Farewell TO

Since my last post many events have taken place that maybe could warrant two more posts, but who am I kidding..I clearly don't have much enthusiasm for keeping up this blog now. I last mentioned that I was strongly thinking about moving home soon. Well after much consideration and the purchase of a plane ticket, I'm going home on March 20th...Yes, that's in 3 days.

Since the end of February I've been looking for someone to sublet my room. After finding someone a week ago and having the landlord scour over all of her information, I was under the impression everything was going to work out just fine. But when I travel..nothing ever does just work out fine.

So, four days before I'm supposed to leave, my landlord just decides that the girl who is supposed to move in is unacceptable. She had references but they weren't what he wanted, so when I gave him the reference he wanted, he refused to even call it because there was this invisible deadline that had already passed and he was unwillingly to change his mind. But in his words it was "we can't accept someone into our home who we've already rejected." Well...I think you can actually..it's called changing your mind. But nevertheless in his eyes "the relationship has been terminally challenged..'poisoned' might not be the right word, but you know what I mean." I didn't know what he meant and after many many emails back and forth I still have no idea how this man can be called a human being.

There's a clause in the Landlord and Tenant Board of Ontario that says that a landlord may refuse a sublet applicant, but if the tenant feels that the landlord is being unreasonable, they may file an application for a hearing. Basically a landlord is not allowed to refuse the tenant the ability to sublet, and if they do you can take it up with the Board. I even quoted the passage in my last email to my landlord saying I have no desire to deal with the Board, but there is no valid reason for not allowing this girl to sublet. Of course, that didn't faze him one bit..he didn't even acknowledge that passage in his reply, but actually just told me that all of this is my fault for wanting to break the lease. I've explained many times that I can't find work and don't have money, but he's convinced I'm moving to ruin his life.

So after all that, I've started to look for another person, this time a male since we think he likes to bully females, and my roommates will help if I can't find someone before I leave.

Oh, and I left out the greatest part about this which is that when the girl applicant called him to get an explanation (she was justifiably angry) he told her to talk to me, that he would call the police and just hung up. Then he called me and told me he was receiving "harassing phone calls" from this girl and to make her stop calling him. He was apparently afraid for his life after getting a call from a tiny asian girl.

Good Riddance Canada.

A Warm Winter

It's been more than a couple months since my last post, things got crazier and then Christmas happened. Then I flew back to the freeeeeezing north and here I am..beginning of February and a definite change of scenery on the horizon.

But just to rewind..I was able to go home for Christmas, spend two and a half awesome weeks in a semi-warm climate as opposed to the freezing north where I was and had to go back to. It was great to be back with family, under the redwoods and glimpsing the coastline. I still don't know how people grow up landlocked...though some consider the Great Lakes not to be landlocked, but I do. I had the most amazing clam chowder that my first ever babysitter makes at their family-owned Company in Bodega Bay. This picture is the menu..short and sweet, but the clam chowder is TO DIE FOR.

I went on some great hikes with my family, which, if you didn't know, is something of a tradition..nah, a necessity in my family.

Aside from that I spent some quality time with people I sorely missed, and for me, it usually takes being away for a while to truly appreciate and realize what home is.

As for going back to Toronto, I took back tons of souvenirs for friends and came back to even COLDER weather..didn't think it was possible. It has actually been zero degrees Fahrenheit here!! I've snowboarded many a time, but that is just ridiculous. Needless to say, it's been hibernation time and not much going out, mainly because the preparation and layers are not actually worth being outside..except for maybe food. Then, to make matters worse, I talk to friends and family who are saying it's 70 degrees at home. Why am I here again?

And that leads into the most recent development in life in Toronto. This past weekend, my only American friend here went with me to Buffalo, NY to visit some great friends from England. We rented a car since it was fairly cheap, and upon our trek back to Canada on Sunday, we encountered maybe the worst guard known to Canadian Immigration. He proceeded to hold us for more than an hour and ask the same questions over and over. This led to us then being told that we COULD NOT enter Canada at this time and had to go back to the U.S. I almost fainted. Thankfully my friends were in Buffalo, I can't imagine what we would have done without them. An extra night in the States and the next day after much stress and anxiety we made it through.

But of course, that makes one think about one's position and status in countries. And, considering that April will mark a year that I've been here, it was indeed perfect timing to ponder all these questions. Given that I haven't found employment, savings don't last forever especially when you're paying rent, and there are more employment opportunities in California and less immigration hassles....I decided. I decided that I will be moving back to California in late March if things work out..which, they don't always, but here's hoping.