Random Canadian Factoid 9 - Grey Cup: then and now

So here are 3 of the Edmonton Eskimos celebrating their win in the Grey Cup this weekend. For those of you who dont know, the Grey Cup is the final of Canada's American football competition, so our equivalent might be something like the FA cup final.

Sean Fleming booted the winning field goal in overtime to lift the Eskimos to a thrilling (CBC's words, not mine!) 38-35 win over the Montreal Alouettes in the 93rd Grey Cup in what will go down as one of the greatest contests in the history of the CFL's championship game, played in front of 59,000 in BC place in Vancouver, a futuristic indoor stadium. (Yes of course I took photos of it while I was there!) Its a long way away from the first Grey Cup final. On my wanders through Rosedale Park on Impact day (30th September), I wandered across this park and sign.



This, as the sign tells you, is the site of the very first Grey Cup final, played here in Toronto back in 1909, with rules probably more akin to rugby than current day gridiron. Today, its just a small park with a spot of baseball and tennis, but I was excited by it. Which possibly says more about me than anything else!

The first winners of the cup were the University of Toronto. Which isnt as weird sounding as all that. Because, although the first FA cup winners were (now premiership) Bolton Wanderers back in 1872, the 3rd cup (1874) was won by Oxford University, who incidentally have played in 4 FA cup finals. Thats twice as many as Birmingham City and Peterborough United. Combined.

OK. Enough trivia for one day. I might earn myself a reputation for being sad! (What do you mean, 'might'?!)

The big 3-0

....is not far away. 10 days off I think. But this is not a post about that. Its just a tenous way of getting this article on to my blog.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/4472922.stm

So thats for my dad, and Scribbles, both of whom I am sure had a little giggle at the demise of the 'mighty' Villa. Even Brian will doubtless have enjoyed it.

Will avoid jokes about the holy Trinity. You've all thought of them already!

Hey scribbles - we made the BBC front page

I say 'we'. I mean Canada. It doesnt often make the top of the news back home, but this was showing tonight on the BBC website.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4480218.stm

A vote of no confidence in Paul Martin's government has led to it falling, defeated in the vote today by 171 votes to 133. One of you at least can tell me how many no votes/abstensions that means!! (You know who you are!)

Unfortunately, the election is expected on 23 January, so I will miss it. Gutted. I spent all this summer hoping to miss our own vote last May (sadly, my travel arrangements just couldnt sort themselves quickly enough..). It will be interesting to see how an election is fought out here.

Scribbles - keep watching!

This week in Canada I....

Sorry folks. Oh it has been a weird topsy turvy week on and off the field. Work coming out of my ears (and anywhere else it could find places to emerge from...), party invites to celebrate everything from exams to birthdays to the mere existence of English people in Toronto, pool competitions... and a little bit more besides. I just havent really found the energy to tap into the screen this week to say hello to you all. But anyway.

So. A brief synopsis. This will make sense to me (and probably me alone), but will in time remind me of the week that was.

This week in Canada I..

- learned that if you ask for a 'white coffee' in a coffee shop you'll get stared at blankly, but if you order an extra large double double, regular or a black coffee, you will get something coffee related. I'm not sure why 'white coffee' causes so much confusion! And dont even get me started on 'jacket' potatoes!

- got a Canadian texting me every week day this week. Elyse at least will recognise this as an achievement of sorts!

- learned that, when being told to use the 'clear' lane in the snow, 'clear' does NOT mean the lane without traffic in it. To put it another way, snow is much slippier than tarmac!

- learned to drive no handed on the 401. I managed 4km through Mississauga on Wednesday night without touching the steering wheel - admittedly rarely hitting the heights of 10kmh as the snow came pouring down. I attribute this skill entirely to my dad, who drove many miles no handed whilst I was a little boy - and at far greater speeds than 10kmh. Something to aspire to...

- did the English proud in a drinking session, as 3 of us spent far too long sinking tequila shots. And unlike Williams, I was in work by 845 the next day!

- was a pool shark for the night, with the particular highlight being the 7 balling of the same Williams - before he really got stuck into the alcoholic shots, I might add. On the other hand, despite winning 6-1 in singles, I should admit that, in mixed doubles, i lost 3-0. In that moment i also discovered that I am worse than average with women! Hmmm. Should i rephrase that? Nah. Self ridicule is what this blog is here for!

