Back in the summer of 2013, I was living in Vancouver and hosting a female Brazilian friend of mine who was relocating there. One day, a 25 year old Brazilian friend of hers came over. This young woman, who had lived in Canada for a total of one year, proceeded within minutes of arriving at my home to instruct me on how I should view Canadian politics. Suffice to say, she was a big Trudeau fan-girl. I’ve never forgotten this incident. It was a clear demonstration of arrogance. Throughout my 11 years of living in America, I’ve made it a point to never telling Americans how they should think/vote politically. Call it common sense or just simple politeness, it has served me well.
Fast forward to yesterday evening. I’ve begun a month long stay in Sedona, Arizona. I went for a walk in my temporary new neighbourhood and came across a late 60’s fellow. We started talking and it turned out that he also grew up in Vancouver, though in the very exclusive Shaughnessy neighbourhood. He may very well have attended the same high school as me, but I very much grew up on the other side of the tracks. Upon meeting, I had no idea of his nationality, nor he of mine. In less than 30 seconds into our conversation, he proceeded to declare that Trump is a moron and maniac. Then he told me was Canadian. He and his wife own a home in Sedona, a home in White Rock (near Vancouver), and also spend a few months every year in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. So he clearly has some semblance of intelligence, but clearly very little wisdom.
Given that more than 50% of Americans voted for Trump, I found it utterly bizarre that he would so openly expose his severe TDS. Is this his way of showing Americans how nice Canadians are? The shine is quickly coming off of the old narrative.
TDS declaration is just this year’s land acknowledgement for the surgical mask crowd.
Heh.That’s good.
Beautiful photographs, though.
Robert … despite its reputation for peacock feathers and ritualistic sex … Sedona is on my relocation short list. Let me know what you think after your stay.
Oh … and I look forward to having the same conversation with your Canadian friend there … because I’m a boorish, impolite American who would gladly give him a piece of my MAGA mind
Really, Kenji? Why would want to (continue to) live among a high percentage of woke jerks?
Must be ritualistic sex … 🙂
Surely much ritualistic sex consists of woke jerks?
Kenji, you might want to look at Flagstaff. West side is liberal but the east side is conservative cowboy country.
It’s on my list too … and it appears as though some acreage can be had … aka “defensible space” in Flagstaff. And thank you for the geo-political layout. It’s high time to live in the RED
Also be sure to check out nearby Prescott. I’ve spoken with several people who have relocated there and they love it! Also, most there don’t seem to be Radical Leftists.
Kenji,
if you make it to Flagstaff go to Mary’s Cafe on N Hwy 89. You will be right at home.
Kenji – agreed there are far too many smug Canadians who will dump on America, but we’re not all that way. Come north for the Calgary Stampede and we’ll guarantee you a good time. Apart from anything else, there are free pancake breakfasts hosted throughout the city for the ten days.
My daughter and Canadian SIL were there with my grand boys last summer. OMG the pictures! The glacial lakes … Bampff downtown … it all looked SPECTACULAR. We should have joined them there. Now it’s on my list! And I’d look you up!
You have one of those Canadian sil’s too?
Yep. He was ‘nice’ to my daughter … and they’re a great match as my daughter is very nice too (gets that from her mom) … her acerbic, sarcastic side comes from me.
And Frances … my grandson even wore his ‘Calgary’ soccer jersey at his soccer camp today. He’s looking pretty good for a 5yo.
Yes, anti-Americanism is never in fashion at the Stampede and I suspect it will have faded right out of style by this summer. The Stampede is not what it used to be, but then neither am I, and at least the Stampede is still fun. If you come, I bet you’ll really enjoy it.
I had relatives in Taos. Much preferred it to Sedona — Sedona is the wealthier version, and with that comes a lot of smug, and very hypocritical, posing (ala the Canadians mentioned in this post). With Taos you get actual hippies, and some of them are far easier to get along with — they may be eccentric/absolutely nuts but at least you know it comes from a place of belief rather than self-gratification. Sadly, it will suffer the same fate as Sedona.
The environment is lovely in both places. Always check the water and mineral rights in any sale of property.
Kenji, I lived in Ahwatukee for some years, south end of Phoenix. Very nice indeed, and insulated from the rest of Phoenix by South Mountain park. Houses not too obscenely expensive, I think. Haven’t looked lately. I do have an excellent realtor down there still, if you’re interested.
