A mobile phone is a luxury (65% use mobile phones, as opposed to Britain's 96% or more) and Canadian banks charge customers when they use the ATM, a service most of us abused in England.

As I contemplate whether to sign a three year contract with a mobile phone provider and pay to receive calls on my own handset, a 'telephony suicide' that would be met with fierce public demonstrations in England any day, I am awoken from a Pound-induced economic slumber by the Dollar currency.

And of course, I am learning new vocabulary items. Downtown is the UK version of Westend, or the business centres of the city. A transaction at a Canadian bank means withdrawing money; a cash deposit of $1Million is not a transaction. I guess that is banking. I am also getting used to how the various denominations of the cent work, some of which come in quarters (actually pronounced quarers). The Loonie ($1) is the British version of one Pound (GBP1).

The difference is not the value; the real difference is that whereas a pound could get me hot chips with a free wooden fork in the UK, the loonie doesn't seem to have any value for the stomach. That is because, nothing really goes for a dollar; it's a dollar plus the tax on the item. Predictably, 1 cent is as insignificant as 1 penny in Britain.

WHY STAY IN CANADA

So, what on earth am I in Canada for? Two Canadian old ladies I met on the Thomas Cook flight from London, Janet and Dorothy, had asked me the same question. When it becomes necessary for a sane man to describe himself as a successful failure, then there are more questions than answers. And in my case, there are too many questions, so that description is quite charitable.

I have often thought myself a failed achiever. Not that I have failed to succeed in everything; I haven't achieved much in time. There is all the difference. Perhaps, that is part of the reason why I am in Canada: To succeed in what I failed to achieve in London. Great Britain was great in many ways: very good newspapers, noisy but reliable trains everywhere, cheap bus tickets, cheap mobile telephone system and chicken and chips shops scattered all over.

The English are nice people too. At least Jane Hobbs, the most beautiful woman in Portsmouth, was warm in every conceivable sense. And, of course, I miss Prime Minister's Question Time dearly, a lively debate that extolled the talent of British politicians.

At the end of it all, there was always the 'innit', the British version of 'isn't it', a slang that captures everything British. And finally, I don't have to say 'cheers mate' to people in place of 'Thank you'. Other versions of 'Thank you' in England were 'Talla or 'Ta' for short. Canadians think it funny when they hear you 'cheering' about nothing.

Still, the question the old ladies asked presses for a response, and I feel an innate obligation to dignify it with a good answer. A not-so-well dressed Asian gentleman on the flight had begged me to swap seats. He wanted to sit close to his long lost friend he had chanced on at the airport. I didn't see any reason why I should deny the chap the favour.

A few meters away was an empty aisle seat beside two old ladies. One of them had worked for the Canadian government's foreign office in London in the 1960s, where she met President Kwame Nkrumah. She was a young girl at the time. They were as chatty as Ghana's senior citizens. At 80 years old they would pass for 60; they showed graceful agility but they talked with the wisdom of an informed octogenarian. "What were you doing in Britain", one of them quizzed. That question was also quite tasking, because my CV says something very different from the answer I would normally give.

SOLUTIONS TO UNSEAT MUGABE

Our conversation ranged from race to poverty in Africa. We also had a thing or two to say about President Mugabe of Zimbabwe. They wondered why Africans had been reluctant to engage the military to unseat Mugabe in a coup, the same way Nkrumah was deposed in 1966. I was quick to cut it that Africans have realized that coups do not work well for us, so it is a rather unpopular route to power these days. Besides, we are making good strides in our democratic experiment.

I had forgotten about the Zimbabwean crises until the octogenarians chipped it in. These were not ordinary senior citizens; they had email addresses and knew about job websites. They gave me a few web addresses to try my luck. They also quizzed me on my knowledge of Canada. "So you are a writer, how many provinces are in Canada?" Before I would hazard the wildest guess in my adult life, Janet followed up with a second: "How many territories do we have?" Well, they provided the answer when they realized I wasn't forthcoming with anything. "We have ten provinces and three territories." That was to be my first lesson in Canada; a lesson that would prove invaluable when I started filling job applications online.

Before our plane would touch down, the old ladies blessed me and gave me every denomination of the cent: from one cent to $2. I thanked them profusely and kissed them goodbye.

