Quiet day

Tags

Anniversary, Concert, Family, life, New Year, Vienna

Today 1 January is a quiet day, it’s 5C outside, no snow, no wind, no one in the street, grey skies, all is shut down. This year 2022 marks for my family an anniversary of sorts, our ancestor arrived at Quebec City on a French War Ship with his regiment in 1662 some 360 years ago. He was part of many French Regiments sent to Canada to put an end to the Indian wars threatening Montreal and other settlements. He established himself, had a farm and the rest is history.

I listened to the New Year’s Day concert from Vienna, it was nice but had none of the glamour of previous years, the concert hall was half empty and there was little in terms of flower mass decorations usually found for this concert. It was all very restrained no doubt due to the difficult situation with Covid. However I like the part where they follow this little butterfly from the greenhouses of the Schonbrunn Palace and all over Austria along the Danube etc. The close up of this fragile butterfly landing on beautiful flowers is enchanting. This is a country we always love spending time in, Austria is so civilized.

I do pray that 2022 will see us return to a more normal situation. However as with Climate Change I fear that we are in for some turbulence and rough seas ahead. The future will not be for the faint of heart.

So let’s look forward in a positive manner. I read this saying today and I thought well suited for the year to come.

“Let it be in your heart that every day of the new year will be the best day of the year”

Happy Hogmanay! Bonne Année!

Tags

2022, life, New Year, World

Well it is done and over, what a year, in all honesty it went by quickly despite all the problems. For PEI and Charlottetown it was not a good year economically and tourism wise. It did not affect me much, just the constant vigilance about Covid and simply getting my shots. Life goes on.

I did find that reading and authors I enjoy is a great joy. Though I have always done that so I am now simply continuing. A friend David N. in London always has good recommendations. I also look around for books which might interest me.

So 2020 and 2021 was no great shakes but we can always be cockeyed optimists and hope for a better 2022.

I remember New Year’s Eve of 2000, Y2K the world would collapse because of computers and I don’t know what. That St-Sylvester we were living in Warsaw, Poland, there had been so much nonsense about what might happen with the computer clocks and calendars and errors apparently made. Planes would fall from the sky and disaster everywhere. That night at the Embassy our communication technicians stayed up all night while our Ambassador slept at home, call me if anything important happens. He was not the only one who was in bed that night while we worked, others had gone home to families in Canada or on vacation.

By 8PM that night, Warsaw time, we knew this Y2K was a hoax and nothing was going to happen as the new year had arrived in New Zealand and then Japan without incident of any kind. The only other New Year’s Eve was that of 1991, all of 1990 had been preoccupied with the possible war between Iraq and Kuwait. I was then living in Cairo, Egypt, yes that one was significant, a short war. Diplomatic circles knew the war was coming though it still took us by surprise that the Iraqi Government was so stupid to start something they would loose. One CNN reporter made a killing on Oriental rugs, Peter Arnett.

There have been many other New Year’s Eve but not as eventful, in many ways they were all special spent with Will, family and friends.

Wishing you all Health and Happiness in 2022, there is nothing more anyone can actually wish that is so important in any life.

It’s minus 5C.

Tags

Beaujolais nouveau, New Year, the weather

Well we are in Winter now at minus 5C, the wind is brisk under bright blue skies.

I have to start my Xmas card writing and sending. Did a bit of shopping this morning, bought a new electric kettle, despite the fact they had 10 models on display on 3 models in stock. I thought maybe this is early Xmas gift shopping rush on kettles. Oh look you bought me a kettle for Xmas, how romantic.

The Sun now sets at 04:20pm which is early and it will be much more cold tonight around -10C.

I am still not into a Christmas mood, it’s like I just can’t get excited about it. I also hate to hear that song, Oh It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It sounds so phoney all around. It seems that the music of the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s about the Holiday just do not work anymore. The world is just too different and the pandemic etc. does not help lighten the mood. But life must go on no matter what. I just hope that 2022 will be different with better more positive news. That is my wish for the New Year.

We have a few parties to go to at friends and at the Club. We will have just 4 people over for Christmas lunch and Will has made his famous plum pudding, we are keeping the rest of the menu simple. It also looks like we will not have gifts, simply we have everything we want and neither of us want anything else. No drama in this, happy with our lot that is all.

Tonight I sample the Beaujolais Nouveau and it is good, fruity and light, a young wine, delightful.

Best Wishes!

Tags

2021, Concert, life, Music, New Year, Vienna

It was Friedrich Nietszche (1844-1900) who said Life without Music would be a mistake. This is why the first day of the Year must start with music. January 1 will be a quiet day as always for us, I will listen to the New Year’s Day concert from Vienna, conducted this year by one of my favourite Maestro Riccardo Muti with the Vienna Philarmonic Orchestra.

