Forum	Title	Content	Member	Sex	Country	Date/Time
Canada	Guys, I need a hug	QUOTE (Krikit @ Apr 24 2008, 10:55 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (DeadPoolX @ Apr 24 2008, 11:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Laura, if it's any help to you, I'm going through the immigration process to Canada right now, as opposed to my wife coming here to the United States. We're not doing this because we think Canada is a better country (neither of us believe that; we view both on a equal playing field), but because the immigration process to Canada is somewhat easier and faster than the process to the United States. Our situation is also unique in many ways, given some interesting work scenarios. However, we only plan to be in Canada for several years -- around five or so at the most. After that, the objective is coming down here to the U.S. and living here. We're looking at someplace in the pacific northwest (Washington state, Oregon, or northern California) since that would still be relatively close to Canada and her family, but within the U.S. as well. Texas has actually grown on her too and she likes it a lot now, but it's a long (and somewhat expensive) trip to BC, so that's her main opposition to it. Overall, the Canadian immigration process asks for many of the same things as the U.S. one does and is just as full of red tape. The reason it might go a little faster is because there are generally fewer people immigrating to Canada on any given day. Canada, as a whole, has a much smaller population than the U.S., so it's probably not as difficult to work some of this out. It also lacks the problems with as many illegal immigrations coming into the country, since the only border it shares is with the U.S. and very few Americans are heading into Canada illegally. Okay. Confusion sets in. Not that I don't enjoy your posts but shouldn't you be on roadtocanada.com? I should, but that would mean I'd need to register with yet another community. I'm too lazy to do that. Besides, the people there aren't nearly as argumentative and I like fighting.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-04-24 11:20:00
Canada	Guys, I need a hug	QUOTE (liz_legend @ Apr 24 2008, 10:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (DeadPoolX @ Apr 24 2008, 11:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> It also lacks the problems with as many illegal immigrations coming into the country, since the only border it shares is with the U.S. and very few Americans are heading into Canada illegally. except the criminals. I watch Law & Order, I know what the truth is TV wouldn't lie to me Well, technically speaking, if an American (or anyone other than a Canadian citizen/permanent resident) went into Canada as something other than visitor, they'd be a "criminal" since they'd be performing an illegal act.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-04-24 10:34:00
Canada	Guys, I need a hug	Laura, if it's any help to you, I'm going through the immigration process to Canada right now, as opposed to my wife coming here to the United States. We're not doing this because we think Canada is a better country (neither of us believe that; we view both on a equal playing field), but because the immigration process to Canada is somewhat easier and faster than the process to the United States. Our situation is also unique in many ways, given some interesting work scenarios. However, we only plan to be in Canada for several years -- around five or so at the most. After that, the objective is coming down here to the U.S. and living here. We're looking at someplace in the pacific northwest (Washington state, Oregon, or northern California) since that would still be relatively close to Canada and her family, but within the U.S. as well. Texas has actually grown on her too and she likes it a lot now, but it's a long (and somewhat expensive) trip to BC, so that's her main opposition to it. Overall, the Canadian immigration process asks for many of the same things as the U.S. one does and is just as full of red tape. The reason it might go a little faster is because there are generally fewer people immigrating to Canada on any given day. Canada, as a whole, has a much smaller population than the U.S., so it's probably not as difficult to work some of this out. It also lacks the problems with as many illegal immigrations coming into the country, since the only border it shares is with the U.S. and very few Americans are heading into Canada illegally.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-04-24 10:27:00
Canada	Why I Didn't Make the Olympics	I knew a guy in high school who, when jumping over the hurdles in track, miscalculated and smashed his groin. I didn't see him after that for a little while...	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-04-29 15:31:00
Canada	establishing credit in the US	Okay, good... looks like I was right about that. Honestly, I had no clue if I was going to be or not. It just seemed logical, but since we've been dealing with immigration so often (and therefore, the government), I'm used to logic being tossed out the window. I'm glad to know something works. I do have a question, however... would the RBC Canada to RBC America thing work in reverse?	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-04-30 08:29:00
Canada	establishing credit in the US	While you'll start without credit in the U.S., there might be one way to enter the country and get a decent credit card, at least. The Royal Bank of Canada is in both the United States and (obviously) Canada. If you have an account with RBC in Canada and you open one up in the U.S., I don't see why it wouldn't be possible for the U.S. branch to look at your account in Canada. They'd hopefully be able to see something relating to your credit then and give you a better credit card attached to RBC than if you went to a completely different provider (i.e. Capital One, Bank of America, etc). I don't know if this works, so I can't promise you anything. I'm just saying that theoretically, it should be possible. It may not be allowed for various reasons (most likely many of them unnecessarily bureaucratic), but it'd still be worth a shot.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-04-30 04:17:00
Canada	Custom house - setting up a new account	QUOTE (KiminON @ Apr 29 2008, 04:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> for the users of Custom House - i'm finally getting around to opening an account w/ them as the Royal Bank doesn't like anyone else besides the account holder to deposit funds into accounts (####### is up with that anyhow?!! ) my question is, on the online application, it asks for credit references. is this my bank? i'm sure not going to get a contact name out of the Royal ~ can't even get thru to my branch fer cryin' out loud. i guess i could see if i could get one at my bank here, but they are rather backwards (they don't even do wire transfers ) thanks in advance. k That's weird. I could understand them not liking or allowing someone else to withdraw unless you're the account holder, but I've never heard of a bank not allowing someone to make a deposit. Usually they'll let anyone make a deposit, since they're more than happy to accept new funds into the system. How was the "other person" attempting to put money into your account? In person, online or through one of those ATMs that accepts deposits? If it was in person, I can't imagine they'd turn the person down (especially if it was a relative). The other two might be a little trickier, however. They still should allow it or at least, give you a phone call to ask for confirmation.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-04-30 04:22:00
