An American Explorer in Canada

3113

Hello Summer!
Joined
Nov 1, 2005
Posts
13,823
Day one: Have arrived on Canadian soil.

http://www.elydogsledtrips.com/images/bring.jpg

The natives seem friendly, even welcoming. They also seem to understand English which, after a flight where everything was repeated in French, is a relief. I am seeing signs of civilization as well. Starbucks. Sears. Walmart. Weather is...chilly. Have not yet seen the fabled "snow" or "rain" of which northerners speak. Probably, as suspected, fables and myths.

I will maintain this daily diary for as long as I'm able. What I fear most is the loss of wi-fi. If that happens, I will find a way to manage with ethernet. For now, I will continue bravely in my explorations of this northern land.....
 
tip: ignore Starbucks. Get thee to a Tim Horton's. MUCH better. :)
 
Day one: Have arrived on Canadian soil.

http://www.elydogsledtrips.com/images/bring.jpg

The natives seem friendly, even welcoming. They also seem to understand English which, after a flight where everything was repeated in French, is a relief. I am seeing signs of civilization as well. Starbucks. Sears. Walmart. Weather is...chilly. Have not yet seen the fabled "snow" or "rain" of which northerners speak. Probably, as suspected, fables and myths.

I will maintain this daily diary for as long as I'm able. What I fear most is the loss of wi-fi. If that happens, I will find a way to manage with ethernet. For now, I will continue bravely in my explorations of this northern land.....

Just keep in mind 3113, that even though the natives seem civilized they can turn on you in a second. For example if you say "Who double parked the freakin' moose?" they may take offense. If they do turn nasty remember to repeat the universal phrase of friendship "Hey, Hoser, hockey's a game for sissies, eh!"
 
Two dollar coins!:eek: What the hell? No one warned me about this!
 
Two dollar coins!:eek: What the hell? No one warned me about this!

No one warned you about the loonies and the toonies??? (I am referring to the money not the natives...:))

Wait until you get a pocketful...can really weigh you down...which can be helpful when you are trying to balance on the ice.

BTW, be careful...the beer is a tad stronger up here...
Don't say I didn't warn you.
 
Two dollar coins!:eek: What the hell? No one warned me about this!

LOL! Our $2 coins are twonies. The $1 coin has a loon on it, so we call them Loonies. Careful about your use of the term "native'. We have the Mi'kmaq in Nova Scotia and all the way up north is the Innu. They were here long, long before Europeans and my French ancestors interbred with them. Canada is a a native word for "the village'. Yes, stick to Tim Hortons if you want coffee, or doughnuts.
 
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Evening: Ran out of supplies and was forced to wander out into the dark in search of a place to eat. The night air is, indeed, cold. It also smells of fertilizer. Maybe because the city is surrounded by farmland? :confused:

Up till now I have been impressed with how very civilized this quaint country is...then I ordered an iced tea to go with my meal.

It was sweetened! :eek: These poor, poor people. To have their ice tea sweetened for them! No wonder they still believe in myths of rain and snow! Perhaps that is my true mission here: to teach these wonderful folk that every individual has a god-given right to sweeten their own iced tea.
 
Evening: Ran out of supplies and was forced to wander out into the dark in search of a place to eat. The night air is, indeed, cold. It also smells of fertilizer. Maybe because the city is surrounded by farmland? :confused:

Up till now I have been impressed with how very civilized this quaint country is...then I ordered an iced tea to go with my meal.

It was sweetened! :eek: These poor, poor people. To have their ice tea sweetened for them! No wonder they still believe in myths of rain and snow! Perhaps that is my true mission here: to teach these wonderful folk that every individual has a god-given right to sweeten their own iced tea.

I highly recommend Milestones downtown for a fantastic meal, or Fiorre's on 17th ave (sw) if you want cheap, but delicious italian. Rick's is a pretty good place for a steak.

As far as iced tea goes, I prefer the Canadian stuff to any that I've ever had in America :p But I just drink beer when I'm out anyway


Btw, welcome to the city. Too bad the Devonian Gardens are closed for renovations, they're really quite lovely and would've been a nice sight to see. However, the butterfly room in the zoo is worth checking out.
 
I highly recommend Milestones downtown for a fantastic meal, or Fiorre's on 17th ave (sw) if you want cheap, but delicious italian. Rick's is a pretty good place for a steak.

As far as iced tea goes, I prefer the Canadian stuff to any that I've ever had in America :p But I just drink beer when I'm out anyway


Btw, welcome to the city. Too bad the Devonian Gardens are closed for renovations, they're really quite lovely and would've been a nice sight to see. However, the butterfly room in the zoo is worth checking out.

Look out 3! It's a trap!!! They presweeten their gardens and butterflies too!!!
 
Evening: Ran out of supplies and was forced to wander out into the dark in search of a place to eat. The night air is, indeed, cold. It also smells of fertilizer. Maybe because the city is surrounded by farmland? :confused:

Up till now I have been impressed with how very civilized this quaint country is...then I ordered an iced tea to go with my meal.

