Days in the Capital

So I've been living in Ottawa a week now. It started off a little rocky, a kind of culture shock over took me; it's quite startling how different life is here to back in BC. First off, everything is bilingual (which has helped expand my french vocabulary), right down to the threat of $125 fine for being on the transitway, which I was caught walking along by the transit police. I honestly had no idea, after they told me off to get off, no fine thankfullly, there was the sign further up the way that told me so. Not really sure why you're not allowed there, it's basically the road that only the city's buses are allowed to use, someone told me it's because some people throw themselves in front buses, but that doesn't seem right, as a suicidal person isn't likely to worry about a fine. The other form of mass transit in the city comes from the O-Train, a rather ineffective rail line that goes from the area near where I live to an area west of the downtown. The only good use I have for it is to get to Carleton.

I live in a house with two engineering students, Gear and Tubby, names which they apparently aquired through the engineering program, a rite of passage of sorts. The house itself is located in the South Keys, a supposedly dodgy part of the city (not seen anything yet, just graffiti under the bridges). It's already quite green, a nice change from when I left BC, which still had snow, not sure what things are like out there now.

It goes without saying that the government has a big presence here. Government buildings can be identified by a Canadian flag flying over them, and, (with the exception of parliament) very ugly architecture. Not exactly inspiring seeing the facets of our democracy going about their business in concrete bunkers. Waiting for a protest, which I'm assured are plentiful.

The end of this week has seen things get better, went to a poetry slam Saturday night. Hearing other poets never fails to inspire me. It was incredible the words that were coming out of their mouths. I liked the girl that had incorporated Jeff Buckley's Hallelujah into her poem.