Monday, July 26, 2010
Moving to Saskatoon
"Why?" is a question I have heard a lot lately. First, from my friends in Vancouver, when I told them I was moving to Saskatoon. Now from just about anyone who I meet in Saskatoon itself who learns that I have just moved from Vancouver. When Johnny answers that he moved for work, their expression changes from one of shock to an understanding: "That's a good reason", they say. They nod knowingly. When I answer that I decided to move since my boyfriend is doing his prosthetics residency here, first they ask me to repeat his profession. After they come to understand that he is a prosthetician, then they say "Wow, you MUST be in Love" (or insane, the unstated alternative possibility). No one seems to feel that a Vancouverite would ever willingly and without very good reason move to the prairies.
Vancouver. BC. The "best place on Earth", as the province has recently branded itself oh so humbly. The home of the Olympics. The place where the mountains meet the ocean and all is green and lush and wonderful. Where outdoor opportunities abound. A thriving place of life and art and people and beauty. There's no denying that Vancouver is a nice place. The fact that it has lately been marketing itself as such to all the world seems to be having some brainwashing effect as well.
What does Saskatoon have to say for itself? Not a lot. "At least it's not Regina" seems to be the most positive thing most outsiders can bring themselves to say for it. No one seems to write tourism guides for Saskatchewan, barring a few words about its National Parks. When pressed, anyone who has actually visited Saskatoon will say that it's nice. "Nice". It's so understated. It's not making any grandiose claims about itself. I like that.
But it's hard to hear the same messages again and again and again and not wonder. The questions still run through my mind: "Are they all right? - am I crazy to be doing this?" "Should I have left Vancouver?" "Am I really in Love?" "Is this the wrong choice?" I am fighting against these. Johnny is helping. I think he's right to take some offense to this pervasive attitude that moving to the prairies is a step down from life on the coast.
Places, like people, need to be given a chance. They need to be given the opportunity to reveal their charms on their own time. Some might dazzle you on sight, but others might have a subtler kind of beauty and interest that can only be discovered through time and immersion. Oh, I do think it's true that some people are better suited to some places, and I do know that I will always feel most at home in the Pacific Northwest, but perhaps exploring a new place is a way of exploring and uncovering hidden aspects of one's own personality. One needs to venture outside of the home to appreciate, understand, and learn from other places and people.
I have already found much to like in Saskatoon...
The river running through the centre of town is beautiful and tranquil. It reminds me of Portland, and family there. It makes me think about my grandfather: one of my favourite poems is his "Ask Me". In that poem, the river is a symbol of a gentle energy and a connection to other places, times, and people. I am eager to join the canoeing and kayaking club tomorrow evening (only $45 for an annual membership!) to explore the river further.
Graceful deciduous trees line the streets all over the city - looking north-eastward from the 11th floor of our building, we don't see the city stretching out (though it does) - all we see is a lush green forest.
For less rent than I paid to live in a small basement suite in Vancouver, I can pay my share of a pretty 2-bedroom apartment right on the edge of downtown, minutes from the river, numerous restaurants and shops, the main library, a quiet neighbourhood of charming old houses, and just about anything else I might need. We have a wonderful enclosed balcony with great views where I now sit, nicely shaded from the warm sun. After a trip to the farmer's market on Wednesday, these planters on the railings will provide us with fresh herbs at arm's reach from the outdoor dining table. And in the winter we will hold squash tournaments in the two courts upstairs that come complete with cute little squash court doorways!
While the options for non-pool swimming in town may be limited, Johnny and I took the 20 minute drive (perhaps later a nice weekend bike ride) down to Pike Lake Provincial Park - the swimming there was excellent, and we even managed to find a small, nearly private beach.
Dining options are plentiful and interesting. I have heard, in fact, that Saskatoon has more eateries per capita than most places in North America. Given Johnny's love for Indian food, we are very excited about soon trying the "Taj Mahal", a recently re-opened restaurant whose cuisine has been compared to Vij's in Vancouver. Speaking of dining, my first evening in Saskatoon involved my first-ever sampling of Burmese fare at the "Golden Pagoda" - it was delicious!
One other nice thing about Saskatoon compared to Vancouver so far: its size. Saskatoon is not a large city, by city standards. So when there is a festival in town like "Taste of Saskatchewan" last week, for instance, you know that just about anyone who is visiting or is out on the town is likely to be there. In fact, Johnny just happened to run into a friend who happened to be in town while we were there. Any place in the city is relatively easy to get to, so I think that one is less likely to get "stuck" in a particular neighbourhood than when in a larger place like Vancouver. It seems like a manageable feat to really get to know the city in its entirety instead of just a few select regions.
