2013 So much, so little..

My last post focused on fall and the beginning of winter 2012/13, and I expected to update this blog sooner rather than later.

This year did not start well.  It started with a call from my mother in tears, and for a moment my heart stopped as I thought something had happened to my much-loved younger brother.  However, it was not my younger brother affected, it was hers.  My uncle, my mother's younger brother, one of four of my Grandmother's children, died 1 January 2013 of a massive coronary.  I left Canada for the first time since arriving in June 2012, not for Jamaica, but for New York State, where my uncle's life would be commemorated, celebrated and mourned.

I flew from Sudbury to Toronto, cleared US Customs in Toronto with minimal trouble (I forgot to fill in my I-94 immigration form, but the officer was gentle, I think he clearly saw my grief when he asked me my purpose of travel), and flew to JFK where I was collected by my cousin.  It had been more than a decade since I was in that airport last, nothing seemed the least familiar.  Even Yonkers was strangely unfamiliar, as we never went to any of the areas near downtown I had been used to from my time there, we spent all our time in the residential area my uncle now lived in.

Throughout the various events, I stayed well out of the way, did what I could to be helpful, and refused to spend any time in the viewing room of the funeral home.  Since childhood I have been afflicted with the inability to remember someone in life once seen in death, and I was determined to cling to the memories of my uncle as I had last seen him, happy and alive on the beach in Negril, Jamaica, offering me a freshly-caught lobster and a slice of lime.  I wanted no part of seeing him in the stillness of death, and it was my other uncle who understood that more than anyone else.

I returned to Canada two days after I left it.  Clearing Immigration and Customs was much less dramatic than my landing.  It was explained to me, although I already knew this, that these two days would be added back to my residency obligation as I had left the country alone.  I was still floating in that odd surreal fog that seems to surround a person when their life takes a sudden turn, and felt no particular need to say I was already aware of this.

I went back to work and life has continued in its usual fashion since then.  The winter was a long one.  As February and March slipped by, I began to feel a restlessness and urgent need for warmer days.  I had hopes that April would bring warmer days, and the start of Daylight Saving Time made me feel even more keenly that it had to get warmer, as I lost an hour of sleep in the name of more daylight hours.  Still, it did not get warmer, and G and I seemed to argue more often about my need to raise the temperature in the house until I felt more comfortable.

When it snowed on the 12th of May, Mother's Day, I almost broke down in tears.  It was quite more than enough, I was feeling a great deal of unhappiness.  Everything bothered me, and it seemed as though I had no filters and couldn't keep it from spilling over into my relationship with G.  Arguments over little things became even more frequent, and even our impending third anniversary couldn't bring us closer.

Finally, towards the end of May, the temperatures began to rise, and with them my spirits.  The snow finally all melted away, the city began cleaning the streets of the rock salt and sand, grass began appearing and trees began filling out with leaves.  The family tree in our backyard bloomed, and our anniversary approached.

We celebrated our third anniversary by staying the weekend at a bed and breakfast resort some way up Highway 17, heading west towards Sault Ste Marie.  I spent time on a lake in a canoe for the first time in my life, and did not freak out too much.  G was quite at home on the water, I saw a new side of him, and though we still had many rocky moments during that week, we came back together in celebration of our love.

 

 

 

The next event of significance was my 37th birthday, and I was treated to dinner by G this year in celebration.  I was happy that we could just spend time together, and at work some effort was made to make it a nice day, which I appreciated.

In the beginning of August, I accomplished a goal I set myself as part of my timeline for my first couple of years in Canada: I earned my driver's license.  Quite frankly terrified, I went to Thessalon, rather than take the test here in E.L.  My driving instructor felt that I would find it less intimidating to do the test where I was unknown and had less chance of feeling like I was making a fool of myself.  I made at least major blunder, but only one, as the examiner passed me.  I was still in shock on the way home, even as I held the paper in my hands.

I have been growing and progressing in my job.  With just under a year in, I have been trained to act in place of the head of my section, and been taken on as a permanent employee with benefits, although still part-time and not full-time/salaried.   I think that has been a goodly amount of progress for a year, I have put myself out to learn all I can and gain as much experience as possible, and can see myself continuing to grow.  It's not what I did before, but it can form a foundation, I think.

Over the summer we have done some entertaining, so far as we are able.  We have had friends to visit for Canada Day weekend in July, and this Labour Day weekend as well.  With only 3 weeks to the beginning of the fall, there is almost a sense of mourning in comments I have heard recently, as everyone turns their minds to the upcoming fall and winter.   As the trees are already changing colours, and have been since I went to take my drive test (when temperatures plunged in that week to such frankly unseasonable lows that I had to wear a sweater at least once!), many are the comments that winter 2013/14 promises to be a long, cold one.

