USA USA USA

Burrito Belly. Everything's more entertaining with an unflattering photo, non?

So. Everyone always asks how I like Seattle compared to Vancouver. And, of course, since, like most other nationalistic bastards out there, we Canadians are egocentric motherfuckers...so I get quite a few queries such as "Why would you want to live in that crazy country?"

Good question.

George Bush, Southern bible thumpers, and Neo-Nazis may have given this country a bad reputation, but, trust me, there are some redeeming qualities.

I think, if anything, social mores are more regional than national. I remember one time I was telling one of my (gay) friends how happy I was to live in an open-minded and liberal country, and he responded with "well, obviously you've never been to Fort McMurray, Alberta."

Alberta, which my Dad calls "the Texas of Canada," is where our shithead Prime Minister is from. Of course, the minority Conservative government didn't win any seats in Vancouver, Montreal, or Toronto. We have all the rural areas to thank for that. Here is an interesting article about the new Canadian Christian right from a couple of years ago, which discusses how it's a good thing that the Conservatives are a minority government: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20061127/hedges.

Working for the government made me realize how many programs have been affected over the past 5-10 years due to funding issues. Due to the changes in leadership at the provincial and federal levels, many important social programs have been shelved. I used to scan through the directory of obsolete social programs just to see how many had been cut by our increasingly right wing government. Thankfully, universal healthcare isn't threatened. There were countless heartbreaking instances at my job where the Premier of BC would announce some new and innovative new program that would help under 100 people. For instance, one Wednesday Gordon Campbell announced a new program which would provide free visual aids to persons with disabilities. By Thursday, the program was at capacity; however, the government inspired false hope for months by distributing information to non-profits about the overwhelmed program.

I find it amusing when Americans discuss the problems with Canadian healthcare. There must be some right wing think-tanks disseminating a ton of information to Americans about the various problems and limitations with Universal Healthcare. True, there are occasionally long waiting times and people without the communication skills to advocate for themselves are occasionally overlooked. But I've read numerous studies which have proven that the same factions of society (minorities, the elderly, the poor, persons with mental illness, drug abusers, etc) that are not always given the best care in Canada due to communication and comprehension difficulties are generally the same groups that, in the US, have no health coverage whatsoever. Imperfect treatment is better than no treatment at all.


The close-minded Republican element is probably more dominant in American culture than in Canadian; I read an article the other day that discussed how when the Canadian show Degrassi Junior High aired an episode about abortion, U.S. Networks wouldn't allow it on the air. I do feel somewhat uncomfortable living in a country that doesn't allow gay men and lesbians to marry; the few gay weddings I've been to in Vancouver have almost made a romantic out of me.

I currently reside in a thankfully left-wing enclave, Seattle. As long as I avoid the people with "God Bless America" bumper stickers, I'm usually in good company. Although oppressive American foreign and domestic policy deservedly gives the country a bad rap internationally, I don't think anyone can totally dismiss the country which gave birth to so many subversive cultural and social movements. You know, oppression inspires activism, blah blah. Maybe our relatively permissive culture is partially to blame for the lack of Canadian national identity, but hey, I wouldn't trade it. I personally think nationalism is a little weird, anyways. What normal person champions their own government unconditionally? I have to admit, I cringed a little and put on dark glasses and a hoodie when the two year old I look after insisted on wearing a "I Love America" t-shirt her grandparents had sent her, because then I look like the idiot who picked it out for her to wear to the park. I feel nearly the same when she picks out a pink velour hoodie with "Little Princess" lettered in fake crystals across the back.

I moved here on an impulse to 1) be closer to my Yankee boyfriend and 2) for a change. I wasn't really doing anything particularly productive in Vancouver- I've always had the itchy feet and love an excuse for a new adventure.

I made the decision and found an apartment and job within the next week. I, personally, would've preferred to move to London or South America, but...I've always liked hanging out in Seattle, so here I am.

There are some things I really like about America. For one, drink prices- Happy hour is illegal in Canada. Prices in general are cheaper down here, but it does raise some concerns about the dangers of over-consumption, especially in relation to exploitative production practices. Trader Joes is simply amazing. My bias as a newly "old" person is evident here, but I love the 21+ drinking age since it changes the bar dynamic entirely. In Vancouver, especially at dance nights, the bars are overrun with teenagers. I'm not threatened by cute American Apparel-adorned teens, but I do lament that they have driven a lot of the people a bit older than me away from Vancouver nightlife. I've been sneaking into bars since before there were hipster dance nights, and when I was an underager I used to idolize all of the cool people who were ten years older than me. Now, it seems like anyone over 27 is considered passe. In contrast, in Seattle the median age is a lot older- at shows you frequently see people in their thirties and forties. Since I don't plan to be living the surburban dream in a decade, I like to see people who give me hope for my future.