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The ‘picture perfectness' of this beautiful town cannot be confined to postcards; indeed, it embraces you with lush green expanses, sweet-smelling air and a neighbourhood that’s a veritable botanical garden, blooming with flowers of :â€"'all shapes, sizes and colours. 5‘ a happy coincidence . that I moved here at the onset of summer). For a thoroughbred city .. ' ' is wasgheaven on mm one I thought 1 would quickly get bored of. After all, how long would A reluctant immigrant. It’s what I thought I’d always be at heart, when I married my husband, and by default, his love for Toronto and all things Canadian. But when I moved to Stouffville not too long ago, 1 was forced to acknowledge the possibility of a change of heart â€" my love for Mumbai, my home city, notwithstanding. I entertain myself walking alongside that gently gurgling stream (the ‘flood control channel’) flowing from Main Street to end up close to the Stouffville Free Press By Kinjal Dagli-Shah As life would have you know, beautiful surroundings maketh not the perfect neighbourhood. It’s really about the people. The Welcome Wagon: what an ingenious idea, and how it lives up to its name! A member of the Welcome Wagon dropped by laden with a basketful of little gifts from merchants on MainStreetandaround,and what struck me most was the thoughtfulness of those presents â€" dishwashing liquid, paper towels, colouring books, flowers, pens - the little things that make settling into your new home just that much more comfortable. Thank you for the welcome, dear wagoners. . Library? Or the beautiful Reeves Way Blvd. with its perfectly manicured lawns and happy toddlers? Or the quaint boutique shops on Main Street with all their oldâ€"world charm? As heartwarming as that was, this little town doesn't stop at that. I was worried it wouldn’t be as multicultural as I hoped, and that my children (even though I don’t have any yet â€" yes, I‘m a bit of a IOng-term thinker) would grow up interacting with just one kind of people. And yet, the idea of ‘permanently’ living here saddens me at times. Oh, just wait until you want a job, or get a credit card, or even a vegetarian dinner, I told myself in moments of resentment. But when I walked into the neighbourhood branch of one of the biggest Canadian banks, not only did the banker help usgthrough my paperwork but the manager personally came to welcome us and helped me sign up for a credit card (with a small limit) even though I don’t have a job yet. That, when his wife was very ill, as I later learnt. I send the couple my most heartfelt But we’re in one of five town homes, and it would be safe to say we have at least five different ethnicities in just this one row. And of course, at parks and in stores, on splash pads and behind cash registers, I’ve often heard a delightful mix of languages and spotted shades of skin colours that can only speak of harmonious coexistence. While I’m sure it's not all Utopian, I’m enjoying the variety for now. And while I haven’t actively started looking for a job, this paper welcomed mewith open arms, inviting me to contribute my stories and perspectives. Long live the Stouffville Free Press! The vegetarian dinners haven't been too difficult to find either, and we have plenty of options. Kinjal Dagli- -5hah can be reached at kinjal. dag1i@ gmaiLcom. . . . r..- v-vou wishes thankful - the adorable Mario gave my husband a smashing haircut, and the ecstasy of finding the ‘right‘ barber so close by is hard to get over. So infimornents of doubt, my Stouffville friends, I try to think of the wonderful people and experiences that await me, and how life can be a breeze here, if only you take time to smell the begonias. For this, and Mario’s Hair Styling on Main Street, I’m BIRKETTâ€"HASSARD ynsurance xtnfers Bxhzfleo/ craig@t9§msma STOUFFVILLE ‘ Gracie 61 Ringwood Phon bmuncx START ea PROGRAM One month of unlimited classes One FREE uniform each $199.00 plus GST September 2009 g touffville, ON #7474 RTSACADEMY I anada 3 mwm k