It was sweetened! :eek: These poor, poor people. To have their ice tea sweetened for them! No wonder they still believe in myths of rain and snow! Perhaps that is my true mission here: to teach these wonderful folk that every individual has a god-given right to sweeten their own iced tea.

LOL! That reminds me of the first time I ordered Ice Tea outside of Canada (in Michigan)...
Took a nice deep swallow, fully expecting sweetness...and BLECH. :eek:
My sensitive, loving friend laughed her ass off...
:eek:
 
LOL! That reminds me of the first time I ordered Ice Tea outside of Canada (in Michigan)...
Took a nice deep swallow, fully expecting sweetness...and BLECH. :eek:
My sensitive, loving friend laughed her ass off...
:eek:

Real iced tea is sweet. :D
 
These poor, poor people.

Perhaps that is my true mission here: to teach these wonderful folk .......................................................

It might not be the best idea to tell everone you meet that you are there to help the ignorant slobs, just a suggestion.

(Lisa runs away laffin)

:rose:
 
He is here, the Storm God arrives! Don the ritual slickers, let the sprinkler-timer be ceremonially turned off. Blessed be the rain! Repent of your unbelief, Sinner, that gales and Norther's may anoint you.
 
He is here, the Storm God arrives! Don the ritual slickers, let the sprinkler-timer be ceremonially turned off. Blessed be the rain! Repent of your unbelief, Sinner, that gales and Norther's may anoint you.

Ummm VM, would you mind closing the blinds. All that sunshine is hurting my eyes. Oh, and take off that stupid plastic coat you look like a flasher! (I like the hat with the horns though)
 
Hehe...cute 3 :D

Where in Canuck land are you?

:)

Hey Gracey! How are you? Hear you and Misty are still going strong-congrats!

And just to get back to the thread topic----Glad to hear all is going well, 3113, sorry about the ice-tea, we didn't mean to cause an international incident. We're sorry.
Really, we are. But, hopefully we can make it up to you by having unseasonably warm weather while you are here.

Have you been to Banff yet? Or out for your fancy dinner? If you are downtown there are several places to see plays and concerts.

Or, if you are going for a walk, hope a bus or cab to Inglewood and go for a wander, definately worth an afternoon or two if you are into funky. Be sure to stop at the Hose and Hound for a pint. If you have a couple of them you may see the fabled ghost.

Or if you are into posh, then head to Uptown 17, great shopping if you are into high end stuff.

Anyways, glad to hear you are having fun:)

PS You really should try the dogsledding-too bad it's not snowing-this is the first Hallowe'en that I know of with out a few minutes of snow anyways:rolleyes:
 
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He is here, the Storm God arrives! Don the ritual slickers, let the sprinkler-timer be ceremonially turned off. Blessed be the rain! Repent of your unbelief, Sinner, that gales and Norther's may anoint you.

Ummm VM, would you mind closing the blinds. All that sunshine is hurting my eyes. Oh, and take off that stupid plastic coat you look like a flasher! (I like the hat with the horns though)
The man's delusional! My weather reports of my homelands in the South sayeth that the sun still shines, as it always had and always will! A balmy 79 degrees!
 
Where in Canuck land are you?
I am exploring the strange mid-northern city of Calgary. It is built primarily of stone and has three first streets...I've no idea why.

And just to get back to the thread topic----Glad to hear all is going well, 3113, sorry about the ice-tea, we didn't mean to cause an international incident.
I understand. Northern ways and all. I must learn not to judge so quickly...but it took me by surprise. Along with the two dollar coins ;)

Or out for your fancy dinner?
Tonight! Will report back on it. I am having some kind of allergic reaction likely to the chemicals used by the hotel. I always do bad in hotels. So...is it chemist, drugstore or pharmacy? I need to find some kind of decongestant.

too bad it's not snowing-this is the first Hallowe'en that I know of with out a few minutes of snow anyways
Yeah! What's up with that? Sunny and dry I can get in California. I come all this way at this time of year and I can't get even a sprinkling of snow? I'm beginning to think that's as mythic as VM's "rain." ;)
 
I am exploring the strange mid-northern city of Calgary. It is built primarily of stone and has three first streets...I've no idea why.

*shudder* my psycho-bitch ex is from Clagary Alberta...if you run into a jumped up little bitch with a welsh first name, and the lead character in The Matrix's Surname...run. run as fast as you can in the opposite direction.

Other than that...do have fun :D :)
 
Tonight! Will report back on it. I am having some kind of allergic reaction likely to the chemicals used by the hotel. I always do bad in hotels. So...is it chemist, drugstore or pharmacy? I need to find some kind of decongestant.

Drugstore or pharmacy will do. Chemist might get you taken to see somewhere else. ;)

If you want to sound like a local ask the cabbie to take you to the nearest London drugs.
 
if you get up to edmonton the blue plate (104 street just north of jasper av) has unsweetened homemade ice tea (and makes a good tuna melt).
 
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