Accents

I have to confess to receiving a rude shock just now when I viewed an online video where an Australian was giving his thoughts on a number of issues. No, it was not the content of the video that was shocking; it was the accent that took me by surprise.

I just realized that, after living in Canada for 8 months, my ears have become so accustomed to the Canadian accent (and also the French-accented English at School) that the accent an average Aussie (as opposed to newsreader) has suddenly sounds quite odd to me. Hmmm... It's dawned on me that I will have to re-adjust to the Aussie accent when I return home.

Food for thought indeed.

I know I have had to change the way I say "tomato", "basil", "banana", and so on, just so my Canadian classmates and housemates can understand what I am saying. And these days I even catch myself saying "shrimps", instead of "prawns", and "washroom" instead of "toilet" or "loo"... The list goes on. /chuckles/

I find this process of linguistic accommodation (which refers to the way people adjust their speech to accommodate those around them) quite fascinating.

"Man" and "Menace", Spontaneity, and Other Tales

Someone I know told me she had a dream last night, and in her dream, she was explaining to someone that "man" is a singular noun, and its plural form is "menace". It was hilarious!!!

But maybe it sort of makes sense too, if you know what I mean. :D

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During the reception after the graduation ceremony yesterday, Chef B (cuisine chef) said something to me that stuck in my mind. One of my housemates wanted a photo with Chef B, and I agreed to help her take the photo. But people were milling around, so I waited for people to clear the space between me and my housemate (in order to get a good shot). Chef B commented that I should be more spontaneous, meaning I should take the photo as soon as I see an opportunity. That was the comment that stuck in my mind.

Spontaneity... Some people find it difficult to be spontaneous. I think I am one of them. After 20 years of learning to be meticulous, careful and disciplined, spontaneity does not come easily to me. Yet I admit culinary creativity does require the ability to be spontaneous, in addition to the discipline required to maintain culinary techniques and standards.

Kitchens are a whole different world from Academia. I suffered culture shock when I first arrived in Canada (as most international students would initially), but I also suffered another kind of "culture shock" when I stepped into the kitchens at School (kitchen culture). When people experience culture shock, it is a natural tendency to stick to their comfort zones, just to avoid being overwhelmed.

I have had to learn a whole new set of skills, and even unlearn some of the things much valued in another arena. At the very least, I've already learnt to lighten up a lot since attending LCB Ottawa. I know it is going to take a bit longer to be more spontaneous, but I am in no hurry. As long as I am aware of what is required, I will work towards a goal.

Sometimes, that is all you need from a teacher or a mentor, to move through an impasse. A comment to make you think about how you could do things differently. Or gentle prodding to make you change certain undesirable habits.

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I went clubbing for the first time in my life last night. A whole bunch of us LCB students went to Foundation (a nightclub in the Market area) to celebrate and to unwind from a hectic and high-pressure week. It was nice to see some of the chefs there. Drinking, dancing and socialising...

I had a couple of martinis (i.e. more than one), and danced like I'd never done before... It was such a novel experience for me. I am glad I got all of the nervous energy (from the practical exam) out of my system.

Came home with some of my housemates at 1:30am and stayed up chatting till 3am. We just had a great time!

I woke up this morning with a mild headache (not a hangover, mind you), but I felt better after a few glasses of water and a decent meal.

Looking forward to next term. Classes start on 31 March. Between now and then, I have stage at Stubbe Chocolates, and some free time to relax. I will also volunteer in Production Kitchen for one or two days.

Bus Strike Finally Over

I was so glad to hear that the bus strike in Ottawa is over, and that there will be limited bus service within a week or so. Yay!!!

It has been 51 days since the start of the bus strike, and it has been really tough for those who relied heavily on the public transport system here. There are only that many places you can walk to on foot in the thick snow. I can tell you I have had to give up a number of planned outings (to museums and local sights) in December just because I didn't have any transportation. Taxis were expensive and hard to come by (because of high demand).

I'm trying to imagine if a bus strike in Australia would have gone on for this long, and I reckon it wouldn't. People who relied on the public transport system would have been up in arms within a couple of days of the the start of the strike...

The lack of bus services here in Ottawa has really affected businesses. For instance, the Boxing Week Sale went on for a lot longer than usual in some department stores because people couldn't get to the shops to take advantage of the sale.

Anyway, good or bad, this is now part of my Canadian experience.

Icy Conditions

Well, we have had a couple of days of freezing rain since Boxing Day, and it has turned the snow into ice. I had a really hard time shovelling the snow yesterday; in the end, all I could do was simply salt the icy footpath outside Wilbrod House, so that we can at least walk on it (rather than slide on it).

