first frost
This morning when I walked the dogs, the plants along the waterfront trail were covered in a layer of ice. It's still mild enough for a light jacket, but I need gloves in the morning, and today I could have used my ear muffs.
sharia
This morning I see that Dalton McGuinty, Premier of Ontario, is banning the Muslim religious court known as sharia . This ends months of debate about whether sharia would be legal and binding in Ontario. I'm quoting at length from the story in today's Toronto Star because many US readers are likely not up on this. In a surprise announcement that caught both supporters and opponents of sharia law off guard, Premier Dalton McGuinty says he will move quickly to ban all religious arbitration in the province. McGuinty made the announcement in a telephone interview with The Canadian Press yesterday after months of debate and controversy surrounding use of Islamic sharia law in family arbitration. "I've come to the conclusion that the debate has gone on long enough," the premier told the news agency. "There will be no sharia law in Ontario. There will be no religious arbitration in Ontario. There will be one law for all Ontarians." The announcement prompted t...
One thing I don't envy about your short walk to the lake is the cold, cold wind you're going to be getting off the water very soon. You'll want to make sure you have a very thick coat.
ReplyDeleteMMmmmmmmmmmmm....winter. I find it hard this time of year because it's too cold to do summer activities but to warm to do winter activites. In a month and a bit however, I'll be skiing up a storm.
ReplyDeleteI love crisp mornings. We had a heavy frost too. It went down to -5oC last night.
It's all down hill from here :-(
ReplyDeleteHave you discovered the toque yet? That got me when I first heard it...
ReplyDeleteI think she meant the kind of hat we wear in winter.
ReplyDeleteI think she meant the kind of hat we wear in winter.
ReplyDeleteBut she said "when I heard it". That's why I asked. I know it's a hat, but heard what?
Speaking of which, what do you call it in NYC?
Nothing in particular. A hat. A knit cap, maybe. Or a ski cap.
Allan, from Vermont, calls it a toque.
Funny thing, a toque pronounced "toke" is the big puffy white hat worn by pastry chefs, although mostly cartoon versions of chefs these days.
Isn't it pronounced "tuke" rhyming with nuke? Or is that just a Quebec thing?
ReplyDeleteYes, it's pronounced "tuke" like "nuke".
ReplyDeleteBut people sometimes spell it toque (like the chef's hat which isn't pronounced the same) or touque. The "proper" spelling is tuque.
Or where you referring to the chef's hat?
ReplyDeleteThat might be a Quebec thing....
Naw, I was definitely refering to the most elegant of winter accessories.
ReplyDeleteTime to start unpacking the winter stuff. At least I'm not in the Eastern Townships where they just got 25 cm of snow this week.
*shudder*
You both have me completely confused.
ReplyDeleteYou both have me completely confused.
ReplyDeleteMaybe one of your first culture-clashes.
When expat said "Have you discovered the toque yet?" that instantly registered in my mind as talking about the hat.
You knew that a tuque was a hat, but a lot of foreigners don't which is why she said "That got me when I first heard it".
It seemed simple to me, I couldn't figure out why you thought she was talking about anything else.
Then that started the discussion about the "toque" (chef's hat), which then confused jessica because Canadians always assume toque=touque=tuque=winter hat.
ReplyDeleteWhew, thanks for clearing that up, Kyle.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know the two kinds of hats were spelled differently.
What threw me was "when I first heard it". I thought, how can you hear a hat? :)
The "proper" spelling is tuque.
ReplyDeleteThat...can't be. Lies, I say! Lies!