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An early morning sunrise in Portland, Oregon with Mount Hood in the background. (Note: Click on images to see in better resolution.)
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After seven years, I had returned to Ottawa. The previous visit (active link to post) occurred pre-pandemic on the heels of my Fulbright program in Edmonton. An exciting memory to behold! Return visit, by extension, saw me visit as a Fulbrighter on the alumni advisory committee and a champion of the program.
My revisit perhaps leaned even more on cultural exchange than back then. This time, Canadian patience with American rudeness is running thin. Sure, it is less sour than the War of 1812... where Canadian troops burned down the White House. Nonetheless, fraying ties, fewer linkages, present a daunting task for cultural exchange.
Day 1. August 31st
Unlike these possibly unraveling cords, the trip began remarkably smoothly from Portland on August 31st. Bright and early around 5:30 AM Pacific, a fairly usual daytime hour for East Coast.
Portland International Airport has a spacious wooden ceiling, and a remarkable green carpet. Very cohesive layout. Some readers may recall that I have muscular dystrophy, a mild form, and get wheelchair assistance at airports. There's an extra coordination step involved, but the Portland airport is world-class in this regard.
Found myself to the airplane door soon enough.
Flight 1 gave me the opportunity to wake up, eat a humble pastrami sandwich packed by mom, and see two mountains of the Cascades range out my window. Slipped on a plane movie for the sake of curiosity. I felt a calm stasis for the time being.
In retrospect, I wish I had met up with a friend. As lightning came down again, a delay seemed in the cards. At first, a four hour layover should have lasted until around 6 PM. First, 15 minutes were added into the hourglass. This became two and a half hours. An hour later, three more hours added on. Somewhere in here, I pulled out my laptop and continued playing a game with some 70 hours logged. If I had nowhere to be, I could at least make some progress.
The gate changed concourses silently from B to C, as if it was natural for us to simply know. A far distance by foot. I go again through the process of requesting wheelchair assistance. Takes two separate agents contacting for help before things start moving again.
Now at my second (final) gate near the hopeful final departure time. It has been easily over 8 hours. The plane to Ottawa, apparently, was coming from another US state (Indiana?) before storms delays struck there too.
Finally, near midnight, I got on board, feeling exhausted. My legs quivered with a series of minute contractions. Later I would recuperate and held myself steady. On board, I asked my mom to contact the Lord Elgin hotel to at least smooth over my arrival. Surely, this was it.
Our flight departed around 1 AM, and still sleep evaded me. (Admittedly, another plane film preoccupied me.)
Landed in Ottawa around 4 AM on September 1st. What a surreal feeling, finally making it, finally letting the trip get off to a start. Got off the plane after some milling around in my seat. Double checked every item, afraid of leaving even one item. (A recyclable aluminum water bottle might have been a casualty, but an acceptable one.) Took rideshare from Ottawa airport to the Lord Elgin hotel.
Fortunately, I got some help, even at this hour, and headed to my room, legs feeling very unsteady. My usual twitching sensation when the muscle energy reserves got a bit low. A quick shower came before a nap.
Day 2: September 1st
Sleeping from 6 AM to 10 AM probably is closer to a nap, after all. Somehow, this light rest had alleviated my aches. A good bed, maybe? My body chose to lift me up and get exploring, not snooze.
Later, a very long-awaited meeting with a friend would happen. After holding to a planned informational interview, I strolled along the roads near my hotel.
The Korean Cultural Centre was small, tucked away and a delightful surprise. Just an array of traditional clothing, some fusion style paintings. Within that same building (another part) was a series of paintings, including a positively luminescent teal experience.
Moving around this section revealed more beauty to be found. The Heritage Building provided an appropriately weighty landmark, though I did not go inside. Oriented myself within Ottawa ahead of days of activity.
In the process of these little strolls, I looked for a place to eat. Peruvian sounded good, though it was right by a construction vertical bilayer. Ultimately, the restaurant of choice was a simple continental style place. I ate a steak-frites at Browns Social House - not exactly a regional flair though flavorful. This meal made up for totally missing breakfast. On a half-night's rest, food was especially required.