So as to why I moved to Saskatoon? I did it not only because Johnny was moving here, and not only because I think teaching work might be easier to come by than in Vancouver, and not only because this way I don't need to live in a basement suite, but also to try something new, to get a sense of what prairie life is like, to meet new people, to discover the beauty of a new place, and to expand my own horizons. I don't think I'm crazy to do so.
update: a few random pics of the apartment can be found on my gallery now... Diego may give a better tour later after we get a couch and put some things on the walls and generally have fewer random boxes lying around.
Vancouver. BC. The "best place on Earth", as the province has recently branded itself oh so humbly. The home of the Olympics. The place where the mountains meet the ocean and all is green and lush and wonderful. Where outdoor opportunities abound. A thriving place of life and art and people and beauty. There's no denying that Vancouver is a nice place. The fact that it has lately been marketing itself as such to all the world seems to be having some brainwashing effect as well.
What does Saskatoon have to say for itself? Not a lot. "At least it's not Regina" seems to be the most positive thing most outsiders can bring themselves to say for it. No one seems to write tourism guides for Saskatchewan, barring a few words about its National Parks. When pressed, anyone who has actually visited Saskatoon will say that it's nice. "Nice". It's so understated. It's not making any grandiose claims about itself. I like that.
But it's hard to hear the same messages again and again and again and not wonder. The questions still run through my mind: "Are they all right? - am I crazy to be doing this?" "Should I have left Vancouver?" "Am I really in Love?" "Is this the wrong choice?" I am fighting against these. Johnny is helping. I think he's right to take some offense to this pervasive attitude that moving to the prairies is a step down from life on the coast.
Places, like people, need to be given a chance. They need to be given the opportunity to reveal their charms on their own time. Some might dazzle you on sight, but others might have a subtler kind of beauty and interest that can only be discovered through time and immersion. Oh, I do think it's true that some people are better suited to some places, and I do know that I will always feel most at home in the Pacific Northwest, but perhaps exploring a new place is a way of exploring and uncovering hidden aspects of one's own personality. One needs to venture outside of the home to appreciate, understand, and learn from other places and people.
I have already found much to like in Saskatoon...
The river running through the centre of town is beautiful and tranquil. It reminds me of Portland, and family there. It makes me think about my grandfather: one of my favourite poems is his "Ask Me". In that poem, the river is a symbol of a gentle energy and a connection to other places, times, and people. I am eager to join the canoeing and kayaking club tomorrow evening (only $45 for an annual membership!) to explore the river further.
Graceful deciduous trees line the streets all over the city - looking north-eastward from the 11th floor of our building, we don't see the city stretching out (though it does) - all we see is a lush green forest.
For less rent than I paid to live in a small basement suite in Vancouver, I can pay my share of a pretty 2-bedroom apartment right on the edge of downtown, minutes from the river, numerous restaurants and shops, the main library, a quiet neighbourhood of charming old houses, and just about anything else I might need. We have a wonderful enclosed balcony with great views where I now sit, nicely shaded from the warm sun. After a trip to the farmer's market on Wednesday, these planters on the railings will provide us with fresh herbs at arm's reach from the outdoor dining table. And in the winter we will hold squash tournaments in the two courts upstairs that come complete with cute little squash court doorways!
While the options for non-pool swimming in town may be limited, Johnny and I took the 20 minute drive (perhaps later a nice weekend bike ride) down to Pike Lake Provincial Park - the swimming there was excellent, and we even managed to find a small, nearly private beach.
Dining options are plentiful and interesting. I have heard, in fact, that Saskatoon has more eateries per capita than most places in North America. Given Johnny's love for Indian food, we are very excited about soon trying the "Taj Mahal", a recently re-opened restaurant whose cuisine has been compared to Vij's in Vancouver. Speaking of dining, my first evening in Saskatoon involved my first-ever sampling of Burmese fare at the "Golden Pagoda" - it was delicious!
One other nice thing about Saskatoon compared to Vancouver so far: its size. Saskatoon is not a large city, by city standards. So when there is a festival in town like "Taste of Saskatchewan" last week, for instance, you know that just about anyone who is visiting or is out on the town is likely to be there. In fact, Johnny just happened to run into a friend who happened to be in town while we were there. Any place in the city is relatively easy to get to, so I think that one is less likely to get "stuck" in a particular neighbourhood than when in a larger place like Vancouver. It seems like a manageable feat to really get to know the city in its entirety instead of just a few select regions.
So as to why I moved to Saskatoon? I did it not only because Johnny was moving here, and not only because I think teaching work might be easier to come by than in Vancouver, and not only because this way I don't need to live in a basement suite, but also to try something new, to get a sense of what prairie life is like, to meet new people, to discover the beauty of a new place, and to expand my own horizons. I don't think I'm crazy to do so.
update: a few random pics of the apartment can be found on my gallery now... Diego may give a better tour later after we get a couch and put some things on the walls and generally have fewer random boxes lying around.
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