What is the purpose of a suburb?

While our loft is being built, hubby and I are living, and I use that word very loosely in a suburban setting. This experience has led me to the question, "someone please tell me the purpose of a suburb?!"

Now please do not mistake my question as that of a city snob. I am no city snob and grew up in the suburbs. However, I was a child and would like to point out that I did not know any better.

I understand the country. Its beautiful, space is vast, air is clean, produce tastes great! I am a big supporter of local farming, and farming requires country, so I get it. I do suffer from rather intense allergies, so I prefer to get it from a far, but none the less I do get it.

The city is where there are people, culture, neighbourhoods, and overall a society that evolves and grows as time passes. This I totally get.

Suburbs? Hmm. Well.... from what I have experienced, there are no people. Sure the long rows of identical looking houses that stretch for miles and miles would suggest there are people in these places, but Hubby and I have yet to see a single person in our "neighbourhood" for over two weeks now.

Distances are completely distorted from what I consider to be normal. You should not have to get into a car and drive for ten minutes to get any sort of food. Food is a basic human need. Basic.

Gas stations on the other hand are everywhere! Well, of course they are... how else do you expect people to get to the place that sells food?! Sound backwards yet?

Our daily commute has taught me that most people who live in these areas are sure as hell not working in these areas. Highways are clogged as we are herded twice a day to and from our workplace. Packs of animals do not make the journeys we do twice a day. I'm just saying...

By the time Hubby and I get "home" we barely have enough time to defrost something from the freezer, clean up from dinner and hit the hay to do it all again the next day. This is why I used the word living loosely at the beginning of this post.

There is one place where you will find people though. The Mall. It's like ants on honey. People shop like buying crap is a limited time offer.

The way people consume, commute, and co-exist is nothing but head shaking. Walking down the streets feels like being on a film set. One swift push and you might knock the whole row of identical houses over...

It is clear to me that deep down somewhere in there the people who live here must not like it? I mean they do not work or play in the area (there is nowhere to play!) Going to work? Go downtown. Going to the theater? Go downtown. Go see a sporting event? Go downtown. Is anyone else seeing a pattern?

Now c'mon people, this is not about real estate prices! Of course its cheap here. You pay for what you get right? I mean does a bare bones home in the middle of nowhere that has nothing around it and is two hours from your place of employment sound like a deal?!

Six months until this experience is over. I don't mean to sound harsh, but the count down is on.

Happy New Year

Hubby and I rang in the New Year this year in Oakville. As the wife of a musician you get little choice in where you celebrate, but I do feel very fortunate each time the occasion allows for me to celebrate with Hubby instead of over the phone with Hubby.

The food was divine, and probably the best meal I have had in my life to date. Baskets filled with warm artisan breads, a salad bar with a chef who personally mixed your salad to perfection with an assortment of THE best ingredients, roasted corn on the cob, twice baked potatoes, crusted rack of lamb, and roasted bison AND beef done to perfection! That was room one of three.

There was also ice sculptures with a fresh crab legs, shrimp, smoked salmon, it just went on and on. On the other side of the room was a pasta station with a chef again creating personalized little dishes of perfection. Three cheese tortellini, and roasted squash agnolotti were just two of the stuffed pasta options that caught my attention. Toppings included porcinni mushrooms, carmalized onions, roasted red peppers, shaved asiago cheese, and on and on and on it went... You could mix your pastas, create customized blends of rose sauce which were then theatrically tossed with an assortment of fresh herbs and white wine. Spectacular!

Dessert included personalized steamed chocolate lava cakes, both pumkin and blueberry cheesecake with an assortment of toppings that could be added. One was just a big ole' bowl of crushed graham cracker crust pieces that you could spoon on top! If this was not enough to satisfy your inner sweeth tooth, they also had a personalized (of course....) crepe station.

It was stunning, delicious, and plentiful. A totally luxurious way to ring in 2010. I even got a kiss at midnight!