Back at the hotel, I exercised at the gym, and collected myself for the evening. That long-awaited meeting happened around 6:30 PM.
Just outside the hotel, I notice someone looking at their phone at the same time as me. It's the hallmark of meeting an online friend for the first time. Of course, we knew the sketch of each other's appearance. Still surreal nonetheless.
Perhaps less surprising is how down to earth the meeting was. We'd already decided to head to the Rideau Canal, a feature of our conversations online. (This friend was less than happy the year the Canal never opened for ice skating.)
Seagulls are a little out of sorts in Ottawa; it's not quite coastal. But they're common enough says my friend. They and the ducks seemed to be at odds, not wanting to visit with each other.
Like in 2019, the Locks made for a spectacular viewing. Ducks seemed to be as big of fans of this space as I was. These old gates felt reminiscent of Lord of the Rings.
Making our way down, I mentioned my muscular dystrophy to my friend. As it turns out, he had been keeping that in mind. The way became steeper as we drew closer to the outlet, the body of water between Quebec and Ontario. Stamina began dipping. This time, I would not walk the bridge between provinces. Instead, a quiet look at a beautiful scene stretched out.
Returning uphill, my legs began to demand more rest breaks. Benches served handily. We faced with an adorable barrier to walking up, a burrow of some (7?) rabbits sat on the grass. Eventually, I had to decide to walk up past the critters, prompting them to scatter. Not before some photos though!
Surprisingly, Ottawa is a great place to find a variety of creatures. Sure, not many Canadian geese yet. But this area of Canada has an astounding variety of squirrels. Take a look at this black one that frolicked in the Confederation Park. My friend said his mom never saw them growing up in another part of Ontario. I took the chance to also bring up the California ground squirrels (ones with this thatched fur pattern) that live in the Portland Rose Garden. Squirrels can be fascinating. There were the more usual red and gray squirrels around as well, of course, though not as exquisite.
Confederation Park is where the sun began to set on this temperate 20-something Celsius day. Back home, it was actually cooler, wetter. My friend and I continued our discussions on a bench. About our interests in Japanese language and culture, about various Canada characteristics.
Our penultimate stop took us to Elgin Street Diner, a restaurant about as old as I am. Admittedly, this seemed similar to my lunch spot, a continental sort of place. But pubs can be charming. Here in this diner, I jumped for a reuben and poutine. Both seemed fitting for a Montreal type mood.
Now there was a little awkward moment about the poutine....I wasn't sure if their gravy had pork or not, and had to ask after taking a bite. FORTUNATELY it was a vegetarian poutine! Felt a little foolish, but my friend understood, I think. As a meal, satisfying. Maybe the two items separately have been made better; they worked well as a combo, though.
My friend and I chatted about probably mundane, low-key things. The HST being 13%, and the movies I saw on the plane rides (Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Warfare). In the cloak of night, we stopped at the Lord's lobby. We spent probably some thirty extra minutes talking, mostly about shows we had seen. Getting to see him in person was really good, a little strange. We both had our own engagements in the morning, though, and called it there around 9:30.
After a long day, I was already in the hotel. What's next? I caught up with some sleep, this time not a nap.
Day 3: September 2nd
All-day boardroom meeting, running from 8:30 to 4:30. Much of the day would be semi-confidential, slightly celebratory, and substantially formal. Clouds, general gloom, expected across the capital city. Not a bad idea to be mostly indoors, right?
To my brain, there was some residual tiredness getting up at 6:40 AM. Pulled off 7 hours of sleep, which was so much better than 4 hours. I knew this was an important day.
Got up, tidied my space/packed up a bit, headed out the door around 8 AM. I removed the "Stay Green and Save" placard, requesting the housekeeping team to clean.
Heading out Elgin's doors, I came across a familiar person, a fellow committee member, a fellow Oregonian. Naturally, I opted to join him on our jaunt. My companion Orb (pseudonym) had a fair few years on me, smidge of a shuffle from a bad knee. No concern here other than my natural walking pace being a bit brisker than his. Noticing we might be going the wrong way, I suggested a double back. Fortunately, he gracefully acquiesced.
