End of a cycle, thoughts and all that jazz...

Those of you familiar with Toronto landscape will recognize the CN Tower. A reminder that I'm just at a rock throw's away from the urban world.

By that time last year, I went for the first time to the Islands.  Been to Toronto many times, and I knew the islands, but I never thought that so close to the urban core there would be such a jewel.

I brought my camera with me.  I always view photography as a way for the visual guy that I am to tell you visually the things I want to say.

So a year later, I figure it was time to return to the same spot.  A year later, the end of another cycle of ... life.

And what a year it's been.  The mental illness of my dad to its late stage, and out of nowhere the diagnosis of a generalized cancer and almost as if someone "upstair" heard our muted terrible wish...  gone peacefully was my dad to that other world.

I'm still debating whether he knew that this was going to be it, as his mental illness and then being on powerful drugs to provide a "quality of life" that make you wonder in these circumstances... it is one question among soooooooo many that becomes answer-less and pointless.

When you see your dad going away, you feel like a giant in the middle of emptiness.  A giant shadow of myself, very fragile, feeling terribly alone without the family around.

A cruel society that expects from you to perform zillions of administrative tasks.

Being given 24 hours by the nursing home to clean up dad's room was a prelude to many tough unpleasant tasks upcoming.  Contrary to my shadow on the sand, I wasn't very strong on my legs...

As I walk toward the beach, the "clothing optional sign" made me smile.  It is so cold this late in the season that it's not an option anymore.

In fact, as I near the cold water of Lake Ontario, I had to keep walking at a pretty fast pace to keep me warm.

We are born naked and we leave this world naked... 

 There nothing like the shifting banks of a sandy beach to remind me of the foundations I am on.

Just like I thought that I knew my dad and I was so sure of that...

Seeing all my world shifting once again, albeit in a wonderful way this time, to discover that my dad had a life I didn't know... to the point that 6 wonderful women who are calling me... brother ?!?

Whao...

I'm watching the sunset.  One reoccuring question: Why ?

The person who could answer my question isn't there anymore, and I wonder: At this point in time in my life, does it still  matter?

Isn't the point that we are all reunited?

No matter your reasons,

I love you, dad.

===
Live the present time and look forward for the future.  That's my thinking.
===

Yup, there are going to be several more chapters in that book...

Colleagues who've been reading my blogs tell me that I should write a book about my caregiving era...  While joking that a book is soooo... 20th century, I wonder who am I to tell others...

As I return to civilization, I was thinking of two famous phrases, one in French, the other in English:

"Je n'ai fait que mon devoir".  I did my duty.  The duty of a son.

Yet in French, the word "que" implies something restrictive.  I did *only* my duty?  No...

"It's a labour of love".

That's the whole point.

Cheers,

-J

Nice try, but...

Months ago, I blogged about those special locks that rat on TSA people (Mr. Obama, the devil is in (telling) the details).

There's a green/red dot. It turns red when the lock gets opened by the TSA people. Nifty, isn't it?

And I learn during the years of paranoia fueled by the Bush administration that my luggages were *systematically* opened by the TSA... and yet there were no notes, no sticker no nothing to warn me of what happened.

In other words, if I didn't have those locks, I wouldn't know that my luggages have been opened and searched by the TSA.

I would bet that there countless of travelers who are unaware that there luggages have been opened and searched.

Why not telling people? As if personal belongings are no longer personal. Well, a lot could be said about the Bush era, and I have to keep this blog entry short. :)

It's been a while that I haven't been in the US. Those of you who read me via FastCupid or BadSumo, you already know there was the big Blogfest event in Philadelphia. I managed to take some time off in the US... including Philadelphia. :)

It was a great blog event and it's been fun to put a voice and a face onto words. :)

All good things must come to an end, and here am I in Montréal.

Guess what? There was the usual *red dot* on my lock. Grrrrr... TSA again.

I open my luggage and lo and behold... there was a note!

Telling me that my luggage has been inspected by the TSA. After sneaking in for so many years, it's the very *first* time I was notified... officially.

Maybe the changes trickling in from the change of government, maybe...

Nonetheless, there are manners...

Why they have to open my luggage... without having *me* opening that luggage for inspection?

When I cross a border, I am asked (mhhh, sometimes ordered? :) ) to open my luggage for inspection. That's fair. It's in my full knowledge, and *I* open the luggage.

So why in the US soil, that same modus operandi can't be done? Why it is all done in the hiding, and until recently, without even telling the owners (unless you have those special locks, like those I have) !

I know some family members and friends from Europe who take offense, and that's the #1 complaint.

I am not happy either, but everytime I raise the issue, even in Canada, I'm told that I'm fussy.

Manners it seems...

And I can't figure out why it is so difficult to ask passengers to open their luggages...

Oh well. :)

Mini-rant off !!!

Cheers,

-E

Via Rail: I miss an opportunity to travel, argh...

Last week, while I was still in the US, I was watching their national newscast.

I was floored to see that Canada made their headlines!

Via Rail on strike. Sigh... Oh my, I can imagine the chaos at La Gare Centrale in Montréal and Union Station in Toronto.

While the strike lasted just a couple of days (thankfully!), now that I'm back in Montréal, I finished reading my mail, and I saw that a friend of mine has sent me one of their blurb.

VIA Rail ran a promo, to excuse themselves for the "inconveniences"...

