« September 2006 | Main | November 2006 »
October 31, 2006
My Duty
---MASON ENTRY---
My absentee Colorado election ballot is now in the hands of Canada Post. I dropped it in the familiar red box on the way to apply for a job at Starbucks.
I probably would have mailed it a week ago, but that one bulky piece of paper has been the object of hours of mental debate and consternation. Is it right to vote in a Colorado/US election when we're not living there and quite frankly have no plans right now to return? We don't own any property in the states anymore. As a courtesy, US citizens living outside the country may only vote for federal candidates based on their last address in the US. So for us, it was our home in Denver even though we don't live there anymore or own the property.
The right to vote has always been something near and dear to me, not only because I came from an active political family, but because it's a right to cherish and respect. With the exception of missing the Primary Election this year (which I was completely disappointed in myself,) I have voted in every single election since I was given that right when I turned 18. When we applied for absentee ballots months ago, I considered it part of my duty and didn't even think twice about it. Until I moved here to Canada.
If I maintain my strong belief that voting is a right and one that should not be taken lightly, I had to wonder if casting my vote in a Colorado election was fair or right. Sure, I was all prepared to make sure candidates that I felt would better lives in Colorado and the US would get my vote as would support or opposition to many of the initiatives on the ballot. (Which as you already read I couldn't vote for anyway even if I wantd too.) In fact, I even joked with friends and colleagues that even though I had moved to Canada, I would be "doing my part" to make sure Democrats won back Congress and in two years would make sure the conservatives were ousted from the White House.
But the purist in me has been nagged with that thought. What if it was reversed? Would I be pitching a fit if conservatives were doing the same? As a matter of fact, I would. Why is someone who isn't living in the state casting a vote when it won't effect them? In my mind, it's no different than people who have no right or business telling others how to run/live their life. It reminds me of religious zealots who force their personal beliefs on others demanding that everyone live by their perceived notion of what is wrong or right. This was made even cleared to me as the uproar rose here in Canada when (unfortunately Colorado's own) Focus on the Family flooded Canadian homes and airwaves with anti-gay propaganda telling Canadians how wrong they are for supporting gay rights. In rare form, Canadians actually rose up almost unanimously and told the so-called Christians from Colorado to butt out (pronounced oot by the way!)
This debate in my head continued as I hashed it out with friends and colleagues. Vote? Don't Vote? I finally made the final decision to cast my very last ballot in a US election this year and it boils down to one phrase someone reminded me of: "No taxation without representation!" One of the reasons for the birth of the United States was England taxing the colonists and them not having a say in their elected representatives. I determined that until I can explore my options, I still have tens of thousands of dollars in the United States banking system from my retirement account. Since this money will no doubt be transferred to a Canadian account by the next election, this will be my very last vote in a US election.
(As I type this, I just realized how "Republican" this is - basing a decision on money!) :-) Anyhoo, since my/our money will be affected by the actions of elected officials, I sent in my ballot and cast my last vote in a US election. I was only able to vote in Colorado's First Congressional District. Ironically, the Democratic candidate was unopposed.
Give 'em hell, Diana - you'd better not waste my very last vote as an American.
Posted by Mason at 12:49 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBackOctober 30, 2006
Complete
So, guess what arrived in the mail today. Our Permanent Resident Cards! We are officially in and done with the entire immigration process! Our cards expire 23-10-2011 (five years) at which point we can renew, or if things go well we will be Canadian Citizens in 2009 and won't have to worry about it.
So the final timeline:
Process Started: 11-04-2004
Application Submitted: 02-14-2005
Application placed in queue: 03-21-2005
Transferred to Seattle Consulate: 02-09-2006
Initial Assessment Complete/Request for Additional Info: 03-07-2006
Medical Examinations: 03-13-2006
FBI Clearances Received: 04-07-2006/04-20-2006
Second Round of Documents to CIC-Seattle: 04-20-2006
Request from CIC-MSB in Ottawa for further medical: 05-12-2006
Application approved (WE'RE IN!), Requests for passports: 08-07-2006
Passports returned with visas; we now have permanent resident status: 08-13-2006
Landing Date: 09-28-2006
Arrival of Permanent Residence Cards: 30-10-2006
In other news, I got a very nice phone call from Operation Springboard telling me that I didn't get the job, but they hoped I would apply for any future positions. One down, one to go ;-)
Posted by Nikolas at 03:46 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBackOctober 29, 2006
Going to the Chapel...eventually
Having heard the recent news that New Jersey's Supreme Court ordered it's State Legislature to either approve gay marriage or create Civil Unions I was happy to see that the Northeast was once again leading the United States is progressive civil rights. Since enacting gay rights laws in the 70's and 80's to protection for gay youth in schools in the 90's - the Northeast has always been forward thinking. We always joked that we were 10 years behind Canada and 10 years ahead of the rest of the country. Vermont and Connecticut already have Civil Unions and Massachusetts has had gay marriage for over a year now. Rhode Island has stated it is considering legalising gay marriage, and Eliot Spitzer, the Democratic Candidate for Governor of New York, has stated if he wins (and it is likely he will) he would sign a gay marriage bill into law in New York. Meanwhile, Republicans have seized this opportunity to motivate their base and shriek about the evils of gay marriage and what it will do to the American public. Even calling for a new push for a constitutional amendment to ban it all together...sigh. With over 38 states banning gay marriage already and another 8 with votes set for 2006 - 2008 - the Republicans have well over the 2/3 majority needed for the amendment.
However, here in the land of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and parliamentary democracy things are a bit different. Gay marriage has existed for over a year and the country has not collapsed. Even though the Conservatives got elected into a minority government in 2005 and pledged to hold a free vote on the issue it is clear that gay marriage is not going anywhere. A year later there is no vote, Prime Minister Harper seems in no hurry to introduce the legislation and the Tories poll numbers continue to be slipping. Put the Bloc's numbers along with the NDP and some Conservatives and Most Liberals and gay marriage is not going anywhere, and a large majority of Canadians consider the issue closed.
So that brings me to the issue of nuptials. For all intent and purpose Mason and I are considered Common-law partners in Canada for the simple fact we have been a "couple" for more the three years. Bank accounts, rental agreements, credit cards, filing taxes they all consider us as partners. In fact in Canada I've noticed that everyone refers to their spouse as a partner - gay or straight. So what's the push to get married if the government already sees us that way for the simple fact that we have been together for 10 years?
The idea that we can have a ceremony and get a marriage license is mind boggling to me. Being denied something like that for so long in the United States, and living in a state in which people actively denounced my existence it seems like a foreign concept to me - like a fairy tale.
Mason and I had a commitment ceremony in 2003 and we aren't looking for a marriage to replace that. That was our "wedding" even though it wasn't legally recognised. Eventually getting married here in Canada will be the final piece to the ceremony we had in Colorado. So more then likely on May 3, 2007 (because we really don't want another anniversary date) we will have a small civil ceremony at city hall to finally, legally recognise our relationship after 11 years. It's nice to have the choice to be able to do that.
Posted by Nikolas at 09:31 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBackOctober 28, 2006
Our First Emergency Room Visit...
For some reason I had a feeling that we would experience some part of Canada's medical system before we got OHIP or jobs, but I never imagined it like this.
Athena had an accident.
She was running around the yard yesterday morning and caught her side on a nail that we hadn't seen poking out of the Gazebo (they have since all been pulled out.) She tore a pretty decent gash in her side and was bleeding - needless to say I freaked out a bit after all she is my Baby Girl. Not having found a vet yet because we really were not expecting their services till the spring, when both our "kids" are due for their shots, we put it off. I called to a number of vets that seem to be plentiful out in this part of the city, but none had appointments today and one finally recommended that we go to the Emergency Clinic. I called and sure enough they would see her. We piled her in the car and drove her there - a quick exam and they said she'd need surgery, sutures and some antibiotics. So we had to leave her there for about five hours to have the procedure done.
