Trip to Canadaland: Part Three
And this is the final part of my trip to Canada. And then we will return to our regular programming... well, as regular as my life can be.
Monday:
Monday morning I woke up early again and was relieved that my ear was no longer hurting. I was worried. I got dressed and had a coffee and then my mom and I drove to a local restaurant to meet my Godmother for breakfast. I always miss a big Canadian style breakfast even though when I lived in Canada I rarely ever had it. I ordered eggs over easy, extra crispy bacon, hashbrowns and wholewheat toast. Just the way I like it. It was great to see my Godmother again and we caught up a little. Afterwards, my mom drove me home and I spent most of the early afternoon, preparing for my BIG IMPORTANT MEETING. BIG. HUGE.
Back in January 2016, I received a private message from a woman on the Autism in Vienna Beacon Beach House page. She told me that she used to be the assistant to Member of Parliament Mike Lake and that she was looking for the autism community in Vienna. I wrote back with "I think I am it." and she told me that Mike Lake was coming to Vienna for a holiday but since he is involved in autism, he always likes to reach out to the local community and give a talk. I was ecstatic and wrote "That would be amazing! But I can't pay him..." and she replied with "Oh no, he doesn't want to be paid. It is just a passion of his." and then I Googled him. Mike has a son who has autism and since taking up office, in addition to his duties, has become an advocate for autism awareness and support. I get it. I quickly tried to think of places he could give a talk in... I thought about a wine bar briefly but decided against that. Luckily, a friend of mine was able to secure a lecture hall at the Technical University and I spent the next couple of weeks trying to drum up interest and secure attendance.
The night before the talk, Mike and I met and I told him all about autism in Vienna and what I was trying to do. He told me about autism support in Canada, and while not perfect in no way shape or form, it sounded a whole lot better than here. The next day he gave his fantastic talk and it was a real highlight of my year. Afterwards, we went out for a quick drink. At one point he said "I don't think we are politically on the same page." and I responded with "Nope, but that doesn't matter when it comes to autism."
To be honest, unless you are a bigot or a racist, I don't really need to agree with you politically all the time. I feel like varying degrees of politics can be interesting. I obviously am firmly on one side: not hard to guess which side seeing that I am a Canadian Jew, living in Europe, mother to a special needs child. So it was great to get to know Mike (and coincidentally, he met my dad a couple of years ago while on a work trip and my dad was a fan so there's that) and since I was going to be in Ottawa, I sent him a message a couple of weeks ago.
He responded quickly and asked me to set up a meeting with his assistant and so I did. The plan was for us to meet at Starbucks near Parliament at 4. My dad, to avoid traffic, dropped me off at 3:20 so I bought a frozen coffee and then cracked open my Kindle. I decided to e-mail Mike's assistant to tell her I was early but sitting on the left hand side so that Mike would know where I would be. About 10 minutes later, I received an e-mail telling me that plans had changed and could I now come to his office around the corner because things were chaotic and crazy. You know those scenes in movies where that intern in Washington has to run in heels and in a flattering rain coat? Yeah. That was me. I grabbed my purse and flew out of Starbucks. I showed up a couple minutes later and had to go through security and wait to be admitted. After a couple of minutes of waiting, I took the elevator up and walked down the hushed hallway, passed closed doors, all bearing the names of politicians. Yes, it was incredibly surreal. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
An intern greeted me and said that Mike would be with me soon and I decided I was so out of my element so I had to call on one of my imaginary heroes, Selina from VEEP to get me through this.
I sat down after hanging up my coat and chatted with the lovely intern for a few minutes. Then the office door opened and one of his assistants ushered me in. Mike greeted me warmly and I took in the incredible view of Parliament Hill. I guess politics is intoxicating. He told me that a motion for the Canadian Autism Partnership was being presented the next day at Parliament so things were a little crazy at the moment. I nodded like I really knew what he was talking about. I had heard about the CAP but a "motion"? Wut? The Locomotion? No clue. I sat down across from his desk as he made phone calls and his assistant sat down beside me. Mike said "Well, I guess you are now a trusted member of staff so you can sit in and observe what I am doing." and I nodded sagely and thought "Wait, what?!" I am not at liberty to talk about what I saw and heard (how cool does that sound, guys?!?!) but I will tell you this. Mike Lake is an incredibly passionate man and if I were from Edmonton, I might have voted for him. He is dedicated to autism advocacy and I am a proud Canadian to have him in our parliament.