- learned that it is not always better to have 'loved and lost' as the proverb goes, but it does give you the experience to deal with it better the next time.

- spent the night pulling faces with a bunch of young professionals in a public bar. Oh, may i never forget what it feels like to do young silly things! And hopefully, Suzanne permitting, there will be photographic evidence of this later this week!

- got the most wonderful comment in my blog from my UK blogger pal scribbles. And on the back of this I really started for the first time looking forward to seeing the UK again. Its been 5 months, and it suddenly feels like it.

- got an email from my home office telling me I couldnt come back to Canada between January and March. On reflection, this will give some people a break from me (which i am sure they need!), and it will give me a chance to reflect on the experiences I've had here so far, and whether I would want to repeat them. The odds were looking pretty good up til last week, so who knows...

- got an invite to a Canadian Christmas dinner that was cooked for 3 British guys who have been over here this autumn. Chris, Elyse, Amy, Nicki, Jamie, Will, Paul, Suzanne, Katie, Christine. Thank you all so much. Most of the funniest nights we spent here were thanks to you all.

- opened Canadian Christmas crackers and discovered that the piece of paper with the joke comes with 2 jokes, one in English and one in French. This is Canada, after all!

- discovered that Canadian Christmas cracker jokes are every bit as crap as ours:

1) Why do bakers work so hard?
Because they kneed dough

2) How can you stop a rhino from charging?
Take away his credit cards

3) Customer: 'This steak is terrible, I want the manager'
Waiter: 'Sorry sir, he's not on the menu'

I dont think even Kim is going to crack a smile at those!

- discovered that Glasgow Rangers FC, having lost 2-1 to Hibs this weekend, have gone 8 games without a win for the first time in their 132 year history. Their fans dont know when they are born. The Toronto Raptors (NBA team, known locally as the 'craptors') lost their first 9 games this season! Not to mention the joys of supporting Peterborough or Birmingham.

- went to watch the Pld 9 lost 9 Raptors at the Air Canada Centre on Sunday. And they won! Crowd of 17,594 enjoyed the entertainment. And because they scored 100+ points (107-94 v Miami Heat), we got a free slice of pizza from 'Pizza Pizza' (its a chain, and i challenge anyone to find a way of using the word pizza 4 times in 5 words in a real English sentence!). For the record, the Raptors are now 1-11.

- Reread the whole of my blog. It was a funny week, and i really wanted to remember the good that Canada has been for me. To all you Canadians, you have a great place here, I love it and I know I will be back to share time with you again. Its been a huge pleasure, the whole thing.

So that was last week. Photos I will sort soon. I couldnt really have predicted last week, and i guess anything could happen this week too. www.pootergeek.com has his own thoughts on this matter, (hilarious, for anyone with a small grasp of German who fancies a laugh), and i for one wouldnt be surprised, or disappointed to see it happen.

Nachste Montag, Wetter permitten, wir invaden der Frankreich.

Lets see what the new week has in store. Eh?

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Sometimes you just have to accept the challenge as it occurs - and tomorrow I am driving 500km to and from Strathroy to humour my client. To interview 2 people. To pick up a couple of documents. And to challenge myself still further. For it will doubtless involve snow. Thats the white stuff in the sky, and not anything else, for those of you questionning my moral habits!

I am sure I will tire of the "dont you get snow in England?" question. Well, yes. It lasts about 2 or 3 days a year, its generally turned to slush within a few hours, and is guaranteed to bring chaos to rail and road networks across the country.

But here is an interesting one. Any idea what the average snowfall in the UK is? Well, from one website, I found that, for the years 1961-90, Berkshire had an average winter snowfall of 5.4mm, Pembrokeshire 6.6mm and County Down 10.5mm.

But hang on, I hear you say. We can make snow balls with our snow, so it must be more than 7 or 8mm average. You are right, because snowfall is apparently 12 times thicker than its water equivalent. In other words, if the numbers above suggest an average of 8mm a year of water equivalent, thats (12 x 8 ) mm of snow. Call it 10cm. Or for those of you who are still measuring in the old ways, 4 inches. (I was going to say 6 inches, but this is a family site....!)