Canada	I'm Illegal...apparently	Mephys, I wouldn't worry about this too much. Easy for any of us to say, I know. But the truth is most police departments rarely cooperate fully with Federal law enforcement. As an example, the UCR (Uniform Crime Reports) is how the FBI gathers its data on criminal activity and that relies on police departments all over the country willingly handing over their data. How often do you think that actually happens on a regular basis and when it does, what're the chances that some of it "may" have been doctored a little. After all, what police force wants to look ineffective, right? The very fact that they've been referring to USCIS as "INS" (which is, unfortunately, what most people and the majority of news agencies still do) only confirms that the information they have is either "incomplete" or "out-of-date." I have a strong feeling that their computer systems aren't updated to handle most of this, probably because they hadn't thought ahead far enough. No local or state police force has any say on what USCIS and CBP decides, unless you've committed a serious crime, in which case various situations could occur. However, you haven't done anything illegal. You have your green card and whatever documentation in addition to that to prove you're here legally. At worst, you might have to endure "secondary" but even that would be extremely unlikely.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-05-09 03:11:00
Canada	A little more nostalgia	I remember Today's Special very well, although I couldn't remember the name of the show itself. The characters, however, are stuck in my mind forever. Who could forget a guy who turns into a mannequin whenever his hat comes off? I used to watch that on Nickelodeon years ago -- that and You Can't Do That On Television too.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-05-15 07:11:00
Canada	AAAARGH!	Unfortunately, there WILL be mix-ups and general confusion when two countries that border each other use different systems of measurement. Canada hasn't been on the metric system that long, really. My fiancee's parents still recall using the imperial system (miles, inches, feet, etc) and still use that system of measurement for some things. Most of the Canadians I know also use pounds to describe weight, in addition to feet and inches to denote height as well. So while the official system of measurement in Canada may be metric (and perhaps that's what the majority of Canadians know and use today), there are probably still quite a few citizens of that country who remember and use the imperial system. While I don't understand that lady being so rude and obstinate, it is possible that she really didn't know the difference between kilometers and miles. For the most part, Americans aren't taught to think in (or use) the metric system, unless specifically working within the sciences. Even then, metric is only used at a particular place and time and we end up using U.S. customary units of measurement (this is very similar to the imperial system and was, in fact, based on it), so our overall exposure to the metric system is quite limited. Since being with my fiancee, I've had an easier time thinking in metric and converting the two systems back and forth. It's still difficult to do, however. When I see the number "50" on a road in Canada (and it's obviously in km/h), my first thought is, "Hey, isn't that a little fast for a regular street?" I'm naturally thinking in mph. If I convert it though, "50 km/h" becomes "30 mph" which makes a lot more sense to me. When in the U.S., I'm driving my car (which has readouts in both mph and km/h on the speedometer), so I usually relate the speed to my fiancee in km/h so she'll understand it better. I also tend to convert distance to kilometers and temperature to celsius for her as well. Anyway, the point of this post was just to say that unless there's a good reason, the vast majority of Americans will not learn (and subsequently use) the metric system. There's really no need to, unless circumstances call for it (such as career or personal life), since I doubt this country is planning on switching over to metric anytime soon.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-08-22 09:59:00
Canada	Cleanses and Detoxes	QUOTE (SpiritAlight @ Apr 3 2008, 10:45 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Thank you for responding. While I agree with most of what you said here, there is still too much damage caused by medication then not. Sorry I am a strong believer that in our heads is all the pharmaceutical help one needs. That is why placebos work! I would have to disagree with that. While some medication can certainly cause a great deal of damage, most pharmaceuticals are relatively safe. No drug is perfectly safe, even when it's been extensively tested. The reason for this is that everyone's physiology and biochemistry is different and a drug that works wonders for one person may wreak havoc on another. Unfortunately, it's impossible to know this unless the patient has had an adverse reaction before. However, negative side-effects generally start out on the mild end of the spectrum (which is why physicians need to be alerted to any drug allergy, since repeated exposure could worsen the reaction). I wish our problems were "all in our heads." That'd make everything a psychological/psychiatric/psychosomatic issue. It's not that easy, since there are literally thousands of physical ailments to contend with, many of which really do require medication in some capacity. If someone suffers from epileptic seizures, diabetes or even wanted to prevent pregnancy, you're not going to tell them all they have to do is "make themselves stop" or "take a placebo" and it'll work. Try that approach and while you might get lucky for a while, eventually you'll have some patients seizing while others go experience ketoacidosis, and quite a few women end up pregnant. Let's hope you some good malpractice insurance, since you're going to need it! Yes, placebos can work -- in an organized and structured testing environment, where no one's life is endangered. In many studies, the placebo has shown to have no significant advantage (or in some cases, disadvantage) over the actual drug. In research such as this, all participants are closely monitored (even in double-blind studies) in the event that something goes awry. Aside from possibly killing someone, our society's new pastime is suing each other, so believe me when I say that every research study attempts to cover their rear-ends. Edited by DeadPoolX, 03 April 2008 - 11:38 AM.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2008-04-03 11:36:00
Canada	Culture shock for Canadians in the US	yeah, when I'm talking with my husband, I just talk like I always have, and the last letter of the alphabet is a zed. But when I'm at work or elsewhere with Americans, its a zee, because they have no clue what a zed is! I had yet another one at work the other day give me this incredulous look when I said that it gets really hot in Ontario in summer time. I don't know why they just can't believe me when I say that! I suppose they think Siberia is constantly under 6 feet of snow, and that everyone in Australia wrestles crockodiles as well! Stereotypes are strong things here in the United States, Reba. I live in Texas, right? I've known people from other states to ask me "where are your guns?" and "do you ride a horse to work?" among other nonsensical questions. And remember -- this is within the U.S., not from outside of it! People believe whatever they see on TV; in other words, what Hollywood has shown them to be "true." Since most people associate the "Old West" with Texas, they seem to believe that Texas is still like it was in the 1800's (despite the fact that the "Old West" was also in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, California, etc) and are completely shocked when they visit a city like Houston or Dallas and see it's just like any other large major city. This is especially true for Houston, since it's the fourth largest city in the country, and people are regularly surprised! So this is probably why many Americans, with few cultural experiences outside of their home state, think Canada is a frozen wasteland and so forth. To be completely fair though, I've known people from other countries to believe a number of nonsensical things about the U.S., so stereotypes aren't confined to these borders. However, I think stereotypes might have a stronger influence here due to the U.S.'s geographic location, as it's certainly more isolated than countries in Europe and it has virtually no ties to those countries in Europe, like Canada does, being a Commonwealth country. That's my take on the subject, anyway.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-02-11 15:37:00
