Arcticterntalk.org

The blog of a travelling psychiatrist and football lover. Who happens to be a halfway decent photographer. Takes a cynical view of the world

Archive for the tag “canada”

Rapeseed Fields


Not everyone has heard of rapeseed despite its unfortunate name.Rapeseed oil was produced in the 19th century as a source of a lubricant for steam engines.Rapeseed is grown for the production of animal feed, vegetable oil for human consumption, and biodiesel .According to the United States Department of Agriculture, rapeseed was the third-leading source of vegetable oil in the world in 2000 with Canada and China being the top producers.

Rapeseed pollen contains known allergens. Whether rape pollen causes hay fever has not been well established, because rape is an insect-pollinated (entomophilous) crop, whereas hay fever is usually caused by wind-pollinated plants. The inhalation of oilseed rape dust may cause asthma in agricultural workers.

In the UK around May the fields do look stunning in their bright yellow colours. These fields are just outside Middlesbrough

IMG_8431 IMG_8432 IMG_8433

Rapeseed Fields

Rapeseed Fields

Rumours of Calum Ferguson coming to Brentford from Inverness Caledonian Thistle? Any Truth?


Media tonight are suggesting that Calum Ferguson may be on his way to Brentford Fc. His footballing statistics are somewhat curious. He is a 20 year old Canadian yet to make a first-team appearance, but has played 4 times on loan with Montrose last season, 3 starts and 1 from the bench, without scoring. More recently he has been playing in the2015 CONCACAF UNDER-20 CHAMPIONSHIP in Kingston and Montego Bay, Jamaica 9-24 January, 2015 for the U-20 Canadian.

His height is reported as 176 cms making him around 5ft 9 ins around 64kg and left footed. And he has a dual British/Canadian passport.

So, a curious potential signing, but the Scottish element suggests possibility here. Lets wait and see.

doZIWmBq e7dece014d229c17b6e8b3df42123487

Escape From Toronto


Another grey dull and now wet day in Toronto. The day of escape from this incarceration. I am sure Toronto and its people have their good points but its just that they are well hidden. Dinner was interesting for people watching last night. Firstly the couple who ordered the smallest bottle of wine that I have ever seen outside a childrens game. They sipped their wine ever so slowly that surely evaporation extracted a greater quantity. But there again the advertised house wine and that’s my description not theirs was 42$. Secondlt the family of four who took so long ordering that I had ordered and eaten 3 courses as they ordered. Was desperately trying to hear their conversations. But the adhd congress was interesting enough. A full day of learning that for me began at 3 am my time with waking for a teleconference taking place in UK time. The hotel continuess to underwhelm me. Its easiest to just say what does not work either at all or randomly. TV and Internet and Bath and Lights. The lights really are a strange thing. Surely all rooms need lights? There are none on the ceiling only lights at the edge of one side of the room and a single one opposite. Meaning that one peers like an elderly man who has lost his spectacles in a comedy film to see anything written. The people of Toronto continue to push and shove and generally behave in an impolite manner. The poor guy cooking the breakfast omelettes and that’s a bad job in my view was suddenly confronted with a man demanding not asking for fresh eggs? Now at 7 am in the dark it was a curious idea as to where the real life chickens would be hidden in this large hotel. Some interesting names of people here. Wonder about their derivation? Coffin, Pottie, Psychopath………. No reason to suspect that these are not real names of real people. Even project escape is not so easy. A fire alarm at the hotel results in total chaos. No employee actually was able to recognise the alarm as a fire alarm. Eventually after the obligatory 15 minutes outside all was sorted. The only smoke was from the dreadful woman who started smoking outside seemingly with a desire to asphyxiate me. Then off to the airport. That’s where I was when I heard Gaddafi was dead. In the taxi because the traffic was appalling. The taxi driver spent the journey lecturing me about Lebanon . I am fairly sure he had ADHD as well with no need for any rating scale.

