Giselle General, your friendly, reliable, available guide to living a good life in this awesome city called Edmonton.
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Welcome! This is Giselle General and this is my personal blog, where I document thoughts and perspectives while living in Edmonton, Alberta Canada, as a Filipina-Canadian navigating various experiences!
By: Giselle General Magtanim ay di biro, Maghapong nakayuko, Di naman makatayo, Di naman makaupo! (Planting is not a joke, as you need to bend over all afternoon, you cannot stand, you cannot sit!) This is a folk song I remember learning as a child, about the hard work that is required to plant rice … Continue reading “Matanim ay ‘di Biro!” On Indoor Plant Care→
By: Giselle General “That is a cool idea, my love. But I don’t feel comfortable initiating that at all. If we’re gonna do it, I need you to set it up, or at least do it along with me.” When you are so used to being your own provider, advocate, and nurturer, when you are … Continue reading The Courage from Admitting Fear→
By: Giselle General Trigger warning: Trauma flashbacks, nightmares, violent sexual assault I’m sharing this in time for Sexual Violence Awareness Month, which is in May. If you have experienced sexual violence, there is help. This is just one of the many amazing organizations that can provide support and healing. https://www.sace.ca/ On Easter Sunday, my husband … Continue reading The Latest Sexual Assault Nightmare→
By: Giselle General Therapy, the mental health kind, is something that I have been doing on and off since 2017. It’s remarkable how much time has passed since I first experienced going to a centre with a business-and-clinic vibe waiting room, and sitting in a cozy office with a couch-like chair and chatting with a … Continue reading Telephone Therapy Appointments: 3 Tips→
By: Giselle General This is part of an ongoing series of posts discussion issues I personally encounter while taking public transit in Edmonton. Links to other posts will be added on an ongoing basis: Part 1: Do You Want a Ride? Part 2: I Don’t Want To Be Raped Again Part 3: I’ll Make It … Continue reading “Sprinting While Connecting” The Captive Transit User Series Part 7→
In honour of the soon-to-end International Women’s Month, and in appreciation of the recent Disney Pixar movie Turning Red, I’d like to share the memorable and also a bit scary experience I had when I got my first period. By the way, I got mine when I was in Grade 5, at 10 years old. … Continue reading My “Turning Red” Story: When I Got My First Period→
The remarkable thing about volunteering in the community and pursuing community-focused endeavours is the gift of meeting amazing people right in the city. This is how I felt when during my election campaign for Edmonton City Council, I met Chidi Iwuchukwu. He volunteered a few times helping with door-knocking during the last month of my … Continue reading Book Review and Thank You Letter: Coming to Canada, the Ultimate Guide, by Chidi Iwuchukwu→
By: Giselle General Humans of New York is a Facebook page I have been following for the past decade, with is compelling and artful way of capturing people’s portraits and their stories of the subjects, usually narrated from their perspective. A series of posts not too long ago talks about a subject that was dear … Continue reading The Life-Changing Impact of School Choirs in My Life→
By: Giselle General It was February 2020 and I was excited to do my bi-annual ritual with my hair. I let it grow for close to 24 months and I cut a large chunk of it to donate for charitable causes that make free wigs for kids with cancer. Usually I alternate between Hair Massacure … Continue reading My Current One and Only White Hair→
By: Giselle General My workplace organizes an opt-in Secret Santa every year, and I participate every year. This time, I received a book as a gift, which is perfect for the holiday break that we get from Christmas Eve to New Year’s Day, usually with an extra day or two. This is a Thank You … Continue reading Book Review And Thank You Letter: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig→
The consequence of not having solid role models of what a loving, caring, mutually equitable marriage looks like, is that I had absolutely no clue where to start. While I am lucky enough to have some memories of my parents until they died when I was eight years old, that is not enough time to … Continue reading Love Language Reflections: Learning About Love Maps→
By: Giselle General There’s no need for a rocket scientist to tell me, or anyone else, that people seem to be more divided than ever. There’s enough commentary around lamenting the increasing ‘us versus them’ mindset, amplified by social media, people speaking out against injustices they have suffered from for so long, and people feeling … Continue reading The Mindset of ‘Understanding, not Agreement’→