Buying Groceries Pt 1

So you’re a newcomer to Canada. Here are some useful tips when going shopping for groceries:

• Elderly shoppers would be able to get discounts when shopping at most of the stores like Atlantic Superstore/ Sobeys – but you may need some kind of identification for that
• Students do get some break as well. For example in Halifax NS, students can shop on Tuesdays at either Sobeys or Atlantic Superstore to qualify for a 10% discount on top of total amount spend (p.s. doesn’t not apply to pharmacy products and for Sobey’s, you’ll need a minimum purchase of CAD$ 25 for it to apply). Of course you’ll need to show your student ID first.
• Pete’s frootique store in Spring Garden Rd or @ Bedford has a Pete’s customer loyalty card which gives a discount upon the tenth transaction using the loyalty card.
• Look out for bargains. Go online or check out the weekly brochures from the stores itself.
• Collect coupons and use them at the counter. Don’t worry, most coupons can be used as many times on the same item which means that you can use 2 of the same coupon on a single product. And most of the time, you can still use the coupon despite the fact that the product is already on store discount and/or you apply your student/elderly discount. Where to get coupons? Besides the coupon section of stores, you can subscribe online to http://coupons.ca and order your coupons. Check out magazines as well.
• NOTE: its pretty common that stores personal do not update their price tag from time to time  (be it on the shelf or in their system). Thus always make it a point to check your receipt after making payment to make sure that you that you’ve paid the correct amount for the items you’ve purchase. When you realize that you may have overpaid for e.g. your apples, take it to the customer service outlet and point out the mistake. Most large supermarkets like Sobeys or Atlantic subscribe to fair price policy in which if they have overcharged you, then you are eligible to the item for free!!!

Tablecloth Moment

What happens when you have 2 computer scientist, a slice of heavenly cheese cake and a cup of Lunenberg coffee @ Sweet Hereafter ? Well you'll have tablecloth moment (literally speaking) - that's when you come up with great ideas and realize you don't have anything to write on but the table cloth that's right under your nose. Ok I borrowed that from the engineers, but it works with computer geeks too.

Summer @ Halifax

Some shots of the waterfront this 2011 summer

Slow growth

This year’s garden has been growing ever so slowly which is why I didn’t put any earlier photos. After a tough fight against the slugs, I guess we’ve finally manage to keep their population under control. Right now, here’s a shot of some of the veges we have.

This is our current vege profile – peas, lettuces, arugula, beans, broccoli,  cauliflower, radish, yu choy (chai sim), bok choy, mustard seed green, chinese mustard seed green, kohlrabi, swiss chard, strawberry, pepper, tomatoes

Blomidon Park - Bay of Fundy

We did a day trip down to Annapolis Valley and stopped by Wolfville and Blomidon Provincial Park.

Here are some photos the Blomidon cliffs.

 

Snow Storm and more…

Just some must do updates…

(Sadly speaking this blog has been badly neglected, however, that’s good news because life has been quite a ride and we’re living in the moment too much to realize that there’s a blog to fill up)

The Last Chapter For 2010

2010 seems to have gone by rather quickly compared to 2009. Probably that’s how both of us feel about here. Maybe because we’ve been more accustomed to things here as compared to 2009. Whereas before, we were still adjusting to many things.

I know of late, there haven’t been many entries. And I believe there was a long pause between summer and now. Often there aren’t many new things to share simply because we get too caught up in the moment and forget about taking pictures. Somehow, at least for me taking pictures puts me away from enjoying the moment. So its rather best to put my camera aside and relax.

Weather wise? Fall came – it wasn’t too bad although the rain was more frequent. This year, there isn’t much snow in fall compared to last year. Infact official winter is just 1 week away. But often we still get temperatures above seasonal.

We’ve just got the car fixed and with winter tires all ready. I also got the rear window wipers tighten on my own without having to rely on the mechanic. It turns out, the nut for the screw had already wore off and all it needed a replacement.

On another note, we found out of the existence of online group coupon sites like www.groupon.com , teambuy.com and etc. It gives us the chance to try out new places to eat or visit without having to break the bank.

Work has been tight – we got to press on harder to ensure that all deadlines are met and with perseverance make it through 2011 as well.