The only French language show in the food genre that I watch regularly is Radio Canada's l'Epicerie, which is a show about food, rather than cooking and includes background on how and where our food is produced with an accent on Quebec and Canadian products.
A couple of weeks ago I was lounging on the couch and decided to run an episode which I had recorded earlier, certainly not looking for content for this blog!
The first story was about meal preparation at some of Quebec's public senior citizens homes, which I have to admit, I didn't have much interest in watching.
When I think of these institutions, visions of dreary and grim establishments manifest in my mind. Prison-like institutions built for seniors who cannot afford private placement and where warehousing these seniors is done as cheaply as possible. Places where elder abuse would not be surprising and where 'inmates' would be fed a cheap diet of Kraft Dinner, Jello and processed cheese sandwiches, then and trundled off to their unkempt rooms as early as possible.
Why did these visions run through my head?
Dunno, but we see so many grim stories of elder abuse at senior homes that I'd assume that if it were to take place, a public institution with uncaring and bored state employees would be the first place where it would happen.
My hopes weren't lifted when the hosts told viewers that the daily budget for food, three meals and two snacks was a paltry $6.00 per resident.
Six bucks! Considering that a large coffee at Starbucks goes for around four bucks, I could only imagine the crap residents were fed.
That gentle reader is when my eyes were opened, to a world I never imagined existed!
A world where industrious government employees work hard and efficiently.
A world where innovative government employees work smartly!
A world where caring government employees consult and listen to those they serve!
A world where dedicated government employees take pride in their work!
Yes readers, this world does exist!
In Quebec you might ask?..........Yes.
The television story went on to chronicle the inner workings of the meal delivery system in several senior citizen homes in Quebec and viewing the story of these dedicated public employees doing a superb job brought tears to my eyes.
First correction.
The institutions aren't dreary, neglected or unsanitary. Not by a long shot.
Residents seem to be happy and living fulfilled and interesting lives. The caring staff are attentive and hard at work placing the welfare of residents first.
The management of these public senior homes have bandied together to purchase food in bulk and save up to 60% from what we pay in the supermarket. The food budget is fixed, so they spend what they have and no more. The government isn't going to underwrite deficits, so close attention is paid to spend so much and no more. How refreshing!
Nutritionists prepare monthly menus in consequence to what can be bought, whether it be fresh vegetables when cheaply available in the summer or frozen during the expensive winter months. Stretching a budget is raised to an art form, something generally unheard of in government.
The menus provided are outstanding and positively impressive. Nutritious and healthy, they include meat, fowl, and fish and are tailored to the preferences of seniors, most of whom were born in the thirties.
Dedicated chefs prepare meals for hundreds of residents as if it was for their own family. Special attention by administrators is made to listen to residents through regularly scheduled meetings that discuss preferences.
More tomato soup. "Yes we can do it!"
I don't want to go overboard, but I was duly impressed by the evident pride shown by all of those interviewed for the story interviewed.
I don't think administrators of these homes provided a budget for yoga or hotel stays for their employees, nor do I think there's money available to send a team to the Bahamas or Hawaii to study how things are done there.
When I think back to the English Montreal School Board defending expensive trips abroad, I shudder.
Things can get better. I don't know what type of leadership exists in these institutions but it should be bottled and sent around to every government department.
I'm sure things aren't perfect, but what goes on here is so much higher above the bar of your average government department, that if replicated, it would likely save taxpayers billions of dollars.
Alas to dream.....
And so readers, while I promised to remain positive until the New Year, alas, I have to tell you another story at the other end of the kindness spectrum.
Each year local newspapers bring us a bunch of hard luck stories in an effort to drive donations to local
I'm usually immune to these tales of woe, which I find overly exploitive, but it does not stop me from donating anyway.
Here is perhaps the nastiest and cruelest story that I've read all year. If you don't want to feel sad, skip past it.
Marisol Turcious is a 39 year old mother who is dying of cancer. Thirty-nine years old!
She is already in the latter stages of the disease and in palliative care, she doesn't have long to live.
Friends and family have contributed around six or seven thousand dollars for funeral expenses and a lap top computer that she uses to record messages for her four children, aged three to eighteen.
Marisol records these messages during periods of lucidity, the strong painkillers affecting her mental abilities, most of the time.
Two weeks ago her children were given permission to spend the night with her in the hospital.
That night someone broke into the modest apartment and robbed it of everything, the laptop, the money and anything else of value.
Marisol is devastated!
As I read the story, an unbelievable rage built within me. Really, WTF!
Readers, I don't know what to say...I think you'll agree that this is one
The crime remains unsolved, what else is new?
Our police are too busy giving out tickets to be concerned.
Here is a picture I clipped sometime this year. It says alot.
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| Translation- THIEF- We're immigrants, We don't have riches |
Kinda makes the hulabaloo over Randy Cunneyworth's lack of French a case much ado about nothing.
Let's think about that as Christmas approaches.
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A Châteauguay couple, whose home was burgled found their camera, part of the stolen loot, in a local pawn shop.
After calling the police, they were informed that it would be quite an ordeal to prove ownership and as such the police wouldn't bother seizing the property.
So what did the police advise them to do instead?
Buy back the camera, cops told them, after all, the pawn shop was only asking 50 bucks! Link{fr}
Arghhh.....
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It's an offbeat quiz geared towards Anglo Quebecker or expats and as you nurse your hangover, you might find it a spot of fun.
By the way, a special thanks to all those who make this blog interesting by participating in the comments section.
I've been told by friends, it is the most interesting part of the blog and I heartily agree.
Whether you support my position or are a strident opponent, conversation, arguments and vehement online disagreements are always better than violence.
People continue to ask me to censor insulting posts, but as a libertarian, it's not something I'm keen to undertake.
For or against.... speaking out is a democratic imperative and yes, insults do serve their purpose and contribute to an understanding of what people are actually thinking and feeling.
To me, the important thing is to provide a different type, a forum for all.
Sometimes it's hard for anglos to tolerate those harsh sentiments offered by French language militants who post here, but more often than not, it's the other way around.
Thanks to all who participate in the comments sections, it is you all who make for an interesting read.
Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël!
Happy New Year! Bonne Année!