When we picked her up she had a big shaved patch on her side and was a little groggy from the drugs. We piled her into the car (she was not happy with ther Elizabethan Collar) and got her home. So that my friends was our first experience with Canadian Health Care...kinda.
Posted by Nikolas at 10:17 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBackSatan's Little Helpers
---MASON ENTRY---
I've discovered that Canada does indeed have troops of Satan's Little Helpers running around here. Except they call them Girl Guides instead of Girl Scouts and yes, they have those things appear this time of year as well.
Thanks the gods I don't have an office full of parents to deal with. I guess there is something to be said about unemployment right now. (Now if I could find a way to avoid them in the subway stations!)
October 27, 2006
Thanks For Listening
I remember a few months back while I was living in Colorado and the Toronto International Film Festival was going on that Director Gabriel Range, premiered his film “Death of a President” at the TIFF. It immediately caused an uproar in the United States – a fictious film, depicting the purported assassination of Shrub in 2007…one person’s view of possible events caused an uproar. Senators from Clinton to McCain denounced the film as despicable and hateful, the White House would not dignify it with a response and millions of Americans blindly stated that the film should be banned…BANNED!
In this week’s NOW I read a review of the movie as it comes out tomorrow in Toronto theatres. There have been ads on TV here, ads on buses and newspapers, ads on the radio. However, in the United States (land of free speech and expression) CNN has refused to air commercials for it on its stations and the two largest theatre chains in the United States (Regal Entertainment and Cinemark) have refused to air the film in their theatres.
This is nothing new; in 1965 the BBC funded docudrama “The War Game” which reported on what would happen if the United Kingdom was attacked with nuclear weapons was shelved and banned from being shown in Britain, but when aired in the United States is received an Academy Award. Thirty years later Britons embraced the film and now list it as one of their top 50 films....who know what things will be like in 2036.
So who is to say that Mr. Range’s work isn’t just as good and acclaimed (the reviews say it’s mediocre, but still…). The point is that free speech means having to hear stuff, or experience stuff you may not necessarily want to hear or agree with (i.e. Rush Limbaugh.) It allows you to possibly ponder a different viewpoint or entertain another thought simply by being exposed to it, but sadly not in the United States because the big theatre chains and media corporations have decided what is good for you. That’s kind of what conservatives are against, right?
Another film that was shown at TIFF and is coming out tomorrow that has been heavily advertised up here has been the Dixie Chicks Documentary “Shut Up & Sing.” Following the singers for two years on the road after they made the comment back in 2003 that singer Natalie Maines was ashamed Bush was from Texas (shit, I’m ashamed he was born in New England!) These girls lost half their audience, received death threats and were ordered by good ol’ country boys to move to France because of their political ideology. Is that really necessary? Is it necessary to threaten someone’s life because of his or her ideology or opinion?
Some might say what the difference is between that and a Director showing a film with Shrub dying in DOAP? It’s a slippery, blurred line but sadly one is a fictitious account of a possible scenario and the other is of a women’s real life prior to doing a concert in Dallas in 2005.
I guess what saddens me is seeing what is happening to my birthplace on the other side of this imaginary line across Lake Ontario. Seeing Shrub being cocky about winning the November elections, eradicating habeas corpus, suddenly saying that he never said such a thing as “Stay The Course” in reference to Iraq. I look now through the eyes of the rest of the world – I’m no longer living in the United States, I’m outside it looking in and it scares the crap out of me. Forget about tarnished reputations and stature in the world, it’s embarrassing to watch and realise that your country is slowly decaying from the inside out.
I know that some of you will be angry with this post, and you will call me a traitor, or a socialist (which apprently since I like the NDP, I'm not that far off) or an ungrateful American, but I have to voice my feelings and observations. Having lived here a month does not make me an expert about international affairs and Americans living abroad, but it has opened my eyes to the bigger world view and I feel some sense of responsibility to say something, anything. Sitting here and saying nothing would be exactly what those in power are doing in the United States.
One final thought, I haven’t mailed my ballot to Colorado yet, it’s still sitting in the car. For some reason after my previous post on the topic of voting overseas and especially reading some friends' responses to my post I wondered about the legitimacy of me even voting for Diana DeGette. She will never represent me again; neither will Senators Ken Salazar or Wayne Allard or whoever is the next President in 2008. I’m a man stuck between international boundaries, between cultures, between an identity and I’ll have to wait three years before I gain a new one. Is it even right for me to cast a vote in a state I have no desire to ever live in again? I struggle with this because I have never missed a single election since I turned 18, but I stopped believing in the process after 2000 and now it really doesn’t matter whom I vote for because they will never truly represent me.
Thanks for listening.
October 26, 2006
We All Moved to Canada
We had the most wonderful time last night going to Mississauga to have dinner with L-Girl & Red Sock from WMTC. It was our first foray out of the city and I have to say that Port Credit really is a lovely little area of the GTA and our hosts were pleasant and gracious. It was Mason’s first time meeting them and all four of us seemed to have a good time, much like I did when I first met WMTC back in August when I was here house-hunting.
We talked about our impressions and observations of our new adventures in Canada – they having been in it for a year and us only a month. It was really weird to hear ourselves talking and discussing our observations because at one moment I could understand how those immigrants of olde would cluster together in their portion of Toronto (be it Little Italy, Greektown, one of the seven Chinatowns, or Little Korea) trying to figure out their new homeland’s customs and cultures. For a moment in Port Credit, Americatown was born and existed as we shared our common culture and experiences – it was quite cool.
For a moment yesterday, I was able to let my hair down (figuratively) and take a deep breath and was able to realize that we had finally done it. After living in Canada, in Toronto, for a full month I finally allowed it to sink in and saturate my brain that we really are living here. The two years of preparation, hand-wringing, waiting, packing, teeth-grinding and hoping finally paid off. We live in Canada and I couldn’t be happier then I am right now.
I think about all those behind us, (Two Moms, Vancouver Boys I , Vancouver Boys II, & Tom & Emilio) waiting in line like we were and I wish you guys all the speediness and well-wishes in the world. I want to tell you that it really is as good as you think it will feel. The first time you pay with a loonie and a toonie. The first time you see a Canadian flag flutter in the breeze, the first time you hear “Welcome to Canada,” and will hear it repeated over and over again from the most unlikely places. The first time you start using ou’s and re’s in your sentences. All of that and more, I want to let you know that the daydreams and hopes that you have (cause we had them too) really do come true and that one day you will wake up and realize that it’s no longer a daydream.
In many ways if it wasn’t for Laura and Allen’s blog I don’t know if Mason and I would have followed through with this move. They were the lone light in the darkness of cyberspace that encouraged me that we could do it, and I also feel a special bond to them for that. We thanked them for that last night and now I’m honoured to call them both friends…and Canadians :-)
Fantastic
First off the interviews were fantastic, both of them! I felt like I knew all the people for the past five years!
The first one was at Operation Springboard and it’s actually quite a cool job, and both of the Supervisors that interviewed me were really friendly and outgoing. By the end of the interview we were laughing with one another and talking about my reasons for moving to Canada. It really is different up here…when we started talking about the concept of funding it blew my mind. Canadians, as a whole, cannot see themselves ever running their social services like the United States – it’s almost viewed as barbaric.
Then Mason and I stopped for some lunch in the Village with Bob and then I went to my second interview at Children’s Aid. Again, two supervisors interviewed me, again both friendly and outgoing. They were kind of surprised to hear that DDHS housed so many different services – their 6 floor building houses only Child Welfare services. During this one the fire alarm went off (which was kind of funny) but like good government employees we ignored it and kept going. It’s really an interesting job and I’m really fascinated in finding out the differences between here and Colorado. Again, we talked about my reasons for moving to Canada and talked a little bit about the organizations set-up. I ended by taking a mini-exam and headed outside to meet Mason and head home.
