Mid Winter

Mid Winter Rant

This isn’t a complaint about weather. I live in Canada along with 36.71 million other people. Here’s something interesting. A whopping 21 %  of my fellow residents were not born in Canada  ……yes, you read that right. Chances are they come from a part of the world that either has mild winters or none at all. But they’re here because it’s one of the best places in the world to live and to raise their children. I doubt whether they’re cursing their luck because it’s cold and snowy for part of the year. 

No, the ones who complain are at least 3rd G (generation), over 50 and use two seats at the donut shop.

Saturday Afternoon At Tim Hortons

Marg:   Oh jeez look at the line up. We’d be better off doin’ the drive thru and bringing it in eh?

Alf:   They frown on that Marg.

Marg:   You’re such a wimp Alf. You follow all the rules. You’re like a little sheep. Baa. While we’re on the subject, why do you let your boss walk all over you eh?

Alf:   Jobs is scarce Marg. The steel mills is shuttin’ down. Factories been gone for twenty years. Yer up to a 10 dollar box of donuts a day. Yer smokes are 14 dollars a pack…..

Marg:   I’ll interrupt you there with no apology. Yer 5 dollar beers at O’Reillys on Friday and Saturday?….. Might be okay if you didn’t drink 10 of ’em. Why isn’t this jeezly line movin’?

Alf:   It’s movin’ but ya can’t tell cause it’s mostly Asian. They can get three where there’s usually one. Where we gonna sit anyway? No goddam way we’ll find 4 seats together. Oh jeez Marg….look at that. A moving tent!

Marg:   Yer a moron Alf. It’s either a Bjorka or a Kneecap. Taliban women wear ‘em. Anyone could wear ‘em eh? Who’d know?

Alf:   They’d know it if you wore one Marg. On the back it would say Walmart Family Camping – Sleeps five. OUCH!!! Shit, it was a joke.

Marg:   Yer one to talk. Soon we’ll be needin’ a block and tackle just to get you outa bed. Oh jeez, it’s startin’ to snow again. 

Alf:   Feck! I hate goddam winter. I gotta move south. Canada’s not like it used to be anyway. Too many foreigners. 

Marg:   Shut it Alf. You can’t have a bowel movement without seeing the doctor. What do you think that’d cost in Florida, eh? 

1st Gs bring their culture with them and tend to settle in their own communities.

2nd Gs retain a lot of their parent’s traditions, cuisine and language but are very assimilated into Canadianism, whatever the hell that is, and bring their flavours to the melting pot. I’ll include 1st Gs who arrive very young.

3rd Gs and above are most of us who live here. Completely accepted as Canadians unless we’re a visible minority.

This has been going on for more than 200 years. As a result, Canadian culture has elements from all over the world. A wonderful melange of tastes, attitudes, traditions and philosophies.