Canada	Culture shock for Canadians in the US	The whole month/day/year vs. day/month/year things is a bit of a pain. When I went to have my Ontario DL switched over to a Texas one years ago they just copied the info from the card rather than having me fill out anything. And, of course, they issued my Texas DL with a birthdate of August 11th when in reality I was born on November 8th. I used to always tease my American friends/family about asking for the "check" at restaurants. It just didn't make any logical sense... a cheque is something you use to pay OUT money so if you owe the restaurant, why would THEY be giving the money to YOU? I had to go to a clinic during my first visit in Canada to see my fiancee (at the time, she was my girlfriend) and when they read my Texas DL, they completely got my birthdate wrong. I had to correct them. I found it somewhat amusing. As far as asking for "the check" or "the bill" in restaurants, it depends on where I am at the moment. If I'm in the U.S., I'll ask for "the check," since that's what is expected; likewise, if I'm in Canada, I'll ask for "the bill," since that's what is expected. Although my fiancee had to inform of the difference the first time I was there, since when we went out to a restaurant and I asked for "the check," she politely told me that in Canada, it's customary to ask for "the bill." It didn't really matter though -- obviously that restaurant had served enough American to understand what I meant.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-02-10 21:18:00
Canada	Culture shock for Canadians in the US	You know...if you live in Texas, you have access to Central Market. When my Canadian fiancee was down here in Houston on a trip, I brought her there, and she thought the place was fantastic. That store isn't cheap by any stretch of the imagination, but it has practically anything and everything you could want (even things my fiancee had suggested I buy but I couldn't find elsewhere at other stores, like Krogers or Randalls). Most of the items are also without the "extra #######" put into them; much of their stuff is organic as well. Here are the locations of Central Market in Texas. It is, in fact, a Texas-only operation. I hope that helps a little on your quest for finding "good food" here in the United States.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-01-10 13:06:00
Canada	Coffee Crisp coming to US	check out the wrapper on some American Smarties. They're made in Canada. Okay, okay...but that's not the point. What I'm getting at is the company behind American Smarties (whether or not they actually produce the candy in the U.S., Canada or wherever) may not be allowing Nestle to import Canadian Smarties into the United States -- at least, not under the name "Smarties." It all depends which one had a hold on the name first in the United States, and my bet would be it'd be the candy many Canadians know as "Rockets." As a side-note, my fiancee says she's never heard of "Rockets." Maybe she just missed the boat on that one. She's not a huge candy fan (she prefers dark chocolate), so it may have slipped by her.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-02-12 08:39:00
Canada	Coffee Crisp coming to US	I wonder...when did the company behind the American version of Smarties begin producing that candy within the United States? This might be important, because if it was before the Canadian Smarties was created or before they were set to introduce them to America, that may explain why Canadian Smarties don't exist here. After all, you can't very well have two candies with the same name -- whoever owned the name first would most likely sue. So to protect their interests, perhaps Nestle decided, rather than go through the effort of making an entirely new name and compete with the already dominating M&M candies (entirely different company, I know, but M&M's have a greater foothold here in the U.S. than I think in any other country), to not bring Canadian Smarties into the United States. Just a thought. Maybe I'm wrong. I don't know. I tried looking up the info on Wikipedia, but they don't give any information regarding the creating date of American Smarties.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-02-11 18:31:00
Canada	Behaviors, manners and overall attitude	(I am a Texan, so maybe Texas gets a bit better education in overall geography) Tell that to the World Geography teacher at my high school who was teaching kids that Canada has "Providences" Oh, Texas... every so often I actually miss it! Well, you can't account for every high school. I know the high school I went to taught geography well, but then again, that's one high school out of how many?	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-05-02 19:55:00
Canada	Behaviors, manners and overall attitude	Well, I can't (and won't) speak for Homesick_American, but I didn't intend to be rude or insulting with my last post. I understand that in the past (and still sometimes today) Canada gets looked at rather poorly by the United States. I really don't understand what the reason for this is (I like Canada), but I mainly blame the media. Hell, I blame the media for a lot of things -- they perpetuate stereotypes about race, religion, nationality, sex... you name it, it's been mutated by the ever-present media. The worst part about it is that the majority of people fall right in line believing whatever they hear, read or see. If it was on the nightly news, it must be true and accurate! I think it's good that Canadians have a healthy self-image about themselves nowadays. It's not good to constantly live in the shadow of another country. I've just seen a number of posts that continually blast the United States for not being exactly like Canada. Well, it's not going to be Canada. The U.S. is a different country. Sometimes I wish that weren't the case (it's make being with my fiancee a whole lot easier), but we do have our ways of doing things, and while some of those ways may seem foreign to some of you, that doesn't necessarily make them bad or worse than Canada's ways. I don't think any Canadian is coming to the U.S. to solely get a greencard. It's not like Canada is Somalia; there's really no reason to "escape." But yes... there are people who believe that the U.S. is "the greatest country on Earth" and that anyone coming here is looking for "the land of milk and honey." I love my country (despite how it sometimes pisses me off) and I think it's a great country to live in; however, I won't go around saying (especially in front of foreigners) that "it's the best!" That's just rude and tacky. Besides, most everyone believes their own country is "the best" for whatever reason and announcing it to others is only going to alienate them; it certainly won't make them go, "You know what? You're right! Your country is so much better than my own!" In regards to Canadian citizenship, I think it's great that so many Canadians are willing to go through the process to become a USC. It's beneficial, actually. At the very least, entering the U.S. is a lot easier. But I don't think any Canadian should lose their Canadian citizenship (and fortunately, they don't) in the process. As I said in my last post, both Canada and the U.S. are great countries and have a lot to offer their people. You really can't go wrong living in either country.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-05-02 09:14:00
