Bits and Things

I have just come in from my third seminar in as many days. Keeping professionally up to date has become even more necessary in the light of the current events in corporate America and elsewhere. You snooze at your own peril. It is also a requirement to maintain my certifications and licenses in Canada. Often times I wonder if the stories one hears about wrong diagnosis even of very simple health issues back home are real. Perhaps suggesting mandatory refresher trainings for those professions where minor mistakes are often of colossal consequences may be worth it. Do you think I am stirring an hornet’s nest in thinking this way?
For more than two weeks, I have been experiencing a challenge with carrying out an online transfer from a chequing account I have with an offshore bank in an emerging market. Sorry I should have said frontier market because I understand "Naija" has been reclassified a frontier market by global economists in an effort at sounding more politically correct. I have contacted the bank repeatedly without getting an explanation that makes any sense at all. First it was a system issue then it was a minor procedural matter. God knows what creative story they will come up with next. The bottom line is that they are still holding onto my money and this is 6 weeks and counting.Unbelievable!!! I wonder what message this sends to anybody who wants to be supportive of his roots and not get burned doing so. Interesting!!
Tuesday and yesterday were youth program nights for Sampi and the boys respectively. These are hour-long activities at church to try and keep pre-teens and teenagers focused on the things that really matter in life in the midst of all the negative options that abound in school and in the media these days. As this is lent period, it encourages them to stay on track and not feel that they are losing out by ‘not having fun’ (a phrase that lends itself to many interpretations).
Danju had his Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair (BASEF) presentation today at Mohawk College in Hamilton. He and his project partner Ilia had built a hovercraft. They said the reactions from the judges were mixed so they are keeping their fingers crossed about the result. They are happy however for the experience; and I told them that was key and they can only go from here to greater accomplishments irrespective of the outcome of this contest.
Meanwhile, Danju’s basketball playoffs resumed yesterday. They won at home and have a game tomorrow with the next coming up Tuesday nest week. If they make it that far, his team would be matched with his former team on April 15. For his sake, I pray they do as he is so looking forward to a home coming game at St Andrew Catholic School.
Papa will have his first full day of Football (not soccer) practice on Sunday after Mass at Appleby College field.
I guess this brings the Diary up to date and now it’s time to go work on my draft tax preparations. Taxes, taxes, taxes. If only there was a way to make this chore any easier. I don’t do the final stuff myself. My accountant does; but I have to arrange all the receipts and do a simple spreadsheet capturing all activities (now that’s the hard part) so he can do his bit. It’s often said that two things are constant here and none can be avoided – Taxes and Death. It’s the nature of the beast.
Take care and see you.