Canadian Delights!

In all probability it is a sheer coincidence that the federal government of Canada fell the day we left that country! It is true that we, i.e. Kumi and I, did contribute a bit towards Canada's progress by spending a few Canadian dollars here and there! But, contrary to popular belief, I do not think that our departure was the reason for the government to come crashing down!

We began our sojourn in Canada from the Pearson International Airport at Toronto at10.30 local time on the 4th of March this year. We had started off from IGIA Terminal 3 at around 3.05 am of the 4th by the Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, where, after a pleasant stop-over of 3 hours, we took the Air Canada flight to Toronto. The stop-over was spent fruitfully at the Duty Free and at a deli, eating - what else? - Frankfurters, of course!

The Pearson International Airport, though not a patch on our own IGIA T3, did have two very pleasant surprises waiting for us. Firstly, our bags appeared on the carousel in no time, despite all my trepidations! Secondly, I caught a welcome sight of a porter, ready to yank baggage off the carousel in exchange for a modest fee! This exercise had been a point of concern for me and my dodgy back. But now - all was well!

Arvind was there at the airport, armed with (I thought) arctic clothing for the two of us! And a good thing too! Otherwise, on emerging from the terminal, Kumi and I would have been frozen for posterity as some dusky frescos in the icy Toronto air! IT WAS COLD! We drove out in what turned out to be Rupa's Kia Rondo and made good time through a city coloured in various shades of white, grey and brown - Toronto recovering from recent snowfall!

The Soods (Rupa, Arvind and the 2 boys for the uninitiated) live in the suburban hamlet called Scarborough. Their house is an attractive stand-alone house built like a two-storeyed cottage with sloping roofs and a back garden bounded by a picket fence! The whole locality comprised of similar houses inter-laced with neat roads and tidy sidewalks.

We spent three weeks in Canada at Rupa's place, at the end of which we were in no mood to leave! However, due to the usual constraints of everyday life, we did leave eventually, but not before having a wonderful time with the children and grand-children. Arvind and Rupa went out of their way to make us welcome, comfortable, entertained and well fed! It is surely a special gift from God to have such wonderful children.




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Canada was a revelation, to be brief. If people were to ask me about what struck me most about this country, I would be hard-pressed to name it. It was not just one thing but a conglomerate of numerous features that impressed my mind, which is, understandably, tuned to the Indian way of living and functioning. To enumerate all these features would not be easy, but let me try!

The thing that I liked straight away was the obvious harmony amongst its people. We did a lot of walking around in Toronto, Ottawa and Niagara. Nowhere did I see any sign of strain or animosity as people walked together, dined together, enjoyed together. On the contrary, lots of smiling faces and spontaneous greetings were evident wherever we went. In fact, a gentleman in Ottawa actually stopped on his own and asked if we were lost.....which we were!!!
It is, of course, needless to add that he gave us absolutely spot-on directions, unlike the ones we are used to receiving on the streets of Delhi!

Everywhere that we went a particular happy sight met my eyes, irrespective of city or borough. There appeared to be a high percentage of inter-racial social intercourse, for all to see. Whites, blacks, hispanics, Asians et al were visible in large numbers, mostly as couples but also in groups. Try as I did I failed to detect any kind of bias in my general observations or in my interactions with all and sundry, unlike what we sensed in our brief stop-overs in Frankfurt and London. Canadians seemed to be happy and comfortable with their multi-ethnic national identity. I loved the atmosphere of friendliness that greeted us wherever we went, including Rupa-Arvind's multi-ethnic neighbours.


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The other memorable experience was, of course, that of snow.....snow on the houses, snow on the ground, snow on the trees and bushes, snow in the air, snow around the shoes, snow over the shoes, snow everywhere! These whiteouts were not only awesome and magnificent but also hugely exciting, as novel experiences often are. We were lucky to be present during three bouts of heavy snow during our three weeks' stay.

Our first walk in the snow was a thrilling affair. It had snowed overnight so that the morning of the 7th of March revealed a world gone completely white. From the comfort of the indoors (a warm 22 degrees C) it was impossible to gauge the extent of cold that was prevailing outside. Early morning found me lounging in my pajamas and admiring the scenery through the windows – a beautiful landscape in white! Rupa insisted that both of us join her outdoors to savour the "charms" of a Canadian winter morning. She had actually stepped out for a smoke! This was long before we had bathed, dressed or had breakfast! I argued (rather weakly) that it would be improper to step out in the grosssly under-dressed state, but Rupa assured me that none would be the wiser as no one would be visible at that hour, in any case! Moreover we would be all covered up! So, the "arctic" coats were duly donned over the night clothes as were the fur-lined boots, warm hats and warm gloves. Having converted ourselves into virtual ice-men, we opened the front door!