But now back to me. I stayed in his office for just over an hour and while I wasn't quite sure what my role was, it was pretty surreal to have been there. Sure, it might have been a little awkward when I pretended to be on my phone without WiFi. Or when I made a joke about something stupid. Or maybe when I told him I had a meeting with the Deputy Minister of International Development on Wednesday and I said "Yes, I am meeting Peter Boehm." and I pronounced it like "Boouummm" which is the Germanic pronunciation and he was like "You mean Peter Boehm?" (like "Beam") and like an idiot I said "Oh, Boouummm is the European way to pronounce it."
SHUT UP TOVA! SHUT UP! Ugh. I am the worst. But all in all, it was an amazing experience. I left the office in a daze and made my way to the Chateau Laurier (oh look, another Fairmont hotel. I have a type) to meet my sister. I walked into the lobby and a minute later my sister called out my name and I guess she could see from my face that I was in need of drink and she said "Should we try the bar.." "Yes." We walked into the Wilfred Room (where my mother used to take me for high tea) and grabbed a table by the window and I ordered a cosmo and told her all about my meeting. She laughed and then we caught up and ordered another round. We headed back to her place so that I could see her kids briefly and where my dad was picking me up because I am 12. It was great to see my nieces and nephew and I promised to bring them their presents the next day.
My dad drove me back to The Estate and I told him all about my meeting and he said "Wait til you tell you mother about this!" Once back, we opened wine, ate chicken shish kebabs and halloumi and talked and laughed and it was great. What a day. What a day.
Tuesday:
I woke up early, obviously still high from politics and decided to go for a run. I managed just about 30 minutes and then I took a shower and had some coffee. My uncle came by for a visit and we all sat in the living room by the fire. Did I mention that Canada was cold this visit?!? In the afternoon, after lunch, my parents and I all took a nap and my mom quipped that it was like a retirement home. At 3:30, I checked Facebook and was devastated to see the Canadian Autism Partnership be rejected. It was absolutely heartbreaking and actually infuriating. I don't know if my heart could take politics. Ugh. We drove to my sister's place for an early dinner. They just finished renovating their house and it looks spectacular. My sister make chicken fajitas and mole and her kids were adorable. My aunt came by and we talked and ate and it was lovely. By 6:30, we were on the road again and heading back to The Estate. Next time, I need to aim and come earlier on a Sunday so I can see more of the kids. What I imagine my next visit not being like.
Back home with my parents, we sat and talked and then at 8, my mom and I tuned into America's Got Talent which always makes me weepy. And the amount of commercials make me stabby. Just after 10, I feel asleep, exhausted.
Wednesday:
My last day in Ottawa and another early start. My dad had set up a meeting for me with the Deputy Minister of International Development. My dad has known him for years and Mr. Boehm has a son with autism. I thought it would be an incredible opportunity to talk about myself with someone important. Our meeting was scheduled for 9:30 and my dad drove me there. I need to learn how to drive one day. I went to the front desk and said I had a meeting and I passed over my I.D. and the guard asked "Do you have a local number?" and I said "I have my dad's number!" Ugh. He responded with "That will do." I waited for a couple of minutes and then one of Peter Boehm's assistants picked me up and brought me to his office. He walked in shortly after and we went into his private office and talked. I told him about what I was doing with Autism in Vienna and about the support (lack of) available. He talked about his son and it was a really lovely meeting. I was grateful that he took the time and was so gracious and kind. It truly was another surreal experience.
I thanked him and said good bye and then approached his assistant and said "Yeah, I need to call my dad to pick me up." and she laughed. I called him and then she walked me downstairs. My dad showed up a couple of minutes later and I told him about the meeting and how nice he was and then we stopped for bagels because of course.
We got home and my mom, dad and I ate and talked and then just around 3, it was time to go to the airport. I hugged my mom good bye and blinked back tears and then my dad drove me to the airport. He took out my suitcase and we hugged good bye and tried not to cry again. I found the check in desk and that took a while so I ended up in a conversation about Paw Patrol with a couple of strangers. Oh, Canada! Once checked in, I went through security, shortly thereafter boarded the small Porter plane and an hour later, I was back in Toronto, in a taxi, heading to my hotel on Queen Street. As I pulled my suitcase up to the entrance, a man walked out and said "Hope you can fit that huge suitcase into that tiny hotel." and I laughed and then said "WUT?!" A few minutes later, I would find out what he meant.