The driveway by the side of Wilbrod House (that is shared by about 5 houses here) has turned into a slippery "skating rink", and I had an interesting time sliding around on it in my boots yesterday, just to feel what it is like to go skating. :)


Icy footpath


My attempts to clear the footpath outside the side door were not very successful


Footpath leading up to the driveway


In this photo (and the next), you can see the shiny, smooth, slippery ice that has formed on the shared driveway.


The Wilbrod House garage is just behind the two trees on the right of the photo, and there is a gentle incline between the garage and the driveway. I practised sliding down the gentle incline quite a few times, much to the amusement or alarm (I'm not sure which) of the lone squirrel that was foraging for food on a tree behind the garage.

Speaking of sliding around on ice, I cannot wait to go skating on nearby Rideau Canal in February, when the canal freezes over and Ottawa hosts the Winterlude festival. I have never gone skating before, so this will be a whole new experience.

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PS. Update on 30 December 2008: I finally found out how to clear the ice on the footpath of Wilbrod House. My landlady showed me this ice-breaking tool she uses. It is like a chisel (a wedge at the tip), and is used to break the ice (see the pole-like tool next to the snow shovel in the photo below).


Tools we use for clearing snow and ice.


Sharp, chisel-like tool for breaking ice.


The footpath is cleared of ice now.

Random Reflections VI: What I Took For Granted in Australia

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I went to the local supermarket Loblaws (10 to 12 minutes' walk from Wilbrod House) today to do some last-minute grocery shopping.

Here are two photos of the winter landscape, as I trudge through the snow on my way to the supermarket:

I am on Wilbrod Street, looking east towards Charlotte Street (not visible in this photo)


Looking west towards the University of Ottawa, as I stand outside Australia House

As you can see, it is simply easier to walk in the middle of the road, where the snow has been cleared. Just as well Wilbrod Street is a one-way street.

I realised how much we take for granted in Australia. The footpaths are generally well-maintained, and we don't have to worry about snow (except if you live in a very cold place in Australia). Not that I'm complaining about the snow here in Ottawa (it's still a novelty to me).

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At Wilbrod House, we are doing a cooking challenge for Christmas Eve: Everyone has to make a dish that is not from their country/region of origin and that they have not ever made before. I decided to make a mushroom strudel (with filo/phyllo pastry) for the cooking challenge. That's why I went shopping for groceries today.

When I was walking home, it suddenly occurred to me that the herbs and vegetables that I had bought might be frostbitten by the time I get back to Wilbrod House... It is so different from Australia, where I used to take an esky to the supermarket, to make sure meat and dairy products I buy are kept cold.

Anyway, the herbs and vegetables were fine, because they were outside in the icy (-17 degrees Celsius) conditions for only a short time.

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Speaking of dairy products, I am still shocked by how expensive dairy products are here in Ottawa, compared to what I can get in major cities in Australia. The two blocks of unsalted butter (454g each, or 1 lb. each) you see in the photo below cost me about CAD$10. It's the same with milk and cream. I reckon they are about twice as expensive as in Australia. It's another thing I took granted when I was in Australia -- cheap dairy products. /sigh/



As a pastry student here at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa, I use a lot of butter, milk and cream in baking, and that means I have to spend quite a bit of money on ingredients when I am practising my baking at home (in Wilbrod House)... That's something to think about if you are coming to Ottawa to study at Le Cordon Bleu.

And one other thing: It could be because I am used to the dairy products in Australia, but I think the butter, milk and cream in Australia taste better (or rather, they have a stronger flavour) too.

Oh, I miss Australia!!!

Winter Storm Warning (9 December 2008)

I just read the following notice issued by Environment Canada's weather office (http://weatheroffice.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?onrm104).

I have to say I don't really know what most of it mean or even what to expect (I'll have to find out what "freezing rain" is), because I haven't lived through an Ottawa winter before. The fact that Environment Canada issued a warning probably means it is quite a serious situation, even for the locals. I cannot imagine what 20cm of snowfall would look like...

I did walk home from production kitchen in ankle-deep snow this afternoon. And it was snowing steadily. It is an interesting sensation to have snowflakes on your eye lashes and face.

As for the storm warning, if I look on the bright side, it probably means I get to make a snowman and snow angels before Christmas. :)

The winter storm warning from Environment Canada:

Ottawa North - Kanata - Orléans
4:13 PM EST Tuesday 9 December 2008
Winter storm warning for
Ottawa North - Kanata - Orléans continued

Heavy snow followed by some freezing rain this evening then back to snow.

This is a warning that dangerous winter weather conditions are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions.Listen for updated statements.

The storm system is currently moving across southeast Michigan and is expected to track just north of lakes Erie and Ontario this evening and just south of Ottawa overnight. Snow heavy at times is affecting regions north of the track of the low including most of ski country and eastern Ontario. Total snowfall amounts of 20 to 30 centimetres are expected in many districts before the snow begins to wind down overnight in the west or Wednesday morning in the east.

