WEEK Twelve!

I like the idea of experiencing my first Fall... and was happy to capture this, the first flush of leaves changing colour on an old and elegant University of Toronto building. Someone told me that the peak week is likely to be the second in October... just when we are in New England Lainey!

I'm not so keen on Halloween and have started to see the madness that descends upon Nth America appear in shop fronts. My theory is that as it moves towards the cold dark months, Nth Americans need something crazy to distract them. Last year I was here in the lead up and was glad I left the country just before the 30th October. This year I will have to endure. Who knows, perhaps I'll find a taste for it. I like pumpkins!!

I finally got Peter to take me out dancing. We'd been to five weddings since I've been here (as caterers) where I had to watch all the guests having fun dancing! So we went to the nightclub where we first went out on that fateful night nearly 4 years ago.

Luke had brought me back a present from China, a pashmina. I hadn't worn it yet. Getting ready to go out (women you know the drill, try this outfit, then that one... they all land in a pile on the bed...until you feel comfortable and dressed to dance). Peter meanwhile had changed in a few minutes and decided to wear my pashmina. He did look cool in it which Peter seems to be able to do without any effort. (That is the definition of cool I guess!). Anyway while we're dancing a talent scout came up and insisted he would be great in advertising... Peter is not convinced. I reckon one ad might pay to have his front tooth fixed... but he would have to do it in the other order! Liz and Luke were flabagasted when they heard this. Luke: The lights must have been really low Dad!!!

I would probably buy anything Peter advertised, but then I'm definitely biased. This here is evidence of the scarf heist.

The public hearing for the restaurant is coming up on 30 September and I have been involved in the campaign which has become quite hot as the Deputy Mayor continues to insist their 24 seat bistro will be against the public interest. There has been some media coverage. I have been taking minutes of meetings, sending out emails etc. Meanwhile catering and supplying croissants and other yummy things continues. Here below Jennifer (from West End) who I met on the train to Montreal, came to visit at the restaurant and was kind enough to join into our croissant tasting... JP trying to make the best as usual.

JP and Jennifer co authored a cookbook One Pot French last year while Peter was in Australia. I've put an Australian link to it here for budding French Cooks. Here's a photos I took of the cover as well.

My closest encounter with a racoon (big fat one!) who we found sitting on our fire escape landing yesterday morning. I just caught him waddling down the stairs which is a good thing because apparently they can be aggressive.


I finally joined the gym this week!!! And now need to actually get there. Canadian Television is filled with H1N1 documentaries often talking about what has been learnt from the earlier 'flu season downunder. Nice to hear Aussi accents and to see how beautiful Australia is, when it is not covered in red dust of course. Canadians are very worried as it starts to get cooler. I think the son of our neighbours has it or a similar very bad 'flu. It has been distressing to hear him coughing away day and night for the past week. I insist on going in and out through the fire escape in case I pick up whatever he's got. No worries, Lainey... should be OK by the time you're here.

Photography 101 is nearly already finished! We had to do our first photoshoot yesterday late afternoon. We had to get images to illustrate 12 themes plus the letters of our name (sounds like 101 doesn't it!). The camera had to be on manual so no cheating and no editing afterwards... my first tentative images are on flickr here.

Finally and this is finally... some of you may remember the woman Peter and I met in San Francisco last year, Anne, who is 85, and visited Australia (on her around the world in 80 days trip!) with her boyfriend just before I left Australia. She tracked us down a few days ago by phone to invite us to Orange County to her 86th birthday. She still plays tennis! I love her spirit...

Much love and some of Anne's spirit to you!
Lindy

WEEK ELEVEN

Well a milestone has passed this week. I got more emails and texts from Canada and Nth America than I got from Australia. Fun to begin to be making my own friends and aqaintances. Most notably the new friend from Chicago, Kristin, who I mentioned last week. A photo here of us having lunch on her last day in Toronto at Canoe, a restaurant up 30 or so floors, looking out across Lake Ontario. We were looked after by Joanne, the general manager of the restaurant, friend by way of Peter's partner, JP. The week before I had helped Joanne set up her first blog... so we were well looked after. Not sure how I got such a red shiney face... bring on my Photoshop classes!