I do not know if you have ever been unexpectedly struck on the face by an ice-berg. If you have, then you will be able to appreciate the feeling we had on opening the door. The difference of temperatures either side of the doorstep was staggering to say the least! Kumi and I gingerly ventured forth into our first encounter with extreme cold, looking like eskimos for all we cared. Our faces were frozen in a second! We shuffled around for a few minutes on the snow-covered driveway trying to get used to this new phenomenon.

After a while, little by little, very slowly, our senses seemed to adapt to the new thermal conditions in our lives. Slowly we began to get a grip on the situation! But just as I was feeling smug at having conquered the cold ,in a rash act of bravado, I took off my gloves! The idea was to reach for the camera. Deservingly, in just moments the hands were frozen and paining from the numbing cold. Needless to say, the gloves were back on in a flash!

Gradually, after the initial shock had passed, we got used to the unimaginable cold, thanks to the alpine attire. So much so that , after breakfast and after the three Sood men had left for their day's calling, Rupa took us on a walking trip to a neighbourhood shopping mart. It was a thrilling trudge through snow. Everything and every place around us was covered in white. We walked past the school grounds - a veritable sea of snow. Our clothes protected us from the weather alright, but the faces were soon dead with the biting cold! Walking around was a novel experience what with having to step carefully over the icy parts even while squelching our way with less difficulty through the layers of powdery snow.

It was only a couple of hours later, after we had regained the warmth of Rupa's kitchen, did she spring upon us the news that we had been wandering around in a temperature of -18 C with a real feel of -25 C!!!

Well, the snow kept us company almost throughout our stay. Thank God it did, because it was certainly the high point of our Canada visit. After our initiation, the two of us would frequently wander off in the snow in delightful escapades, so to say! I shall never forget the ethereal feeling of walking in snowfall that we experienced on one of those days! It was an absolute first for both of us. I must add here that both Kumi and I thoroughly enjoyed the novel experience of a North American winter, despite the doubts expressed by all and sundry back home when they heard of our impending trip to Canada in the month of March!


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We drove around a lot in those three weeks. On the morning of the 12th we set forth for a four day trip to Ottawa & Montreal. The thought of driving 575 kms in 5 hours (driving time) would never have occurred to me had we not actually done it! Needless to say this was possible because of the wide roads, complete absence of any intersections on the highway and, of course, no errant humans, or cattle, or dogs to contend with!


Ottawa and Montreal turned out to be two beautiful cities, both modern and traditional at the same time. Montreal, falling as it does in the province of Quebec, has a pronounced French flavour to it. We were there for a day only but still managed to see the Old City (truly charming with its horse-drawn buggies) downtown Montreal, the famous McGill University, the Church of St Andre, the St. Lawrence river and even a glimpse of the Olympic Stadium from the West Mountain. I must not forget to mention the delicious "Quebecoise" lunch and dinner that we were treated to at my school friend Supro's beautiful home. We even savoured the quintessential Bengali "shingara" in the heart of French Canada! Supro and his charming wife Lennie spent the whole day in looking after us -- from playing guide to playing delightful hosts!


I loved the capital city of Ottawa. It is full of beautiful buildings and bridges and parks apart from the churches and cathedrals. We wandered around leisurely on a bright, cold and sunny day, across a large part of the city and enjoyed the sight of stately buildings like the Supreme Court, the Parliament House, other ornate government buildings, etc. The Basilica of Notre Dame was simply magnificent with its exquisite stained glass and frescoes. We also spent a fascinating afternoon at the Museum of Civilisation.

Once again, an elderly white couple, who were also sauntering along the snow-covered streets of Ottawa, stopped to chat with us about the history of the Basilica de Notre Dame, which we were passing. Rupa was admiring a mural or fresco on the outside of the church, which, I believe, drew their attention. They are the ones who prevailed upon us to visit inside and take pictures of the magnificent interiors. And we did exactly that! Had not this lovely couple taken so much interest in our exploration of the city, I doubt if we would have experienced the overpowering splendour and beauty of this famous cathedral.