This time around, I have resigned my mind to the need to wear warmer clothes, even at home, rather than adjusting the temperature in the house.  Quite frankly, after seeing our gas bills for the end of the fiscal year (August), I can now understand G's consternation every time I fiddled with the temperature gauge!  Now that I am taking a more active role in managing our finances, I find myself constantly on the lookout for various ways to save on our bills.

There are a great many more bills to be concerned with here than I ever had in Jamaica, or know of anyone having.  Where before there used to be just light, water, rent/mortgage, cable, telephone, internet and the odd credit card, here you have to add municipal taxes, natural gas and water heater rental.  I have actually created a spreadsheet to keep track, and bought myself an agenda, which I used to have but didn't get this year as it seemed unnecessary.  No longer do I deem this unnecessary, I need the sense of control being able to track everything daily gives me.  I feel more useful to G this way.

Tomorrow is Labour Day, and I will spend the day in my time-honoured fashion: doing nothing much.  I laboured long and hard today, as I usually do on Sundays, to make the house ship-shape and presentable.  Tomorrow, I hope to start a reading project that should take me the rest of the year.  I have been getting back into my reading, and taking time to focus on my need for solitude and reflection, respecting my introvert tendencies.

From here on out, I should be scheduling posts on a weekly basis.  Agenda in hand, I shall have the entry looking back at me, waiting to be ticked off as "done", and that should hold me more accountable.  With four months left in the first half of my second year in Canada, I hope to be better at recording the events I experience.

Fall and Winter, Part 1.

Yes, I know, it's been forever since I updated this blog.  Forgive me, it's been eventful around here since October.  Nevertheless, I will share a condensed version.

The fall arrived in spectacular, glorious colours.  I took many photos, as I have been fond of this time of year in North America since I was first exposed to it in New York as a teenager.  With the fall also came cooler temperatures and the necessity of beginning to dress a lot warmer.  Where to G the descent in the temperatures felt gradual, to me it was shockingly sudden.  One day it was merely cool, soon I was cold.  I soon learned a salutary lesson: as someone new to Canada, it is important to dress to make myself comfortable, not try to dress as I saw others (i.e. Canadians) dressing.

The first snowfall came in October.  October!  Many people commented that this was much closer to normal for northern ON than previously mild fall trends, and they fully expected a "normal" winter for 2012/2013 than had obtained in previous years.  I heard this with some trepidation, but I listened to G's advice when it came to dressing, and stayed comfortable.

Here are some photos from September and October:

Yep, I went from brilliant, beautiful, bold colours to dustings of snow literally overnight.  That first snowfall didn't last past the end of the day, but it was a sign of things to come.

Around the end of October, another significant event in the life of any newcomer came to pass for me: I got a job.  Finally, at long last after 3 months of searching, of sending out resumes and being resolutely ignored, of attending interviews and being politely dismissed, I finally was accepted into the Canadian workforce.   Oh, it's nothing like what I used to do in Jamaica when I left, I'm basically back to square one career-wise, but it's a start.  I was once again earning income rather than being totally dependent on G for even my "pin money", and it felt marvelous.   I had and still have a lot to learn, I have had to swallow my pride numerous times over being corrected on things I would never have thought anyone would assume I didn't know, but I have learned to accept that what I don't know is more than what I do know, so it is best to listen and take the lessons as they come.  Some are easy, because I know them already, others are hard, because things are different here, in some surprising ways very different, and making assumptions is foolish no matter where in the world you are.

November would herald even colder temperatures, and by then I was fully dressing in layers of clothing to stay warm, even as G looked on in tolerant amusement.  One rainy afternoon in Sudbury I finally had enough of cold feet in shoes, and purchased a pair of boots rated for -40C temperatures, and put them on as soon as I was out of the store.  I have been wearing those shoes very nearly everywhere since I purchased them.

It is important to learn the art of layering, so that by the time fall and winter roll around you are able to dress comfortably.  Layers start from the skin out, and the rule of thumb, to my mind, for anyone like me new to these temperatures is that too many layers is better than not enough.  You can always shed layers when you have too many, it's when you haven't enough that things can get miserable.

