上帝之愛
與同仁分享人生感受，讓桑榆之年充滿陽光。
一位老人的心聲
我是一位80歲的老人，走路已經離不開拐棍。我和老伴初來加拿大是為幫助女兒照顧孩子，我們不懂英語，一切事情靠女兒。隨著孩子的成長，我們越來越感到住在加拿大，不懂英語，生活不方便。為此，我們雖然已經年過八旬，不得不開始學英語。非常感謝加拿大政府給我們提供了很多學習英語的機會，為了生活的方便，為了老年生活能自立，少拖累孩子，我決心學好英語。
在去年四月初，我和幾位老年朋友到Options報名學英語。雖然路比較遠，乘公交車來回要花費兩個多小時，但是我們很高興，不管刮風下雨都能準時趕到學校。由於老師教得下功夫，我們的英語水平有很大的進步。
不料二月初的一天，突然紛紛揚揚下起了大雪，轉眼間，溫哥華成了一個冰雪世界。
我住在15534 98a Ave ，這條路有200多米長，而且沒有人行道，路的一邊是居民，另一邊隔著荒草地和一所小學相望。大雪斷斷續續已經下了一個星期，道路上的冰雪越積越厚，一直沒有被清理。我每天望著窗外為數不多的小汽車，搖搖擺擺地行駛在高低不平的冰雪路上，聽著發出的哢嚓哢嚓刺耳的聲音，心裏非常焦急，因為我不能出門，已經被困在家裏十多天了。
我實在忍不下去了，在二月十九日，星期二，我鼓起勇氣撥打了素裏警察局的辦公電話。接電話的人聽不懂我說的英語，我用英語對她說：“我是個中國人，你可以講普通話嗎？”她讓我等一會兒，不要放下電話。不一會兒，一位翻譯員和我對話，她翻譯說：“清理積雪不是他們的職責”。我問：“哪個部門能處理這事情，怎樣聯係”？她告訴我了聯係市政的電話。我謝過她們，放下了電話。
首先，我把要反應的問題用英文寫在紙上，然後撥打了市政的電話：604-591-4011
我看著草稿慢慢地用英語說：“我是個老人，住在15534 98a Ave，自從下雪以來，路上的積雪從來沒有清理過，因此，這條路非常滑，請盡快派鏟雪車來清理。”她聽明白後，又確認了我的住址說：“我們將盡快處理”。由於我的英語太差，她說的我不完全懂。我放下電話，心理並不能確定問題會被解決。
第二天早晨六點，我起床後向窗外看，見路上的積雪已經被鏟到路邊，我非常驚喜，想不到政府這麽重視一個普通人的電話，而且處理的這麽快！我真的感謝政府，感謝所有幫助清理街道的工作人員！
我更高興的是我竟然能用英語在電話中向政府反應情況了，這更應該感謝政府為移民提供了學英語的機會，感謝英語老師的努力，使一位不懂英語的八旬老人開口說英語了！
我還想說說另一個問題。溫哥華本來是一個環境優美的城市，每逢下雪天她更美得像一個童話世界。但是，我認為溫哥華的清雪設施不完善，路況管理也欠佳。每逢大雪天，不僅不能及時清理主幹道上的積雪，而且，人行道和一些小區的道路竟然多日沒有鏟雪車清理。因此，學生不能正常上學，上班的人也多有事故發生，許多老人更是被困在家裏。
我代表老年朋友呼籲政府重視這個多年未曾解決的問題，增添清雪設施，在下雪天，各類鏟雪車，應該晝夜不停地鏟除積雪，以確保交通暢通，保證人們的生活安全！
The Voice of a Senior Immigrant
I’m an 80-year old woman who needs a walking stick to walk. Along with my husband, I came to Canada originally to take care of my grandchildren, but we don’t understand English, so everything depends on my daughter. As my grandson grows, we became more inconvenient in understanding English, for this reason, we had to start learning English, even though we are over 70 years old. We thank the Canadian government for providing us with many opportunities to learn English. For the convenience of life and to remain independent in my old age (and not drag on my children), I'm determined to learn this language well!
In April last year, I and several elderly friends went to Options, a government-run social services organization, to sign up for English classes. Although the road was far away, and it takes two hours to go there and back by bus, we are nonetheless very happy that we can go to school on time regardless of the wind and rain. Thanks to the efforts of our teachers, our English has made great progress!
Unexpectedly, one day in early February, there was a heavy snowstorm. In the blink of an eye, Vancouver turned into a world of snow and ice!
I live at 155 Street and 98a Ave in Surrey. This road is more than 200 meters long, but it doesn’t have a sidewalk. On one side are the residents, the other side is a wasteland with a primary school behind it. The heavy snow has been falling simultaneously all week, but the snow has not been cleared. I looked out of the window every day. The few cars wobbling on the rough snow and ice made a scraping noise as they passed by. I was very anxious because I couldn’t go out and was trapped at home for more than ten days.
At last, I couldn’t stand it anymore. On Tuesday, February the 19th, I mustered up the courage to call the police of Surrey. The staff didn’t understand my English. I said,” I’m a Chinese, can you speak Mandarin?” She told me to hold on a minute, then, she called a translator over. But the translator told me,” It’s not their job to do something like shoveling up snow.” I asked,” Who can help and how do I contact them?” She told me to contact the municipal office and gave me their phone number. I said,” Thanks, bye!”
First, I wrote the questions I was about to ask in English on a piece of paper. Afterwards, I dialed the municipal office’s phone number, 604-591-4011. I said very slowly,” I’m an old woman and I live on 98a Ave. Since the snow has not been cleared, the road is very slippery and the elderly can’t go out. Please clear 155 Street and 98a Ave as soon as possible!” She repeated my address and said,” We’ll do it.....” I didn’t understand what she said next. I put the phone down. I’m not sure the problem will be solved.
The next day, I got up at six o’ clock in the morning and looked out of the window. Wow! The snow was shoveled to the side of the road! I was overjoyed for I didn’t think the government would pay so much attention to a simple call and deal with a problem so quickly! I was even more pleased that I was able to reflect on the situation successfully to the government on the phone in English.
This is a wholehearted thanks to the opportunities provided by the government to allow immigrants to learn English. Also, thanks to the English teachers at Options for their effort. I was an octogenarian who didn’t understand English who spoke English!
There’s another question I would like to talk about. Vancouver is a very beautiful city, and every snowy day here is like a fairytale world. But because Vancouver’s snow-clearing facilities have poor management, on snowy days, not only are to main roads cleared slowly, the sidewalks and the small, local roads are also still covered in snow. Therefore, some students cannot go to school, and people’s cars get stuck on their way to work. Many elderly people have also been stuck at home for a long time.
I, representing all the elderly people who feel like they have been trapped at home during days of heavy snow, am writing to the government, hoping that they will pay more attention to this problem, and hopefully solve it next year. They should build more snow-clearing facilities, and in the days where there is constant snowfall, snowplowing trucks should work consistently day and night to remove it, to ensure smooth traffic and the safety of people’s lives!
Thank you for your encouragement!