Anyway, according to our friends at www.theweathernetwork.com, it feels like -10 in London (the nearest town to where I am headed), and i can expect 10cm of snow in the next 24 hours. That'll be a year's annual UK snowfall then!

This inspired one particularly kind local to text me to say be careful driving in the snow. The instructions I got are as follows:


- keep some distance from the car in front of you

- take your time

- no sweat!

- the car will probably have ABS (newer cars do) - I guess you wouldnt know about ABS? (I'm not sure i've ever mentioned the P309, but there will be a whole lot of people back home agreeing with that comment!)

- just drive in the clearest lane possible

- the snow on either side of your tire tracks can grab your tires and pull you in, so just be careful

- we do it all the time! (yeah, i've seen the other things 401 drivers do too....)

- its the only way to learn

- i dont mean to scare you (no no, keep it coming....)

- you'll be fine ( i got this particular one 4 times!!!).

So there you go. Instructions for driving the Ontarian winter, for any of you thinking of an out of season visit. I rather fancy that, unlike at home, the 10cm of snow will not close all roads tomorrow, so i expect to go and come back, and have something to say come tomorrow night.

Wish me luck!

Random Canadian Factoid no 8 - a YYZ one for Sullivan

Short but sweet. I need to post a little something to remind you all I am here. The best thing about this blog is that I have buy in from other people. Unbelievably, other people are actually helping me find bits of information to put in here. So a special thank you to today's contributor! (They know who they are)

The generosity of people in general here is something i just cannot believe. Because, not only am I collecting things for my blog, I am also collecting 25c coins - of which there are goodness knows how many variations. It was a sad something I noticed way back in June, that there are many different faces to the 25c. Now, I am having people keep the unusual ones for me when we meet up, and at least 4 people have turned up with special coins for me...

On the other hand, this generosity comes at a price. For today's factoid is this - that Toronto is the most expensive airport in the world, when it comes to landing fees. http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20051115/pearson_fees_051115/20051116?hub=Canada

I am working on getting a dissertation from my mate DS as to why this is the case, and what the landing fees pay for. If they are in any way responsible for the brand new Terminal one at Lester B Pearson, it was money well spent. Easily the most pain free terminal I have flown out of..

Sadly, for the rest of you, the costs of landing an aeroplane here probably add about $35 to your flight ticket. But, if you want to come over here, its a small price to pay. The memories of your time in Toronto? Priceless.

Whats in your inbox?

Email - the pain of my life. Not only can I get 25 in an hour while people are planning the next social activity - you know who you are people! - but, in attempts to manage the 50 a day I am getting, my 'hotmail' account (other free web based email accounts are available)! doesnt get looked at, with the result that, now and again, i get a note saying:

"Your aunt has just been talking to your mother on the 'phone, it appears that she emailed you but has not had a reply."

Naughty Matt. And yes, Matt has replied to his auntie.

Anyway, now and again, between the IAS weekly updates, the Audit alerts, the other circulars, the social ones and the serious ones, something stands out and i try to remember to keep it. Sadly, all too often, they get deleted once my inbox hits 90mb, as thats my limit, and as various people reading this site will tell you, i've no idea what i am doing with a laptop...

Anyway, for my amusement, and hopefully some of yours, here are a sample of quotes from my inbox as it stands, before i delete them.


The Canadian communications

“At least you still have the Ashes” (coming from a Canadian, this is my greatest achievement since I’ve been here!)

“Also...text message? I'm not sure what you mean. My understanding is that 'mobiles' or cell phones (as they are known in Canada) are to be used to...well... phone people. Crazy, I know”

“Brain injury causes British accent. This explains quite a lot” (from this link -
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3235934.stm )

Client communications

"p.s. I’m on page 68 of the IFRS questionnaire and I’m ready to hang myself…."

"I don’t think they know what “lead sheets” are" (from a corporate controller, you'd be worried too!)

A party invitation

"You'll be pleased (?) to know that you are top of the guest list, so there's an offer you can't refuse. I think you are going to be expected to provide some singing / guitar playing entertainment"

"pass-the-parcel is also on the itinerary along with bingo" (in case I’m too boring, presumably!!)

The Random others...

"cricket was great. Could not enjoy it all that well because of the exams, though. Since they're over now, I've got a broken nose. The missus didn't realise I was getting out of the car behind her and smashed the door in my face! I am having to go for surgery on Wed."

