this mail starts with 'statics', the discharges that shock you sometimes when you touch metals, particularly on a dry day. one evening I kept getting statics. i touched hangers to hang my coat and there was a little lightening display in the cupboard, oops! i touched the water taps, my bed, light switches, or fridge, all the while statics kept stinging me--- tut-tut-tut! may be it was my electrifying presence, so I thought, or my magnetic personality or the charged atmosphere. always kind, Jayanne suggested it was probably my shocking appearance! i experienced so many statics on that evening probably 'cause it snowed the whole day and the heaters were on for the first time, which left the air very dry. in Canada, statics are way more common. ahhh! one more just now :-)

it has been more than half a year already in Winnipeg. Even so, when i go to parties, initial dialogue goes thus,
"Hi! So, when did you come to Canada?"
"Some six months."
"Oh! How are you doing in Winnipeg?"
"I enjoyed my Summer here and people are so friendly"
"Oh, Summer is gorgeous, isn't it? So is this your
first Winter, oh wow! Did you ever have this cold in
India?"
"It's fun, I like it. This is the first time I saw
snow in my life".
"Is it, how nice! Did you make a snowman or tried skiing?..."
not a remarkable conversation to write about, i agree with you. however, if you are asked this question in every party, gathering, perhaps several times on one evening, it is special! people get so excited to see an alien (my visa status), like the way Indians get excited when they see firang's. i am not sure if this conversation would change much till i leave.

i heard on the radio the other night that Winnipeg is the Winter capital of Canada. books, music, art, it is happening here, apparently. it all happens underground, i think. it is all snowbound since snow appeared a week before X'mas. it's snow white outside. i have taken great pleasure in stamping my footprints on the fresh, soft snow on the road, sidewalks and (errr-stwhile) lawns. it's one of those really touristic things to do. i also made my own snow angel, but not a snow man.

i am now a avid radio fan, CBC radio-I 990 (kHz). the morning programs, Current, Sounds Like Canada and weather are my usual staple diet. the last one is essential in these parts and one dresses according to the weather forecast for the day. one may add one or two layers suitably. it was a warm December and now is the cooler-than-normal February. we walked for more than an hour in a rally against a possible gulf war.

one time when my Indian identity is surely invoked (and challenged) is when we go and watch some Indian movie or attend a celebration. for their credit, Canadians are well educated about India and other issues. they take pains to understand others' view and correct their information if required. we, meaning a group of (mostly) astronomers from our group, have attended the local Diwali celebrations and culture festivals. we have seen movies `Monsoon Wedding', `Devdas', `Hyderabad Blues' etc. it's then i am asked several questions, about history, geography and religion--- "Are Hindus all vegetarians? do they at least eat pork?";
"How does (or doesn't) an arranged marriage work?" (how do i know); "What was the status of Kashmir before?" i have been asked for my own Indian recipes too, yo ho!!

Most of us know Mac as in MacDonald or Mac'intosh (astro guys know McCullogh and/or Cricket-lovers know McGrath). now, here are some more from Mc-Canada: McAlister, McBride, McDermott, McEvans, McGregor, McGill, McKinley, McLellan, McMohan, McNally, McQuade, McRoger, McVaughan... was just checking my memory :-)

this diary will not be complete without a talk of Canadian politics. Canadians consider themselves as cousins, if not as brothers, of Americans. a lot of them have their relatives mixed on both sides of the border and share a lot of things with Americans, foreign/economic policies, culture and art, etc. sometimes it gets hard to notice the difference between the people. however, there is a significant, possible majority, fraction of population which believes in a distinct identity for Canadians and also believes that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was the biggest mistake in their history. they loath the American bullying tactics and its right-wing politics. funnily, Quebec-French lean more towards the Americans!

One place where Canadians differ hugely from Americans is their health-care system, which is social. recently, there was a commission which evaluated the merits of this system and suggested numerous ways of strengthening it. the Roy Romanow Report was a matter of discussion for everyone, and it must have disappointed some MNCs from the South who hoped for some slice of the Canadian health-care market.

recently, a Canadian Foreign Affairs official created a huge stir when she referred to Bush (yeah, yeah, Dubya!) as "a moron" in some private talk on a conference premises. a reporter overheard it and the matter became a hot potato for the Canadian government. So, here was the Canadian Prime Minister the next day talking (on these lines) to the press,"Oh! I know Mr. President. he is my close friend and I played golf with him just a week. We share a great relationship. He is not a moron! I know that and this is not an issue". no one was sure if the Prime Minister was being sarcastic.

a last incidence in my mind is about the city mayor, Glen Murrey. a very visible and popular man, he walks around the city to see if the residents face problems of any kind. once, while standing in a bakery for lunch, i suddenly became aware that Mr Murrey was standing right behind me. without making a fuss he waited to meet the owner, obviously his friend and supporter, and left without making his presence an inconvenience. it was a remarkable thing given my experience of loud-mouth politicians in India. that was the incidence which made me aware of the live democracy that is at the basis of this nation.

I have been skiing and also walking on the river (Red River). it has been cold, but as i noted above, it has been quite enjoyable.

that's all at the moment. a lot of work is on hands and i look forward to my visit to Quebec in May and a possible hike in the Rockies.

take care and have an enjoyable world cup!