We came back to Toronto on the 15th to find that the snow had completely disappeared from the rooftops, trees, streets, from everywhere, thanks to a couple of days of glorious sunshine. The whole feature of Toronto seemed to have changed. Gone was the white shroud of snow that hid everything about the city from the eyes of the beholder! However, we soon discovered that this was only a short interlude, so to say!


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In two days' time we were off again, this time to see the wonder of wonders, the legendary Niagara Falls. And a wonder it sure is! What a sight! What a truly overpowering, awesome and astounding sight!

I got transported while standing almost over the Falls, as it were, leaning on the railing and looking straight down into the incredible Horseshoe! The sight of millions and millions of gallons of water of the Niagara river incessantly pouring into the gigantic gorge is something which can only be seen to be believed! There is something mesmerizing – something compelling – about it. The other two falls, the Cascades and the Bride's Veil, although very impressive, are not a patch on the one and only Horseshoe Falls. It is huge. It is marvelous. It is unbelievable! So much the pity that, because of the winter season, the mind-blowing boat ride into its spray, called the Maid of the Mist, was closed and we missed it!

Like gazing at the Taj Mahal, one can spend hours together in the Niagara Falls too, just drinking in its tremendous atmosphere and aura. The roar of the waterfall, the mountainous spray and the jaw-hanging incredibility of it all contribute to one's sense of sheer awe. No wonder that the Niagara Falls have been immortalised down the years in film, music and literature. Who can forget Marilyn Monroe and George Ewell portraying the romantic mysticism of the Falls in the iconic movie "Niagara"!

In simple words, the sight of the Niagara Falls was the undoubted piece de resistance of our visit to Canada.


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Back in Toronto, we were to experience another bout of snowfall. It is amazing how the all-round scenery changes dramatically with every, snowfall or thaw. We were back inside the enormous white shroud of snow in no time! Not that Kumi or I was complaining! On the contrary! In fact, Kumi did a fair share of snow shovelling which is so much a part of life in Canada. I was spared the dubious distinction because of my back problem!

Driving or walking around Toronto was great fun. Unfortunately, 59 Wynford Drive in Don Mills is no more. The magnificent building housing Bata International Centre has been replaced by another more utilitarian structure after BSO moved its global headquarters out of Canada and into Switzerland. The memory of the iconic building, which formed a part of every Bataman’s life, will remain just that, a memory!

We did spend an appreciable amount of time on a windy and rainy day in the Bata Shoe Museum in downtown Toronto. It was mesmerizing! I wouldn’t call it a shoe museum at all. Rather, it is a museum of history, down the ages, across all continents, depicted through the evolution of footwear. It is simply fascinating! And it is large! It occupies full four floors! It is such a pity that the curators do not allow photography through flash at all. In the subdued lighting, my camera could not cope without flash.

The Canada National Tower was another memorable experience. The famous symbol of Toronto, indeed Canada, is the third tallest tower in the world, and believe me it is tall! The view from near the top (you actually do not get to the real top) is breathtaking! It is Toronto in miniature. An aircraft taking off from the Toronto City Airport looked like a grasshopper moving along a white carpet!

The glass-bottom floor (by the way, it is only part of the floor, not the whole thing as one may be led to believe!) is truly amazing. I was sure that I would be seized with a bout of vertigo the moment I ventured on to it. But surprise of surprises! Nothing of that sort happened! In fact I managed to take a couple of pictures of the city way down below, through the glass. Toronto in miniature, indeed! In fact, Kumi and Kabir stayed away scrupulously, clutching at each other! No such problems for Mr. Raghav (all of seven!) who sought a birds-eye-view of the city by lying on his stomach and peering down!

On our way back from the CN Tower we had to get into a cab as it was a long way off to where the car was parked. This turned out to be another special experience as I, who sat in the front, was heartily greeted by a Sat Siri Akal! Our cabbie turned out to be a Mr.Avtar Singh from Jalandhar! I immediately pounced on the opportunity to practice some of my rustic Punjabi on him! However, I cannot really claim that Mr.Singh was highly amused!

Toronto is a beautiful city with wide, sweeping roads and lovely buildings of all kinds all over the place. The pace of life appears to be delightfully gentle. People seem to be relaxed and at peace. No signs of frenetic rush for anything and everything. The public transportation system revolves round the underground railway which is networked by an efficient bus and cab system. Downtown Toronto even has charming streetcars (trams?) running through the main routes.

