so i've recently had a big revelation in my life. i mean i think i've known for a while really, but i feel like i've got to be honest with you, my dear readers. i have to come out of the closet about something. i'm in love... with canada.
i remember back in the days when i used to make fun of our northern neighbor, even going to far as to scoffingly ask my us history teacher, "what could canadians possibly study in their history class?" but even back in high school, i think i was starting to realize my true feelings. my first clue was when i met malcolm gladwell, and heard the dulcet tones of the canadian accent in all their glory for the first time. i remember trying to practice speaking like him, to capture the subtlety of "about." seriously, cuz they don't really say it like "aboot", its this nice curving of the "out" sound over the tongue.
anyway, since then, i guess its just been a slow development, as i've increasingly learned that actors and musicians i liked were from canada. degrassi. ellen page. tegan and sara. oh, and then there that was spring break in college. my friends and i went to montreal, my first time over the border, and i just thought it was the nicest city, very urban-feeling but laid back and pretty at the same time (and i saw my first crack deal and subsequent crack smoking from the window of our cheap hotel.) and then when i went traveling in asia this fall, honestly i could totally guess if a person was canadian or american. and that is because if someone seemed really, deeply nice, they were always canadian.
so i was feeling all of these feelings, but recently i had a culminating moment where i knew for sure. i was working at the bookstore, and this very nice family was buying a book for their son. when they paid, they gave me these bizarre looking coins. so i said, "this isn't money." and they said, "oh, sorry! it's canadian money. that's where we're from, and we got confused." and i almost jumped over the counter and hugged them. i wanted to shout, "i love canadians!" but i couldn't think of a socially normal way to communicate the warm feeling in my heart. so i just smiled, and wished them a good evening.
so yes, i love canada. i almost want to move there, except i don't know anyone in canada and new york is the love of my life. but like, i wish new york was in canada. i feel like we mesh better with them than with the shitty rest of our country. they are so awesomely liberal, and not completely blocked out of reality by massive advertising. and they've got this cool alterna-style. and i could get married there.