East Creek ESports League

21/06/2025

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝗮𝗵𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗶𝗺 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗼𝗻𝘀: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗮

When a Filipino moves to Canada, two things happen immediately:

They look for rice.

They start sending photos to the group chat wearing winter jackets in 12°C weather, captioned, “Sobrang lamig!”

Let’s be real—Canada is cold. For a people raised on 30-degree sunshine, sudden snow is like seeing a white sand beach made of ice. The first snowfall is magical. We take selfies, post on Facebook with a dramatic “Canada, here I come!” But by the fifth snowstorm, we’re praying for alinsangan and bargaining with the Lord like it’s Holy Week.

Winter Survival Kit (Filipino Edition):

1 pair of thermal socks

3 layers of jackets

1 pack of Lucky Me Pancit Canton

And your Nanay constantly reminding you over video call: “Mag-jacket ka ha. Baka magka-trangkaso ka.”

When Pinoys arrive in Canada, we transform. Your Tito Jun, who was the barangay karaoke king back home, becomes a forklift operator by day and a DJ for Filipino weddings by night. Ate Linda, who used to sell lumpia and Avon, now sends balikbayan boxes like it's a sport. There's even friendly competition: “Aba, 6 boxes lang? Ako 10 this month!”

And of course, we form our own barangay wherever we are. You’ll find little Manila in every city—from Toronto to Vancouver. There's always a sari-sari store selling Mang Tomas, Skyflakes, and that one mysterious frozen bangus that survived the plane ride from NAIA.

The biggest shock? Potluck culture. In Canada, it’s potluck. But when Filipinos host it? Feast. There’s lechon on the table, karaoke in the basement, and Tita Baby shoving take-home containers in your bag before you can say “I’m full.” You say goodbye three times: once inside, once at the door, and once on the driveway.

But for all the cold weather, the culture shock, and the monthly remittance deadlines, Filipinos in Canada do what we do best: 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁, 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵, 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗼.

Because whether it's -30°C outside or you're stuck in traffic on the 401, as long as there’s a pot of sinigang, a videoke machine, and WiFi to call home—Pinoy tayo, and we’re doing just fine.

21/06/2025

🤷‍♂️

15/06/2025

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝘁𝗼𝗼!

Ah, Father’s Day. That glorious time of year when grills are fired up, dads everywhere suddenly become philosophers about lawn care, and neckties are gifted like they’re Olympic medals. It’s a day for honoring the men who taught us how to ride bikes, fix broken things with duct tape, and expertly change the TV input without using the remote. Superheroes, every one of them—just in cargo shorts.

But let’s not forget another group who deserve a standing ovation (and maybe a spa day, or twelve): the moms who had to fill both parental shoes without ever missing a beat. Yes, this one’s for the moms who played offense, defense, referee, and cheerleader—all before breakfast.

You see, while Father’s Day is traditionally for celebrating dads, some moms have earned honorary dad status by default—and by sheer grit. These are the women who showed up to every school event, cheered at every game, gave “the talk” while trying not to pass out from awkwardness, and learned how to fix the plumbing and fix broken hearts. Legendary.

They taught us how to shave—whether it was our legs or our mustaches—and somehow knew how to work a wrench, patch up scraped knees, and deliver threats with a loving smile. “Wait till your father gets home” didn’t apply, because she was both the enforcer and the hugger. Equal parts justice and cookies.

So, on this Father’s Day, let’s raise a cold drink to all the traditional dads—thank you for the dad jokes, the steady advice, and the unconditional love.

And to all the moms who did it solo? Happy Father’s Day, too. You didn’t just step up—you leveled up. You didn’t get a manual, a medal, or a moment off… but you absolutely deserve all three.

Now, somebody grill this woman a steak.

13/06/2025