Global Mobility - With Back Ache?

I woke up early last Monday, my back aching as if the baby was coming very soon.  Strange as I am not pregnant, but given the pain, and the closeness to December, I suppose miracles could happen.  Whilst the pain was dreadful, the prospect of getting medical help was worse.  Coming from the land of the NHS - universal healthcare, free at the point of need, I found myself weighing up the pro's and con's of claiming on my private medical insurance or just handing over a bag of Looneys at a walk-in clinic. 

I decided on a walk-in clinic, which is an ironic terms as walking is not wide spread in Canada, folks favoring the car for every excursion.  So I hobbled, in pain, into the clinic to be told that it was $60 cash to see a doctor.  "Do you mean cash cash?" I asked the man, me being used to that term meaning the use of a debit card.  Sadly he replied "yes, cash cash, there is a Bank of Montreal accross the street".  Now "accross the street" is quite a way away in a car led society, and I had no car.  I hobbled there and back, took about half an hour, and the pain was awful. 

As I waited to see the doctor the receptionist declared to another patient that they lived in the same street as me.  Who needs data privacy eh?  I got to see the Dr very fast.  He asked me to bend and touch my toes.  I couldn't, but I assured him that that was normal.  Those toes have been far away from my fingers for years.  Diagnosis - I had experienced a back spasm and the solution was muscle relaxants, anti-inflamitories - and here's the kicker...exercise.  "The worst thing that you can do is sit or lie around".  Seriously?  Hmmmm.

So, one week later, I am feeling a lot better.  Exercise does seem to help and sitting still hinders.  Many conference calls this last week have had me doing yoga whilst participating - another virtue of remote working - no one can see you stretch!  A calm weekend at Blue Mountain (which is actual a hill) saw me hobbling from Starbucks to the "paint your crockery" studio whilst Major and Minor went swimming at the Aquatics Plunge Park.  Of course I was too poorly to go there with them...I was, honest!

Backwards and forwards

Left my home 40 days ago for a huge adventure. The month leading up to that was filled to bursting with spreadsheets and lists of things we had to tick off. (I guess that should be check off, but I can't bring myself to speak North American outside the office).  Looking back we have achieved a lot.

• Stewie started school this week, on the Tuesday after the Thanksgiving weekend. Wednesday he rode the yellow school bus for the first time.  What has he done at work this week?  All I can get from him is that you need to wear your inside shoes inside; they did maths (math?) which was focused on pumpkins; and on his first day he did music twice, either side of recess, whatever that is.
• Gary refered to crisps as 'chips' yesterday. That was just plain weird. Not so much an achievement as an observation of the surreal.
• I have managed to open 2 bank accounts, one in the city at "the worlds bank" where incompetence is required.  I'll be closing that account next week as I have since opened one in Bolton where Jeanne, my bank manager, phones me to let me know my credit card is in the post.  Customer service like I have never seen before. 
• Bus and train trip to the office is relaxing...

We are moving into our new home in 12 days...exciting times.  Our furniture is still in a container in the UK, expected who knows when...we shall be camping out, inside, for while but we'll have beds, TV and each other so let the fun continue!

Challenging myself

One of the many reasons we chose to move to Canada, and live in Toronto, was to enable Stewie to live in a more diverse society - or maybe I don't need the word more there...any diversity would be a plus.  This last two weeks have been fascinating.  Children are oblivious to the diversity around them - everyone is a friend they haven't met yet, not a person to be judged or feared.  I, on the other hand, have been checking myself hourly, challenging prejudice that I thought I had grown out of. 

In Britain I am of a generation that straddles the passive racism of the 70's and the 21st century's complete acceptance of all faiths, races and sexual orientations.  I know now what is right, fair and equitable and I know what is unfair, offensive and wrong.  Whilst I know this I have been challenged this week by my early years programming that, for a split second, makes me weary of  people who are different to me.  It's a profound realisation. 

