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Canada, Part Five

We drove to Kingston. Juliana’s college town. We watched Rick Mercer’s Monday Night Report on CBC and while it was very funny, I was more amused by how much John and Juliana were laughing about their country and its leaders. “Because Paul Martin is a wanker!” If you can think of something funnier than the word “wanker”, I’d really like to know what it is, because I can’t think of a blasted thing.

My adventurous days were dwindling down to relaxed site seeing and simple time away. I had my camera and I took pictures. We went out to dinner and we made friends with the waiter. John installed the Chariot with its own stereo. Juliana and I flirted with the pizza guy for a “better deal”. We went to Bethany’s Chorale tour two days in a row. We sat around and told stories, like “What was the stupidest thing you ever did for a guy/girl?” John’s answer had me crying. Picture a young 17-year-old Jetchick clinging to the back of a semi (after missing his bus), bracing the bitter cold and holding on for his life, just so he could get to school to see the “special dress”, which She had told him about the day before. I’m sorry, Jets, but the story is too good. I had to tell it…

The day before I left, John took me to Montreal. It was windy. There were clouds and some rainfall. It appeared dirtier than Ottawa, but John assured me that it was only due to the weather and the melting snowbanks. “Come back during the summer,” he said. “It’s gorgeous.”

Uncle Dick was right. Montreal is full of culture and history. Everything was influenced by Catholicism, it couldn’t go unnoticed. Cathedrals were everywhere and all of them appeared holy and ultimately religious. We visited St. Joseph’s, the most amazing holy building I’ve ever been in. We walked in and John told me that there was absolutely no speaking. I couldn’t talk, but oh, could I take pictures. And take pictures, I did.

We drove all over the city. I even pulled my video camera out for a bit. I managed to get John, hater of video cameras, to say something “profound” on film. Because it’s a requirement. And my favourite moments were when I’d ask John what a certain building was and he’d laugh and stammer and finally say, “Uh… Actually, I don’t know.” That was the best. Because then, my imagination was forced to dream of what it could be.

Going home was different that night. John and I spent our whole time listening to several different songs that he could possibly sing to. Our goal was to write a song some time before the night ended. My goal was only to hear John sing, because I’d been told it was awesome. We must’ve listed to 20 or so different tunes. Most of which were in John’s range, but beyond my guitar playing skills. Eventually, I pulled my guitar out from the back seat and played a riff, thinking John might come up with a lyric. Three hours in the Chariot spent dedicated to music. But did I ever hear him sing? It was a huge goal of mine to hear that man sing, but did I? Not once. Bollicks, John!

But we had fun, didn’t we?

The next morning, John drove me to the airport. He stayed with me until it was my time to go through security. That airport is so much fun, I was actually late checking into my flight. I was the last one to board my plane. I arrived to the gate and before I could say anything, a lady looked at me and said, “Are you Carly?” I answered her and pulled out my ticket and photo ID. She looked at them, smiled big, and let me through. And I took my seat across from the man with no arms.

Obviously, I’ve left a lot out. I cannot include every last detail, because they wouldn’t matter to anyone but me. But what I’ve written has been the jist and I’m sure, if you’ve read it all, that you now have a fair understanding as to how happy the trip made me. And I can sit and boast about how great Canada is and how much I’d like to live there one day, but the truth is that the people are what made it worthwhile. I’m not just saying. Well… The Chariot might be to blame too. John will tell you, the Chariot is the hotness. So, to sum up my trip in one opulent sentence:

Give me life or give me death, so long as there is the Chariot, I’m a happy girl.

My Favourite Photo Album (Four).