树上的鸟儿成双对，绿水青山带笑颜；随手摘下花一朵，我与相公夹书间；他种地来我织毛衣，我烤蛋糕来他浇园；寒窑虽偏远能避风雨，夫妻恩爱苦也甜……当记者请Connie阎简单介绍她在加拿大素里的生活时，Connie用这么几句新编的黄梅戏歌词做了俏皮的回答。
Connie移民来加拿大已经11年了，最初她是在多伦多登陆的。作为技术移民的她既没有丰厚的经济条件，也没有好的专业技术可以很快找到工作，于是在登陆最初的日子里，省吃俭用成为她日常生活的习惯。
移民前走南闯北做生意
Connie是山东人，在大学学的是贸易专业，出国之前在贸易公司工作过，后来就自己开公司做矿产品开发机械的贸易，2001年还把自己的矿产品机械的生意做到印度去了。所以她大学毕业参加工作后，一直是走南闯北的，经历了许多生活和工作的波折，最后选定在素里买房定居，每天赏花后院中，悠然见蓝天。
Connie是个巧手能干的人，初到多伦多时，由于没有工作，就自己在家里学着做一些家人想吃又舍不得买的食品，她学做的第一种食品就是寿司，在得到一个在寿司店工作的好朋友传授的经验后，她试做的寿司得到了家人的一致夸奖。于是她学做各种蛋糕、饼干、蛋糕上的装饰糖花、装饰水果等，越做越有心得。
在满足了家人的口福之后，她竟然还在西人开的Bento寿司店里和YIG Bakery蛋糕烘焙店里找到了工作，不过，那个时候，Connie觉得这两份兼职工作都是临时性的，是自己走入加拿大社会的一点尝试，和贴补家用的暂时行为。
后来，Connie随着丈夫回流到中国的济南生活，那是2008年。因为丈夫在济南有工作，Connie就没有生活的压力了，但她是个闲不住的人，当她看到当地报纸上的一个国际猎头公司招聘糕点课程讲师时，她就勇敢地去应聘并获得了聘用。
回流济南 获聘糕点讲师
这个培训班是为培训去日本工作的糕点制作工人的，Connie的烘培经验和技巧都是靠自己琢磨出来的，而且她最初做这些蛋糕产品都是为了家人食用，所以特别注重健康的因素，她把这些独特的因素贯穿在自己的讲义中，深受公司和学生们的喜爱。
教课之余，Connie用了一些时间把自己的烘焙作品图片放到博客里，朋友们看了都赞不绝口，就有人建议她开店卖蛋糕，她始终想着是当消磨时间来做蛋糕的，也不想太多的资金投入到开店中，就赶着当时的时髦，在中国有名的淘宝网上开起了“淘宝蛋糕店”，基本只供应同一个城市的客户。
这段在淘宝上卖蛋糕的生意虽然经营的时间不长，但给Connie留下了很宝贵的经历和美好的回忆。那时候，她都是有订单才加工，所以供应给客户的蛋糕很新鲜，但价格比普通糕饼店会稍微贵一点儿，有的客户在订蛋糕时会质疑为什么比普通糕饼店的贵，Connie就耐心解释小批量生产的效率低，还有她的原料都是选质量比较好和价格贵的等等；比如她总是买贵的天然奶油做蛋糕，这样做成的蛋糕既健康、口感也好很多。
淘宝开店 味道佳好评多
有一位客户听了Connie的解释后，接受了她的价格，吃了她的蛋糕后，果然感觉口感很不同，于是这位客户在Connie的淘宝蛋糕店的客户反馈一栏里写了几百字的评语，非常客观地赞扬了Connie做的蛋糕好吃的地方，这个评语也让Connie大为感慨：人与人的交往是靠真诚换真心的。你自己的做事方式和做人原则是怎么样的，你也会得到相应的回报。
几年过后，Connie又随着丈夫回流到温哥华，丈夫在本地一家贸易公司供职，她自己则凭着高超的裱花技术在糕饼店找到了兼职工作，这个糕饼店在温哥华，是当年她在多伦多短暂工作时的那个YIG Bakery蛋糕店的连锁店，当时的偶然尝试行为为她后来找工作打开了方便之门。
虽然她在这一行真正从业时间并不长，但她善于研究和琢磨，特别注意加拿大人都主张的健康饮食的概念，所以她非常乐于在奶油裱花中加一些可爱的水果雕刻制成的鲜花或小动物形象，既丰富了蛋糕的健康食材，也让整个蛋糕的造型更有动感和生活气息，深受客户喜爱。
回流再回流 安家素里
那段时间他们过得挺开心，经过回流再回流的折腾，Connie夫妇很渴望赶紧找个地方安家，安定下来，不再漂泊了。他们大约花了三个多月的时间看房子，选地区；温哥华的房价太高了，他们不想给自己太大的经济压力；列治文的华裔人口太集中了，几个主要购物中心一到周末就人潮涌涌，车位难寻，无法放松地逛街和购物，当然如果是爱热闹的人又另当别论了；本拿比、高贵林的房子好多在山上，冬天雨季开车总得小心翼翼的……
最后，他们选定了北素里Fleetwood 20年左右的独立屋，结构舒适而不奢华，宽大的前、后院，满足了他们夫妻养花种草的心愿，Connie的老父亲有时候也从多伦多的儿子家里来她们家里小住一阵，那后院就成了老人家施展拳脚的地方。
而素里房屋合理的价格，让他们夫妇只要一人工作就可以轻松地应付房贷，Connie也就懒得每天跑温哥华去上班，就在家里专职相夫教子，做点自己喜欢的事情就好了。
