| Birth - 7 Years Apparently I was conceived while my parents were on vacation in Quebec City , this would be around May 1963. I was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Febuary 17 1964 in what was then known as the Jewish General Hospital My parents are Peter and Monique (nee. Ullmann) Fischer who were both immigrants to Canada. I weighed 9 pounds 1 ounce (excuse archaic units) and, according to reliable witnessess (and photographic evidence) I was very cute. I believe my parents were above average in their role and I can't really blame them for the many ridiculous decisions I made in my life (and probably will continue to make). There is some debate as to how long I was breastfed. My mother claims it was for six weeks, but there is a picture of me at five weeks with a bottle clearly visible. It is quite possible I will never know the truth. Once weaned, I was an impatient baby and was known to cry between mouthfuls when fed. To do this day I remain a very fast eater, a habit I cannot seem to break, and one that was exacerbated during my time living in University residence (with meal plan). When I was two years old my parents took me on an extended trip around Europe. Unfortunately I don't remember anything from that trip and only know about it from stories told to me. I do know that I objected to being taken to so many museums. I am quite sure I was cute during most of the trip. When I was three and three quarters, my sister was born. My parents were unable to agree on a name so they asked me to come up with one. I chose Kathy and they accepted it. If I were to do it over again I would probably choose Katherine, a name that was probably unknown to me at that time. Recently (2001) I told my sister I would pay all legal fees if she wanted to change her name. She declined but at least I am now free of guilt. I attended nursery school at the YMCA and was once hit on the head with a block resulting in copious bleeding. In addition at some point in this seven year period I was hit in the head with a swing requiring stitches. Clearly my head experienced substantial punishment (with more to come, read later sections) yet I believe I escaped noticeable brain damage. On the other hand, it is possible I would have been much smarter had I worn a hockey helmet my whole life. During this period of my life I passed the usual developmental milestones. I learned to walk, talk, read, ride a bike, swim, etc. Nothing particularly unusual happened to me and I remember precious little (aside from that idyllic nine months in the womb - well to be honest I only really remember the last six months - apparently the first three months were wiped from my memory during the stress of labor). There is one anecdote from this period of my life which I think exhibits early signs of intelligence. I spied a gentleman with a cane and remarked that he had a "broken umbrella" (charmingly mispronounced). I realize that the import of this anecdote varies depending on how close to the beginning or end of the 7 year period it occured (ranging from genius at age 1 to mildly retarded at age 7) so I will attempt to track it down a little better. Next Back to Biography Index Back to Philippe's Home |