A concert without audience, a first, at the Muzikverein, Golden Hall in Vienna. Here is the program;

Franz von Suppè Fatinitza March, Johann Strauß II.Schallwellen (Sound Waves), Waltz, op. 148, Johann Strauß II. Niko Polka, op. 228, Josef Strauß, Ohne Sorgen (Without a Care), Fast Polka, op. 271, Carl Zeller, Grubenlichter (Davy Lamps), Waltz, Carl Millöcker, In Saus und Braus (Living It Up), Galop — INTERMISSION —

Franz von Suppè, Overture to “Poet and Peasant, Karl Komzák, Bad’ner Mad’ln (Girls of Baden), Waltz, op. 257, Josef Strauß, Margherita Polka, op. 244, Johann Strauß, Venetian Galop, op. 74, Johann Strauß II, Frühlingsstimmen (Voices of Spring), Waltz, op. 410, Johann Strauß II, In the Krapfenwaldl, Polka française, op. 336, Johann Strauß II, New Melodies Quadrille. op. 254, Johann Strauß II, Emperor Waltz, op. 437, Johann Strauß II, Tempestuous in Love and Dance, Fast Polka, op. 393

The 2021 New Year’s Concert will be broadcast in over 90 countries and followed by millions of television viewers around the world.

Let’s hope for the best or for at least a normal year, how could it not be better.

The Muzikverein, Golden Hall, Vienna.

Thinking…

Tags

2020, climate change, covid19, disasters, New Year, thinking, virus

Late last night I was thinking,  as Will would say to me; what have I told you about thinking. This is our little inside joke we share. I was thinking that this Covid19 Pandemic has change fundamentally the way we live and it is unlikely we will return to the way things were before March 2020.

It has been 10 long weeks of staying at home and only going out for essentials. The word essential has become the key word in our life. Someone is essential or not, shopping is essential or not, businesses are essential or not. All Government directives are based on what is essential or not in terms of services etc.

These 10 weeks which upset our lives are lost forever, we followed the rules because this is what was required in order to stay healthy and not infect anyone if we happened to be Asymtomatic. I believe in Civic Duty and responsibility in such cases so we did it.

However this pandemic also revealed the ugly side of many people, the selfish, self-centred attitude, ME first is their mantra. That is very disturbing to see and hear. People who place the economy first and foremost and do not care how many will get sick and die. The economy is more important, really? Obviously such people do not know that you can’t take the money with you when you die. We have them here on PEI, and such people are a sad spectacle.

But my thinking was more about how our lives had changed, we went in just 24 hours on 11 March from having lots of social activities with friends to nothing, zero, zilch to do. Could not meet anyone, ok will do zoom instead, well it’s not the same. Also having nothing to do plays on your mind. We did try to keep busy and that lasted all of one week. I started to forget what day of the week it was and had to look at the calendar and my iPhone for confirmation. It all looked the same, nothing had any order, time became irrelevant. Streets around us were deserted, no one anywhere, we took the dogs out for walks but it was eerie, no one anywhere, the silence. We have two large parks by the house and the Hillsborough river in front but seeing the snow melt and then the grass grow, the City employees were not coming, garbage collection was cut back, all businesses closed including the bank branch. All of it was very strange and unsettling. The only distraction was going to the gas station to fill up and going to the grocery stores but we were told only once every 2 weeks. Lucky us, we never really had any shortages, though on 13 March we had the great toilet paper caper, that was silly and we all laughed at it, within two weeks that was resolved.

Now since 1 June we are in phase 3 and businesses have re-open and so has restaurants, but we are not going. We will do take out but that is it. Our Club is also re-opening but no we are not going there either. Because of the frustration of being limited in what we could do, far to many people are now behaving thoughtlessly, not observing social distancing, no masks or gloves.

I miss seeing our friends, good conversation, cocktails, birthdays or having dinner parties. I joked in March that this would last 8 months, looks like I was right about that one, it may be longer. What we have now is fear, the fear of getting sick. The fear that something may go terribly wrong. Fear for the future, fear for the economy, though so far nothing major has happened. Yes there is a lot of unemployed, in PEI it’s 20% but it is not apparent so far. Our tourism Season will not happen and fishers are complaining of no markets. People are fearful but what can we do. Everyone is hoping that life will return to some kind of normality, even if this means a new normal. I can see it with the Dentists and Doctors, procedures for patients is very different now. Wearing a mask is not mandatory but strongly recommended. Everything is done through a plexiglass window and there is lots of cleaning going on. It really feels like a twilight zone, a bad dream.

