PR in Canada and marching pre-schoolers

Today I applied for PR in Canada - despite/or because of (a phrase I learned from a cool friend) my love hate relationship with these people. And when I could have easily applied in the rest of Canada, I instead chose to apply in Quebec, knowing fully well that the French will be held against me - well, that's me... And mind you, I am doing this by myself for $400/- as opposed to $3000/- of lawyers fees...

forgive me pretty baby, but I'll always take the long way home
- Tom Waits

I must say, I was surprised that I had all the documents in order; it was surprising because I had to navigate through the French/English websites and most people who went before me, who seemed to speak perfect French, did not seem to know what they were doing... The Indian guy who went before me had all his documents in order - must be the genes of the sub-continent!!! heh heh... Let me put myself in a tiny box here... so I would separate myself from the other human beings...

This picture, of pre-school kids marching in line, taken on my way back from the Immigration office, has no relevance to me applying for PR other than this was taken a few blocks from the office of Immigration.

I have often watched in amusement, these kids, I imagine from day care's, chained together (ok, they are not chained... their hands are just roped together) so the caregivers don't lose them, and they don't get one of those crazy ideas and dash across into the traffic, and all sorts of safety reasons like that. Coming from a culture that clearly distinguishes between kids and animals, at first it was hard for me to wrap my head around kids being roped together like that, much like sled-dogs. But over the years I have grown to see this act in a positive way - it is what's best for them and who doesn't think a pack of sled-dog-like kids are cute? C'mon dogs are cute and so are kids... I think we've got a win-win here. Some of these caregivers are pretty enthusiastic - they sing cute little nursery rhymes and have the kids join them in a choral while marching... It pumps up my day to watch a shameless fully grown adult lead a group of sled-dog-like kids in a nursery rhyme choral; the kids with their ADD, their heads bobbing, turning to look at everything and anything, dreamily joining in their peers in the choral... Human beings learn this act of following their peers without giving much thought to it, at a pretty early age...

First Encounter with Canadian Law Enforcement

So yes, Alexey was right after all - Canadian highways are sooooooooo slow... Add to it, I came on a smaller highway. Those of us who constantly compare the Autobahn to US highways and just shake our heads, oh... wait till we get to Canada! Even the big highways have a speed limit of 100km/h (=62 mph!!!)... Around big cities though people will easily drive 120km/h (that's still 78mph only!!! compare that with big city Chicago where people do 90mph normally!)

So I am driving 120km/h on this small 90km/h highway! Yes I did that! Now before you get on your soap box and chastise me, remember that I had at least 1760 km in total for this trip.. and really people can go very safely at 120km/h (=78mph)... please relax!! In Canada it turns out cops going on the opposite way will track your speed too. May be this is true in the US too, but has never happened to me... So he U-turns, comes after me and is like 'going home?' and he totally threw me off - I wanted to say something smart assy like 'it is going to be my home, now', but decided against that in the nick of time and said 'going to Montreal'. He said 'all the way from Minnesota?' and I think that totally melted his heart - he just said 'slow down and have fun in Montreal!'... how sweet! I have never been stopped in the US and not gotten a ticket - so there - Canadian cops are one up over the US cops in my books!

First Contribution to Canadian Economy

That is US$5.15 per gallon - power to the people who pay more for the convenience of polluting the environment! Full Service gas stations however, are a big no no for the frugal me, who doesn't want to tip for a service I can very well perform myself.... But this is often the case in hillbillie gas stations... Eh, no escaping the hillbillies, I say!

Border Crossing in Sault Ste Marie

So I totally overwhelmed the Sault Ste Marie border people, with the fact that I am a Sri Lankan studying in the US on a student visa, moving to Canada to work (not just to fish or hunt), driving my own car (is it importation or not?) and some of my stuff are coming at a different time with the movers. About five customs people gathered to ponder my case and finally decided to just let me go... So I got to go just like that... with my little Peace Lilly! phew.... Oh at one point, it goes like 'what are you going to do at the U of Montreal?', 'do a postdoc (yeah right that makes a whole lot of sense to anyone outside academia)', 'a what?', I show them my employment letter and they say 'oh you are a doctor?'... I say 'yes' and there was immediate respect. I, however, did not tell them that I was not the sort of doctor who can really help anyone! Minor details...

I heard my first Canadian 'eh' - the customs officer said, 'you don't have the receipt, eh?'... 'neh eh' I said!

Bye bye USA

from the International Bridge... in Sault Ste Marie.

Canada here I come...

Last Supper

My last supper in the United States of America, the place that I finally truly grew up, because either the people were so nice that they were not judgmental, or I was always an outsider that they didn't care. This old charm little restaurant in Sault Ste Marie, promised 'fresh white fish served daily' and it was the best I had tasted in a long time! Yes, even better than the fish we had at Safron in Minneapolis for like $50!!

And thank goodness, I wasn't having venison there!

First ever gas price over $4.00

The first time in my life I ever paid over $4/- for a gallon of gas, and that's a good thing, right? I am glad I am beginning to be treated like the rest of the world... Ok, you don't want me to get on my pro-high gas price soap box, you've all seeing me up there...

Highway 29 in WI - hillbillie road?

So I did decide to take the hillbillie road after all! Contrary to popular belief, 29 was a 65mph freeway and no cops or traffic. Now 64 was not so; often it would drop to 45, but really good roads, no traffic and no cops, so nothing to really prohibit you from going 70 or even 80! And then if you take 35 & 2, they're very beautiful because they run right by Lake Michigan. So if you are crossing into Eastern Canada from the Midwest, 29, 64, 35 & 2 is the way to go and cross through Sualt Ste Marie, a very laid back and nice border.

Oh and there was amazing cell phone coverage right throughout (Verizon Wireless, yeah yeah VW sucks... whatever...). Trust me this picture has signs for highway 29, its speed limit of 65 and shows good cell coverage....

First signs of Canada

The first signs of Canada came all the way while I was still in Minnesota, but it was only Ontario...

The Great Exodus

The great exodus has now begun. If you stay someplace for as long as 7 years, it is going to be hard to leave, no matter what happened there. Even the not so pleasant memories make up your comfort zone. But as they say in French, and I'll soon learn to say this in French, "if you don't move forward, you move backward".Here's looking back at the beautiful state that made a home for me for 7 long years. I want to come back soon to visit.And I carry the fondest memories of all of you who made my life so much fun and gave me a your shoulders to cry on; so far away from the place I was born, I was still never alone because of your goodwill, because you tolerated my many weaknesses and still remained my friends... your tolerance didn't go waste, let me assure you - every act of kindeness made me more resolute to be a better person...

You could barely tell this in Minnesota, but it doesn't matter; all the people who made this place my home are behind those trees anyways...