There is 'zero' way we would be on time. Seeming to recognize this, Orb suggests that I head on ahead a few times. Nonetheless, I insist on "it's better if two of us arrive." Granted, the coordination act seemed a little tough, though I could always just cross the street and wait. Humanity's need for companionship might have been on my mind too.
Finally, the Constitution Square was finally ahead. Cana flowers -- a floral being seemingly common in both my hometown and Canada's capital, even enjoyed by my mom -- signified our arrival.
There was a room FULL of many individuals who had been Zoom screens before. The Fulbright Canada Head provided a gracious presence, as did 75% of our committee. Most excitingly, our Point of Contact, the one facilitating our discussions and this trip, was also live. They were really fun to talk to, which was totally consistent with the previous times. (They'd helped me figure out how one gets from Oregon to Ottawa in one piece, even.)
Two other committee members I'm fond of were in a friendly chat. One lives in Ottawa (perhaps not that shocking), and the other lives in D.C. After giving a little buffer, I met both individuals in the 'meeting of the capitals'. We met each other on the room, ate some scrambled eggs and pastries (no bacon for me).
Brain matter whizzed by mentally as the committee deliberated. Geographical focuses, authenticity with potential applicants, developing ties between institutions, connecting to alumni. Need for an informal community, longevity to commitment. Many great concepts taking hours.
Around 1 pm, lunch provided a tempting notion. I looked forward to the bonding opportunity to move past these weighty, lofty ideas into relationship building. One committee person (let's say Jun for this pseudonym) in particular had to step away sadly; they would return for the next day. Another person, also sadly, would come for lunch and then head away to the airport for a conference presentation tomorrow.
Rain started pouring more, as the clouds and day grew darker. Forecast storms seemed more likely.
Portland metro creates an expectation of plentiful food from these areas. Numerous Chinese options in particular, to say nothing of Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and Japanese restaurants.
Expectant storms gushed, finally seeping into my jacket. Light had been strained out of the day. My comically large umbrella, sitting at home, may have helped. Few could deny the 'soup' weather feeling of the moment!
Back at the Elgin, I donned exercise clothes and stretched my tired muscles. Phoned my parents again for their anniversary. This trip had, after all, usurped my celebration with them. We managed this state of affairs still.
Tomorrow was the orientation, pinnacle of the trip. Sleep came with surprisingly little deviations and surprises.
Day 4: September 3rd
I am likely one of those social introverts. This would be a long day immersing myself in an ocean of people.
Little Victories coffeeshop promised no WiFi and conversation. I had crossed the road twice -- once by the Canadian National Art Gallery. A straight line as crows fly interrupted by a full construction zone near the hotel. However, it only added a couple minutes to a short walk. Sunshine echoed across the patio area filled with seated people.
I stepped inside and ordered a pain au chocolat + hot cocoa combo. Far wall held up an artfully jagged stone segment with shelves adorned with fabric shaped as plants. It felt a little lonely being here, on my own. Soon enough, there would be a flood of new Fulbrighters.
Well, the time to head over arrived. I caught a beautiful sight of cana flowers and a statue, complete with bees busy grabbing pollen.
Despite my worries, it turns out the orientation was delayed some 20 minutes. After a quick respite, I was back for the event. As we entered lunch time, I had the rare exchange of positively talking about America. Once inside, I took my seat at the same table as Orb. Orb was getting into the particulars about food policy with one of the newcomers. As we were both committee members, something seemed off about my being here.
One of the Fulbright Canada folks approached and redirected me to my actual seat. Fulbright Canada's Head, like yesterday, gave inspiring, sensational remarks that filled, lightened the room. His faith in our ability to forge ties remains unvarnished, 7 years after my own orientation here.