Climate change has not gone away and we see signs of it with strange weather no one remembers ever happening before. We have to reconcile ourselves to the fact that we may have this pandemic for a long time, it may not go away and coupled with worsening effect of Climate change, quite the combination.

So on New Year’s Eve I thought to myself what will 2020 bring, I thought well for sure there will be some disaster or incident, something to make us pay attention. Well we had our load of disasters for the year in the first 3 months, from the downing of a commercial airliner over Tehran by the Iranian guards with all those Canadians on board, the month long railway blockades by native groups across Canada over a pipeline in British Columbia, the price of Oil in Alberta dropping to almost zero, the crisis with China over Meng of Huawei and her possible extradition to the USA and then Covid 19.  Now our border was closed with the USA in March and will remain so for the time being and all our seaports are also closed until 31 October. Maybe it is a good thing we cannot see what the future holds. I do hope to see our friends this Summer, I miss them and I hope that we will remain safe and healthy.

 

As the year ends

Tags

2020, age, levee, New Year, PEI, seniors, tradition, Travel

Well now we look at the New Year 2020, what will it bring, who knows.  My only wish is really for good health, because if you are in good health then you can do pretty much anything. For me this new decade means I will truly be in my so called golden years.

I still do want to travel to cities like Berlin in 2021 and maybe to other European countries, but has one ages the window of opportunity for travel closes and it becomes more difficult to travel given the stresses involved nowadays. I also have to look at priorities, living on this small island, spend more time going to the beach, visiting the Maritimes, going to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton all of which is very close to us. As for my volunteer activities, I may become more picky about it, I really don’t want to spend an entire Summer doing guided tours at the Art Gallery, there are other things to do.

This week between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day is always a bit of a loss, people are away on vacation or visiting family. Then the question is what to do with New Year’s Eve, well frankly speaking we do not have any plans and not sure we want any. We are in no mood to go to a pub to listen to some music with a rowdy crowd. Maybe these parties are for the under 40 crowd or go to a restaurant for more rich food, we have a fridge full of food. The big day is Wednesday 1 January for the Levée activities, this is a very big thing in PEI and everyone participates, it is rare to find someone who does not partake in visiting all the different Levée held not only around Charlottetown but in other towns and communities on the Island.  The tradition of the Levée, a French word meaning to rise, dates back to Louis XIV, the Sun King, who made his courtiers attend his rising every morning, if you missed that event you were banished. With time the tradition transformed itself into this event on New Year’s Day where the population comes to pay their respect to the personal representative of the Sovereign in PEI, the Lieutenant Governor and to other elected Officials Civic and Military.  Anyone can hold a Levée, if you are willing to put up with the crowds. Government House will see about 700 people, our Club will have about 500 people show up.

This 1 January I will be at the Haviland Club in the greeting party to welcome all the visitors to our Club. Our time slot is 11am to 1pm. Many will go to pay their respect to the Lieutenant Governor at Government House at Fanningbank first and then wander down to the other venues like the PEI Regiment barracks to see the Military Commander, to City Hall to see the Mayor, to the Fire Hall, to the Premier’s Office, etc… Everyone offers a drink, a piece of cake and coffee.

Government House, Charlottetown, PEI.

The Haviland Club, Charlottetown, PEI.

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR 2020. BONNE ANNÉE!

The bucket list

Tags

Friends, Holiday, home, memories, Music, New Year, Travel

In the 1980’s the expression my bucket list started to appear in conversations when people spoke of things they wanted to do or visit. Then silly lists started to appear of the 10 things you had to see or do before you died. The expression the bucket list is now part of general conversations and it seems most people expects that you have a bucket list. I don’t!

Always being the contrarian, I don’t have one. I do not see why you need to do or see this or that during a life time, I just don’t get it.  Until the 1970’s travelling far and wide was not common, until the age of mass tourism and cheap destinations, few travelled. Nowadays it seems everyone travels and have a bucket list, though travelling now is not has cheap as it was once when you could visit a country on $10. per day, remember those travel guide books, impossible now.

I can say that I spent my life travelling and living abroad so travelling some more now is not appealing, unless it is to a favourite city where I know where to go and who to see, like Rome, Vienna, Salzburg, London, Berlin, Palermo. What I have not seen in the world is no big deal and I do not need to go. There are places I really do not want to go back to, I did not enjoy them when I was there, example China. Some place have changed so much I don’t think I would enjoy them today as it would clash with my memories of them, example Egypt.