Having spent years working with people from all parts of the world I thought I had embraced the  diversity around me - I actually now think that I have been ignoring much of that diversity, regarding everyone as "equal and similar" rather than "equal, better, different".  I think I have missed out on all of the interesting stuff about people in my bid to be liberal and inoffensive.  I truly hope these words are not offensive...I question everything now!

I like the incredible diversity around me; the fact that many many people came from somewhere else to live here. I like that Stewie has already played in the park and made friends with kids from India; Korea; Japan and Canada. And the "so what" in all of this...I like it here.

Hey Presto on the GO Train

There are advantages to moving house each week.  You get to see the City from a different perspective each time.  Last week I was being trendy and urban, getting the trolley car East to West.  Three dollars dropped into the slot taking travellers as far as you care to go.

This week I travelled West to East along the Lakeshore riding the GO Train.  A two story green monster of a train that looks like it would plough through snow with ease.  Arriving in Union Station and taking the PATH to the office - around 29 kilometers of shopping malls and corriders below the ground.  It's like mole city down there, well if moles drank coffee, ate bagels and snacked at Mr Greek.

Hightlights this week are simple pleasures -

• Buying my Presto train pass (like Oyster) and clicking in and out at stations;
• Actually taking a lunch break and spending 40 minutes walking through the PATH exploring - felt like Logans Run down there, but without the age limit;
• Listening to Stewie go native ...It's a couch, no longer a sofa; "mom, those buns smell so good"; "put that in the bin please Stewie - no dad, its called the trash.  We need to talk American now"

The reality of being new girl is that you have to tell your story again and again and again; conference calls all starting with a 10 minute enquiry and update on my time in Canada so far.  Office conversations by the kettle like... "Where are you going to be living?  Bolton? Why?  Do you know where that is?"  I am starting to think that commuting is not big over here. 

The joy of my communte will be 90 minutes of peace, reading and writing - working through The Artists Way and scribbling my morning pages.  I have read just 2 books in the last 6 years (Stewie will be 6 next month!) and so I am looking forward to the luxury of book and pen...Assuming I get a seat of course.  Or maybe I will be quirky crochet woman...the options are endless.

Left Home 25 Days Ago...

Be careful what you wish for, because it will happen. 

Two years ago we wondered "Could we go and live and work in Canada?  Where would we live? Where would Stewie go to school? What job could Gary get?" 

Friends asked "Why Canada?"  "Why not" was our usual first response.  We have never been deep thinkers when it comes to big decisions.  Think of an idea - talk about it for 15 minutes - do it, seems to be our approach.  When we decided to get married..."Shall we go to Las Vegas and get married...should we tell people?  Tell a few.  Okay, lets do it."

Maybe we are impulsive?  I don't think so.  More likely private and logical with too much of life already spent on introspection, picking over the minutia or "what if?" and "why was that?"  I like to think that I am the big ideas person and Gary follows my lead but anyone who really knows Gary knows that isn't how he rolls.  He is the pragmatist whose take on reality can seem brutally frank some days, but truth be told he is the secret dreamer - he suggested Vegas; he rooted for Canada; he spurred me on when it all fell through.  So together we jumped through a few hoops, planned, re-planned, and planned again (Oh how I love to plan!) - and here we are, 25 days from our home and living in our 5th temporary accomodation.

Are we all having a great time?  Not yet.  Stewie is a ball of rage most days, missing kids his own age, and the routine of school.  High on too much brightly coloured shouting TV.  Gary is missing being a worker - he hasn't said as much, but housework and washing are clearly not filling the void for him.  And me?  I seem to have been at work much of the last month, mentally if not always physically, so in many ways I don't feel like I am here yet.

Things that I am so greatful for since leaving our home on the 12th September - meeting fabulous creative people at Vale House; knowing that my little allotment is being cared for whilst we are away; being welcomed into my new office by lovely Canadian people - I feel like I have worked there for ever already; realising how many truelly great friends we have in the UK - that has been the wrench of moving - leaving a happy home and stepping into the fear;

Is it fun? Not yet, but it will be.