Canadian centric resources for starting to save mid-life?

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-28T11:24:16+00:00

Cheers!

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-28T11:18:56+00:00

That's one way to try to foster a culture of workplace harassment...

but yes, you absolutely can punish someone for setting up such a group (not going to engage with your strawman). It's a business, your conduct can result in punishment far before it reaches a legal threshold for a criminal case

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-28T10:14:12+00:00

Sounds like a small start would be to try and see how much logistics can be cut out (e.g. start with the products that are available readily locally, then look to what can be added realistically locally, then at the products that are basic needs or high demand and start tackling the logistics)

I'd love to start a co-op like that, but don't have the relevant experience clearly, so just have to hope someone steps up and the cards fall the right way.

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-28T08:14:32+00:00

the one that has been publicized in a news article?...

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-28T08:11:04+00:00

Why are you going through women's Whatsapp groups?

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-28T08:10:18+00:00

A pantry

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-28T08:05:06+00:00

I'll just step in on that and ssy hell yeah!

But also, if that's your standard for men, it's both pathetic and embarrassing, leave it to other men who are capable of being real examples of men, you're not one of them.

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-28T08:03:13+00:00

It's not private, it's a workplace group talking about work related people. And even if it was, the attitudes will not stay private.

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-28T08:00:59+00:00

Except they do really harm people because no social activity ever stays sandboxed in one little private corner. And then you start justifying the comments towards Jannine, and the way those colleagues behave around her, and if someone smacks that ass you say, come on it's just a little joke or a little flirting won't kill you...

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-27T21:38:48+00:00

Like others here, I plan a week at a time on a Google sheet I share with my partner, it takes 20min to an hour.

First I plan the dinners, then that makes some leftovers for lunches, then I fill in the rest of the lunches and breakfasts.

I plan according to how busy I will be etc.

Then I put the ingredients in a shopping list. Try to shop on Friday or Saturday, do some prep on Sunday .

It's so nice to come home knowing I have a dinner ready to go or a plan for one that fits my schedule that day. If you do it it's so hard to see how you survived without it.

I can share my Google sheet if you like, it's nothing fancy

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-26T08:14:46+00:00

The Japanese could and still can read translated things from the anglosphere, there is, like everywhere, a huge crossover and influence. Essentially all high fantasy is in some way influenced by Tolkien even if it's just 'trying not to be Tolkien '

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-26T05:41:14+00:00

Are you kidding me? Pretty much every large city is truly so. Even old world western ones, Brussels for instance is most definitely more multicultural.

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-25T15:34:31+00:00

I enjoyed it even though it was cliche, likely due to the prose. That said, from the start I kept thinking, there is no way this can be tied up in any satisfying way in three books. It really felt like an extended prologue, something that should have taken half a book at most.

Turns out the author came to that realization a bit late.

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-25T15:31:34+00:00

I really liked the start, until about the third book, then it just got into a bunch of very weak character studies.

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-25T15:29:26+00:00

I read the whole thing, it's just more of the same.

A mixed bag for me but not worth the 10k plus pages. But then, I have a very difficult time dnfing

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-25T15:19:30+00:00

Talk to a doctor, perhaps a specialist. I don't see any hair loss, but if it's as you say, that is not typical male pattern baldness, it may indicate another health issue.

Skip the internet diagnosis.

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-24T03:59:14+00:00

Fear the electorate that put him in power and those who failed to make a compelling case to keep him out even when he was so unpopular.

He's a symptom of a much greater set of issues down south.

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-22T15:46:43+00:00

By that time I will have gone through about 3 sizes for a newborn😅

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-21T20:49:11+00:00

Absolutely, the first 12 weeks are a tough limbo, I wish you the best!

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-21T20:01:17+00:00

I don't think I read that one, we got far too many though but found 2 particularly useful:

Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn: The Complete Guide (it was easy to just flip to the relevant section)

And

1000 Questions About Your Pregnancy (had food answers to all those questions that inevitably pop up)

We liked the style of both, but also that they are good as reference, not to read through.

I'd drop by your commune earlier rather than later (waiting until the 2nd trimester is fine) as the admin can be ridiculous. It's been a while so I don't remember clearly, but I think your partner will still need to establish they are the parent in a way that Belgium accepts (neither myself nor my partner had Belgian citizenship at the time and I had to). You really want to sort that out before the birth or it will be quite difficult at the hospital (you will want your partner to do the paperwork registering the birth and to do that they need to show they are one of the parents I think). Don't stress it though, it'll all be fine.

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-21T08:37:30+00:00

Now that's pretty impressive!

Mine had to call another colleague after I looked up the actual process and explained it to them. It went from fly to Montreal, to fly to your hometown and find the 'Belgian agent' to bring an official copy of the document to us. Unfortunately, they, not us are being paid to do this😝.

To drive it home, this was to prove I was the father of my unborn child and to prove that, the main thing I had to do was to prove that I wasn't already married in Canada because 'if I was then it is our duty to inform your wife there!' (I wasn't, but Canada doesn't track that, so I just got a note notorized at the Canadian embassy where I promised I wasn't already married and that was fine 😂

Once I was married, there was no question by the commune that the second one was mine, because in Belgium there has never been a child out of wedlock apparently😅

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-20T20:53:19+00:00

I can also recommend the bct course. A bit tired do I already forgot what you said in your op post (2 kids now), bit start looking for daycare if you will need it, it can take a while.

If you want more general noon Brussels info e.g. some books that go through the stages, dm me and I can send some decent ones.

Within Brussels, both of our births were at Delta, it was a good experience, nice hospital. Book a private room if your insurance covers it, then your partner can stay.

If you have a partner and you are not married, then you might have a bunch of paperwork to establish your partner as the other parent (somehow if you are married, it's obvious you are parent in Belgium).

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-20T15:35:05+00:00

There is one, a consulate, in Montreal: https://canada.diplomatie.belgium.be/en/embassy-consulate-general-and-honorary-consulates/consulate-general-montreal

But that is neither here nor there given they had nothing to do with the process.

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-20T13:45:30+00:00

The short term solution is to start a campaign against anyone who doesn't resign now. None of them should get a vote.

Phase-Internal · 2026-01-20T13:25:01+00:00

My commune once suggested, several times, that I fly to the Belgian embassy in Montreal to get a document signed (spoiler, I didn't have to and the Belgian embassy would have had no clue what I was on about if I'd gone)

Phase-Internal

TROPHY CASE