Yeah, the hotel room was the smallest hotel room I have ever stayed in and I have stayed in hotels in Paris and London. This was a closet. With a TV on the ceiling. This was the size of my bathroom. But you know what? I didn't care. I got changed and then decided to have my last Pizza Pizza of my trip. Nostalgia and all that. Plus an addiction to pizza. Queen Street West is around the corner from where the Husband and I used to live so I went to the old Pizza Pizza that we always went to. I got my cheese and onion pizza and a root beer, picked up some wine at the Wine Rack and then squeezed back into my hotel room. I ate and watched Law and Order SVU and then fell into a deep sleep.
Thursday:
I woke up early of course and repacked my suitcase. I took a walk and did a little shopping in Old Navy. I went back to the hotel and checked out and asked them to store my luggage for a couple of hours. Where they stored it? I have no idea. I walked back to Yonge street and met my brother at a place called Joey. This is where all the cool and rich kids go for lunch. Our waitress was lovely and it turned out that she went to school in Vienna about ten years ago. Teeny tiny world. I had a cheeseburger, a glass of wine and a frozen lemonade and I made my brother pay for most of it. He knows why. Heh.
I walked him to his office because I had asked him to print out my boarding pass and it was still on his desk. We hugged good bye and I tried again not to cry. I walked back to Queen, picked up my suitcase and walked down to Union Station. I made it to Pearson airport, checked in and then sat at the gate, trying not to sob. It was an emotional day and actually an emotional trip. So many events and experiences and trips down memory lane. I miss my family daily and I miss Canada and Canadians. It was an amazing amazing amazing visit and I think that is what made it so hard to say good bye. I know that Vienna is now my home but it is only human nature to wonder what life would be like back in Canada. One thing is for sure...I would definitely have a dryer.
It is good to be back in Wien but my heart is a little bit heavier. I know that there is a reason to be here and that I have a cause and a passion. I have amazing friends here. And the alcohol is a lot cheaper... Life, it isn't always easy and choices can be difficult... so I will soldier on and who knows what the future holds? You just never know, eh? But whatever it is, I am going to rock it!
Monday:
Monday morning I woke up early again and was relieved that my ear was no longer hurting. I was worried. I got dressed and had a coffee and then my mom and I drove to a local restaurant to meet my Godmother for breakfast. I always miss a big Canadian style breakfast even though when I lived in Canada I rarely ever had it. I ordered eggs over easy, extra crispy bacon, hashbrowns and wholewheat toast. Just the way I like it. It was great to see my Godmother again and we caught up a little. Afterwards, my mom drove me home and I spent most of the early afternoon, preparing for my BIG IMPORTANT MEETING. BIG. HUGE.
Back in January 2016, I received a private message from a woman on the Autism in Vienna Beacon Beach House page. She told me that she used to be the assistant to Member of Parliament Mike Lake and that she was looking for the autism community in Vienna. I wrote back with "I think I am it." and she told me that Mike Lake was coming to Vienna for a holiday but since he is involved in autism, he always likes to reach out to the local community and give a talk. I was ecstatic and wrote "That would be amazing! But I can't pay him..." and she replied with "Oh no, he doesn't want to be paid. It is just a passion of his." and then I Googled him. Mike has a son who has autism and since taking up office, in addition to his duties, has become an advocate for autism awareness and support. I get it. I quickly tried to think of places he could give a talk in... I thought about a wine bar briefly but decided against that. Luckily, a friend of mine was able to secure a lecture hall at the Technical University and I spent the next couple of weeks trying to drum up interest and secure attendance.
The night before the talk, Mike and I met and I told him all about autism in Vienna and what I was trying to do. He told me about autism support in Canada, and while not perfect in no way shape or form, it sounded a whole lot better than here. The next day he gave his fantastic talk and it was a real highlight of my year. Afterwards, we went out for a quick drink. At one point he said "I don't think we are politically on the same page." and I responded with "Nope, but that doesn't matter when it comes to autism."
To be honest, unless you are a bigot or a racist, I don't really need to agree with you politically all the time. I feel like varying degrees of politics can be interesting. I obviously am firmly on one side: not hard to guess which side seeing that I am a Canadian Jew, living in Europe, mother to a special needs child. So it was great to get to know Mike (and coincidentally, he met my dad a couple of years ago while on a work trip and my dad was a fan so there's that) and since I was going to be in Ottawa, I sent him a message a couple of weeks ago.