There are a large number of art & culture centres which can keep a person occupied for days on end. They have beggars too, though no stray dogs or cattle perambulating on the city roads! But that is a minor blemish.

All in all, my kind of city!


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The telltale nature of any city or country is much revealed by the eating choices of the people! From what little we could see, Canada eats big; it eats everything; it eats everywhere: and it eats out regularly! As a true reflection of the population, the local cuisine on offer is also multi-racial and multi-national. There are eateries in plenty - starting from the finest of fine dining options down to the food-courts presenting a huge choice of fares from all over the world.

It is perhaps needless to say that with foodies like Arvind and Rupa around, our dining out experiences were both copious and adventurous! Why let grass (or snow!) grow under your feet? We started in right earnest from the second day of our visit itself by paying obeisance to the Red Lobster on a rainy afternoon! Sea food at its best! Crab, lobster, shrimps, fish, what have you! Red Lobster is a popular chain of sea-food restaurants in Canada. The food was delicious, the portions were humongous and the accent of the waitresses, totally unfathomable! It merits a mention that I finished my sojourn in Canada having had salads everywhere but ended up with only Thousand Island dressing each time, because it was the only one I could understand! .The rest of the choices were invariably lost in the accents of the serving ladies!


We ate in a couple of Irish pubs in both Toronto and Ottawa, interestingly named The Royal Beagle and the Heart & Crown, St Patrick’s Day was on us which meant special festivities and special food, together with the inevitable – the inn-keeper’s best pint of mild!


We had yummy, juicy steaks in a restaurant in Niagara, strangely called “The Outback”! We had lovely fish dishes in the outrageously named “Fish Market” in the trendy Ward Market of Ottawa. We savoured superb Canadian fare in eateries variously known as “Four Brothers” and “Family Restaurant” in Niagara. There was a delicious celebratory oriental sea-food dinner on Kumi’s birthday at a place called “Rsstorant Malaysia” in Toronto. On Kabir’s request we even had an Indian meal in a Bangladeshi restaurant in Ottawa called, believe you me, “Indian Restaurant”!


We had Japanese food in a place called “Chako” in Toronto. Now, this was an extraordinary experience for us because, here, everyone has to cook his own dinner right there on the dining table which is equipped with several burners! Having never cooked anything more than an occasional boiled egg, I was naturally quite nervous about the prospect. I need not have worried. Raghav showed me the way. In fact he did most of my cooking!


Even the wayside eating places on the expressways are plenty in number and range from quite fancy to the mundane. A& W, attached to a petrol pump (called Service Centres) in Kingston en route to Ottawa, was clean, neat and efficient in doling out sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, etc. On our way back we stopped for lunch at “Denny’s” in the town of Napanee. This was a much more classy place serving gourmet short-orders and regular meals for motorists who keep passing by all day. I shall remember “Denny’s” in particular, because this is one place where I could find manageable portions to eat from a selection of dishes for senior citizens!!


Finally, we did have our trysts with the ubiquitous “Tim Horton’s”, the place in Canada for coffee and doughnuts! Let me tell you they are not over-rated in the least! We also had our share of food-courts and McDonald’s and a tiny place called “Soups & Sandwiches” in the charming village of Unionville in Toronto!


If we add to this list the dishes churned out daily by Rupa and the dinner given in our honour by their friends Noel and Susie (mind-blowing mussels, pork dishes, et al!) it adds up to a lot of wonderful food! So gastronomically, the Canada trip was a real gourmet’s delight which almost turned us into veritable gourmands!


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We discovered a lot of the Canadian way of life by spending time at home with Rupa, Arvind and the children. Since they were not in a condo, their life, to a large extent, comprises out of doors activities. Shovelling and blowing snow, defrosting cars, raking dry leaves during fall, mowing the lawn in good weather, tending to the garden, mending the fences, disposing trash the specified way and on specified days – all these keeps the hands full for the average person. And do not forget the indoor activities like cooking, cleaning, dish-washing, clothes washing, floor-polishing, house-keeping, etc – all aided by fancy apparatus but performed by the self. The system makes the people very hard-working and not so much subject to hard work, if you know what I mean! And it is not a bad thing at all!

