My Current Thoughs on America
In Washington, it`s Illegal to drive in the left lane on the highway, except to pass. In the event someone IS driving in in, and you`re driving faster than they are, they`ll move into the right lane for long enough that you can pass safely without alteringyour speed.
You NEVER see this level of courtesy in Canada. Except the odd occasion you pull up behind an American in the fast lane, and then it happens. It`s like magic... the berpolite American Driver.
Not sure where the roots of this behavior originates - maybe an inbred fear of the guy behind you opening fire if you piss him off? It doesn`t matter - it`s something that needs to happen in Canada.
In Canada, people live to cut other people off on the highway, and then slow down and box them in. This rude behavior is the reason it`s illegal to carry guns in Canada... the species "Humanus Canadianus" would be extinct inside 6 weeks. We might be a culture of people who are internationally renowned for being friendly - but that`s mostly because we only travel abroad when we`re soused, and as such, not allowed to drive. It`s for the best really - the average Canadian driver in most nations of the world, free or otherwise, would be jailed within 5 minutes of first starting a car.
Anyways, back to the USA.
Made in the USA is no guarantee of quality. Sorry to all the Americans I know - but really, all made in the USA means is "We imported the Mexicans illegally, and pay them a pittance to manufacture cheap goods from substandard materials"
Made in Canada, on the other hand, means "made in China, but assembled in Canada"
I realize this is a recurring concept in my journal... it`s because I`m still working my way through the fast food of the Pacific Northwest... so here, for the last time, is a recap of my experiences in US fast food and retail.
The Taco Bell/Taco Time debate, forever solved.
The best value you can get at a Taco Place is at Taco Bell USA.
The best food you can get from a Taco Place is at Taco Time USA
The most expensive is a close draw between Taco Bell Canada and Taco Time USA.
Taco Bell in Canada is gross, has tiny portions, and overpriced.
Taco Time in Canada is good, gives you plenty of food, and reasonably priced.
Taco Bell in the US is okay, and so fucking cheap you could keep a family of 5 fed well (2 meals a day) for 20 bucks.
Taco Time in the USA is outstanding, and freaking expensive, their portions are pretty huge. You`d be able to keep 1 person well fed for a day on about 20 dollars.
Starbucks is ever more overpriced in the US than in Canada.
The Edaleen Dairy in Lynden Washington (which supplies milk for Starbucks) has some of the best milk, cheese, ice cream (hard and soft), and latts in the world.
Hot Topic is a really, really cool store. I wish I`d found it when I was young and fit enough to be classified as cool.
Denny`s is far better in the USA than in Canada.
IHOP is far better in Canada than the US.
The US Walmart stores are scary, they`re so big. There are actually some countries with less land mass than Walmart has acquired in the USA (the store just outside of Seattle is apparently almost a full kilometer across, and just as deep. The Home Depot next to it is of the giant size home depot, and it`s about half the size of the Walmart.)
I like the cheap booze in Safeway, and the Sobe drinks with steroids in them.
A&W Cream Soda, and Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper
So far I`ve explored Bellingham, and a bit of Seattle... as well as some driving in both Whatcom county and Skagit county. there`s obviously a lot left to explore, and I intend to keep going as long as the exchange rate remains reasonable. The best part of being in the USA? The food, and the service, and the considerate drivers. The best part of trips to the USA? Coming home.
I like knowing if I have a car accident at home, and end up in the hospital, they won`t ask me to pay for anything.
I like knowing if I have a chest pain, I can go to a walk-in clinic, and they`ll find out what`s wrong with me, and fix it, or send me to the right place. No Charge.
That being said, I like seeing new places too much to not go - and I`d like to think that people who hate Canada`s leadership would still do us the honour of visiting us anyways... so even though I hate George W. Bush, I`m happy to consider the citizens ofthe US - neighbors I`m proud to mingle with on occasion, and happy to have next door.
Spending time in their country has changed my perspectives a little bit - not a lot, but a little bit. They may have changed more, but I`ve met too many wonderful people from the US to have held too poor of an opinion to begin with, despite all the political crap you hear. From what I can see, all the political crap happens despite the people.
In Washington, it`s Illegal to drive in the left lane on the highway, except to pass. In the event someone IS driving in in, and you`re driving faster than they are, they`ll move into the right lane for long enough that you can pass safely without alteringyour speed.
