ciroccoj | Oh the weather outside is frightful... (Reply)

mcee,

a_dawn, help me out here: I've lived in Ottawa since I was eight, and I don't know what the heck we denizens of this fine city are called.

Are we Ottawans? Ottawarians? Ottawites? Ottawese?

Whatever we are, the weather outside here in Ottawa has actually not been frightful at all. It's like living in a little touristy snowglobe. Quite lovely to look at. A real bitch to drive in and shovel, though.

***
Went to Env class this morning, to hear our last guest speaker speak. Prof St. Lewis, she of the fascinating nonlinear tales - whose CivLib class I dropped this term, and whose Critical Race Theory class I signed up for, for the January term. Wow, she's amazing. She talked to us about her experience in post-apartheid South Africa, working with human rights and environmental rights, and the juxtaposition of the two.

I found myself having an out of body experience. I kept finding myself the only black person at these political-scientific gatherings, but since I'm Canadian, people felt they could speak freely about racial issues. And they'd say things like, Yes, of course, it's wonderful that there's equality in Canada, but it hasn't worked out so well here. I mean, our blacks just don't have the sophistication to govern themselves properly. So I'd look down, check - yup, still black [dark-skinned black, by the way - there's no way anybody could miss her racial background] - and yet these people are saying these odd things around me. And I'm trying not to be rude - when you're brought up by a Trinadadian mother, you learn that no matter what other people say around you, you are not to be rude, especially in their house. I mean, you just ate their food.

It's true, though, they would explain. Take this water situation. We've put waterlines into their neighbourhoods, but they often refuse to pay their water tax - instead they break the lines open and steal water. Seriously! And of course a lot of the water just goes to waste, it just pours out onto the ground. It's so... primitive!

Well... do you think there's any excuses for their behaviour... for example, are you sure they can all afford to pay for the water in the first place?

Oh, I'm sure they can - but in any case, that kind of behaviour is so counterproductive! I mean, really - what these people need is to learn some discipline, for heaven's sake.

Really. And I check - yup, still black - and I'm looking around this place, where there's a garden the size of a small subdivision, and an automatic sprinkler system that is often on even when it's raining and puts out more water than is needed to drink and bathe and wash and cook in a whole block of shantytown... and really, what can you say?

Also: one of our students in Env today? He's from Australia. First time seeing snow in his life :) Said he hadn't realized it would be so wet, so we had to explain that it's not always like this. Great snowball weather, though. I think he went out to try and lob a few after class.

***
I was going to write about Daniel's sick day today, and the protest downtown yesterday, and all sorts of other stuff, but now I must be off to choir. Maybe later.

***
Oh - just one thing, from yesterday:

Me: (as we're driving towards downtown) OK, here's what we're going to do tonight. We're going downtown because - remember President Bush?
Boys: Yeah?
Me: Well, he's visiting Ottawa today and -
Daniel: (interested, cheerful little voice) Are we going to run him over?
Me: What?! No, Daniel, of course not (and I'm trying to sound shocked and disapproving while stifling a fit of the giggles) we're going to go to the Hill for a candlelight vigil.
Daniel: (slightly disappointed tone) Oh. I guess that could be fun too.