B and I made it up to Ottawa for the first time a week and  a half ago (sightseeing, not so good, it was rainy and Parliament was closed to the public, but we did see this: 350 protest in Ottawa). I was going up for this: 1st Annual Global Health Research Learning Forum. I’ve been to conferences before (and I’ll be in Toronto for CBIE next week for work) but this was actually the first conference that I’ve been to specifically for my educational pursuits. Aside from learning about new assessment tools and ongoing research projects, it was so refreshing and so inspiring to be around people who were passionate about similar issues! Once I get through the backlog of work/class assignments, I can’t wait to get started on my protocol, research and thesis! God, I’m such a keener…

Geeze I said I would try for a post every couple days and its been over a week! Shame on me… In my defense I must say life has been very busy. I might receive some very exciting news soon.

I would like to share something that has been bothering me for the past few days. I’ve said before I’m an American who lives in Canada, add in that my country is currently trying to change our health care system and I’m glued to the news. That being said… what on earth is going on with the conservative far right in my country!? I can understand being concerned about major changes, affordability of programs, and the sibling rivalry like behaviour that is generally observed in any Dem v. Repub debate… but… it is never, ever, ever appropriate to invoke the Holocaust and compare a leader that you simply disagree with to Hitler. I’ll go a step further, it is never ever ever appropriate to call someone a Nazi because you simply disagree with them… Last night I was sent a video where an Jewish Israeli immigrant to the US was talking about his experiences with nationalized healthcare in Israel. A woman who disagrees with Obama’s health care plan actually called this man a Nazi and mocked him when he became upset. I have never been so disgusted in all my life. Here look for yourself. I believe that debate is healthy and an integral part of lawmaking… but there is no place in debate for that sort of behaviour. It is disrespectful to the memory of those who died in the Holocaust and people who engage in that sort of behaviour should be ashamed of themselves.

For a quick summary… we flew in on June 30 and got in just in time to drop off our bags (we stayed on Amherst Street, fairly close to UQAM) and to see Stevie Wonder perform at Jazz Fest. The rest of the week we saw all of the sights; Mont Royal and the neighborhood around it, Little Italy and Jean Talon Market, Old Montreal, Jean Drapeau Park, the Olympic Village, fireworks at Le Ronde and shopping on St. Catherine street. And the food… oh… the food… bagels, poutine, beavertails (its a dessert not part of an animal), creton, pizza, montreal smoked meat sandwiches… Yum! It was probably good that we were walking around so much!

I’m still working on editing/sorting my pictures, so they will come in a future post.

On the way back, to keep myself entertained, I started cataloging the things I had seen while driving.

A few of the more memorable things are:

• approximately 60 miles of construction
• 1 angry turkey in a field
• white tailed deer in a pen
• roadkill
• license plates from: Michigan, Ontario, Quebec, Illinois, Ohio, Texas, Georgia, New York and a terrible BMW driver from New Jersey
• an empty GM plant
• speeders pulled over by police (in one case, 3 within approximately 100m)
• fields, trees, lakes and rivers
• rain
• 2 sunsets
• a couple vineyards

And as an aside, on this trip I also experienced the irony of John Mellencamp’s “Authority Song” playing while going through customs.

B and I had perogies, kolbassa, cabbage rolls and (in his case) sauerkraut.

Then we moved on to the Club the Netherlands open house. My mom was born in Friesland, so I knew I couldn’t miss this one I was also able to fulfill a lifelong dream I never knew that I had… I got to stand in a giant wooden shoe!

When we got there a polka band (called Tomato Soup) was playing.

And how could we leave without having croquetten and olie bollen? Yum

This is for you Mom:

The dolphin in the video below, Winter, lost her entire tail as well as two vertebrae a result of the serious injuries that she had sustained trapped in a crab trap at 3 months of age. She made a full recovery and is learning how to wear a prosthetic tail. She is also very chatty and in many of my videos you can hear her chirping in the background. For more information about Winter please visit her website.

More videos after the cut.

In the Aquarium:

Otter Land:

Dolphins:

On the Sea Life Safari Eco-Tour

Thanks for visiting!