There is obviuously something about maybe this country, Canada, or this city ,Toronto, that does not really agree with me, we are kind of incompatible. At the airport there are hardly any signs. Even a seasoned traveller suc as myself found it very complex to work out something quite simple, which aisle to use to check in, and the choice was only A-G. Just no signs. Then the security process will win the olympics for slowest procedure of the decade. Just not enough scanners, people and one suspects, processes. Luckily on a business class ticket I made an executive decision to go down the entrance entitled ” fast track” and no-one either hit me or threw me out. But the mere mortals in the ordinary queue may still be there tomorrow and saying ” I remember where I was when Gaddafi died, and when his successor took over and when they had children………..still in the queue”. Lastly finding the airport lounge, and I do realise that not many readers will have much or indeed any sympathy for me but I have, again guess what no signs. It is only when you are within maybe 5 metres of the door one can see a star alliance logo and that gives the clue. Sign saying lounge? No way. I am afraid that I cannot wait to leave this country and have no desire to return. Sad.

Toronto Canada – Dissapointing


Travelling is always an interesting occupation. There are so many not average people. For example I seriously considered on this flight to Canada if David Walliams might be a flight attendant in disguise. Furthermore a definite age limit exists and I am not objecting. No employee shall be under the age of 60 years at any time.
Another aspect worth consideration is the chauvanistic one. Only on a plane can so many presumably competent males become incompetent and need redress from the air hostess. The clever males ask clever questions. Such as what wine? Then having been told the answer they pretend cleverness by asking for French. Seemingly unaware for the last 1000 years the French have made white as well as red wine.
The toilets are also a topic worthy of mention. Despite a plane being of small size they remain incredibly well hidden with a series of hieroglypics on the wall that mean nothing to 21st century man.
But the food is nice but not necessarily quickly produced. This always surprises me. Cold salmon is not often found at 30,000 feet so a delay of more than 2 hours flying time before the obligatory starter appears seems curious. However it was very nice and came with a 20 ml bottle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Can these be bought albeit in larger quantities in UK? Meanwhile clever male behind talking in one one of those deep voices made for TV has now forgotten if he evn had red or white wine. I suspect he has forgotten if indeed he had wine. But he manages to say yes or no. And that’s exactly what he did say!
The air hostesses are now falling out. ” I have no idea what SHE is doing…..”
Entertainment without need for TV.
Now the food conversation. Cold Salmon a nice starter. Main course of standard of Co Op ready meal. Fish and mash and fennel and what is described as ratatouille. Hmm. I ate it all. But yup co op dinners are sometimes my preferred option. But for the others here paying £ 3500 for business class? Can I be cynical and presume that airline marketing shows that business travellers have an n= 1 for number of flights? Can this be the best food to be eaten 35,000 ft in the air above Greenland? Not sure. Would I pay 4£ at co op next saturday? Yup. But I did get 2 bread rolls as well that were definitely not as good as co op. Gor those who do not yet know know, bread rolls at co op are the best.
Having arrived at Toronto airport I can say that the airport puts Heathrow to shame. Clean, quick etc…..you get the picture. Heathrow is really the worst airport I have anything to do with.
Toronto however is grey, drizzly, crowded, streets full of pushing rushing people……….have not seen anything desirable to date. My hotel is dreary, expensive and food average at best. For some inexplicable reason all signs detailing the breakfast offerings were in Chinese??? Was expecting english or French maybe.
The hotel room is cold. Trying to work some heating scale on the wall led to the room being colder, seems the options are either cold or even colder ( with cold air being blown out).
Anyway enough moaning. Off to the ADHD congress to see what I can learn.

Kimberly!


All this time and you did not know you could upload photos! How did you think mine got there………….

Paris was quite enjoyable just a day away. eurostar was quick. Only 2 hours to Paris. Did not see anything interesting other than in my two taxi rides, but it still had a nice feel. Tomorrow off to Slovenia for 2 days and then monday off to Toronto for the week. Lots of travelling, too much even. Had to check what the currency is in Slovenia, Euros. Other than that some good news today. Elena passed the entrance exam to Nonsuch but no guarantee she will get a place as 1500 took the exam for around 180 places. but she was pleased and so were we. She worked really hard. Hedgepig is being quite friendly now and allows me to put him on lap without that silly huffing and chuffing. The only other news was that the Gaistrel across the road was apparently screaming and shouting this morning and asking Yasmin to lend him her phone to call the police. It turned out that he had some decoraating done on the house but seemingly not to his satisfaction and the workers had left their wheelbarrow in his back garden. Today they turned up in a van, must have gone round the back and hopped over his fence, taken the wheelbarrow. So he calls the police!! The only other piece of news remotely exciting is that I had a haircut monday and now know what number to ask for, number 6!!

Post Navigation

%d bloggers like this: