While I wait for a response from Canadian Immigration regarding my permanent residency application (fingers crossed they like me) I am not permitted to work in Canada. Therefore, I am still doing work for people in the UK and unfortunately it isn’t full time. To keep myself busy I’ve been volunteering for various organisations in and around New Westminster.

Senior Services have been a part of my volunteer duties since January 2008. My tasks include grocery shopping and a runner for meals on wheels. Lately I’ve been doing more meals on wheels than grocery shopping. When delivering the meals you meet some interesting characters. Most of them are quite friendly and respond well to my cheerful nature.

There was one lady who didn’t want to receive her meal because it was on the wrong day. It took me a while to persuade her that I was already here so she might as well have an extra meal for the week. I entered her home and was engulfed by this terrible stench of human urine. I tried to breathe trough my mouth to avoid the smell, but then my taste buds didn’t like that either. I unpacked her meal, wished her a good day and headed for the door. Unfortunately, she positioned her wheel chair right in my path. She wanted to chat (Oh no, not now I can’t take the smell)! I explained that there were many others just like her waiting for their meals. She gracefully let me out the door. I have quite a sensitive nose and the smell of urine wasn’t pleasant.

With meals on wheels the secret is to deliver the meal as quickly as possible, be friendly and smile. Being friendly can get me in trouble as they want to talk but the majority understand that others need their meals too.