QUESTIONS ON GHANA

My experience with the Canadian old ladies was very similar to my first human encounter in the United Kingdom. I had popped out to take a wander on London's Oxford Street, a place that looked like heaven, being new to the city. A very old man walked up to me and patted me on the shoulder: "I like you very much, where do you come from?" "Ghana', I said. Where is that, he quizzed. "Ghana is in Africa", I submitted. "Africa, so how did you get here?, he asked.

I replied that I flew on an airplane to Heathrow airport. "You came on a plane, you? He was honest to confess that he had never flown before, and that he was looking forward to experiencing it before he was 80. He boarded the same bus I took, and sat on one of the back seats. A few minutes later, he walked in the aisle, looking to locate where I was sitting. "There you are, I forgot to ask your name", he said, rather excitedly. Before I would produce an answer, he rapped his hands around my shoulders and submitted: "I really like you." He dished out 10 pounds from a very worn-out wallet and placed it in my fingers. He looked me intently in the eye and repeated his earlier words: "I like you very much." He walked back to his seat, waving me goodbye in a way that was as harmlessly natural as Williams Wordsworth's appreciation of pantheism in Tintern Abbey.

When I narrated the experience to my host at the time, he teased that the old bloke might have thought me gay because of my swagger. He said there was something feminine about the way I walk. I looked at myself in the mirror and realized that I had worn a woman's jacket. Was that the attraction for the old man? Well, I don't think he was gay. Even if he was, I am not.

HOW DOES UK COMPARE WITH CANADA?

Well, Canada is closer to the United States of America and I can see the borders from my bedroom, to put it like Sarah Palin. The United Kingdom, on the other hand, is in Europe. Of course, we expect former Republican presidential hopeful, Mike Hukabee, to confirm this.

Interestingly, most things that only come with the promising Northern American 'Dream' tattooed on them are also British through and through. It is difficult to find a decent job in the two places. You don't feel part of the system until you have acquired some education and schooled yourself in the way of life in the West. But then, how unusual is that? These days, you are merely a by-product of the working community in Ghana if you don't have a higher education.

And in Accra, where our brand of 'liberal capitalism' is most prominent, some nationals live the economic horror of the putrid 70s. So you don't expect to instantly proceed to greatness in a foreign land, as if Egypt was no Joseph's story. Ghanaian-Canadians would normally say to a new immigrant: "work hard but don't expect too much."

In other words, be prepared to fail many times and give yourself time to succeed. The United Kingdom is known for its 'leveling' credentials. The British system has a way of bringing all immigrants to a certain minimum level before a triumphant take off. But once you take off, you can only be limited by another 'leveling' stage where chicken and chips would be enough for dinner. Well, Denmark has a more interesting story.

The 'Burgers' in Toronto, the ones A.B Crenstil talks about in his songs, would tell you that Abrokyire is what you make of it. That is quite a statement. Otherwise, why would somebody live six full years of his life in the United Kingdom, where the currency is weightier and graduate to the cold in Canada, where your ear freezes until it becomes breakable? Well, the Toronto Burgers know better. Folks have made it very big in Ghana with the cedi, so you cannot afford to fail with the Pound or the Dollar. And when you are abroad, failure is defined differently: it means not being able to build a university hostel or ferry home a decent 4x4 vehicle.

Sometimes, it means not having the courage to pack and go home, or at least visit once in seven years. I met a few of those Papa Samo burgers in my first week in Toronto. Most of them advised me to relax the pursuit of degrees and learn to drive a truck. That pays some $2000 a week. That is superb. Another urged me to be an electrician, servicing vehicles and checking why traffic indicator lights are not flashing. "And Massa, never bring your wife to join you here. I live with fire in this house", another submitted. Soon, we heard an offensive-sounding treble voice yelling from the bedroom: "Haven't I told you to close the wardrobe anytime you open it? You always behave like a baby" When we stepped out, he picked a stone on the surroundings and planted it in my hand. "This is your stone", he said; a gesture that vindicates the statement he made. "That was nothing; sometimes she calls me Kwasea and Odwan."

