What disappoints me is how we travel in this country.  Granted, the NEXUS system has now been expanded at Canadian airports.  Since you’ve been pre-approved to travel, had your identity checked out and know what you’re doing, there are now special lines to by-pass the masses at security.  Which is great.  But the question remains: Why are their masses in the first place?  On Friday, flying out from Pearson Airport in Toronto, it was over half an hour to get through security.  Surely, by this point, the airport knows how many people will be traveling on a typical Friday.  The airlines, I’d imagine, could confirm that yes, their planes will be partially filled.  And you’d think they’d put it all together.  Of the five security counters that they had available (i.e. equipment at the ready) only two were in operation.  The security situation is really irrelevant though, once you arrive at your gate and have to make it through pre-boarding.

As I normally sit in the exit row (thank you long legs), I get to pre-board.  This gives the flight attendants a chance to explain to me how the emergency exit works, and what I need to do (though yesterday, I gave the safety briefing to the flight attendant instead… I’ve heard it that many times).  In front of me was an older couple who were pre-boarding because they needed more time.  Fair enough.  We all boarded the plane and again, they took their extra time as there were mobility issues.  But landing back in Toronto, the couple in question, decided that they were agile enough to de-plane with the rest of us.  The fact that it took them 10 minutes to get out of their seat, and another ten minutes up the aisle and jetway seems lost on them.

So to you airlines out there…. IF PEOPLE PRE-BOARD, TELL THEM THEY HAVE TO BE THE LAST ONES TO GET OFF THE PLANE!  You can’t have it both ways.

Hopefully my trip to Quebec City next weekend will involves less hassles.

Pictures of our time in the Rockies can be found by clicking here.

It was an expensive ticket, and more expensive then the last time I went, but at the end of the day, how often am I going to get the chance to hike The Rockies, for free?

You can keep your car and your traffic…. I’ll keep the memories of visiting some great places and visiting with amazing friends.

When Canada signed a new constitution act in 1982, the Charter entrenched the idea of multiculturalism, where anyone/everyone was invited to celebrate their culture.  It’s an easy argument that religion and culture are pretty much the same thing.  So, then why are we trying to remove Christmas?  Regardless if your stance on religion, or particular belief, it shouldn’t offend anyone to see a Christmas tree up in a public building or vehicle.  By the same token, it shouldn’t offend to see the menorah either.  The whole point of multiculturalism is that we celebrate each other for who we are, not try and hide the fact.

We celebrate numerous religious and cultural holidays over the course of the year, and we’re better for it. Merry Christmas to one and all, Christian or not, believer or not.

Met up with a friend on Sunday night and we planned a ten day trip to Texas.  YEE HAW!  We, thankfully, have the Friday before March Break off again this year, so we’re gone for 10 days total.  The last time I did this, I was skiing the Alps on Friday afternoon.  Come Friday morning this time, I’ll be taking my aim behind a grassy knoll in Dallas (sidenote: Figure I saw the car in Detroit recently, should go and see the place).  We got decent flights, but you know that the U.S. economy is in trouble when 3 and 4 star hotels for ten nights cost us $600 total.  We used Hotwire, granted, but are staying downtown at either Sheratons or Wyndhams.  Not to shabby.  Three nights in Dallas, three nights in San Antonio, a night in Austin (cause it was expensive because of the South by South West festival) and two nights in Houston, followed by a night at the airport again at Dallas.  It pays to look around though.  Airfares were standard, but renting the car from the airport for a week was going to be $280.  Picking it up in downtown Dallas the day of our departure brought the cost down to half that.  Apparently, when you pick up at the airport, you pay a slew of taxes and fees.  For future reference: Don’t book at the airport.

Then, last evening, I got an email into my Board email account, and was invited to join the Teach Abroad team again in Hong Kong for Summer 2012.  I, naturally, jumped at the chance, and can’t wait to get back.  I had heard that the application forms were out, and had considered applying.  There are two sites this year, HK and somewhere in the mainland.  Having experienced the mainland once already, I was pretty sure that I didn’t want to live there, but struggling with “What if I don’t get hired for HK?  Would I still want to do it?”  Apparently, it was all for not though.  I’m excited to be heading back, glad to be working with the principal whose in charge and realizing that this year, with last year’s experience behind me, I’m good to go.