Honestly, I will be happy with either job, but I think I would enjoy Children’s Aid more because it’s what I was doing and I know it so well. I ended the day by calling Ellen, my previous supervisor, and letting her know she might get some calls. We shot the shit for a bit and caught up on things, it was good to hear a friendly voice again. When I left DDHS on my last day, Ellen was the last person I saw before leaving. I remember seeing her in her doorway and feeling a sudden welling up in my eyes – in the 11 years I had worked there I had never cried. As I made my way to my car, and out of the building for the last time, I cried and grieved over the wonderful boss I was leaving, the awesome co-workers I had, and the job I had come to love. I just want to feel that again.
I just want to feel that again.
Interviews
I'm off to my interviews, wish me luck :-)
Posted by Nikolas at 09:11 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBackOctober 23, 2006
In Your Neigbourhood
Today was a good day...I think. I finally got a call back from Children's Aid and they set up an interview with me for Thursday. Any positive mojo any of you would like to send my way would be very much appreciated for the interview! So at 10:30 Thursday I interview with Operation Springboard and at 1:30 CAST - wish me luck!
Mason and I got out of the house this afternoon and decided to buy some new towels as our old ones were a little, well rancid. I think the move was their last big hurrah and since moving here they have not been doing well. So we visited HomeSense and found some nice new fluffy ones - yeah! By the time we got home it was dark and we decided to go and try out the Thai Restaurant in our neighbourhood and it was actually quite good. After dinner, Mason and I took a walk down The Danforth towards the LCBO and I picked up a bottle of Greek wine and a bottle of Frangelico (which goes oh so good with hot cocoa....yummy!)
As we walked home Mason and I commented how in Denver we would have never walked 10 blocks to the liquor store, we had one 2 blocks away from us and we never went to it, and if we did we drove! Living here is definitely and adjustment and I am liking it. My jeans keep slipping off me, and I'm fitting back into my XL sweaters and Henley's, something I haven't done in quite a few years. If I had to guess I think I've lost 15 lbs (or 6.8 kg.) I'm liking my new lifestyle :-)
As we turned down our block we got stopped by a women in an overcoat and clipboard - it was Paula Fletcher, our local city councilperson, who is running for re-election. We wished her the best and thanked her for her efforts, but informed her that as immigrants we were unable to vote. When we told her we were from the United States she seemed a little taken aback and then chatted us up a bit. She was really nice and I wished her luck as she went on her way...hopefully in three years we'll be able to vote here when we apply for citizenship.
Just another day in the neighbourhood :-)
October 21, 2006
Mish Mash
There is so much I want to say, but there seems to be no decent medium in which to say it. Writing won't do it justice, speaking it to all of you is not possible and I can't draw worth crap, so I will try to endeavour to convey to you what I am feeling.
I love it here, yes there are moments when I feel alone, and scared - as though I fell into the other side of the looking glass with no roadmap or explanation - but for the most part it has been awing and incredible. Someone asked me the other day if I miss Denver to which I answered "I miss my friends and family, but the city itself...no." Which is not meant as a diss towards Denver, but I realize now just how much I had outgrown the city and needed something new. The things I have seen here in Toronto in these three short weeks have been noting short of eye-opening and intriguing. The diversity of the culture and people, the respect everyone seems to give everyone else, the unending areas of the city to explore and discover, the countless ways I can find to injure myself...
I went on a quest to find The Occult Shop yesterday, and I did, but in the process decided to wrench my knee. Then the day before as Mason and I decided to go out and explore the city I fell off the front porch steps (they are a little narrow) and I spilled myself on the walkway...landing on same said knee. It still hurts today and I wasn't able to put much weight on it last night, but today seems to be better thanks to Aleve. Which brings me to some interesting observations of my new homeland:
★Aleve is not available here over-the-counter. Naproxen Sodium is strictly a prescription here, but you can buy Advil with Codeine over-the-counter here...go figure.
★There is no postal service on Saturdays, which is kind of nice actually
★Getting a cart at the grocery store requires that you put a quarter deposit in it to release it from the other carts. You get the quarter back once you return it to the cart corral.
★Recycling is MANDATORY here. We have a blue/grey bin for Paper/Plastic/Glass, a green bin for all compost material (including dog poop) and we are limited to six trash bags every two weeks.
★Things are noticeably more expensive here then they were in the states, especially grocery shopping. However, I've attributed it to the cost of living rather then Canada as a whole. If I moved to New York I would have experienced the same. Denver was relatively cheap in that sense.
★LASIK Surgery is only $200 an eye here, something Mason has been yearning for almost 10 years about now...that is considerably less then the $2000 per eye in the States.
★The weather here is much more milder then I expected, while it has been chilly at night it has not yet reached bone-chilling proportions. It's already snowed twice in Denver!
★We met our other neighbour the other day, Ash. He and his wife seem to be Indian and they are very nice and helpful and welcomed us to the area. Still have yet to meet the gay boys across the street.
October 20, 2006
---MASON ENTRY---
Sometimes I really wonder about the powers that control our lives. I must be that cute, fun teddy bear that the gods like to pick up and play with from time to time and then toss in the corner for another day.
I have been slowly falling into a serious funk the last several days. I'm sure much of it had to do with a post drug binge-like crash from the high of moving here to Canada and having a dream become a reality. Then the real reality started to hit. The uneasiness about money. The lack of a job. The lack of even a call back from job applications. The lack of the ability to get inside companies to apply for jobs. The missing friends of mine from Denver (not that my dear, dear friends here don't mean the world to me, but I'm sure you understand the feelings.) I have been feeling myself start to get a bit depressed - snapping at little things and starting to feel anger well up inside me. SOOOO not The Mason that I (or anyone else for that matter) enjoys.
A year or so ago, I met this guy by the name of Steve. Now, grab a piece of paper so you can flow-chart this.
Steve lives here in Toronto and is a friend of Chris who lives in Los Angeles. Chris is a big-time special effects film editor (Pirates of the Caribbean I, II & III) in LA who has friends in Denver. Over a year ago, Chris came to Denver to visit his friends and ran into Mikey (one of my best dear friends in Denver.) At some point (I have to ask Steve,) Mikey and Chris were hanging out (actually dating for a while long distance) when Mikey met Steve. When he found out Steve was from Toronto, Mikey mentioned that Nick and I were planning to immigrate. Well, Chris and Steve eventually made it to Denver and we all got the chance to meet each other. Steve and Chris are incredibly nice and outgoing guys and it was nice to meet Steve especially since he was living in what would become our new home. Steve is also a marketing/promotion video editor. We have tried to keep in touch, but it's been infrequently with our busy jobs, distance, etc.
(Everyone get that? Good.)
A couple of weeks ago, I had sent Steve an email through Connexion telling him that Nick and I had arrived and that we'd love to catch up, have coffee, etc. I never heard anything back so I figured the infrequent contact was to blame and figured he must be too busy or whatever to catch up.
So that brings me to today. As I mentioned above, I have been sliding into a major funk and have started feeling myself withdraw. Even thought an email back from Steve this morning was fresh in my in-box I decided to blow off his call to our home phone telling Nick "I just don't feel up to it right now." For some reason, when he persisted and called my cell phone, I dragged myself over to pick it up.
Long story short - he's working for one of the major television networks and companies in Toronto - in fact it's the one that owns MTV and several other networks here that are hiring! He knows the top vocal talent coach in the city and plans to put us in touch with each other and he's going to find out who I can get my resume and information in front of personally. He's looking for advice and suggestions in his/our field which I can completely help him with and we had such a great, friendly conversation like we've been friends for years.
I may be a toy to the gods, but I do appreciate the swift kick in the ass they seem to give at all the right times.
Posted by Mason at 01:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBackOctober 19, 2006
Three Weeks In
I think that this is going to be my last weekly post like this. Once we hit one month next week there really doesn't seem a point to exclusive posts like this.
Things are going well, we seem to be settling into the house and the neighbourhood well, and we have started venturing out and exploring the city. I've also started hearing some responses to my resume being sent out. First Children's Aid (still waiting for an interview) and then this morning I got a call from Operation Springboard in Toronto - I have an interview next week, so we'll see how that goes.
