject
o China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province
o The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner
o The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant
o Music by Prudence
o Rabbit à la Berlin

Friday, March 05, 2010

求職面試: “你們都不差,但我想僱用頂尖兒最好的!” / ”Job Interview: "You are all GOOD, but I want to hire the BEST !!!"

Here are the comments I left at Fresh Designer's March 4, 2010 blog article entitled "失業有因!":

" ..... Here in Canada, some job seekers would scream discrimination when they are not hired. But more often than not, they have failed to "present/market" themselves.

As I always tell ppl I am coaching or mentoring, mangers want to hire not just good employees - all those who have been screened in for interviews are "good" - they want to hire the BEST.

The challenge of the applicant is to convince the hiring manager that he/she is the TOP choice among all the good candidates. Being impolite and asking stupid questions definitely do not help ....."

To read the original article, please visit: "失業有因!" 2010年3月4日http://freshdesigner.blogspot.com/2010/03/blog-post_04.html

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

加拿大的御座施政方針演説和預算案演辭2010年3月3,4日 / Canada's Speech from the Throne and Budget Speech, Mar 3, 4, 2010


There you have it, the Speech from the Throne (SFT) delivered earlier today in the Senate (Red) Chamber on Parliament Hill by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, to officially open the Third Session of Canada's 40th Parliament. The GG was accompanied by her husband, His Excellency Jean-Daniel Lafond. As depicted in the photograph, our Prime Minister, the Right Honourable Stephen Harper was sitting close to the Queen's representative as the speech was being delivered.

Today's Throne Speech and tomorrow's Budget Speech are the direct procedural results of the PM's decision to prorogue Parliament abt two months ago. By now, many Canadians are familiar with the controversial word "prorogation" which ended with the official opening of the Third Session of Canada's 40th Parliament. However, I would submit that few Canadians would understand the nuts and bolts of the process that leads up to the two speeches which outline and support the broad agenda of the Government in power.

Here is an approximate summary of the process, based on my limited understanding of the subject matter.

1. Concerns of Canadians are monitored and analyzed by policy analysts within both the political regime and the federal public service (FPS). The sources of information could be from opinion polls, public media, the private sector, provincial/territorial/municipal governments, non-government organizations (NGOs), reports and studies on national and international affairs, lobby groups, public consultations/townhalls, etc.

2. Non-partisan advice from line departments or agencies of the FPS are submitted by deputy ministers or deputy heads to the responsible Ministers who in turn make recommendations to their political colleagues and/or Cabinet. It should be noted that the line departments/agencies are expected to work collaboratively among themselves and closely with the central agencies (such as the Treasury Board Secretariat, Dept of Finance, Privy Council Office (PCO), etc) in the development and submission of all cabinet documents.

3. Partisan advice from the political staffers are provided to the elected and/or appointed politicians for the latter's considerations. The political regime may choose to accept/reject in whole or in part the non-partisan advice from the FPS, based on, but not limited to the following factors (not in any particular order of importance):

- fundamental ideological principles and beliefs of the Government in power.

- majority or minority situation in the House of Commons and the Senate Chamber.

- first-half or second-half of the Government's mandate.

- strategic analyses of the geo-political landscape nationally (e.g. federal/provincial/territorial relations) and globally (bilateral and multilateral relations e.g. USA, China, BRIC, G-8, UN, WTO, etc).

- social-economic, environmental and other need assessments of Canadians living in specific regions of Canada (e.g. urban, rural, north), across the country (provinces/territories/municipalities/crown lands), and overseas (military personnel, Canadians living abroad, diplomats, etc).

- specific national 'hot' issues (e. g. aboriginals, Afghanistan, climate change, economic recovery, national debt).

- specific riding-based regional issues (e.g. auto industry, forestry sector, oil sand).

- analyses of cost, benefits, and risks (political, social-economic, health and environment, mitigation, etc) associated with each recommended option.

- the past and future status of these options in the Canadian Parliament system (e.g. proposed legislation, white paper, green paper, studies by Committees, debates by Senates, Royal Accent, etc)

4. Once the PM and Cabinet have decided on the broad Government agenda, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), with support from the Privy Council Office (PCO), then takes the lead in the preparation of the Speech from the Throne that is to be delivered by the Governor General of Canada. Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance is responsible for preparing the Budget Speech that in essence serves to "flesh out" the fiscal framework and financial measures that will help implement the Government's agenda.

5. In a way, the Speech from the Throne and the Budget Speech serve to inform the federal public service whether their non-partisan advice have been accepted/rejected in whole or in part by the Government in power. Simply put, those public servants whose advice have received the "green light" (even if only one or two key words of their programs/initiatives were mentioned) may proceed with the next step, including a proposed strategic action plan that may or may not require "new" money. On the other hand, bureaucrats responsible for government programs/activities that are declared low priorities or even labelled "axed" will have no choice but to wind down their operations. As to most government programs that have not received any "honourable" mention, one could assume that it is "business as usual" in the context of a highly scrutinized, value-for-money work environment.

6. As to Canadians living coast-to-coast and abroad, they may exercise their democratic rights to express their pleasure or displeasure with the Government's broad agenda by considering, among others, the following options:

- Citizens may communicate with the elected representatives of their respective constituencies to express their concerns.

- They may freely affiliate themselves with legally sanctioned political parties, interest groups, or organizations to advance their agenda in support of or against those of the Government, as long as these activities are: (a) within Canada's constitutional, democratic, legislative and legal framework; and, (b) in compliance with national and international laws/conventions.

- Finally, eligible Canadian voters are entitled to cast their votes during election time to choose the next Government in power !!!

Obviously, the above is just my over-simplified version of some of the process elements related to the Speech from the Throne and the Budget Speech. Please do not consider this article as the authority on the subject matter. Readers are advised to consult the Government of Canada for any official position and information.

Photo Credit / Related info:
* Speech from the Throne: The website of the Governor General of Canada http://www.sft.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?id=1388

Monday, March 01, 2010

第一生命, 第二生命 / First Life, Second Life

After a hiatus of over two months, I am back. It took some will power to refrain myself from blogging while I was travelling in South Africa where I had access to Internet cafes in btwn bush camp; and I needed even more discipline after coming back to Canada where Internet access is just a mouse-click away. The reason for my hiatus is simple: I wanted to be temporarily away from the Net (but not off the grid) and put my primary life back on track.

Ever since I started blogging in September 2006, I have been putting in a significant amount of time "gardening" my little plot and sharing my thoughts with friends around the world. There is always this urge to write an article abt this and that or post some photos to keep my blog up-to-date. By the end of November 2009, I was staying up late trying to keep up with my virtual treadmills. Blogging was fast becoming a way-of-life, a second life if you may.

Don't get me wrong, blogging is fun. I always enjoy being creative and sharing experiences with others around the globe. Unfortunately, there is always the risk of becoming addicted and before you know it, the mean has become the end. Indeed, the medical profession has been questioning whether cyberspace addiction should be categorized as a form of mental illness (the answer is 'no' for now). Experts are also debating whether social networking is causing more obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) behaviour, or whether OCD is a pre-condition of Net-addiction.

Regardless of the cause/effect relationship, I don't want to go down the path where my second life might consume the first one. Taking time off is my own way of "rehab" to make sure my primary life takes priority.

I look outside the window. The sun is shining and the ski hills are beckoning. I have more or less re-set my daily routine. I now have more time to run, ski, skate and work on my six-packs. I feel more comfortable blogging again, with the full knowledge that I am on more solid footing and that my primary life is dominant. Now, only if I can will myself to get off the Internet after I have posted this article ..... just kidding !!!
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