One interesting feature of life in a Canada home is the very Indian habit of being barefoot once indoors. Every home has a closet, either walk-in or otherwise, located in between the double doors at the entrance. This is where visitors leave their footwear behind and householders store them. The various jackets, hats, gloves etc. are also kept here. Shades of South India and Bengal?

We were fascinated by the way the GTA authorities (Greater Toronto Area) go about their duties. Since we visited during winter we were witness to how promptly and efficiently they descend with mechanized snow-ploughs of various sizes to clear the roads soon after a bout of snowfall. Even the tree-care people regularly arrive with their massive trucks. The team of two (including the driver) treat the trees with various injections, chop off overhanging or dying branches and instantly convert them into wood dust by passing them through a hopper on the truck which is connected to a grinder powered by the vehicle’s engine! Reminded me very strongly of our crumb plants in the rubber factories which converted scrap Hawai sheets into reusable crumb!

Self-help is the style of living on a daily basis. Whether one is shopping, filling petrol in the car (ooops sorry! it is gas, not petrol!), automatic washing of the car, - one has to do it by oneself. One even has to personally key in the amount of tips into a hand-held computer brought forth at the time of payment at a restaurant! Of course this is not unique to Canada alone.. Nevertheless, I shudder to think what I would have done if I had to contend with so much technology at every step in life! Give up? Become a hermit? Commit suicide? Well, I think not. I would have adapted. After all, it is a good life out there!

Canadians are heavily dependent on the weather for planning their day. The days of uninterrupted sunshine are not so many as we are used to having in India. They have to contend with rain, snow, gales, storms, etc on a fairly substantial basis. Proximity to the cold land mass to the north, the presence of oceans on two sides and the proliferation of very large lakes, exert their varied influences on the Canadian climate. So, people are naturally reliant on weather forecasts given out regularly over the radio, TV or news papers. I must say that the accuracy of the forecasts are amazingly spot-on! Amazing because in India we are simply not accustomed to such precise guidelines. If the forecast says that snowfall is expected from 3am and will last till 10pm, you can be sure that this is exactly what is going to happen. If there is forecast of rain or sunshine, then again one knows exactly what to expect! Makes life easier, doesn’t it? It was a pleasure to read the weather forecasts every morning and track the pattern through the day!

The Toronto Star is a nice newspaper to read. From it I gathered that the Canadian economy had not really fully recovered from the recent downswing judging by the stories that popped up from time to time regarding some discontent arising out of austerity drives/pink slips apparently initiated by some corporates. There appeared a few allegations of corruption in high places, which really surprised me. Canada, after all, is rated one of the least corrupt of nations and it also appears to be so everywhere!

Apart from the weather and politics the Toronto Star interested me with their coverage on contemporary music which sounded familiar from time to time – what with Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, etc making news quite often. But what captivated me the most was that the Star kept us in the loop with the Cricket World Cup on a regular basis!




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We were very pleased to see the happy life that Arvind, Rupa, Kabir and Raghav have got into. There is no struggle, no panic and not much problems living in a highly tolerant and enlightened society. They have brought about a happy work-life balance which is such a rarity in contemporary corporate India. They have found some wonderful friends which is a boon in a foreign country.


The boys have adapted well to the school system which provides a far more conducive learning environment than we have in India. No pressure. No inhuman work loads. They have been duly initiated into the nuances of sports like ice-hockey, American football, baseball, etc but still have major interest in soccer and cricket. In fact I was often hard pressed to cope with Raghav’s knowledge of world soccer and its stars! They have enough playtime, including time for weekly lessons in unarmed combat like karate. Obviously, they are enjoying themselves and have taken to their new life like ducks to water, This is never more evident than in hearing Raghav’s marked North American twang in his speech!!


We left Canada on the 25th of March with heavy hearts from parting with our children. But we were also much consoled by the fact that they have struck out on their own to seek their fortunes in a distant land; with the prospect of building a dream future; and provide a secure, fulfilling and meaningful life to the boys.


A bit of drama was still left to unfold. On our way back the Air Canada flight to Frankfurt got delayed. In fact we had not only boarded but also had a sip of the welcome glass of champagne, when we are asked to disembark. The later flight made us miss our connection at Frankfurt. So, instead of flying east to New Delhi we were pushed west to London! Anyway, after a wait of 5 hours at Heathrow (where we had to suffer the most horrendous of soggy sandwiches!) we finally flew out to touch New Delhi at 10.00am of the 27th of March!