Evaluations

before we got into toronto, we actually missed our connection and ended up having a couple hours to kill in Ottawa, so we went to check out the Parliament buildings. which was cool. last time i was in Ottawa, i just drove past them, but because it was pouring rain and i really didn't feel like going in, so i never got a chance to see it up close. but it ended up being a day of drama. we got into the building and was just about to get our free tour on the road after a 20 min security check. when what should happen? FIRE ALARM. geez!!! we were on a tight schedule. even worse, they had confiscated our lil walkie talkies, so we couldn't just bail and leave our radios behind! we ended up waiting forever and got our radios in the last minute and barely made it back to the bus on time. oh well.



i didnt know much of what to expect from Toronto. i hadn't been there in more than ten years but from what i remembered before, i wasn't too impressed. this time around i wanted to go with an open mind. after all, its the largest of all our canadian cities. when we got in, i immediately realised why toronto is the hollywood's budget choice for a New York City substitute. there are certainly many parts that remind me of New York. So that i liked. the BIG malls, and BIG streets and BIG buildings. cheap hotdogs and papaya juice. it was great. but it wasn't new york! =(

Wicked was REALLY REALLY good. wow. its the story of how the wicked witch of the west from the Wizard of Oz came to be who she was. It was inventive, and original. Hilarious yet poignant and made many important statements about how people perceive what evil is. very cool.



After seeing the East Coast. I have made some smallish conclusions. past Montreal...communities are pretty sparse out in the maritimes and Newfoundland & Labrador. for you BCers. a large city is about the size of ABBOTSFORD. so that means that you're not gonna find as much culture or variety. the whole coastal/fishing environment is real, and refreshing. but not really anything new if you have been to small villages in Vancouver Island. I would say its pretty comparable. except in BC we have huge trees (because of warmer weather) and we have mountains. woohoo!



i HAD to try the Atlantic seafood. and its ... good. but nothing special. although, i'm pretty sure the lobsters out there are more plentiful and a bit larger. this makes sense as I personally believe the Atlantic is a lot more polluted than the Pacific and molluscs are primarily scavengers. it would make sense that the Atlantic is dirtier because of the hundreds of years of sea travel between the Americas and European exploration/settlement.

now that i've been to every major city in Canada. I feel like i'm allowed to rate my favourite city....drum roll... and it is. wait hold on. what do i mean exactly? ok. well there are a couple of things. I think there is a difference between a cool, hip, fun city that you would enjoy for awhile but not necessarily live in for a long period of time. NYC is that kind of place for me or even San Francisco. love those two places, but i'm not sure that i want to spend the rest of my life there. so i'm gonna rate it under two criteria. Most livable Canadian city, and Most interesting/fun place to be. the latter for me is definitely Montreal. I've only had two full days in Montreal, but every time i leave i wanna go back again. its....i dunno. addictive. i love that its so different from anything else in Canada. i LOVE the european influences on the architecture, the food and the multicultural heritages. I still think though that Vancouver is the most livable place in all of Canada. its growing increasingly impossible for the average person to be able to own a home there these days. but if money were no object. BC all the way, as long as i'm a couple hours drive within Vancouver i'll be happy. Still, i think i would be interested in living in a place like Montreal for a short time period. we'll see...

Cheryl and Mr. McGill


well i've been back almost week now in SK and wow the week has BLOWN BY. i began my sunday evening hosting an old friend from university who was heading to winnipeg to begin working at the U of Manitoba, helping and challenging students to grow in their walk with Christ. Justin is a good guy, and i thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to connect more closely again. its been a few years since we last had a good heart to heart.

monday night, cheryl told me she had a chat with her mum, and apparently i had received rave reviews from the family! woohoo! i felt super comfortable with her family and really liked the Maritimes. Enough, that I would say that I am open to living in the area. the one area that i liked a lot and felt was pretty charming was the town of St. Stephen which is just on the NB/maine border. neat town. so yea, its not like home, but i could get used to it because there are some nice similarities.

this week. lots of chances for call in shifts (not scheduled) at blockbuster. which has been mildly helpful for cashflow. but not so good with the intended plans. i'm going pretty hard now with my faculty assistantship and theres lots of stuff to keep me busy. this week i also led music in the chapel and will also be doing music tomorrow mornin'. it takes a lot out of you!

i've barely had much time to catch my breath and before i know it, monday will have arrived. here's to another week ahead....