Canada	Behaviors, manners and overall attitude	after a couple of years here in the US, I've gotten used to leaving my shoes on when I go somewhere, but in my own house, they're off pretty much as soon as I'm in. But as others have mentioned, for some odd reason, American homes are not built with anywhere close to the door to put shoes, so I have to walk down the hall, and thru the kitchen to get to the coat closet, which is in the freakin' living room We don't use the front door, its too easy for the dogs to bolt thru it. We need a new screen door on it. That's a huge generalization. My parents' house has a closet right off the foyer where the shoes go, so there goes that assumption right there. The first time I visited my in-laws and I removed my shoes at the door, my mother-in-law commented "don't do that your socks will get all dirty" I replied "well they wouldn't if y'all wouldn't walk thru the house with your shoes on all the time " Seriously. She didn't like me for some reason. I don't wear shoes in my house (I'm the American), and growing up my mother and brother always went barefoot or wore slippers; dad usually wore slippers or shoes. Most of my American relatives do not wear shoes in the house because they wanted to keep the carpets clean. My British in-laws all wear shoes in the house, and when my mother-in-law visits she tracks dirt all over my floors. Anyhoo....now I'm genralising of course, because I do know some fairly ignorant Canadians, but generally speaking, I've met far more Americans who know absolutely Nothing about the rest of the world, and some who don't even know anything about neighbouring cities, let alone neighbouring countries! I'm still boggled by some of the really stupid questions I get about Canada. Even from "educated" people! I've had so many stupid questions about Canada, lately I've been surprised by people I've met who can actually identify it on a map (I've met more than a few who can't). I love it when people who don't spell-check their own posts call us stupid. I am American (as previously stated) and I have never...ever...EVER met an American who could not identify Canada or other neighboring countries on a map. Ever. Again, generally speaking, Americans (and this may just be where I'm living, not all over the States) are more suspicious of people who are not "from here". Whether you move from a different state, or a foreign country, you are under suspicion of all manner of things. Until proven otherwise, one who is "not from here" cannot be trusted. And they probably eat weird foreign food, so don't bother accepting that invitation to their backyard cook-out. It might be your neighbors, it might be your attitude. That's not how things are down in Texas...at least it wouldn't be that way for most Canadians. Most Americans don't see Canadians as 100% foreign anyway, since you guys are so similar to us. You ARE similar to us, whether you like it or not; it's just a simple fact. Canadians are so much like us that when speaking to a Canadian I don't know that they're Canadian until they tell me...unless they're one of those fancy schmanzy French-speaking Canadians. Then I know right away (since I speak French). OMGWTF, a multilingual American...I'm just destroying your stereotypes left right and center here! Personally I think it's probably a lot to do with you; I definitely wouldn't want someone at my BBQ who thinks we're a bunch of stupid jesus freaks, so I can sort of see why your diary isn't as full as you'd like it to be. Why would I invite someone who thinks I'm an idiot to my home? Religion in quite literally *everything* is a lot more prevalent in the US than in Canada. In Canada religion generally doesn't come up in conversation except while in church, or on the way to church, or temple, or ritual space or or or....Here (at least in the Bible Belt) people will tell you which church is the best in town before they'll even give you their name. If, Gods forbid, you do not attend church....see above comment about "not from here" and add whispers about dang heathens... well, its time for Heroes...gotta go! Where the hell do you live? I grew up in the bible belt and it was unusual for god or jesus to come up in conversation. People there are generally polite about religious beliefs; they don't tend to browbeat you or try to convert you, and usually they won't talk about it unless you ask them specifically. If someone is telling you what the best church in town is, it's because they're trying to help you out. If you tell them you don't attend church and they are rude in return, it's either because they're very VERY weird or because you offended them. People don't like having their religious beliefs mocked, and if you talk about it in a sarcastic or rude way you may find yourself with few friends. You can't graduate to mocking someone's religion until you know them pretty well...and some people will never accept that sort of teasing, not even from friends/family. If you don't like it, might I suggest relocating to a slightly more godless location like Boston or San Francisco? I'm an atheist and I never felt excluded or put down because of my (lack of) religious beliefs. People just accepted it and moved on. I had friends from all sorts of religious backgrounds, including Muslims, Mormons, evangelical Christians, and fellow atheists. Wow, I was giggling through most of this topic until I came to this posting. Very mean spirited. Carla I don't think it was meant in a "mean spirited" way. I think Homesick_American was just a bit tired of the general ignorance here. Americans are extremely varied. There are many extremely smart people in the United States, and there are many very dumb people in the United States too. To make huge, sweeping generalizations based on your own experiences isn't the smartest thing to do. I happen to agree with Homesick_American. I've never met anyone here who couldn't identify Canada (I am a Texan, so maybe Texas gets a bit better education in overall geography) as a country and while not every American knows where every Canadian province or city is, how many Canadians know the exact location of every U.S. state and city? Not knowing these things doesn't make you stupid. It just means that this sort of info was unimportant to your daily life. I mean, how many people in Ottawa or Toronto or Vancouver really need to know where El Paso is within Texas? Probably not too many. Does that make then stupid? Of course not! So why is an American stupid if he or she doesn't know where Winnipeg is located? I also agree about the whole attitude thing. I've seen this sort of "Canada is great; America sucks" belief running through this forum more than once. I've been to Canada and it's no better or worse than the United States. I like Canada a lot and if I had to live in another country, Canada would be my first choice. However, this doesn't mean that Canada is superior to the United States. Many of you here were just comfortable in what you knew in Canada and therefore, anything different in the U.S. seems "bad." I'm not saying that you can't miss your home country or think highly of it. There's nothing wrong with that. What I don't get is why does propping up Canada mean putting down the United States? I think that both Canada and the U.S. have a lot to offer people. Each country has their pro's and con's. For the most part though, Canada and the U.S. are very similar (for foreign countries). We're all very lucky that we are so similar so the adjustment (when moving from one country to the other) isn't that great. Just imagine people who're moving from Africa or the Middle-East or even in some cases, parts of Europe! They have a great deal more adjust to in their life in the United States than a Canadian would. So in closing, this post wasn't mean to be insulting or be harsh towards the Canadians here. I realize you've given up a lot to come here and be with your spouses. However, sometimes the overall negativity towards the U.S. is a bit much (especially when it's based on generalizations and stereotypes) and just because you love Canada, it doesn't mean you need to dislike the United States. Given half a chance, this country is a pretty nice place to be and the people are fairly friendly.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-05-02 08:21:00
