An Intriguing Tale Of Being An Owner

So fireworks night was last Friday – one would think that it’s a simple ritual – a yearly thing for this small town – and the entire town are usually out at the waterfront or by Wendy’s where everyone finds a place and sit and wait for the sky to turn dark and enjoy the firework.

This year’s firework was slightly better than the previous years and this year we opted to go down by Wendy’s instead – but we didn’t come with chairs nor a towel to sit on.  So we met our neighbor and chatted for abit – when the guy sitting in front of his car by the road – raised his voice and said we were blocking his view.  Yes! rude and the firework hasn’t started for that matter – and really – this is afterall – a free space and anyone can stand in a big open space where they want.  But as usual – we didn’t want any trouble – and i asked the boss to move a few feet away and the big Caucasian guy moved his chair where we were.   Like i said – no need of that – the space didn’t belong to him – if only he would ask nicely – we wouldn’t have been offended at all.  My grandmother used to say – people like that ” San Yan Ba Sei Dei” – meaning – direct translation – living person placing order on a dead land.   Why can’t people be nice?

If you are thinking of flying to Halifax from this town – then you are out of luck because the airline that pulled itself out because they used the federal funding meant to last for 5 yrs within 2 years.  Yes, there is an audit but when will the audit come to an end or will anything yield from it – i don’t know. Apparently, everything is still up in the air and although there had been mails sent out to previous passengers – we have yet to know if it is going to do anything good.

It was a lot of money invested into this airline link – the people of this town who brought them in – might as well have invested in shares with Amazon books as far as i am concern.  Afterall, Amazon books proved to be a lot more lucrative and everyone is using it – and it’s still in business.   How much more will it take to make the people of this town who runs this place and who holds the money come up with wiser decision?  Like i said – the next time they ask me for my opinion – my best bet is to invest in something feasible – like the online bookstore – everyone needs it – everyone buys from it.  What i meant was to be able to bring in something that everyone needs – and won’t cost them an arm or a leg  just to use them.  Cater to the needs of its people!!!  how hard is it to understand – to stay in business – you have to have a transport that everyone can use!

So we had more celebration in this town – for the summer – as usual – they are the same old thing – the festival of lights – the mackerel throw – the chowder cookout and lobster eating.  Yes! same old, same old – tis’ kinda boring after so many years and even with the fireworks – it didn’t really bring a lot of joy to me.  I don’t know about others in this town – maybe they liked the fireworks a lot – maybe they went to the drinking holes – but this summer – i know i didn’t see much tourists nor those who went to the waterfront drop in at our place to shop.   I’m just glad that our business is steady with our regular customers and of course more of the new ones who are renting movies from us.  Yes, the celebration will be over this weekend – for Seafest/summer  – but alas, the town seems to not get their act together yet.

I’ve time and again told you that this town is extremely funny !  you see they even have bylaws for signs – that means you need to get permission to put up a sign and no flashing signs too.  Yes – apparently – flashing signs can cause accidents?  Mannn!! this people haven’t been to Las Vegas or Japan eh – muahahah!!  anyhow – we were out looking for door chime from the local hardware store when we heard a conversation between 2 customers that the sign bylaws were gonna be changed but there is going to be a big debate about it.

The town planner fears that with this new bylaws or freedom for putting up signs without getting a permit could lead to more cost – because they might be asked to remove it. *sigh* – how ridiculous right?  businesses need a permit to put up signs!  how is a business gonna thrive if they need a red tape on everything they are doing?  Makes no sense to me !  is the concern of the town planner a real concern?  I really can’t tell – but this town sure looks pretty dull in my humble opinion – even India has some awesome signs in the city. So more debate i heard soon – we didn’t continue listening as we needed our door chime and head back to work.

This year the Seafest Marshall is my favorite businessman – why can’t everyone be like Jim?  Nice and unassuming always polite and non-confrontational and always giving a good word and encouragement.  Oh and honest!  It’s hard to come by someone with such good quality – truth be told – i’m also striving to be like him.  But so hard when you’ve got some crazy demands from certain customers.  Thank God !  we only get a few of those every month.

This year seafest was very colorful – I’ll have to say – they even got Clements Park’s float and a lot of clowns – of course – the RCMP is not to be missed as well.  So the local town dispatch moved to our side of the town – did we see less loitering?  Yes – around Tim’s – but they moved upwards – thank God – they didn’t move up to our store – HAHAHAHAH!!! but really – i’m sure they meant no harm.

