So like a decade ago I knew this kid from Alberta and somehow we got into a discussion about the size of Canada's population. He was arguing that Canada nearly had as many people as the US, claimed like 200 million. And I was like, no way, 30 million tops. He was all, there are lots of big cities in Canada, and I was all, there are like 5 and they are all like within 30 miles of the border. Anyway, we looked it up and I was right. He blamed it on Canada's educational system because they taught more about America and Canada. Was he just full of shit? By the way I love Canada and I actually ended up defending your educational system and telling him he was just stupid. I don't remember how the discussion started. I think he just had a serious inferiority complex.
No, the educational system here is pretty rad, but it's surprisingly Canada-focused. You'd think living next to the US that there would be more effort to have people educated on the country, but I suppose they assume Canadians learn all they need to know about America from TV. Surprisingly, I've found this to be mostly true. Either that kid was yanking your chain, or a dummy. Also, Albertans are like the red-necks of Canada, so there's a tad more self-aggrandizing bull-shit from people from that province than most. Being oil-rich seems to make people boastful and ignorant for some reason.
Yikes Paul - that's more than an 8 hour drive. I would be super happy to meet you in person though. Seriously, unless you have other reasons to head to the area, please don't- that's way too much effort.
Why Gulf Shores? It's a long explanation, without a lot of interesting points, but I'll try to keep it brief. I got a new job, which I start May 3rd, but I only had to give my current employer a week's notice, leaving me with a wonderful week off to do whatever I please with. I mentioned this to one of my best friends, who is from Alabama but has lived in Canada for a long time. She has recently had to leave her job with an organization related to receiving and investigating reports of on-line child exploitation and child porn (due to stress), and we had been working on the job hunt together for quite a while related to our mutual need for better jobs. Since she's unemployed, she told me she was planning on heading to the beach house she and her dad jointly own and rent out, which is in Gulf Shores, for some R&R, and since I was free, invited me to join her. I checked my air miles, and sure enough, I have enough to fly to Mobile for free, so I'm headed for a free vacation on the Gulf of Mexico, which is pretty rad, since it's definitely not beach weather in Canada for another month or so. In regard to the question of why my unemployed friend has a beach house we can use at our leisure, I should note she is the wife of the scientist I was at one point the assistant to - the one who I almost had to order Ebola monkeys for had I stuck it out working for him. They are well off, but thankfully neither she nor he are dicks about their affluence, as they both come from humble beginnings.
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Topic: Gulf Shore Alabama (Read 9810 times)