stuff you notice

• canadians really are friendly, including the customs guys who i thought were going to take away my harrods duty free or charge me tax on the items i had shipped, but no, they were very friendly - tattoos, scary black gloves and all. the passport office staff earn an honourable mention for their friendliness and for bending the rules for my 'unique situation.'
• the driving skills around these parts are sub par compared to those of nairobi. sure, people here know the road rules and tend to obey them, but they follow too closely and need really big lanes because they insist on meandering between lanes, across lanes, and where ever they please. i guess you can forgive them considering they aren't used to roads filled with hazards such as potholes that will swallow you, potential carjackers, and laneless roads. sounds chaotic, but drivers are much better at manouvering their vehicles around deathtraps and/or traffic in kenya. (following road rules is another thing completely and canada wins that one)
• mobile phone companies in canada are stupid and i wish they would get with the european and african times with sim cards and innovation
• all the choice is overwhelming
• a rainy day in calgary is better than a rainy day in nairobi
• so much tv to watch, so few hours in a day
• calgary has a distinct smell and you notice it when you land in the airport, it is nice. clean. dry.
• i keep forgetting that cold water runs out of the tap and man, is it cold. but the hot water is delicious, simply delicious.
• blueberries are still my favourite berry
• we keep leaving our front door open when we go out. i guess the stereotype is true. and it is so nice that we can do that (not that we do all the time, but having options is nice)
• hockey and snow in june? oh yeah.

adjusting back to north american life is going to have its challenges and this visit home has been the first time that i have been worried about them, but i suppose since it is on the horizon, worry is warranted.