Mason and I went tootling around downtown yesterday to check things out and try to get our bearings. For some reason my east-west sense of direction is working but I can never figure out north-south, arg. We took the subway home last night and as we sat in the car crammed like sardines (it was rush hour) I looked around me and saw the diversity that is Toronto. A veiled woman reading the Quaran, two Asian kids making out at the end of the car, an Indian business man obviously annoyed with how slow the subway was running, a Portugese man eating sliced apples, a Italian mother and daughter talking about their shopping experiences at the Eaton Centre, an African woman juggling two young kids, a gay couple flirting with each other, two women talking in Spanish and a lone man sleeping hunched over in his seat...obviously it was a rough day at the office. I love this city and it's many faces and sounds.
We are thinking about having a housewarming party to meet all of our LWB Torontonians, and to also get to know our neighbours and introduce everyone to the friends we know here. I'm thinking it may be November 11th, but I'm waiting to hear if Bobby and Rick can make that day work. I'll keep you all posted :-)
Posted by Nikolas at 11:35 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBackOctober 18, 2006
Dilema
OR 
Nick seems to think if I went to a sports bar here to watch the game wearing my Av's jersey I might not make it out alive. I say Canadians are a loving, peaceful bunch that would welcome my team loyalty with open arms and free beer.
I'm just sayin'
Posted by Mason at 06:10 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBackLand of the Restricted and the Home of the Barely Represented
Mason and I got our absentee ballots from Colorado yesterday. We were excited to receive them as it shows that our paperwork went through and we are registered as expatirates. Colorado has a slew of ballot initiatives (including banning gay marriage) and state offices (including the Governorship) this year so we were looking forward to doing research and voting. Imagine my surprise however when I opened my ballot and noticed that all that was listed was the race for the Colorado First Congressional District. While I like Diana DeGette and have voted for her in every election since Pat Schroeder vacated the seat, it's a tad anti-climactic. The seat has always been held by a Democrat since the 1970's, and probably always will - the Republicans didn't even bother running a challenger this year.
Thinking that there was something wrong with our ballot, I called the Denver Election Commission to inform them but the lady on the other end of the line informed me that because we are living outside of the country all we get to vote for is federal offices. I assured her that there must be some mistake as that seems to be very undemocratic and restricting my right to representation. She said she would double check, and call me back. So I did some research of my own, checking out Democrats Abroad, and eventually the Federal Voting Assistance Program. Sure enough, American citizens living out side of the United States cannot vote in any local or statewide races in there last state of residence. It's a courtesy that the state allows you to vote for your federal Representative, Senators and every four years the Presidency. I guess it's better then the poor citizens of the District of Columbia who have no representation in Congress.
What pisses me off is that American Expatriates have no real representation at all in Congress. Other countries have representatives that are specifically for citizens living overseas. Italy has a Member of Parliament that represents North & Central America specifically. Some figures say that the number of Americans living abroad can be as high as 13 million - not everyone registers with the local embassy so the figures they do have need to be adjusted. In Canada alone over 600,000 Americans call this land home - 250,000 of which are in Toronto. Let's say that there are 13 million Americans living abroad - that's more then the populations of Pennsylvania with 21 electoral votes, Illinois with 21, or even Ohio with 20...more then enough to affect a presidential race. Yet there is no Overseas Representative or Senator - hell Wyoming has more representation then Americans living in Canada, and we outnumber the whole state! It just saddens me that I don't get to be part of the process, or at least more involved in the process.
Posted by Nikolas at 12:46 PM | Comments (6) | TrackBackOctober 17, 2006
Metrication
Today I waited patiently by the phone, like a girl waiting for her dream date to call her and ask her out to the prom. I patiently went about my business in the house today all the while keeping the home phone with me at all times. By 3pm I had given up hope on the phone call coming and had decided to just veg on the couch and enjoy the rest of my day - then right at 3:30 the phone rang from a blocked number. I picked it up and sure enough it was CAST. The HR Lady was nice enough and went over my resume with me and asked some clarifying questions about my history and experience. By the end of the call she seemed impressed enough with my answers and let me know that most of their openings were with the Intake Worker positions - the ones that go out on calls and determine whether or not to remove children...or as I like to call it, baby-snatching. It's something I have done before at DDHS and have some mild experience with it. She told me little about the structure of the agency and the expectations (I'll have to use the car to do home visits...ugh) but it seems as though employees are reimbursed quite fairly about that. She told me to expect a call by the end of the week or next week for an interview; I thanked her and hung up the phone.
I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I've done some research so far and the laws don't seem that different here, and the plans for risk and assessment seem comparable to what I did in Colorado. I'm just excited to have a nibble :-)
In other news it's been raining non-stop today and we have had over 25 millilitres of rain...millilitres? I had to go look it up and while it sounds like a lot, it's really just under an inch. Out of all the things about moving to Canada this is going to be the hardest to adjust to, kilograms at the grocery store, kilometres on the road, Celsius on the thermometer, millilitres in snow and rain, litres at the gas station, centimetres in height - why oh why did the United States resist metric conversion in the 70's...arg.
Posted by Nikolas at 11:59 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack---MASON ENTRY---
A friend on another blog posted a news update today talking about Bush signing into law that completely insane, immoral and unconstitutional BS that allows the US government to suspend laws that get in the way of torturing...er...interrogating anyone it sees fit to question and detain all in the name of the "war on terror." Anyhoo...before I get off on a rant.
I thought this paragraph in the news story spoke volumes:
The swift implementation of the law is a rare bit of good news for Bush as casualties mount in Iraq in daily violence. Lawmakers are increasingly calling for a change of strategy and political anxieties are jeopardizing Republican's chances of hanging onto control of Congress.
I just love how The Administration and Congress are making foreign policy decisions based on getting re-elected and not what's good for the country or the world.
Nice. We still have a spare bedroom for anyone looking to escape. This keeps up in the US and you might be able to get refugee status.
Posted by Mason at 12:45 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBackOctober 16, 2006
A Good Day
Lots to update on, it seems as though I've been on a whirlwind today:
This morning Mason and I went down to Scotiabank for what seemed like the One Millionth time to finish up our accounts set up. We got a New Immigrant Visa to help us build credit in Canada. It sucks we had to plunk down money to guarantee it, but the nice thing is we get it back in a year with interest. I also got my final 459 (think 401K, but a government version) payment from work, which I cashed out when we left, and the money left in our escrow account from the sale of the house - so I deposited those while I was there. Hopefully we are all set with the bank now, I also put in a request to American Express to change my current US Credit Card to a Canadian one - AmEx is the only credit card company that will do that for you I found out. We now only have one American Credit Card for emergencies.
After the bank Bobby met up with us and took us over to Kensington Market to grab a bite to eat and show us the shops down there. We had a really nice lunch at Roach O Rama on the back patio in the Hot Box Cafe and got to observe Canada's very...um...well...relaxed cannabis laws. Have I mentioned how much I love this country? Afterwards it was a quick trip to pick up some cheeses at a a really cool cheese shop, some fresh vegetables at the local veggie market, and we ended our trip at European Meats. I was amazed, very clean, very helpful staff, good quality meat and very affordable. I got some huge butterfly pork chops and a bunch of Italian Sausage for less then $10! We cabbed it back to Bobby's and met up with Rick for some good conversation before we headed home.
As I was putting our new found goodness away, Mason ran into the kitchen with the phone and said "you need to listen to this!" My heart skipped a beat as I listened to the voicemail and heard a pleasant woman's voice announcing she was calling from the HR Department of Toronto Children's Aid and wanted to talk to me about my resume. By now it was well after 5:30pm, but I called back anyway and left her a voicemail letting her know I would be home tomorrow and provided her with my home and mobile numbers. Mason assures me that if they were simply calling to say they were no longer filling positions or were not interested they would have said so on the voicemail. I have a good feeling about this...I hope.
Posted by Nikolas at 11:05 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBackOctober 15, 2006
Jeff Rothstein, RIP.