The story in Ottawa is refreshingly different; at least in style. It is relatively calmer and promising in a very uncomfortable way. I asked my host: "Is everybody here a civil servant? Suddenly I am in a circle of 'professorial burgers' who keep recommending funded PhD programmes to me. But they are quick to add: "These are no guarantees; they merely get you started." Start with a PhD? Where I come from in Agona-Swedru, it is the final destination of all glory. Well, I am new to town; I am yet to learn the rules .All I can do is sit up and wonder why Canadian newspapers do not print the prices of the papers on the front pages. I just bought The National Post. Somewhere, it says welcome to Canada.

Benjamin Tawiah is a freelance journalist. He lives in Ottawa, Canada.

The Core:Tx wireless therapy system also appeared in the October edition of BioMechanics, a monthly trade published for sports medicine and movement specialists in orthopedic surgery, physical and occupational therapy, clinical athletic training, O&P, podiatry, psychiatry and rehab. The story detailed upgrades to the current Core:Tx, including the installation of Bluetooth technology to help the system run stronger and faster.

The technology was also recently the topic of a feature news segment on KCBD-TV, the NBC affiliate in Lubbock, Texas and KDRV-TV, the ABC affiliate in Medford, Oregon. "Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline," a nationally syndicated radio show on the Advanced Radio Network, aired a segment on Core:Tx(R) last month. Also in September, Robert D. Prunetti, CEO of PHT, was interviewed on "Tech Talk with Craig Ferguson" and appeared on the October 29 segment of "Groks Science Show," which airs on WHPK 88.5 FM in Chicago.

Peter Sanzio, PT, CSCS, a licensed physical therapist and clinical applications specialist with PHT, was interviewed for an article about chronic pain in For the Record Magazine, the nation's leading newsmagazine for health information professionals.

Core:Tx(R) is a patent-pending wireless system built on PHT's innovative MotionTrack(TM) platform, used by professional sports teams. It combines hardware and software operating on a PC as well as a soap bar-sized motion-sensing device that can be attached anywhere on the body with adjustable straps. This device senses the user's limb motion relative to the joint and continuously transmits that information wirelessly to the software. This real-time visual feedback helps keep the patient engaged in the therapy routine, while simultaneously aiding neuromuscular reeducation and strengthening muscles throughout an adjustable range of motion.

About Performance Health Technologies, Inc.

Performance Health develops and markets performance evaluation and rehabilitation products that monitor and guide exercise and give real-time motivational feedback. Additional information can be obtained by calling the Company's headquarters in Trenton, New Jersey, 609-656-0181, and through the Company website www.performancehealth.com.

Safe Harbor for Forward-Looking Statements

The foregoing contains "forward-looking statements," which are based on management's beliefs, as well as on a number of assumptions concerning future events and information currently available to management. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the Company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Performance Health Technologies, Inc. (PHT)

http://www.performancehealth.com

The donor told the students that they wanted them to be exposed and share experiences with other high schools in America.

He said that after linking them to high school students in America, they will be inspired to work hard and prosper in their education and thereafter in their careers.

"We are going to be identifying those students who a have good command of the English language and we shall take some every semester for two weeks' vacation in the USA.We want them to share their experience with the rest of the school when they come back," Wayne said

The Director of the school, Shadrack Muhirwe, urged the students to use this chance to excel in their studies.

"You students are lucky to be cared for by these nice people from the USA and you should use this chance to do very well because they are watching your progress closely," Muhirwe said.

Kittelson and Associates is sponsoring a number of orphaned and vulnerable children from poor families and those whose families are affected by HIV/Aids in Rwanda.

Muhirwe expressed his gratitude to the sponsors and assured them that the school would do whatever it took to help the children acquire the best education.

"We are really grateful to the American community for the financial help and we shall do everything in our power to see that their assistance bears fruit," he pledged.

In the beginning He was neither born with a silver spoon nor into riches. The only legacy he acquired from his engineer father was quality education. But Adeyinka Junaid is one young man who believes in passing through life fulfilling his childhood ambitions. Meeting him in the cozy room of his Lagos office that Wednesday morning, his smile, warmth and his carriage was simplicity itself. As he recounts every significant stage of his career life, you can't but marvel at the restiveness of youth whose determination has helped to break even against all odds. Who is Yinka Junaid? "I was born in Ile-Ife in Osun State over 40 years ago into the Junaid family of Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State. My father was a mechanical engineer when I was born. His family lineage had been in Ile-Ife long before he settled there. So, I lived all my life in Ile-Ife, which in a way impacted positively on me. Though I didn't grow up within the university setting, we had the best in terms of education. My late father was an educated man which exposed all of us to education quite early. A lot of my peers at Ife then were children of university lecturers and all us went to the same schools. It was a close knit society where everybody knew each other".