60% off to any destinations in the Québec-Windsor corridor (including Ottawa).

Ottawa, just $20 away from Montréal, ditto for Québec City. Even far away Toronto at just $40 away from Montréal. For a weekend escape, that's ideal !

So why I'm still in Montréal, this weekend?

Their promo ended... yesterday.

Sigh...

I guess they call that... luck. :)

Mr Obama, the devil is in (telling) the details...

This is one of my pet peeves when traveling to the US, by plane.

Two ordinary "TSA approved" locks (the now familiar red diamond logo).

Mr Obama, it isn't always possible to micromanage a huge bureaucracy, and when it is left on its own, it continues on its initial direction, or do silly things like flying Air Force One at low altitude over NYC... without telling the public. A photo op with the obvious consequences, except to bureaucrats, of course.

Since 9/11, everytime one has to fly to the US, he is required to leave luggages unlocked, or put these "TSA approved" locks. Supposedly for additional screening, should something odd appears on their scanning devices.

Like anything else, when you can do something, why not abuse of your privilege by doing it... all the time?

With apparent impunity, because they aren't required to tell you that your luggages have been opened. So not knowing... why would you suspect anything?

Mhhhh...

At airports, bus and train terminals, by observing the size of luggages some people carry, it feels like they're carrying their house with them.

In a way, as a traveler, we all do. Those are our personal belongings, after all.

Would you, in the name of security, be required to give your keys to your house to the police, "just in case" they have to intervene, for your own... security?

Mhhh...

And entering your house without a court mandate or without your approval, even without your knowledge?

Yet, this is "airport security" and that's what they do with your luggage.

Funny, when I cross the border, even the US border, it happens that an officer will *ask* to open my luggage for inspection. One might say that I have little choice, but at least, everything is done in my full view, and *I* open my luggage. That's fair.

Why so much secrecy at airports? And why luggages are systematically open? I can prove it.

I got those hard to find luggage locks that rat on those TSA guys.

Look at the dot at the lower right-hand side of these two locks. Can you tell which one was used on a luggage that went to the US by plane, and the other in Canada? Yup. A red dot will show up when it is open by a TSA guy. Otherwise, there's a green dot. Nifty, yes? Yes...

What bugs me, if I didn't use these gizmos, I wouldn't know. Most people don't have these gizmos, so they don't know.

Since they forced air travelers to use those "TSA approved" locks, I don't remember a single time seeing a green dot when going to or from the US.

Mr. Obama, the devil is in the details. The devil, is in *telling* the details. To keep people honest, there's nothing like things being done in full view, in full knowledge of everyone involved.

Assuming that those additional inspections are really all that required.

Oh, and the fact that it is really for my own security, that is.

Fear is so easy to sell... Bush did that so well...

You don't have to follow his steps.

Cheers,

-E

---

PS: This is a blog "simulcast" with FC and BadSumo. Not present on FC is the link to the Brookstone web site, where I bought those locks years ago.

They no longer sell those locks, but they have similar locks, still with an indicator, telling you whether someone... else opened those locks.

Internet on the go: I bite at the bait...

I bite at Fido's offer for "broadband internet" (so called 3G), 1Gig for $30 per month.

This is getting decent, and closer to what the Americans charge.

For the upcoming months, I'll be traveling once to twice per month. (Those who know me, I'm a caregiver to my parents, and I need a break. Since it takes so much planifications with our social services to have such breaks, the deal I've done with them is to set ahead of times all those breaks, so they'll be able to do my job while I'm away (and on top of what they _already_ do, which is _a lot_)

The good side is now I know all my vacations all the way to September. The bad side of course is that it's rigid. I can't change days easily. Oh well... )

If you have traveled a little bit... and like me you bring your laptop, you know there are less and less hotels offering *free* internet service. And when it's free, it's so lousy that you congratulate yourself for not paying for it.

Then, on trains (and even some buses) Wi-Fi internet is becoming available (at a cost, of course), and of course it's already there at all major airports. When you have to kill time, internet is great for that. :)

When you have to pay for your internet access, it seems that most providers in the US and Canada have come up with a standard price: Around $10 for 24 hours.

Then, Fido's $30/month for broadband service would pay for itself after 3 days of use per month. Which is likely to happen, in my case.

ANd for work, I need a backup access to the company's VPN. I'd love to ditch my land line and the antiquated 56k modem for that reason. That would be the other reason for giving a try.

First hurdle: Fido itself. My cellphone can also act as a cellular modem to my laptop. So I ask the $30/month data deal to be added to my voice cellphone service. After lenghty search, the sales' rep told me that my cellphone isn't eligible.

Huh ?

No, I need to buy or get for "free" if I sign a 2-year contract with Fido a USB key that acts as a cellular modem.

-Ma'am, my cellphone does *already* that. I carry already too much electronic devices with me when I travel, so why I need your USB thingy when my cellphone can do the same thing ?!?

The problem is with Rogers, (owners of Fido). In other words, they're doing just about every illogical things they could do. (For instance, we were the *last* industrialized country to have the iPhone in Canada, because Rogers has the monopoly on GSM in Canada, and they thought that the iPhone wasn't important and no one would buy it. This got Apple people fuming at Rogers.

The same could be said when Rogers bought Fido, the first thing they did, was to ditch the Sidekick (called Hip-Top in Canada), which was the iPhone's ancestor (and still an aptly competitor today), while in the US, T-Mobile were playing big on the Sidekick, and even developping niche markets, (like the deaf community) with special rates for them. (Affordable unlimited data-only rates). There were also many fascinating applets designed for deaf Sidekick users.

