WEEK FOURTEEN and WEEK FIFTEEN

A bumper blog this week as I've missed last week and have to catch up. Will try not to bore you... here above a few photos of a drive we went to at Port Credit west of Toronto by Lake Ontario. I'd met Dorothy at TIFF who invited us to visit and we had a great day despite the cold grey weather.

It is so good having Lainey here as she's up for any spur of the moment suggestions. One night we went past a theatre that had a play entitled Secrets of a Black Boy... provocative title! The theatre was walking distance from our home and the play was quite an eye opener... it is part of a fairly fresh attempt on behalf of the black population of Toronto to express itself to its own community in their own voice/s. Not sure I do it justice, but it ran for over two weeks with a theatre capacity of over 400 and it was full the night we went. We didn't get all of the humour but the messages came through pretty clearly. The playwrite's sister, Trey Anthony, had written a play (which is now also a TV series) from a female perspective called Da Kink in My Hair. Check the links if you are interested.

Still no news on the Liquor License but baking and catering continue and Lainey enjoyed a couple of sessions helping out in the kitchen with Peter.

We moved out of our lovely little apartment up in the rafters last Thursday as Lainey and I are travelling in the US and Peter is looking after Oscar and Toby for a couple of weeks. I am now officially of no fixed abode!

My excuse for not doing my blog this week is a good one. Lainey and I have been to Paris, Berlin, Norway and Poland all in a week! All these places are actually places in New Hampshire, which along with Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island make up the area known as New England north of New York City. Did I miss any?

We flew to Boston, then drove (ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD!) for a wonderful week of pure tourism through stunning fall folliage. We read before we left, with a cringe, that people doing this are called Leaf Peepers... but there's no pretending otherwise, that's what we were. For photos please see the photos hopefully scrolling away beside this page... if not go to this flickr page. Wouldn't have been possible without the GPS which Laine bought for Peter and I as a thanks for having her stay (yes she's very generous).

Our first morning finding fall leaves in the boot of the car...

For me highlights of travelling are mostly in meeting up with people along the way, sometimes in unexpected ways. In one of my favourite places of the trip, Shelburne Falls, in Massachusetts, we came across a bunch of kids covering their faces in mud and putting cucumber slices on their faces before lying on the pavement. I am sure I've never seen this before. Here the evidence!

It was the Columbus Day public holiday and they, part of the Amherst Christian Youth Group, were participating in Rediscover America Day, which while not sounding particularly politically correct, was obviously highly entertaining for this very likeable bunch of kids.

In Shelburne Falls we also met potters, Molly Cantor and Rachel and musician Abe Loomis, who played a five string banjo and entertained us with some of his beautiful songs. Walked out of there with a whimsical & original plate and a bluegrass CD produced locally that gave us hours of pleasure as we wound our way around New England backroads.

Gotta finish for this blog and I haven't done justice to the rest of the trip... but for the kooky side of New England thought I would show you these. Not being from the area our only real knowledge of Cape Cod is our father visiting many years ago and falling in love with the architectural styles of the houses... we could absolutely understand why he did. But we didn't know it was such an interesting place. Provincetown, or PTown, at the tip of the Cape is known for it's eccentricity and off beat personality. We had only just pulled into the car park when we met these two friendly furries. Check out furries!We also spent hours browsing in a great shop full of odd stuff including fur jackets that you pay for by the weight! Fur a theme here obviously...

Finally, finishing off in Boston we got to the the Blue Men Group that was a strange mix of art, music (drumming mostly), and crazy stunts. Had to catch the photo with the blue man to complete my kooky set of New England... so on that note... farewell!!!

Bye til next time

Love (and are you still out there!?)

Lindy

WEEK THIRTEEN

Well, much has happened this week .... so let's get going!

My sister Lainey arrived on Wednesday evening. It happened to be the night (and the same time!) as we went to the hearing for Ici's application for a liquor license. In some ways this was disappointing as we couldn't go the airport to collect her and in other ways it was fortuitous as she arrived to the hearing by cab to find many of the people I had begun to get to know all at one place, including Liz and Luke.

Lainey couldn't believe how friendly people were and after getting many spontaneous hugs she decided she was going to like Canadians.

She then had a chance to hear (or endure!) most of the proceedings of the hearing which was a bit like watching a courtroom drama where you knew the stars but there was no murder involved! Quite an amazing time and we are yet to know the outcome.

The partners of the restaurant did really well, and there were a large number of people there to lend their support. It took so much work from so many to get there on a shoe string budget... but in the end it felt like a big family party. The short story is that we still don't know the outcome, but it looks promising. We hope to know by next week. Here to the left the ICI team reading one of the newspaper articles about the hearing, which has been quite fascinating to watch.

We were quite media mad for a couple of days watching newspaper, blogs and twitter which were running hot. There were radio interviews and photo shoots every other day. If they don't get their license I'm not sure what will happen! Here are some links in National Post;

Toronto Life; Globe and Mail; Toronto Star; Martini Boys. Sam James, the Barista with the new coffee shop across the street has been politically implicated and so there's a fascinating internet skirmish going on. You'll work it out from the articles.

The other big event this week for us was Luke returning to Singapore the day after the hearing. We managed to get to the airport next morning a bit bleary eyed. It was very sad for Liz in particular. Here are some photos from the airport. The first one I love as Liz has her arm wrapped around my waist. The night before, after the hearing, about ten of us went out to dinner. As we arrived... Liz, Lainey, Luke and Lindy (yes all Ls!) with Peter... Jenny commented... Peter your herd is getting bigger! Guess that is the case... but I do feel like they are my family and I'm so grateful for the way things are working out.

Lots of chances to use my camera!! Luke saying goodbye to his mum and dad.

There was lots more this week... including meeting the Premier of Ontario... because we were catering for a political fundraiser on Sunday night... but that's about it I think as I'm too tired now and we're off to the markets early tomorrow morning.

love from me and Lainey!
Lindy

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