| So Friday I decided to head out on a kayaking | | | | to official statistics, many Canadians don't even |
| weekend with my friend Leslie. This was the first | | | | manage to take advantage of their full 2 weeks of |
| time in about 8 years that I went camping again, and | | | | vacation since they can't get away from work. I was |
| I had a ball sleeping under the stars. A fabulous | | | | talking to a client recently who works for a major |
| weekend in nature makes you think about life a little | | | | international retailer. I asked her why she doesn't |
| bit, so here are a few snapshots of what's been | | | | work from home since she receives all her |
| going through my head in the last few days. In | | | | documents electronically from head office anyways. |
| particular, I have been thinking about our lifestyles in | | | | She said the head office people just don't trust |
| the city and some of the stark contrasts with the | | | | people working from home, so she continues to |
| experiences of this weekend. City snapshot number | | | | spend 2.5 hours a day in traffic (on a good day, way |
| 1: Thursday night I linked up with a friend of mine | | | | more during a snowstorm...) Country snapshot |
| who works for a big international bank in finance. He | | | | number 1: After getting out of rush hour traffic my |
| was telling me how his employer was sending around | | | | friend and I thoroughly enjoyed the drive into |
| a survey to find out what tasks people were | | | | Eastern Ontario, particularly once we headed north of |
| spending time on at work, all for the purpose of | | | | Belleville into the rolling hills, past tiny country towns |
| efficiency and downsizing the workforce. In his | | | | and provincial parks. Saturday morning we were |
| employee newsletter he read that his company was | | | | woken up by the mooing sounds of cows who were |
| proud that the annual turnover rate among | | | | announcing day break. The sounds of crickets and |
| employees is now below 30% (!), and this was a big | | | | cicadas filled the air in the campground. Country |
| story in the newsletter. We were wondering why a | | | | snapshot number 2: The facilities at the Equinox river |
| turnover of almost 1/3 of the entire staff in a year | | | | rafting camp are extremely basic. We realize that we |
| would be considered a good thing, considering the | | | | can get by on 2 toilets in tiny plywood cubicles and 4 |
| recruitment, training and outplacement costs as well | | | | co-ed shower stalls that are located in a wooden |
| as the disruptions caused by a constantly fluctuating | | | | shed. We sleep in a tent on a mat, I forgot my pillow |
| workforce. But on a few days of the year his | | | | and I borrow Leslie's mini-pillow. There is no Internet, |
| company gives away free icecream cones to their | | | | no cell phones, no appointments, no fancy clothes, no |
| employees.... City snapshot number 2: Leslie and I left | | | | make-up. Country snapshop number 3: Evening in the |
| to go on our kayaking excursion at 3 pm Friday. We | | | | campground. About 60 city folks are letting out their |
| left in mid-town, just north of the 401, Toronto's | | | | inner child, they are partying, shouting, playing music, |
| major cross-town highway. It took us about an hour | | | | having fun. That's what it looks like when city people |
| and a half, to get to Toronto's eastern suburbs, from | | | | let loose. The next night is a lot quieter, after a full |
| about Pickering onwards we were stuck in | | | | day of paddling the rafters and kayakers are tired |
| bumper-to-bumper traffic until I had enough and | | | | and Saturday night was a much tamer affair. Country |
| headed northwards to a local road where at least we | | | | snapshot number 4: I am doing my interview with |
| were moving in between being stopped at red lights. | | | | Krista, the spunky young intern at Equinox' river |
| City snapshot number 3: At the outdoor adventure | | | | camp. I ask her if it would be possible to borrow one |
| camp I actually talked to another weekend traveller | | | | of the bicycles that were leaning against the shed. |
| who told me that he worked for many years for a | | | | "Sure", she says, "just help yourself, my bike is the |
| major international paper manufacturer until he got | | | | silver-coloured one. Just grab it whenever you feel |
| unceremoniously laid off a few years ago. He had | | | | like it". You don't see this easy-going generosity in |
| been living and working in Toronto's east end. After | | | | the city. Country snapshot number 5: During the |
| his lay-off he finally found a job in Toronto's west | | | | interview, Krista tells me that a number of her rafting |
| end and he ended up commuting probably about 2 | | | | kayaking guide colleagues are living in tents, in a tree |
| hours in rush hour traffic on a daily basis between his | | | | house or in a cobbled-together shack during the |
| house in the east end to his new workplace in | | | | summer. During the winter they go off to teach |
| Toronto's west end. He figures there is no point in | | | | English as a Second Language, study theatre, teach |
| moving since he doesnt' know when he's going to | | | | skiing or plant trees and do horticulture in the spring. |
| get laid off again and where his next job might be. | | | | Krista mentions a key phrase several times: "It's |
| City snapshot number 4: This same person told me | | | | amazing how little you need to live." And this morcel |
| that one of the travellers in his group was trying to | | | | of wisdom is coming from a 25-year old woman! The |
| use her cell phone in the middle of the wilderness on | | | | guides are young adults that co-exist without a lot of |
| Calumet Island in the Ottawa River. She even tried to | | | | structure, very few rules, and they are just having |
| get up on a picnic table and lifted the cell phone up in | | | | fun doing sports they love and interacting with the |
| the air to try to get better reception. He found it | | | | clients. And somehow they manage to feed the |
| rather ridiculous that someone would need to make a | | | | clients and safely get them down the river. |
| cell phone call during an 2-day weekend outing into | | | | Everybody, the guides and the clients, feels like a kid |
| nature. I guess we need to be wired all the time | | | | again..... Makes you think, doesn't it? |
| these days. City snapshot number 5: Life is speeding | | | | Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a web portal for |
| up all around us. To meet a friend for coffee you | | | | unconventional travel & cross-cultural connections. |
| now need at least 3 weeks notice and set up an | | | | Check out our FREE ebooks about travel. |
| appointment. People work on the weekend, according | | | | |