Oh, Canada

Recently, I've started to split my time between our neighbors to the North and South.  I'm like a living, breathing NAFTA.  Although these two neighbors couldn't be more different, the French-speaking Quebecians and Spanish-speaking "Chilangos" (term of endearment for those from Mexico City) are both a pleasure to work with.

I already posted an ode to Mexico on the blog, but I haven't really mentioned all the wonderful things I've experienced in Canada.   So, briefly below, I've noted a few of my favorite things:

1) Cheese Curds - Why the heck don't we have these in the States?  They're tasty, they're squeaky, and they are so readily available here (even in the gas stations.)  Vermont and Wisconsin - get on the ball and start producing us some curds!

Love those curds!

 2) Just all Food, in General - I called out the cheese curds, but let's face it...I love all the food here.  Right now, I'm ordering some room service, and even the room service menu exudes nothing but pure French goodness.  Some of the favorite things I've put in my mouth here:  veal cheeks (not sure which end these cheeks came from, but I don't care); croque-madame (ham and gruyere on a fresh country bread, served with a fried egg on top);  various tartares from things I didn't even know you could tartare; and a series of other things that I could not pronounce or identify (all of them delicious).  People wonder why I run so much, and obviously one legitimate reason is to counter the saturated fat I consume each trip to Canada.

Croque Madame

3) Overly Suspicious Border Agents - God bless 'em, but you just can't come up with a good enough reason for entering the country that can withstand their hole poking.  Most borders I cross are quite satisfied with "here for business" or "meeting a client", but - to the Canadian Immigration Service - that answer is an open invitation for them to demand your full itinerary.  And, they don't fall for that consultant talk, which usually leaves agents so bored out of their mind that they're practically frantic to stamp that passport and pass you forward.  Personally, I have never been detained (yet); but many colleagues have not been so fortunate.

4) The Snow - okay, anyone who knows me at all knows that this is NOT my favorite part of all this country has to offer.  Because I like to stay positive, I decided not to add another list entitled "things that make me want to run back to my own border..." for this item.  However, it's so flippin' cold here sometimes that I can barely breath.  I've yet to see the city without 3 feet of white stuff, but (staying positive here) I believe their summer - which takes place for 2 weeks in July - is supposed to be GORGEOUS!

Purple means snow, Yellow means LOTS of snow

So, there ya go - a few reasons (if you weren't aware already) that you should love our northern neighbors.  And, the people are lovely, too.  Now, I know that I'm technically spending all my time in Quebec, which some argue is very different from general Canada.  Even some Quebecians themselves struggle with their identity as a Canadian and have wanted to succeed.  As a Texan, I can, of course, relate.  But, I'm not one to get all up in their business and question matters of nationality, so I'm just going to generalize these things above as "Canadian" and call it a day.