Travelling at Holiday time is also something I do not want to do, it seems that stories of things that went wrong and exhausting tales of family gatherings and all manner of unpleasantness abound. As someone said, you do not choose your relatives it is an accident of birth. Staying in town and with friends is our tradition. A nice meal at home with people we enjoy and same for New Year’s Eve, quiet and pleasant.

Now we still don’t have any snow maybe a sprinkle would be nice, not too much, just like icing on the cake.

And because this is the Season, my favourite Christmas Hymn heard in Roman Catholic Churches at Midnight Mass in French Canada. It was de rigueur as part of the religious service then.  Ça bergers, assemblons-nous!

 

Shopping street in Rome, Via dei Condotti on the left is BULGARI at no.10 and just a few steps further you arrive at Piazza di Spagna and the famous steps, all decorated for Christmas.

The year 2018

Tags

Charlottetown, Halifax, memories, municipal, New Year, Nova Scotia, PEI, volunteerism, Wolfville

I was reminded this morning that on 28 December 2012, some 6 years ago I retired from the Foreign Service, time flies when you are having fun as they say. In that time I started to work as a volunteer at the National Gallery in Ottawa, then some 3 years ago we moved to Charlottetown, PEI. We had been looking for some time for a place to retire and the condo we were renting was up for sale, we had to move. Only on the day the new owners took possession which was also the day we moved out,  they told us why don’t you stay,  the new owners had no plan to move in, in the foreseeable future.

We moved with the old puppies and 4 tons of furniture to PEI some 1100 Km away and one time zone Eastward. We have made a new life for ourselves here, involved in a myriad of volunteer activities.

In November 2017 I floated the idea that I might want to run for Office at City Hall. This is a considerable challenge, first I was unknown here in town. I was also warned that not being born in PEI was also a handicap. This is a small Island Province with a total population no bigger than a neighbourhood in a large metropolitan area. It is an Island and though the mainland of Canada is only 12 Km away and visible, it often feels like we are in another country. The Islanders are a friendly bunch but being a small community they are weary of foreigners even if they are fellow Canadians. The Island still operates on the idea that they are a Summer resort which is a shame since there is so much to do year round.

I started my campaign in February 2018 for the seat of City Councillor in Ward 1 in Charlottetown, I met tons of people, made 7 YouTube videos on issues, attended all manner of events around our Ward, knocked on doors, talked with people, participated in a candidates debate, gave interviews to the press etc. It was a huge learning experience, my neighbours are chatty and will give you their opinion on any topic. Many have lived here all their lives, some were even born on the very street the now live on in old age. Some rarely leave the City, let alone cross the river to visit Stratford which is 2 minutes away.  I really enjoyed the inter-action and talking to people, I met and had coffee with other politicians, got advice from other city mayors, councillors in other Wards, Provincial politicians, everyone seemed interested in my campaign, many told me I was a brave soul to throw my name into the hat.

During the Summer, in August I took a small vacation and we visited with our friends MCR & DAW from Phoenix the Province of Nova Scotia which is about 90 minutes away from our home. We met in Halifax, a great city with wonderful attractions and restaurants. Designer Cocktails are all the rage and quite fun. We then drove leisurely towards Annapolis Royal which at one point was a bouncing ball between the French and British Empire with a hostage population of Acadians. This small town is an object lesson in how Empires can mismanage their colonies when distracted by other events in Europe. We then proceeded to Wolfville a college town on the Bay of Fundy and Grand Pré the celebrated Acadian settlement with its museum. The area is dotted with vineyards and good restaurants not to forget the beautiful scenery.

I never realized how much work campaigning was all about. In the end I did not win but did get more than 10% of the vote, which for an unknown like me was an accomplishment. Many people have since asked me to stay involved in City politics and I remain involved and have met with our new Councillor several times since election night. But I was exhausted and quite happy to take a Holiday to Portugal which I really enjoyed. It was a celebration, since Will and I were celebrating our 40 years together.

Finally in the week of 17 December Parliament in Ottawa ended its Fall Session and this will be the last in the Old Central Block of Parliament. The House of Commons is moving to the West Block next door for the next 15 years and the Senate will move across the street to the old Train Station. The Central block built between 1917-21 is undergoing the first renovation ever of all its mechanical system and the entire building will undergo a great renovation to bring it up to the modern age. This means when it re-opens again all the Members sitting in the House will be retired and the same applies to the Senators. The cost of renovating the buildings of Parliament is estimated at $3.1 billion dollars. Already the West Block alone cost $250 million in renovations and the old Train Station was another $210 million.

