There are two places in Victoria that make me feel like this
The most vexing place for me, traveling as a single mom to Canada, is the customs office at YYJ. Three years ago, I didn't know I needed a letter from the father to take my boy to Canada. We had traveled to France and back just fabulous without 'the letter'. I also didn't know I needed to put passport into into the 'system' more than seventy-two hours in advance.
The male officer couldn't believe I was traveling on my own. He gave me the third degree.
He must have marked something awful on my 'dossier' because the next year I came back and was treated worse by the female customs agent. I had the letter and I had added the passport information as necessary prior to travel! I was taken aside, frisked vigorously, given a glare and told to go on my way. Even through security on the way back to the states, an alarm went off on my passport, 'Class IV' and I was frisked vigorously once again!
This year I wanted to have it go better. Not only did I bathe myself if 'good vibes' the whole trip and avoid thinking of 'bad memories', I wore my brightest Victoria tee shirt with a huge maple leaf on the chest!
All smiles, we came up to the window.
'Why are you here?' the customs lady asked,
'To have fun!' we both said, and we pointed to my new camera, 'We even bought a new camera to take great photos of the whales!'
And she waved us through, no questions asked, just as I had hoped.
this is two families of transient killer whales off San Juan Island
The Quebequois:
There is a waiter at the hotel restaurant who is French Canadian, from Quebec, who I will call Q.
Q makes every meal miserable. His money-grubbing ways pre-select 'who is a good tipper' in advance. A single mother and son are therefore 'bad tippers' and given more rude service than in the rudest parts of France!
I saw him again three days ago at dinner, and I cringed. But he seemed not to remember us, and was friendly, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt.
Last night, he even had a table open for us, the same table we had eater dinner at for the past two nights with reservations. We were both stuffed from too much sweets at the Butchart Gardens at lunch.
He is an excellent waiter. He knows the specials. He can suggest wine well. I know him. But my 'antennae' smelled a 'rat' because tonight he was a little 'too friendly'. We didn't want 'starters'. I ordered the house wine, one glass. My boy loves meat, and wanted the most expensive menu item--the seven ounce steak. I ordered much less.
Service was adequate. Not great, not horrible. After the meal, my son was still hungry. 'All growing boys are hungry all the time!' said Q, himself a father of three boys who are now in college. It's cheaper here than back in the states--three thousand a year, but still expensive for him, to support them.
The check came. It was over ninety dollars! My jaw dropped! How can that be?
I looked closer--the kid discount was not applied.
What do I do? I asked myself. How do I stand up for myself and yet keep Love the focus and Light with this strange man who is trying to trick us?
Spirit said, Talk to T (the mom server who is our friend).
But T wasn't walking by.
Then I realized, who I am, what I do, I am the customer, and I don't have to pay what this Q wants me to pay just to get a good tip.
So I sat. I didn't sign anything. I just sat there with the check. I sat for twenty minutes, smiling.
Q came up. He asked 'if everything was okay?'
I smiled and stated politely, You know we eat here a lot. For breakfast, lunch and dinner, for all of our stay, for every meal but this, there is a policy that kids eat for half price off the main menu. But not here tonight. Why is this so?
He backed down immediately--my mistake! I forgot! He is under twelve? I will fix it!
Very gently, I added, I would not have been able to afford a good tip for you without this discount. I am so glad you are able to fix it.
I tipped twenty-five percent, just to make a point. On the check, after I signed it, I wrote, See you soon!
Love wins over hate. Every time. But sometimes you have to think about it before it 'works' best. Do I want a meal with Q again? Not really. But will I shun him and support the energy of separation in this time of Awakening and encouraging unity amongst all of us on Gaia? No way Jose <3
Aloha and Mahalos,
Namaste,
Reiki Doc