A more important event though was having Peter's son Luke home to Toronto from Singapore for a couple of weeks. Luke is 23 and enjoying living in Asia... much to Liz' disappointment to have her only son living so far away. Here they are goofing off over dinner one night. (and yes we ate very strange pink Korean icecreams after dinner!)

The weekend was full with my trip to Montreal... last blog I mentioned meeting Jennifer from West End, Brisbane, on the train there. Mostly though I was spending time with long term friend Eva who lives in London now. Coincidentally Eva and I met in West End about 14 years ago! Here's a lovely photo of Eva below.

Two nights we ate dinner out... both times lighting was so low we could hardly see. The second night I ate my entire dinner by spiking my fork into the bowl and eating whatever was on it when it came out! Everything yummy, but a strange trend nonetheless. I say a trend because there is a famous restaurant in Montreal, O Noir, that is totally dark (apparently there are others in NYC, London and somewhere in Australia?) You have to be led into the dining room and feel for your knife and fork. The staff and musicians (but not the chefs!) are all visually impaired so it is great for them to get work they might not otherwise get. I had read a review of this restaurant so if you're interested to know more have a look here!

I am loving my basic course, 101 Photography. I had to submit four photos (composition rules) from what we learnt in week one and now I have another four for next Wednedsay. This week it is on using shutter speeds, aperture and ISO controls... it hasn't sunk in but hopefully will all get there by some small miracle. The photos are on my new flickr account and will be added to each week.

I nearly forgot the Toronto Film Festival! They showed 334 films from 64 countries in 10 days... I have seen six just to put it in perspective! I really enjoyed a film set and shot in Toronto Chloe (a remake of a French film, Nathalie). The Director, Atom Egoyan, was there and also the script writer and it seemed most of Toronto as they are very proud of this local talent. I also was impressed but sadly reminded of hard times in Aboriginal Australia by seeing Samson and Delilah (though it needs no intro in Australia) and amazed today to see a Mexican film about fishing, To the Sea, that enchanted me! Just two more to finish tomorrow and hopefully Peter will join me for one... Soul Kitchen from Germany.

Missing my family, many of whom are getting together this week on North Stradbroke Island. Love you all, miss you dearly. xx

WEEK TEN

Late uploading my blog this week... sorry for those who plan a cuppa around reading it at a certain time each week! And not much to say... well not through photos... as I didn't seem to take many!

The usual wedding whirl occurred last weekend but this time both weddings on Saturday and Sunday were on the Toronto Islands. Like the beaches of last week, Toronto has islands too! They (see map insert) are in the lake not far from the city. They provide a perfect vantage point for the city and are idyllic playgrounds for Torontonians in the warmer weather. I spent a luxurious Sunday (while Peter worked) walking through parks, eating lunch at the famous Rectory Cafe while I finished my latest book, lying on a beach and eventually falling asleep on the grass in late afternoon sun...

Only problem... I forgot my camera... so no images. But the day before on a different island I was able to watch the sun set and then catch the city lights across the water. So there's some evidence of those happy days....

Started my Digital SLR camera course this week. Began with composition and now I can see what is wrong with all the photos I've already posted! The instructor asked if anyone thought they had the eye and I stupidly said I thought I did... and no one else did.... so they'll have fun critiquing my photos when I send them in for later classes. Duffer!

Today I am writing from Montreal! Trained here yesterday (about five and a half hours) to spend the weekend with my friend Eva. She is here from London attending the International Civil Aviation Organisation legal meeting here. Apparently there is a Montreal Convention. I am learning lots of things I hadn't considered before! We, of course, as old friends (we met at the Brisbane Migrant Resource Centre when we were both working there in about 1996) are talking madly and today going out into a sunny day to explore Montreal old town.

On the train I sat next to a young woman who looked sophisticated and very chic! I thought she must be from Montreal... the French are always so chic I thought to myself. So after a while we started talking... oh, she's Australian! Where are you from? Brisbane, she says. West End! So then I have to ask myself, who's chic!!!? We had a great time talking the rest of the way to Montreal and will hopefully catch up here.

Finally, for those who know my earlier blogs, I have made a friend!!! In the queue for the Toronto International Film Festival I met a fabulous woman and couldn't stop talking for hours! Unfortunately she lives in Chicago... and so it doesn't count for a Toronto friend I guess. Hoping to visit her there sometime as it is a short flight from here and apparently an amazing city.

