March 11, 2009

• Gone with the Wind

  Our nation's capitol (that would be Ottawa in case you didn't know) has called for me again.  The train ride was quiet and there were less than a dozen folks in my car.  I managed to get a lot of work done but dozed off for a much needed nap after lunch.  When I checked into the hotel I saw a bunch of jocks with their school colors on.  I later found out there was a basketball tournament for Canadian universities.  The jocks at the lobby were from UBC.  I saw the bus for University of Western Ontario when I headed out for dinner. 
  
  It was a very windy day here in Ottawa.  On my way to dinner, I decided to walk to Parliament Hill again to look around.  There were 3 large groups of runners that jogged past me.   I guess they must be from some running club.  I didn't stay too long at Parliament Hill because of the wind.  I walked around the downtown area and ducked into a Vietnamese restaurant for some pho.  There were 2 Asian guys a couple of tables down from me.  They looked more like a couple than friends.  Maybe it was just their body language.  They each had a large bowl of pho.  The older looking guy had some noodles with beef on his chopstick.  He took a bottle of hoisin sauce and carefully spread it across the noodles on his chopstick.  It was similar to putting toothpaste on a toothbrush.  I tried to suppress a chuckle. 
  
  Shortly after I met my bf, he couldn't help but laugh when he saw me doing the same thing.  I had no idea why he was laughing.  To me, that was the most natural thing to do when eating pho.  He suggested I use one of those small bowls for sauces.  He usually puts hoisin with hot sauce - roughly 50/50.  Even though they were directly in my line of sight, I didn't really look at them.  I just took out my book and started to read.  With my reading glasses on, everything else past arms length is a blur.  The pho was ok - nothing to write home about.  The walk back to the hotel was a bit of an adventure.  The wind would push me around.  IMy legs almost got tangled up from the force of the wind.  Several newspaper boxes had already fallen.  At times, I had to lean forward to keep from falling over.  It felt as if I was walking underwater. 
  
  My eyes were red and dry when I got back to my hotel.  At least the room is nice and clean.  It seems a bit newer than the other one I stayed at.  I have a view over the office buildings and can see part of the Parliament.  In the other hotel, I looked into a bar which promised Exotic Dancers.  It's getting crazy at work again.  We're short staffed and it's quarter end.  A perfect recipe for long days.  Such is the life of a corporate mercenary.

  • 8:56 PM
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