"I had my primary education at St. Peters Anglican Primary School, Ile-Ife and St. John's Grammar School, Ile-Ife. The school had produced many great men who are doing well across the globe. After my secondary education, I proceeded to Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife where I graduated with Bachelor of Arts degree in History in 1988. After graduation, I was posted to Otukpo in Benue State for the National Youth Service Corps. I served in a teacher's College. I enjoyed the place and still have life time friends. They are very warm and nice people. It was in Otukpo that I first ate fresh yam dug from the ground and was immediately prepared for pounded yam".

My dream was to be a film producer

With a father as an engineer, what could have pushed the young Junaid to History? "It is funny because History wasn't my first choice. I wanted to read English Language. In fact, it was my first and second choice when I was filling my JAMB form. Then I had flair and still have a flair for writing. I just wanted to read English Language which I believe would boost and enhance my writing skills. But when the admission letter came from JAMB, I saw History. We tried all we could to have it changed but it wasn't possible. That was how I got stuck in History".

"Another inspiration that wanted me to pitch my tent with English Language was that I wanted to be a film producer. Unfortunately, there was no school running that in Nigeria. I applied to schools outside the country but being from a very humble background, there was no way I could pursue that dream"

Junaid had been raised to face the challenges of life and never allow a humble background to be an impediment to attaining higher height. "By offering me History, my dream was almost killed. For me, I always love to be the best and never allow any challenge to weigh me down. Ultimately I knew that my life was in my hand. So I summoned up courage and settled down to study History which JAMB imposed on me".

I was jobless for two years

Lagos has always been a center of attraction where millions of Nigerians throng everyday for greener pasture. Armed with a Bachelors of Arts degree, Junaid saw Lagos as a land of opportunity where he could realize his dreams. "There was no job in Ile-Ife when I finished my youth service, which prompted my decision to move down to Lagos in 1991. And for two years I was jobless doing nothing. The first one year, I didn't do anything and the second year I was driving danfo on the streets of Lagos". What was his experience like as a graduate behind a danfo wheel? "I have no regret because I was jobless for one year and saw this opportunity to drive a bus and make money. Of course, I jumped at it and I was making money. Believe me, driving a danfo is a money making venture. I didn't own the bus but I was making 200 percent more than the usual amount I was supposed to deliver everyday. And you know what? I was never broke."

"I enjoyed it because I wasn't one of those drivers on the queues. My usual route was Ojuelegba to CMS. It was strenuous and at the same time nice. If you want to sample people's opinion about what is going on in Nigeria today, go and drive a danfo where you have different people. Inside a danfo bus at any point in time, you would have well educated people with different academic qualifications. After my experience, I found out that when you see people in a danfo or molue you don't have to look down on them. They are the less fortunate members of the society".

My foray into the corporate world paved the way for my success

The "I can do" spirit which he imbibed right from his childhood paved the way for his success. After his sojourn as a bus driver, Junaid got a job with Ranx Xerox as Copy Service Executive where his career took a turn for the better for the next ten years. "I joined Xerox H. S. Nigeria Limited in 1992 as copy service executive. In those days, Rank Xerox had fleets of photocopying centers. I was actually assisting the manager who ran the centers all over the country. After four months on the job, the management of Xerox called me and said they had been monitoring my performance since I joined the company. They said there was an opening in Human Resource department. That was how I was elevated as Personnel Support Executive. I worked in Xerox for the next 10 years contributing my own quota to the upliftment of the company. I went through various departments and units. Whatever it is that I am today Xerox laid the foundation for me because I went through a lot of training both locally and internationally".

Having been exposed to the corporate world, Yinka Junaid's move after Xerox in 2000 was Linkserve, an internet service provider in Nigeria where he spent the next two years. "I joined Linkserve as Corporate Sales Manager. I later pioneered the Abuja branch of the company where I served as its first branch manager. I was transferred back to Lagos and became the Special Project Manager".

