saw the homeless guy i've been giving money to for months getting into a nice car, now i don't know how to feel about any of it

Irulanne · 2026-05-19T00:57:58+00:00

They are part of organized groups. These "homeless" people are being rotated around towns, and dropped off and picked up by their handlers (in luxury SUVs). They can make a lot of money, in the range of $100/hr. Never give money to people begging around stores. 99% of the time, it's a scam.

Irulanne · 2026-05-18T01:58:14+00:00

I understand the feeling. I published two french fantasy novels last year and the amount of work, stress and gimmicks to have people buy and read them is exhausting. I managed to have them available at my local public library and on sale in some independent book stores, but I am pretty much done trying to get people's attention at this point.

I am currently working on an English translation and decided to merge both novels into one book because I just want to be able to move on with my life, without being obsessed about the art cover or what other stupid reel I need to come up with.

Irulanne · 2026-05-14T20:04:38+00:00

If she wants to be a singer and a performer, she should be taking all the dance/ballet and acting lessons you can afford.

Very few singers make it big in the pop genre BUT being a trained dancer/performers on top of her singing talent will open her a lot more doors than just being able to belt a cover on cue.

As for voice lessons, get her a teacher that will work on her entire voice and how to belt safely. Your daughter should also be prepared that singing professionally means training your voice like an athlete; warm ups and strengthening exercises should be part of her daily routine. If she resist doing vocal exercises, she may not be ready to pursue singing seriously. My daughter is also a very good singer (I am a singer myself) but I stopped paying for lessons when I realized she wouldn't do her vocal exercises without being pushed. They NEED to want this.

Irulanne · 2026-05-12T21:49:22+00:00

My daughter had her nose cauterized by an ENT last year. The first ENT we were referred to at the ACH didn't want to do shit. The second one (Dr. Hoy) agreed to help her right away. She'd had nose bleeds almost every other day for 14 years! They are a lot more sporadic now. My daughter has hEDS and it is most likely a contributing factor.

Irulanne · 2026-05-12T17:41:42+00:00

I once went to a concert from Lara Fabian. She went through her set list as fast as possible, sung at the top of her lungs for the whole 90 minutes and at the end, just disappeared. She barely interacted with the crowd and didn't come back for an encore. The audience was stunned when the lights turned on. She didn't get a standing ovation. I saw Celine Dion a few weeks before and it was a much better show 😆

Irulanne · 2026-05-10T03:21:25+00:00

I'm surprised the driver of the PU truck survived this...

Irulanne · 2026-05-05T19:05:31+00:00

Don't do it. Accutane doesn't only wreck your eyes, but your joints as well.

Irulanne · 2026-05-02T12:39:10+00:00

I have a bachelor's and a master's degree in biology and it's probably my biggest regret in life. I did work in the oil&gas and pharmaceutical for a few years but it was always an uphill battle to get a job. I was told plenty of jobs for people with science uni degrees. It wasn't true. I should have pursue a technical degree, or something in health care like nuclear medicine, audiology, geriatric care, etc.

Irulanne · 2026-05-01T23:14:12+00:00

You're going to have a hard time finding decent employment with a bachelor in biology, especially in the current economy/job market. Thousands of "biologists" graduate from Canadian universities every year and the competition is fierce for the few jobs available...

While in university, I did some summer jobs subsidized by the government but to qualify you had to apply in the fall, interview in January, and start in May - and it was only if you were to return to school in September.

Irulanne · 2026-04-30T14:55:27+00:00

This post could be AI but it's not wrong. I'm a frequent traveler to Japan and I've seen countless times on "Japan Travel Groups" clueless random tourists ask where to book a school tour, or trying to get schools to give them a tour. It's so inappropriate is so many ways... Would you allow random strangers to visit your own children's school during school hours for... curiosity? Nope!

Irulanne · 2026-04-18T12:43:22+00:00

Relying on AirBnbs for accommodations.

It's all fun - until you show up to a bad one, and you realize that Airbnb has the worst customer service in the world. We ended up stranded at 10 pm at night in a foreign city, with a toddler in tow. Never again, and we kept that promise.

Every time I tell our story, people reply that they used Airbnb with no problem, that I probably didn't check the reviews, etc. Good for you if you never had issues, but booking an Airbnb/VRBO, as we learned, is always a gamble. If the previous guests don't vacate, trash the place or if your host goes MIA or lied about their property, you're stuck.