For me, it works like this: I start with my unmentionables (of course) then add the first layer over these of tights (thick woven tights or thermal tights or regular tights, depending on how long I expect to be exposed to the cold and what I expect to be wearing over top of them) and a camisole.  I usually tuck my cami into the waistband of my tights to form a continuous layer, thereby leaving less skin exposed.  The next layer consists of a thin, long-sleeved t-shirt, again either thermal or simply cotton depending on the temperatures I expect to be exposed to.  The next layer is my outer clothing, typically a pair of pants and a sweater (preferably turtleneck or cowl neck).  I have acquired quite the sweater collection now, I find them indispensable.  My colleagues find it amazing that I can wear sweaters indoors, I find it amazing that they can wear cap sleeved shirts and dresses.

The final layer is outerwear.  It is quite important to have suitable outerwear in northern ON, what works in southern ON simply will not do here much of the time.  Baffin, Sorel, Choko, The Northern Face and Columbia, those are the brand names most often seen in these parts.   A ski parka and a mid to full length down coat are basic, also ski pants, thick socks, good gloves and tall boots.  While purchasing these items even on sale can run you into the hundreds of dollars, they are essentials that will be used year after year, so it is important to invest in high quality purchases.  I received a number of these items as early Christmas presents, and the weather obliged me with an opportunity to gear up and go outside in them.

Yep, that's me doing a snow angel.  Notice G bought me the suspender-type ski pants, rather than the ones secured at the waist.  I greatly like this style, as it allows me to form a layer that continues under my ski jacket, and the jacket itself can be cinched in at the waist to minimise air flowing up underneath it.  Not too sure how I feel about the balaclava, although I will say from experience that it comes in handy when you are outside trying to shovel snow even while it's still snowing!

To be continued in part 2: Christmas and a New Year.

Road trip! Part 3

Toronto!

After a wonderful weekend with my in-laws, it was time to begin making our way back north.  We would spend a night and a full day in Toronto, although originally the plan was 2 nights and 2 days.

Leaving their home around 8 p.m. that evening, we made the journey into the city courtesy of a lift from friends I had made on the immigration forum.  They drove the hour from their suburban city to where we were then we all went out to dinner, then instead of our original plan of taking the train into Toronto from their city, they drove us all the way into Toronto itself.  We were wonderfully surprised and very grateful for their generosity.

Like any other large city, Toronto is magically-lit up at night.  I had forgotten to pack my camera in my handbag, and ended up only having my phone available for taking photos.  Still, it was impressively beautiful to drive into and finally see the city I had only managed to "breeze" through the last two times I saw it.

We had booked a hotel downtown, quite close to Nathan Phillips Square.  How close would only become apparent the next morning!  That is New City Hall towering over the Square, the buildings are as iconic and symbolic of Toronto as the Empire State Building is of New York City.

You might be asking, so if there is a New City Hall, is there an Old one?  Actually, yes, there is, and our wanderings would take us right past it.

That marvelous Victorian building is not the only one of its kind in Toronto, many architecturally interesting buildings have been preserved at various points throughout the city, cropping up to surprise you in the midst of the functional glass-and-steel high-rises, like this beauty:

Once we were on Yonge Street (pronounced "young"), we decided to keep walking on it all the way to the waterfront.  During my "Canadian immersion" phase last year, I had watched the news on Canadian stations and many times had heard of "Yonge Street".  I would often wonder to myself just how long this street was, as it seemed to be just about everywhere.  In point of fact, it is.  To quote Wikipedia:

Yonge Street (pronounced "young") is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at 1,896 km (1,178 mi).^[2]The construction of Yonge Street is designated an Event of National Historic Significance in Canada.^[3] Yonge Street was fundamental in the original planning and settlement of western Upper Canada in the 1790s, informing the basis of the concession roads in Ontario today. Long the southernmost leg of Highway 11, linking the capital with northern Ontario, Yonge Street has been referred to as "Main Street Ontario". A large part of the route follows an ancient well-established Aboriginal trail that linked the Lake Ontario waterfront to northern parts of the region. It was also the site of Canada's first subway line.

Yonge Street is also the north-south basis point for determining East and West street numbering in Toronto.  We would visit a number of points along the street, including the famous Eaton Centre, Yonge-Dundas Square and the Hockey Hall of Fame (naturally, this is in Toronto!).  The first point we got to on our journey was the Hockey Hall of Fame, located almost unobtrusively in a former Bank of Montreal building:

I elected to keep walking rather than actually visiting inside the Hall of Fame, hockey not being one of the sports I watch or follow.  I know the name Wayne Gretzky, of course, and that there seems to be a great deal of fighting during hockey games that bears no relation to actually achieving the object of the game, but other than that I know little else.  Utterly un-Canadian attitude, I know.  I might have to work on that!