Well the sun is calling... and Eva doesn't get that much sun living in London so more next week.

love

Lindy

WEEK NINE

Well another great week... how fortunate am I! But not too proud to show this photo for my food segment of the week... Ontario corn... yummo... as you can see! And I'm desperately in need of finding a hair dresser.... where are you when I need you Larissa!

Week started with another wedding to cater... this time in an art gallery (if you're curious about the dark interiors here) and as promised the chef's gear... the real chef and the fake one.

Gorgeous weather... Brisbane Winter standard... clear sunny skies... 25 degrees... low humidity... so I thought I should take advantage of it and spend a day at the beach... it is a beach on a lake but for the lack of waves it feels like the sea... and it was beautiful....

In fact they have a Balmy Beach... such a good name. It was my Dad's birthday yesterday (had he still been alive he would have been 92) and he loved the beach so I enjoyed it in his honour. When both Mum and Dad passed away our family wanted to donate a chair to the local park in Dalby where they would walk each afternoon when they were able. Dad would take his walker in later years and they would head to the next chair, take a break and then make a move to the next one. We, as a family, spent some time trying to get the wording right for a plaque to go on the chair. So I was touched and impressed by this one I sat on yesterday at Balmy Beach... hope you can read the text.

... and these the beautiful trees...

Earlier in the week I was mostly queuing... first to try to get into hear President Bill Clinton speak at the Canadian National Expo (bit like our Ekka though in August here it is warm!)... but alas tickets ran out just as I got to the front of the line. I did get to wander the exhibits and caught this flag view and the winner in the sand carving competition (left).

Next I queued to get my choice of ten movie tickets for the Toronto International Film Festival. Every year I promise I will get to the BIFF but never do.... here I have no excuse... and this time I made it and these are the films I am getting to see starting week after next:

• Capitalism: A love Story
• Heiran
• Toad's Oil
• Between Two Worlds
• To the Sea
• Melody for a Street Organ
• Carmel
• Bassidji
• Baaria

My sister Heather told me there are 17 Australian films at TIFF... and I saw them there but decided to wait for those and go for ones I won't likely see from Japan, Italy, Iran, USA and elsewhere. I'll let you know what I thought if I don't get too scrambled with so many movies in so few days. It is also a big venue for the stars... George Clooney most notably probably to most of my girlfriends ... sadly for me, not Johnny Depp.... aghhh.

Finally on the restaurant.... there is a public hearing set for 30 September (the day sister Lainey arrives here) and we should know the outcome two or three weeks after that. Interesting, having been inside Local Government, watching the processes, both government and community, from the business vantage point.

In the meantime JP and Peter are providing croissants, muffins, banana bread and brownies to a new coffee shop owner a few doors down. Sam is a delightful guy who happens to be the winner of the Canadian Central Regional Barista Competition 2008! He has given me a few tips and actually has them online in short movies so for those of you who are interested click here. For milk frothing... the wonderful coffee roaster at Di Bella in Brisbane, Anne Cooper, put me onto this online video... see here. Some photos below to finish the week of Sam, Peter delivering at 7am (and yes I made it to take the photo), the decor including the interesting light shades... can you see it is a jar?

Bye for now

love

Lindy

Week Eight

Toronto!!!

Hi all, just had a lovely walk last night up the street from our place and this is two of the views we saw... weather cooling a little and really pleasant.

Week Eight? Eek this means the time is going really fast and my dream days here are finite. I did find myself telling someone that I could live here.. but I've yet to survive a Winter... so I shouldn't speak too soon. I asked Peter if he could live anywhere in the world where would it be... he said "Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne" so it doesn't sound like Peter will want me to live here!

Peter is very down on his city and gets very frustrated about the way it is being run... does seem to be a lot of unending roadwork and disruption to life ... we rarely go out without having to detour to go around a road block at night because police have closed roads due to crime. If you watch CP24 which has 24 hour Toronto news, weather and traffic updates you would think the city is riddled with crime...

This got me curious so I've checked comparative crime rates between Brisbane and Toronto... can only find between Australia and Canada and they reveal usually that we're pretty close on most things... though Australia higher usually. I can't vouch for this stats website, NationMaster.com but it seems to claim it has stats on all these things... click on each to get the stats link.

