Maybe it’s because the NHL cancelled its season, but curling led the sports news just about every night I was in Canada.
The major news story was, of course, the murder of the 4 “Mounties” in Alberta.
Even so, American programs dominated the TV, even on the local channels, and except for a French-speaking station, most of the music on the radio is US pop. And even the French station played US jazz.
Being the Pacific Northwest, it feels like home here. In fact, the prospect of going back to the US feels like foreign travel. Here means escape from the constant stress of there being “not enough” of everything – not enough money, certainly not enough civility, and too many people, especially in traffic.
Vancouver, of course, is a huge city, and it feels like any big city in the US – hurried, crowded, lots of cars.
Vancouver Island – even Victoria – seems to be on a different schedule. Even so, I noticed right away that where I was staying, about 2 hours away from Victoria, people drive fast, consistently exceeding the speed limit.
They probably get away with it because there are, literally, no speed traps. The only times I saw the police on the roadways, they were either adjudicating accidents or directing traffic because of construction.
Continue reading BC Trip, Part II: And Now, Sports. First: Curling