有了大把的闲暇时间后，Connie把丢弃多年的老爱好——织毛衣——捡了回来。她从网上看到心仪的毛衣款式后，就去商店里买相应的毛线，然后改成合适自己的尺寸和颜色搭配，兴冲冲地开始编织。每天开始编织之前，她泡一壶好茶，放着好听的音乐，碟子里备几块自己烤的饼干或芝麻糖，……然后在洒满阳光的客厅沙发上，飞针走线地编织，编织到一半时，她会给半成品拍张照片，放到博客上，请朋友们点评款式和配色。有时候她的一件毛衣还没有织好，就被朋友看中了，她也无所谓，织好后送给朋友，她自己再挑新的款式，配别的颜色，重新体验创作与完成的快乐。
织毛衣烤饼干都成生意
让Connie意想不到的是，由于互联网的作用，她在家里慢慢享受自己爱好的同时，还结识了许多朋友，进而还给自己带来了生意和收入。由于不用赶时间上班，Connie有了更多的时间结交朋友，而最便利的结交朋友的方式是在网上加入一些华裔新移民组成的QQ交友群和各种协会。
Connie加入的QQ群就有一个叫“素里吃货群”，在这个群里，大家互相交流购买食品、烹饪佳肴、享受美食的各种经验，她的烘焙技巧很快得到其他群友们的赞赏。
她进群后不久，恰逢素里的菲沙华人协会举行中国元宵节晚会，鉴于Connie平时的热心和高超的烘焙水平，晚会组织者委托她为晚会烘焙一批蛋糕，供300人食用。她很高兴有机会展露手艺又结交更多朋友。不计成本做出20多个香甜可口的蛋糕，成功亮相。之后大家给她起了一个外号“康师傅”。
让“康师傅”从自家厨房走出来的是“素里吃货群”的群友小艾。Connie为她的儿子生日Party烘焙出动物小饼干和大蛋糕，被小朋友抢着吃。从这个订单开始，Connie就陆续在群里接了不少蛋糕、饼干、芝麻糖、凤梨酥的订单。在元宵节过后的一个月，她竟然接了总值1700元的订单。这让她大受鼓舞。
Connie在加拿大的生活就是这么惬意，每天睡到自然醒，在鸟语花香中，编织时尚的毛衣，烘焙健康的食品，结交知心的朋友，和爱人一起，坐看花飞蝶舞，行挽云淡风清。 |
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</a> For many, it was the first time they knew about an all-but-hidden feature on their phones that allows government agencies to notify them about emergencies such as a looming storm, a terrorist attack - or the kidnapping of two children by a man believed to be spiriting them out of the state after allegedly killing their mother.
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</a> Because Garcia does not have insurance through her job at an animal hospital in Rockville, Maryland, she treated herself with pro-biotics for a more routine gastrointestinal upset, but was in pain for four days. She is following news about Maryland's exchange and hopes to get coverage.
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</a> Through his Kingdom Holding Company, the princeowns large stakes in Citigroup, News Corp andApple Inc, among other companies. He is also the owneror part-owner of luxury hotels including the Plaza in New York,the Savoy in London and the George V in Paris.
</a> We must respond â but not yet. This âMunich momentâ (Kerry again) demands first a pause to find accommodation with that very same toxin-wielding monster, by way of negotiations with his equally cynical, often shirtless, Kremlin patron bearing promises.