Canada	Behaviors, manners and overall attitude	That shoe taking off thing.. that I can't understand.. why DON"T people take off shoes when they enter a house? Holy.. Hubby NEVER did before he met me... I had to tell him that wearing his shoes at my mom's house was a BIG Faux Pas and could effect eternally his position in our family! lol.. not that bad.. but almost! I still have trouble with taking off my shoes. For the most part, it's just not done here in the United States. That doesn't mean it's never done, but with very few exceptions (i.e. the shoes in question are visibly dirty, covered in mud, soaking wet, etc.), people keep their shoes on. I could possibly see removing your shoes in your own home, but in the U.S., it's pretty rude to automatically remove your shoes in someone else's home. Basically, you are exposing a part (most likely a smelly and somewhat unattractive part) of yourself that should remain covered to individuals who probably don't want to see it. I know I don't want to see someone else's feet -- sock-covered or not.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-04-30 12:01:00
Canada	Behaviors, manners and overall attitude	Also, it's hard to generalize American and Canadian ways as a whole because it goes further than that... attitudes, just like accents, probably vary from state to state and province to province! ;-) OH, now that I think of it, ONCE, it did happen to me that an American stole a couple of French fries out of my meal. I think he thought I wasn't looking or something. And yes, I did find that rather rude! I didn't get upset about it, but still... To be fair though, my fiancee would steal my french fries too. So, yeah, it probably does boil down to individuals and maybe states/provinces as opposed to the U.S. and Canada as a whole. Still, I was speaking in more general terms.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-04-30 11:43:00
Canada	Behaviors, manners and overall attitude	A couple things I have noticed different. Where I come from in Canada it's proper to hold a door open for the person coming behind you and to also hold the door and let ladies enter first. I have noticed on many occasions here in the US some people don't care whether anybody is coming behind they just enter and let the doors go Also have noticed on occasion where men don't hold the door for women and let em enter or exit ahead of them Several times I've seen people struggling to get something into thier vehicle and people just walk by looking at them. I have helped people several times and they seem amazed to have somebody do that. In Canada it's no big deal In the US I find the people working the cashier stands are far more friendly and talkative than home. Also here they cater more to the customers in the stores. Most times if you ask where something is they'll take you to it not tell you a route how to find it and they always ask if you found everything you were looking for. I almost always hold the door open for women, but I've noticed on more than one occasion the woman in question will get annoyed. My fiancee, for instance, thinks it's silly for a man to hold a door open for a woman. She figures women are capable of doing it themselves. I still think it's a nice gesture, however, and will hold the door open for her as often as possible, but it's a challenge. As for someone struggling to get something into their car, I've offered to help in the past, but most people refuse the help and some almost act as if they're insulted by the offer. I suppose they take it as a suggestion that they can't do it without assistance. So I no longer offer to help.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-04-30 11:15:00
Canada	Behaviors, manners and overall attitude	I'd like to preface this thread by saying that neither American nor Canadian ways of doing things are right or wrong; they're just different. I am not suggesting that one country's way is better than the other. Anyway... have any of you noticed a difference in the overall attitudes, manners and behavior in Americans versus Canadians? I mean in general. Obviously, there are nice and rude Americans and Canadians. However, the stereotype is that Americans are somewhat "loud and pushy" and that Canadians are "so polite they'll apologize to furniture after bumping into it." I've known some who fit these stereotypes and I've known some who've been the exact opposite. But what I'd like to hear are your experiences. I think it might be interesting to note. Since I made this thread, I'll go first and use my fiancee and me as an example: The first time I visited her (she was my girlfriend then), we went to CapitalEx and I bought her a lemonade. Actually... come to think of it, I paid for everything on that trip. Sorry, I'm losing my place! What I was saying is that I bought her a lemonade and then I was just a bit thirsty and said to her, "I think I'll have a sip" and did so. She didn't mind and gladly handed over the drink to me. However, she later told me that she thought it was just a little rude. I had no idea what she meant. She explained it to me. She said that I told her I was going to have a sip and invited myself to do it, as opposed to asking if I could. I never considered asking because, for the most part, in the United States, you just say what you're going to do and then do it if you're with friends or loved ones. Within my family, for instance, we never asked each other for a sip of another's drink, we just took it. Maybe that seems rude on the surface, but there was an unspoken acceptance that "what is yours is mine" and vice-versa. As I said, my fiancee didn't have a real problem with it, she was just surprised and told me so. Because of that -- and a few other things I've said, apparently -- I've been working on being more polite. For instance, within my family, we hardly ever say "please" or "thank you." I've rarely heard it in other American families as well. But my fiancee has been, well... training me to get into that habit. Overall, my fiancee's said, I am not a rude or insensitive person; if I were, she said she'd have great difficulty being with me. I think, for the most part, these little differences are just part of what makes America and Canada different socially and culturally. So that's just one of my experiences. Let's hear yours!	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-04-30 08:48:00
Canada	Dual Citizenship?	So... since I've started looking into this whole process as of March last year, I've never come up with a conclusive answer about whether you can be a Canadian/American citizen once immigrating to the US. My family wants to know, since keeping my Canadian status will make it easier to visit them in Canada. Of course, my husband will be happy with me just staying a permanent resident in the US, but would be even happier if I was an American citizen too, so if dual citizenship is possible, thats the direction I want to go. Anyone know how this works? Thanks in advance for your replies! I am 90% sure that you will be able to be a dual citizen if you so wish. Canada does not make you revoke your citizenship when you adopt another one. You husband however, would not be able to become a dual citizen if you both decided to move back to Canada. If he wanted to become a citizen of Canada he would most likely have to relinquish his US citizenship. http://www.amcits.co...citizenship.asp (maybe this is moderately helpful, not sure) Since when has that been the case? As far as I know (and have read), both U.S. and Canadian citizens can become citizens of each other's countries without losing their own citizenships. Just as it's very difficult to lose Canadian citizenship, it's extremely difficult to lose U.S. citizenship. You have to show "intent to give up" U.S. citizenship in order to lose it; otherwise, you keep it. You might want to check this link here for more information on dual-citizenship. Specifically, the U.S. side of things. It explains that the USC does not lose his or her citizenship by taking on another country's citizenship. Edited by DeadPoolX, 08 May 2007 - 07:54 AM.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-05-08 07:52:00
