Torontonian in Edmonton

Y'ello Blogicals!

I'm so glad you made it this far down from feeding my fishies. :)

This is my first trip to other parts of Canada since I became a Torontonian.

After over a year in downtown TO, it doesn't feel like I've come to Edmonton, a different city, it feel like I've come to Edmonton, a completely different country. I think I now understand a little better why people get the air of general ignorance from North American travellers: after living in a city for long and getting used to it, one forgets that things can be slightly-to-very different anywhere else. Partly because one hardly feels the need to leave one's city as it provides everything one would need. So travelling makes us feel like everything is at odds from what it should be, simply because it is different from what we're used to.

Although, admittedly, I haven't been to, or seen the downtown area of Edmonton, so far it's so quaint, calm and quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of downtown Toronto.

But here's the difference: On the ETS (equivalent to TTC) bus I rode today, the driver not only greeted every boarding passenger with a smile (mind you, most TTC operators do the same if you take the time to reciprocate - which I try to do), but she made sure to say a hearty "Goodbye!" everytime anyone got off the bus, loud enough for the people exiting through the rear doors to hear. That made me smile. I smile easily.

Edmonton is white... there are vast expanses of fields and they are all white; it was beautiful, especially in the (somehow jolly) winter sunlight.

But what struck me the most today:

I've ridden Toronto public transport a lot since I got here. Most Torontonians, given the usually long and lonely commute ahead, usually tune out the world and dive into their own personal modes of escapism. That usually means games, music and other apps on their Blackberries and iPods and iPhones. I've noticed that Edmontonians, given the same average length of  commute, rather put their gadgets away and are happier to read or stare out of the window. It seems more peaceful and content with life. Actually, I'm not sure how to phrase it, but it just seems healthier.