test blog 5

It was so great to see my friend D! I say it all the time, but here I go again: thank goddess for the internet. Every friend I have up here, I originally met online. And some, like many of you folks, I have only met online. Our immigration and re-settling experience would have been so different - so much more difficult, and so much lonelier - without the internet. Yesterday's drive to Kitchener-Waterloo was longer than I anticipated, so I just poked around Kitchener a bit. There's a nice little downtown, decked out for the holidays, and a big farmer's market. Was (is?) the area an enclave of German immigrants? I saw several German-themed stores and a big German-language bookstore. That made me think of the propaganda (and violence) that hurt German-Americans in the US during both World Wars. You've heard of Freedom Fries - did you know there was once Liberty Cabbage? It's usually known as sauerkraut... I was wondering if Canadians of German descent experienced the s...

I just got an email from the director of an upcoming film called "Escape To Canada". I guess he's looking for escapees to help plug his movie. I don't know anything about it, but I'm game. From the Trailervision website : When America isn't America anymore... Where do you go? Although there's been an explosion of press about Americans looking to move to Canada, Americans have been fleeing the US since the previous election. Canada, normally a quiet, out of the way place, has suddenly become cool. Hundreds of "reefer refugees", gay couples and AWOL soldiers have been arriving in different cities around the country. At the same time, a profound change is taking place in Canada. Canada now has marijuana cafes in every major city; gay marriage is legal from coast to coast; topless women are not the issue they are in the US. The government is on the verge of decriminalizing pot. The idea that Canada is the real freedom-loving country in North America ...

The Canadian news is abuzz this morning with the scolding from Washington. Washington Scolds Ottawa U.S. tired of Canadian attacks on environment, trade policies Ottawa and Vancouver — The United States launched an exceptional mid-campaign rebuke yesterday of the Liberal government's constant criticism of the Bush administration, bringing the high level of tensions between the world's two biggest trading partners to the forefront of the Canadian election. "It may be smart election-year politics to thump your chest and constantly criticize your friend and your No. 1 trading partner. But it is a slippery slope, and all of us should hope that it doesn't have a long-term impact on the relationship," the U.S. ambassador to Ottawa, David Wilkins, said in a tough speech to the Canadian Club at the Chateau Laurier. The 20-minute address reverberated on the campaign trail. Liberal Leader Paul Martin, who had promised to repair relations with Washington when he became Prime...

We recently saw two movies that co-starred my favorite city. One was Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda . It was sweet and funny, and if you like Woody Allen, it's a nice rental. If you don't care for his brand of romantic comedy, you won't find anything new. It's all shot in Manhattan, of course, including a gorgeous autumnal Central Park. The other New York movie was Saving Face , a terrific romantic comedy by Alice Wu. Two women fall in love against the backdrop of the Chinese community in Flushing, in New York City. Bits of Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan make appearances; the movie has a real New York flavour. I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it. And what do I find on a Simpsons re-run last night? Well, what else? Lisa confesses that she cheated, and what turns out to be a fake Springfield Comptroller says: "That took courage. And where I come from - Canada - we reward courage..." As Lorna recently pointed out in comments, a few of the Sim...

You know what today is? Bah.

I have a bunch of odds and ends to post this morning. Our Ontario Health cards arrived yesterday. I have to start looking for a doctor. I know, good luck. I've heard all about the huge shortage of doctors in the GTA, and in all of Ontario. But what can I do, I've got to give it a shot. We had excellent Indian food in Mississauga last night, thanks to a Chowhound recommendation. Other people's tips are essential to finding good food in the suburbs. The non-chain restaurants are tucked away in strip malls and shopping centres, and outside of our little village of Port Credit, we don't pass anything on foot. Driving by, it all looks the same. But thanks to you guys and Chowhound, I'm learning there's more life out here than first meets the eye. If you've been around wmtc for a while, you know we don't celebrate this upcoming winter holiday. However, one of the four major holidays of Allan-and-Laura-land is approaching: January 3 , anniversary of domestic...

In comments yesterday , I said: That reminds me of something I forgot to mention. During the recent non-confidence vote, Allan and I had our first look at a full parliament. I was taken aback by how white and how male it is. I expected - or at least was hoping for - better. This engendered a big discussion, which I am only reading now - and learning a lot from, as always. (Wmtc readers rock!). Culling this thread from the always-welcome Simpsons-related comments, we find: Kyle: Yes, it's still pretty much an old white-boys club. The PM always makes sure that he's surronded by women and minorities in close-up shots, but the rest of the parliament hasn't changed much. Then again, it also has to do with the fact that outside of the Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton, Canada is mostly white. The Maritimes are especially so, not because they don't want non-whites, but because they can't attract them. Immigrants are drawn to places like Toronto an...