05.01.2011 - 21.04.2011

Home. I am in my old room... typing. It's rainy. Nothing too much to say. I'm slightly shocked and bereaved at the end of these past four months. I could have told you, on this dull, gray Saturday, my journey ends, about what had happened to me upon landing and afterwards. But that is the beginning of a new story - the story of climbing to old routine and of gradual renewal. That might be the subject of a new blog, but this present one is ended.........................................................................................................................

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LH 471: The Flight That Was Cancelled

The Chinese have a saying: be careful what you wish for. The eleventh hour moment which I was anticipating came to pass. I sat for two and a half hours in the plane before the announcement came: there's a missing part in the plane's engine and because of this the flight has to be cancelled! The airline company is paying for my food and accommodation for the next three days. My current address is: the International Toronto Airport, the Sheraton Hotel.      

New-York-Wannabe Toronto

I've chosen to spend the finale few days of my trip in Toronto (partly because I spent only one memorable night in Toronto about a month ago and ever since I kept in mind that I should come back). 

Toronto is probably the most important city in Canada - you can tell from the moment you enter it. Also, it's very hard to miss how much the city looks towards New York for urban inspiration. The Toronto subway is very New-York-like and the Dundas Square is a miniature Times Square. Be that as it may, the city is still vibrant and distinct in its own way. The automatic toilet cube, for instance, which stands on one of the sidewalks opens its doors for you when you insert your 25 cents letting you in for the best wee of your life (with commentary and relaxing music in the background)! And, the St. Lawrence market in the old area is probably the best market I've been to in North America.

As you can see, there's a lot of starchitecture here as well such as buildings by Calatrava, Lipskind and West 8.

Dead-of-Night Exit

No time was left. Packing had to begin; unpaid bills had to be paid; unsent letters had to be sent; and favors had to be returned. The clock was ticking - time was inpatient. My hours in Ottawa were numbered and soon they became minutes and eventually the countdown ended. The game was over. The taxi I ordered came exactly on time. It felt as if the way out of the city was presenting itself so easily and I wasn't ready to leave... not yet. I was swimming against the strong, treacherous flow. I was waiting for something to happen... some unexplained excuse in the eleventh hour that would compel me to stay. But it didn't come. I recalled the events of the past few months - such memories! But the bus arrived at the alloted hour and it drove me out of those memories, out of Ottawa... out of home.

             

Finale Presentation

So... the finales. The presentation went quite well. Although I've finished working on it, it's still very hard for me to judge my own work at this stage because I am still "immersed" in it. Designing a place of worship was quite an experience. Besides the architectural qualities of the projects it felt as if you learn one thing or two about the different religions - and there are so many of them. The most interesting thing is the similarity of themes sometimes found in seemingly opposite religions.  

  

It was my finale day in the university. Towards evening I went to visit the studio, which looked entirely different post presentation, post war... so much more rubbish... and then I took the O-train for the last time. What a cathartic day.  

Happy April's Fool Day!

Because of the hot temperatures many camels occupy Ottawa's streets these days. They sit lazily on the side of the street or either stroll gently and quietly without disturbing the daily routine.  

The Importance of Tolerance

It is universally acknowledged that Canada, in present times, is a melting pot for so many different people coming from various backgrounds and cultures. If I am sure of anything, it is that I will leave Canada knowing this heartening fact: that heterogeneity can work. 

Of course, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is now more than sixty years old and it is deeply engraved in the souls and hearts of all those who live it. Living in the shadow of the conflict might sometimes mislead you into thinking that there's nothing more important going on in the world. But, quite frankly, nothing can be further from the truth. 

Initially, I was surprised, if not appalled, by how little people here in Canada seem to be acquainted with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or at least by how little they seem to care. At first I was quite enthusiastic to explain about what was really going on back in my homeland, thinking that people here might be dying to know at last, from a first source, what the fighting is all about (as you can see, I was so desperate and firm to tell my story I even sometimes did that on restaurant napkins), but then, as time went on, I got accustomed to the lack of interest of people on the subject and I understood that maybe I was, after all, in my attitude at least, wrong.

My behavior proved that my mindset was in the state that it did not want to accept that my homeland's problems are superficial. But Canada is filled with people like me; people who come from shedload of backgrounds bringing with them the mentality and traditions of their homelands. If each of these people should think that their background story is more important than others', then the cause of creating a untied and strong Canada is lost.