"I'm told that Canada is a lot better than the US" (yes this is real, and added just for you Canadians!)

"I dread to think what time it is in your part of the world now and why on earth you are free to email" (Auditor struggling with -5 hours!)

"tune into Gazetta this week, for more shots, rounds and people hitting the bar than 'Boozey Britain 2'"

"Milan were all over the old lady like a sailor on payday..."

"I'm feeling quite sick (strange and plentifulmix of drinks last night). Been browsing your website. Do you actually have time to do any work what with all the sightseeing, socialising and then writing it all up?"

"A few of us ended up back at the office until 5 drinking the champagne and having races on the chairs - how mature!"

"one bartenders name is Dale and if you are really nice to him he looks away while pouring your alcohol"

"You'll like this one Matt, although it may come as a surprise - have snared myself a bird!!"

"Now for the interesting bit…….she is a new first year"

"Be very proud to be British because.. Only in Britain can a pizza get to your house faster than an Ambulance"

"they have already invited me to the Christmas party and also to Christmas lunch with the afternoon off work to continue the drinking, they sound like my kind of people!"

"I've got a bit of a headache (caused by IFRS2) and a sore bum (from climbing Snowdon) but am otherwise fine"


I shouldnt curse email. You guys are giving me all the entertainment i could ever want, so thank you. Whoever you are, wherever you are, catch up with you soon.

Breaking news

I knew it might happen. More than that, I should have been expecting it sooner or later. Today, it happened.

Its snowing. Jeepers. Current temperatures in London (Ontario), where I'm staying are -3, which with windchill feel like -10. Thats going to drop to -12 overnight.... Brrrr

You can share my pain at www.theweathernetwork.com where you will find all of Canada's current and forecasted weather.

In the meantime, Nicole and I have been discussing the difference between functional and fashionable hats and scarves. I think i am just about to find out which category my Posh scarf and fleece hat fall in to....

One for mum, dad and Brian

So this is where we found ourselves Friday night.... I got ridiculously excited by the pub name (expecially the 75 bit, which a few of you will know about, and the 'touch of Ireland in Toronto', which seemed apt given the week I had..)

Sleepless in Strathroy...

...or maybe not. Because, as anyone who has seen me recently, either at Katie's cottage last month or at Paul's house last weekend will point out, I can fall asleep ANYWHERE. I am expecting abuse from a semi anonymous blogger now telling me just some of the places I fell asleep whilst we were on our pan European travels back in 1997.

So, the two incidents above demonstrated that, given the right mix of alcohol (or to put it another way, 2 beers) and a warm room, I can sleep through all interruptions.

Sadly, the same was also true on Sunday afternoon after two nights awake post midnight during the weekend. Age is catching me as fast as the 20s are leaving me....

So, to add to sofas in front of Billy Connolly and chairs in front of porn (apparently, see nothing moves me!), I can add that the noise of a Corolla doing 120 on the 401 doesnt bother me, and neither does music, the telephone (unless Paul is on the phone!) or a motorway rumble strip, all of which Nicole tried to use to stir me, without luck!

Strathroy, population 11,000, finds itself 250km south west of Toronto. But we're busy, so I havent had the chance to go out looking at it yet and I cannot report on how active the place is.

Nicole on the other hand did the lunch round and found a Quiznos Sub, which for the guys back home is an alternative to Subway or Mr Sub. For a country with the sea faring history of Canada, there are a lot of subs around here.

Quiznos has a business card draw every week - the story goes that you put your business card into a pot, and if it is drawn out, you win a free meal.

Nicole reports that there were two business cards in the bucket, so was going to put hers in on top, but hesitated.

"When is the draw?"
"Friday"
"I wont be here anyways.. we're leaving on Friday"
"We'll do it Thursday so you can use it Friday"

Its not the lotto 649, but the odds sound promising. I've no idea what else we'll see out here, but I have the camera with me just in case....

Canadian factoid 6 - and Canada's contribution to remembrance day

Picture: the war memorial, Peterborough, Ontario.

On remembrance day, the factoid today is about the Canadian $10 bill and poppies. My technological supervisor did sort me out a picture of the relevant monetary image, but sadly I couldnt get it on to the screen. However, you can get a view of all Canadian notes at http://www.vancouver.hm/money.html and in the meantime i shall work on my cut and paste techniques!