What will 2019 bring, well I do not know. I will continue with my volunteer activities and will follow developments at City Hall. Our New Mayor is a progressive guy with good ideas and vision for the City, which is a relief and an improvement on the past.

Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor of PEI, the Honorable Antoinette Perry and I at Government House. Every year the public comes to pay their respect on January 1 at the Annual Levée on January 1. I will be on site volunteering on that day and greeting people.

 

Wishing all a very Happy New Year with all manner of good things. 

Bonne et Joyeuse Année 2019.

Canadian Coast Guard wharf, Port of Charlottetown, December 2018 the number 9 has been put in place. 

Something I learned today

Tags

Acadians, Cape Breton, Christmas, Holiday, Mi'k Maq, native, New Brunswick, New Year, Nova Scotia

The Maritime Provinces of Canada are part of what is the ancestral homeland of the Mi’k Maq people. CBC PEI interviewed Elder Bernie Francis who was raised in Membertou, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and asked him how do you say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in the Mi’k Maq language. Elder Francis is a linguist and he explained how it came about. The two holidays are foreign to the Mi’k Maq people and in living alongside French Acadian settlers they came in contact with the celebration of Christmas and New Year. They simply used their own words to do a simple translation into their language.

Per example seeing Midnight Mass, the Mi’k Maq of Nova Scotia will say Etawey Wli Nipi Alasutman or Happy Midnight Prayer, while their cousins in New Brunswick will say Wli Newelewin based on the French saying of Joyeux Noël.

As for New Year seeing the French say to them Bonjour, Bonne Année and extending their hand to shake the Mi’k Maq simply translated it into  Pusu’l Punane. The Mi’k Maq are all around us here in the Maritime Provinces and their ancient history mixed in with the Acadians in the 17th Century.

A fun fact to learn.

New Year activities

Tags

2018, Charlottetown, Fanningbank, levee, New Year, PEI

For New Years Eve we went down the street to the Haviland Club which is an old Club in Charlottetown, at the corner of Water and Haviland street with views of the Hillsborough river, once a grand private residence built in 1866 by Mrs Esther Lowden in the Italianate style. She was a widow, her husband had been a prominent ship builder. At her death in 1896 her family leased the house to the USA Consulate, the American Consul  was Delmer J. Vail. At the time of the closing of the US Consulate around 1917 all the expensive mahogany furniture and carpets were sold at auction. For a few years the house was rented out to various tenants. Then in 1932 it became an Officers Mess, being across the street from the PEI Regiment HQ was ideal, the Royal Canadian Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force also had its mess on the premises. Finally in 1997 it became a private Club. The Club has an ornate decor of the period with marble fireplaces and grand views, wood paneling and ornate ceilings.

Quite a few members were present and we spent the night drinking and eating, we also decided to become members on the spot.

This morning, New Year’s Day I had to be up early, I was on duty at Fanningbank, the Residence of the Lieutenant Governor for the New Year’s day Levee, the 40th, the first one open to the public was in 1978. My first station was as greeter at the door, though I was near one of the fireplaces, it was a cold spot, the door opening and closing and the temperature outside with the wind chill was -25C. Some 800 people came through that door in 90 minutes. Amongst the general public, quite a few dignitaries, politicians, the Premier wearing is clan kilt, Leader of the other political parties, the commanders of the army, navy and air force, the Archbishop, the President of the University, the CEO of the Art Centre, etc.

I got to shake hands with about 500 people as they came in and greeted them before they proceeded into the receiving room to shake hands with the Lieutenant Governor. I was asked how do you address the L.G., a few men were told to remove their hats out of respect for the Sovereign’s representative. Two people asked me to take pictures of them, which I politely declined, too busy with the crowd. We had also a 15 member string orchestra playing which gave a very nice atmosphere to the event. Once past the L.G. people would then proceed into the dining room of the residence for cake and refreshments and out they went. It all went very well considering the numbers, many were making their first visit to the residence and were impressed by the surroundings. Lots of comments on the Christmas decorations and the house.

On my way home other levees were taking place, at City Hall, at the Legislature, at the PEI Regiment HQ, I was too tired to go to any other, pretty sure I would have met the same crowd making the rounds. Everyone comes first to Fanningbank to see the L.G.

I got lunch out of it, the cook made Fricot, which is a clear broth of carrots, potatoes, onion and celery with big pieces of shredded chicken, it was quite good and hit the spot. It was served to all of us volunteers and Aide de Camp in the private dining room of the L.G. in the meantime Her Honour was gone to another function, today for public officials it is a very busy day, I would not want to be in their shoes, even if you are chauffeured around.

Tonight a quiet night at home, Salmon steaks for dinner.