North vs. South take 2
Things I like best about visiting "down south":
- The food. I ate at some awesome restaurants over the Easter holidays... The Keg, Mexicali Rosa's, House Budda... and of course the mandatory Wendy's stop.
- The selection. While Square One can be a bit overwhelming... and Walmart almost sent me into a panic attack... it sure is nice to hem and haw over the different styles of carpet steamer, rather than throw up your arms in frustration because the Northern doesn't even SELL vacuums.
- The anonymity. Yes. I actually like being anonymous at times. While the north does specialize in people greeting you by name... sometimes you just want to fade into the background. Something that's near impossible when you are a very visible minority.
- No slush. I hate hate hate hate slush. I'll be the first to admit I'm somewhat vertically challenged. And I also have this funny little habit of always tucking my legs up underneath me when I sit down. Be it on a couch, kitchen table chair... or at my desk at work. So short-Jackie + slush = wet bottoms of pants. Wet bottoms of pants + leg-tucking habits = soggy bottom Jackie. Not fun. But because it's so damn cold up here... I've not seen slush since... um... ok. I don't ever remember seeing slush in Rankin. I'm sure we'll get it come end of April or May or something... but I've got some rockin rain boots for when that happens.
- Pay phones: not only are they easier to find (though that may change, now that cell phone service exists) but it only costs 25 cents to make a call. It's 50 cents at the Toronto airport.
- Phone numbers: With the exception of Iqaluit... each community basically has its own mini-area code. 867 for the territory... then 645 for Rankin 857 for Arviat 793 for Baker... the list goes on. It just means you only have to remember four numbers instead of seven. Or ten in Ottawa/Quebec City/Toronto... etc.
9 comments:
LOL....i seem to have somehow deleted my own comment. Anyhow, I was going to say I certainly don't miss the slush "down there". I think it will get you know matter how tall or short you are. I also think its wierd when everyone ignores me when I head off to visit my parents back in Ontario. I've grown accustomed I guess to saying hello 30 times everytime I walk to work or the Northern or the Co-op or.......
ummmm, you forgot the most important/best part of being down south....
what about US????
- ROBYN!!! (and Andrea, by extension)
Yeah, what about us? And the rest of your stubsta-fam?
- Andrea
Mexi's! You ... went.. to ... Mexi's! I LOVE MEXI'S!!! It's on my list of first places to hit when I get down south for the summer.
And yes, blending into the background will be nice ... and how nice it will be to be able to do groceries without my students following me around, examining the contents of my cart and asking "me have chocolate bar?".
......and then of course there's 439 for Arctic Bay.
The Keg is an awesome place to eat. Being from PEI, I don't get to enjoy it as often as I'd like.
Tracey
Mexicali Rosas. DFIC. Yum yum. And, my husband wanted me to tell you that the Northern does in fact sell vaccuums. We acquired a great Yellow bagless one (I forget the Brand, I wanna say Hoover) not too long ago. Maybe we should come up there and run the store. We will be in the market for a store VERY soon. You should start convincing the manager there they that want to transfer. *grin*
Hi Bubbles!
I have been catching up on your blog - since I had no time to surf the net while I was away from Iqaluit for ALMOST A MONTH!
But, anyway, I want to warn you about slush in the north - it will be like nothing you've seen before! Trust Me! The snow hasn't started melting yet. So, go out and by yourself the funkiest rubber boots around.
Mua.
Kevin.
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