Not done with gathering corporate experiences, in 2002, he moved to Vic Lawrence & Associates, human resource and recruitment consultancy outfit as Senior Consultant/Group Head, Strategy & Business Support. And for the next one and half year, he was in that company displaying his wealth of experience in the identification of strategic business issues and drivers in clients' organizations. Effective implementation of management development solutions which include: identification and analysis of strategic needs, research, design and development content and material and delivery and facilitation of management development programmes.

I opted out of paid employment

He was lucky to have worked in various reputable organizations where he displayed his intellectual ability. Junaid decided to opt out of paid employment to become his own boss. "I opted out of paid service in 2003 and founded my own outfit called Mark Calthers Consulting Limited, an HR firm in 2004. "We are into management development and training, e-recruitment of all calibers of staff of various organizations. We are also into document authentification. We have relationships with all the universities, polytechnics and other institutions across the country. How has it been in the last four years? "Well, like any other new business it was tough initially. You know funding the office, getting equipment to work with and so on. We thank God that things have picked up. We have some credible organizations that believe in us. We work with Nigeria NLNG, OANDO, Addax Petroleum, Diamond Bank etc. We are still growing and I believe with our strong team and fresh ideas the sky is our limit".

Fulfilling my childhood dreams

Junaid has always had a vision that guided his career pursuit. With the success story of Mark Calthers Consulting in the last four years, he is ready to pursue his childhood dreams. "I decided to pursue my early dream and that is why I established Tommy's Play House. It is a full production house for event management, film/Television production, multi-media productions and broadcast equipment rentals. Our vision is to have a world class production. When you watch DSTV you would be amazed at the quality of production. And that is what our company is trying to achieve. We have already started with a programme called "Beacons of Islam" which kicked off before the Ramadan. We thank God today that it was a success because it is the first Islamic programme of it's type. It is a magazine programme that showcases the lives and successes of prominent Moslems in the society. Another programme we are working on is called "The Council" which is a satirical expo on Nigerian society. It is a programme that looks at Nigerian problems, issues in a satirical manner and proffer solutions to them".

Considering all the challenges, did he think he would still achieve his dream? "I believe in holding on to my dream. I believe if you want something so much you would work towards achieving it. Somewhere, somehow, someday you will achieve it. I don't believe anything is impossible. The advent of Tommy's Play House was just like my consulting outfit we started from the scratch. We have not gotten to where we are going yet. In whatever we do, we do it with quality as our watchword and perfection as the yardstick. With that you are laying foundation for substance because if you do what you are supposed to and do it well, lucky breaks will come".

Managing the two outfits together isn't a problem. According to him, he has already built a very strong team to oversee the affairs of the companies. "In both organizations, we have credible, qualified and competent personnel running these organizations. My own is just to see to the overall supervision and strategy of the organization".

My wife is a pillar in my life

Junaid as a corporate player is also a family man. He admits his life is structured around his family. He talks passionately his children and wife of 13 years whom he describes as his pillar. "I have been married for 13 years to my wife, Funke, a lawyer who I met 15 years ago. The Union is blessed with three boys. Tomiwa is 12, Damola is 10 and Yinka is 6. I met my wife in Lagos when she came back from England where she was studying. Honestly, behind every successful man is a supportive wife. My wife is a wonderful woman who has been supportive of my dream. She has been the pillar and my strength when I was weak. She stood by me when things were rough and never made me inadequate even when the chips were down. My children too are lovely wonderful boys. They have been supportive in their own little ways. At times, they go with me to the location and stay in the background. I don't joke with my family and that is why the little free time I have I spend with them".

Believing in power of possibility

Yinka Junaid had always believed in himself and the power of possibility, the assumption that has worked for him over the years. "Life, they say, is not a bed of roses, if you are not from an affluent background, you have to work your way to the top. I have an assumption that has worked for me over the years and that is the power of possibility. We all need to work hard. There is nothing new and the principles are there and they work everytime. If you work hard, definitely one day the doors shall be opened on to you. Work, pray, believe in God and don't take No for an answer. You should have a vision and know what you want to be in life and seriously work at it. If you do that I believe the sky will be your limit".