Traveling Hopefully
When the plane landed, the passengers broke out in applause. I had never experienced this before, but when I recounted it to somebody on the ground, I was told that it happens all the time.
This was my introduction to St. John's, Newfoundland.
While we were waiting for the ramp to open to let us off the plane, the stewardess made a joke about stepping on frogs in heaven. It didn't sound like heaven for the frogs, but I must admit that I don't always appreciate the humour of Newfoundlanders.
Then, she added: "Enjoy the Junos." But, I...I wasn't in St. John's for the Juno Awards. I was there for the Sci Fi on the Rock convention (which happened to have been scheduled on the same weekend). That was the moment I realized where science fiction rates on the nation's cultural scale: below 12 year-olds with fat cheeks and fatter recording contracts and 52 year-olds with big hair.
It was a humbling trip, really.
Picture this: four black haired men of average height in non-descript black suits wearing dark sunglasses indoors. They may as well be clones. Two of them hold signs on which have been printed: "Warner Music." Then, a man and a woman in normal dress (ie: with colours) stand holding a sign on which has been hand-written: "Ira Nayman." On their other side were the two other clones with matching Warner Music signs.
This was my introduction to St. John's, Newfoundlanders. They really are adorable.
Arriving
Traveling Hopefully
Man plans, god sends weather.
I left St. John's on Monday. Ash from the Icelandic volcano didn't quite reach this far north, but all of the morning flights had been cancelled because of...fog. Now, I had seen fog in Toronto, so I thought I knew fog. However, nothing I had ever seen had prepared me for...this...
I was booked on a plane that had come from Toronto and was supposed to take us on and go back to Toronto. About half an hour before we were supposed to board, we were told that the plane couldn't land in the fog, and we would have to wait to see what would happen. I won't kid you. People made phone calls. People played computer games. People caught up on their sleep. Oh, the humanity! When, about 45 minutes late, the fog lifted for just long enough to allow the plane to land, everybody in the terminal cheered and applauded.
I may never understand Newfoundland.