Canada	Frustrated	Congrats on your engagement! When I told my family about my engagement, they were less than enthused as well. Oh well. Some families just have different priorities, I suppose...	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-05-08 16:16:00
Canada	I guess She is Due her own Thread	Hope ur husband kicks butt on the interview, which I'm sure he will if he does not strangle the security guard first!! best of luck, Scott But if he does strangle anyone there, I want pictures! Seriously though... good luck!	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-04-17 17:04:00
Canada	How busy is Toronto-Pearson preclearance?	UPDATE: He just called. Said going through customs was the worst experience of his life.....more to come once he gets here. But he's through and on his way to his connection. Way to welcome my baby to America.... Cass (bebop the great) Why doesn't that surprise me? It seems Customs & Immigration have a habit of making things unnecessarily difficult and stressful for people from other countries -- and this isn't limited to the U.S. either. Canadian C&I can be pretty bad as well. But anyway...I'm glad he got through okay and that he's now on his way to meet up with you.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-02-12 16:06:00
Canada	Sicko	I think something a lot of people need to remember is that Michael Moore is notorious for "pulling the wool" over the populace's eyes. Does the American healthcare system cover everyone? No, not at all. Can health insurance companies (HMOs, PPOs, etc) selectively choose their clients unfairly and charge high prices? Absolutely. Does the American healthcare system (in general) cost more than other healthcare systems overall? This is highly probable. However, there's another side to look at: In the United States, healthcare (assuming you can afford it) is exceedingly quick, meaning practically no wait time for visits to a physician, for procedures (i.e. MRIs, catscans, PET scans, etc) or surgery and advanced technlogy. Many cities in the U.S. have more MRI machines than Canada has in it's entire country! Now, let's look at the Canadian model, which is what Moore was holding up as the example America should aspire to be... First of all, there is NO SUCH THING AS FREE HEALTHCARE! It doesn't exist. Not in Canada, nor anywhere else in the world. You pay for it with your taxes. The reason you may (incorrectly) view it as "free" is because you're not paying for BASIC services upfront, need health insurance and/or a co-pay. Second, it's difficult to really lump the Canadian model of healthcare together, seeing as it's run differently by each province. For instance, my fiancee is from Alberta. They don't put as much stock into healthcare as some of the other provinces. Privatized healthcare is also allowed there, and in fact, there seems to be a fairly big push in Alberta for more of privatized healthcare as well. Now take an Ontario Canadian couple whom I heard about on the news, where the husband needed an MRI and perhaps some surgery performed. Apparently, Ontario doesn't believe in privatized healthcare -- at all. So this man was forced to rely on the single-payer system government-run healthcare, which meant he'd have to wait a minimum of eight (8) months to be first seen. The couple decided they'd have better luck in the United States and went there, paid for their procedure and it's a good thing they did since the man had cancer. Fortunately, it was in the early stages so it could be treated effectively; however, the physicians noted that if this man had been forced to wait, the cancer would've spread and become much more serious and he would've most likely died. Needless to say, this Canadian couple is no longer a fan of the Canadian healthcare system. Look, I'm not trying to "rip apart" Canadian healthcare. I think it's a good thing that everyone is covered on some basic level. However, I strongly disagree with the practices above in that Ontario wouldn't allow someone who was WILLING to pay for private healthcare to receive it. My fiancee and I have spoken about healthcare numerous times, and she agrees that both healthcare systems have their advantages and disadvantages. She's said that the Canadian healthcare system is good for people who can't afford private healthcare, but the problem is that it's extremely underfunded and there can be monstrous wait times. Likewise, I've said that the American healthcare system is good for those who can afford it (due to the reasons I specified in the third paragraph up above), but does leave quite a few people "out in the cold." To be fair, the U.S. does have state-run hospitals, free clinics and emergency rooms, which are required to see any patient who comes in (but if you arrive complaining of a headache and someone else enters with a gunshot wound, be prepared to wait). After all, the ER is designed for "worst case" scenarios, and a gunshot wound is significantly more serious than a headache, no matter how bad the headache may be at the time. All I'm saying here is that no one healthcare system is perfect. Could the American healthcare system be improved? You bet. Could the Canadian heathcare system be improved? You bet. Personally, I'd like to see a melding of the two, where we take the best of both worlds and use that. It probably won't ever happen though, but it's a nice thought.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-07-16 11:15:00
Canada	Sicko - Don't Cry - get angry and do something about it	I'm not going to say that the information you posted is necessarily incorrect (I'm sure some of it is right), but you do realize that ANYONE can create and edit entries on Wikipedia, don't you? Because of that, I wouldn't really rely on it as an accurate source.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-07-16 14:05:00
Canada	Does illegal immigration upset you big time too?	Here's my issue with immigration in general... The United States make's it so damn difficult to immigrate LEGALLY that many people feel they are left no other option but to "hop the border" and come in illegally. I am in no way excusing this behavior. I think if someone immigrates illegally (and if they're caught), they should be deported immediately; however, I would also like to see the U.S. make the rules a little more lenient regarding immigration. I'm not suggesting that America takes "everyone and anyone" into it's borders, but when the only way to immigrate is through a Work Visa (and you need to "prove" you can do a job that no other American can fulfill, so you practically have to be a genius, a celebrity, or some sort of sports star) or a Family Visa (and this usually means fiance(e)s or spouses, and to a lesser degree, children; sometimes it can include parents, siblings or even extended family, but not as often), and not everyone qualifies for either of those, what're they left with? Even if someone can get a Work or Family Visa, the costs can be prohibitive, especially in the case of the latter. Work Visas, more often than not, are mostly covered by the employer or some sort of entity. Family Visas, however, are paid for by the applicant in order to get their family members into the country, and with rising costs, it can prove difficult at times. Honestly, I think the U.S. is shooting themselves in the foot by making LEGAL immigration this difficult. If they made it a little easier, then more people would probably come through legally (there would still be illegal immigrants, but the overall number might reduce) and then these legal immigrants could get better paying jobs, be taxed (maybe even in a higher income bracket), and not only put more money into the economy via circulation (i.e. buying stuff), but provide the government with more money due to taxation. It's a win-win situation all around! But... that probably won't happen. The government is too shortsighted to see that, which is a real shame, because I think something like that would really help out this country.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-08-02 10:23:00