Murders per capita
Robberies per capita (Australia tops this one fairly significantly)

Rapes per capita (both countries very high comparatively sadly)

Total crimes per capita (this one is just interesting because it puts NZ at number two... Australia doesn't rate but that's most likely an error of omission)
Unpaid diplomatic parking fees (just for something curious... )

Significant event this week of course the death of Senator Ted Kennedy. CNN covering it wall to wall and it is interesting to watch places in and around Boston that Lainey and I will visit in a few weeks. TV is pretty much only via cable here and we get more many many US channels. Number of possible channels would have to be in the hundreds but I still miss old Aunty ABC.

Big event for us was buying a DSLR camera (Nikon D90 Rick and anyone interested in details). I have only the most basic knowledge so far of how to make her work. Nevertheless, over the weeks you should see the quality of the images improve as I practice and start my course in September. Peter delighted in hunting down the best deal and has gotten into the excitement... here some shots of him opening the boxes, setting up the camera and reminding me of my sister Wendy when we were kids opening my presents on Christmas morning saying "Lindy wake up! Look what Santa brought you!!".

More festivals on... this one a couple of blocks east of where we are living. I went with Liz (we joke about going on dates) to the East Asia Festival, though I haven't worked out how to capture them yet... there was lots of colour here... which I seemed to miss! Liz and I having a Curry. She's a lovely woman and I really appreciate her generosity of spirit ...

Being arty with new camera... shot from outside ICI...

Public hearing for the liquor licence for Ici, the restaurant, is now likely late September. While the partners are getting frustrated... there's another wedding to cater this weekend so I'll be on the job again with my slicing peeling threading and deep frying!! I'm enjoying the days before the restaurant opens as I know it will be crazy once it does and it is nice to have Peter to myself for parts of most days. Here are the partners... JP, Jennifer and Peter... JP and Co.

Oh and finally the week wouldn't be complete without a visit to China Town. Enjoyed these images (you might have to look closely at the labels to get the humour) in our favourite shop yesterday. We did buy an old chicken and he's cooking away right now... for a long time I suspect!

Love the Half old Chicken!

Bye for now

Love

Lindy

WEEK Seven

Hi all, I'm getting requests for updates... it is only a week but apparently because I edited last weeks it appeared that I had updated ... sorry for those who are now used to a weekly Canadian fix... hope I can keep doing interesting things for you!!!

Took this photo yesterday of the place we're living in... nice morning... so captures it really well I think. See the tiny windows up in the top floor... that's where I'm looking out of now.

I've spoken to Luke, Peter's son, who is in Asia (based in Singapore but just been travelling in Nepal and China) on the phone a couple of times and he always asks me what I do 'to fill my days'. I can't really explain it but the days seem busy.... is it doing an occasional help out at the restaurant? Is it going to walk the dogs most days? Is is getting around on public transport... don't think so as it is pretty efficient and I can link up between street car, subway and bus without long delays ... I think I have it worked out. It is sitting on the internet doing just about everything we used to do by foot, car or on the phone. It includes a list something like this...

Finding accommodation at view.ca
Booking tickets for concerts (exciting!)
Do banking in Australia
Skyping (though most of you are not awake when I want to talk!)
Checking email to hear from you
Sorting out things like car selling, insurance, managing my rental for Glenrosa Rd
Keeping up with Facebook ... read some interesting stuff on my Obama page yesterday... did you see this interesting interchange on TV outside of Nth America? I enjoyed this so much... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYlZiWK2Iy8
Planning the accommodation, flights, car hire for trip to the US in October when my sister Lainey comes over (lucky us!)
Keeping up with Australian news on ABC website
Getting online advice from my barista teacher in Brisbane (thank you Anne Cooper!) and more on that next week
Looking for a digital SLR camera for my camera course that I found and booked of course online... oh and
Writing this blog!
Now this is nothing new to anyone... but despite the fact that I now don't have a job that requires me to use my computer... here I am on it nearly all day.... oh yes I need to use it to...
Find a gym before I develop into a BlogBlob!!

