« November 2004 | Main | January 2005 »
December 29, 2004
Differences
Mason and I were watching The National last night...it comes on at 11pm on our International Cable Channel. We kind of like watching it because it gives us a connection to the motherland (or at least we hope she will be.) Last night they spent a 1/2 hour on the Tsunami destruction in SE Asia. We finally had to turn it off an go to bed, but we marveled at how the news focused on the topic.
Maybe many of you north of the border take it for granted, but for those of us that don't live up there we can see the differences in our two cultures. The NBC nightly news covered the Tsunami for about 10 minutes tops and then moved onto something that was affecting the US. Forget the fact that the amount of dead was more then population of Loveland, CO, let's get back to the Iraq War, and how dare the UN call us stingy! Fuck Bush for waiting till today to say anything. He should have gotten his ass out of his Ranch the day it happened and said something.
Flipping on the news channels this evening (CNN, MSNBC, and *wretch* FOX News) it was almost unnerving how each station was trying to compete with each other on the dead tallies from the disaster. CBC mentioned it once at the beginning of the show, and then would throw up numbers for donating to relief funds. I have yet to see that on any of our news channels.
I'm done...sorry. Ugh.
Posted by Nikolas at 05:03 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackDecember 28, 2004
Anti-Something
Mason and I have decided in a way to keep quiet on the whole Canada immigration thing. Most of the people around us know what we are doing, but I am really getting sick of having someone new ask me everyday...."Ooooooooooooh is it really true you're leaving" followed by a ditzy head twirl. We're not ashamed; we just want to make sure we have the acceptance letter in our hands before we yell it out on a loudspeaker.
However, today I experienced something quite different....a form of hate I never thought I would get. Geoff and his husbear Bobby got Mason and I a Toronto Maple Leafs Jersey. I love hockey more than football, basketball and baseball combined. I am very orgasmic wearing the jersey and had a smile on my face all day today at work...remembering the good times I had in Toronto last week. However, I soon began to notice snide looks being thrown my way all day long. At first I thought it was because the Colorado Avalanche fans were pissed off that I was wearing an opposing teams jersey...then I heard a co-worker mutter something as he walked past me in the hall...
"traitor"
I stopped suddenly and whipped around and said, "excuse me?"
"uh, toronto...nice city" *sly smile*
Perhaps it was my ears over-reacting, but I know what I heard. Sigh....reason #367 why I can't stand living here.
Posted by Nikolas at 08:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackDecember 26, 2004
Homesick
Mason and I fell asleep after watching CBC last night on our "International" Channel. I had dreams about Toronto all night, I also had dreams I was back in school taking a final naked but thats a whole other issue. I don't want to have to wait 9-12 months to find out about our residency. I want to go now. Arg...2005 is going to be interesting.
Posted by Nikolas at 10:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBackDecember 25, 2004
Welcome Home
Someone said it best once when they stated that Canada was much like the United States, but different enough to remind you that it is not the United States. I cannot tell you how much we enjoyed ourselves in Toronto. It was more then just an initial trip, it was a chance for us to make the conscious decision on whether or not we wanted to move there. If it didn’t work out we would probably have stopped the application process for immigration or possibly look at Vancouver.
The refreshing thing was that we fell in love with the city and its people. The country and it’s issues. We were reminded over and over again that Canada is not a utopian paradise, and we understand that. I’ve said before that I realize Canada is not a left-wing paradise, but it does try to better the human condition and solve its problems…something that I have not felt in my own homeland in quite a while.
We had some great conversations about the world, politics, healthcare, education, diversity, ethnicity and a million other things under the sun. Mason and I both said that we don’t think we could ever have those discussions with some of our friends in the US. It seems like that here people are more focused on themselves then what happens in the rest of the world.
I fell in love with Canada. I know that she has her own issues and problems, but she welcomes me with open arms, no pre-conceived notions, no conditional love….just honesty and love and a chance for me to make a difference. I’m ready to go.
“I grew up in a place where we’d get it pounded into our psyches that the United States is the best place to live. After moving to Canada I take issue with that. I know now that you can be a very full human in Canada, whereas growing up in the United States you don’t think you can have that.” ~DeNel Sedo, Hubbards, N.S. - MacLean's 11-1-2004
December 09, 2004
Why Canada Rocks My Socks
1. Canada has universal public health care.
2. Canada has no troops in Iraq.
3. Canada signed the Kyoto Protocol environmental treaty.
4. Canada has no second amendment....so the guns they do have are tracked and kept in check.
5. The Canadian Senate recommends legalizing marijuana.
6. Canada has no law restricting abortion.
7. Canada has strict gun laws and relatively little violence.
8. The United Nations has ranked Canada the best country to live in for eight consecutive years.
9. Canada abolished the death penalty in 1976.
10. Canada has not run a federal deficit since 1996-97.
And then today the Supreme Court added number 11 - More than half of Canada's provinces allow same-sex marriage, and their courts support it.
I know it's not a perfect place, but at least you guys are trying to make a good go at it. Thank you from your southern neighbor and maybe soon to be immigrant.
Posted by Nikolas at 04:49 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackDecember 02, 2004
Cat's out of the bag...
So my boss in her infinite wisdom decided to tell some co-workers of mine of Mason and I's plan on applying for Canadian Immigration Status. Apparently there was open discussion of the recent election and she had casually stated that she filled out a letter for me that is required by immigration. Like any piece of gossip the information has now spread like wildfire and I am having a number of people come up to me and quizzing me about the process. I also am having the angry reaction that I still cannot understand. Why? Why do you feel as though you can lecture me on where I want to live? Would it be different if I moved to California? So what if it’s Toronto, yes it may be another country, but is my choice so but out and stop telling me that I have to stay and fight the fight. Perhaps I’m too tired to fight in a lopsided war and I want to move somewhere where people respect one another and the playing field is fair.
Sigh…you know Mason and I considered moving to Canada long before the election. It was something that we had been mulling over since January and just decided to follow through with it after the election. All these stories of a huge influx of Americans coming over the border as refugees is stupid. Have you seen the application process? I’ve been at it over a month and I finally think I have all my shit in order. Canada’s not stupid; it wants the best and brightest to come to its country. I think those people that are serious will follow through on it.
Anyway, life in the office will be a little different from now on…thanks boss-lady.
Posted by Nikolas at 10:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
