All posts by Gina

Georgina – walking on water

Sightseeing, ,

In the UK I used to to get excited when the puddles froze solid – usually there was little more than a thin layer of ice on the surface. I’m once again stunned by how alien our own planet can seem within the context of previous experience.

Ice (Lake Simcoe)

We have just returned from a much needed long-weekend away. We chose to head an hour or so north of Toronto, to Jackson Point on Lake Simcoe. In the township of Georgina, this area lays claim to being the ice-fishing capital of the world. Although not a ‘Great Lake’, Lake Simcoe is an expanse of water so huge that you cannot see the far shore. And at this time of year, it is not water, but a vast, blinding whiteness of ice. Not only can you walk on water, you can drive on it (though this is not covered by your insurance, so we didn’t!).  Peppered across the ice are clusters of ice-fishing huts. A constant traffic of skidoos and the strange vehicles that offer transport to the fishermen traverse the lake. But, in a couple of weeks or so, there will begin to be air patrols to ensure that everyone leaves the ice before it starts to break up.

Ice (Lake Simcoe)

Out on the ice Ice fishing bus Lake Simcoe Ice Road

There are ice roads out to the Chippewa territories on Georgina Island. A few years ago some people strayed off the road in a whiteout and were lost. An ice-breaking ferry was brought in, but Simcoe’s ice was too deep for it and the ice roads remain the only viable form of winter access.

Georgina Island Ferry

“The next ferry leaves in April . . . “

You can see the full collection of photos from out trip to Lake Simcoe and the Briars in the Sightseeing section of this site.

Red mittens (Olympic fever)

sport, Why Canada?, , , ,

Red mittens are a Canadian ‘must-have’, no matter where in the world you live! Apparently people are queuing for hours in Vancouver outside the Bay for their pair. They have become a symbol of the huge upsurge of national pride that these second Canadian Winter Olympics have generated – by wearing them, you both signal your support and contribute (as official Canadian Olympic Committee merchandise, they help generate funding). As you can see, we splashed out on scarves and hats as well!

Olympic clobber
Olympic Red Mittens

Canada has taken a lot of flak from the British press about the Olympics. I can’t help feeling this is misguided with London looming – talk about setting yourself up! We have felt considerable pride in our adopted nation, despite the glitches that are an inevitable element of any such event. I love that the Olympic torch travelled the country – the aim was that no Canadian citizen should have to travel more than an hour to witness its journey. What a wonderful commitment to the inclusive spirit of the Olympics! There is no doubt that this has contributed to the Canadian response to these games. It has also boosted national spirits in the wake of the 2009 recession. I am not alone in thinking that the ‘own the podium’ slogan got it wrong; I suspect it ultimately increased the pressure on Canadian athletes. More importantly, it seems to me to run counter to the Olympic ideal that what is important is participation. Perhaps ‘better than best’ might have captured this spirit better. Certainly we have cheered as so many young Canadians have exceeded personal ‘bests’, regardless of whether these have secured them medals. But we have also been moved by the spectacular performances the Olympics have drawn out of men and women of all nations. What does amaze me, though, is the level of aspiration. I know Canada is a ‘winter’ nation. But its population is less than that of California, just over half that of the UK and 11% of that of its neighbour (USA). As I write this, Canada stands third in the medal tables, with 15 medals, 7 of which are gold. Awesome! PS If any of our friends and family want their own pair of Red Mittens, we’ll do our best to acquire them – just let us know what size!

PodCamp Prize!

General, Leisure, Work,
Paul's prize
And the winner is . . .

Paul won one of two prize draws at PodCamp over the weekend of our Housewarming!

He has been jumping up and down looking out for the postman ever since – it finally arrived today. His prize is a Moviepix HD DV Cam (pocket video camera), very appropriate as he was volunteer cameraman for parts of the conference.

As he is increasingly involved in editing and posting video to YouTube for Tyco Electronics, it is also a timely addition to his ‘toolkit’ (in other words, another great techie toy!).

Our house has been ‘warmed’!

connections, Leisure, our home,

Some thirty friends, neighbours and acquaintances (plus small children) warmed our first Canadian home by their presence on Friday evening.

We were thoroughly spoiled, not just with bottles of wine but with a number of more personal gifts – totally unexpected and heartwarming. Paul’s Tyco colleagues live at some distance, so didn’t make it, but we were taken completely by surprise by the appearance of an ‘Edible Arrangement’ from them on our doorstep, a lovely gesture which we much appreciated. It made a great addition to the spread of finger foods I’d prepared. I’ve never really done this kind of food before, more usually offering a full buffet, but received good reviews!

Edible Arrangement

The party ran from 6pm, as we know many of our neighbours have young children – till 8 or so, there was a pleasant pandemonium!  It was an interesting experience to open the door to one or two people we had never met (we invited all our closest neighbours in our street, as well as a couple who had contacted us by e-mail to welcome us), but it worked well. We were also really pleased to be able in some small way to say thank you to the many people who have been so supportive during our first few months.

As often happens, a smaller group of closer friends stayed on, with the party winding down by around 11.30. This was perfect, as Paul had an early start to go to PodCamp on Saturday morning (a podcasting and social media conference). And we also had a party to go to in the evening (champagne cocktails to chase away the ‘winter blahs’), as well as a gala opening at a friend’s gallery – busy days!

New word of the week: ‘vocables’

Leisure, ,

At an evening of poetry, music and more at Luc Sculpture, I encountered the term vocable for the first time; essentially a vocalised sound that you might think is a word in some unknown tongue, but actually has no verbal meaning.

I’m still trying to work out what it is about such sounds that sets them apart from more obviously non-verbal vocalisation.  Yet songs sung in this language of the heart, wordlessly lyrical,  have a wonderful quality and a capacity to connect with inner worlds.

Check out www.myspace.com/annmarieboudreau – Ann Marie is a psychotherapist and soundwork practitioner, as well as multi-instrumentalist and vocal performer.