All posts tagged: Health

Canadian Universal Health vs The Great American Gamble

The day my twins were born, my son developed an infection in his leg. It was an excruciating ailment, one that came on without warning and left him unable to walk or even move. It was also a big mystery; doctors weren’t exactly sure what it was, or how to treat it. My husband spent the next eight days shuttling him back and forth to the hospital. While I tended to our newborns at home, they logged hours on the pediatric floor. Each day brought a different round of testing for our young son. His little body was put through it all: x-rays, ultrasounds, MRIs, and bloodwork. That was a draining week for all of us. Most days, we struggled just to keep him comfortable. The hospital had every test result back within 12 hours each day. But waiting isn’t easy – especially for a hormonal mother who can’t stay off Google. I spent sleepless nights worrying about sprains, Lyme disease, even cancer. WebMD became my best friend and worst nightmare. My insane penchant to …

Staff Favorites: February – Best Lao Dish vs Overrated Lao Dish

This month, during a hardcore giggle session, two of our esteemed staffers inadvertently found out where the line for their friendship stood. No lie! It just goes to show you how passionate we Lao are about food. In honor of every Lao person, we asked our staffers: What is your favorite Lao dish and what Lao dish do you think is overrated? Don’t forget to let us know about yours! –Saysomphorn Sisavatdy, ssisavatdy@gmail.com ~~ Donna Luangmany: Favorite Lao Dish: The best part about Lao food is communal eating. Nothing brings people together better than noodle soup — it’s nearly impossible to make a huge pot and not call the extended family over to share. I love all noodle soups (pho, khao soi, mee katee), but number one is Khao Piek Sen. Rolling out noodles by hand is labour-intensive, and as a kid, I always felt the love whenever Mom made it. This past Christmas, my family and I found ourselves staying over with some relatives unexpectedly. My auntie knows it’s my favourite dish, and I …