Lucky Toronto

Today I was reading a book and found a quote that was amazing. And then I thought of somebody I wanted to share it with. Unfortunately my friend had moved to Toronto couple moth ago. I think she would like it, but now we can’t talk about it. Sad!
Anyhow, in case if she does read it, here it is:
“Loneliness was no longer something new or frightening-just another aspect of life that, once identified, seemed to disappear.”
I wish I could tell her how true it is becoming in my life.

Foreign guy becomes a God-father

It is great to realize that there are still people that are thinking of you even though you haven’t seen them for 2 years.

My good friends back home had a baby and they asked me to be his God father.
It is like family, only you know that these members of the family chose you and were not stuck with you against their will.
Look at this baby or part of him (I wasn’t sure if he wants to be seen in Internet just yet)! His name is Jacob and foreign guy is his God father.

Welcom to the world - Jacob!

About building a grill, moving a bed and planning my own deportation

Today Carter and Julie were moving into their new apartment. Boxes, chairs, couch and even a grill experienced the trill of their lives as they traveled across the city. We were joking, eating pica, working between brakes and in every way having a great time. Guys were putting together furniture; girls were unpacking cloth and dishes. At first Carter and I put together a dresser – piece of cake if you do it with “mister fix it” (and I don’t mean myself). Then Jeff and I tackled the grill – fun, fun, fun – however there was no gas so we don’t really know if we did it or not. But then all of us took on the computer desk. It was like putting together a jigsaw puzzle without knowing what it is suppose to look like at the end. Needles to say, at the end there were extra pieces left and bolts that never found their way into this colossal construction. At one point I was sitting on the floor by the window, drinking milk with coffee and thinking how badly I do not want to be deported. I want to see if Julie and Carter will have a happy home and if they will have decency to name their firstborn after me or not (I will even settle for a middle name). I want to be there when this dresser gets old and when grill runs out of gas again. Somehow this fear of me being kicked out of Canada became so real that I started to plan goodbye party in my head. (It will be a great party but some other time about that)
And then I wondered if Brendon will bring a box of my favourite root bear to my goodbye party. I hope he will.

Wedding Contemplation

Couple weeks ago I was a groomsmen at my best buddy's wedding. There is something incredible when you are sitting at the head table. I was sitting there and thinking that of all people in that room they picked me to share that day with. I like being picked. You know what I was thinking when I was sitting there? I was sitting there and thinking about phys.ed. in elementary and high school.

Teacher would come and say we are going to play soccer today. When I heard it I felt sick. I knew what’s coming. There would be two captains; they would pick the kids that are faster, stronger and taller then me. Then I would end up picked because somebody had to pick me eventually. Soon I made habit to help with homework only to the kid that picked me. Soon they figured it out and I wasn’t picked last any more.

But here I was sitting at the head table. Carter and Julie did not pick me because I was stronger, taller, faster then rest of their friends. They did not pick me because I can help them with the home work. I still do not know why they picked me, but they did and I was honored to sit at that table.

Foreign guy and Rusty

This is my buddy Rusty. He is fun to hang out with. He is the greatest car-friend one can have. If I forget to put on my seat belt he says, “Hey bucket-head put the belt on NOW!” In car it sounds more like – Bep, bep, bep. Sometimes he gently says to me, “What do you think I am electro station, turn the head lights off.” (Beep, bep, beeeep) But just another day he told me, “Hey you, pink android with mush instead of a processor, what are you leaving the keys in for?” (beep, beep, beep)
He is an awesome car friend to have, especially now, when my 2 best friends are gone for a honey moon. There is something not right when your two best friends get married, now every time one of them will be gone another one will drag along. But what can you do, life is not always a blubbery muffin.

Perfect Sunday

Some of them were playing a game in the kitchen somebody was napping in the living room; somebody else was reading a book in the rocking chair. Peace was so smoothing that I could do nothing else but soak it in with every pore of my restless mind. I was enjoying something that seemed to be just like every other Sunday afternoon for this family. We just got up from the table and decided that before having a dessert we’ll take a brake. I was hoping that it will be a nice cake. It was one of the girls birthday. I knew that there will be an ice-cream, this family seem to like ice-cream a lot. There was a “happy birthday” tune, ice-cream and cake. I had my tea and somehow everything seemed to be just perfect.
It was a perfect Sunday afternoon with lactose free cake and soy ice-cream. With a girl that can not have dairy, her husband, her sister, her husbands parents, her husbands’ brother, who also happened to be her sister fiancé and my best buddy. The perfect dairy free birthday party for a girl that does not know what the milk tastes like.
They didn’t seem to mind me being there. But what is even more surprising to me, I did not feel like I was invading.

P.S. Picture is completely unrelated, but funny!

I am back in Canada

Yup I am back to the country of the Maple leave and into the province with no Maple trees whatsoever. Sometimes I feel guilty for loving Canada so much but then again I feel guilty every time I eat ice-cream.
But let me tell you about the one thing I do not feel guilty about. I do not feel guilty for enjoying the company of the bestest friends in the world.
With two of them I went hiking another day. Ones we got to Rockies it started to rain very badly and we got kind of lost. We hardly got out of the car; except just long enough for me to take this picture of them. Have you ever had friends with whom it is great to be together even when everything goes wrong? I would not traded this afternoon spend with them even for the very best planed vacation. Friends make life just a little bid more bearable, don’t you think.
Another day I was talking on the phone with one of my other friend in Toronto. As I was listening to her wrong opinion on the war in Lebanon, I realized that I love Canada not because of its money or nature or even climate. I love Canada because some of the very best people I have ever met live in the country of the Maple leave and in the province with no Maple trees whatsoever.