Thursday, August 30, 2007

Things are Weird in Canada Too!

I used to think that every single day in Korea was a varitable "bizarre buffet." Strange things happen wherever you go...whether it is the screaming taxi driver, drunken man smashing up a shop in the middle of the day, reams of "tight pink shirt" wearing men attempting to act tough or middle aged women elbowing every person they can find....life in Korea was definatley strange (the reason I carried a video camra with me everywhere I went).

Ok...I've come to realize that after 3 months of living back in Canada, that my own country can be quite strange at times as well. I've had several notable "rubber-necking" moments in recent times and I am not just talking about seeing blondes in tight skirts!!!

Let's see...my Top 5 Weird sights in Canada so far....

1. A 6'5" (obviously on meth or crack) man charging through traffic on Rideau Street at 3pm on a weekday afternoon, pounding his fists on stopped cars and punching buses, trucks, etc!

2. A jovial old man, driving along the sidewalk on an "adult-sized" tricycle while wearing a giant sombraro (I shit you not!).

3. A man who was playing with, what appeared to be his own feces, infront of the city's largest shoppingmall, the Rideau Center.

4. People being forced to smoke outside of bars...cause it's illegal to smoke in bars. I actually love this.....they should ban smoking everywhere in the world as far as I'm concerned!!! I'm just not used to "No Smoking in Bars" after so longin Asia...that's why I deemed it as "weird." It's very a very "positive weird" though.....not all weird things are negative!

5. Every friggin Beer Store or LCBO in Ottawa has panhandlers stationed infront. They beg and beg for $$...I'm not used to that! Panhandlers in Korea are much more passive and there are very few. I've often speculated that the gov't in Korea must have some sort of "Panhandler Erradication Program" cause there are so few for such an overpopulated nation. Many a dead panhandler wearing gov't sanctioned cement-booties at the bottom of the Han River I think!

1 comment:

Psalm 23 said...

yes ottawa has many pandhandler , they are everywhere. Especially in front of the Chinese restaurants on somerset. Oh and in downtown Ottawa you'll see anything happen. I used to see a lady at Rideau in shorts and tank top walking around in -25 weather. I found your site from the CDI website. I find it very informative and entertaining. Thanks