Prefatory Note: I really didn’t mean to write in this blog every day. However, each day I’ve received an email or IM from someone asking about the next installment. You’re a demanding lot (especially she who wrote “We’re addicted to your travel blog” and then suggested I quit my new job and not come home at all). Thanks— thought, it’s nice to know there’s an audience. Rest assured, I won’t be doing this once I return home. Can you imagine? “Today I went to the bank and paid our utility bill and my cell phone bill. I then stopped by the drycleaner. After that I went to the gym where I burned 640 calories…Oh, and it was trash day so dragged this bins to the corner.”
Dale and I have both been amazed by the kind welcome we’ve felt everyday we’ve been here and everywhere we’ve been. This morning, I was reflecting upon the kind people of Newfoundland and, mid-reflection, I saw a street sign that seemed to make sense of it all. The sign had 4 steps for safe pedestrian crossing: 1. Put arm out into the street; 2. Step off sidewalk 3. Wait for cars to stop. 4. Thank the driver. Thank the driver! I love that “thank the driver” made it through whatever city committee is responsible for making road signs and that politeness was determined to be a rule of the road. Even more miraculous is that drivers actually stop (even if you don’t hold your arm out into the motorway like you’re walking a giant invisible dog). Niceness was the thought of the day for me. In a shop we stopped at this afternoon (silly me to think you can just pop in and out of shops!), the shopkeeper chatted with us for about ½ an hour. She told us that a tourist last summer told her that upon arriving in St John’s, he had mistaken a private residence for a B&B. The owner of the house invited him in, gave him some tea, gave him a tour of their house and then took him to the B&B. It doesn’t sound all that far-fetched at all.
Perhaps my meditation on kindness came from last night. Last night, certainly confirmed our sense of the friendliness of Newfoundlanders; everyone we’ve met seems committed to ensuring we have a fun, educational and enjoyable trip. Last night we returned to the bar were we met the New Zealanders and had $3 Guinness and 2 for $5 bottled beer. Ally, the cute bartender-ess, greeted us like long lost friends when we walked in. She introduced us to various people in the bar and told us about the rest of our New Zealand friends’ evening in St John’s. We told her we were going to see Ron Hynes at the Rose and Thistle and she told us about a couple who go to almost all of his shows. After our Guinness, we headed off to The Ship to hear some music. I don’t think I mentioned this but bars in St. John’s are all non-smoking; I love being able to go hear some music and still be able to breathe. It’s an amazing experience and I’m excited that Ontario is, as of today, also non-smoking. I raise this because Ally told us that, if we wanted to, after seeing Ron Hynes, we could come back to her bar with take-out coffee cups from the café across the street. She’d fill them with Guinness if we wanted: “That way you can drink and smoke and you won’t get a ticket for consuming alcohol in public. And if the cops start to hassle you, you just drop the cup and say, ‘oops, I just dropped my coffee.’” Seeing as we’re nonsmokers, it’s not something we’d take her up on but still I was touched by her generosity of spirit. I pass this tip onto you in case you’re in St. John’s and want to drink and smoke on the streets. We left there and then walked to the Ship. After a set or two of music, we headed over to the Rose and Thistle—passing Ally’s bar where she was standing outside. She yelled “Hi guys!!!” from across the street and we exchanged waves.
We did see the famous Ron Hynes. He is a definite institution here and for good reason. He’s one of those rare singer songwriters in the Ian Tyson, Tom Russell, John Hiatt vein. It was a great show; I expect you’ll be able to hear some of his most recent album on Dale’s radio show next week. Apparently, he’s been playing around here for 30 years. One person I talked with sang along to all of his songs and confessed she’s been following him for most of those 30 years. After the first few songs, a man came over and invited us to join him and his wife: “Ally told us you’d be here.” Ah, Ally, bless her heart. This was the couple she told us about and I see she told them about us. They were both very interesting and kind and inquired into our trip and offered advice about what to do and where to go. This is what I was saying about the kindness and generosity extended to us by everyone.
This morning we were a bit tired from a late night and our long hike yesterday. It was also rainy and grey and thus seemed to be a perfect day just to wander around St. John’s. We started off going to The Rooms, which is a spectacular new building (opened in June 2005) that is a combination Museum, Art Gallery and Provincial Archives. Since all three of those institutions are dear to my heart, I’m thrilled to see a government putting funding toward these groups and, more importantly, funding a forward thinking and impressive piece of architecture that should serve Newfoundlanders for generations. You can see this building from numerous points in St John’s and I like the symbolism of that. I also like the fact that the building has expansive windows that allow you to view the city and harbour as a work of art or a museum exhibit. I like how The Rooms and the city are synergistically connected in a visual way; I hope it’s a metaphor for the actual relationships.
We saw two really great exhibits. One was one I kept missing in other cities and was glad to finally catch up to it here: Janet Cardiff’s “Forty-Part Motet” which is a really evocative sound installation.
The other is Douglas Coupland’s “Play Again” which, come to think of it, has some interesting connections with the Cardiff exhibit—though, it was about words rather than sounds.
Tomorrow’s our last real day to do things—I’m already feeling sad about leaving. Upon hearing we were going to Newfoundland, my brother Paul’s prediction has come true: “You’ll love it; you won’t want to leave.” Anyway… will write more tomorrow. PS, if anyone knows why Newfoundland time is half an hour different rather than an hour, I’d be interested in knowing why.
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