The good youth of the town was in the parade too – i saw quite a few of our customers’ kids in this parade – all grown up.  Even one of the boss’s cousin was in the parade giving out ribbons for MADD.

Woohooo!! Miss Canada International!!

The Seafest Queens – all dressed up – and all looking really pretty.

And our new MLA – Zach Churchill – it’s good to see the new MLA mingling  with the locals but i’ve yet to see him at our store and I’m still watching his every move – afterall, we did vote for him.

Love the pipe pipers – who doesn’t right?  makes me think of that story of the pipe piper. I do have more pictures of the entire parade – but I just wanted to share a few – to let you see what it’s like in this small town.  This year – i’ll have to say was pretty impressive – but the prizes that went out to certain float – makes me wonder.  But what do i know right?

Seafest 2010 officially opens today – the children’s parade started at 1.10pm and the weather was really good too.  Despite the fact that it was raining yesterday – the kids’ spirit was really high as you can see here.  So what is Seafest – i hear people asked all the time – it’s a series of event for the town and its resident and hopefully the neigbouring county to come celebrate summer by the sea.

We used to sponsor some events some 10 years ago – and have our name printed on banners for the event we sponsored but lately they haven’t approached us – so that’s ok too.  I see this year a lot of big names were in their sponsorship – like Register.com – Pharmasave – Rudders – Eastlink Advertising – Canadian Tire – Boston Pizza – CBDC – City Drug Store – Coastal Financial Credit Union – Murray GM – Tim Hortons of course Warptech – all the big boys in this town.  I wonder why they didn’t approach Walmart eh?  Afterall, Walmart gets most of this town’s money in my humble opinion and put some outta business as well.  Oh did you see our new MLA ?  yes ! there he is!

Anyhow who plays Magic knows about these new Fat Packs coming out on Friday – so the boss had written on FB telling everyone that he has it and will be on sale on Friday.  Well, you know how FB works right – it’s like a fan page for the store – and meant for people who comes to our store everyday.  So as soon as he posted it up – a fella came on and told the boss “friendly warning” ?  that these packs were only to go on sale on Friday – 16 th July.  Hahahha!! so i see someone is watching our back – but really – does people really think we would wanna get ourselves in trouble for a few dollars?  Plus we are such – law-abiding citizens -hhahah!!  it was really amusing though – and i was really surprised  – it only shows that you never know people eh.

I’ve known Josh Purdy for a long, long time – not only is he a good customer – he is one of the most honest person i’ve met.  Josh is a straightforward and easy going person who works at the Youth Center – yes ! i’ve known this a long time ago.  So today – while i was reading up about wrinkleremovers i saw on local news online that Josh had applied for a Pepsi Grant of $100K – well – it’s really a contest – but the $100K isn’t going to himself.  So if you are from this town or even if you are not but a reader of this blog – please help Josh make a difference by going here to vote  http://www.refresheverything.ca/yarmouthyouthcentre – i hope Josh wins – why?  because this town deserves something good.

Purdy is the executive director of Split Rock Learning Centre, located in the DomTex building on Water Street. He says up to 300 youth drop in monthly with a wide variety of issues: homelessness, addiction, looking for work and more.

“We try to help them focus their energy, sit down and talk with them, try to get them help through our many partnerships with other organizations like the Tri-County Pregnancy Centre, Mental Health department and others,” said Purdy.

“We also try to get them engaged in the community. A lot of them have been in trouble with the law or are in danger of being in trouble. We get them involved in community cleanups, peer mentoring and other activities. – source – novanewsnow.com

Everyday I get calls for the boss – when he is not in the store – everyday I get asked the same questions.  When will he be back? where has he gone? Will he be back today?  How long will he be gone? Some even asked me for his cell phone number so that they can call him directly.  hahahaha!!  So like usual – i was in the store – the boss had to run some errands – do work for a customer – you know the paying type – that keeps the store going – hahah!!  and i was reading on  lipovox side effects and minding my own business and another call came in – looking for the boss!  what a surprise eh?  Sometimes, I really don’t know what to tell them – because honestly – even if you call me every half hour – i still won’t know when he is gonna be back – he will be back .. when he gets back – folks.  Don’t mean to be rude – but he doesn’t report to me.