I’ve been holding off on making this post for many reasons, but more then anything it’s because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to say about it. I learned back in August, when ironically I was in Toronto looking for a place to live, that Jeff had died. Mo had called me in tears to let me know that his body had been found in his apartment by management. I was still dealing with the emotions of being in Canada looking for a place to live, moving my life in a short 30 days. Dealing with Jeff’s death on top of that would have been too much so I threw myself into looking for a place to live, hoping that I could deal with it later.
I missed my chance, his funeral was later that week in Montreal (where he was from), and his Memorial Service in Denver happened this weekend – so here I am stuck in limbo to find a way to honour Jeff.
I met Jeffrey Rothstein through Mo, we were both looking towards getting our license in order to become therapists in Colorado. To become an LCSW you need 98 hours of LCSW Supervision by another LCSW. Finding the right Supervisor is much like finding the right Therapist – you need to find someone that fits your personality and will make you do the work. Mo and I were lucky on our first shot in finding Jeff, he was all that an much more.
Jeff was well respected in the Denver Social Work community. He had his own professional consulting business, counseled prospective LCSW candidates and taught at the University of Denver’s (my alma mater) MSW program. When we first met I took it as a sign that he was the right Supervisor for me because he was also Canadian.
Over the next two years, Jeff, Mo and I would meet on a regular basis, as money would allow, mostly every two weeks for about an hour. Over those two years Jeff would counsel us on our social work techniques and listen to our frustrations with work, and with life. This past year our conversations took a more personal turn, as he was intrigued with my quest to become a Canadian. We would talk Canadian politics and culture while at the same time learning more about myself as a social worker and a human being. He offered to help me with a job once I moved to Toronto, where he once worked for quite a few years and was well known in social work circles.
Towards the end of this summer Jeff was not doing well health-wise. My meetings with him had slowly been dropping off as well too as I was preparing for our move to Canada. Always a private man he brushed off his health concerns and focused on Mo and I, but as any good friends we were concerned about him. He cancelled our last meeting, which was right before I left for Toronto, saying he was taking a break to focus on his health. A few weeks later he was found dead in his apartment.
Of my teacher, mentor and friend Jeff Rothstein I can only say this:
You taught me so much about my profession and myself. You taught me about character and how to be true to your ideals without sacrificing who you are in your core. You taught me about boundaries in professionalism and when is and is not the time and place to set them. You taught me about the abilities I had deep down inside me because you could see them when I couldn’t and when I finally discovered them you simply smiled. More then anything, you taught me to be a good human being, an excellent social worker, and a better friend. My only wish was that you had let me in to be a better one to you, but professional boundaries dictated otherwise and that’s why I will always respect you.
Rest in peace, Jeff Rothstein…and thank you.
Jeff Rothstein, MSW, LCSW
I Really Am Going To Make It Afterall
---MASON ENTRY---
This seems so damn hokey and I feel kinda stupid, but lately as I'm walking downtown in the Village or the Annex or just about anywhere with my iPod cranked with some upbeat music on, I want to spin around like Mary Tyler Moore and throw my hat up in the air.
It's amazing how happy my heart and soul feel when I'm oot and aboot in this city. I really, really feel right at home. The emotions are intense and I think many people just don't understand how I can get all worked up just walking down the street or riding a street car or sitting on the corner watching a metropolis hum. I just do. I actually have been finding myself tearing up sometimes because I really am happy here.
My sister called the other day all worried about me - concerned that I'm not happy. She mentioned that she might just have to visit to make sure we're all getting settled in and are happy. It would be great to have her come because she can spin around with me on a sidewalk downtown while we throw our hats in the air. I really am going to make it afterall!
Posted by Mason at 11:42 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBackOctober 14, 2006
The Perfect Toronto Day
Got my ass out of bed this morning around 10:30am. For those of you that know me you know that I LOVE to sleep in, but not for too long because then I feel as though I have wasted my day. It seems all I have done is sleep in since I moved to Toronto, no doubt trying to catch up on all those early mornings going into the Department.
I got up today, got some coffee and had some leftover Timbits (I’m not sure if I like them or not….give me a chance to try a few more – hehehe.) Eventually I got in the shower and left the house and made my way to The Village to meet Geoff.
We had a grand day! We had a bite to eat, did a bit of power shopping, walked all over the city checking out downtown to the West End and back again. With great conversation and discussions thrown in. We definitely talked about the weather a bit – it hailed twice today; something which apparently is not common for early October.
I eventually made it home and collapsed on the couch. My size 13 American feet are not use to all this walking, although they are getting better. I’ve noticed that with all the walking and the smaller portions with the food here that my jeans feel noticeably looser. My guess is I’ve probably lost around 10 lbs or more. Maybe I’ll market it as the Canada Diet…all you need to do is rip up your life and move to a foreign country and your digestive track takes care of the rest :-)
We finally got the letter we needed from RIV about the car. One odd factoid about Canada is that there is no mail service on Saturday's - this is something the US toyed with, but after people called and complained they dropped the idea. I kind of like having the weekend mail-free! So on Friday, Mason took Bette and got her retrofitted with daytime running lights at Canadian Tire. We passed the safety and emission inspection, so all that's left now is to go get our plates. The last vestige of Colorado is about to bite the dust.
Anyway, off to watch the rest of Hockey Night on CBC.
Joke of the Day
---MASON ENTRY---
A friend emailed me a joke today that I just have to share! :-)
----THE GOLDEN TELEPHONE----
An American decided to write a book about famous churches around the world. So he bought a plane ticket and took a trip to Orlando, thinking that he would start by working his way across the USA from South to North.
On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs when he noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read "$10,000 per call". The American, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what the telephone was used for.The priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God. The American thanked the priest and went along his way.
Next stop was in Atlanta. There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the same golden telephone with the same sign under it. He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in Orlando and he asked a nearby nun what its purpose was. She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 he could talk to God. "O.K., thank you," said the American.
He then traveled to Indianapolis, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Boston and New York. In every church he saw the same golden telephone with the same "$10,000 per call" sign under it.
The American, upon leaving Vermont decided to travel up to Canada to see if Canadians had the same phone. He arrived in Canada, and again, in the first church he entered, there was the same golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read "40 cents per call."
The American was surprised about the sign so asked the priest about the sign. "Father, I've traveled all over America and I've seen this same golden telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to Heaven, but in the US the price was $10,000 per call. Why is it so cheap here?"
The priest smiled and answered, "You're in Canada now, son - it's a local call".
Posted by Mason at 02:14 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBackTwo Weeks In
Two weeks in. It’s kind of surreal, in many ways it feels longer and in others it seems like we just got here yesterday. The one definite thing is that I really do feel as though I am no longer in the United States. Things are different here, on a subtle level, but they are different.
We spent the week mostly putting our efforts into getting jobs and riding the subway a bit more trying to discover the city that we are calling home. We both seem to get disappointed by the lack of response to our resumes, but that’s when we realize that we have only been applying for jobs for a full week and most of them haven’t even closed already. Add to that the Thanksgiving Holiday and the picture gets a bit clearer and our stomachs start to settle down.
Some of the things I’ve noticed since we’ve been here:
Politeness: For as much crap as people give those of us from the “East Coast” for being rude and impolite I have yet to find that here in Toronto. People have startled me by saying thank you when I hold the door open for them. Clerks in person and on the phone have gone above and beyond in terms of customer service to make sure I’m satisfied. Complete strangers we meet on the street or in a restaurant upon hearing about our recent immigration to Canada have offered themselves in any capacity to help us out. Driving however still sucks – some things are still universal.
Safety: I’ve had this conversation with many a Torontonian and it all comes back to the same premise – yes, Toronto has American style crime, but for a city it’s size it has the lowest crime rate in North America. I’ve seen women jogging alone at 10:00pm along The Danforth – I could not see that happening in Denver along Federal Boulevard. Yes there are sections of the city you would not go in alone, but they are trying to fix that.