Continuing further down Yonge Street, some more of the impressive glass-and-steel towers that dominate Toronto's skyline came into view.  One of these is the TD Tower, named for the Toronto-Dominion Bank, one of the largest banks in Canada.  Formed from the merger of the Bank of Toronto and Dominion Bank back in 1955, TD is one of the best-known symbols of Canadian financial life.  According to their website, TD has some 11 million customers nationally in Canada.  That means every third Canadian you meet banks with TD.  Their financial prowess shows in their rather impressive headquarters building:

As we continued our walk towards the waterfront, at 18 Yonge Street I was pleased and surprised to come across a display of a bronze grouping showing a male and a female with a baby in her arms.  Upon closer inspection of the plaque displaying its name, I learned the grouping was titled "Immigrant Family" and done by artist Tom Otterness.  Naturally, I couldn't resist having my photo taken with it:

After what seemed like a great deal of walking, we reached the beginning of Yonge Street, the waterfront area of the city that presides over Lake Ontario.  At what must surely be a rather prestigious address, 1 Yonge Street, one finds the Toronto Star building, seen here:

From here, G decided we should see something of Lake Ontario, and so we ventured to the ferry terminals.  The Centre Island Ferry was our choice, a popular destination if the number of eventual passengers that joined us on the ferry was anything to go by.  There were at least three groups of students of early primary ages, all herded along by long-suffering teachers and parents as they purchased tickets and settled their charges in safety aboard the ferry.  Approximately fifteen minutes on the water would see us cross the water and arrive at Centre Island.  We took a number of photos during the ferry ride.  I was especially fond of views of the CN Tower, which only got better as we got further into the water.  Just a few of the photos we took:

As you can see, there are a lot of beautiful views.  It was lovely out on the waters of Lake Ontario, the day was warm enough that the breeze from being at the front of the ferry was not unpleasant, and yet cool enough that all the walking we did was not unbearable.

From Centre Island, we headed into the Arts/Design and Fashion Districts by walking along to Bathhurst and then Queen Streets.  We bought lunch at a suitably arty cafeteria with the rather astonishing name Clafouti.  My egg salad on a croissant was nonetheless quite tasty.  Enjoyed on a park bench with a bottle of water, it made for a nice respite from all the walking and sightseeing.  Being as G had grown up in and around Toronto, we were in his childhood backyard, so to speak, so there was a lot he wanted me to see.  A couple of places included a community centre that had once featured a mural of his on the exterior wall and the "halfway house" where he was reintegrated into civilian life following his tour of duty in Afghanistan, while attending classes at George Brown College to earn his millwright certification.

As the afternoon wound on, we decided it was time to do some shopping, so we headed back up Yonge Street to check out the stores in the famous Eaton Centre.  My first stop was the restrooms, which turned out to have quite the line-up.   It moved efficiently enough, and when I was out we made our way around, looking into various stores.  In the end, most were considerably more up-market than we needed, what works in Toronto would not work in E.L., after all, the high fashion looks sported by the store mannequins would be quite out of place for me.

With what shopping we wanted to do out of the way, we ventured into Yonge-Dundas Square for more sightseeing.  The views there are instantly recognisable to anyone who watches Canadian morning television, as a number of the channels have studios overlooking the famous square.  Here are two views from our time there:

With the afternoon slipping away, G decided on one final treat for me: Marble Slab Creamery.  The name is actually quite literal, the ice-cream is worked on marble slabs which have been frozen, this preserves the integrity of the ice-cream while the employees mix up your favourite compositions.  I choose chocolate ice-cream liberally sprinkled with M&M's, and we enjoyed it sitting outside the store in deck chairs provided by businesses participating in a promotion to lure pedestrians into relaxing on the street.  The lane next to the sidewalk was blocked off by flower planters and chairs were placed outside the stores, allowing weary pedestrians to sit for a few minutes, enjoy traffic cruising by them on the one hand, while surveilling their fellow passersby on the other hand.

Treat done, we made our way back to the hotel for a rest and a change of clothes after a shower.  We would cap off the evening with sushi for dinner, at a restaurant on Queen Street, appropriately named Sushi Queen.  Service, price and ambience were all excellent, and it was a worthy cap to a beautiful introduction (a proper one) to the city of Toronto!

After dinner, it was time to pack our bags and get ready to back to the Metro Bus Terminal.  We boarded our bus shortly after midnight for the 1:00 a.m. departure.  It was just after 6:30 a.m. that we arrived back in Sudbury, tired from a long, somewhat cold (to me, anyways) night on the bus.  With limited choices for breakfast that early in the morning, we opted to wait until we got home to eat.  We were collected in Spragge by the same jocular bus driver who had ferried us there in the school bus five days earlier, and arrived back in E.L. just after 10:00 a.m.

Next time: the arrival of fall and fall fashion survival guide!