Has it really been a year already – since we re-joined CFIB?   Yes – it sure has – said the boss – and the year had treated us good in our business and therefore – when Tom came by this morning – we re – signed again for another year for membership with CFIB.  Said to be powered by entrepreneurs – like the boss – how can we not support them right?  Plus Tom is a good fella and very on the ball – and response immediately – when we have any questions or needed any clarification.   So even if i had to give up a little on the Lipofuze we still will continue to support Tom – oops !  i meant CFIB -  why?  it’s the people skill  – the genuine concern of Tom that really caught our attention.

You see – we weren’t always doing so well – some 3 years ago – and we had to stop supporting CFIB for a year or two – i can’t remember now.  But Tom had always been steadfast – checking in all the time and giving a word of encouragement here and there – and never brushing us off – i appreciate that.  So yes! another year – another good year – we can all hope for eh.

While i was reading about a diet supplement a local resident pointed out on a local Facebook page about what Percy Paris – the Minister of Economic Development had said in his recent interview on one of our local papers.  Apparently, with or without the transport report that they were all supposedly to be waiting for – wouldn’t make a difference.  If that was the case, why did they waste the tax payer’s money by hiring a professional survey company to do the study?  It sure doesn’t make any sense how these people are trying to run this province.  So in other words – they are saying – if i wanna screw up the town – i can screw you up regardless?

The interview continued to say that it wasn’t an overnight decision and if that was the case – was the locals here being brought in at all – to review the decision or to be given a chance to make a presentation and state our case?  It is really sad – and i cannot imagine – staying here and being toy with -  your entire future!  your entire business !  these people donch care about us here in Y-Town do they?

Happy Canada’s Day, everyone!  And yes! we are open for business from 12pm – 6pm – yes yes! the boss is a slave driver.   It was kinda busy at the store – i didn’t even get to look up the 5th wheel insurance that i wanted to because when you have a kid with you – you have to think of her first.

Not many stores were opened on Main Street – even the Chinese restaurant was closed – darn!  no food!  but Tim Hortons was opened but i didn’t get to go out at all because it was busy at the store.  What was in store at the waterfront – free hotdogs and some face painting and lots of music – in the hot sun with no canopy or shelter if it rains – so kinda pointless.  But if we were in the city – they were having fireworks today.  Here in this small town – nope we don’t even have a parade – till Seafest which is much later in the month.   The weather is definitely good today and definitely good for some fireworks but usually this town chooses the foggiest night for that.

Anyhow, we are closed now – back home – woohoo!!  when the kid learned that her daddy didn’t need to go back to the store after he sent us home – she was all excited and said – YAYYYYYY!!  the JOYS of owning your own business.

So the landlord’s foreman was in to rent a movie tonight and the boss had asked about the next door neighbor who had vacated the place a few days ago.  The next door neighbor is a huge financial establishment both in United States and Canada.  But they are pulling out of Canada altogether.  The foreman said it wasn’t expected and that he forsee more closure in September.  Already there had been a few businesses that up and left and now he is speculating more closure???  Mannnn!! he was such a JOY!  although other businesses does not directly affect us – ultimately – all these empty store houses – can only mean that there are not enough ppl spending money to maintain the stores.  Therefore, meaning people don’t have jobs to help the economy.  *sigh*.

So i’ve been in Canada for 10 yrs now and with the by election a few days ago, I thought i would do my part as a Permanent Resident and go vote.  Now when i got my Permanent Residency many years ago, i was told i cannot vote for provincial only but i had a rude surprised.  I was told rudely by a big woman who was manning the poll that i am not a Canadian..!!!! mannnn!!  i mean it’s ok.. if i cannot vote but to tell me off so rudely – mannnn..!!  so i said that’s ok..  and took my  tiger direct coupons and went shopping instead.  What i found really strange was – i could vote for the town councils and for the Premier but i can’t vote for MLAs???  darn weird !!!

So my customers asked me if i was going to be a Canadian citizen anytime soon..??  Well, truth be told, i would rather keep my Singapore citizenship because it’s a lot safer to keep it this way – at the rate things are going – i better have a back up plan and that is to keep my citizenship.

So another eatery gone?  The Pita place wasn’t even opened for too long and it’s already gone – according to another customer who walked in today.  But why..?? oh why..?? where am i gonna get some good pita..???  I can’t believe it.. it’s like one business after another – what is Main Street becoming?  Are you worried yet..??  I am.. i don’t know what to think?  ppl just up and leave – their businesses just overnight.

