How's It Goin', Eh?

Recently I bemoaned the number of ex-patriots writing (and wonderfully so) for Gordie, and the seeming lack of a Canadian-in-Canada perspective. After being called on it and having my teeth threatened, I've come to put my fingers where my mouth is (ahem - so to speak) and actually contribute to the love, peace, and embarrassing flatulence that is Gordie.ca.

Unlike some of my fellow contributors, I live and work in Canada. I seem to be one of the rare few professionals that did not have to go south to find my fortune. I will admit right now that I almost did end up working in the USA, but that would have been due to opening a new branch office of the Canadian business that I was working for at the time. It didn't pan out, and so I'm still shovelling my driveway instead of trying to establish American credit. C'est life, and the Frenglish say.

As the title for this column may suggest, I'm not in Toronto, but I am in South-Central Ontario. Of course, to anyone not living within 3 hours of the Windsor-Quebec 401 corridor everything revolves around its proximity to Toronto. (On a 4-month work placement in Calgary, it was easier just to tell people "I live an hour outside of Toronto".) I live an hour and a quarter from Toronto proper, and would like to keep it that way. As is said of other places, Toronto's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there, personally.

Also unlike some other Gordie.ca writers, I'm married, and have an infant daughter. So prepare yourself for some distinct differences in this column as compared to others. I promise I'll try to minimize the Raffi references (an excellent Canadian musician, for his genre), but I'm only human. You'll probably be spared my parenthood unless my daughter does something inconceivably Canadian, something a nine-month-old just shouldn't be able to do. Like what? Beats me. I'll know it when I see it.

I suppose I should also mention that I don't fit the typical Canadian mould. I drink beer only on occasion (I'm a daiquiri man), and I don't follow hockey. I DO, however, share Wayne Gretzky's birthday, I own many toques, have lots of flannel, spell things with a "u" whenever I can, and my mother actually owns a small sugar bush, giving me near-unlimited access to maple syrup. And having grown up in Windsor, I have a healthy distain for Michigan drivers. Those blue plates mean "Keep away!!"

Assuming Pete doesn't blacklist me for the above "embarrassing flatulence" comment, I hope you'll enjoy whatever it is I have to offer. (If you figure it out, lemme know.) Thanks!

mr.ska
nft@myrealbox.com  

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