Canada	How did you guys meet?	Okay, both my fiancee and I enjoy computer games. In fact, we were playing them long before it become "trendy" to do so (such as with Myst or World of Warcraft or The Sims and other high-profile games) back in the 1980s, mostly with the Sierra On-Line's adventure game series. (off topic) What was your favourite Sierra game back in the day? I was a King's Quest fan... It'd be very difficult for me pin down one (and only one) Sierra game as my absolute favorite, since I enjoyed so many of them; some more than others, depending on my mood at the time. So to answer your question, Misa, I guess I could say my favorite Sierra series are: Space Quest, Gabriel Knight, Police Quest and Quest for Glory. Again, if I had to choose only ONE game, that would be very hard, but... I suppose it would be Police Quest II, which would probably surprise a lot of Sierra fans. It wasn't a particularly successful sequel nor did it have "the best storyline ever," but something about it just worked. Maybe it's the nostalgia of EGA (16-color) graphics and typing in commands or perhaps it was the weird ability to walk everywhere holding my gun out (which didn't seem to bother anybody, except at the airport -- yes, even in 1988, they didn't like people running around with firearms at airports!). By the way... if you still have any of your old Sierra games (or any DOS game, really), you can still play them on current computers using DOSBox, which emulates a pure DOS environment. It's pretty cool and fairly easy to use too. Although DOSBox can be used with old LucasArts games, it's recommend that you use ScummVM instead, which I actually think is better than DOSBox anyway, since it can improve the graphics of the game some and add other enhancements. Anyway... this post has gone way off-topic. Sorry about that. I just get involved.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-08-03 08:53:00
Canada	How did you guys meet?	How we met, huh? Alright, here we go... Okay, both my fiancee and I enjoy computer games. In fact, we were playing them long before it become "trendy" to do so (such as with Myst or World of Warcraft or The Sims and other high-profile games) back in the 1980s, mostly with the Sierra On-Line's adventure game series. So fast foward to sometime around 2000. Sierra had message boards for all of their games (the boards still exist, but Sierra was swallowed up years ago by corporate giant Vivendi Universal) and I had been on one of the non-adventure game boards for a few years before that (possibly from around 1997 or so). Around 2000, I decided to venture outside the board I normally go into and hopped into one of the adventure boards, where my future fiancee later joined up a little while later. Now, you have to understand something... I'm not exactly the "Mr. Super-Friendly-Party-All-The-Time-With-A-Lampshade-On-His-head" kind of guy right now. Back then, I was roughly a thousand times worse. In other words, I was a real jerk. Intelligent and well-spoken (even those who didn't like me admitted this), but I was still a jerk. I've mellowed over the years quite a bit. Anyway, the point of that last paragraph is that my fiancee didn't like me very much back then. She didn't hate me, but she didn't care for me either. I didn't give too much thought to her either -- I didn't like or dislike her, I was too wrapped up in myself to care or notice. So as the years progressed, and I slowly transformed into a member of the human race, my fiancee and I began talking more on the message boards. Not a whole lot, but we'd have bouts of "witty banter" back and forth and enjoy each other's humor (or humour, such as the case may be). Eventually, she began to change her opinion of me and wanted to "get to know me better" even if it meant only as a friend, but my fiancee can be terribly shy at times, so she wasn't sure how to go about doing it. Fortunately for the both of us, I made the first move. There was a chat room set up for members of the message board that some people went to on the weekends. My fiancee was a frequent visitor, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. I found this out (I've got spies, I tell you! Spies! Bwahaha!) and made a point of dropping in and purposefully starting a conversation with her -- both in public and in private. I didn't know it at the time, but she was actually quite thrilled that I was talking to her. She also later told me that one of the reasons she took me seriously was because I spoke to her "as a person" and not "as a sex object," which a lot of men tend to do, online and off. Truth be told, I wanted to get to know her better before getting into any sort of relationship with her -- after all, how did I know she wasn't a lunatic or worse? So eventually our relationship progressed from there, and at one point, I made the decision to fly up to Canada to visit her. That was our first time together and we had an absolute blast. We've had two visits since then and our next visit is in two days! I'm picking her up at the airport on Saturday, and we're both extremely excited. That's our story, edited of course, to leave out certain names and details, to "protect the innocent." B) If you've read this far (and actually got through that whole post without your eyes glazing over or passing out), then I thank you for your time, since you'll never get those minutes of your life back.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-08-02 10:04:00
Canada	the last 2 weeks	Wow. And here I thought I was going through a tough time, with my workload (practically ready to have a nervous breakdown and all), but that's still NOTHING compared to the loss of a child! I'm very sorry to hear about this. While I've never lost a son or a daughter (I don't have children at this point in my life), I did lose my mother a little over two years ago at the age of 52 on May 14, 2005. It was cancer, so it wasn't an accident, but she lasted about six months from the time of diagnosis to death, so it was still relatively abrupt and unexpected. I understand that the comparison isn't exactly "valid" since my mother was older (although 52 isn't exactly THAT OLD, these days), had lived more life and had children, among other possible things as well. However, I wasn't trying to "one up" you or say that "I've experienced worse." All I was attempting to do was convey my deepest sympathies by expressing that I UNDERSTAND the nature of loss. Maybe not the EXACT SAME type of loss, but loss nonetheless. Anyway... I'm running at the mouth (or the keyboard, as it were), which is something I'm apt to do. I'll stop now, before I end up turning this post into a novella.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-08-02 09:35:00
