July 25, 2005
Hello from the Ottawa River - And Reflections
on City Life
So Friday I decided to head out on a kayaking weekend with my friend
Leslie. This was the first time in about 8 years that I went camping
again, and I had a ball sleeping under the stars. A fabulous weekend
in nature makes you think about life a little bit, so here are a
few snapshots of what's been going through my head in the last few
days. In particular, I have been thinking about our lifestyles in
the city and some of the stark contrasts with the experiences of
this weekend.
The Ottawa River
City snapshot number 1:
Thursday night I linked up with a friend of mine who works for a
big international bank in finance. He was telling me how his employer
was sending around a survey to find out what tasks people were spending
time on at work, all for the purpose of efficiency and downsizing
the workforce. In his employee newsletter he read that his company
was proud that the annual turnover rate among employees is now below
30% (!), and this was a big story in the newsletter. We were wondering
why a turnover of almost 1/3 of the entire staff in a year would
be considered a good thing, considering the recruitment, training
and outplacement costs as well as the disruptions caused by a constantly
fluctuating workforce. But on a few days of the year his company
gives away free icecream cones to their employees....
City snapshot number 2:
Leslie and I left to go on our kayaking excursion at 3
pm Friday. We left in mid-town, just north of the 401, Toronto's
major cross-town highway. It took us about an hour and a half, to
get to Toronto's eastern suburbs, from about Pickering onwards we
were stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic until I had enough and headed
northwards to a local road where at least we were moving in between
being stopped at red lights.
Bales of hay on Calumet Island
City snapshot number 3:
At the outdoor adventure camp I actually talked to another weekend
traveller who told me that he worked for many years for a major
international paper manufacturer until he got unceremoniously laid
off a few years ago. He had been living and working in Toronto's
east end. After his lay-off he finally found a job in Toronto's
west end and he ended up commuting probably about 2 hours in rush
hour traffic on a daily basis between his house in the east end
to his new workplace in Toronto's west end. He figures there is
no point in moving since he doesnt' know when he's going to get
laid off again and where his next job might be.
City snapshot number 4:
This same person told me that one of the travellers in
his group was trying to use her cell phone in the middle of the
wilderness on Calumet Island in the Ottawa River. She even tried
to get up on a picnic table and lifted the cell phone up in the
air to try to get better reception. He found it rather ridiculous
that someone would need to make a cell phone call during an 2-day
weekend outing into nature. I guess we need to be wired all the
time these days.
City snapshot number 5:
Life is speeding up all around us. To meet a friend for
coffee you now need at least 3 weeks notice and set up an appointment.
People work on the weekend, according to official statistics, many
Canadians don't even manage to take advantage of their full 2 weeks
of vacation since they can't get away from work. I was talking to
a client recently who works for a major international retailer.
I asked her why she doesn't work from home since she receives all
her documents electronically from head office anyways. She said
the head office people just don't trust people working from home,
so she continues to spend 2.5 hours a day in traffic (on a good
day, way more during a snowstorm...)
Poppy flower
Country snapshot number 1:
After getting out of rush hour traffic my friend and I
thoroughly enjoyed the drive into Eastern Ontario, particularly
once we headed north of Belleville into the rolling hills, past
tiny country towns and provincial parks. Saturday morning we were
woken up by the mooing sounds of cows who were announcing day break.
The sounds of crickets and cicadas filled the air in the campground.
Country snapshot number 2:
The facilities at the Equinox river rafting camp are extremely
basic. We realize that we can get by on 2 toilets in tiny plywood
cubicles and 4 co-ed shower stalls that are located in a wooden
shed. We sleep in a tent on a mat, I forgot my pillow and I borrow
Leslie's mini-pillow. There is no Internet, no cell phones, no appointments,
no fancy clothes, no make-up.
Country snapshop number 3:
Evening in the campground. About 60 city folks are letting
out their inner child, they are partying, shouting, playing music,
having fun. That's what it looks like when city people let loose.
The next night is a lot quieter, after a full day of paddling the
rafters and kayakers are tired and Saturday night was a much tamer
affair.
Country snapshot number 4:
I am doing my interview
with Krista, the spunky young intern at Equinox' river camp.
I ask her if it would be possible to borrow one of the bicycles
that were leaning against the shed. "Sure", she says,
"just help yourself, my bike is the silver-coloured one. Just
grab it whenever you feel like it". You don't see this easy-going
generosity in the city.
Getting ready for the kayaking
Country snapshot number 5:
During the interview, Krista tells me that a number of her rafting/kayaking
guide colleagues are living in tents, in a tree house or in a cobbled-together
shack during the summer. During the winter they go off to teach
English as a Second Language, study theatre, teach skiing or plant
trees and do horticulture in the spring. Krista mentions a key phrase
several times: "It's amazing how little you need
to live." And this morcel of
wisdom is coming from a 25-year old woman! The guides are young
adults that co-exist without a lot of structure, very few rules,
and they are just having fun doing sports they love and interacting
with the clients. And somehow they manage to feed the clients and
safely get them down the river. Everybody, the guides and the clients,
feels like a kid again.....
Makes you think, doesn't it?
Related Articles:
Feeling
like a kid - attending the Outdoor Adventure show gave me the idea
for kayaking
My friend Leslie goes and
explores Antigua
Interview with Krista Scott:
Australian harvest worker and ESL teacher
Hello from the Ottawa River: The river
kicked my ass
Hello from the Ottawa River: Mating
in the wild and other diversions
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