I Never Knew I Loved Canada

I have only ever lived in one country for any prolonged length of time. Throughout my life, the lifestyle that Canada has provided me has become average, normal or simply what I expect from life. So, it was a surprise to me when I found out I loved Canada.

These days, I hear a lot of claims that life would be so much better if it took place in a busier city, such as Hong Kong or Seoul. Complaints about Canada are constantly being listed and repeated ad nauseam to the point where I discovered I'm a proud Canadian and felt the need to defend this great land.

Complaints generally fall into three categories. The first and most brought up complaint is that this country is cold. It is a simple truth that I cannot argue with. What I can bring to the table is the fact that if you are adequately prepared you can survive the vast majority of days throughout winter.

On the flip side, I find heat unbearable. A chill in the office is mildly uncomfortable but if it is too warm it affects my productivity. When the heat is left on in the afternoons I cannot help but find myself half asleep at my desk. So, you can understand why I feel that weather is not truly an issue.

The second complaint I often hear is that this place is boring and lacks variety. I cannot help but feel that people who make claims like these do not have many friends. Why? Because fun is not what you're doing, it is who you are with. I used to spend a lot of my time at home by myself and it was boring. Now I find myself spending most of my time with friends and my life is incredibly rich because of it.

When my friend left for Hong Kong, she chose to leave her tennis racket behind because she knew finding a tennis court and being able to play was going to be difficult. Let's not talk about the golf clubs she left behind as well. Canada is a vast country and has room for facilities such as baseball fields, hockey rinks, climbing walls, mini-cart tracks, etc. Where would you find these in Hong Kong or Seoul? Does Canada really have less variety?

The last complaint is the people. They are too family oriented and never career oriented. They are all loud, rowdy and like to get drunk. They are not accepting of people who are different. It is this or that and, sometimes, everything in between.

This completely baffles me. In a country that is built on immigration, who is not a part of a minority? Everyone who lives in Canada brings a different background, they arrive at different ages with different mindsets, they absorb the surrounding cultures at different rates. Everyone offers something unique to the table. Thinking that all people in Canada have the same negative perspective or attitude towards anything is fundamentally unfounded.

I understand that not everyone is going to agree with me. Liking Canada is like any other preference, such as beer! I like beer and I know a lot of people who like beer. At the same time, I know a lot of other people who don't like beer; and that's okay! The difference is that I don't hear about how much beer sucks all the damn time.