Pride: I’ve noticed that there is a distinct and visible streak of Canadian Pride in the street and in the air. When I say Pride I don’t mean the blind patriotism I saw in the United States with red, white and blue plastered on everything from lawn chairs to underwear. It’s in a subtle and powerful way here of saying they are thankful for being Canadian, and also...in a way, for not being Americans. The anti-American sentiment is not in your face here, but it is palatable – kind of like in a tongue-in-cheek way.
Last night, Geoff was kind enough to drag me out and take me to O’Grady’s for Bear Night, which was fun. We got a bite to eat and then watched the bears as we drank and kvetched. We eventually made it to the (NWS Link) Black Eagle for one last beer before we said our goodbyes and I headed to the subway for my ride home.
As I sat in the subway car watching the stations go by I realized that this is now my home. I now live in one of the most multicultural cities in the world; it’s big, beautiful and growing. I live in a country that has consistently been ranked in the top 5 countries to live in by the United Nations. I live in the land of Hockey, Beer and Poutine – and I’m happy about that. As I got off at the Coxwell Station and made my way home in the chilly night air I truly, really, finally…felt like I was home.
October 12, 2006
A New Chapter in My Life - Part III
---MASON ENTRY---
THURSDAY SEPT. 28
Buzz – buzz – buzz – buzz – buzz. 5:45am is flashing on the clock radio next to the bed. Ring – ring – ring. “This is your morning wake up call” the polite animated voice spoke on the phone.
Oh my god, I have found myself as Bill Murray in the movie Groundhog Day! The only thing missing is the Sonny and Cher duet emanating from the clock radio next to the bed. Usually the first to spring to life each morning, even the dogs are sluggish to get up this morning, but only for a few minutes. Wiping the sleep from my eyes and crawling into my jeans and a t-shirt I make my way outside with Athena and Cian pulling me down the hall and out to the grassy area between the hotel and a small office building. It’s still dark and there’s the feel of fall chill in the air, but the crisp air quickly brings me out of my haze.
I let the dogs off leash and they take the opportunity to stretch and run and explore and sniff every inch of the area. As I’m standing there in the darkness, I look up at stars and it beings seeping into my brain that today is the day I will become a Canadian.
As the weeks go on, the debate will continue to play out in my head about that phrase “I am a Canadian.” As a permanent resident, I can call Canada my home for the rest of my life, but am I truly a “Canadian” or do you need citizenship to claim that honour? Is being a “Canadian” a frame of mind or is it an official designation bequeathed by the government? This debate will continue in my mind for quite a while, but right now I have two dogs to deal with, a soul mate with a schedule and a U-Haul to navigate to our new home.
As I progress with my daily morning routine: shower, contacts, hair gel, q-tip my ears, brush my teeth and five rubs of the anti-perspirant on the left pit, then five on the right then one (maybe two) on each side once again, Nick is off gassing up Bette and getting us hot cups of coffee.
We make our way down to the parking lot and curiously, we are both fairly quiet. I’m sure the crack-ass of dawn doesn’t help, but in reality I think our minds are spinning almost wildly out of control. Today is the day we’ve been waiting for for over 18-months. We’ve talked about it, thought about it, fantasized about it and played it out in our minds over and over again. As we pull out of the lot, I crank up the two-way radio and play the Indigo Girls “Get Out The Map” over the airwaves to my Cubbie Bear just ahead of me. A few minutes later it would be Jesse McCartney’s “Beautiful Soul” both songs that hold a special place for both of us. Nick won’t be speeding ahead of me this day since it’s only a few hours to the border and we
I wish I could remember the drive from Ann Arbor to Port Huron, but quite frankly, I think the events of our first days in Canada completely overwhelmed my memories cells. We decided to stop in Marysville, Michigan (the last town before the border) to fill up our gas tanks because fuel is a bit cheaper on the US side of the border. Highway construction detoured us through the town before we could get back on the highway that would take us to Canada.
As we drove along the waterway that separates the two countries, it was incredibly overpowering seeing a large Canadian flag flying in the wind on one side of the river and an equally large US flag flying from a pole next to the road I was driving on. For 41 years living near borders where the only mark of distinction is usually a cheesy sign with catchy slogans, seeing these powerful symbols so close together was incredibly emotional for me. Here I was a baseball throw away from my future, all while knowing that the distance in reality is much more than the width of a river or a painted line on pavement.
As we approached the US side of the bridge, Nick pulled up to the tollbooth and after a few minutes, he pulled forward and to a parking spot on the left side of the road. As I pulled forward I told the cheerful lady in the booth that I was with the car ahead of me and that we were immigrating to Canada. She looked at the truck and told me it would be $1.20. As I handed her a greenback and two dimes, she said, “Thank you – have a nice day.” No “goodbye.” No “don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out!” No “Have a great life in Canada.” Just, “have a nice day.” As I have found myself saying time and time again, I’m not sure what I expected, but it just didn’t seem to be right for me at the time.
As Nick went into the building to process exporting Bette, I hung around the U-Haul and the Explorer keeping an eye out on the dogs. I can only imagine what was going through their minds as semi after semi rolled by us transporting goods and who knows what between the two countries. The chill in the air (and the emotions boiling inside me) was starting to make me shiver. As I reached into my overnight bag for my hoodie, I realized that I had packed the blue one with the word “CANADA” stitched across the front. For the first time I wondered if it would be cheesy wearing it in the actual country for which it represents . I actually didn’t care. I was wearing it with pride – pride for a country that would be my new home, not as a symbolic jab at the country I was leaving. About 15 minutes later, a wide-eyed Nick walked up and said, “that’s it.”
As we pulled back into traffic and crossed the large, arched Blue River Bridge, there it was just a short distance ahead of us. Another row of tollbooths, but these had a red and white striped flag with a red maple leaf in the center. Once again, I followed Nick into the same tollbooth lane. A few minutes later, Nick pulled ahead and this time to the right as the officer in the booth begins asking me questions after telling me to turn the truck engine off.
“Why are you coming to Canada?” I hand him the paperwork and mention that I’m immigrating.
“What’s in the truck?” That one caused me to pause, because in typical Mason fashion I wanted to have some fun saying something along the lines of “my entire life,” but I knew this wasn’t the time for Mason humor, so I just responded “my partner’s and my household goods.” I was a little taken back when he followed up with “like what?” I started rattling off what I could remember: “books, furniture, papers…” I trailed off.
“Do you have any alcohol on board?” I’m sure I looked calm and collected, but inside my mind was racing and I wanted so much for Nick to be with me with our “Canadian Bible” – the folder with the list of everything we were bringing. “Um, there’s one box with a couple of bottles of tequila from Mexico, a bottle of champagne, a bottle of wine, a bottle of Canadian Club….” The officer interrupted me asking if I thought it was about six bottles. I knew he was basically answering the question for me, so of course I answered "yes."
He scribbles a few things on a yellow sheet and tells me to drive over towards the building and follow the directions of the guard. No “hello.” No “welcome to Canada.” No “Good luck as a new Canadian.” In fact, he didn’t even say, “have a good day.” Damn me and my expectations.
To be continued....
Posted by Mason at 07:22 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBackOctober 10, 2006
Homesick
Not in the true sense of the word, but more like the fact that I feel unsettled and non-useful. In Colorado I had an identity, a job, a place in the world…here I am a new immigrant looking for work. I have no idea how kept wo/men stay at home and do nothing all day – it would drive me crazy.
Don’t get me wrong it has been really nice here and Mason and I are really enjoying adjusting to the time zone, the neighourhood, the culture…it just feels different. They say that change takes 21 days to successfully integrate itself into your life and for it to no longer feel “different.” My hope is that by Samhain I will have something – it would be nice to start of the new year with a new job, in my new city and country.
I felt most of the tug on my heartstrings when we watched the Broncos vs. Ravens NFL Game last night on TSN (Monday Night Football.) It was odd to be in Toronto watching the game in a stadium that was less then five blocks from our old house – that’s when we realized that we were no longer “home,” but this doesn’t quite feel like “home” yet either. It’s funny because when I lived in Colorado for the longest time I would refer to Massachusetts as “home.” When I would say “back home…” or “heading home” for our visits back to New England. However, calling Colorado “home” doesn’t feel right to me, and Massachusetts is now so far removed from my experiences in the last 12 years that it has the honour of being my birthplace, but not my home. So I feel like a man without a country, without a home – yet I’m living in the very place I have been yearning for so much the past few years. I want Toronto, Canada to be home.