My neighbor, who I think changed wheels at the CPR roundhouse – maintenance yards for +40 years, loses his mind if I mention Trump, Republican, MAGA or anything remotely encouraging of the USA
That button, the button labeled “easy” and to end a conversation is right there, just itching to be pushed.
*Love that blue on the Sedona rocks in the above photos… imagine the morning sun looks amazing too.
I must admit the blue sky looks a bit AI-ed … knowing Robert possesses those skills
Robert, I live in Sedona (Village of Oak Creek) and Flagstaff. Surrounded by liberals and air BNB’s. Beautiful scenery though.
John, is it a legal requirement here that every woman change her name to some exotic like “Raven” or “Sapphire”?! I find that a lot of them have done this!
I knew one that called herself White Wolf. Sedona’s been weird for a long time. They are harmless though.
I agree 110% with the opinion “Trump is a moron and maniac.”
I only wish to add that he is also a blithering ignorant idiot.
But I repeat myself. Over and over again.
However, I can understand Trump getting 50%+ of the votes.
The woke wackos were in control of the Dems.
The Mercans had to choose the lesser of two evils.
Canadians arrogance will be are undoing.
I’m always amazed when one of Carney’s serfs criticizes US governance.
Enjoy your rice and bugs.
“…I’ve made it a point to never telling Americans how they should think/vote politically. Call it common sense or just simple politeness, it has served me well.”
Robert, my wife and I were in Niagara on the Lake for a wedding in the fall of 2016 and staying at a small bed and breakfast. We came down in the morning and shared a table with a nice couple from Ohio. They brought up their election and were apologetic about Trump. I asked them how they thought the election would go. They said that all you see are Hillary signs and she was surely going to be elected by a huge majority. They then asked for our perspective and I said, well I can’t imagine too many people willing to advertise their support for Trump given how he was being roasted in the media. I said if I was a Trump supporter, I wouldn’t be telling anyone. He said, but you don’t think he can win. I said, actually I do. I told him I read a lot of alternative media and was getting a very different picture than what the MSM was portraying. I think Trump won Ohio by over 8 pts. I often wonder what that couple thought on the day after the election.
They thought …” maybe we should rethink our politics and stop watching the msm …”
Hahahaha … of course they didn’t … instead, they voted 4x for Biden in 2020
Remember that smug Karen in the most recent election who was buying a bottle of champagne because she KNEW that Kamala would win?
Here’s a story about her: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14055825/Smile-wiped-face-cackling-professor-bought-champagne-toast-Kamala-win.html
Her last name is “Battishill”. When I read that, I immediately thought of “Batshi* Crazy!”
Canadians are viewed as bring total assholes worldwide. It’s well deserved.
I don’t know that that is a fair assessment.. Where I live, there is several rather large enclaves of seasonal Canadians who, although they originate primarily from Ontario and Quebec (with a generous smattering of N.B. and N.S), remain rather polite and cordial.. I suppose I moreso than them become the ‘asshole’ during conversation with the Canadians that I know personally (as opposed to business clientele). After a few drinks, it invariably comes up that there is obvious distinctions between Americans and Canadians.. I generally counter that by stating that the only people on this planet the distinguish a difference between us, is Canadians themselves.. To the rest of the world, we are the same people. We look, speak, dress, and act alike.. we live on the same landmass, we drive the same cars, eat much the same food, share many of the same interests, enjoy the many of same sporting and entertainment events, and Canadians adapt/assimilate to US culture far better and much quicker than any other nationality. and I am told that the further west you go in Canada, the more difficult it is to tell us apart.. The silence after I state as much is deafening, with only the look of bewilderment upon furled brows.
Having lived in Europe for 30+ years and traveled extensively throughout I found that most Europeans have essentially zero knowledge of and opinions about Canadians.
We are considered nicer Yank cousins who happen to speak English and French.
Also, they think Canada doesn’t have summers.
Canada is asshole.
I loath being lumped in with the sheeple of cana_duh …… I have always hated the east, and now the mass psychosis is all around me
Then hurry up and separate already. Otherwise you will continue to be lumped in with the rest of these weapons grade douchebags.
Al – very much back in the day grew up in small town SE BC in “wartime housing”. This meant that all houses were occupied by WW II vets and their families. Early on, I heard the phrase “Canada ends at the Rockies and BC ends at Hope”. The men were wrong about the Rockies – it should have been the Lakehead – but they weren’t wrong about Hope. All Ottawa and Victoria cared about then – and now – was extracting the maximum taxes from that area (mines, smelter, logging, pulp mills) and putting the minimum back in amenities.
