open thread

It's spring-like outside, and the headlines are as lovely as the weather: "Harper's Lead Takes A Hit: With Tory Leader straying from script, poll shows support for his party waning". I am hopeful that the fever is passing, and Canada is coming to its collective senses.

We went into Toronto last night, had dinner with friends at the Bloor Street Diner. The food was very good, the company was excellent. These are people who I originally met online, then who'd see on our visits to the GTA, during our application process. They're very busy urbanites, much like I once was. They love Toronto and are fairly contemptuous of the suburbs.

Catching their drift, I can take the measure of how much my life has changed. There was probably a time when I sounded like that, too. These days I find myself not just loving Port Credit, but really appreciating Mississauga, too.

I grew up in the suburbs, bored and rebellious, anxious to spring my trap and leave suburban life for the tumble and din of the city. Which I did, with great gusto, for more than 20 years.

And now here I am. Never thought I'd see the day, but I've turned suburban. I'm glad Toronto is right down the highway, but I don't find myself wishing I lived there. Life is funny.

Well, not much to say today. Comments are open and waiting. Feel free to take this thread in any direction, off-topic apologies not needed.

Comments

  1. Andrea20 January 2006 at 05:46

    I am glad you are starting to feel at home and comfortable in your surroundings. This is heart warming to hear.

    And the new story you linked also warmed my heart. ahhhh please...

    I left a comment in the other post but our request for passport has finally come!!!

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  2. laura k20 January 2006 at 06:00

    I feel very at home. Actually, I'm so happy with my life right now that I hesitate to say it. I don't want to sound like I'm gloating or bragging. I'm just in a great place where things have really come together for me. I feel so fortunate.

    Hooray for passport requests!!! I answered your comment in the other thread.

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  3. Andrea20 January 2006 at 06:11

    Our time line is a year almost to the day when processing started, and we are dealing with Manila. We had tons of problems and nothing really started to roll until we got my hometown MP involved. I was reading on a Canadian visa forum that most people out of Manila have time lines of 2 to 4 years.
    I stopped complaining after I read that.

    And I dont think you are gloating, I think you are happy and that is just GREAT!

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  4. laura k20 January 2006 at 06:22

    Thank you Andrea. :)

    I was reading on a Canadian visa forum that most people out of Manila have time lines of 2 to 4 years. I stopped complaining after I read that.

    It varies so much depending on what country you're coming from! We met a South African woman who had been waiting four years for her paperwork to be completed. That takes a lot of motivation.

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  5. theduckthief20 January 2006 at 10:28

    I don't want to sound like I'm gloating or bragging.

    It doesn't sound like bragging or gloating at all. There's nothing wrong with being happy about where you live. I just wish more people felt the way you do.

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  6. Kyle_From_Ottawa20 January 2006 at 10:31

    I feel very at home. Actually, I'm so happy with my life right now that I hesitate to say it. I don't want to sound like I'm gloating or bragging. I'm just in a great place where things have really come together for me. I feel so fortunate.

    It's noticeable just in your blog posts that you seem more at peace now.

    ReplyDelete
  7. barefoot hiker20 January 2006 at 12:27

    I was a 905er for 16 years. I always felt myself kind of caught in the middle. It used to grind my gears whenever the ridings around me would go Tory blue. But I always hated the parochialism of people living in "Metro" (what's now Toronto pre-1998), especially the people downtown who seem to think subways are for the beautiful people and airplane noise should only be inflicted upon peons in Mississauga and Brampton, not the ivy curling around the condos down on Queen's Quay. I now live in 416, but still outside downtown, so aside from people around me voting Tory, not much has changed (except the size of my local-dialing area, yay!). :)

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  8. laura k20 January 2006 at 13:01

    There's nothing wrong with being happy about where you live. I just wish more people felt the way you do.

    Thanks. Me too. I wish I could spread it around.

    It's noticeable just in your blog posts that you seem more at peace now.

    Wow, thanks Kyle. That's really nice to hear.

    You've been reading this blog a long time. I'm pretty sure you were the first person to comment, or to read the blog regularly, that I knew of.

    ReplyDelete
  9. laura k20 January 2006 at 13:05

    I was a 905er for 16 years. I always felt myself kind of caught in the middle. It used to grind my gears whenever the ridings around me would go Tory blue. But I always hated the parochialism of people living in "Metro" (what's now Toronto pre-1998), especially the people downtown who seem to think subways are for the beautiful people and airplane noise should only be inflicted upon peons in Mississauga and Brampton

    I know just what you mean. I saw that in NYC all the time. It's amazing how small-minded big-city folks can be. These folks (well, one of them) are very down on "the 905s", as she calls the suburbanites. She was surprised to hear that our riding is Liberal.

