Blogs from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, North America - page 83

Greetings from ca. Slowly getting used to the madness that is Canada. Started work yesterday and was greeted with a shiney new white ibook with my name on it! Days are mostly spent getting up early enough to get down stairs for free pancakes and coffee before 'riding the street car' (catching the tram) to work. 15 min journey. The first few days here were drowned in typical Scottish weather and grey sky mysery but today the sun is shining so brightly that I am forced to wear sunglasses with my coat on. Another novelty! Temps are predicted to rise for the weekend and we should all be walking round in 77 degree temps. Will believe it when I see it though. Everything looks shiney and huge in the sunshine. I have a view of the ... read more

Fifteen days before take off ... a quick perusal of what could be in store.... not to be scanned by the faint of heart or anyone that is going to message me that I am walking into Big DooDoo... no pun intended. A woman came to the school, where I am just completing a teaching assignment, flogging a book about sandwich making sponsored by Dempster's and she brought a plastic replica of sh-- as a possible filling???? .... ergo my depiction of what I could be in for is not far off ... or does it just follow through in my chaotic-before-mega-trip-jitters-psyche? These facts have been gleaned while reading the Sudbury Health Unit Travax Report Just a bit of an eyeopener. Canada, U.K. Australia and USA government agencies have contributed to this report. Below find only ... read more

Bin heil in Montreal angekommen und habe mich in hier gut zu recht gefunden. Vor allem viel geschlafen, diskutiert, ein wenig die Stadt kennen gelernt... Montral ist für schweizer Verhältnisse gross. Wenn man das aber hier sagt, wird man ausgelacht . Jedenfalls habe ich hier schon mehr Schnee gesehen als bei uns den ganzen Winter über. Es ist kalt, und der Wind trägt seinen Teil zur Kälte bei. Das soll sich aber bald ändern, das sagen sogar die Einheimischen. Auffallend an Toronto ist der Kontrast zwischen neu und alt. Auf der einen Strassenseite ein Glasturm und auf der anderen Seite ein Gebäude aus dem vorletzten Jahrhundert... Als nächstes reiste ich mit dem Bus nach Kingston. Das liegt etwa auf halbem Weg nach Toronto. Sind nur 500km und gute 3 Stunden fahrt. Kingston ist ein nettes kleines ... read more

I couldn't quite make up my mind about Toronto. I couldn't figure out if I liked the place or not, somehow I found myself comparing it to some of the other amazing places I have been like New York; , Boston; and of course Montreal. Now I know the folly of comparing one city to another as each is different and has its own particular vibe but I just couldn't help myself. In a way it’s like Montreal but bigger, without the soul and without the French. I could read the signs on the walls and understand people’s conversations in the street; I think maybe I missed feeling like I was somewhere far away and exotic. It felt like a tourist city, once we had done the touristy things there was nothing left to do really, ... read more

The Spanish lessons are going well, muchos gracias, at the Spanish Centre on Hayden St. just south of Bloor andYonge. Working at a Toronto District School Board school since Feb 1 is paying handsomely!! The same backpack that went to India is ready and packed. Putting up the tent under five mintes is the immediate challenge. Medical insurance has been procured. My blood has been infused with all manner of serum to ward off yellow fever, thyphoid, hepatitis A&B, cholera and polio. Malaria and diahrrea are on the lets-hope-it-does-not-find-me-list. A guard for my precious house in the woods is in place; not a scary snowman. Boots and weather proof jacket have been worn and are comfy. Have not yet worn the pants ... hope they will beOK and not used too often. Who amI kidding? ... read more