Phone makers and cellular carriers in the US saw the potential of mobile internet, while in Canada, they didn't even bother until... it was almost too late, having to upgrade their network as fast as they could to provide mobile internet.

So, to make a long story short, I got their USB stick. Mumble...mumble...mumble... End of rant. :)

On the photo, it's the "Novatel Wireless". They tout heavily that it is "installation free". The part that they don't tell you... You *must* be logged in with an administrator account. Hello ?!?

Since it's out of question that I do this, so yes I had to install the software and use the "run as" trick, so their software would run with admin power while I'm logged in as a regular user. It's clunky, but it works. The documentation is so skimpy that it is almost worthless.

Now the acid test. Mobile... internet. Since there's nothing more mobile than a train... I thought it would be a good test!

When 3G service is available (the light turns blue on the Novatel USB key), throughput is almost as good as broadband. There is a noticeable tiny delay, but web pages load up fairly quickly. Essentially, it's just as good as the broadband internet that you're used at home.

First gotcha: 3G data service is available in big cities. As the train leaves Montréal, 3G also leaves. 3G service is incredibly spotty on the Montréal-Toronto corridor. A glimpse in Cornwall, Kingston, Brockville, and of course, it gets rock solid when I arrived in Toronto.

Then there's "EDGE", which is the next best thing when 3G service isn't available. Think of a 56k modem... on a good day. :) It's a sharp drop in speed, but it is still tolerable. I didn't tune up my web browser, but I figure that using a large cache would help tremendously. So most of my trip were on EDGE service. Personally I didn't mind.

"GPRS". G as in Gasp!!! If I remember well the specs, it's the equivalent of a 9600 baud modem... when operating in ideal conditions, which almost never happen. Access to the internet is almost unusable. You must surf with graphics off, for instance.

To my surprise, I saw a couple of times my USB key flashing me that its data link with the network has downgraded to GPRS when we were deep in rural Ontario, with no city, town nor villages in sight. Ouch. That tells you how Rogers/Fido are serious about mobile internet.

A few dead spots too, but not all that noticeable. I was too busy typing text on forums and the like, so by the time I was ready to hit enter, I got again a useable signal. :)

So my experience of "mobile internet", in its true sense, going from point A to point B... if the bus or train offers onboard Wi-Fi access, it's likely to be superior over cellular service. You might want to pay for the extra bucks and save on frustrations.

I figure that if I were in the US, the Novatel USB key would shine. Here in Canada, and the poor state of Rogers' network, all in all, my impression is that the key did its best given the circumstance.

Now, at the hotel in Toronto, I stayed for 3 days. It would have cost me $30 for 3 days if I used their Wi-Fi service from my room. So I stay on cellular. 3G service was available of course, and it was rock solid and speedy the entire 3 days. I love it!

So, as a substitute for Wi-Fi / wired internet access when you're sitting still, say at your hotel room, airports, etc... and in you're in a big city with 3G service is available, that USB key really shines. I love it!!!

Another negative point agout Rogers/Fido: contrary to broadband providers at home (cable, satellite, telcos), they have no web page nor any program to run that would measure your internet usage.

For light usage (my case), there's no problem, but if you're using it regularly, even without downloading files, that 1Gig limit could be reached easily.

My Canadian 2-cent...

What's wrong with this picture ?

Indeed, one might wonder... after all, it's just a backroad among many on Cape Cod...

There are lots of "For Sale" signs.

In the America of George Bush, running a costly war on the credit card, their currency gets devalued.

Since oil is *imported*, it's no suprising to see gas at $4 a gallon (even $4.25 !) . Since the economy runs on oil... and also on many other imported goods...

And to make things worse for a place like Cape Cod that thrives on tourism, the Bush administration did everything to close borders... so the tourists aren't there anymore.

If you are European, who wants to go to the leeeeeenghty visa process and to top it all, to get fingerprinted like a criminal?

If you're Canadian, do you love spending hours at the border, not to mention spending a lot of time in very unpleasant interrogations with a US custom officer? There you go.

And this is on top of the housing market own woes, and those loans that banks knew too well that people could barely afford to pay.

I was cycling on these backroads, and couldn't help but thinking of the drama going on...

-E

Deafness and privacy...

Why the silence on my blog? Oh, I spent a week and a half of vacations on "the Cape" and around, err... I mean Cape Cod, and then I venture to Boston and to the Lowell Folk Festival before going back home.

While on the Cape, I went to the beaches, and I cycled along the backroads of Eastham (and on their great Rail Trail). I had a great time.

While cycling on one of these backroads (notice the traffic "congestion". It sure beats Route 6!), I encounter that sign: "Deaf Child Area".

I had to pause. There's always a good intent in everything, but the way good intents percolate into reality, things go awry and miss the target.

Maybe I'm fussy because of my own work, I see privacy issues everywhere, but if I were parents, I wouldn't like to advertise the fact that I've deaf children. It's not a matter that my neighbours would know (I'm sure they would know!!!), but about people passing on that road, period. That's none of their business... and that might even giving ideas to bad people who might take advantage of my kids *because* they are deaf.

Yet, I can see the good intent behind that sign, for drivers to pay attention that there are kids who won't hear you coming.

