I'm so glad my buddy Michael is back in the states. :) I read an entry recently about his trip and got a bit inspired by it and thought i'd also reflect on my trip a bit after being able to think about things.

Now I enjoyed my trip, it was a great time and a great visit, but I wonder if that's just it...great to visit. Not that here is anything special that's for sure. But maybe I'd be looking for a happy medium. I hate to say this but I am going to be very candid here in what i'm going to say. Now that my 'white boy disclaimer' is out....

I realize that it's a whole 'melting' pot of people, but at least out there, I was THE ONLY white guy out there...and one doesn't feel very 'welcome' when no one looks, no one says hi, no one does anything....they just ignore you and tha's it. I was in a few smaller centres like that, Minot ND for instance. You try to be friendly and there is NO personal greetings, no pleasantness, nothing. Just soulless transactions with robotic people. That's what it was like out there save but a few black girls who would walk around thinking 'uh huh i'm HAWT' lol. That at least was entertaining.

I guess it was more the impersonal ness of it all that I saw. In downtown toronto it wasn't so bad, people are a little more varietal out there than the suburbs but I swear most of the other places it was like going into our local Mowhawk gas stations...run by souless smileless happiless people that seem to look right thru you like you don't exist. NO small talk, NO talk at all. Even in this snobby little place known as Saskatoon, you still get SOME humanity. I really dont' know what it is about certain types of people. Asians are usually not bad at all, and blend into the culture way better, actually seem to LIKE their lives etc.

These Indian or Hindu's or even the blacks out there, none of them were really nice to a person. Not to a white boy anyways lol. I will say this though. The african americans from what I saw were great. Just the pure immigrants were the ones that got me. The ones downtown toronto were absolutely fine, but back in Brampton? Naw...it's like 'what are you doing in OUR town...i will not dirty myself by talking to you infidel....'. that's almost what it felt like. Not very welcomming.

So when people ask if I'd like to live there? Perhaps in a more 'mixed' neibourhood, where SOME people will actually ask you how your day is....or SOMETHING...anything. If you aren't going to be nice in our country? get the hell out. Go back home. Me, if I move sometime, which i'm sure I will....I want to find a place that has at least a few friendly people, where I can actually feel KIND of welcome, and where it would be a good place where one can actually feel good about thier neibours etc. I know for sure that visiting such a place first would be a good thing.

I'm sure there are other suburbs that are fine out there, but brampton? it's fine but not welcomming. It's safe but again, not welcomming at all.

As much as i rail on saskatoon, at least it's home (for now) and my girlie, and my parents and OTHERS that are at least personable (like the ones at my gym, starbucks etc) are here and i'm happy for that.