So we have a new MLA as of today.  I tried to vote today – but was told i can’t vote – *shrug* oh well!  their lost – not mine!  good thing the person i wanna vote for – won! else i would prolly have put up a stink about it.   So lets us all look at the new MLA and see what we all can expect or not expect from him.

The new MLA for this town is a very young man.  Not inexperienced but i cannot say totally experienced -  originally from this town – moved to Ottawa because there was no job for him here.  But he wants to make this town a better place and for friends and family to come home.  I know he is a change and i’m hoping he is not some empty vessel – and now that he had won – will completely forget why he actually wanted to get elected.  I hope he will be for the people and not for the glamor and the title of this job.  I hope for the sake of this town, he will be a REAL voice in Ottawa and office.  This town certainly needs fresh blood and someone who is honest.  So in a year or so, we will revisit why we voted for the new MLA.

So we are in this business for repairing computers/laptops and notebooks for customer/s.  Once in a while, we will have people coming in and asking us to repair or upgrade their computer/s and/or notebook but when it is time to pick up the item, they either tell us that they don’t have the money and will pick it up later.  Or some would asked if they can take their computer/s first and pay us later.

Truth be told, we’ve been burned so many times, we rather not do it this way – but we still do – and usually when they say they would come back on a certain date – you can be sure they are never back.  Once in a while – you have the honest ones and they will come and replay you.  But there are a few – till today – we still haven’t seen them.  Some are even worst – we see them all the time on the streets but they pretend as if nothing was happening or they didn’t do nothing to us.  It makes me really mad that people does this to us all the time.   But eventually, they have to pay – somehow and you see we will only trust you this once and once you do us wrong, there won’t be a second time.  For those who are not aware of this – the boss kill lots of brain cells just to fix your computer/notebooks/laptops – and by not paying, only means that the next time, he will not do anything for you.

Register.com is currently the only place in town that pays a lot of money – well – more than most businesses in this town to the people who work for them. I don’t know which online printing services they used – but I had seen one of their brochures not too long ago advertising their services.

Register.com’s head office is in New York and had opened an call center in this town – for many years.  At first, the people that they had hired were really well qualified ones but these days – just about anyone can be hired on – some who even cannot get their spelling correct nor can write good english.  But looks like they are now bought out by Web.com and the Canadian operation will be maintained.  Is it really good news for the people of this town?  I don’t really know yet – i hope it is and i hope they stay – coz’ this town cannot take another blow.

I was checking out  eczematreatment.org when a customer walked in and told us that some business was going bankrupt and having a liquidation sale.  Yes ! another business in this small lil’ town is closing !  who?  a competition.  Many had come in and said – ohhh! it must be good for your business !  but what they don’t understand is – how it will impact the economy of this town.

I’m sure they don’t mean anything bad – but you can also see they don’t look at the big picture.  As a resident of this town and a small business owner – having competition/s is healthy – because it keeps the prices competitive for the consumers.   It is also important to have lot of various businesses in this town for this town to flourish – it’s not all about one or two business – it’s about everyone.  Now that one business is closed – that means more unemployed and more who needs to be careful with spending – so if they have no jobs – meaning they are going to spend less and the tax payer will be tax even more.  Vicious cycle eh.

As I sit and enjoy my patio furniture cushions that we had just bought – I took a look at some of the recent elected candidates for MLA for this town.  One was the ex-mayor of this town for the last 20 yrs  – someone whom I’ve walked by now and then on the streets but never once said hello to me – not that i’m a small woman either – that he could have missed me.  Most likely thinks i’m just poor immigrant from China – muahahhaa!

Then we have  few others that I have never met or seen in my entire 10 yrs here – and then we have the above  – the youngest – and most promising one – only 26 years old.   I saw a video clip on his nomination speech this afternoon – and yes – he was full of zest, aspiration, hope, promises – boldness and personally, i do want to believe him but his speech was so overwhelming for me – why?  In the last few years – I’ve heard a lot similar pitches and in the last few years – I’ve been truly disappointed by our “leaders”

We are not into politics, we are business people as I had sat down and written to one of the candidates on his website, I had asked him the reason/s why I and my household of 5 should vote for him?  I’ve yet to hear back from him and it had been more than 24 hrs and the general consensus after speaking with several customer was – does it matters?  Does it matter who gets voted in?  Does it?