Chapter 6

Hello Everyone,

The Autumn Equinox has come and gone, September is closing, and another month of "Being Alive" and "Capturing The Moments" has transpired since my last chapter. I have entertained my first ever Homestay guest, so let me tell you about it. The experience was a resounding success both from my viewpoint as well as my guest's. What did we do, where did we go, how did it all unfold? Let me tell you.

At the very end of last month, she arrived. Not mentioning any names as perhaps my guest would enjoy her anonymity. She was a first year university student and the perfect first guest. She never complained, enjoyed all activities, liked all kinds of new foods, opened her eyes to everything new that was happening around her, and never stopped smiling. She was simply a joy to be with and appreciated all aspects of her stay in Canada. I loved sharing my country with her and she loved having the adventure.

First off we went to Canada's biggest exhibition in Toronto, a festival or fair called the Canadian National Exhibition, otherwise known as the CNE. This is an annual festival that has continued for 140 years. That's long for Canada since we are only 152 years old as a nation. We walked around the exhibition on the last long weekend of the summer taking in all that it offered. A Beaver Tail was consumed very much to her delight. A Beaver Tail is a deep fried pastry of sorts with just about any topping you would like on it. Banana and Nutella was our desired topping. We took in the food building and tried another of Canada's famous dishes, poutine. Though this is not very nutritious, it is a Canadian culinary delight. Coming from Japan you will be rolling your eyes and sighing with disgust probably. But some people like these French Fries smothered in gravy and cheese and just about anything else you would like added to the heaping helping. My guest was one of them. We saw the farm animals on display, handicrafts and home baked goods, and rode the aerial ropeway just as the very famous Canadian Snowbirds Aerobatic Air Show was happening. Talk about a bird's eye view, we had it! That was our first day together, and no jet lag at all.

Next up was a trip to Ontario's Cottage Country. We drove about 150 km northeast from Toronto to where an abundant of smaller lakes and rivers house cottages on the shorelines. This area is where the city people escape to on the weekends in the summer, and some braver folks holiday there in the winter months. We packed up everything we would need for a cottage escape including blankets, sheets, towels, foods, drinks, and snacks, as well as firewood. The cottage sat on the shores of a very tranquil lake, calm and serene. We canoed before sunset, and then sat around our campfire, sharing tales from both Canada and Japan. The next morning, up at dawn, we had coffee and tea on the dock and watched the mist rise from the lake as the sun rose for the new day. This is the most peaceful feeling, causing all to reflect on the day ahead or perhaps the days gone by?

What would a trip to Toronto be without an excursion to Niagara Falls? Another road trip of about 120 km, we drove to the World Wonder. No matter how many times I visit the Falls, it is as if each time is my first. There are people walking along viewing the Falls from every country you can imagine. English is no longer the spoken language, rather a multitude of languages from around the world are heard. We boarded The Hornblower, the boat that takes you to the edge of the Falls from the bottom, the sound of the Falls and the power of the descending water that falls just ahead of you is simply sheer excitement. Though I am Canadian I have never taken this boat ride. I discovered I was really missing out on something spectacular!

What else did we do? We walked everyday, once to the shores of Lake Ontario and sat on the rocks talking about our adventures. We sat in various cafes and tasted homemade sweets from Canada like Butter tarts, Nanaimo Bars, and Carrot muffins. We went to the movies both out at the Cinema and at home on the big screen seeing films like Mary Poppins and Toy Story to the very serious like Mumbai Hotel. We discussed them afterwards to our heart's content. We introduced Canada through The Amazing Race Canada Television Series, and learned about places we had actually visited. Shopping was on the agenda a few times as my guest had a long list of sought after items. I always thought that I didn't like shopping but those times were fun and interesting for me. One day we went to my favourite place in Toronto, the island. Sharing a picnic on the beach and enjoying the scenery we walked the entire length of the island. The ROM, the Royal Ontario Museum was another of our stops in downtown Toronto, learning much about Canada's geography and wildlife and such. We travelled by car, bus(double decker), train, subway, and ferry boat, focusing on each mode of transport as we moved from point A to point B. We were active every day, and climbed into bed each night with a very good tired feeling. Each morning we energized our bodies with the Nagoya style morning set; a hard boiled egg, fruit and yogurt, and a piece of toast. This was one thing we all looked forward to. And then we started out on our day only to stop at a cafe for mid morning refreshment.

Finally on our last night together, we went up to the top of the CN Tower, 553 metres. Though Tokyo's Skytree has surpassed the height of our tower, the CN tower still remains the tallest free standing structure in North America. Yes, we have one thing bigger and better than the U.S.! We ate at "360 The Restaurant" revolving one complete rotation in one hour. So we truly had a Panoramic view of the city below. After dinner we went to the Outdoor Sky Terrace to sense the open air, above the city, as well as standing on the Glass Floor, looking far below. This was the perfect ending to a wonderful two weeks. The next day we said goodbye at the airport, tears were shed. We will miss you, but we made great memories. Thank you to my first Homestay guest!

If these words have made any of you long to see Canada, I am happy. How about seeing the beautiful autumn leaves, or a winter scene, or even Christmas in Canada, I am here waiting to be your tour guide. The possibilities are endless. Until my next writing, keep smiling.

Rosemary🌹