Canadian Spirit Newsletter / February 2010 / Newsletter No. 11

It has been a very busy and eventful time for us these past
few months. The end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010 saw
many changes in our lives.

In late November we realized we would not be getting any
winter visitors so I decided to look for part-time work.
I went job-hunting and was fortunate to land 2 part time jobs
in early December. I am now working at the Salvation Army
Men’s Shelter as an intake worker and I am also working at
a large delicatessen. The delicatessen is a very busy place -
but fun! – and I really enjoy the staff and serving our customers.
The Men’s Shelter has been such an education for me, and it
has opened my eyes to a side of Canada I have never seen before.
The clients have lost everything and are taking their first steps
to turning their lives around. It has really made me appreciate
what we have in our own lives and to be so very grateful for it.

Atsuko and the kids are doing well. Atsuko will start teaching
Japanese cooking through Okanagan College this week, and it
will be a great opportunity for her to show off her culinary
skills and meet new people in the process. She is a bit nervous
about it but I am sure she will do very well. Atsuko will also
be taking a nail course starting next month, and after the
3 month course has ended she will probably start looking for
part-time work as well.

As you know in early January a huge earthquake struck Haiti and,
like many of you, I was glued to the news coverage of the disaster and
its after-effects. The earthquake brought back so many memories
of my earthquake experience in Kobe in 1995. I spoke to many
children and adults in Penticton about what it is like to go through
an earthquake and what Canadians can do to help the Haitian people.

At the end of January the Penticton Chamber of Commerce held
its annual Business Excellence Awards Dinner. It is the biggest
Chamber event of the year, and we were very fortunate to be
nominated for an award. The dinner gave me the opportunity to
meet so many outstanding business people and see how committed
they are to community and charity work – something we do not
hear very often in the media. It was very inspiring and
a valuable lesson on how to be successful both in business and
in life.

Yes, at last, the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver and
Whistler is just around the corner. A few weeks ago the Olympic
Torch arrived in Penticton to great fanfare, and we suddenly
realized after years of planning and anticipation the games were
finally becoming a reality. It is a very exciting time for us,
and we are looking forward to seeing Canada compete against the
world’s best in winter sports.

I experienced major computer problems in December and together
with all the changes in our lives we did not put out a Christmas
newsletter. However, during the holidays I managed to get everything
back on track and completely re-design our website and blog.
You can take a peek at our new blog here:
http://canadianspiritservices.com/blog-e/
and please feel free to post any comments or suggestions
(yes, we are now interactive!).

Take good care and all the best for 2010.
We are starting to book guests for this year and if you know
anyone who wants to experience Canada at its finest or brush up
their English language skills, please let them know about our
services. Thank You!