In addition..Some freezing rain is likely this evening just north of the track of the low..Where a winter storm warning is in effect. This includes portions of the Ottawa Valley and parts of far eastern Ontario. The national Capital region is now expected to be on the edge of freezing rain, but some is likely this evening before a changeover back to heavy snow. The snow will taper off Wednesday morning in Ottawa with storm totals close to 20 to 30 cm with some freezing rain as well.

Environment Canada will continue to watch this winter storm and adjust warnings as needed.

Motorists should exercise extreme caution. Dangerous winter driving conditions are expected. Untreated surfaces may be icy and very slippery especially in areas receiving heavy snow or freezing rain. Please refer to the latest public forecasts for further details.

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My update (10:30pm): The snow is still coming down steadily. It is just a very thick layer of snow outside on the front lawn. By the time I walk to production kitchen at 6am tomorrow morning, I bet the snow will be knee-deep.

Fortunately, it is only -7 degrees Celsius now, as opposed to -21 degrees a couple of nights ago.

Slippery and Dangerous

I slipped and fell on the Wilbrod House driveway yesterday. I was walking to the bus stop located right next to the driveway early in the morning (to catch a bus to my French language class in the city), and that's when it happened. I just felt my feet give way under me. I fell heavily on my left side, and now I have a few bruises on my left hip to show for it. Fortunately, I'm no worse for wear. I just have to learn to be more careful next time.

Because the weather has been fine, the snow from the other day melted and turned into a layer of very smooth ice at the end of the driveway leading onto Charlotte Street. It's literally like walking on wet glass (or what I imagine walking on wet glass would be like).

The locals seem to know what to do in this sort of condition - they seem to avoid the areas where the snow has turned into ice. Being a foreigner, I didn't even know what to look out for until yesterday morning. Oh well, another learning experience for me.

On a brighter note, I saw a squirrel out and about, foraging in the snow not far from Wilbrod House. It cheered me up considerably. I wondered where this squirrel was hiding when it snowed the other day ...

I'm still waiting to see the resident raccoon that my housemates tell me lives around here. My landlady hates the creature because it comes around the night before garbage collection day and rummages in the garbage, sometimes scattering garbage all over the street.

(Aside: They don't have wheelie bins here. I guess this is another thing I miss about Australia -- the ubiquitous wheelie bin.)

The Start of a Snowy Season

I woke up this morning to the sound of a snow plough going up and down the driveway. Turns out we had 4mm of snow last night. This was what it looked like at Wilbrod House.










Here in this photo, you can see it is snowing lightly outside Wilbrod House.

Earlier, I was outside shovelling snow, making snowballs, and generally enjoying the snow, because it's still a novelty to me. :)

Thank goodness the broken heater in the House was fixed ... It started to snow gently when the workmen were fixing the heating system in the boiler room in the basement last night, and there I was, desperately hoping for heating after going 5 days without heating or hot water in the House. It was enough to make me realise how hard it is to go without heating in winter. I have to say this experience made us learn not to take the mod cons for granted.

24 Hours in Montreal

Last weekend I took a train to Montreal to see the opera The Pearl Fishers (Les Pêcheurs de Perles) by French composer Georges Bizet. It was magnificent!!!

The opera was playing at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier in the Place des Arts, in the middle of Montreal city. In my opinion, the opera had very high production values, and I felt it was better than most of the operas I had seen at the Sydney Opera House (I'd seen at least 15 when I lived and worked in Sydney). In short, it was beautifully staged. The costumes and props were something to behold. They were beautifully designed, with colours so bright and vivid that you cannot help but feel amazed by the creativity of the designers. The dance choreography was very good as well. But most importantly, the singing was superb -- I loved the tenor-baritone duet au fond du temple saint and the tenor aria je crois entendre encore. They moved me to tears.

After the opera, I stayed overnight at a hotel in the Latin Quarter, which is a relatively trendy part of town, with lots of shops and restaurants. The next morning, I went sight-seeing in the Vieux-Port area and then did a spot of shopping in the downtown area before catching a train home. Here are some photos for you to enjoy:


Montreal city skyline


Place Jacques-Cartier, looking down to the Promenade du Vieux-Port


Place Jacques-Cartier, looking up from the Promenade du Vieux-Port


The streets around Place Jacques-Cartier, with old-world charm and character


Bassin Jacques-Cartier


A juvenile seagull that came up close to where I was standing (I would say this one was probably expecting free food). The seagulls here look somewhat different from the ones we see in Australia (particularly in Sydney), but they behave in much the same way -- they are not afraid of people, and will come up close if they sense the possibility of food being handed out.