What’s been interesting is the reaction of staff.  First off, to their credit (and frankly, what I expected) I don’t think I’ve been disowned by anyone.  I hope.  Perhaps I have and just haven’t realized it yet.  I’ve heard a variety of stories though, that even though they are about me, haven’t really included me.  It seems that lots of staff members have been talking about my decision, and bringing their own spin to it.  The head of Alternative Education who stated that we must really support me, because his son knew a teacher who was struggling with his sexuality and eventually took his own life.  While the sentiment is nice, I probably have spoken three words to the guy since he was my teacher in Grade 12, but nice to know I have his support.  Or, the business teacher, who happened to walk into his workroom as other staff were discussing, and added in his opinion without realizing they were talking about me.  Apparently, his stated opinion was that no, sexuality doesn’t have a place in the classroom (he’s very religious and from Africa, so this view didn’t surprise me).  But then… when he was informed that they were talking about me apparently paused, thought about it for a while, thought so more, worked it over in his head and then changed his mind… “Well then, I guess it’s o.k.”  Or the Music Teacher who comes across as being very conservative and small town in her approach, who pulled me into the hall one day, congratulated me for my decision and said that, as someone involved in the Arts, everyone she knows is gay.

The best perhaps though comes from a staff member, who apparently found out years ago, when I was outted by my former head of business.  When the announcement came out a couple of weeks ago, her response: “Well, I’ve known for years… ******** told me years ago.  And you know what this proves?  That I can keep a secret!”  CLASSIC

The kids, on the other hand, have been quiet.  I’ve actually emailed a couple of former students and asked what’s going on.  Turns out that some saw it, and didn’t realize what I’m saying.  Not being the flag waver, I’m not prepared to make a big deal of it, but hopefully, through my discussions with them, the news will spread.

Frankly, I now expect some staff member to let it slip in front of students.  And I’d be fine with that.  Just a conversation that I don’t need to be part of.

I was really surprised about the number of kids who were involved!  And a huge variety.  Granted, we can’t assume if any of them are gay or not, but at least they’re committed and open.  And really, who could ask for anything more?

Off to Detorit this weekend (the annual Staff Road Trip to a B-rated American City).  I’m looking forward to it… see you Monday!

This conference included representative groups from every high school in the region, a feat which is impressive in it’s own right and was probably something that would have been unheard of five years ago!  The day opened with a gay professor delivering a key note about how he was treated for being gay growing up and how he’s working as an adult to make the world a better place.  Fair enough.  We then had break out sessions where the educators went down and worked through a bunch of scenarios of dealing with youth who have confided in us about something (two different workshops, two very similiar formats and situations).  The kids, on the other hand, were participating in Slam-Poetry, song writing and arts and crafts.  After lunch, a workshop which tried to cover a lot of ground (in 20 minutes) of adding gay references and materials to our classrooms.  We then met up as a group and heard some of the students’ artistic creations.  Some were amazing, well developed and well presented.  The one that equated masturbation and procrastination on the other hand….  At the end of the day, everyone gave themselves a big pat of the back for a job well done.  The only problem, it wasn’t….

This was a conference that was meant to bring LGBTQ kids together.  Unfortunately, the one students who were interested in going were those kids who, unfortunately, fit the stereotype of a gay high school students.  Stop for a second… close your eyes… form a picture in your mind of that gay kid in high school.  You know who I mean.  Those kids, generally, have found the support they need, aren’t scared of being who they are and generally… have it together.  And I admire them for that.  But I can’t help but think about the kids, who like me, didn’t fit the gay frame.  I knew early on that I was gay.  There was never any question (and I’m thankful for that, cause I know it could have been a lot worse).  Instead though, I saw what ‘gay’ meant and realized that the title didn’t apply to me.  I’m a man who happens to be gay, not a gay man.  It’s a minor distinction, but a really important one.  Our G.S.A. (Gay Straight Alliance) at school has about 15 kids in it.  Figure, in a school of 1,200, and even using a 5% proportion, in theory, we’re talking about 60 kids.  That’s 75% of the LGBTQ kids at our school, who don’t feel comfortable engaging with a group that’s meant for them.  Granted, some of them probably don’t need the help.  Some of them might.  And yet, because we focus our efforts on the ‘gay’ kids in high school, we’re missing a chance to help the many.