Canada	Break time! Albertans and Texans...	QUOTE (Caladan @ Aug 24 2007, 09:00 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> C.'s spent the last two months in and around Texas and he thinks it's nothing like Alberta on the following grounds: 1) Texas is 6 zillion degrees outside 2) poisonous snakes 3) the existence of dry counties and 4) Texans. He has nothing but praise for the Mexican assistants his company hires. You do realize, of course, that there are many different landmasses and climates in Texas, right? It's not all "hot and desert." In fact, the the desert areas are mostly in west Texas. East Texas, for instance, is practically all forest (well, what's left of the forest areas, due to city expansion) and hills, with no desert to speak of at all. North Texas also gets a lot of snow in winter. Dallas, for instance, regularly gets blizzards and let's not even get into Amarillo, which can be very cold. So it's wrong to say that Texas is "6 zillion degrees outside." Is some of Texas very hot? Absolutely. Is all of it? No. Alberta has a very dry climate. I've been there and my fiancee is from there. She's noted many times how dry the province is and actually enjoyed (to some degree) the humidity in east Texas, as it was easier on her skin. Texas does have far more bugs and other critters, such as poisonous snakes. This is true. This is probably just a product of being further south and having longer summers, however. As for "Texans," what is that supposed to mean? Texans are, as a whole, fantastic people. Some are jerks, sure, but you'll find that with any group. For the most part, Texans are very nice and welcoming. My fiancee even commented that she found the people here to be very hospitable. Whether or not that directly compares to Albertans... I'm not entirely sure, but it's definitely not a mark against Texans.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-08-24 12:56:00
Canada	Break time! Albertans and Texans...	Well, I think there's nothing wrong with comparing Texas and Alberta. I've lived in Texas my whole life, visited many other states across the U.S. and been to Alberta and British Columbia. As far as I can tell, on a basic level, Texans and Albertans do share a common ground. Obviously, Texas and Alberta will be different in a number of ways, but I can certainly see the similarities in a sociocultural way. So... I have no problem comparing Texas and Alberta. I can't imagine anyone else (who knows something aside from stereotypes or Hollywood garbage) would have any real issues with it either. Where I think this shirt goes wrong is the whole "without the Mexicans" thing. While it's probably very true that Alberta has far fewer Mexicans, the way it is written gives the reader that there is something intrinsically "wrong" with Mexicans or being one. Nothing is "wrong" with or "bad" about Mexicans. It's unfortunate that the majority of illegal aliens entering the United States come from Mexico (especially into border states, such as Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California), leading many Americans to immediately make the erroneous connection between "illegal alien" and "Mexican." That's how I see it, anyway.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-08-24 00:27:00
Canada	CBC in the US	This post won't be of much help, but every time I hear the term "CBC," I think of the medical version (complete blood count) instead of the media version (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation).	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-09-06 09:35:00
Canada	Marriage in Canada	Hi everybody! I have a few questions regarding marriage in Canada and how U.S. Customs might handle this situation: 1. If an American citizen and a Canadian citizen were to get married in Canada and then wish to honeymoon somewhere within the United States (this goes beyond the continental 48 states, so it includes Hawaii and Alaska and all territories), would there be a problem or some sort of issue with U.S. Customs? 2. Would U.S. Customs think the Canadian spouse was an immigration risk and therefore deny that person entry? 3. How much and what kind of "proof of ties to Canada" would the Canadian spouse need to produce in order to potentially satisfy U.S. Customs? 4. Would the American/Canadian couple go up to the Customs officer together, one at a time, or at completely separate stations? Does it really matter? If anyone could answer those questions, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-09-12 00:35:00
Canada	Vancouver airport POE time needed to activate visa	As it's been said, allow yourself a good three hours for the whole process. It probably won't take that long, but you never know. Sometimes, Customs can act screwy; even if they don't, I've noticed that when there's a large lineup of people who've recently entered the terminal, at least one Customs officer will decide to take his or her break, making the whole thing go even slower. Then, of course, you might want to have more time incase the first plane itself is a little late. Even ten to fifteen minutes can make a difference sometimes, so I'd definitely err on the side of caution. I know it's no fun to sit around an airport for a while, but that's better than missing your flight.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-09-14 09:42:00
Canada	Election Speak	QUOTE (misa @ Sep 26 2007, 05:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I didn't vote for Harper and I think I'm pretty well versed in both Canadian and U.S. politics. But I digress... Anyway, are we allowed to vote even if we're living in the U.S.? I don't know enough about Canadian politics to comment on this (the differences between Canadian conservatives and liberals vs American conservatives and liberals always seems to trip me up), but I do seem to recall reading somewhere that for Canadians to legally vote, they need to residing in their own country. I'm not sure if this means the Canadian in question needs to be "present" in Canada or if the Canadian only has to have a legally registered home in Canada. Regardless, I'm not Canadian, so at this point, it doesn't really pertain to me. I imagine it will, at some point, to my fiancee, should she wish to vote in Canadian politics in the future. She's said she has no interest in becoming an American citizen, so if she can't vote in Canadian elections and she won't be able to vote in American elections, she'll probably feel somewhat "out of the loop." I know I would. Edited by DeadPoolX, 26 September 2007 - 08:05 PM.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-09-26 20:04:00
Canada	Attention all Shoppers	QUOTE (Krikit @ Sep 24 2007, 04:28 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> QUOTE (DeadPoolX @ Sep 24 2007, 05:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> How long has this discount been around for? My fiancee was here in the U.S. last month and we did shop briefly in Macy's, so we could've used this. I found out about it a couple of years ago. Not sure when it started though. Misa, I think you take your passport to customer service but I'll find out for sure. Maybe Kez or G&A will stop back in to answer, though. A couple of years ago? That's how long it's been around? Wow. That just goes to show you how often I go shopping in a department store. I hate to reinforce the "male stereotype of shopping," but my idea of going to the mall is heading to EB Games or The Sharper Image. It doesn't really matter, though. As it turns out, my fiancee told me that we bought stuff at JC Penny since they had what she was looking for and at better overall prices. I didn't even know we bought stuff at JC Penny! When did this happen?! I have some vague memory of shopping for clothing, but otherwise, it's all fuzzy. According to my fiancee, we actually looked in JC Penny, Macy's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and a whole slew of smaller stores as well. What's really funny -- besides the fact that I don't seem to fully remember any of this -- is that even though this was the second time she had ever been to the Houston Galleria (which is a huge shopping mall; one of the largest in the entire U.S.), she knew her entire way around the place! I get lost every single time I go in there and this is my home city! I've been here my entire life, so I've definitely been to this mall more than twice! Just for the record, my fiancee is not a "shopping fanatic" nor does she ever spend "tons of money." However, I suppose none of that changes the fact that she has far more experience in the areas of "shopping and mall navigation." I suppose it's better than both of us getting lost; then we'd never find our way around when shopping! Edited by DeadPoolX, 30 September 2007 - 04:08 AM.	DeadPoolX	Male	Canada	2007-09-30 04:07:00