Gardens on the Quay


Scenery along the Promenade du Vieux-Port


Quirky sculptures in the gardens along the Promenade du Vieux-Port


Fall foliage in Place Victoria, which is near the central train station

Montreal is a beautiful city. It reminded me of a mix of Melbourne and Adelaide, in terms of the feel of the city (cosmopolitan, but with some old-world charm). However, the shopping complexes in the downtown area were like the ones in Sydney, except the designs and layouts were more pleasing aesthetically. I put it down to the French influence. ;-)

I have to say I suffered a culture shock when I first arrived in Montreal. Almost all the signs were in French and everyone spoke French. Even though I had been learning French for a few weeks, I really couldn't cope with the rate of speech of the locals. Fortunately, people will speak to you in English if you struggle with the French language.

When I went to pay for my purchases at the check-out, the check-out operators initially spoke to me in French. Only when I started to speak in English did they switch to English, but they were nice about it. No drama at all.

Anyway, Montreal made quite an impression on me. I will definitely be going back there for more shopping (esp. for clothes) and sight-seeing. After all, it is only 2 hours by train from Ottawa (and the return train ticket only cost me CAD$65).

Getting Around Ottawa by Bus

Since I do not drive, the only way I have been able to go to my French language classes (yes, I am attending an Alliance Francaise class every Saturday morning) is by bus.



The bus ticketing system in Ottawa (in the downtown area and surrounding suburbs) works like this:

If you pay cash, then it is $3 per trip. Exact change required. The bus driver does not handle the money - you have to put the money into a box at the front of the bus, and the driver issues you a paper ticket, which has some information printed on it.

If you purchase the green-and-orange paper tokens ($1 per token), then you only need two of them to get a paper ticket on the bus. Basically, you save a dollar per trip (compared with paying by cash). You can get these paper tokens from places like the Seven Eleven.

The paper ticket you are issued on the bus will have the expiry time printed on it. Passengers, after paying their fare, get 90 minutes to use the ticket on any of the buses in the downtown area and nearby suburbs. If they are organised and can complete their errands in 90 minutes, they can actually use that ticket for a round trip.

I have been using the paper tokens to catch a bus to the shopping mall, do my shopping quickly (within 90 minutes), and then hop on a bus to get back home. All for just $2.

If you want to make many trips on the same day, and you need more than 90 minutes, then the Day Pass is the best bet. You can get a red Day Pass Voucher from the Seven Eleven as well. It costs $6.50. With the voucher, you get on a bus and exchange for a paper ticket that allows you an unlimited number of trips for the day.

The traffic in Ottawa is not bad. I have not seen any traffic jams, even though the roads can get quite busy at rush hour. It sort of reminds me of Canberra. Everything moves along at a sedate pace.

Squirrels -- look but don't touch

One of the things I have had to get used to in Ottawa is the ubiquitous squirrel. You see these creatures everywhere. I think nearly every house has a resident squirrel living in a tree somewhere.

This photo was taken at Strathcona Park (not far from Wilbrod House, and across the road from LCB), and shows the two different types of squirrels that I often see here. You see them digging in the garden, rummaging in the trash cans, scurrying up trees, crossing the roads in their characteristic "little bounces" (that's my first impression of them anyway)...

It is September now, and I guess that is when they are quite active. They must eat while the nuts and acorns are plentiful (i.e. now) and before winter comes along.

Most of these squirrels are not really afraid of people. When you walk past, they simply sit up and watch you, making sure you are on your way before resuming their activities. The locals tend to simply ignore them, but I find them amusing (sometimes, entertaining), so I would often stop to look at them (and even take pictures of them) on my way to the shopping mall.

I would never attempt to get any closer than about two metres -- I have been told not to try to touch these creatures because some of them could carry rabies.

So far ...

I have been in Ottawa for less than 24 hours, though I have been in Canada for about 2 weeks (sight-seeing in some of the major cities, as I make my way east). I am still settling in at my shared accommodation in Wilbrod St, which is virtually behind Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa. Classes do not start for another week, so I will have time to adjust to the new environment.

The biggest adjustment I have had to make so far is getting used to the fact that they drive on the "wrong" side of the road here. Old habits die hard. Several times, I have found myself on the wrong side of the road for catching a bus that is heading in a particular direction, or caught myself looking in the wrong direction for cars when crossing a street, so that's something to work on.

Another "culture shock" I received while travelling around this lovely country is the scarcity of public toilets (they call them "public washrooms" here). I swear I will never complain about the relatively high tax rates in Australia, as long as the local/state/federal governments continue to provide public toilets everywhere. I mean, I don't even mind if they are the pay-per-use type of toilets. In Vancouver, for instance, I walked around a tourist area for about 40 minutes before I could locate a toilet in a shopping centre/mall. Not all shopping malls have public washrooms (in fact, many have signs that say "no public washrooms available here"), and most restaurants here don't either. Perhaps Vancouver can lift its game, seeing as it will be hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Maybe we Australians take public toilets for granted, and we expect them to be available everywhere. Maybe no one else expects every shopping mall to have public toilets ...