Watching television and reading the paper we’ve finally come to the understanding that we are living in the New York of Canada. Not to sound rude to Canadians it’s just that makes the most sense to this weary American. We live in the informational, cultural, economical, and entertainment capital of Canada. Coming from a cowtown like Denver, that’s bound to shock anyone’s system.
As we sat down last night and watch the season premiere of The Hour with my homey George Stroumboulopoulos we realized that we could actually get tickets to go see the show. A little research found me that we could also get tickets to go see RCAF…it’s amazing the things you have access to once you live at the “Centre of the Universe” (no offense to those living in Canada outside of T.O.)
Anyway, there are bound to be highs and lows in this process and once we “settle in” things will even out, but for right now I’m just trying to handle the ride.
October 09, 2006
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving to one and all!
It's odd to be celebrating this holiday (one of my favourites) in October, although it makes much more sense as a harvest holiday - the end of November is much too late. We went over to Andrew and Scott's home last night. Rick joined us along with Andrew's cousin, it was a nice time surrounded by friends in a strange new country with its own traditions. As we walked to Scott and Andrew's house we saw other families getting together for dinner - Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Greek...it was very cool to see. Thanksgiving is in a much lower key here, not the hype as it is in the United States with Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the football games and the crazy mall shopping the day after. Here it's about quietly celebrating the harvest with friends and family and having a three-day weekend.
So today we plan on taking a break and relaxing. Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone :-)
October 08, 2006
The Black Squirrel Cometh
For many of you that may remember I once posted about the sad, sad day that Cian finally reached his destiny and captured the elusive and taunting red squirrel that had tormented him for five long years.
As we made our way across countries and borders we now live in a city and neighbourhood where the red squirrel has been replaced by the it’s grey cousins (the ones I grew up with in Massachusetts) and a newer black cousin that I learned was an import to these parts through the owner of Casa Loma long ago.
Anyway, I don’t know if it’s their colouring that makes them easier to see, or they give off a different odour, but Cian and Athena have been absolutely mesmerised by these black little tricksters.
Several in particular live in the huge tree in our backyard and have seem to make it their mission to taunt Cian mercilessly…no doubt having gotten the memo from their red cousins in Colorado about the untimely death of their loved one.
Let’s hope the killer does not return.
October 07, 2006
Observations
Because I’m lazy and am having so many things running through my head, the blog tonight is in the form of a list…sorry:
There is a definite difference in culture when it comes to Supermarket shopping. First off I feel totally and utterly confused when walking down an aisle and all the labels are turned to the French side. It catches you off guard and you really have to look at what you’re buying. Yes, in Colorado there was some stuff in Spanish, but never as large as the English label – here the two are even sizes. Besides, poutine in a can? Enough said. That plus the flavours of some of the chips here (curry, ketchup, etc.) is different and exciting at the same time.
Some things are international and transcend borders and cultures – like shopping the weekend or day before a major family holiday. This weekend happens to be the one right before Canadian Thanksgiving, and Mason and I’s foray to Sobey’s to pick up some stuff to make Pumpkin Cheesecake for tomorrow’s festivities at Andrew & Scott’s proved to be hellacious. People were running around the store like mad and all with these looks of utter sadness and disappointment on their faces. I’m glad to know the United States does not have a monopoly on holiday misery.
I went to the lone metaphysical store I found on-line today; it’s in The Beach neighbourhood and called Wiccashoppe. I was saddened to hear when I walked in that the owner is closing his doors next week and going purely Internet based. I bought some candles for my weekly home shrine rite I do and thanked him and wished him well. Arg, now I’ve got to find where that other store is…
Canadian Tire has become Mason and I’s new friend. We’ve been there more times then I can count this week, but luckily there is a nice big one right up the street from us on The Danforth. For my non-Canadian friends, Canadian Tire is like a mix between Jiffy Lube, K-Mart and Ace Hardware. The other cool thing is you get paid back with Canadian Tire Money (plus you’re change) that’s a percentage of your total. Eventually you can save them up and use them like real cash at any Canadian Tire store. So far we’ve got $4.10.
While I’ve enjoyed the time off and the chance to sleep in, I’m ready for a job. I look at some of these opportunities and I really hope to get a call back from some of them. That, plus having money coming in rather then living off our equity would make me much more comfortable.
October 06, 2006
One Week In
So we've been Canadians now for a week and I still can't believe that we are really here. I had dinner last night with Rick (thank you for that btw, Rick) and I told him that at times I feel as though it's just a vacation and that at any moment we are going to pick up and leave. However, the longer I am here, the longer I realize that this is home now, and that makes me really, really happy. The house is truly and finally settled into now with the last of the boxes are put away and the rest crammed into the storage space we have in the house. It feels like a home now and that makes me happy and nested and making my stress level decrease. So with all of that taken care of I decided to tackle the job search today.
Monday is Thanksgiving here in Canada (it's weird to hear people wish me a Happy Thanskgiving today) so I wanted to make sure to get my resumes out to a couple of postings I found on charityvillage.org. Yeah, I could have mailed them but by dropping them off personally I got to see the place, meet at least the receptionist andI get out of the house and onto the mass transit system. I took the bus down to Queen Street and then switched to the Queen St Streetcar. I stopped and dropped off a resume for a job as a Case Manager in Leslieville where a new community center just opened up. Nice enough area, but the receptionist was a little cold towards me - I think she was having an off day. I hopped back onto the streetcar and made my way downtown to St. Michael's Hospital where they have an opening for a Mental Health Social Worker in their Adolescent Psychiatric Ward. I'm really interested in this one, as it's in my population of expertise, and I've always wanted to make the transition to a hospital. The receptionist was nice enough and told me she would forward the application on and she wished me a Happy Thanksgiving. From there I hopped onto the subway and took it up to Bloor & Young where I got out and walked a bit to the next stop. They are building a new health clinic and are looking for a Case Manager to do out-patient treatment for GLBT youth - another one I am excited about. From there I hopped back onto the subway and headed home to finish up the house.
I'm feeling hopeful and happy right now, and extreme change from where I was one and two weeks ago. I finally feel as though my body has caught up with my mind which was catching up to my spirit. Hopefully the three of us can work together and get employed soon :-)
More later, I'm planning on catching up on everything online tonight.
October 04, 2006
Are You Ready For Some Hockey?!
In the continuing examples of coincidences:
--MASON ENTRY--
On TSN (the Canadian version of the state's ESPN) tonight:
8:00pm = NHL Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Ottawa Predators
10:00pm = NHL Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars
The front page of the Toronto Star today included a full-color picture of a hockey player and the main headline: "Game Time!" Oh, and if you buy a case of Bud Lite in Ontario, you get an NHL Retro team hat - with the Colorado Rockies one of the hats.
Yeah, it's great to be in Canada, eh?
Posted by Mason at 10:00 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBackOf Thunderstorms and Supermarkets
I'm sorry for the self-imposed exile from cyberspace, but I needed the time to finish unpacking the house and feel more settled in then I had. My stomach and small intestine were intent on not making me feel at home in Toronto until everything was unpacked and put away. The nice thing is now that the house is somewhat settled in and most of the boxes are put away I feel surprisingly settled both in my mind and my stomach.
Mason and I also finished getting our "immediate" paperwork done. We finally applied for OHIP which will go into effect on 12-28-06 - two days before our temporary coverage ends - and our Driver's Licenses which will come in the mail in the next few weeks. It was a little bittersweet when she took away my Colorado License, not because of the fact it was Colorado, but because it was the first decent picture I ever had on and ID! We also got Mason added to the new bank account at Scotiabank and applied for a New Immigrant Credit Card through them. We also got new cell phones (it was cheaper and easier then unlocking our phones from the US) and with the exception of getting the car retrofitted and registered all of our big projects are done.
