Repatriate Me!

My inaugural post in the 5 Things category was about 5 Things I will miss about Korea. Now it’s time to talk about 5 things I’m looking forward to about Canada. Just a reminder, this will be a regular style post around here where I talk about 5 things – either good or bad about Korea or Canada.

1. Grass not the kind you smoke, but rather the kind that you have on your front lawn and in parks. Grass, in Korea, is a protected and endangered plan or at least that’s how it seems. You can look at it, but not touch it. When you go to a park, you can see the grass, but it is all fenced off. Instead you are expected to bring a mat and lay it out on either the cement or packed dirt. There is only one park that I’ve found where you are allowed to use the grass to sit on, play on or whatever. – Next summer, I’ll be sure to take a picture of one of these signs
2. Snow It barely snows in Seoul – this is both a good and a bad thing. It’s good because I don’t really enjoy the cold too much, but it’s bad because my kids are missing out on building snow forts, tobogganing, snowball fights and building a snowman. Not too mention ice skating, skiing, ice hockey and street hockey. All things that I enjoyed as a kid.
3. Supermarkets Can you say selection, I knew you could. While the selection has improved a lot in the time I’ve been here in Korea it’s still pretty low and prices are much higher than in Canada. Additionally I“m looking forward to walking down supermarket aisles which are wide enough to fit one cart going in each direction and a little extra space. Many of the bigger marts here (e-mart, hyundai, grand-mart to name a few) have everything packed in so narrow you can barely fit two people in an aisle let alone 2 people with carts.
4. Driving I look forward to driving in a country where traffic laws are actually obeyed, enforced and respected (for the most part). Here driving makes me angry every single time I get behind the wheel. In the 5 minute drive to my daughters school I can guarantee to see 3 or more cars run red lights and be cut off at least twice a week. And the best part is that if a cop does see this, they ignore it unless that particular law is being enforced for that month. Yes in Korea laws are occaisionally publicized with a 1 month crackdown during which drivers will follow that particular rule, but as soon as it’s over everyone goes back to being asshats in a steel box. Driving in Canada will be peaceful and relaxing.
5. Anonymity In Canada I will be able to blend in wherever I go. Here I stick out like a sore thumb and on occasion get stares & glares just because I am a foreigner. Not a pleasant feeling. This has definitely reduced dramatically since I first came to Korea in 1997. In any case, I won’t have to think about it at all once I’m back in Canada.

Oct 19, 2009 Comments(4) Tweet

5 things - canada