The problem isn't with deafness, the problem is the road. The problem is the crazy drivers on that road! The problem is that there's no one enforcing the slow speed limit on these roads!

As you can see, this is a fairly deserted road and it parallels busy Route 6, the main thoroughfare on the Cape. So, the temptation to bypass the heavy traffic and to floor the gas pedal on these winding roads is there. So whatever is on the side of the road, kids, adults, deaf or not, walking or cycling... they all are in danger.

As a cyclist, my ears are my rear view mirrors. Problem is, when there's a car facing me, its engine noise covers everything else. I might not hear a car behind me. Or that car behind me makes so much noise, that it hides the fact that there are *several* vehicles behind that car.

A few times there have been very close calls, everytime because of vehicle speeding in excess of 60mph on these winding roads, and at that speed, they were just too busy attempting to stay on that road without hitting anything to even notice your presence.

I consider these backroads, while to be enjoyed (and *I* enjoyed cycling on them!), as far more dangerous than a busy street in downtown Montréal as a result. And I am a hearing person!

A sign that reads "Deaf Child Area" won't do much to vehicle speeding on that road. The driver doesn't care, and even to hearing people, things happen so fast there's no time to do anything.

And in the week and a half I've been cycling on these little roads, I haven't seen a single police cruiser. They were all busy ticketing motorists on Route 6. Maybe that's where the problem is...

Cheers,

-E

Where is George? The strange travel of a dollar bill...

<--- To avoid problems with the law, I hide part of the serial number.

As some of you already know, next week I'll be back in the US! Just a tiny week of vacations that I could slice in. Given the situation at home, it's the best I can do for now. So I take all the respite I can.

So I figure it's time that I should check how much US money in my waller and when I'll have some spare time, I'll go to the bank and get some more before I leave Canada.

Checking closer those US bills, I stumbled on a strange looking $1 bill. (See both photos)

Stamped a few places on the bill, it said: "Track this bill", and then the url of a web site.

Oh dear, I thought I got a bogus $1 bill. At least I didn't lose much. :)

Apparently, this is legit. I learn this is a project that started 10 years ago, and thousands of $1 US bills have been tracked. Enter the serial number, and you'll see where your US $1 bill went.

Apparently, mine went from Ohio to Washington State. Not sure where I got that. Maybe during the time I was in California last May? Or it went back to the east coast and I got it at Blogadelphia (the bloggers' gathering in Philadelphia) ? Or in Boston?, both in June?

(Gee whiz, it looks like an STD, however with an happier outcome: Where and from whom I got that!!! ).

Fascinating to track the whereabout of a dollar bill. Already a round trip from the east to the west coast, it now has crossed the US border, now in Canada, and soon it will return in Massachusetts during my vacations.

The site is wheresgeorge.com .

I'm hesitant to let that $1 bill go, it feels like I met a friend who has traveled a lot and still has a lot to say.

On the other hand, the very purpose of these marked bills is that they continue to travel all over the continent....

So when I'll be on the Cape next week, I'll let that little guy goes, and I'll check its whereabout on the web site. :)

Out of curiosity, have you ever received such a marked bill? If so, did you know where it traveled?

Cheers!

-E

Post travel notes: When they didn't know they were geeks: Le musée mécanique in San Francisco

The Musée Mécanique is located at the end of the Embacardero, a few minutes of walk from Pier 39 as well as from many hotels, including mine.

(Notice the traffic: Pedestrians, cyclists and ahem... seagulls. Definitively, we're in San Francisco, here. :) ).

On arrival in SF, I was intrigued. What a French sign, with the proper accents at the right places, in the USA ? Wow... By the way, In French it means literally "The mechanical museum". How curious...

One of the fun of traveling is to let your curiosity guides you. So, I got guided. :) Besides, how curious to enter a museum... through the mouth of a woman. Definitively sexist, if you ask me., Heehehe! ;)

(A little footnote on the timestamps of some of the photos: For some reasons, my digicam reverted to year 2007. Those photos were really taken in May of *2008*).

Entering the museum, you'll be greeted by these machines. From another time, where mechanical parts ruled.

Grandma who will draw tarot cards for you, and the machine on your right will tell you about your personality. See? I'm a sexy guy. I knew that, of course. ;)

Has it occurred to you... that we do the very same things today? There are web sites that will draw tarot cards and supposedly predict your future. Also all of those online questionnaires, telling you a bit about your personality...

I've been thinking that those people who crafted these machines, if they live today, they would be called geeks. Don't you think?

The sign on the right cracks me up. It reads: "To be happy, see what every married woman must not avoid!". How funny. :)

The machine on the left gives a clue. In the second half of 1800s through the early 1900s, the gold rush was going on. Cities like San Francisco were largely inhabited by men... who left their families on the east coast to become rich quickly and then to return home.

Men being men, and away from their official spouse, do I need to elaborate? It was the early era of moving pictures, so with the privacy of these "viewfinders", one could see some dirty pictures.

Dirty pictures which by today's standards are pretty tame. By the way, all these machines are functional. Toss a nickel, a dime or a quarter, and bingo!

There was a set of beautifully restored mechanical piano players. All functional. Drop a coin, close your eyes, and it feels that you're in a saloon!

