Niagara

Horseshoe portion of the falls 

Niagara falls are not the highest or the widest in the world, but these are the most accessible from Toronto and are utterly breathtaking. The thunder of the falls is so alluring that these have to be visited time and again.

American Falls and the Rainbow bridge

Skylon Tower

Before the Canadian portion of falls, there is the old majestic building of Toronto Power Generating Station. This power station was built by the investor and visionary Sir Henry Pellatt (of Casa Loma) in 1906. It was later appropriated by the Government, on the grounds that electricity should be free to all like air and water. That never happened but it caused a major dent to Sir Henry business empire.

Entrance to the Power Station building

It was a cold, cloudy and windy day. The real feel index was around minus ten. After spending an hour in the open, my fingers started to hurt from the cold and I was experiencing some difficulty in speaking. Then the sun came out behind the clouds and there was a mist rainbow hanging over the falls. It was worth it.

Toronto Mini Maker Faire

 

Toronto Mini Maker Faire was held at the Reference Library on 22nd and 23rd of November. Maker Faire was started by Make magazine in 2006 to "celebrate arts, crafts, engineering, science projects and the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset". Independently organized small scale local events are called Mini Maker Faire. Dozens of such events are now hosted every year across the developed world. Here Individuals, start-ups and small companies bring their projects for recognition, to display their expertise and to win customers.

Children loved R2D2

3D Printers at work

This year's emphasis was on 3D printing and Robotics. Especially, the variety and extent of 3D printers was astonishing. Multi-color and Multi-print material printers are now becoming a standard. This field is attracting so much attention from the companies, inventors and youngsters that 3D printer might become household appliance within a decade.

Papa drone and baby drone

One other product that I really liked was about micro drones. This small quad-rotor can fit in the palm of your hand and is still capable of a top speed of 40 Km per hour, 300 feet range and real-time video recording. Its bigger pro version can easily be adopted for remote sensing of crop data in agriculture besides numerous other uses.

Youngsters busy in designing models for 3D printing.

There were also 3D Printing, Soldering, Silk screening and Origami workshops for children. Encouraging creativity at a younger age is key to a nation’s innovative edge. Standing there and watching those children with spark in their eyes and intense absorption in tasks was mesmerizing. Who knows that how many of the future inventors, creators, designers and entrepreneurs were being fashioned at that point in time? I thought that no one can see the future but certainly a bright one is being created here. 

Toronto the Third

There was definitely some snowfall.

Third time is supposed to be a charm but on this occasion it went little rough contrary to the common belief. First off, PIA’s flight was late due to some undisclosed reason. During flight, seat was uncomfortable, footrest was broken and video was non functional. Then on arrival, baggage arrived very late. When I came out of the airport it was well into the evening and it was raining hard. Dragging my luggage through bus stops and subway stations, I was tired, soaked and miserable.

Next morning, I went out for breakfast to a nearby Tim Horton. It is cloudy and chilly outside but everything seemed fine. The place was cozy and coffee and muffins were great. By the time I turned back, the wind picked up and it started to snow. Soon it turned into a blizzard (according to my perception). My clothing was not adequate for this kind of weather and the distance of less than a kilometer started to seem like a journey into a void. When I reached house, I realized that I don’t have keys for the front door. Then the latch of the backdoor got stuck. A number of scary scenarios flashed before my eyes (after all it was Halloween just a day before). Although situation was rather quickly resolved but my house mates were not impressed. I heard comments like “Come on, don't be dramatic. It was not even a proper snowfall, these were just flurries. You haven’t seen anything yet. Last year it was like….” and so on.

One can say that honest stories always lack a dramatic flair but it is these little incidents that makes life interesting and I am looking forward to interesting times.

No man is a failure...

“Remember no man is a failure who has friends”

Written on a book given to George Bailey as a Christmas gift by Clarence, ASC (Angel Second Class).

[From the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” – 1946]

Que Sera, Sera, The future's not ours, to see?

When I was just a little boy
I asked my mother, what will I be
Will I be handsome, will I be rich
Here's what she said to me.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

When I was just a child in school
I asked my teacher, "What should I try?
Should I paint pictures? Should I sing songs?"
This was her wise reply. 

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

When I was young, I fell in love
I asked my sweetheart what lies ahead
Will we have rainbows, day after day
Here's what my sweetheart said.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

Now I have children of my own
They ask their mother, what will I be
Will I be handsome, will I be rich
She tells them tenderly.

Que Sera, Sera,
Whatever will be, will be
The future's not ours, to see
Que Sera, Sera
What will be, will be.

Que Sera Sera is an enchanting song that I first heard at the end of Japanese anime comedy “My Neighbors the Yamadas”. The Yamadas is a wonderful movie in its own right which reminds us that families all over the world have a lot in common. The original version of this song was produced in 1956 for Alfred Hitchcock's suspense thriller "The Man Who Knew Too Much" starring Doris Day. It won the 1956 Best Song Oscar. Despite its beauty, the song is about the acceptance that future events are beyond our control and we can’t do much about that.

But I believe that even with all its complexities, the future is not an unknown or fixed state. Its structure is in flux all the time and we are constantly creating and modifying it with our little actions, deeds, thoughts, choices and beliefs. The possibilities are endless and the only restriction is our imagination. 

So what should be the opposite of “Que Sera Sera” or what will be, will be theme? Perhaps “Carpe Diem” (seize the day) philosophy. As Robin Williams playing maverick English teacher John Keating says in the film Dead Poets Society:

“carpe diem, seize the day boys, make your lives extraordinary."

He goes on saying "No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world."

(Song written by the Jay Livingston and Ray Evans)