My table was a healthy mix of current undergrads and some professors. The person to my left, for example, taught me about recreating art forms of indigenous Texans while also explaining the distinction from Texas 'Indians', a different perception of the indigenous label. Across from me, one person excitedly pulled out a pink camera containing surprising lore. That's right. They had caught Ottawan buildings via lightning-cast shadows. A brave soul witnessing last night's storm.
What did I eat for lunch? It was catered by the hotel in those silver containers; beyond that, not sure.
What I do remember is the co-chairs standing up at the podium. American one reminds us about being a clinical psychologist. He wanted us to stand up and talk instead of residing in one corner. Our mode was receiving a question and finding someone who could help answer that question.
Thus began the Meet and Greet session. Questions included "talk to someone whose work you do not know", "find someone with an interesting hobby", and "find someone who has been somewhere you have not". In order, someone studying IMAX film history, someone who makes beats for other artists, and someone from Tennessee.
Our session closed with each person relaying their exchange places and a fun fact. My exchange took me from Oregon to Alberta. Aiming to be a little funny, I added *two* fun facts: my affinity for public speaking and my experience holding and beholding the ax from The Shining.
The Head fervently anticipated our reactions to the freshly arranged Energy Security and Sustainability Panel. (Yesterday, during the US Embassy visit, as I recall, he stepped outside to make final arrangements.) As a group, we walked across to the National Art Gallery, digesting each other's research. One professor described the (strange) imagery of the America 250 'celebrations' in DC. From the designated room, magnificent views of the Fairmont Hotel, the city's own castle.
The launch of a US-Canada energy initiative was publicly beginning. One prominent challenge is how integrated US and Canada are, even while undergoing trade conflicts. This is also the first 50-year window where the US is a major oil/gas importer, as a panelist explained. Matters of energy transfer had become more pressing.
I worried at this point that maybe climate change would get swept away from the conversation; current political trends seem to bury its discussion. It wasn't swept away though - renewables matter in this conversation. I asked on hydroelectric power, citing my home region of Pacific Northwest, followed by a person from Atlantic Canada asking about tidal energy. The presenters each inquired and uplifted our ideas in the discussion.
It was just the start of discussing energy development in an era of rising electricity demand.
Two alumni had a healthy discourse over AI; I, of course, joined the skeptic side by pointing out AI's issues in places like Flock Cameras. One incoming scholar came up and asked me about public speaking -- namely overcoming the terror of it . I was a little surprised, but happy to show some expertise. Afterwards, I found the opening to speak with fellow alumnus Jun. They were curious to hear my impressions, which feels like a delightful rarity for me. I had to pause.At this point, our delightful Point of Contact began speaking and raising our attention.
The Head stood graciously at the podium, drawing from his earlier remarks. American Senator Fulbright, the program's namesake, came to realize cultural exchange as the antidote to conflict. In 1947, such an attitude countered the emerging mentality of war all the time.
I finished my story to Jun, focusing on the Meet and Greet part. There was a nice feeling to 'continue' the story after interruption. Being in this busy room, I felt a little overwhelmed.
Come time for dinner, sitting in place felt easier. We were stuck to our seats for now. A multi course meal proceeded out for us, beginning with butternut squash soup, a branzino (seabass) for me, and a fancy creme brulee. Normally, I avoid eating fish skin; here, I opted to and found it surprisingly manageable. During the meal, actually, the Point of Contact asked me about my opinions on the Meet and Greet; I relished in getting to draw on the comments I'd given to Jun earlier. There was a hum of discussion between the plates being carried out.
A delightful evening had carried forward. At one point, with all my items eaten, I walked around a little bit. Spoke with the Nova Scotian who had asked about wave energy too. He was intrigued to hear Oregon was also developing tidal energy, and pointed out my state could be a better place. Nova Scotia, it seems, may have too powerful of waves while Oregon's might be just right. Far from the only interesting conversation this night, though I enjoyed making this connection.
My blue suit with a lilac purple tie set against a white shirt. Hair was still in place, and, to my knowledge, I still showed social grace. Got up the nerve to ask someone to take a picture of Orb and I. Two Oregonians taking in the immaculate vibes. The photo (not shown) turned out great. I just wanted to remove the confirmation so you can simply take me at my word.