(A bit on digression, a few days later I was on my way to Yosemite National Park. In the Sierra Nevada, we stopped briefly at what is considered to be the very last saloon standing, at least in California. And it feels like in the movies. To a point you have to pinch yourself. Where the De Loreans, I'm traveling in time, here! :) )

It was difficult to take the photo because of the poor lighting. I had to use a flash, but this is an entire village that got "mechanized".

Animals, people, over 150 moving "objects".

It was eerie to see this in action.


This has nothing to do with the museum, but a trip in San Francisco isn't complete without a trek on its famous bridge.

It was just two months ago...

If you ask me, I'd return there right away.

Sigh. :)

Cheers,

-E

Blogatus interruptis ?

<--- Hugfest at Blogadelphia. You should recognize the guy in kilt. I think. Oh that, and the Fluevog shoes worn by the huggee. :)

It's been a month I haven't blogged here (and not much on FC either) except for the "Blogadelphia" reports.

When things move on professionally, when you have also to parent your own parents, sometimes you just appreciate... some time off.

Also, life as a single for this long, and I'm not eager to go back to the dating scene for as long as I barely have time even for myself... it does compel for more time off... and to enjoy the sweet feeling of being alive.

On the other hand, I *do* have things to say, and it's piling up! About my stay in San Francisco in May (such as the Musée Mécanique, or about geeks who didn't know they were geeks when they crafted these incredible machines)... and also geeky stuff while at Blogadelphia, as well in Boston, and a few things in between.

I'm just back home, right in time for Oh Canada (July 1st is Canada Day). I saw blurbs from Rogers and Fido about the iPhone. This is from the same guys who a few years ago have nuked the Sidekick, the iPhone's ancestor (and still a very apt competitor today... everywhere else in the world, *EXCEPT* Canada. Grrrr.... )

So it goes without saying from people who don't understand what these devices are all about, nor the huge market for those devices, the fact they delayed the arrival of the iPhone in Canada by a year, and the rumors flying high that Apple officials were royally pissed off at Rogers and Fido for the GSM monopoly they have in Canada...

Those are hints that as a customer, Rogers and Fido will scr*w you royally. In other words, paying top dollars for a brain damaged iPhone... unless you are willing to pay even more $$$ to get... essentially what eveyone else in the world do get from their iPhone, at a fraction of the cost. Sigh...

I was in the US just days ago... and sigh! Ok, I'll go with big with stereotypes, but it's like women with flagrance (I'm tempted to add Fluevog shoes as well. Tee hee!!! ;) ).

I'm a geek who can't resist electronic toys. I saw the iPhone in store in Boston, also the newest (and coolest!) Sidekick at a T-Mobile store in Hyannis...

One word: Sigh!!! :) Even more sigh that these guys were willing to sign me up right away, even after I told them that I'm Canadian and live most of the time in Canada. How *TEMPTING* is that? :)

Other little silly news I've heard: VIA Rail is not able to keep its trains on time. Mhhh, ok, they call that... news? :)

The worst line? Toronto-Ottawa. The 2nd worst line? Ottawa-Montréal. There must be something with Ottawa, I guess. ;) Seriously, it's all single track upthere, and freight trains always get priority... so no wonder. The day the Canadian government will get serious, things will change.

While in the US both in May on the west coast and June on the east coast, I rode Amtrak a couple of times. Now I feel good about VIA Rail. :)

On the geek front, I was surprised, even in first class, that there's no Wi-Fi access on their train. On the west coast, I rode between LA and Sacramento a few times, then from Sacramento to Vancouver BC.

On the east coast , I was on their popular "corridor" section, between Philadelphia and Boston. (This would be somewhat equivalent in Canada with our corridor service between Montréal and Toronto). So we can badmouth VIA Rail on many things, but we're one step ahead of the Americans by providing Wi-Fi access on all their corridor trains. Besides, with all those delays I've just mentioned, isn't it fun to kill time on the internet? Wise move for VIA Rail. ;)

Happy Canada Day everyone (Also a belated Saint-Jean Baptiste Day... a week ago! :) )

Cheers,

-E

Artificial deafness...

If you are reading my other blog on FC, you know that I'm about to travel. A tour of the west coast, as far south as San Francisco, and then the slow ride all the way to Vancouver. From the coast to the desert. An Eskimo in the desert definitively strikes my imagination. ;)

Suffice to say that I had it rough for the past couple of months, and taking a break from Montréal is definitively welcome.

On this blog, I'd rather like to focus on the geeky aspect of travels...

In case one wonders, San Francisco is 6 hours of flight from Montréal. Just as far away as... London, England. Add 30 minutes and you're in Paris. :)

And I wonder whether it was from excessive travel by plane (I completely max out last year), tinnitius (aka "ringing ears") has become an unwelcome guest, and the more I flew, the more it lingered.

Last summer in Seattle, I spotted this pair of headsets at an electronic store. "Quiet Zone" from Koss. It can act like a regular headset, plugged to your iPod/MP3 gizmo or like here with the adapter, plugged to the plane's PA system. But you wouldn't shell US $100 + a pop for these headsets. Besides, I'd say the sound quality is just average.

In fact, the best way to enjoy these headsets is when they are *NOT* connected to any sound device. Not bad eh?

Enter the wonderful world of active noise cancellation. In other words, artificial deafness. :)

Sound travels in the air as a sinewave. Like any sinewave, if you apply to that sinewave another sinewave that is 180-degree out of phase, both sinewaves cancel each other. The result? Silence.

Short of implanting an on/off switch onto my ears, this is the next best thing, at least in theory. (oh sweet dreams! I could be deaf to politicians and not just figuratively when they do speeches during an election. Neato, n'est-ce pas? :) )

In reality, these headsets cut down the noise considerably, but they fall short of the promised artificial deafness.

Also with the Koss, supposedly for my own safety (?), the headset will allow the human voice to go through. This is partially true. It filters the higher pitch voice of women, while male voices tend to get through in a bit muffled state.

Nonetheless, they cut down noise enough to make a long flight trip enjoyable. Enough to finally enjoy that in-flight movie, news bulletins or whatever is coming out of your iPod-like gizmo without having to boost the volume to the max, if you want to hear anything.

I lend my "deaf ears" to a few colleagues who had to travel by plane, and they all love it. The drawbacks, because there are always some, the thing is bulky (because it has to cover each ear completely) and somewhat heavy to wear. The battery doesn't last long. Just a few flights. All in all, a small price to pay to avoid tinnitius and major headaches.

These headsets also work very well on buses and trains.

On a philosophical side, isn't an irony that there are lots of research done and money spent in hearing aids and cochlear implants to help deaf and hard-of-hearing people to hear... and on the other hand, there's also a lot of big bucks invested to help hearing people... to become deaf.

All in all, my idea of an on/off switch implanted onto my ears isn't all that far out. :)

Cheers,

-E

What a difference a month makes...

Well, like past summers, I'm blogging from my patio. Aren't laptops and Wi-Fi great? :)

First real weekend of decent weather. 23C (mid 70s F) with a mix of sun and clouds.

After the absolutely whacky winter we had...

I have absolutely no shame whatsoever. Global warming? Nawww...

Besides, where it was for the past 6 months, when it mattered the most? Heh. :)

I'm planning... some trips, now that my vacations have been approved. It's funny, I am taking some vacations around some gatherings.

Mid May: The California forumfest in San Francisco. I'll be arriving a few days early, so I'll have time to visit the city. The highlight is a 2-day trip to Yosemite Park. You know what? I think that I'm going to like this.

Late June: Blogadelphia. If you are from FC, you already know what it is. We'll be a bunch of bloggers gathering in Philadelphia. Actually, I planned to do, almost like a pilgrimage, a visit to Cape Cod first, then Boston and from there... Philadelphia.

I know little about Philadelphia (after all, I'm a Canadian, I don't have the chance to live in the US 12 months a year :) ), so it's my chance to see the city.

Philadelphi, like Boston are historic towns in many ways. For one, part of the history of the United States got written over there. Instead of reading it in history books, you'll see it as you walk in the city.

On a more down to earth consideration, I love trains, and it occured to me that I never had a chance to ride Amtrak's high speed Acela trains (and what a shame, since these trains are Canadians!). Since Amtraks offer direct train routes to Philadelphia from Boston, and everytime I go on the Cape, I have to spend a day in Boston... I'd say that things are lining up pretty well. :D

(Not lining up well are reservations, as it begins to be their high season, but I'll figure out something).

Finaly,
Late July: Lowell's blogfest/music festival. There are some bloggers which I've been chatting and corresponding for two years, I figure we ought to meet in person. Lowell being half-way of many cities, from Montréal to Portland Maine to Boston to NYC... On that one, after the blogfest, I'm tempted to visit the Berkshires instead of returning to the Cape. I'll see how things will go

Anyway, all these vacations planning... on such a summery day today...


This was the scene just a month ago, from the infamous "bedroom webcam".

What a difference a month makes!!!

Cheers,

-E

Travel, travel...

Well, it seems that I'm going to travel, after all.

Mid-May: There's a "forumfest" brewing up in California. Either Sacramento or San Francisco. Personally, like the song, I wish I can say that I left my heart over there. ;)

Now, I have to figure out whether I can take a 2-week vacations. I wish to go to California the slow way. Maybe by train, and then returning by plane. Might take too long time, especially if I want to spend some times in SF, but I'm checking things.

Mid-June: Blogadelphia. The mid-Atlantic contingent of bloggers will be there (in Philadelphia).

End of July: Lowell festival blogfest. This time, the Northeast contingent of bloggers. :) On this one, I hope I can combine with a visit in Boston... and a stay on Cape Cod.

Funny, they all say that I have to bring my kilt. Sheesh...

Do they think that I sleep with a kilt on? :) Take a shower or go to the beach with a kilt? :)

Hehehe....

PS: As a side-note, dreaming of *summer* events when I'm deeply buried in the snow...

This is sweet. Very sweet. :)

Cheers,

-E

Almost there... and itching...

What's in common: A Canadian passport, a used Trans Link transit ticket from Vancouver, various currencies (Euros, US and Canadian $), some frequent flyer cards and rail cards...

Travel.

It's funny, I'm getting a slew of snail mail blurbs all telling me... that I'm "almost" there. Almost there for a free trip to Japan (thanks Air Canada and Aéroplan").

Almost there for another transcontinental trip by train, that one free (Merci VIA Rail!), while I'm almost there to maintain my "silver" VIA Rail Privilege status for the 2008-2009, etc...

Almost there. Le sigh...

So I was sorting my papers tonight, and somehow lining up these things as I found them, each of them a reminder of various travels I did.

It's itching like a rash, while I'm still grounded for several months to come.

Did you have a frequent flyer card begging you? A passport that feels lonely? :)

Mine do cry. :)

Oh, I think that I caught the travel bug. :)

Cheers!

