The quote above, I have heard several times since moving back to Canada, 3 times in the last week alone. I sit and wonder, is there something in the water? Now don’t get me wrong, it is a nice city. My problem stems from the idea that a lot of these people can’t wrap their head around the idea that the world is so much bigger than Canada. So even if you feel that this is the best city in the country, you have no basis for it being the best city in the world. (I do not agree that Vancouver is the best city in Canada.)

The problem I see here, is the same problem I see when I travel almost anywhere. “My Country/ City /Province is so much better than the place I am now.” The problem with these people is that they have judged a place before they see it. And they can’t/won’t change their preconceived notions. And sometimes they are hard to change. I know that for me, before 2003, My idea of Los Angeles was the opening scene from Predator 2. Gang warfare on every street corner, the police fighting against the gangs, the citizens caught in the crossfire. What changed? I WENT to Los Angeles, and had a good friend show me around. It’s a pretty nice city. (I like it better than I do Vancouver…)

Another problem I see is lack of knowledge. The people I have talked to have all called the rest of Canada “Boring” with nothing to do. Funny That’s how I feel in Vancouver most days. Do some research, whatever you find “Fun” will be the same in every city across Canada, except maybe swimming in the ocean, which you can find on the Atlantic Coast just as easily as the Pacific coast. If you go to Montreal and want to go clubbing, find out about the club scene before you go.

And the last complaint I have no solution for. Vancouverites can’t stand the cold, and the rest of Canada is too darn cold. I actually love snow, and cold weather and was very disappointed to find both lacking here. I wanted to make snowmen with the kids, and take them tobogganing and have snowball fights. The simple joys of life for a typical

On the other hand I have seen a lot more negativity in Vancouver than I remember being in Canada since I returned, More people who are Health-paranoid, and yet Uber-caffeinated. I have seen more racism and sexism than I am comfortable with. The Racism is very sly and subtle but it oozes across Vancouver, the sexism is not so subtle. I have met a ton of pierced & tattooed people who swear their kids are not allowed to do either.

I sit and wonder, why this city is so different from the rest of Canada. I have always been proud of our Cold Winters, our multi-lingual & multi-cultural Heritage, our ability to welcome people from the world with open arms, and our ability to help each other when in need. Very little of each of these have I seen since moving to the Vancouver area. I wonder if when we return to Canada if this is the place we will settle, I hope we settle in a place a bit more Canadian, eh?