Well, guess what? Four days last week weren’t quite enough so I’m back in the ‘Toon (Saskatoon) for five days this week. I met everyone last week and got the word out about the area(s) of my expertise and how I can assist my Saskatoon colleagues and with the migration completed this weekend, I can really get into the thick of things.
Apparently, Burton Cummings, lead singer of The Guess Who, has a single named “Runnin’ Back to Saskatoon” which came up when we were throwing songs at one of the IT guys to sing. He was willing and when we dug up classics that everyone knew, it was super-fun.
Our team in Saskatoon come from “all” parts of Canada: Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto and Montreal. Some colleagues have emailed with each other for years but not met each other in person and I had never heard of anyone outside of my office and yet the group carried on like kin–work kin. So congenial, so cooperative, so fun. It makes me proud to be from “all” parts of Canada: Halifax, Vancouver and Toronto. I don’t even mind telling them I’m from Halifax. It’s kind of a cool and unique thing about me; my director is also from the Maritimes.
And the most common question I get about Vancouver regarding being in Toronto: “Don’t you miss such a beautiful place?” I needed an extended stay in Toronto to appreciate the beauty of Vancouver and how you cannot label it “Beautiful Toronto.” I’ll grudgingly admit that I miss running on the Seawall although I don’t otherwise enjoy nature or the other outdoor activities and I enthusiastically admit that I miss the food!
Like the military, perhaps, fresh “troops” arrived this week but I’m a repeater returning after a weekend “leave” and I wonder who will be onsite with me this week. I don’t mind if this week is serious and a crunch. I need solid hours in the evening to study for an exam next week.