|
|
|
 |
               
|
Lester's Okanagan Blog
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
Backyard Easter Egg Hunt |
|
| Canadian Spirit Newsletter April 2008 Newsletter No. 4 It’s springtime in the Okanagan again...well, almost. Last week the temperature soared to 22 degrees and I was out swinging the clubs at Twin Lakes Golf Course and got a great tan. This weekend, believe it or not, it is going to drop to 4 degrees and there is talk of snow flurries! What is going on?! The February trip to Japan was a big success and I made a lot of great contacts. During the trip it was go, go, go, go, go - I have never been so busy in years (it reminded me a final exam period during university!). Thank you everyone for your generous company and hospitality, and seeing familiar faces at the end of every day was a welcomed relief. I had 2 weeks to pack in as many meetings and networking sessions as humanly possible, and on a few occasions I thought I was going to have a heart attack! Anyway, everything turned out well and I had a great time. The next trip (early February 2009?) will be with Atsuko as I soon realized I do all right communicating basic thoughts and ideas in Japanese but when it comes to the big sales pitch I am left high and dry... Atsuko and the kids are doing well. Atsuko is having a lot of fun studying English at the Multicultural Society and she played koto at the big Multicultural Fair in Penticton on March 1 (see newspaper article here). Angela and Matthew had a nice, long 2 week spring vacation. The highlight was staying overnight at my cousin's cabin at Mount Baldy Ski Resort but a close second was the Easter Egg Hunt in our backyard. They loved the idea of a magical rabbit hiding chocolate eggs outside and then having to go and find them. Matthew started playing spring league soccer last week, and Angela is getting into her koto playing and hopes to play tennis when the weather warms up a bit. Speaking of koto playing, Atsuko and I have decided to promote traditional Japanese culture in Canada. Both of us love Japanese culture and we feel Canadians would really enjoy it as well. Japanese culture has so far been a big hit in Canada with Canadians loving sushi, manga, anime, and video games but such things as traditional music and culture have yet to make a big impact here. Next month we are putting on a Tea Ceremony & Koto Playing event at the Japanese Gardens in Penticton (our next guest will do the tea ceremony and Atsuko will play the koto). Next March, Atsuko’s former koto teacher and a shakuhachi and shamisen player will arrive from Osaka and we will organize concerts for them in Penticton and other locations in the Okanagan Valley (and beyond?). **Important** If you know any musicians or artists in Japan who may be interested in performing in Canada, please let us know! Atsuko and I are dying to bring more and more people from Japan who can show off their traditional/modern arts and crafts to Canadians. They do not have to be professional – amateur artists and performers are welcome too! We strongly believe there would be a huge demand for more Japanese culture once Canadians got a true taste of it. Again, if you know anyone who may be interested in performing in Canada, please email me. In case you don’t make it to my Blog here are some interesting statistics on the changing face of Canada. I thought these statistics were very interesting, especially for Canadians living in Japan with a Japanese spouse. According to the results of the 2006 Census: -there are now over 1 million visible minorities (defined as people other than Aboriginal people who are non-white) in BC, accounting for 25% of BC’s population. -Toronto leads the country with visible minorities making up 43% of the population but Vancouver is closing fast at 42%. -Visible minorities are now a majority in Richmond, Burnaby, Vancouver, and (soon) Surrey. -BC has the highest proportion of interracial marriages in the country (5.9%). Ontario has 4.6% and Alberta has 4.2%. While these percentages are low, the number of interracial marriages in Canada has increased by 33% in the past 5 years. -Surprise, surprise: Japanese have the highest percentage of mixed marriages (74.4%) among the ethnic groups in Canada. -Canadians, especially those under 35 years old, are far more tolerant of mixed marriages than their American counterparts. While 77% of Americans approve of interracial marriages, a whopping 92% of Canadians do (under 35, it was 99%). Lester’s Okanagan Blog Here is a link to the March/April 2008 Blog (complete with photos) to keep track of what has been happening to us in the Okanagan. In the March/April 2008 Blog you can read about: -First Business Trip to Japan -Spring Skiing at Mt. Baldy Ski Resort -Fest of Ale in Penticton -More Impressions of Life in the Okanagan |
 |
 |
|
Driving Range, Twin Lakes (early April) |
Twin Lakes (early April) |
We are accepting guests for 2008. For further information please fill in our form here.
If you wish to ask a question,
and we will be in contact with you shortly.
Thank you.
You can also send us a message on Skype:
Canadian Spirit Holiday Services
*Education and Holiday Packages for Overseas Visitors -Penticton, BC,
Canada*
Website:
http://www.CanadianSpiritServices.com
Copyright © 2006-2008 Canadian Spirit Holiday Services.
City of Penticton, BC, Canada Business License Number 10283.
All Original Photos and Written Material may not be used without our
written permission. All Rights Reserved.
 |