Our schedule had ended at 10 PM. Of course, there were stragglers holding up the way. Snagged some photos while making my way out, wondering what would happen next. Still fascinating conversations along the way to the elevator, and the way out.
Standing outside the Club, people dispersed. After some discussion, a mix of alumni and staff went together for drinks. Tomorrow was Friday. Among neon lights and a little bit of sunken illumination, I found myself; in this speakeasy with others 'past my bedtime.' I sipped a non-alcoholic strawberry lemonade and arranged a bar stool near the conversation. This was my usual energy saving mode, aiming to keep myself going without irritating my muscular dystrophy.
Across three subdivisions of people, there were three separate talks, occasionally weaving together. Interactions of a more personal, down to earth nature without formal structure. Words blending in the space.
A couple alumni walked with me back to the Elgin, livening up the night. In my mind, having company for this walk was a genuine surprise (positive). I acquiesced to my final rest in this hotel bed before tomorrow's departure. Some 18 hours conscious came to a pause.
Day 5: September 4th
My prior time in Ottawa was Fall 2019. Coming back after the pandemic drew out reminiscence. The year 2022 had likewise brought me back to Edmonton, the site of my Fulbright, and almost convinced me to span the whole city. Comparatively, I restrained myself this time.
My flight required me to head to airport around 2 PM, after sleep at 2 AM. Nearly made it to my minimum desired sleep level (6 hours). There was still a fair few pending items (gym amenity, packing, wondering why my items did not fit the roll-on as well now) and the fun intangibles.
Forgoing cleaning had netted a slightly more scattered room and also $10 in vouchers. Money to go into some pancakes at the hotel, the most Quebecois-esque item with maple syrup. Hardly especially complex, and a really solid take on a classic.
Bid goodbye to Ottawa, and to Canada, zooming away. On Flight 1, I probably watched some episodes on my laptop. Not an immensely long flight. Though I was back at viewing media, my mind did shift back to the trip. We landed at O'Hare, waited 30 minutes, and then I deplaned with my umbrella, backpack, and rollon.
Round 2 at O'Hare had clear skies as promised by Chicago friends. Mayor Brandon Johnson's voice carried through the colorful tunnel below the runway, asking me to visit Chicago. Still would love to! Right now, I just needed to get across the airport's eternal stretch with help on wheels. I made it to my flight shortly before boarding began and positioned myself with Orb when he appeared. Our chat was a little less involved this time, as we probably sought to get home in one piece.
Flight 2 was fine for a ~4 hour stretch. In the air, I watched When Harry Met Sally, a stylish film that had long been on my list. Spent an inordinate amount of time staring into space before bringing out paper and pencil for practice. There is a funny story to mention here: on Sept. 10th, I would take the Law School Admission Test. Naturally, that meant entering the world of each argument in a couple minutes. Surprisingly, my haphazard guessing while half asleep had an average hit rate. Still remembered the umbrella (another thought repeating internally until home).
Back in Portland, a funny thought came up. Here I was awake at 2 AM (Eastern) two nights in a row. On a more plain note, my parents picked me up. Mom found my large umbrella, still in hand, rather amusing. After all, this rain protector had traveled across international borders. Once home, I did something strange and unpacked most of my items before sleeping.
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Being on a plane for a few more hours had created a canvas for my scattered thoughts. I pondered on the strategies for global engagement learned and the people encountered.
Cultural exchange is not opposed by anyone I have talked to. It weighs on my mind as a cerebral matter. I wonder why it does not feel like a gut punch. The frustration and madness of "America" clinging onto vestigial glory is surreal. How do you counter that?
Perhaps, though, there is a more positive spin. My trip to Ottawa offered the chance to more cheerfully engage these issues through formal discussions and casual conversations. The weight feels less material when it is shared by people working towards a common goal. Through those warm connections, I discovered a positive swell balancing out the anti-diplomatic madness.
Cultural exchange's atmosphere skillfully won me over, I suppose.