He responded quickly and asked me to set up a meeting with his assistant and so I did. The plan was for us to meet at Starbucks near Parliament at 4. My dad, to avoid traffic, dropped me off at 3:20 so I bought a frozen coffee and then cracked open my Kindle. I decided to e-mail Mike's assistant to tell her I was early but sitting on the left hand side so that Mike would know where I would be. About 10 minutes later, I received an e-mail telling me that plans had changed and could I now come to his office around the corner because things were chaotic and crazy. You know those scenes in movies where that intern in Washington has to run in heels and in a flattering rain coat? Yeah. That was me. I grabbed my purse and flew out of Starbucks. I showed up a couple minutes later and had to go through security and wait to be admitted. After a couple of minutes of waiting, I took the elevator up and walked down the hushed hallway, passed closed doors, all bearing the names of politicians. Yes, it was incredibly surreal. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
An intern greeted me and said that Mike would be with me soon and I decided I was so out of my element so I had to call on one of my imaginary heroes, Selina from VEEP to get me through this.
I sat down after hanging up my coat and chatted with the lovely intern for a few minutes. Then the office door opened and one of his assistants ushered me in. Mike greeted me warmly and I took in the incredible view of Parliament Hill. I guess politics is intoxicating. He told me that a motion for the Canadian Autism Partnership was being presented the next day at Parliament so things were a little crazy at the moment. I nodded like I really knew what he was talking about. I had heard about the CAP but a "motion"? Wut? The Locomotion? No clue. I sat down across from his desk as he made phone calls and his assistant sat down beside me. Mike said "Well, I guess you are now a trusted member of staff so you can sit in and observe what I am doing." and I nodded sagely and thought "Wait, what?!" I am not at liberty to talk about what I saw and heard (how cool does that sound, guys?!?!) but I will tell you this. Mike Lake is an incredibly passionate man and if I were from Edmonton, I might have voted for him. He is dedicated to autism advocacy and I am a proud Canadian to have him in our parliament.
But now back to me. I stayed in his office for just over an hour and while I wasn't quite sure what my role was, it was pretty surreal to have been there. Sure, it might have been a little awkward when I pretended to be on my phone without WiFi. Or when I made a joke about something stupid. Or maybe when I told him I had a meeting with the Deputy Minister of International Development on Wednesday and I said "Yes, I am meeting Peter Boehm." and I pronounced it like "Boouummm" which is the Germanic pronunciation and he was like "You mean Peter Boehm?" (like "Beam") and like an idiot I said "Oh, Boouummm is the European way to pronounce it."
SHUT UP TOVA! SHUT UP! Ugh. I am the worst. But all in all, it was an amazing experience. I left the office in a daze and made my way to the Chateau Laurier (oh look, another Fairmont hotel. I have a type) to meet my sister. I walked into the lobby and a minute later my sister called out my name and I guess she could see from my face that I was in need of drink and she said "Should we try the bar.." "Yes." We walked into the Wilfred Room (where my mother used to take me for high tea) and grabbed a table by the window and I ordered a cosmo and told her all about my meeting. She laughed and then we caught up and ordered another round. We headed back to her place so that I could see her kids briefly and where my dad was picking me up because I am 12. It was great to see my nieces and nephew and I promised to bring them their presents the next day.
My dad drove me back to The Estate and I told him all about my meeting and he said "Wait til you tell you mother about this!" Once back, we opened wine, ate chicken shish kebabs and halloumi and talked and laughed and it was great. What a day. What a day.
Tuesday:
I woke up early, obviously still high from politics and decided to go for a run. I managed just about 30 minutes and then I took a shower and had some coffee. My uncle came by for a visit and we all sat in the living room by the fire. Did I mention that Canada was cold this visit?!? In the afternoon, after lunch, my parents and I all took a nap and my mom quipped that it was like a retirement home. At 3:30, I checked Facebook and was devastated to see the Canadian Autism Partnership be rejected. It was absolutely heartbreaking and actually infuriating. I don't know if my heart could take politics. Ugh. We drove to my sister's place for an early dinner. They just finished renovating their house and it looks spectacular. My sister make chicken fajitas and mole and her kids were adorable. My aunt came by and we talked and ate and it was lovely. By 6:30, we were on the road again and heading back to The Estate. Next time, I need to aim and come earlier on a Sunday so I can see more of the kids. What I imagine my next visit not being like.
