#and also - she said awful things about the previous tenant (a student)

[running-in-the-dark]

oh my god I'm so glad we have already found a new apartment

our downstairs neighbour just talked to me! (I'm pretty sure it was on purpose that she did it now, she'd have known my partner is at work...)

she was so fucking angry. because my partner didn't clean the wheelie bin (twice!). and because - according to her - he didn't clean the staircase at all two weeks ago when it was our turn, and instead did it last week. which is just not true at all? he did do it, I saw the used rag and everything. and she yelled at him then too, so he went back and cleaned it again.

and he told me that he asked her what the problem is exactly (so that he can do it the way she wants it) and she said 'there's dirt' and refused to say more. which is completely unhelpful when you don't see the dirt (she showed it to me, I did not see it at all).

but to me, she said 'why doesn't he just ask??' and I was like is that a joke. he literally did that on several occasions and you said you don't want to say, he just needs to do better.

I was so pissed off, I didn't just stand there and take it like my partner does. which tbh just seemed to make her angrier (at first) lol. but I said we're moving out next month, partly because of her constantly yelling at us. 'me? yelling? that's not true' lol yeah you're literally doing it right now. and she said she talked to our landlord - I said yeah, she told us and said she thinks it's super childish of you to complain about that to her (probably shouldn't have said that but whatever, we're almost out of here, I don't give a fuck anymore).

the other neighbour had her door open and was just silently standing there the entire time, it was a bit weird.

she also said she's lived here for 40 years and it's never happened that someone is this bad and doesn't stick to the cleaning schedule. and I'm like... dude is this your only problem? this is the thing that makes us awful neighbours apparently?! not fucking cleaning the wheelie bin every fucking time we put it out (it's October!!! she said something about doing it in summer!! we don't know anyone who does that regularly AT ALL!!), and maybe messing up when cleaning the staircase? there were cobwebs one time and she lost. her. mind.

I cannot comprehend something this small and petty being your biggest problem. we are literally SO quiet. we don't do anything annoying. we don't have parties. we don't have screaming children. we're nice and polite. but no apparently we're awful. she was also really mad that my partner doesn't say much/anything when she yells at him. and I said '... he's scared when people yell at him??' and she just wouldn't accept it (this is literally the biggest problem in our relationship, he shuts down when there's ANY conflict, even when you're completely calm, so yeah bitch you can fucking believe it when I say that!!).

she did eventually stop yelling when I kept telling her it's fucking unnecessary to be so angry about this and that she can say this shit in a friendly way. lol. apparently she's not used to people not being scared of her (I get that, she's terrifying tbh. but I'm fucking done with her bullshit :) )

anyway, it really sucked, and she also woke me up so I was a mess and very confused. but! my anxiety meds are definitely doing something (even though they're not working perfectly anymore) because I'm just angry and annoyed, not scared. no panic attack yet. so that's good.

#dude my partner is so upset about this. I told him what happened and he called me and was close to crying because she's so scared of her #but nooo he's a man and he looks big and intimidating so there's no way he could be scared 🙃 fuck off. #*he's #and also - she said awful things about the previous tenant (a student) #so... we're the worst but he was also bad? but this has never happened before? yeah that totally makes sense #all the complaints she had about him were about him not cleaning enough #sooo yeah maybe it's not everyone else that's the problem and you're just insane 🙃 #who the fuck cares if there's miniscule traces of dust in the fucking stairway??? you don't use that for anything but walking through it?? #I really hate women of that generation and... social class? something like that. I'm sorry you have no control in your life and need to let #it out this way but damn dude leave me the fuck alone #(she also said she gets it if my partner doesn't know how to clean because he's a man.... no he just never had to clean before. it has #nothing at all to do with him being a man) #personal #anxiety meds my beloved

[zed-air]

On the Road: 2018 Ottawa

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Wagons east! Next stop: Ottawa

Only visit thus far: 2018.

Click the “keep reading” link below for blog, photos, and more.

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TRAVEL / ARRIVAL /  LODGING

We left Toronto via VIA Rail bound for Ottawa, with the train making a few minor stops along the route. I don’t know how popular or utilized Canada’s train system is between Alberta and Manitoba, but I imagine it gets more-regular, higher-volume use in central and eastern Canada, and in the rockies. It’s a scenic way to travel, if you’re traveling someplace scenic. I’ve done plenty of European trains in the past, but only once previously in Canada, back in 2010, heading west from Montreal to Toronto. That first trip inspired some unexpected motion sickness (oddly jittery ride), and was plagued by neighbouring passengers loudly having an idiotic conversation. No such issues this time around. 

We sat in a booth-like configuration facing one another with a table between us and one stranger. Trip took about four hours, which passed well-enough, though my body wasn’t happy with me following the 12km Toronto walk I’d recently completed. Hard to get/stay comfortable when everything hurts. I spent most of the ride reading Anthony Bourdain’s A Cook’s Tour, and ate a pricey but strategic ham & cheese sandwich from the VIA menu.