The reverse side of the Canadian $10 depicts images related to peacekeeping and remembrance, with poppy decoration and that famous line 'lest we forget' (in English and French); this is accompanied by a quotation from John McCrae's poem "In Flanders Fields".

Ever wondered why we wear poppies to mark the occasion?

Scarlet poppies (popaver rhoeas) grow naturally in conditions of disturbed earth throughout Western Europe. The destruction brought by the Napoleonic wars of the early 19th Century, transformed bare land into fields of blood red poppies, growing around the bodies of the fallen soldiers. In late 1914, the fields of Northern France and Flanders were once again ripped open as the First World War raged through Europe's heart. The significance of the poppy as a lasting memorial symbol to the fallen was realised by the Canadian surgeon McCrae in his poem. The poppy came to represent the immeasurable sacrifice made by his comrades and quickly became a lasting memorial to those who died in the First World War and later conflicts.

So, when you wear your poppy with pride this remembrance day, it was a Canadian that was responsible for creating the symbol. Here is the poem he wrote about Flanders fields...

In Flanders Fields

(Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army)

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

One for the Irish and the Auditors

After my previous indiscretions, I really shouldn't post jokes on here, but there is an old joke that used to do the rounds back home:

Q: How many letters are there in the alphabet?
A: 24 - the IRA have just blown up C&A.

(for Canadians who might not get it, C&A was a shop like Sears, and the IRA an Irish terror group).

I am working on a variation of this joke. Something like

Q: How many letters are there in a happy auditor's alphabet?
A: 24 - Once you've got rid of D & I.

Still in its infancy, but I am sure there are people out there who will work on it....

Random Canadian factoid no 5 - Radio Broadcasting

Reginald Fessenden - Extracts From National Capitol Commission of Canada;

At the end of the 19th century, people communicated by radio using Morse code - sputtering dots and dashes that trained radio operators could decode into a message. Canadian Reginald Fessenden, changed all that. He is best known for his invention of the modulation of radio waves, the "heterodyne principle" which allowed the reception and transmission on the same aerial without interference.

In 1900 he transmitted the world's first voice message. It took six years for him to refine his invention but on Christmas Eve, 1906, Reginald Fessenden made the first radio broadcast in history when ships off the Atlantic coast with Fessenden-designed equipment broadcast the first trans-Atlantic voice transmission.

So whether its 99.9, 102.7, 103.5 or 96.4 you're tuned in to tomorrow, if its any good, you can thank Canada for it.

If its shite, you can always tune in to something else! Or put a CD on. Canadians helped provide us with gramophones too, so there's plenty to be grateful to them for!

30 in 30 days... and 30 things about me

My mate Scribbles some weeks ago wrote down a whole lot of things she thought about. Well, as I am pushing 30, and as that milestone inspires me to reflect on the fun and games of the last 10 years, here are 30 things I can say about myself. Most of you who read these and know me will already know these, but you never know... and we'll get back to the Canadiana later - after all, 30 in 30 days only happens once!

I have real trouble convincing people how shy I am, and secretly I wish that more people believed me.

At 30, the longest I have ever had a job is 2 yrs and 7 months… (and its this one).

If ever I settled down, I couldn’t mix it with life as a bean counter.

Secretly, I think I will be stressed, no matter what job I have – I have come to accept that I will ‘take it home with me’.

This probably stopped me doing something I would love to be able to do, which is counselling.

The friends I will count as my best at 30 were, for the most part, not in my life when I was 20.

I have had some big life changing moments, but I still take what I have for granted too much.

I cant take compliments.

Im not all that observant. I never noticed the arrow on the fedex logo, I have no idea how many sets of lights there are from the highway to my house, and I couldn’t tell you what the person I was just talking to was wearing.

My head is full of trivia. For example, I can tell you what Birmingham City’s record attendance is, and the line of latitude Peterborough sits on.

On the other hand, I cant remember what I had for lunch yesterday, or how much it cost.

I’m learning that sport isn’t the be all and end all, that, when you are away from it, you can live without football, and that sometimes a long lie in bed is more fun than driving 2 hours to watch the game.