You NEVER see this level of courtesy in Canada. Except the odd occasion you pull up behind an American in the fast lane, and then it happens. It`s like magic... the berpolite American Driver.
Not sure where the roots of this behavior originates - maybe an inbred fear of the guy behind you opening fire if you piss him off? It doesn`t matter - it`s something that needs to happen in Canada.
In Canada, people live to cut other people off on the highway, and then slow down and box them in. This rude behavior is the reason it`s illegal to carry guns in Canada... the species "Humanus Canadianus" would be extinct inside 6 weeks. We might be a culture of people who are internationally renowned for being friendly - but that`s mostly because we only travel abroad when we`re soused, and as such, not allowed to drive. It`s for the best really - the average Canadian driver in most nations of the world, free or otherwise, would be jailed within 5 minutes of first starting a car.
Anyways, back to the USA.
Made in the USA is no guarantee of quality. Sorry to all the Americans I know - but really, all made in the USA means is "We imported the Mexicans illegally, and pay them a pittance to manufacture cheap goods from substandard materials"
Made in Canada, on the other hand, means "made in China, but assembled in Canada"
I realize this is a recurring concept in my journal... it`s because I`m still working my way through the fast food of the Pacific Northwest... so here, for the last time, is a recap of my experiences in US fast food and retail.
The Taco Bell/Taco Time debate, forever solved.
The best value you can get at a Taco Place is at Taco Bell USA.
The best food you can get from a Taco Place is at Taco Time USA
The most expensive is a close draw between Taco Bell Canada and Taco Time USA.
Taco Bell in Canada is gross, has tiny portions, and overpriced.
Taco Time in Canada is good, gives you plenty of food, and reasonably priced.
Taco Bell in the US is okay, and so fucking cheap you could keep a family of 5 fed well (2 meals a day) for 20 bucks.
Taco Time in the USA is outstanding, and freaking expensive, their portions are pretty huge. You`d be able to keep 1 person well fed for a day on about 20 dollars.
Starbucks is ever more overpriced in the US than in Canada.
The Edaleen Dairy in Lynden Washington (which supplies milk for Starbucks) has some of the best milk, cheese, ice cream (hard and soft), and latts in the world.
Hot Topic is a really, really cool store. I wish I`d found it when I was young and fit enough to be classified as cool.
Denny`s is far better in the USA than in Canada.
IHOP is far better in Canada than the US.
The US Walmart stores are scary, they`re so big. There are actually some countries with less land mass than Walmart has acquired in the USA (the store just outside of Seattle is apparently almost a full kilometer across, and just as deep. The Home Depot next to it is of the giant size home depot, and it`s about half the size of the Walmart.)
I like the cheap booze in Safeway, and the Sobe drinks with steroids in them.
A&W Cream Soda, and Cherry Vanilla Dr. Pepper
So far I`ve explored Bellingham, and a bit of Seattle... as well as some driving in both Whatcom county and Skagit county. there`s obviously a lot left to explore, and I intend to keep going as long as the exchange rate remains reasonable. The best part of being in the USA? The food, and the service, and the considerate drivers. The best part of trips to the USA? Coming home.
I like knowing if I have a car accident at home, and end up in the hospital, they won`t ask me to pay for anything.
I like knowing if I have a chest pain, I can go to a walk-in clinic, and they`ll find out what`s wrong with me, and fix it, or send me to the right place. No Charge.
That being said, I like seeing new places too much to not go - and I`d like to think that people who hate Canada`s leadership would still do us the honour of visiting us anyways... so even though I hate George W. Bush, I`m happy to consider the citizens ofthe US - neighbors I`m proud to mingle with on occasion, and happy to have next door.
Spending time in their country has changed my perspectives a little bit - not a lot, but a little bit. They may have changed more, but I`ve met too many wonderful people from the US to have held too poor of an opinion to begin with, despite all the political crap you hear. From what I can see, all the political crap happens despite the people.
wal mart is, slowly but surely, taking over the world. I worked there too, so Ive got all the inside info
bham tip: on a sunny day if you have time to spare (about 40 minutes) go down through Fairhaven to chuckanut drive. it's a beautiful road along the coast you can see out into the san juan islands through massive evergreens, it's absolutely breathtaking.
Im glad you like us Yankees. I like most Canadians Ive met!