Allergic Reactions

allergy is something canadians take very seriously. and with good reason too. as reactions to allergies are sometimes fatal.

a lot of the people here in canada are allergic to something. in schools, students are required to bring peanut-free snacks and lunches because a lot of the students are allergic to peanuts. this serves as a preventive measure in the event that the student decides to trade their snack or lunch with someone else.

when friends of my children come over, i also make it a point to ask the parents if their child is allergic to anything. with so many allegies here, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

in comparison, we filipinos tend to take allergies lightly. when someone is allergic to something, more often than not, we encourage him/her to "eat a little" to "cure" the allergy.

i experienced that when i was in college and would go out with friends. despite the fact that i tell my friends i'm allergic to alcohol, i still get the big, encouraging, "come on, just one sip. it will cure your allergy."

my sister, apparently, is allergic to shrimps and i only found out about it recently. i see her eat shrimps all the time. so, imagine my shock when i found out that she's actually allergic to it.

i also have friends in the philippines who are allergic to eggs but would "eat a little" every so often. in the philippines, to "eat a little" is okay and is not deadly. and in some weird cases, it even "cures" the allergy.

in canada, people with allergies do not do that. they do not "eat a little" to "cure" their allergies. it is simply not done. it is dangerous and could even be fatal.