Travel
Dear Diary, On Sunday I went to Buc-ee’s. And it was about as ridiculous as you’d expect. You did not know this, but there are tourists who make a point of stopping at Buc-ee’s beause it’s so quintessentially American you can’t believe it until you
Culture
On Thursday, after two flights, I arrived in my beloved Huntsville, Alabama for a few days of happiness and work (and warmer weather) and thought to myself, self, I thought, what a beautiful thing it is to be able to work from anywhere. Including on flights when your aircraft offers
Politics
Hey do you remember when we couldn’t wait to stop wearing masks indoors? I do. In March, 61 percent of Ontarians said they were in favour of lifting all pandemic measures, which by that point we thought had been in place for either long enough or too long. We’
Travel
They always want to know how long it takes. “About 18 hours of actual driving time,” I say, refusing to add the part that goes without saying. Going from Ottawa (Ontario) to Huntsville (Alabama) requires that you cross several states that mostly look exactly like the one you just left.
Gender
The first thing that hit my face as I walked out of the Seattle-Tacoma International airport was the haze. It was thick, pasty, greyish white and three-dimensional. Make that 4D, actually, on account of the smell that grabbed me by the throat. The forest fires that were foretold by the
Travel
“How do you two know each other?” It was all we could do not to burst out laughing. Are you really that unobservant? We thought it very loudly but we didn’t let our mouths say it. There are jokes you don’t make at customs, ever. Like, anything remotely
Fiction
Nobody ever goes to England for the warmth. I brought mine with me. And so did she. I came from Montréal, she from Brazil. I don’t remember her name. Only how she felt. Dancing, I like to say, is the body laughing. At least when it’s done well.
Fiction
(Artist/artiste: R. Robson) You’re not supposed to look at your phone when you cross a big downtown street, but you know how it is and please don’t judge me. L’urgence présumée de la situation et le petit bing annoncant l’arrivée d’un message sans doute
Travel
The excitement of coming back to Huntsville -- my fourth trip since November -- was not entirely related to the weather. Although, in Canada where I sat (frozen) while those lines were written, it’s been well below zero Fahrenheit for weeks and if you don’t know what below
Travel
Maybe you’re old enough to remember that when George W. Bush decided the world should invade Iraq not everyone in the world wanted to follow. By which I mean most didn’t but as usual in Republican politics, only the right opinions are deemed to matter. (I trust you
Français
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – Dans le film Shawshank Redemption, Andy Dufresne explique au personnage joué par Morgan Freeman qu’au bout du compte, il faut se décider à vivre et non dépérir. C’est dans cet esprit que je voudrais profiter des “bonnes nouvelles” annoncées par le premier ministre de l’Ontario
Fiction
Tout devait être simple, pourtant. Débarque en Irlande, passe une semaine en compétition de karaté. Ajoute une journée de plus pour aller visiter les pierres tombales des ancêtres en banlieue de Belfast. Retour à la maison avec des valises remplies de souvenirs et de médailles. Nulle part dans cet itinéraire