The other night Mason and I decided to go shopping for our first set of groceries for the house. We found a Dominion up the street, and though to give it a try. We also want to try the Sobey's and the Loblaw's to see how the prices are at each. It was weird to be in a supermarket where everything is measured in grams, kilograms and litres. We also found a wide variety of food from around the world in our local store: Figs from Greece, Asian Pears and Dragonfruit from Asia, real Feta Cheese in 20 gallon jugs my Mom use to buy when I was a kid and lots of other stuff that I would have never been able to find in King Soopers back in Colorado. We even had a great conversation with the deli guy (Rahim) who chatted s up about being a new immigrant from the United States - very friendly, very polite, very Canadian. We stocked up on stuff and realized that we were shopping very American-like - next time we go it will be a lot less and a lot smarter.
We got home and put our food away and got ready for bed, that's when I woke up to the sound of thunderstorms this morning - around three or four am. I haven't heard that sound in over a decade - yes we have thunderstorms in Colorado, but not like this, it was more like it was back in Massachusetts. I got up and went to the back porch and just sat there for a bit listening and watching to the rain. Listening to the thunder and rain spirits, smelling the mist in the air and taking it all in. I really do feel like I am home.
More insight and discussion later, I just wanted to make sure I got a post out, thank everyone for their well-wishes, let you know I'm still alive and kicking and promise to catch up on comments and your posts soon :-)
October 02, 2006
A New Chapter In My Life - Part II
-- MASON POST --
With our goodbyes behind us and plenty of hellos down the road, Nick and I begin our journey Northbound on I-25. Mingling with the daily commuters, it amazes me how quickly I take to navigating the roads being that I'm behind the wheel of a very large U-Haul truck.
With nearly a dozen maps on the seat with me, I’m relying on Nick ahead of me for directions. To cut down on racking up the cell phone minutes, I made sure we each have one of those personal hand-held two-way radios.
NICK: “Little Cub to Big Bear! Little Cub to Big Bear, you copy?”
ME: “Um, Big Bear??!”
NICK: “Yeah, do you want something different?”
ME: (Chuckling) “No – that works perfectly.”
NICK: “We’re going to take I-25 to I-76 and then we follow that forever.”
ME: “Copy that Little Cub – see you in Des Moines!”
Once I got through the jam that is I-25 in the morning, I quickly realized that there must be a governor (a device that limits speed on vehicles) on the damn truck. I’m stuck at 68 miles-per-hour and it won’t go any faster. Granted it may be the entire contents of our lives packed into the back, but nevertheless, 68 MPH would be my speed for most of this trip. With Nick just ahead of me the distance between us started to grow – the static on the two-way radios began to crackle and I could sense the tension in Nick’s voice with cars whizzing by us, the dogs still anxiously pacing in the back of Bette and that underlying drive in our souls to hurry up and get to Canada. Over the roar of the truck’s engine, I told Nick just to pull ahead and I’d meet him in Des Moines. As we sailed northeast on I-76, I could hear the stress in Nick’s voice fade away just as quickly as the connection between our two-way radios.
The next 10 hours would be uneventful and quite frankly boring as I made my way from I-76 onto I-80 and then east through Colorado and Nebraska and Iowa. My cell phone battery quickly faded away with calls from friends and family and at least a hundred text messages to keep me entertained along the way. About two hours behind Nick, I finally pulled into Des Moines and found my way to the hotel. Despite the queen-sized bed, the burp-inducing pizza and unfamiliar surroundings, we faded away to sleep – day one of our new adventure was complete.
WEDNESDAY SEPT. 27
Buzz – buzz – buzz – buzz – buzz. 5:45am is flashing on the clock radio next to the bed. Ring – ring – ring. “This is your morning wake up call” the polite animated voice spoke on the phone. I guess it’s time to start Day Two of Nick and Mason’s Excellent Adventure. While Nick hopped in the shower, I took the kids out for a morning walk, pee and poop. Athena and Cian have been absolutely wonderful on this trip. I’m sure the veterinarian-suggested dose of Benedryl running through their bloodstreams probably wasn't hurting matters, but they really have been (and would continue to be) very good on this trip.
With a tasty sausage McGriddles "I’m Lovin’ It" sandwich and coffee in my stomach, it was time to crawl into the cab of the truck and continue our way east. Today’s travels would take us through the rest of Iowa, the corner of Indiana and then Michigan. While the time in Indiana was short, I first noticed the highway signs put up to protect highway workers that state: “Kill a worker $18,000 and 14 years in jail.” I understand the importance of getting people to slow down around construction zones, but is putting a price on a life the way to do it? I’m not sure if it has to do with the quality of the workforce or inflation, but as I passed the border I noticed that highway workers are only worth $15,000 in Michigan. I got plenty of opportunities to see those warning signs because it seems like all but a few miles of Michigan highways are under construction.
At one point, construction moved the right lane onto the shoulder of the highway for about 10 miles. Normally this wouldn’t be bad, but this area had those carved lines in the concrete used to alert drivers who might be veering out of the lane of traffic. Unfortunately, for this section of the highway my travels were entertained with the loud, obnoxious rattle of brrrrrrrrrrap – brrrrrrrrrrap – brrrrrrrrrrap – of the tires running over those lines on the shoulder. With the sounds of thump-thump dance music blaring from my iPod into the stereo, my only consulation was that the brrrrrrrrrrap – brrrrrrrrrrap – brrrrrrrrrrap of the highway noise matched the thump – thump - thump of the club music coming from the speakers.
Chicago traffic is not for the faint of heart. It was absolutely crazy – even dozens of miles south of the city. The stop-and-go, the construction and the self-important drivers were enough to make me never cheer for the Cubs, the Mets, the Bears or the Bulls ever again (not that I really have before.) The joints in my hands ached as my fingers clamped on to the steering wheel with a death grip normally reserved for hanging onto the edge of a cliff you’ve just slipped over in an action film.
After nearly 20 hours behind the wheel over two days, I’m sure my friends and family were starting to think I had lost it based on the text messages I kept sending them. Approaching the Windy City, I texted:
“Cubs Win! Cubs Win – Holy Cow! – Take Me Out To The Ballgame!”
I was hoping that everyone would hear my Harry Carey impersonation in their heads when then got the message and they knew just where I happened to be. As I approached the next town in Michigan, the text went out:
“Zoo zoo zoo zoo I’ve got a gal in…”
It was my subtitle digital hint letting people know how I was progressing on our trip. Just about everyone seemed to get my attempt at creativity except for my sister Char who actually admitted that she didn’t know Kalamazoo was in Michigan.
I could tell I was getting closer to Ann Arbor as the flags bearing the familiar golden “M” on a blue background grew in size and became bigger than the Stars and Stripes. My trusty best friend and fellow sports buff Dan must have known where I was as well as his text message came beeping in: “Go Blue!”
A left, a right and another right and as the sun sets on this day, I finally find our hotel. As I dragged myself up to the second floor of the Comfort Inn, I had one overpowering thought in my head: drop off my bags in the room and find a bar – it was time for a cocktail! After reacquainting myself with my husband and taking the dogs out for a walk, pee and poop I spied a Red Lobster across the street. While it wasn’t exactly the idea I had for my last meal in the United States, the cheesy biscuits and cheap seafood would do fine because last I checked, they also have a bar!
Three double-tall Tanquaray and tonics, crab-stuffed mushrooms and a crab alfredo meal later, it was time to call it a night. Before Nick and I crawled into another rented bed for the night, we decided to take advantage of the two-person Jacuzzi tub conveniently (and cheezily) located in the living room of the suite. It was nice to just lay there enveloped in the warm, swirling water of the tub. We looked at each other and realized that tomorrow we would become Canadians. It didn’t take long for the heat of the water and exhaustion of the day to take hold of our bodies. It was the end of Day Two.
Posted by Mason at 11:06 AM | Comments (3) |