    I'm curious to see if it stays that way, of course.

    ReplyDelete
  10. orc20 January 2006 at 14:08

    I don't think I'd mind living in the suburbs, as long as I was on a trolley (ob~USA: tram) or bus line that provided frequent service to the city, and as long as I could make it to the shops either on foot or via the bus/trolley.

    I suspect I'm either 60 years too late or 20 years too early for this, unless you count the parts of a city that are separate houses as "suburb."

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wrye20 January 2006 at 14:28

    Very amusing Jon Stewart focusing on the Canadian election last night. I had no idea the CBC had agreed not to let debate footage be used by Canadian humour shows. Though of course, TDS is shown in Canada but is not *bound* by that restriction. heh.

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  12. laura k20 January 2006 at 16:33

    I don't think I'd mind living in the suburbs, as long as I was on a trolley (ob~USA: tram) or bus line that provided frequent service to the city, and as long as I could make it to the shops either on foot or via the bus/trolley.

    I can walk to all the shops, all the basics, which is one of the main reasons I can be happy here. I'd be very unhappy living somewhere where I had to drive for every little thing.

    The area where I grew up was like that. Nothing in walking distance - awful.

    Now, beyond the basics, we do drive for anything else, but I like it. After 25 years in NYC w/out a car, I was ready for the driving life. (Especially since mine does not involve commuting.)

    ReplyDelete
  13. laura k20 January 2006 at 16:34

    Very amusing Jon Stewart focusing on the Canadian election last night.

    Rats, I missed it! I'll have to see if I can see it online.

    ReplyDelete
  14. laura k20 January 2006 at 16:40

    Ah, of course. I always forget it's shown several times. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Doug20 January 2006 at 18:19

    I'm tired of the whole Toronto thing, whether it's the downtown, or the suburbs I live in the Beaches but am packing up and going to live in Victoria, B.C. for Feb 1st.....to work for the B.c Gov't ...living on the Island nice change from toronto...

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  16. gwen23 January 2006 at 09:39

    Hi Laura, a much-delayed thank you for the link to your blog last year...I have been enjoying it. As someone who heard firsthand about your feelings for suburban life, I was quite surprised at your new love of the suburbs! I am happy to hear you feel so at home. I have always loved Westchester (not counting the poor public transportation,) but most especially the extreme quiet. I love the silence at night, the crickets, the last train of the night far in the distance the only sounds...after a noisy day at work.

    Thanks also for your movie tip about Saving Face...watched it last night and loved it!

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  17. laura k23 January 2006 at 11:02

    Gwen?? How nice to hear from you! I had no idea you were reading this blog.

    Yes, go figure, I've turned suburban. Partly because after 222 years in NYC I was ready for a big change, partly because we now live in a cute little town - it has a real "village" feel, and partly because I just wanted to live in a house!

    I hope all is well with you, my old friend.

    ReplyDelete
  18. laura k23 January 2006 at 11:04

    222 years in NYC

    Ha! That was some typo. I'm old, but come on...

    ReplyDelete
  19. gwen24 January 2006 at 06:35

    Don't feel bad...I've been living in Westchester for 2222 years and that's no typo...

    My boyfriend Alan and I often discuss moving out of the country, for many reasons, not the least of which is to protect our respective teenage children from the inevitable (?) draft. Maybe we'll be neighbors one day. How is the skiing near you? Any work for engineers?

    ReplyDelete
  20. laura k24 January 2006 at 06:44

    My boyfriend Alan and I often discuss moving out of the country, for many reasons, not the least of which is to protect our respective teenage children from the inevitable (?) draft.

    A good reason indeed. I anticipate my draft-age nieces and nephews sleeping on our floor.

    How is the skiing near you? Any work for engineers?

    Well, considering I've never been on skis in my life, I couldn't say. :)

    Southern Ontario wouldn't be the place for Canadian skiing (flat, and not much snow), but there must be lots of skiing out west - and cross-country in most provinces. I'll ask!

    Immigration says professionals of all types are needed. There's a certain amount of "brain drain" to the US - Canada is always trying to attract qualified immigrants. If you're both engineers, you'd breeze through the process. But apply before you're 59, when you start to lose points for aging.

    If you don't mind, I'll post your question and see what folks have to say. Some morning when I'm fresh out of ideas, it will come in handy.

    ReplyDelete
  21. gwen24 January 2006 at 08:07

    Sure, that would be great. We are both in the semiconductor research/development/manufacturing industry. Alan is also interested in Costa Rica, so we hope to visit there some time soon. One of the less-than-great things about having a house is that some years, instead of a vacation, you get a new chimney...not as much fun but stops the roof from leaking!

    ReplyDelete

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