|
Whenever I travel, even to 1st world countries like Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, I thank my luck stars that I live in Canada. This is not an exageration. But to tell you the truth, i feel more estranged from here, when I have to spend prolonged periods of time in the States. I worked for a month straight in columbia SC, and it was just similar enough that I was constantly reminded of home.
Even when working in Fort Lee NJ or Pittsburgh, i would look out the window of the airplane on approach to Toronto, and feel the need to be back in my town. The times that i have spent in Europe and Asia did not affect me in such a way because they are sufficently different countries that I wasn't affected by the verisimilitude.
Canada has its problems, but they are our own. and we deal with them. Americans may think that our taxes are high, but really, I don't think that they are totally out of line. I dont like paying 8% sales tax and 7 % gst, nor do i like to pay income tax, but like they say, you gotta be making in to be paying it. If i can manage to save, buy a house, and live a comfortable lifestyle, then I think that is pretty decent. We don't have to dodge land mines to get to work. That's a big problem in a lot of the world!
Plus, I love the winter, so that helps. Our street in the beaches has had an impromptu igloo/qwinzy/snow house building contest, with each ront yard sporting a large construct of some sort, and scotch/wine drinking neighbours out socializing while the kids do the building. It's great!
|