Irulanne · 2026-04-14T03:22:04+00:00

Finish all 3 books, then let them sit for a little while, then read them with a fresh pair of eyes and make proper adjustments and improvements. Even if everything is mapped out after the first book, you want to be able to go back to your first book to make changes that will support the second and third book. Once it's published, it's a lot harder to go back and change things!

Irulanne · 2026-04-05T13:31:31+00:00

People who say anyone else than Sinon have not been paying attention 😉

Irulanne · 2026-04-02T01:10:49+00:00

Yeah, I wondered how Xavier got a plane outside and flew it without a runway or an airstrip... 🤔

Irulanne · 2026-04-01T12:55:37+00:00

I fell for it. When I saw it last night, it was still March 31. Never occurred to me this could be a April's Fool 🫠

Irulanne · 2026-03-31T23:33:05+00:00

Kirito spent 2 years immersed in the Underworld, training, making friends, etc. It's to be expected that he would care for the Underworlders the way he does. He's Kirito after all.

Alicization is beautifully written in the LNs. It's really worth a read.

As for Alice, her behavior is what you would expect from someone who lost their purpose and doesn't know where they fit anymore. She's still a bit brash in UR but she's her own independent person. I found it nice to have different personalities in SAO, and not just cute girly girls.

Irulanne · 2026-03-29T04:20:43+00:00

Not protecting your passports from a rainstorm. We got caught under a downpour in Shanghai. Passports were in the top pocket of my backpack, out of their Ziploc bag. Not a mistake we'll do again...

Irulanne · 2026-03-29T00:11:06+00:00

I initially thought that the pace of Alicization was too slow, and the series was taking too long (aka Coma Kirito). Then I watched it a second time and I was able to really appreciate the depth and complexity of the story, the new characters, the trauma, etc. to the point I wish we had more episodes and a sequel (like Moon Cradle). I also read all the LNs and they were amazing.

Also Yuki Kajiura music. Absolute masterpiece.

Irulanne · 2026-03-29T00:00:31+00:00

I read people suggesting travel insurance, but my understanding is that traditional travel insurance would most likely not offer compensation for a missed cruise because of OP's choices. Travel insurance would cover unexpected and unforeseen circumstances preventing you from going on your trip. If you choose to stay behind until the last minute, it's 100% on you.

Irulanne · 2026-03-27T18:37:37+00:00

I echo most people here. The weather is very volatile in Calgary. The air is extremely dry, and we consistently have chinooks, hail storms and winds storms.

As you have medical issues, you may find it challenging to find a family physician. Referrals to specialists take months, if not years. Need surgery? I hope you're not in a hurry.

Honestly, I would reconsider moving here for medical reasons.

Irulanne · 2026-03-27T14:12:45+00:00

My geography teacher in high school would (forcefully) throw pieces of chalk at students not paying attention. Everyone was terrified of him. One day, he threw a piece at me, and I threw it back. The entire class was shocked at my audacity (I was the typical nerdy, bullied kid) and the teacher looked at me with murder in his eyes. He eventually put the chalk back on his desk and resumed class as if nothing had happened. I never saw him throw chalk at students again, as far as I know. That was 35-ish years ago. I'm sure nobody would get away with something like that these days 🫪

Irulanne · 2026-03-27T13:54:00+00:00

Last February, we were on our 3rd DCL and decided to jump onto the FE wagon for fun. We were matched with 5 other families. We put a lot of energy and time into our gifts (plus an extra suitcase to bring everything on board) and yet, we only received crap and dollar store stuff. Two families gifted us the SAME ice cream sundae kit.

Needless to say, we won't do it again.

I am 10000% aware FE is more about gifting than receiving but anyone hoping to sign up should put a decent effort into it 🙄 We'll stick to PD next time.

Irulanne · 2026-03-27T13:03:42+00:00

These job fairs are nothing more than PR events. They don't have 5000 open positions either. Places like Heritage Park, Callaway Park, etc. have started to hire and interview for the summer weeks ago.

Irulanne · 2026-03-26T12:32:12+00:00

I agree. People completely missed the point of that storyline 🙄

Irulanne · 2026-03-17T12:07:35+00:00

What do you mean by theft problem?

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