</a> 389, note stats on 388, the US Gov't is de facto bankrupt already with debt at 106.56% of GDP! Laughed out loud this evening as CNN covered Rush Limbaugh's brother complaining that Obama has only reduced the deficit to $800 billion from the $1.1 trillion left by Bush Jr & the GOP. Obama detractors insist that the $1.1 trillion deficit left by Jr is Obama's fault. Clinton's budget surplus, trashed!
</a> Cabinet spokesman Sherif Shawki said that Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi, who leads the military-backed government, assigned the Ministry of Social Solidarity to study the legal possibilities of dissolving the group. He didn't elaborate.
</a> Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid recently made clear what conservatives have long suspected: that he and other Democrats, including the president and key officials, see ObamaCare as a stepping stone to single payer, government-controlled health care.
</a> A spokesman for the EEAST said: âThe quality of our service delivery is of utmost importance so before working in partnership with us, private ambulance organisations must undergo a thorough trust-accredited process and meet stringent criteria.â
</a> It’s easy for people to judge others, like the two comments above, but neither has been deployed over seas and neither I’m sure have fought for this country in any matter whatsoever. The guy flipped out and lost himself, it happens. He should have used the insanity defense, he obviously did not have proper legal counsel. Maybe he can shack up with Chelsea Manning now at Levenworth and they both can keep the delusions alive. I feel bad for Bale’s wife and kids, they are the ones that are going to lose out, oh and also for all those Afghans that he maimed.
</a> That cartoon of the guy with a fuse coming out of his turban gets more and more apropos. This stupidity is anathma to all civilized people. The problem is that this category of humans is oppressed by chimpan-humans who find forward evolution too much to bear. I would suggest that access to technology puts power in the hands of the stupid. If lunatics had to stand for election rather than working their idiotic ideas through murder and suicide there would be much less mayhem in the Muslim world.
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</a> The days of seaming pitches have gone. Now you need some pace, allied to natural movement. Modest medium pace like Woakes will not cut it. He is a batsman and an occasional fourth seamer for international cricket. He will not be a big wicket taker at this level.
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</a> The UN Security Council is working on a draft resolution on Syria's chemical weapons, but disagreement remains on whether the resolution should be under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which includes possible military intervention, media reports said.
</a> "He has little sway over his own party, it seems," argues Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the Republican National Committee and a senior White House adviser to President George W. Bush. "His ability to shape events is on the decline."
</a> "I would have to administer some of his treatments at home, which were very painful. I would always say 'I'm sorry I'm hurting you,' and he would say 'It has to be done.' I don't know another 10-year-old who would act like that."
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</a> This is a type of cookie which is collected by Adobe Flash media player (it is also called a Local Shared Object) - a piece of software you may already have on your electronic device to help you watch online videos and listen to podcasts.
</a> The charges in the Mediaset case stem from beforeBerlusconi entered politics. He said in a May 23 statement thathe never had offshore accounts and he didnât know about allegedbribes to a few âunfaithfulâ Mediaset managers, otherwise hewould have stopped them. He said his âabsolute innocenceâ willbe proved.
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</a> The deal was opposed by the conservative political groups Heritage Action and Club for Growth, which both urged Republicans to vote against it because it did nothing significant to roll back the health law. But conservative Republicans let the deal move forward without delay in the Senate, while vowing to fight on in future battles.
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</a> The report on private sector hiring in September by payrollsprocessor Automatic Data Processing will be released onWednesday at 8:15 a.m. (1215). Weekly initial jobless claimsdata due on Thursday will also be released as scheduled.
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</a> The spokesma said that they had had “very positive” feedback on the videos and councils around the UK are looking to replicate the service as it can cost thousands just to produce a single leaflet.
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</a> "They love the president, but they love themselves more," Israel said, riffing off one of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's token phrases. "At the end of the day, they are going to do what they believe makes the most sense for themselves and their districts."
</a> Muslim said last week that Kurdish groups aimed to set up an independent council to run Kurdish regions in Syria until the civil war ended. That would alarm Ankara, which is wary of deepening sectarian violence on its border.
</a> Irene McCormack Jackson, along with her attorney Gloria Allred, said at a news conference that Filner allegedly harassed her for months and on one occasion dragged her in a headlock while he whispered sexual advances in her ear.
</a> While prosecutors offered Rubin a deal of six months in jail plus five-year probation, Justice Danny Chun agreed to the defense's request and will consider giving a lesser or no jail time at the Oct. 29 sentencing.