I was hoping that the student participants would have left today’s conference with tools, to take back to school, to combat homophobia.  Ideas that worked.  Strategies for having difficult conversations.  Knowledge about resources.  Power to empower.  And yet… they didn’t.  I know that there is no easy answers here, but I think this clarifies the reason I made the decision that I did.  I’m here to help them other ‘gay’ students.

Now that I work at the same school that I went to, I know what it’s like.  Growing up, we always suspected that so and so was gay.  But really, at the end of the day, there was no one who was out.  Granted, that was 20 years ago…  and times have changed.  In fact, it’s both inspiring and embarrassing that a number of our students are comfortable to be out, when they’re teachers aren’t.  I know that there are more of us in the school and in the board than let on.  There have to be.  But, for the sake of preventing another kid from killing themselves because they’re gay, it’s time to stop ignoring the issue.

I’ve always been careful about what I’ve posted on this blog for the fear that a student/former student would find it and my secret (which really only was a secret in the classroom) would be found out.  Not any more.  It’s time to draw a line under that, realize that it’s time to step up, and move forward.

If you haven’t seen the video yet… it’s gone viral (and unless you’re living under a rock, I’d be surprised if you haven’t seen it) here is the link.

And for those of you who are just finding out now… well… welcome to the club.  It’s been a while, so glad you finally made it.

Because that’s what happening right now in York Region.  Effective Monday morning, about 60% of the bus drivers in the region went on strike.  Most east-west service was suspended, along with the express routes (commonly referred to as Viva).  The union decided not to picket Finch Station (which was disappointing to the media who were here ready to film… and got nothing) and life, it seems, continued normally.  Granted, there are more cars in the parking lots at your local subway stations, and yes, there are still some routes that are operating (I take one most mornings to work and have been surprised that the number of riders is dwindling as the week progresses), but all told, it’s slipped off the radar and no one seems to have cared.  Amazing.

There’s no incentive for the region to settle either… not when the government subsidy runs about $4 a rider.  Convert that into the 40,000 riders who are apparently without transit service right now… and well… do the math.  The union has threated that this strike could go for two months…. in all honesty, it could go on forever and no one would notice.

What was interesting was that it didn’t apply to all bus routes in York Region.  Rather, it effected a small number, as the rest of the fleet kept on rolling (different employers, different unions, different contracts).  Well, tomorrow is going to be interesting.  Now it’s the other unions turn… including the unions that run the majority of local transit services in Southern York Region as well as the ‘express’ service called Viva.  Living with my view of Finch Station (the terminus), I’m willing to bet that it’s going to be a pretty quiet morning tomorrow.  Additionally, GO Transit’s bus drivers (which is the inter-regional transit system) is looking like they are going on strike as well.  So… commuting tomorrow looks like it’s going to be a pleasure.  Thankfully, I’ve got my alternative plans all lined up.

The frustrating thing about this though is that the picket will be set up here, at the transit terminal.  However, the transit terminal is owned by the regional government and used by the travelling public… neither of whom are directly related to the reasons for this strike.  Instead, as seems to be the case, the public is held hostage.  I’m all for the right to strike.  I’m all for the right to peacefully protest.  But I hope that the regional government gets an injunction to stop protesting at one of the busiest spots in the system.  If the drivers want to protest, go to your employeer’s office an protest there.  Why should the riding public have to deal with this, ESPECIALLY when other unions are still on the job, with a contract, and seeing their ability to provide services jeopardize.

The first hint that there was going to be a strike for sure tomorrow?  When the All News Channel (CP24 or is it City News now… I can’t remember) showed up at 7:30 this morning to scout locations for tomorrow and ensured that their antennas had a line of sight with the CN Tower.

Can we say fun on a Monday morning?