penman2/canada

Mount Rundle in Banff National Park, Canada

When I travelled through the Western US and Canada some years ago, most Americans thought I was Canadian because I was " polite and well-spoken ". After I got over the initial annoyance, I was quite chuffed and since then have yearned for dual nationality (for other reasons too !).

I felt comfortable and at home in Canada. My first realisation that the US was so very different from the UK was at a supermarket in Seattle on my first day. I had flown in the night before and stayed at a motel close to the airport (having arrived at around midnight local time). The combination of jet lag and the noise from the airport when flights started again meant that I had little sleep, felt awful and was very grumpy.

When I took my goods to the supermarket checkout, the cashier asked " And how are you today, Sir ? ". I thanked her for her interest and told her. To this day I haven't forgotten the open mouth and the shocked look on her face.

" Ooops " I thought, " I'd better head for Canada" - which is what I did.

An interesting 'Doomsday' article which not only identifies the worldwide struggle for oil, but what I believe will be the impending wars over water.

It must be borne in mind Canada is one of the largest sources of fresh water in the world. Already parts of the USA have attempted to get agreements to pump their water across the border. It will be interesting to see how the USA attempts to increase its power over Canada to get its hands on a resource-rich country.

Another unashamed plug for my favourite Vancouver gallery, who are also exhibiting some beautiful Maori pieces.

It's the same result every year. I found this out almost 20 years ago and tried to emigrate there, but they didn't want me: the wrong skills and insufficient capital.

Guess you can afford to be very choosy when you're the best place to live in the world.

Filbergview, Vancouver Island by Olof