Finding Friends in the North: My Second Weekend in Canada

Greetings to you my dear Hivers! How are you all doing this week? Here is another post from me today! I am so excited to share this with you all, so I hope you all like it.

It's Saturday, and I have no classes on weekends, but I have somewhere to be today. My aunt wanted to bring me along with her to a birthday celebration for her friend's son because she was invited. It was my first time attending a party in Canada, and I'd never met my aunt's Filipino friends before, so I was kind of excited to see some kabayan here (fellow countrymen).

Since there were only two of us and I couldn't drive, my aunt had to drive, and I had to be her passenger princess. She doesn't particularly enjoy driving, but she had no choice because it was just the two of us. My eyes keep catching glimpses of trees as I travel through these areas, and I find that so relaxing to look at. The wildflowers on the side of the road, the houses' design, the tranquil surroundings, and the friendly locals are other things I like.

Surprisingly, the majority of her friends there were from Luzon, so they spoke Tagalog. It's okay, though, because I know how to, so I was able to communicate with them, and they were also friendly.

I went outside to take pictures of the sunlight while they were inside talking. The flowers in their front yard caught my attention, they were beautiful. They live in a quiet, well-kept neighborhood.

After an hour, it started getting cold, or was it just me? So I wore my hoodie. Ever since I came here, I have always worn long-sleeved clothes or hoodies.

The next day, my aunt got an invitation again from one of her friends to a birthday party, and to my delight, it was a Barbie-themed celebration! The party was held in a cozy, sunlit backyard, adorned with an array of pink and pastel hues, reminiscent of Barbie's dream world.

As we entered the venue, we were warmly welcomed by the hosts, and my aunt introduced me to a group of Filipinos who had made Canada their home. Their smiles and hospitality instantly made me feel at ease. It was heartwarming to connect with fellow Filipinos in this new place, sharing stories of our homeland and exchanging experiences of adapting to life in Canada.

I used the glasses as props while posing for a picture. I was actually embarrassed by how many people were watching me as I posed, but the picture turned out great. Then I was trying to take a photo of the Barbie doll box, but this adorable dog just kept running into the frame every time I tried to snap a picture. I think he wants to be in the photo, so I let him be.

The mother of the celebrant, who is my aunt's friend, is a known good cook here, and she prepared a lot of tasty desserts, from the pink treats to these fruit tarts and other freshly baked pastries. She also prepared Filipino dishes and, of course, lechon to let her Canadian friends try them. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture the dishes she made, but they all tasted good.

All of my aunts' close friends were on this side of the party, they were great company, and most of them spoke Cebuano, which is my dialect, making conversation with them easier. While we were eating, I was laughing along with all of their jokes.

Since I'm new here in Canada and still getting used to the weather, they were very worried that I might be cold. I am touched, they're nice people.

These kids are just so full of energy, how are they still playing jumps in there? They were playing on the trampoline even before we got there, and now that we were done eating, they were still in play mode. They're having fun by themselves. How I wish to be that energetic all day round.

The host prepared some games for the kids. First is the agaw bitin

Agaw Bitin is a game that is usually staged in any children’s birthday party in the Philippines. A wooden frame decorated with colourful paper, toys, money, and candies is hung above an open space. Players stand underneath the frame and they get to keep whatever they could grab from the Agaw bitin as an operator lowers or raises the wooden frame.

And this cute little girly got herself a cute doll that looks just like her. She was so happy about it.

Next is, the piñata game

A traditional piñata is hung at a certain height with players taking turns to hit the piñata with a stick or pinata buster until it breaks open. Then everyone races to collect the sweets and other treats that fall out onto the ground below.

It's supposed to use a stick, but since it may be dangerous for little kids, they made ribbons on the end of the piñata, and that's where the kids could pull to break open the piñata and collect some sweet treats.

The day had been filled with joy, new friendships, and a sense of belonging in this new land. I was grateful for the warmth and hospitality that welcomed me into this multicultural haven. With the memory of the Barbie-themed birthday party and the newfound friendships, I looked forward to many more adventures and experiences in my new home, Canada.

What do you think? Comment down below! Thank you for stopping by. See you in my next post.