Lutem pelos sonhos !

Olá, queridos (as) leitores (as);

Tudo bem ?

O ano de 2012 passou voando não ? O ano foi um pouco agitado pra mim, até certo ponto. Passei seis meses trabalhando, aguentando muita coisa que não queria, conhecendo muita gente legal, revendo outras, me aventurando nos cupcakes que tenho feito por encomenda desde que minha irmã começou seu estágio e surgiu uma oportunidade de fazê-los para vender, sofrendo as always for some reason, chorando por outras razões, sentindo falta das pessoas que se foram e, sempre, sempre, desejando que esse sonho de ir para o Canadá de novo se concretize o mais rápido possível. Mas para isso, ainda tenho muito que estudar (administração, inglês e francês) e muito que trabalhar para adquirir tanto experiência quanto mais dinheiro, pois o que tenho ainda é pouco para sequer pensar em dar entrada no processo ou até mesmo realizar os exames do idioma francês.

O que eu desejo para este natal e para o ano que vem é tudo de melhor para cada um dos queridos leitores e leitoras que visitam meu cantinho online. Que continuem lutando para que seus sonhos se realizem, que não desistam nas primeiras dificuldades, que não se intimidem quando alguém lhes dizer que não irão conseguir isso ou aquilo, que continuem tendo fé pois um dia nossos sonhos se tornam reais. E melhor disso, vai ser jogar na cara de todos aqueles que um dia duvidaram da sua competência, do seu amor e da sua determinação.

Quando era criança, conheci duas amigas, que até hoje as considero como tais e, dizíamos que quando chegássemos nos nossos 15 anos, iríamos a Disney. Foram anos de espera, muita dedicação nos estudos até que o dia de realizar aquele grande sonho de criança chegou. O melhor disso, são as lembranças de momentos inesquecíveis e a imensa vontade em fazer tudo de novo. Eu dia sei que voltarei ao mundo encantado da Disney. Contei isso para provar que, talvez as coisas não aconteçam quando a gente quer, mas quando elas devem acontecer. Mas nem por isso, devemos desistir.

Sigam com garra lutando pelo que desejam, que esse dia de concretizá-las chegará. É com esse pensamento que eu sigo aqui, fazendo outra graduação, estudando francês, fazendo planos e, ansiando pelo dia de realizar o GRANDE SONHO. Tenho certeza de que valerá a pena.

Deixo-os com uma mensagem que peguei na internet, falando sobre os sonhos.

APROVEITANDO O ENSEJO...


"Sonhar
Mais um sonho impossível
Lutar
Quando é fácil ceder
Vencer o inimigo invencível
Negar quando a regra é vender
Sofrer a tortura implacável
Romper a incabível prisão
Voar num limite improvável
Tocar o inacessível chão
É minha lei, é minha questão
Virar esse mundo
Cravar esse chão
Não me importa saber
Se é terrível demais
Quantas guerras terei que vencer
Por um pouco de paz
E amanhã, se esse chão que eu beijei
For meu leito e perdão
Vou saber que valeu delirar
E morrer de paixão
E assim, seja lá como for
Vai ter fim a infinita aflição
E o mundo vai ver uma flor
Brotar do impossível chão"

Chico Buarque
Créditos: Pensador
Um ótimo Natal a todos, muitos momentos de alegria com amigos e familiares e, uma entrada de ano maravilhosa, cheia de planos, sonhos e muita fé.
          
Ainda teremos um Natal branquinho como esse da foto acima. Ho Ho Ho Happy Christmas !E, lembrem-se: O melhor ainda está por vir.

Beijos e abraços a todos !!!Catherine

Five reasons Canada leads the world on immigration

Helloo Everyone ! Salut ! Hola a todos ! Olá a todos !

Um postezinho antes do Natal. Espero que esteja tudo bem com cada um de vocês que passam aqui no blog.

Fiz minhas últimas provas da faculdade semana passada, agora é questão de esperar e rezar para sairem logo as notas e ter passado pro média. Já não tenho mais tanta digamos, vontade de estudar como antes. Mas vamos levando. Tem horas que dá um desânimo, mas faz parte da vida. Buscamos razões que nos lembram o porquê de estarmos fazendo isso. Tudo pelo sonho de retornar ao Canadá, dessa vez como imigrante. Quero que saia logo as novas regras.

Há um comentário sobre as novas regras  no blog do Caio Prezia, do Canada Para Brasileiros. Vejam no link.

O título do post, vem de um artigo, que encontrei que me parece muito interessante. Confiram abaixo (em inglês). Acho que não preciso ficar traduzindo, quem quer imigrar, já faz um exercício no treinamento do idioma.

December 18 is International Migrants Day, a time to reflect on the 214 million international migrants in countries around the world. If migrants all gathered in one place, they would constitute the fifth most populous country in the world.

It is also the eve of a new year, a time when we take stock of what we’ve done over the past months and look forward to what we will do in the coming year. Now might be the right time to take a look at the success that Canada has made out of immigration.

While we are not perfect, Canada has made determined and deliberate efforts to encourage conditions in which newcomers can flourish. We are recognized internationally as a leader in immigrant integration. Here are five reasons why:

1. Immigrants become Canadian citizens at one of the highest rates in the world

Not only has Canada traditionally welcomed newcomers as permanent additions to this country, we have also seen immigrants as “citizens in waiting.” At 89%, Canada has traditionally had one of the highest naturalization rates in the world. High rates of citizenship are associated with better employment rates, and being a citizen is a prerequisite for many aspects of civic and political participation. It also gives immigrants and refugees protection and assurance that their commitment to Canada and being Canadian is reciprocal. Recent changes to our citizenship policies make it more difficult to become a Canadian citizen, which should concern all of us.