On the other hand, the individual moments that define sports matches, especially dramatic ones (Man Uniteds 2-1 win over Bayern, Wilkinsons last minute drop goal against the Aussies,) will probably remain amongst the most intense moments of joy I experience.

Having met with about 5 Irish university graduates, I know I will never think like them, or be accepted as one of them. I think and see like an English person, and I am proud of that.

I’ll never be able to bake bread like my nan, boil bacon like my mum or make pancakes like my dad.

I grew up eating and loving these as my favourite foods, completely unaware that they were Irish things.

Some people I make laugh all the time (Ampsy), some people I never make laugh, and I really have no idea if there is a difference in the way I treat those people.

At least twice I lost a friend because the relationship went from superficial to serious.

I wonder if there is one person in the world I am comfortable being in a room silent with.

I was a joker through my first job, and only really began to act ‘grown up’ when I became a teacher. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, and I don’t remember when, it stopped being an act, and I don’t joke around as much as I used to.

I lost my competitive streak many years ago. For some reason, now it feels great to let the other person win.

I always let my friends get their own way.

On the other hand, by doing that, I get something too – the pleasure of knowing they are happy.


My life has been fantastic. I’ve had chances that people from my background just didn’t always get. And I personally didn’t have to struggle and fight for those chances. I owe it all to other people, and very good fortune.

I like giving freely of my time to anything and anyone, but i dislike being forced to do anything.

I find it difficult accepting the generosity of others, and should remember this when people are reluctant to accept mine..

I know I am going to feel empty when I leave Canada, I’m pretty sure I know the reasons why, but I could not possibly explain them rationally.

The only positive I take from this is I know that, when I left the UK, I was really looking forward to being back.

I wasn’t at home for my 18th, 21st or 30th birthdays.

I have no urge to do anything more before my birthday, nor do I think I will feel any different after it.

I wouldn’t change any of the past 30 years experiences, good or bad.

Peterborough proof - cheesy tourist pose

Just in case any of you doubted my integrity (I am an auditor, how could you possibly?..), photographic evidence of me in front of 'Peterborough' sign.

Sad? Yes. But you know me.....

Random Canadian factoid no 4 - Pboro liftlocks

PETERBOROUGH LIFT LOCK
Peterborough's famous lift lock built in 1904, lifts boats 19.8m, making it the highest hydraulic lift lock in the world, as well as one of only 8 of its type anywhere in the world.

Who says there is nothing good to say about Peterborough?!

Peterborough - home from home

Above: Pboro City Hall

This wasnt in the script - in fact, so many things that happened over the weekend weren't in the script, but I am waiting for other people to help explain to me how it was that i found myself sleeping on a chair in Paul's flat on Saturday morning! But at 10am on Saturday morning Kim rang up and asked if I wanted to go to Peterborough for the day - after all, it would be wrong to come all this way and not see it! We had internet maps, coke, pringles, and enough music to entertain us in case we got lost.. so off we went to Pboro.

Peterborough has a population of over 74,000, it's about 150km north east of Toronto, and you get there via the 401 and 115, passing through Whitby, Darlington and Newcastle as you go. Eastern English theme? Maybe - after all, if you keep driving an hour or two, you'll eventually find yourself in Kingston and Hull. Someone was probably homesick all those years ago!

So what to tell you about Peterborough? Well, it is famous for its liftlocks, which is the subject of today's factoid/tidbit. Other than that?.. Well the following bits of trivia were brought to my attention:

Peterborough in July 2004 suffered huge flooding which you can have a look at on this link. http://www.daneagleton.com/20040715/ .. given Pboro (UK)'s position in the fens, which stand as the lowest point of the UK, that is something we share in common. Our last floods were Easter 1998.

I went to Pboro wearing my POSH football shirt. Hoping to get some empathy somewhere! Pboro, Ontario, doesnt have a 'football team'. However it does apparently have the No1 ranked OHL hockey team at the moment (equivalent of championship or league one level), so I got myself a souvenir top to add to my collection. The name of the team? The (hugely imaginative) Peterborough Petes.

The locks are on a 386km long waterway which includes 36 conventional locks, two flight locks, two hydraulic lift locks and a marine railway. The name of the waterway? Trent Severn. Anyone else think this copying is going too far?!

