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First Time on Snow...

Canada's Wonderland

Sauble Beach

A Visit to the Mighty Horse Shoe

That was the first planned trip ever in Canada. I had heard about it a lot, seen pictures of it very often but this was the first time in my life I was gonna see it. Actually it was a beautiful feeling…. a mixture of excitement and joy.

It was a long journey from the city of Brampton where we live. I think it is more than 350 km, through the cities …along the highways for more than 3hours. Finally we were there; “Welcome to Niagara Falls” it read on the board. We had to go another about 3 km to park our vehicle. From there they had an arranged bus service to the waterfall area. We were all hungry and tired too. So the first thing was to find a good place to treat ourselves.
While eating in the café I almost felt the cool and fresh air and heard the huge river flowing. Quick lunch done and we were again on our feet; this time with full of spirit. It is always better to satisfy your hunger and thirst before enjoying the nature. (‘coz we are not so sensuous and poetic minded as Wordsworth or Keats ) My brother’s little one Kevin clinging on to my finger I walked and walked with them. (Actually they had been to this place before: so I guess it was not that exciting for them)
However for me, it was the first time ever…. And here I am at Niagara…. Just in front of the huge waterfall watching the flow covering large area in a half circle [it is called a ‘horse shoe’] It was really enchanting and the sound was as if to say “hey.., look at me how powerful I am” . For an hour or more, I was just wandering along the sidewalk to and fro , to find the best view my camera…. Amazing! Everywhere it was as beautiful and mighty as it was in the real sense of words.

Then my brother suggested that we could go close to the waterfall in a boat. That was fine idea and we loved it though it seemed at glance risky and challenging. At the entrance we were supplied a covering kit for the whole body and it seemed they were gonna give us a real bath in there. it was full of people , enthusiastic and curious just as we were. Anyway then all were ready on board for the voyage to experience the mystery inside that huge flow of waters. The ‘maid of the mist’ (as they call it) started to pick up its speed in the river to wards the falls and we began to feel the mist really among ourselves. The announcer went on speaking throughout the travel and all of a sudden he raised his voice “ ladies and gentlemen…. Niagara Falls” at once we all were covered in the huge spray of water everywhere. Then only the people must have realized why we were given the covering kit, specially the youths who have neglected the kit on the floor.
They were fully wet, and all the people were laughing at them. But I didn’t and I don’t know why. May be …because my inner thoughts were saying that it was the real fun. Then I felt like throwing my kit away so that I also could have got it all over me. Now ‘maid of the mist ‘ approved of truly what its name was. Everybody on board was now covered in the mist created by that powerful gush of waters. As usual the boat knew the utmost distance it could go close to the huge beauty without endangering the lives of the people, So it began to turn back…Once more embracing, (as if giving it a great big hug), everybody on the dock got wet in the white spray of water. We all felt the might of the waterfall even though the falls might have felt nothing.

On the way also we stopped and took some pictures. Then only I saw the most delightful sight one can ever see at a waterfall… a rainbow had just showed up right over the waterfall. It was just like a unique creation of the heaven. Little Kevin seemed to enjoy the most of it. I could hardly imagine a person couldn’t enjoy that scenic beauty which enhanced the natural beauty of the waterfall.

Well …though I wanted to stay more with the heavenly creation it was already time for us to go. So I reluctantly said goodbye to the bliss of nature got on my feet. We had to catch the collector bus for the parking lot. When we started from there it was about six in the evening and everybody was tired. Its another three hours or more the way back home …so why not a good nap? …In few minutes I felt that we’re still with the ‘maid of the mist’.

A New Country For Me

I thought of starting from the day I came here. It was my third time travelling to another country. First one was to Singapore and the second was to India. But none of them was as long as this journey.

I left all my near and dear ones including my lovely little wife I name here onwards as ‘ Nangie’ (her pet name -reflecting love and respect) which means ‘little sister’. I got all my bags and baggage though ‘check in’after the sad good byes and all and moved slowly towards the boarding room. Until my flight ‘s ready and the gates open I called my Ayya, brother in law in Italy and he also wished me good luck. That also reminded me of the Camp friends in Ratnapura and how they all hugged me and wished me good luck on the other day we had the last dinner together. This was the first time I go away for longer time period to spend it all by myself especially without my Nangie by my side (I really don’t know how I am gonna manage without her). So I was wandering through the whole period (from the day I met her in the college up to now) I spent with her sharing and caring for each other. Then I called my mother to say good bye and tried to console her as well. I knew she’s gonna be really upset to miss her little ‘Pattie’(my pet name) . I felt that 20mins of boarding time as a day or two. Finally when the gates open and we moved in I felt my little backpack was so heavy. May be because of my heavy thoughts. Somehow I managed to relax a little as I see the land below started to become smaller and smaller and finally vanished I felt that I missed my entire mom, younger sister, brother, and his family and my Nangie so much. Anyway the fact that I’m gonna join the family of my elder brother gave me a kind of relief and I hope the same would be for them.

During the journey I did not have any trouble at all except the pain in the ears when it landed. (That happens to me all the time when the flight lands) And of course I couldn’t forget how I LOST my belt in the waiting room of the London airport. Having s aid goodbye to the air hostesses and put my first step in Canada gave me the beautiful feeling ‘I’ve done it’ Then at the immigration I was asked to produce my documents and they checked. Finally I was so sad to know that I was given a restricted kind of work permit only for the job I came for but I was very much interested (at least part-time) about the IT field and specially the hardware and communication. But all my hopes were now gone what to do.

Therefore came out of the air port and met my brother and the family. I was very anxious to see little Kevin and grown up Lahiru. Meeting them got me out of my low feeling and we drove away to new home.

THAT’S HOW I CAME TO THIS COUNTRY.

In Maid of the Mist