Radio Interview

So this morning when I was getting to work I was intercepted in front of the new H&M store on Yonge and Dundas (which, by the way, is opening today) by a guy with a microphone from 640 Toronto radio station. He asked me if I could answer some questions and even before I said anything he started asking. I thought it was going to be about the new store opening or something, since we were just outside it, but it wasn’t. It was about some stuff that’s been going on in the city lately:

1. Do you think we should crack down on truck drivers that fall asleep behind the wheel?
   
   I know this question was asked because of what happened yesterday on the 401 and Yonge, when a garbage truck crashed and burned in fire at 3:30 in the morning. The 401 had to be closed, making the morning (and afternoon) commute of thousands of people a living hell. So here’s what I answered:
   
   –Well you first have to find out what really happened, and if the driver really fell asleep behind the wheel or there was something else that caused the accident.
2. Have you heard of the new appointment for the Board of Police?
   
   I had heard that someone had been appointed but I didn’t remember his name, and that’s what I answered, so the guy told me his name (I think it’s Alok Mukherjee) and asked me what I thought of him and his appointment. Here’s what I answered:
   
   -I don’t know him so I can’t say anything about him.
3. Should city councillors be able to spend their budget in anything they want?
   
   I thought: what is this guy talking about, is he asking me if I approve of city councillors spending public money on parties and dinners? so I said:
   
   -No, it’s public money.
   
   So what should it be spent on?
   
   -Public policy and public work.

And that was it. I don’t know if I am going to be aired today, maybe I’ve been aired a couple of times already, but I’m at work so I can’t turn the radio on, hey we don’t even have a radio here.

Big Disappointment

I applied for the Toronto Star’s Community Editorial Board about two months ago, I thought that they weren’t interested in me because it was September already and I hadn’t heard back from them. Just after Labour Day I got a call from the Editorial Office, they wanted to interview me about the letter I sent. So I went last Monday just after I got back from my vacation. I interviewed with the Editorial Page Editor and I felt the interview went very well. He was particularly interested on my being a blogger and a volunteer at St. Mike’s. He even took the time to show me around the newsroom and I liked it a lot.

The Community Editorial Board was designed to reflect the views of the real people in the city and to ensure that their concerns are being reflected in what is published everyday in the newspaper. They meet once a month and it’s a voluntary position that lasts for one year.

Well, I think the fact that I was a blogger and have an informed opinion on important issues didn’t impress him that much. I got a call this morning from his office letting me know that he had made his decision and “unfortunately I had not been chosen for the Board”. I feel so disappointed. I think the Board would have benefit a lot from my point of view, a young Spanish woman living and working in downtown Toronto who volunteers, is member of several communities (like the blogging community, for example) and has an every-day life in the big city.

I just feel so so sad because I love the news, and I am always informed of everything that happens around me. I was so enthusiastic about the opportunity and now it’s not going to happen. I just hope I have another chance like this one soon.

Meanwhile I’m going to keep blogging and reporting all I can about what’s happening in the city, I am committed on making my blog an important resource for everyone that wants to know what is happening in Toronto and how it affects us, regular people.

UPDATE: After a thank you letter that I sent, the Editor replied saying that “hopefully [I] will apply again next year”. Now that’s encouraging, at least.

Review of Clara Callan

I just finished reading Clara Callan for my book club and I loved it. I even cried a bit at the end, but that’s not strange in me, I’m a crybaby. I posted a review in the GTABloggers site if interested.

I just finished writing a complaint letter to Mexicana Airlines. I thought that buying my ticket to Mexico City from Mexicana Airlines would be a better idea than getting it from Air Canada, after all I constantly hear complaints about Air Canada. My ticket was paid around August 2nd and I got a flight that took off at 2 in the morning because it was way cheaper than getting a flight at a normal hour. I had to get to Pearson Airport at around 11:30 or 12:00 the night before (two or three hours before) and check-in for my flight.

I decided that since I live downtown I was going to catch the Airport Express shuttle bus and save a good 20 bucks (price to get to the airport by taxi: $39, price to get to the airport by shuttle: $13.75+$6 from my apartment to the drop off point). I was the only weird person in the bus going to the airport at 11:30, but hey, I had even called Mexicana Airlines to confirm my flight and they said it took off at 2:00 got to Mexico City at 5:50 in the morning.

I got to Pearson Airport only to find out that there was not such flight 887. The airport was practically closed, the cleaners were doing their thing and looked at me like I was a weirdo getting there at midnight with her suitcases. I called information and was told that flight 887 was to depart at 8:25 AM and not 2:00 AM. I got a taxi back home (paid $44 for it since it’s more expensive to go back to the airport than to go to the airport, go figure) and called Mexicana Airlines. Yes, I was confirmed for 2:00 in the morning. Well, there was not such flight. After about 15 minutes on hold I was told that on August 14 Flight 887 to Mexico City was changed to 8:25 AM. Why didn’t anyone tell me?? I was furious.

Do these people think I’m made of money? do they realize that I had to spend more than $80 (since I had to take a taxi back to the airport at about 5:30 in the morning, when the Airport Express Shuttle hasn’t started yet). The written complaint I just sent asks for a refund of the more than 80 dlls that I spent because of their negligence, especially since I found out from other passengers that they had been advised on time about the time change.

So my two readers be aware, and when you confirm your flight, not just confirm the time (since that’s what I did), better confirm that your flight will still be taking off at the programmed time.

One of the things that I like the most about the area I live in is the sense of neighbourhood-ness that we have. Today, after a busy afternoon volunteering in the hospital, I went to Dominion to get my groceries for the weekend. I usually see the same people, and today I ran into Glenn from my building. I like it when I feel that I belong to the neighbourhood, and that I am not that weird about my day to day activities. It is just normal to go be doing your grocery shopping on a Saturday afternoon.

And here he is, the handsomest dog in the world.

After returning from my trip to Veracruz and Puebla, I went back to my parents’ house just to spend the night and catch my flight the next day. I’m back home in Toronto now.

That’s me, trying to keep Bruni still for the picture. 

More flowers in Puebla 

A fountain surrounded by flowers in Puebla 

Another Talavera Style Pot