Jorn (John) Christensen:  

My story is a story mostly about travelling and hopefully it is not over just yet - both the story and the travelling. 1957 - 1963 I came to Canada in March, 1957 with my brother, sister and parents from Denmark where Dad owned a small dry goods store but went bankrupt. Like most immigrants we came to Toronto where we rented an apt on Dundas St. My mother opened a small boarding house in our apartment catering to Danes most of whom were construction workers. Since Dad did not speak English one of the boarders suggested that he could perhaps get a job on the construction site where he was working. He invited Dad to come along and told him to say "yes" to all the questions that the foreman asked. Dad followed instructions and was hired. Never having worked with his hands he was danger to himself and others. On one occasion someone called his name when he was carrying a plank on his shoulder. He turned and in the process hit the surveyor in the back of the head with the plank and also sent his theodolite flying. After the surveyor recovered he wanted to beat up Dad. Dad was fired but since he did not understand English he showed up again the next day. I suppose that the foreman felt sorry for him since he kept him on. (Dad did eventually learn English and re-entered the retail business.) We came to Guelph in the summer of 1957 and I attended Central Public School for Grade 8. Only recently did I learn that many of my good friends from my GCVI graduating class of 1963 had also attended Central. I have very good memories from my GCVI days but since I was painfully shy I spent most of my time with my nose in the books. 1963 - 1974 After graduating from GCVI I studied engineering at University of Waterloo. The co-operative engineering program was a great way to get some exposure to the working world. After my bachelor degree I stayed on for my M. Sc. and Ph.D. in Engineering. I truly enjoyed being a graduate student (you must remember that this was the swinging 60's). When my Ph.D. supervisor went to Imperial College in London for a summer term I asked to come along and he agreed. Of course London was just too much of a temptation and I only showed up in the morning to do a bit of work and spent the rest of the time enjoying London and environs. My supervisor became angry and said that on my return to Waterloo I had to give a seminar on all the work that I had not done. I did redeem myself and graduated with my Ph.D. in Engineering in 1974. I did not know exactly what I wanted to do. It was not until 1987 that I finally found a profession (consultant) that I truly enjoyed. I can only attribute my eventual luck to a phrase from the 60's that had stuck with me: "Follow your bliss". My work as a consultant has been more like "play"; especially since I am able to mix it with extensive travel for pleasure. 1974 - 1983 In 1974 Elsie and I were married. We are still together (no children). In 1974 I also started my official working career with Bell Canada in Ottawa. After a 2-year stint I realized that "following your bliss" and "being a good employee" are conflicting objectives so I quit. I was at loose ends for about a year. I took a real estate course and sold real estate for...Expand for more