Trip Talk

Thursday, Aug. 19, 2004 09:03

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I return from the Great White North. (Which this time of year is green with twinges of orange, yellow and brown.) Believe me when I say Canada is definately another country. It is amazing to me how stepping across some imaginary line (after being interrogated by Federal Agents)can immediatly land one in a foreign land.

Landing in Cananda always makes me angry with my country regarding our refusal to adopt the metric system. The problem, as I see it, is the way we were being taught. Instead of just saying, "We're going to start measuring things like this, throw out your old rulers." we were taught how meters and liters compared to miles and quarts, which only made us hold onto our old measurements more. I had to force myself to not do that and grasp metrics as a whole instead. By the end of my trip I was getting pretty good at estimating distances, and I knew that 24 degrees C was going to be hot, but trying to calculate the price of gas was beyond me.

I don't care for the food in Canada, they manage to make everything taste like it was deep-fried in old grease, but I did soak the company for my main meal on the way home. I ate at a place called Boston Pizza. After a bad experience with Canadian pepperoni the night before, I didn't want pizza, but I had garlic bread and penne that was wonderful. Then I treated myself to dessert. A ridiculously sinful thing that was chocolate mousse, with a chocolate cake "crust", walnuts, and chunks of cheesecake inside, drizzled in caramel and chocolate sauce with whipped cream. I think I laughed the whole time I ate it. It was insanely good.

I left Tuesday at 7am and got home last night at 7pm. Now I'm home and need to get the gumption to go to work. I think, personally, they should give me the day off, but the boss didn't bite. I'll finish this and unpack and shower and dress and drag my ass in there sometime after noon.

Things I learned on my trip:

*Don't wear wool to a truck assembly plant in the summer - even if it is in Canada.

*Canadian speed limits are merely suggestions.

*Canadians find tailgating to be an art.

*Canadians are very proud of their Olympc atheletes, no matter how few medals they win. (As we all should be.)

*Canadians really like parks.

*Canadians value nature above lakefront property.

*If the building is fine, stay there. There's not a lot of abandoned storefronts in Canada.

*Canadians like coffee. There's a Tim Hortons on every corner.

*Canadians like Hockey...a lot. I passed Bobby Orr elementary school. They even have hockey on their money. The sports reports are full of it, even in the dead of summer.

*Canadians like beer. And they don't pretend not to. There are more "Beer Stores" than drug stores or gas stations.

*Anything really cool is in Toronto.

*Getting into Canada is easier than getting out.

I should pretend now that I'm going to work. I really don't want to go. Later.

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