2. Immigrants achieve long-term economic success

Although immigrants might initially suffer an earnings penalty, traditionally they have caught up over time, so that the average wage for immigrants comes within a few percentage points of the Canadian-born. Employers report strong satisfaction with immigrants who are chosen for their human capital through the points system. While we must continue to work to shorten the initial period, both of these suggest that once immigrants are able to get into the labour market, many are successful. Similarly, immigrants own homes at nearly the same rate as the Canadian-born – an anomaly among OECD nations. Owning a home is one expression of the emotional and financial commitment that immigrants make to Canada and their local community, and is therefore an important factor in successful integration.

3. The children of immigrants attain high levels of education and earnings

In fact, second generation immigrants outperform children of non-immigrants. Second generation Canadians attend post-secondary education at higher rates than non-immigrant Canadians, which results in higher earnings. One study showed that nearly 55% of second generation Canadians go to university, for example, compared to 38% of non-immigrant Canadians. The second generation also tends to improve on the lot of their parents. On average, they earn more compared to their parents at a similar time in their lives.

4. We get along with each other

Canadians of all stripes go to school together, work together, walk the same sidewalks and play in the same parks. Increasingly, we are seeing immigrants making inroads into leadership positions in our boardrooms, city halls and parliaments. Isolated incidents of interethnic conflict make headlines because they are shocking and contrary to our norms and values.

Another way that we know that we get along is that we marry each other. Mixed unions (in which one partner is a visible minority and the other is not, or between two people from different visible minority groups) are growing rapidly – at more than five times the rate of growth for all couples. While immigrants are not necessarily visible minorities, statistics show that of first generation immigrants who are visible minorities and in a couple, 12% are in a mixed union. By the second generation, that figure rises to 51%, and by the third generation, 69% of coupled visible minorities are in a mixed union.

Further, mixed unions are more likely to have children in their household. These children, even more so than Canadians at large, will grow up with diversity as a simple, given fact of life. And that bodes well for our continued social harmony.

5. Canadians support immigration

Surveys and polls consistently show that the majority of Canadians believe that immigrants make positive contributions to our country and to our communities. Canadians recognize that immigration is not a threat to our jobs or way of life. In fact, our own poll on the meaning of citizenshipfound that Canadians value being active in the community, volunteering, helping others and accepting others who are different – and that being a good citizen was unrelated to where you were born.

Moreover, while multiculturalism is hotly debated elsewhere in the world, it persists as a foundation of Canadian values. A recent survey suggests that three-in-five Canadians believe that multiculturalism has been good for the country. Younger Canadians believe so at an even higher rate, which, again, bodes well for all of us.

This public support is the result, in large part, of positive messages from our governments over the years about how immigration helps to build our nation, and open discussion about immigration policies that do just that.

We cannot take this support for granted. Negative messages that obsess over marriage “fraud,” “bogus” refugees and “queue-jumpers” needlessly undermine public confidence.

Indeed, we cannot become complacent about any of these achievements. Our nation’s success depends upon our continued deliberate and thoughtful efforts to create conditions where all Canadians prosper.

Créditos: maytree.com

Au Revoir mes amis !
Abraços a todos;
Catherine

Tourtière

Oi pessoal;

Espero que tenham iniciado bem a semana.

Encontrei uma receita de Tourtière, a torta criada no Quebec. Receita está em inglês.

Além da receita, há uma pequena explicação sobre a torta.


This tourtiere recipe originated in Quebec and is frequently enjoyed in the winter months, particularly during the holidays. There are no absolute rules for making a tourtiere. Some variations can include root vegetables, veal, or seafood in the filling. This traditional meat pie is the one dish to make if you're looking for something easy, authentic, and delicious.
The pastry itself is even up to individual interpretation; classic pastry dough is the most widely-known version, but some cooks swear by a seasoned mashed potato topping. Any way you make it, this French Canadian meat pie is a delicious way to warm up on a cold evening.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• Pate Brisee or store-bought pastry dough for a double crust
• 1 tablespoon light olive or canola oil
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
• 1/3 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 2/3 cup beef stock
• 2 teaspoons Cognac
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/16 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/16 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs

Preparation:

How to make tourtiere:
Preheat an oven to 400F. Roll the pastry dough into 2 equal-sized circles to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Line the bottom of the pie pan with 1 circle and set aside the prepared pie pan and remaining pastry for later.
Using a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat and sauté the pork, beef, onion, garlic, carrots, and celery until the vegetables are tender and the meat is cooked through. Drain any excess fat from the pan. Add the beef stock, Cognac, herbs, and spices to the meat and vegetables; simmer the mixture over low-medium heat, covered, for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the dry breadcrumbs into the mixture. Allow the meat filling to sit for 3 minutes. Spoon the filling into the prepared pie pan and top with the remaining pastry dough. Crimp the dough shut, flute the edges, cut vents in the top, and bake the pie for 12 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 350F and continue baking the pie for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
This tourtiere recipe makes 6 to 8 servings.

Créditos: French Food About.com

Para quem quiser saber mais sobre o assunto, clique aqui para ir a página do Wikipédia.

Abraços a todos !!!
See u all later.