</a> The IWF said that this shows how easy it is for the casual browser to stumble on the sort of material that they wouldn't want to see. It said that in the case of the furniture store. "hundreds" of images of abuse were uploaded.
</a> Swiss representative Michael Meier said: "Despite Mexico's will to improve the training of relevant authorities, the number of officials suspected of being involved in enforced disappearances is very alarming."
</a> Since then, Torres has turned the school around by tireless work and inspiring the same dedication from his staff. And heâs helped his students achieve success. PS 55 kids score higher than average on state math and science exams â and the school maintains an exceptional 92% attendance rate.
</a> LOS ANGELES â If the St. Louis Cardinals fail to win the National League Championship Series, two moments from Wednesdayâs 6-4 loss to the Dodgers will stick in their memory: Yadier Molina killing a bases-loaded rally in the first inning, and Adrian Gonzalezâs makeshift Mickey Mouse ears in the third.
</a> Inside, Sport trim gives the Q50 aluminium trim, sports seating, and powered steering adjustment. Drivers at this level also get Infiniti's new Direct Adaptive Steering system, which changes the weight and feel of the steering. Active Lane Control is also featured on the Sport.
</a> The main protest camp is at a square near the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque in the capital's north-east, where clashes left some 70 people dead last Saturday, and in Nahda Square near the main campus of Cairo University.
</a> The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans also denied Maj. Nidal Hasan's motion to suppress the evidence the government plans to use against him. The court's decision Wednesday upheld a lower court's ruling issued before Hasan recently began serving as his own attorney.
</a> In budget after budget, the current administration and City Council have reduced head count by attrition and slashed recruiting targets, even as the overall city workforce has grown during the same period. And the decline in staffing might soon accelerate â within the next several years, thousands of police officers hired under the Safe City, Safe Streets program in the early 1990s will become eligible for retirement.
</a> We have just hit our one-year anniversary since the acquisition of Breakingviews. Since day one of the combined commentary service, we have offered agenda-setting financial views around the world on the topics that are on the minds our customers.
</a> Famous for its nine domes and two minarets, the mosque has been a symbol for rebels in the city, and the government takeover dealt a powerful symbolic blow to the rebellion. On Monday, government troops shelled the mosque, damaging the tomb of Ibn al-Walid, a revered figure in Islam. Video showed the tomb's roof knocked down.
</a> Voters are split on whether Obama merits his holiday, which he and his family are planning to spend at a luxurious rented estate in Martha's Vineyard, Mass. Forty-eight percent say the president has worked hard enough to deserve a weeklong vacation, while 48 percent say he hasn't. Analyzed by party, 80 percent of Democrats say the president should take the time off, compared with 36 percent of independents and 23 percent of Republicans.
</a> “People love the look of the cartons and the strapline 'Keep your chin up’,” said Mr Cregan. “We also changed the carton to a dual-lined version that holds the temperature better. And you can reseal it and put it in your bag.”
</a> As he says himself, “the road to happiness is rarely even”. Now, five years after he was sectioned and spent nine months on suicide watch in various secure mental institutions, Rhodes has decided to retrace his footsteps for a television documentary.
</a> The LongRiver consortium abandoned plans to bid for SevernTrent last month after the water utility spurned its multipleapproaches and allowed a bid deadline to expire, disappointinghedge funds who bought its stock in anticipation that the dealwould be sealed.
</a> St. Louis, Missouri, had the least expensive gasoline in thecountry at $3.01 per gallon, according to the Lundberg survey,while drivers in San Francisco--often the country's priciestgasoline market--again paid the most, at $3.88 per gallon.
</a> U.S. officials are largely optimistic about the chances that the security pact will win approval from the Loya Jirga, and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Monday that progress toward an agreement was "on track".
</a> Earlier this month, anti-immigration campaigners were angered by Migrationwatch claims that immigration figures have been undercounted. The group said that the number of âEU immigrants has been undercounted by half a million over a 10-year periodâ. It claimed on Thursday that the revised numbers would mean around four million extra migrants in Britain.
</a> The state court judge in Michigan's capital of Lansingordered Orr to withdraw the bankruptcy petition because thestate law that allowed Snyder to approve the bankruptcy violatedthe Michigan Constitution. The governor lacks the power to"diminish or impair pension benefits," according to the rulingby Ingham County Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina.