Pboro was formed early in the 19th century as a lumber town, it is a railroad and industrial centre. It is also famous for its canoe building industry and is the home to the Canadian Canoe Museum. Its UK counterpart is a railroad, sugar town and passport office.

Bryan Adams, that great Canadian who spent 16 weeks at No 1 in the UK charts back in 1991 ish, is playing live in Peterborough, Ontario on 9th December. My birthday. Wow. Scribbles would be excited! I am not certain that Bryan Adams is aware of a Pboro in the UK!

Worth a visit? If you are in to lift locks or canoeing, definitely. An OHL follower? Maybe. And if you are from Pboro of course. Not to mention if you are a fan of ageing Canadian rock stars!

A view of the main Peterborough high street.

The famous lift locks

And from another angle.

But here's a confession. I had no idea what a lift lock looks like, and so it transpires, neither did Kim! Does this matter? Apparently not, since, as you can see, we managed to have a look at them, take some pictures and do a spot of basic research (for the blog as well as to increase the random bits of trivia that fill both our heads - sorry Kim!) But, given that I am not beyond self ridicule here, here is what we thought were the lift locks when we first arrived in Peterborough...

Very dense? Probably! But, with some nice late fall colours showing off in the background, not a complete waste of two pictures!

Images from my first Halloween party

Courtney, together with 'welder' and 'Skeletor'. Darth Vader was also in the house, although there was no sign of the death star. Other party goers included 3 pimps, a priest, a doctor and a pirate. I am sure there is a potential joke in there somewhere!

The wig episode.

Me and my fashion designer.



So now you know what a "Canadian" looks like! My main failing. Forgetting to remember i also had a cape (the flag of Canada) around my back, and didnt pose once all night with this in shot. What a muppet am i?

Naff joke, or language barrier? Help!!!!!

OK - here it is. Feedback required. Here is a joke. The question is: does anyone, anywhere, get this joke? You dont have to find it funny (hey, if I'm telling the joke, the quality is, by definition, dubious..) Just tell me whether you understand what the joke is. I'm 0 for 3 on Canadians i've tried this joke on. 3 people still trying to work out why i even think its a joke, and one person wondering whether insanity has finally set in...

2 nuns in a bath.
1st nun: 'where's the soap?'
2nd nun: 'yeah it does, doesnt it?'

Please help! My long term stay in Canada, if it happens, may depend on the belief that I am not speaking a completely different language here! Not to mention my hosts' patience with me...

Random Canadian factoid 3 - the invention of Basketball

OK - so maybe this hasn't been universally received around the world in the way that watches have.. but since Toronto are beginning their NBA season tonight against the Washington Wizards (whatever they are), here is the story of the origins of basketball - invented by a Canadian.

James Naismith was the Canadian physical education instructor who invented basketball in 1891. James Naismith was born in Almonte, Ontario and educated at McGill University and Presbyterian Cllege in Montreal. He was the physical education teacher at McGill University (1887 to 1890) and at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts (1890 to 1895). At Springfield College (which was then the Y.M.C.A. training school), James Naismith, under the direction of American phys-ed specialist Luther Halsey Gulick, invented the indoor sport of basketball.

The first formal rules were devised in 1892. Initially, players dribbled a soccer ball up and down a court of unspecified dimensions. Points were earned by landing the ball in a peach basket. Iron hoops and a hammock-style basket were introduced in 1893. Another decade passed, however, before the innovation of open-ended nets put an end to the practice of manually retrieving the ball from the basket each time a goal was scored.

In 1959, James Naismith was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame (called the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.)

For those of you who dont regard basketball as a suitably significant contribution to the world, we'll find something else tomorrow!

Random Canadian Factoid No 2 - The quartz clock

Since tidbit is clearly wrong, Mr Not Anonymous, I'll steal the word used by Cranium in their classic game instead!

Todays Canadian contribution to the world - the quartz clock.

Quartz Clocks: From the Timeline of the Quartz Watch: "In 1927, Canadian-born Warren Marrison, a telecommunications engineer, was searching for reliable frequency standards at Bell Telephone Laboratories. Building on earlier work in piezoelectricity, he developed a very large, highly accurate clock based on the regular vibrations of a quartz crystal in an electrical circuit" - the first quartz clock.

This is not an excuse to blame Canada if you are late for work tomorrow...