Jun 18 2008
So…Canada, eh?
National Geographic map of Canada
I like to think that through our sale this month we are promoting tourism to Canada. More Americans should go there. A lot more. I, myself, am quite a fan. Almost every August of my life has been spent in part in Canada. Every time I tell someone where I am going I am met with: “Canada?!” Then they assume I must be going to Toronto, which many US citizens seem to consider an American city that simply wandered too far north in a moment of confusion. When I correct them and tell them the true location of my favorite place on earth, I am met with more bafflement, now mixed with mild disgust: “Lake Erie?!?” Yes. I stay on the Canadian coast of the Great Lake in a tiny fishing town — it’s almost directly across the water from Cleveland, but I usually leave this fact out to avoid further astonishment. Nonetheless, the whole matter befuddles many, so allow me to illustrate the reasons why I love our neighbor:
1. Loonies.
2. Ordering a “Blue” (Labatt’s) at the bar.
3. Always driving with my headlights on.
4. The cool, clean waters of the lake (…yes, Lake Erie).
5. Pickle-flavored Lay’s potato chips.
6. The sound of a fog horn at night.
7. Saying “oot and aboot.”
8. Fresh yellow perch.
9. Sitting on the beach in the evening, wrapped up in a blanket, listening to the purple martins swoop about catching bugs while the sun goes down and my fellow vacationers gather to laugh and drink and tell stories under the the picnic shelter.
10. Canadians.
Llalan specializes in all things Ohio, but has funny stories from all over the US and Canada, plus a few snort-inducing ones from Thailand. And not only does she read books from around the world, she also samples beers in as many languages as possible. Favorite style: the multi-national American Double IPA.