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Upon arrival, we took the bus into town and then walked to our Air B&B near the university. The climate here, even during this part of the year, is sweltering and stiflingly humid. The unit where we stayed is a suite in an old house - one probably occupied by two students for the majority of the year. It had many signs of being hastily renovated by an amateur trying to spruce things up unsuccessfully. The layout was bizarre and bordering on non-functional in most rooms, and overall was grittier and dumpier than had been advertised. There was also no air conditioning, but thankfully there were two rotary fans available. Most evenings were spent reading on the awful little couch in the common area. 

The unit didn’t have a dishwasher machine, nor could I find a plug for the sink (which I didn’t notice was absent until our last night when I planned to do all the washing up at once). As a result, I’m not sure if the supplied dishes/flatware/etc had been washed properly by the owners or previous guests/tenants, or ever. (They... seemed clean?) So I had to improvise a solution in order to wash anything. But no AC in this climate, the bad layout, uncomfortable rooms, kitchen mysteries, etc. - and it was more expensive than the better one we’d just left in Toronto. I’d be unlikely to stay in this place ever again. 

RIDEAU STREET / ORIENTATION / TRANSIT

We were based near the University just south of Rideau. Other parts of the neighbourhood felt like they were peppered with drug dens, but no one caused trouble for us. From Rideau, we were able to reach the market nearby, as well as the parliament area and the interprovincial bridge. Pretty walkable and not likely to get lost. We walked a great deal, as usual. 

Rideau also had several grocery stores, along with record and book stores, and the Ottawa-branch of Steve’s Music (I’d also visited the same store in Toronto, but liked Ottawa’s better). I really did a lousy job exploring book/record shops on this trip, and missed out visiting any here.

Transit in Ottawa echoes Edmonton’s: unreliable. On a particularly hot afternoon where we had an appointment to keep, our bus passed us by without stopping, after already running late. Maybe their definition of “full “is different from ours. Later transit efforts proved more successful. There’s a lot of construction going on, as Ottawa works toward implementing an underground LRT system. 

BEST BREAKFASTS

All my best breakfasts in Ottawa involved smoked salmon. Zak’s Diner does a nice salmon and eggs plate with salad, potatoes, bagel, and beans. They also offer Benedicts, but given the “all-day breakfast” service, I wasn’t sure how fresh the Hollandaise would be. I didn’t regret my order. I like their slogan: “Don’t Starve!”

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Elsewhere in the market, The Original Continental Bagel Co. served decent Montreal-style bagels in various unpretentious sandwich presentations. I did lox, onions, and cream cheese. Solid breakfast, but not too heavy a start to the day.

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BEST DINNERS 

Bite Burger House serves a variety of different gourmet-meat burgers. Normally that’s not really my thing, but they did a good job of it. I had a swiss & mushroom burger, and and a surprisingly good Old Fashioned. And the leftover, mac & cheese ended up being our daughter’s supper for the next two nights. It was also good, and surprisingly rich. 

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Le Mein Craft Noodles was good but also ludicrous. They have a very small menu (half of which seems to only be available on weekends). So you basically order noodle bowls, some contain broth, some don’t. You pick your size of noodles, size of bowl, and level of spiciness. The missus and I had the same kind of soup, with different noodles. Hers was spicy and small (which was roughly the size of a large pho in most places). Mine was mild and large, and took up half the table. It was literally a tureen-sized bowl, probably with 2L of broth. And the noodles, while tasty, were almost impossible to lift because of their size. I ate as much as I could before we had to get the wee one to bed, and took the rest home. I’m not sure I received all of my broth in the container, though I suppose the noodles might have continued to absorb the fluid. There was virtually no broth in the container when I next opened it, sadly. 

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OTHER MEALS AND ALMOST MEALS

First food in town was down Rideau at the well-regarded Shawarma Palace. As it was near bed time, I walked over, grabbed a chicken shawarma platter takeaway, and we all shared it back at the house. Not bad, though the chicken was pretty dry by the time I got any in me. 

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Our main reason for the detour to Ottawa was to visit a friend of ours who now lives here. We haven’t seen her for several years. The Lieutenant’s Pump is a pub she recommended over in the Elgin area where we met her for lunch. They make a decent grilled-cheese-plus sandwich, though I wasn’t mad about the service. The shaded patio was nice on the hot day, but did give everything a yellow hue. Shaded or otherwise, the humidity was impossible to escape outdoors.

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On our last day in town, we again connected with our friend for lunch. After a long walk together, we stopped at another of her recommended joints in Little Italy: Pub Italia. I couldn’t really figure out the theme of the place, but it’s sort of an Irish Pub, in Little Italy, but decked out in lots of religious themes. A heavily air-conditioned curiosity. I offended our server by ordering a Ukrainian beer by its name, which apparently nobody else has ever done, and she refused to try and pronounce it once she understood what I’d ordered. L’vivs’ke Beer for breakfast, followed by a disappointingly cardboard-like Margherita pizza. The beer was good, though. 

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Another good idea on a hot day: blackberry and lemon gelato. Also gave this Harvey & Vern’s Cream Soda a try, though sodas and ice cream are only a good pairing if you mix them. 

