I have a Canadian accent

Familiar landscape: Grass and sky (South Cooking Lake, Alberta)

Unfamiliar landscape: Urban flowers (Berkeley, California)

I’ve been traveling around San Francisco and the East Bay all week ooo-ing my “abouts.” Shop-keepers (and people at the bus stop!) notice my accent and way of speaking, and ask where I’m from.

I’m thinking about what it means to be Canadian in this context… Part of what I’m looking forward to about being an international student is finding out more about where I’m from through being somewhere else for a few years. Today I noticed my current location outside of Canada especially when I was at the bank, writing “July 1st" on some forms. (The 4th and 5th are the holidays here.) I’ve never done banking on Canada Day before.

I notice many differences between home and here, but I also realize that I’m comparing Edmonton and San Francisco, rather than Canada and the United States. I’m comparing a small (spread out) Canadian city and a big (built up) American city.

But I think there are some contrasting things that apply to more places that only these two cities: I notice that in Edmonton I hear news from the United States quite often, but in San Francisco, I don’t overhear any news from Canada, so I have to seek it out. News flows one way between these two countries, but not the other – and it’s the same with music, writing (especially poetry) and knowledge about (abooot) geography.

Here’s a quick list of some important things about Canada: Friends, family, home, beautiful places, healthcare, loonies, Stuart McLean and Shelagh Rogers, same-sex marriage!, cross-country skiing, Mountain Equipment Co-op and the privilige of a citizenship that allows me to cross borders relatively easily.

Edmonton: 53° North Latitude
Today: Sunrise at 5:09 am and sunset at 10:06 pm

San Francisco: 37° North Latitude
Today: Sunrise at 5:52 am and sunset at 8:36 pm