Unbowlerized and hatless

Canadian seal

Working in a complex of government buildings, I feel as though I should be part of a parade of men in dark pinstripe suits and bowler hats, walking in from a train platform every morning. There should be large steam-driven clocks around, and everyone should have a crisp newspaper under the arm.

Though thousands of people must work in the four towers, the place never actually seems like a flow of people is moving in or out. This is especially curious given how pretty much everyone can be expected to vanish within ten minutes before or after 5:00pm.

Perhaps there should be an annual ’emulate a scene from a film like Brazil‘ day.

Author: Milan

In the spring of 2005, I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations and a general focus in the area of environmental politics. In the fall of 2005, I began reading for an M.Phil in IR at Wadham College, Oxford. Outside school, I am very interested in photography, writing, and the outdoors. I am writing this blog to keep in touch with friends and family around the world, provide a more personal view of graduate student life in Oxford, and pass on some lessons I've learned here.

9 thoughts on “Unbowlerized and hatless”

  1. Eugene McCarthy

    “The only thing that saves us from the bureaucracy is inefficiency. An efficient bureaucracy is the greatest threat to liberty.”

  2. The absence of any women from this image partially reveals how dated it is.

  3. put a man in a suit and it doubles his sex appeal

    Do you have any large-n studies to corroborate that claim? Also, what methodology is employed to quantify sex appeal? Surveys or studies that track actual behaviour during real-world interactions?

  4. Tell me you don’t work in the vile looking monstrosity that is Portage…
    Dont forget, as pretty much all the Democratic candidates emphasised again and again… and again in the last debate: There is no higher calling than public service.

  5. I work in the TLC complex, up the river a bit from the Portage buildings. I met a young woman who works there today. She does consulting for CIDA.

  6. TLC = Terrasses de la Chaudière

    Les Terrasses de la Chaudière is Environment Canada’s headquarters for the Minister’s and Deputy Minister’s offices, Human Resources and Service Innovation and Policy and Communications.

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