-E

Chaotic triumph...

<--- Again, do I need to say anything? :) L'Arc de Triomphe. (Also called "Place de l'Etoile", and I was a bit surprised it got renamed again as "Etoile-Charles-de-Gaulle". Huh ?!? It always surprises me, with this crazy traffic whizzing all around L'Arc de Triomphe , and how discipline is a word that exists only in a dictionary, and this is especially true in Paris...

I was there observing for a while, this sheer docile maddness...

Amazing, just amazing...

An amazing nothingness! No accidents! No one injured!

In total chaos, comes order. People do get from point A to point B... apparently safe and sound... seemingly against all odds!!!

Cheers from Paris!

-E

Hibernation... on the fast lane.

I love those quirky titles. :)

First thing first, to all my fellow bloggers... a Happy New Year!

Yup, we all made it. It's 2008. Incredible, isn't it? :D

I wish to all of you... Health, Happiness. The rest is also nice to have, I agree. :)

----

<--- Photo taken this morning. I don't remember seeing so much snow so early in the winter season. Still four looooong months to go. If it continues to snow at this rate... mhhh, it's going to be interesting!!!

My house will _really_ be an igloo!!! :)

----

-I'm back from celebrating the new day with my parents. It goes without saying I couldn't leave Canada, on such an important day.

I've millions things to do, and on day like this one, it's windy, it's cold and it is snowing...

The urge to stay in my cavern, err... igloo is there. Sigh!!!

- Just finished the job (Yay!). However, I've to make preparations for the trip to France... and of course I have to hunt for those little sweet treats we have "in America" (I wish they say Québec, or as a last resort, Canada. If you have family relatives on the Old Continent, no matter where you are on the NEW Continent, it's America, and that's that! Whether basking in an igloo or wearing a sombrero, you come from America! :) ).

- Got the luggage packed with my stuff.

- Last tour of e-mail. Sigh... it's scary the amount of new mails. I must get done before leaving.

- I must see my landlord. Again, she will check my apartment everyday (and for Albertine, the garden spider. She has a big kick on her!).

It's not that I'm overly cautious, but in winter time in a nordic country like mine, there are extra steps that must get done while you're away at this time of the year. Otherwise, insurance companies won't pay. Mumble... mumble... mumble...

- A talk with Gamin and Filou. Once again, they'll be in the hands of my mom. Nor they understand much, but "the talk" is important for me. After all, these cats are my babies :) (If you're a cat owner, you understand what I mean. :) ). There's also the big guilt trip to leave them behind... even if I know they'll be in *VERY* good hands. :)

That being said, there's another weird feeling, because my cats don't miss much my absence. With my mom, they are pampered. She cooked for them all sorts of great meals (I wish I had the time to do so!), they are groomed and groomed (and they love that!) and they'll get all other niceties. Did I mention that my mom loves cats? :)

It feels as if they want to stay with my mom, when I come back. Sheesh. :)

- Laptop? Check. It will work on 220V.

- I have a bunch of adapters for those round wall outlets in Europe. It's in the luggage. (Yeah I know, I'm sure you have done this: leaving them at home!!! :) )

- Digicam charger? Check. It will also work fine on 220V.

- Ditto for the cellphone charger, and I spent a good deal of time with customer service yesterday, to make sure that the cellphone I have will work in France, and then to activate international roaming... and then asking a few basic things...

How do I dial an European phone number on a *Canadian* cellphone, if I have to? And vice in the versa, which numbering scheme I use when calling back to Canada when I'm in France? Answer: It's bisexual. :)

A bit of both numbering schemes. Not exactly like in Europe, not exactly like in Canada, but it's a bit of both. Roaming rates? Nawww... you don't want to know. I just hope there won't be any emergencies requiring the use of my cellphone, whether in France or in Canada.

-Got maps, guides all tucked in said luggage

-Now, if I can find time to sloooooooooow down and relax!!!

Yup, hibernation on the fast lane, it feels that way.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Cheers,

-E

Balmy Paris...

Ahem! NOT Paris... Hilton. :)

In my book, neither she's hot, and balmy isn't a word that would come to my mind, about describing her. :)

No, I mean Paris... La Ville-Lumière, the City of Lights. You know, that unknown place in France with that big utility pole in the center? That's the place!

(Gee whiz, I speak like a Republican. I should stop watching FOX News. :) ).

In preparation for the trip to France, earlier this morning I was on an IM chat session with one of my cousins, and along the conversation, questions were flying back and forth about the trip.

So I innocently asked... how I should get dressed?

There are those innocent questions which... the minute you asked... you should bite your fingernails from ever asking that question!!!

(Translating in English...)

-It's cooooooooooooold in Paris, right now! Dress warmly!

Somehow, I had some suspicions. You know, I'm back from Seattle... and I've heard a similar complaint from Seattlelites.

Heck, they had no snow on the ground, and I had to unzip my jacket while I was there. That tells you how "cold" it was in Seattle!

Here in Montréal, I'm drowned in a sea of snow and I better cover up and wear *winter* boots!

So, I bite...

-Ok, I said. How cold it is in Paris, right now ?

- +7ºC That's coooooold!

(For my fellow Americans: +7ºC = about 45ºF ). In other words, just as "cold" as Seattle. :)

Ooooookay...

Balmy Paris!