A lot of people perceive Canada as a tolerant country... harmless and quiet. Well, it might be true. But I feel it is important to highlight that Canada is all of these things not because the people here are so friendly that they embrace your foreign culture with closed eyes and welcoming arms, not at all, but rather because you, yourself, learn to put on the side your culture - never forget it, of course - and accept that there are other stories beside yours.

Rethinking all of this reminded me of a sobering fact: if we, Israelis and Palestinians alike, do not learn to implement the Canadian tolerance in our midst, then we are as helpless and doomed as anyone. And in the end of it all, no one seems to care about this as much as we should. 

Mission Accomplished

The drawing release of iPad2 in Canada evoked interesting phone calls from some of my friends back home. I, however, have always had only remote interest in these things, if any. So, as you might imagine, yesterday on 18:12 Canada time, I was standing like everyone else in the winding line for Apple store. 

One of my very best friends, Dizi, gave me specific instructions on how to pass the day with an iPad2 in my hands before Canada ran out of them. He was so thorough and accurate in his instructions that he almost sounded like a general planning his next military campaign and he demanded his white 16 GB iPad2, only WiFi, with tanned leather cover, now!

The whole experience of buying the iPad2 was a funny one. Some Apple workers were approaching the queuing people, in turn, asking them what are the specifications of their wished iPad2s - colour, size, etc... They might as well have been asking what sort of salad do you want in your falafel sandwich - any humus?

Upon entering the crowded store, each customer was accompanied by a personal Apple employee, in order to quicken the process. And when I eventually stepped out of the store, even though it was not intended for me, I couldn't help but feel a slight guilt for having acquired the iPad to begin with - what could this device hold that a regular computer doesn't?
I guess I will have to wait a little further to discover this troubling crypt. For the time being, the Apple box will sit beside my bed, unopened and unscathed, until it becomes dog-eared and shabby. 

Your good health, Dizi!

Downtown Ottawa

Returning to my apartment after travelling made me appreciate how lovely Ottawa is. Of course, it cannot be compared, in terms of how urban it is, to Montreal or Toronto, but still, this city is very dear to my heart. It reminds me of Haifa a lot (though totally different in looks) - perhaps that's partly the reason.  

Very Big

It just struck me the other day, while looking at this satellite picture, how big Canada is and how wrong I am if I say that I saw Canada; clearly there are parts of Canada that are so distant that I will obviously not see in this trip and might never see in my whole life.

Some of the Canadians who study with me are from British Columbia or Alberta, both are in the far west of Canada. It seems incomprehensible, but in order to attend Carleton University they had to take a five-hour flight to Ottawa! And, just in order to put the flesh on the bones, it's as far as England or France are from Tel-Aviv. Doesn't that make them as much international students as I am?         

My Little House in Canada

Ascending Temperatures

It feels different to walk outside these days compared to what it was like before. It's defiantly getting warmer to the extent that you sometimes no longer need a hat or gloves. Birds and ravens cross the sky, twittering and calling. Slight green starts emerging and as the snow melts, wonderful puddles and routes of water are created. People no longer retreat to their warm homes but rather prefer to dawdle on the streets outside for fresh air. Spring is nearly here.       

Mid-Critics

The middle presentation took place today. I presented my project in front of my tutor, two guest architects and the rest of the class. 

The project is starting to take shape and form. There's no denying that I understand things in it that I didn't understand before, like the structure and the spaces hierarchy. As for now, we are a month away from the finale critics. I hope the rainbow that came across my sketch book while working means that the project will progress in the right direction. 

French Montreal

Montreal is located in Quebec (Ottawa being in Ontario). Quebec is a French province.
Montreal is a very young city. It is very funky as well. Many people are with tattoos and a lot smoke and it is less clean than Ottawa.

The food is magnificent, as you can probably imagine. I dined in a French restaurant and it was exceptional. In this particular restaurant the recipe of the meal I took is said to be so good that they keep the recipe secretly. And the bread... oh, the bread...

Montreal has striking architecture, very constructive. Also, you see many different styles dispersed higgledy-piggledy all over the city. One famous building there is Moshi Sadfdi's (him again) Habitat 67 dwellings. The building imitates the form of a vernacular village. Obviously, Safdi grew in Haifa, and one can't really mistake the inspiration for his project.

In Vieux Montreal (Old Montreal) there are many galleries and nice restaurants. The city in this area is so alive. During the day some activities for children took place and during the night there was what the locals call "White Night", which  basically means that at nightfall, all across the city at the different subway stations, night activities take place and people can take the subway, free of charge for one exclusive night, and have a look at what's happening in the different stations. It was surprising to see how people, despite the cold, go out and dance and have fun.              

Pre-Presentation