</a> The data is the latest sign of resurgent conditions in the property sector, with the latest Nationwide figures also showing that house prices rose 0.6pc between July and August and 3.5pc year-on-year this month.
</a> Garrard, who hasnât played in the NFL since 2010, was signed by Gang Green in the offseason. However, he retired before training camp began. He recently approached the Jets looking for a second chance, which he received, and has practiced in each of the last two weeks. Garrardâs largest role is expected to be as a veteran mentor for Geno Smith.
</a> The U.S. Internet company joined Japan's SoftBank Corp in backing Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's planned partnership structure. Yahoo, which owns24 percent of Alibaba, stands to reap huge windfalls from an IPOas Alibaba's market valuation would add billions of dollars tothe two companies' assets. Yahoo is also keen to sell part ofits stake.
</a> When Melcher finally turned Manson down, he was at risk of losing major face with the Family. He very much needed to move them to an even more isolated location, Death Valley. But there was no money. In the violent scramble for funds, Manson swindled, then murdered a drug dealer. When a Family associate was arrested in another extortion attempt gone lethally wrong, Manson had every reason to fear the cops would close in on him.
</a> Another attraction of foreign-currency CDs is their yield, typically much higher than anything that can be found in U.S. bank products at the moment. EverBank is offering 5.75 percent interest on a three-month CD for the Brazilian real, for instance.
</a> France can now count a First Baby among its ranks. Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and former French President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomed a baby girl into the world on Oct. 19, much to the delight - and relief - of the First Lady. "Quite frankly, I can't stand it anymore," Bruni-Sarkozy, 43, previously told French magazine Le Parisien of her experience being pregnant. "I spend most of my time either sitting down or lying down. I can't smoke or drink anymore. I'm in a hurry to get it over with."
</a> Montreal, Maine & Atlantic used a railway siding in Nantes to store rail cars set aside for Tafisa, a particleboard manufacturer located in Lac-Méganticâs industrial park. The practice did not contravene any safety regulations, but it meant MM&A engineers were unable to pull onto the siding when parking trains during a crew change.
</a> Aniston invited a stock of celeb friends to their Bel Air mansion for a birthday celebration Saturday in honor of her man. Guests included couples Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi, Tobey Maguire and Jennifer Meyer, Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell, Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney, and Jason Bateman and his wife Amanda Anka.
</a> When A-Rod began the assignment July 2-3 with Class-A Charleston he said the first phase would not be about results, but rather getting accustomed to playing every day. Right now is about the time he thought there could be improved results. âI said it was going to be around Game 10, 11 or 12 that I would hopefully start impacting the ball. . . . and the ball is definitely coming off the bat different,â he said.
</a> "It's not the people who need the blood's fault that the ban is in place," said Daugherty, who is not averse to gay men choosing to lie in order to donate. "It's most important that they get the blood they need."
</a> Most fundamentally, Americans are not united in this concept, and as the chart below shows, the percentage of people who consider themselves wealthy differs drastically by income. According to UBS's data, most people consider being wealthy as the freedom from financial constraints on what they are able to do, and $5 million seems to be the number to get there.
</a> CircleUp, whose compensation is tied to the performance ofits portfolio companies, says it admits only businesses that itbelieves have a real shot at success. It provides services farbeyond investor matchmaking, including introducing portfoliocompanies to potential partners. It recently hosted officialsfrom consumer giant Procter & Gamble to an "incubator day"featuring presentations from CircleUp companies.
</a> Netanyahu brandished a cartoon time-bomb in his U.N. speech last year to illustrate his view that time was running out to curb Iran's nuclear arms ambitions. Israeli sources predict he will opt for a less flashy approach due to the delicate nature of the outreach with Iran but will still stress skepticism.
</a> Russia has also been criticized because of an anti-gay lawthat was passed in July that would ban âpropaganda of non-traditional sexual relationsâ among minors. Individuals whoviolate the law could be fined 5,000 rubles and non-Russian maybe jailed for 15 days and deported.
</a> "We strive to make each day at Pegatron better than the last for our employees. They are the heart of our business. That's why we take these allegations very seriously," Pegatron's CEO Jason Cheng said in the statement.
</a> At the height of the sub-prime crisis, the exposure to mortgage credit risk built up by a small division of AIG shocked regulators. Who will be the AIG of interest-rate risk when the next interest-rate shock hits?
</a> According to the most recent survey by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, in 2011 about 21 percent of adults who smoke traditional cigarettes said they had tried the electronic alternative, up from about 10 percent in 2010.