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HISTORICAL BUILDINGS / MUSEUMS

My past has left me jaded and indifferent to most museums, galleries, and other historical fancy places. I’ve seen enough cathedrals, palaces, etc. to last a lifetime, and really don’t need to see any others - unless the subject matter is something very special to me. I didn’t bother entering the parliament or any of the Canadian Gov’t buildings while we were here, though my wife did explore some of those related to her interests. 

We did cross the Interprovincial Bridge and visited the Canadian Museum of History (formerly the Canadian Museum of Civilization) one afternoon. I best enjoyed the 20th Century area, but there’s lots of stuff here to explore if you’re into Canada as a subject. The wee one also enjoyed the museum’s area for children.

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We also visited the Victoria Memorial Museum toward the end of our stay. It contains lots of exhibitions to do with animals, plants, fossils, the sea, etc. Over their entrance is a large inflated jellyfish which my daughter has decided is her friend and for whom she authored an elaborate history. 

Given the time of year, it seems as though every school within 100km of Ottawa is scheduling their field trips to coincide with our visit. This place was overrun with groups of screaming teenagers, confused school children, and frazzled chaperones. Busy to the point of being difficult to walk around because you’d suddenly get swarmed, jammed-up, and passed-by, and it would happen again two minutes later. Several areas contained live animals in aquaria or in display cases, and too many people tapped, banged, yelled, or otherwise disturbed the inhabitants for my liking. 

Hard to enjoy yourself here, under the circumstances, which was a shame. 

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CITY ATTITUDE / STYLE / CLIMATE

I’ve had a hard time getting a sense of who/what Ottawa is during this stay. One of the strange things about the place is that it really feels like Edmonton, which was totally unexpected. Not in the sense of weather, of course, but in the architecture and general run-down feeling of several areas we visited. If Edmonton still had 100 year old walk-ups strewn about, the effect would be even stronger. Even our friend living in Ottawa thought so. It’s not a town I’ve ever given much thought to, so I don’t know what I expected going in - maybe, being a Federal capital, that it might have more of an international flavour to it. Other than hearing a lot more French spoken, I didn’t really get a sense of that. 

As I’ve already said, the weather here is bordering on inhuman for someone from the dry prairies. Most days were very warm. Every day was very humid. Another peculiarity: the hottest point of the day, every day, seemed to begin around 10:00PM (22:00), after dark, and then continued to intensify into the night, radiating through every room. Ottawa is further south than Edmonton, so the sky was dark around 9:00PM (21:00) every night, adding to the bizarre dynamic. 

Most of the areas of Toronto we visited had average-to-good-looking people dressed badly. On average, the people in Ottawa were dressed much better, but often more conservatively. Many people of all genders could be seen wearing shorts, though they fit better here - and given the ghastly humidity it’s almost hard to blame them. Almost. And, as was the case with the museums we visited, endless packs of tourist groups and students in the wilderness clogged sidewalks and doorways. 

LEAVING / AIRPORT

We really expected a deluge on our last day, thanks to the clouds and peak humidity, but it didn’t happen before we left. A rocky and prolonged bus ride took us to the airport, winding through the previously-unseen downtown before landing on a freeway area. The downtown looked rather like Edmonton’s too. Major areas of both cities must have been built-up heavily in the 1970s. 

The airport itself was fine, but curiously busy. A long, long line at security had other travellers confused as well. One woman near us who visits the airport regularly told me she’d never seen the security line so long before. No idea why today was different. Airport food is almost as notoriously uninteresting as airplane food. With few dining options in the terminal; we opted for pre-made cafe sandwiches - pricey but adequate. The airport had a small play area for toddlers, where our daughter played without issue for a long time and befriended any other kids who wandered into her domain. 

Air Canada can be hit-and-miss, but the fight home was one of the best I’ve had in years - and only marginally longer than a flight from Toronto would have been. This was an unfamiliar configuration of airplane - two rows of paired seats all the way down, rather than rows of three or some other stagger. I guess fewer people fly to Edmonton from Ottawa than from Toronto, hence the smaller plane. My seat-mate was unobtrusive enough to have not existed, which was nice. Our daughter nearly slept the whole way home, which mystified her parents as it has never happened before. 

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CLOSING THOUGHTS

Ottawa’s a bit of a question mark to me. I went in with no strong expectations, but left underwhelmed. It felt a lot like bizarro-Edmonton to me, and that’s kind of how I have to frame it. 

In my life, I’ve heard/read countless people who had no background in Edmonton criticize the city as ugly, formless, unnecessary, or any other number of pejorative descriptions. Though far from perfect, I never agreed with those assessments of Edmonton. But I have history there; they don’t. Those critics didn’t get Edmonton, and didn’t bother trying to. Having been to Ottawa, I think I understand how they felt for the first time. 

Ottawa: It’s Alright - not much of a slogan, but it fits. 

Our friend is happy living here, and I’m glad for that. Unless something changes someday, we’ve probably no reason to return. For better or worse, it didn’t really make much of an impression on me. 

#oskar zybart #blog #on the road #ottawa #ontario #canada