上帝之爱
与同仁分享人生感受，让桑榆之年充满阳光。
一位老人的心声
我是一位80岁的老人，走路已经离不开拐棍。我和老伴初来加拿大是为帮助女儿照顾孩子，我们不懂英语，一切事情靠女儿。随着孩子的成长，我们越来越感到住在加拿大，不懂英语，生活不方便。为此，我们虽然已经年过八旬，不得不开始学英语。非常感谢加拿大政府给我们提供了很多学习英语的机会，为了生活的方便，为了老年生活能自立，少拖累孩子，我决心学好英语。
在去年四月初，我和几位老年朋友到Options报名学英语。虽然路比较远，乘公交车来回要花费两个多小时，但是我们很高兴，不管刮风下雨都能准时赶到学校。由于老师教得下功夫，我们的英语水平有很大的进步。
不料二月初的一天，突然纷纷扬扬下起了大雪，转眼间，温哥华成了一个冰雪世界。
我住在15534 98a Ave ，这条路有200多米长，而且没有人行道，路的一边是居民，另一边隔着荒草地和一所小学相望。大雪断断续续已经下了一个星期，道路上的冰雪越积越厚，一直没有被清理。我每天望着窗外为数不多的小汽车，摇摇摆摆地行驶在高低不平的冰雪路上，听着发出的咔嚓咔嚓刺耳的声音，心里非常焦急，因为我不能出门，已经被困在家里十多天了。
我实在忍不下去了，在二月十九日，星期二，我鼓起勇气拨打了素里警察局的办公电话。接电话的人听不懂我说的英语，我用英语对她说：“我是个中国人，你可以讲普通话吗？”她让我等一会儿，不要放下电话。不一会儿，一位翻译员和我对话，她翻译说：“清理积雪不是他们的职责”。我问：“哪个部门能处理这事情，怎样联系”？她告诉我了联系市政的电话。我谢过她们，放下了电话。
首先，我把要反应的问题用英文写在纸上，然后拨打了市政的电话：604-591-4011
我看着草稿慢慢地用英语说：“我是个老人，住在15534 98a Ave，自从下雪以来，路上的积雪从来没有清理过，因此，这条路非常滑，请尽快派铲雪车来清理。”她听明白后，又确认了我的住址说：“我们将尽快处理”。由于我的英语太差，她说的我不完全懂。我放下电话，心理并不能确定问题会被解决。
第二天早晨六点，我起床后向窗外看，见路上的积雪已经被铲到路边，我非常惊喜，想不到政府这么重视一个普通人的电话，而且处理的这么快！我真的感谢政府，感谢所有帮助清理街道的工作人员！
我更高兴的是我竟然能用英语在电话中向政府反应情况了，这更应该感谢政府为移民提供了学英语的机会，感谢英语老师的努力，使一位不懂英语的八旬老人开口说英语了！
我还想说说另一个问题。温哥华本来是一个环境优美的城市，每逢下雪天她更美得像一个童话世界。但是，我认为温哥华的清雪设施不完善，路况管理也欠佳。每逢大雪天，不仅不能及时清理主干道上的积雪，而且，人行道和一些小区的道路竟然多日没有铲雪车清理。因此，学生不能正常上学，上班的人也多有事故发生，许多老人更是被困在家里。
我代表老年朋友呼吁政府重视这个多年未曾解决的问题，增添清雪设施，在下雪天，各类铲雪车，应该昼夜不停地铲除积雪，以确保交通畅通，保证人们的生活安全！
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!