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Many of us underestimate the power that stories have on our lives. After all, they're the framework of meaning within which we each construct our individual reality. Today, our lifestyle columnist Geeta Nadkarni looks into some of the ways storytelling (whether conscious or not) affects us. And why we should care.
The Maeng family came to Canada from South Korea and in 2003, they settled in Moncton, New Brunswick where there they opened a specialty grocery store. Recently they were informed they would not be able to stay in this country because of their son. He's autistic and also has epilepsy. Immigration officials decided he would be too much of a burden on the health care system and they ordered the family out of the country with just a few weeks notice. That's when the community, the province of New Brunswick and others stepped in to ask that the Maengs be allowed to stay. Marc Montgomery speaks with immigration lawyer Guidy Mamann about this situation and its outcome.
In Canada, immigrants, once they've become citizens, have the right to sponsor their family members to come to Canada. They also have the responsibility to support those people financially for several years. This month, the Supreme Court of Canada made it clear that this obligation remains no matter what the sponsor's circumstances. Marc Montgomery gets the details from Toronto-based immigration lawyer, Guidy Mamann.
Some cultures produce more centenarians than others. And that has Geeta Nadkarni asking questions about the "secrets" of a longer life. And looking for answers about what we can we do to live longer, healthier lives in Canada similar to what certain people from various cultures around the world seem to be achieving.
Job consultant Lionel Laroche explains the importance of understanding what soft skills are and why immigrants need to learn these skills in the Canadian workplace.
We find out why some immigrants, in spite of being highly trained in their profession, find they're not getting ahead. It could be a question of not understanding the need for so-called 'soft skills' in the workplace. Job consultant Lionel Laroche talks to Marc Montgomery about what skilled immigrants need to understand in order to get ahead in their careers in Canada
Many entrepreneurs struggle to get enough referrals to keep their businesses going. And if you're new to the city you live in, it can be that much harder to tap into a network. Geeta Nadkarni is in to talk about BNI Canada, an organization that is structured around the principle of reciprocal referrals and how that can help smaller businesses.
Do you have an accent? Actually, the answer is yes. Everybody does. The question is how does yours affect the way people see you? And what do you think when you hear a foreign tongue speaking a familiar language? Our lifestyle columnist, Geeta Nadkarni shares her fascination for accents on today's edition of Life with Geeta.
It's not unusual to see toddlers or children who are quite shy. And we all know of teenagers who've struggled with it. But when does shyness go from an awkward stage to a person's impediment? For a perspective on a characteristic that can range from a personality trait to something that prevents some people from attaining their goals in life, Marc Montgomery speaks with Ottawa psychologist Dr. Peter Liu.
For many people, social gatherings such as dances, celebrations or family parties are all about good times and meeting up with the people they like. But for some, such get togethers induce more anxiety than joy. In fact, according to Dr. Peter Liu, social anxiety can be a serious mental health problem. He's a clinical Psychologist in private practice in the Ottawa area and he talks about this condition and how to cope with it.