01/07/08: To Toronto and PR status

Well, we made it! Step by step, conquering each anxiety and obstacle as it arrived.

We woke up early, as usual, but had enough time to do everything -- me pack my stuff and Fumiko to bring the apartment to her high standard of neatness and clear out the refrigerator. At the last minute, there was a flurry, since the car service did not call ahead 20 minutes, but only when the driver had arrived, and it took us 15 minutes to wrangle all our stuff down to the curb. The driver was pleasant, helped us to stuff all 8 items into the sedan, and we were at LaGuardia by 11:30.

Waited a while to check in. The clerk barely glanced at the scale, she was so busy talking to the clerk next door, so our four heavy pieces, which we thought might be barely under the weight limit, flew through. Then we were stuck with three luggage carts, they wouldn't check them through, but at the gate again the official didn't even glance at our luggage. An uneventful and seemingly brief flight.

In Toronto, it was overcast and drizzling, but very warm, just like New York. I carried my down coat around. First stop is customs, with the standard little card to fill out. Perhaps just to be perverse, I listed "two oranges and bread" on our card. Fumiko was beside herself. Fifteen minutes wait, but we just missed a flood of incoming people, so we felt lucky. "What is the purpose of your visit today?" "We're landing!" Oranges were noted, but no problem.

Then to Immigration, which was empty, so no wait. A pleasant and rather silent young woman filled in the multi-part forms we had brought from the consulate in New York and, in about ten minutes, we had been accepted and our permanent residence (PR) cards were in the works, to be mailed to the lawyer's office since we don't have an address yet.

Then we claimed our luggage and went to stand in a long line for people who can't be waved through customs (missing bags, duty to pay, etc.). This was a pain, and rather unpleasant, surrounded by people being interrogated and luggage being pawed through. I took a picture of Fumiko and our luggage, but an official called out that it was not permitted, so I stopped at one. At last we were called, and a very charming young man was highly impressed with my inventory list. Didn't open anything. We told him about freecycle and he told us about kijiji. After about 20 minutes, we were duly admitted, with an officially stamped copy of my list.

Then to the taxi line. After some investigating, it developed that $52 was the bottom price for so many bags, and so we waited about half an hour in the "van line" for a large-size taxi, and then another half hour negotiating rush-hour traffic. Finally arrived at the guest house at 5:30 p.m. Happily, the daughter of the proprietor was there to welcome us. Mission complete!