Winter in Canada

[cavew0man]

My apologies for bursting out laughing as I read your last sentence - my mind is one long string of movie quotes, and Michael Caine as Nigel Powers in Austin Powers:Goldmember:

"All right Goldmember. Don't play the laughing boy. There's only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures and the Dutch."

That's a tough spot to be in - hopefully you can make it home someday. Yes, there's a big difference between being a tourist and being an ex-pat. I've only lived in North America, all three countries (yes, there ARE 3!), and definitely have run into resentment from all sorts of different people, both in the U.S. and Mexico. But at the same time, like you said, you pick the right ones and that makes life livable. Playa del Carmen is a funny place - there is such a large ex-pat community, and the people are from absolutely everywhere, that we have each other to lean on. So I am guessing that life here is pretty simple, compared to your situation. Good luck, and we're always here online when you feel the need to unload!

I have attached a picture of snow for you. It still looks the same! (Dec.08, Calgary).

 

[Diver0001]

Brilliant. I put your picture on my windows background. Thanks.

R..

 

[TSandM]

Just read the poem . . . This winter, you could replace "Canada" with "Seattle".

You are always welcome to come visit and dive, Rob; you can even come in the wintertime, if you're nostalgic for weather that sucks.

 

[El Orans]

Rotterdam is like Vancouver except the summers are cold too....

Comparitively speaking, the diving in Holland, although excellent in the sense that there are a lot of places to dive, is like drinking butterfly p.iss when you really want a beer.

I've built up a life in Holland but it's not really a great country to live in. The climate sucks and they don't like foreigners here at all, despite how superficially pleasant they are with tourists....and the government in this country is hell bent on making the whole society like one big nightmare out of that George Orwell novel 1984. Have you read that? You should, then you'll know what it's like to live in Western Europe as a North American.

You can get used to the Dutch as long as you are picky enough about who you hang around with.

Don't hold back Rob, tell us how you really feel...

 

[Diver0001]

I have a better idea, Lynne.... We'll both go stay for a while with Cavewoman. (btw, cavewoman do you have a real name or would you prefer us to just keep calling you that forever....?)

I've been to Playa del Carmen a couple of times and enjoyed it but there would be too much Bzzzzzz and not enough Ohmmmmmm for me to live anywhere near the centre of town. On the whole, though I really like Mexico and I've often dreamt about just moving to somewhere along the Yucatan and falling off the world....

The food would be a problem, though. You either become a serious vegetarian or you end up fat and at high risk of heart attack like probably 90% of Mexicans are....

R..

 

[Diver0001]

Don't hold back Rob, tell us how you really feel...

You know I'm right, Bro. In a recent poll more than 50% of young Dutch people said they'd emigrate too if they could.... (do you remember the exact number?)

My guess knowing you is that you'd leave in a second too if you had a good enough offer.

I don't want to insult anyone, Laurens, least of all you... but you have to admit that Holland would be a lot nicer country to live in if there were fewer Dutch and more Canadians....

Anyway, never mind me, I'm just feeling a bit homesick. I've had this feeling after Christmas every year since I moved here.... I don't know why... must be the water.

R..

 

[cavew0man]

mmmmm.... food...... tacos "El Pastor"......

Actually you mostly just end up cooking regular, boring food for yourself, like anywhere else. Oh, yeah, and spending an hour a day in the gym. Or hauling your tanks through the jungle, which works well too.

Funny -.a really good friend of mine emailed the other day and said he had noticed (while enjoying a reflective morning Mimosa) that all of his favorite people were, to varying degrees, all hermits. Yes, Mexico is a fantastic place to just drop off the edge. Living here can be a little bit Twilight Zone at times.

Come on down!

Kris (aka Cavewoman).

 

[TSandM]

Rob, want to go in on a condo down there? I've been trying to convince Peter, but not getting much of anywhere . . . I'll take mosquitos and humidity and paying off traffic police over snow and ice, any day; the caves are just the icing on the cake.

And BTW, you can cook healthy Mexican food . . . or at least, I can!

 

[Diver0001]

Rob, want to go in on a condo down there? I've been trying to convince Peter, but not getting much of anywhere . . . I'll take mosquitos and humidity and paying off traffic police over snow and ice, any day; the caves are just the icing on the cake.

And BTW, you can cook healthy Mexican food . . . or at least, I can!

Ohhhhhh..... Can't. I would love to but it would get the executive veto on this end (and rightly so, I mean for one thing that's too many X chromosomes in one place and I was just in Egypt.....wives, amazingly enough have limits about these thigns..... )

And anyway, being down there with you and Kris (although I'm sure it would be a blast) would leave me watching the car serving drinks and helping you guys in and out of your clo.... I mean wetsuits..... I'm not trained for caves, remember?

R..

 

[cavew0man]

Ohhhhhh..... Can't. I would love to but it would get the executive veto on this end (and rightly so, I mean for one thing that's too many X chromosomes in one place and I was just in Egypt.....wives, amazingly enough have limits about these thigns..... )

And anyway, being down there with you and Kris (although I'm sure it would be a blast) would leave me watching the car serving drinks and helping you guys in and out of your clo.... I mean wetsuits..... I'm not trained for caves, remember?

R..

That can be fixed! We have the technology!