Back home with my parents, we sat and talked and then at 8, my mom and I tuned into America's Got Talent which always makes me weepy. And the amount of commercials make me stabby. Just after 10, I feel asleep, exhausted.
Wednesday:
My last day in Ottawa and another early start. My dad had set up a meeting for me with the Deputy Minister of International Development. My dad has known him for years and Mr. Boehm has a son with autism. I thought it would be an incredible opportunity to talk about myself with someone important. Our meeting was scheduled for 9:30 and my dad drove me there. I need to learn how to drive one day. I went to the front desk and said I had a meeting and I passed over my I.D. and the guard asked "Do you have a local number?" and I said "I have my dad's number!" Ugh. He responded with "That will do." I waited for a couple of minutes and then one of Peter Boehm's assistants picked me up and brought me to his office. He walked in shortly after and we went into his private office and talked. I told him about what I was doing with Autism in Vienna and about the support (lack of) available. He talked about his son and it was a really lovely meeting. I was grateful that he took the time and was so gracious and kind. It truly was another surreal experience.
I thanked him and said good bye and then approached his assistant and said "Yeah, I need to call my dad to pick me up." and she laughed. I called him and then she walked me downstairs. My dad showed up a couple of minutes later and I told him about the meeting and how nice he was and then we stopped for bagels because of course.
We got home and my mom, dad and I ate and talked and then just around 3, it was time to go to the airport. I hugged my mom good bye and blinked back tears and then my dad drove me to the airport. He took out my suitcase and we hugged good bye and tried not to cry again. I found the check in desk and that took a while so I ended up in a conversation about Paw Patrol with a couple of strangers. Oh, Canada! Once checked in, I went through security, shortly thereafter boarded the small Porter plane and an hour later, I was back in Toronto, in a taxi, heading to my hotel on Queen Street. As I pulled my suitcase up to the entrance, a man walked out and said "Hope you can fit that huge suitcase into that tiny hotel." and I laughed and then said "WUT?!" A few minutes later, I would find out what he meant.
Yeah, the hotel room was the smallest hotel room I have ever stayed in and I have stayed in hotels in Paris and London. This was a closet. With a TV on the ceiling. This was the size of my bathroom. But you know what? I didn't care. I got changed and then decided to have my last Pizza Pizza of my trip. Nostalgia and all that. Plus an addiction to pizza. Queen Street West is around the corner from where the Husband and I used to live so I went to the old Pizza Pizza that we always went to. I got my cheese and onion pizza and a root beer, picked up some wine at the Wine Rack and then squeezed back into my hotel room. I ate and watched Law and Order SVU and then fell into a deep sleep.
Thursday:
I woke up early of course and repacked my suitcase. I took a walk and did a little shopping in Old Navy. I went back to the hotel and checked out and asked them to store my luggage for a couple of hours. Where they stored it? I have no idea. I walked back to Yonge street and met my brother at a place called Joey. This is where all the cool and rich kids go for lunch. Our waitress was lovely and it turned out that she went to school in Vienna about ten years ago. Teeny tiny world. I had a cheeseburger, a glass of wine and a frozen lemonade and I made my brother pay for most of it. He knows why. Heh.
I walked him to his office because I had asked him to print out my boarding pass and it was still on his desk. We hugged good bye and I tried again not to cry. I walked back to Queen, picked up my suitcase and walked down to Union Station. I made it to Pearson airport, checked in and then sat at the gate, trying not to sob. It was an emotional day and actually an emotional trip. So many events and experiences and trips down memory lane. I miss my family daily and I miss Canada and Canadians. It was an amazing amazing amazing visit and I think that is what made it so hard to say good bye. I know that Vienna is now my home but it is only human nature to wonder what life would be like back in Canada. One thing is for sure...I would definitely have a dryer.
It is good to be back in Wien but my heart is a little bit heavier. I know that there is a reason to be here and that I have a cause and a passion. I have amazing friends here. And the alcohol is a lot cheaper... Life, it isn't always easy and choices can be difficult... so I will soldier on and who knows what the future holds? You just never know, eh? But whatever it is, I am going to rock it!
Great Post, Tova! I don't get on fb as much as i used to and when the link to this post came up on my feed i saved it and today i finally read it. Congratulations on all your adventures and thanks for putting into words what a lot of us expats feel after leaving our families after a visit. Onward and upward for the future of the Beacon Beach House! xoLucie
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