This is in front of Peter's house (with Liz his expartner) where the dogs live... (I get more questions about the dogs than anything in the blog of course)and it is a pretty little garden. No we don't live here! Next is a corney photo of me in my new sun frock... that I got Peter to take because of the colour in the dress and the flower match... and don't I remind me of my mother in this photo (actually wearing her pearls which probably helps that feeling).

Out looking at cameras yesterday we went to an entire shopping centre filled with Chinese shops... it could really have been in China but an occasional Canadian maple leaf flag reminded me where we are... Peter (I told him you'll all think he's a cheapskate) found this restaurant that sold these huge mango juices... and if you spent $5 per person... a full meal for .99c!!! See photo below to prove it. Peter very generous actually but he dearly loves a bargain..

Finally the weather is still crazily hot and humid here... and last night while at a catering function for a local plant nursery's 120th anniversary (I forgot to get a photo of my chef's gear... requested by you Lainey I think!) there was an almighty storm with thunder and lightening, huge rain that filled the kitchen floor with water, water pouring down the walls and in through the ceiling and had the guests hiding inside between rain and wind gusts (interestingly though they stayed for hours to keep eating the food). We managed to shift the kitchen to a drier room. Little did we know that there were tornado like winds nearby and a young boy was killed and many many houses lost roofs etc. See: http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/684478

We are also watching the likely arrival on the East Coast of Tornado Bill. Seems like Nth Qld again...

Little did I know when I was so taken with Peter's beautiful smile the first time I saw him that I'd be dragging around the catering world pretending to know what I was doing a few years later! Anyway promise a photo next time.

Bye for now
love
Lindy

Week Six

You know your life has changed when you wake up wondering what the day will hold and the man in your life says...'oh we're going to buy a pig's head'... Oh OK, should have thought of that...

So off to the Happy Meat Market... to buy one roast pig's head ... which clearly makes Peter happy if not the pig!

So what does one do with this? It is to be used, including the crispy roast skin, to stuff hand made ravioli... of course!!! But we sneak a snack before the guests would ever know...


On other matters close to my heart, last week I was wondering whether I might be able to get Leonard Cohen tickets as he's doing a second nth american tour after the success of the first world wide tour that many of you in Brisbane went to... well I just happened to have a look online the day before tickets went on sale for Madison Sq Gardens... so next morning at precisely 10am I start trying to get the tickets... it took two hours of internet and telephone calls... because of my non american credit card... but as I've posted on facebook, two tickets happily snared for 23 October. So that was a quick answer to my blog dream!

As those of you who know me from LAMP days know... I am convinced of the power of symbols... and when I saw this seagull on a pole... I had an immediate sense of recognition... now I'm over the jetlag and tiredness of leaving Australia... I feel like this bird... a little alone but in a very good and serene place to look out on the world...

Other than that I'm happily nesting in our new place. It takes 25 minutes by street car (tram) and underground and a walk to get to the restaurant. Our little two bedoom apartment is on the third floor of an old house (about 100 years or more) on a fairly busy road between China Town number Two and Greek Town... this seems to be how Toronto is organised.

There is a street car literally at the front door either going north or directly to the city. There is a hospital, aged care home and a prison on the other side of the street and a large ravine park that has... sadly ... a big freeway running through it. From the side of the road we get a good view of the city with the dominating CN Tower. This morning I spied a swimming pool and tennis courts that promise fun.

Here I am at 11pm at the restaurant writing my blog.... catering work is long and seemingly endless. I have done my bits and pieces and been paid in wine and kisses. I am not complaining!





Oh and it is hot and humid, punctuated by storms every day or two. Sound like Brisbane in summer?





Thanks for all the messages that keep popping up. I love hearing from you all.

xxx
love
Lindy

Scored!! Two tickets to hear Leonard Cohen, Madison Square Gardens, in October when my sister Lainey and I are in New York. Can't believe it really as I was so disappointed to miss him in Brisbane and to go to Madison Sq Gardens will be an experience in itself. This is one of the perks that made it easier to leave my home my family my friends my cat ...so I'm so delighted.

Back to the rain again... storms every day... you would think I was in Brisbane but at least I am in no hurry to get to or from work.... so I am just enjoying them from whatever vantage point I'm at. Currently in the restaurant. The health inspector is here ... laying down some laws... even though they aren't open.