PS: I think that I said something similar about Seattle. I think. :)

Nor I was fully understood, both in Seattle and now in Paris.

Must be my Eskimo accent. :)

Cheers!!!

-E

------

PPS: While in France, I may not blog often... for one good reason: Not all my cousins and uncles have internet access, so there will be long lapses. Please, do not panic! I'll probably be just fine... just enjoying (perhaps a little bit too much) the French gastronomy... and French wine. ;)

IF I disobey the law of gravity...

Does the law of the land still apply ?

(Originally posted on Dec 13rd, on my arrival on the west coast. A blog repost from FC. I realized later that they censor my blog entry. Sheesh!)

Air Canada has decided to do a festival of Canadian student movies on board of their west-bound planes, instead of showing the usual brain-dead movies from Hollywood. I approve wholeheartedly the move! Besides, our own cinemas, that's a welcome change from always seeing foreign movies, especially on *Canadian* planes. :)

Enter the "Upside-Down Girl" (photo above) The movie was done by grad student James Vandewater at Ryerson University (a well known university located in Toronto).

There are days, you know... *those* days... when you wake up, you feel being upside-down. Those hangover days, you know...

Well this is what happened... literally to a young woman. One morning, she woke up... stuck to the ceiling. Walking on the ceiling certainly feels like being upside down... with the rest of the world... not to mention a certain weird feeling about disobeying the law of gravity.

To make matters worse, she has just begun to date a guy (the story doesn't mention FC, I've checked! ), and of course today was the day which the guy would show up at her apartment, just to make matters worse.

So there are some hilarious moments.

For instance, she tried valiantly to appear... normal to her date, therefore trying to appear upright like everyone else. However for her, it means being upside down in an upside-down world.

Think about it... it will eventually make sense to you. :)

Also rare for a movie shown in airplanes, there was a brief sex scene. Ohhhhhhhh... nothing unmentionable really showing up. Or rather, we didn't have time to see much, so our imagination had to kick in. :)

The poor guy is stuck on the floor and her on the ceiling, so they had to be creative. Even kissing proved to be mhhh... somewhat cumbersome.

PS: Finally a good use of the missionary position, to use the weight of the guy to bring her down, and for him to go ahem... up. Weightless sex on earth, a fantasy that tickles the brain, if you ask me. This was a waaaay too brief scene, but the imagination can fill out the dots. :)

All along the movies, there were those amusing lines.

As a photographer, it's also a devil of fun to build a set upside down with the intent to make it look upright, and to make people seemingly defy gravity.

If you have studied photography, it's a fun project to do... but rarely we can do that, to such a large scale, like they did with Upside-Down Girl.

The dialogs were somewhat uneven, but there are some gems, worth saving.

Cheers,

-E

(Addendum: Since I'm not on FC, I can post links. Heh. :) You can read a review of Upside-Down Girl here... and about the hurdles they had to overcome.)

Seattle by night...

These photos were taken on my last night in Seatte...

<--- 4th Avenue and Pine Street. The big Macy store.

The big shiny star is impressive!

Weather: About 45F, at 9PM, overcast.

It felt good, VERY good to have a walk in downtown Seattle. I can't imagine that I'll be in 3ft of snow very soon, back home!




<--- Lighted trees on Union street and 6th Avenue, just next to the Sheraton hotel, where I was staying.

Actually, I should be packing my stuff for my return trip tomorrow, but it was good to be outside...

PS: Do notice the tremendous amount on snow on the ground. ;)

<--- Union Street, next to 3rd Avenue.

In a distance, a life saving to any traveler: the US Post Office.

Again, have you noticed the amount of snow on the ground? ;)



<--- Carousel, on Pine Street, between 5th and 6th Avenue, sponsored by Qwest (the big telco here) and King 5, a local television station.

Those things are now rare.

<--- Just across the street, the Westlake Center, a big shopping mall and their Christmas tree.

In the far right, the Nordstrom store, a landmark in downtown Seattle.


<--- A little while later on Pine Street, heading toward Capitol Hill, trees are lighted in different colors.

PS: I hate to _really_ insist, but have you noticed the huge amount of snow on the ground, and how people are dressed? Exactly like in Montréal, right? ;)

So long... from *BALMY* Seattle!

-E

Balmy Seattle!

I'm in Seattle!

And I took some pictures, just for you guys, stuck in the snow, and shivering in the cold.

I'm thinking a lot about you guys. Really! :)

Here, it was cloudy most of the day, with temps around 45F. About 7 or 8 Celsius.

Sweet o sweet, if you ask me. :)


The first two photos are taken on 4th Avenue, near Columbia Street. Notice how the trees look like and the absence of snow on the ground.

(In case you haven't noticed. ;) )



The 3rd photo is the famous Utilikilts store, 1st Ave and Cherry Street, in Pioneer Square (further south, from the downtown core).

See? There are some "landmarks" that are MUST see in Seattle. Such as the kilt store. :)



Finally some Christmas lights that seem very lonely. No snow on the ground. Heh!

I can say that I had just my spring/fall jacket, and I had to partly unzip it. That gives you an idea how warm it was in Seattle.

Do I regret winter? The cold stuff and the snow you're all having...

You really want the true, or you want me to be polite, nice... and not being *too* ahem... cruel? ;)

You know what I'm going to say!!!!

So, I'm enjoying my stay in Seattle. Every minute, of it, heh! :)

Cheers,

-E