So … you managed to get two 25-year-old Brazilian women into your apartment and proceeded to talk politics?
oooof!
I was wondering if someone was going to bring that up. My friend was actually a bit older, but far more attractive. Her and her husband actually took over the renting of my place, as I was embarking on a world trip and then relocated to Silicon Valley. They broke up soon after. He remarried and lives with his 2nd Brazilian wife to this day. My friend moved to Montreal, married a Brazilian guy there, and more recently they moved to Vancouver.
Smug,unthinking,assumptions of superiority.
Eastern Canadians ,more than a few,have the same attitude toward Alberta .
Not Sees,one and all.
Many years ago I met a very enthusiastic Quebec Separatist,just after my return from abroad..
She explained all the reasons “Quebec was different” and stated quite the hostility toward Western Canada and the USA’s indifference to her cause…
I told her,that from the POV of abroad,We are all North Americans here.
Whoosh, right over her pretty head.
40 years on?
Nothing has changed,except Canada is much poorer..
Eastern Canada seems to blame everyone except themselves for the poverty the Welfare State has brought us.
And Western Canadian has finally noticed that there is no end to the stealing, in a kleptocracy.
The coming collapse of Canada is so obvious that politicians are now running on it..
Too Little Too Late of course.
The choices,that we should have created and the opportunities we were obliged to pass on to the next generation..
Are brutally limited.
That National Debt we have gifted the unborn with is impossible.
A nation destroying act of treason.
Western Canada is being handed the bill.
Except all those billions of “Equalization” are merely paying the interest,as Ottawa spends on.
Separation is the only sane option.
If this was a marriage,the drunk with the credit cards, needs the boot.
The less idiotic spouse must free themselves.
Why do we continually elect fools and bandits who cannot manage their own money?
Then expecting them to handle the States Budget?
They already have form.
Failed Lawyers.
Failed Administrators.
Failed Criminals.
Serial Failures.
This is Canada.
A crab bucket society.
Pretending to be “nice” while rotting at the heart with envy and cowardice.
Naturally we lecture those who actually try for success.
For we “Know better” how more successful societies shall run their lives.
We know so much that ain’t so.
Which is why we are broke,bankrupt and unable to defend our land.
Hoser is the best description.
That sanctimonious hatred toward Americans is because we envy them so.
For,as we all have seen,any Canadian with serious “Get up and Go” gets so ground down by this Nanny State,that they “Pack up and Go” across the border were they get to keep some return on their creativity.
Our national anthem ought to be an ode to “Sloth, Envy and Greed”.
Welfare Forever.
To Kenji et al: Robert is a talented photographer, but the skies in Sedona are that blue with no help from AI. I go to Sedona to escape – challenging, multi-hour hikes with stunning geology. Get out early, choose your trail carefully, and you can go hours with few human contacts. It’s more than possible to avoid or limit conversations with people in that dramatic landscape.
I’m a Canadian from Southwestern Ontario who has great respect for American entrepreneurship and, yes, exceptionalism. I’ve had many wonderful interactions with Americans who, in general, I find more open and fun than my compatriots. That said, THE worst interactions I’ve had with TDS & anti-MAGA tirades have been with my born & bred American cousins. I recall a particularly animated conversation with my Michigander cousin in 2016 – he dumped on Trump and praised Trudeau; I said I would trade Trudeau for Trump in a heartbeat. How’d that work out? Visits with my Phoenix born & bred cousin are like walking in a conversational landmine – she spits venom for all things Republican. Since Trump’s re-election she calls with family history questions as she completes her application for Canadian citizenship. We don’t need any more leftists in Canada.
Hey I grew up around 41st & Granville and went to VC.
Small world.
I grew up near City Hall and went to Hamber. My high school had some of the wealthiest kids in the city attending. My thumbnail description of the student population was “1/3 Jewish Canadian, 1/3 Chinese Canadian, and 1/3 the rest of us”. I was very much in the latter category and very much on the wrong side of the tracks.
But, on a positive note, back then in the 70’s & 80’s, we all got along perfectly well and didn’t care at all about a person’s ethnicity, religion, etc. Fast forward to now . . . I have a longtime buddy who teaches high school further west in Vancouver. He tells me that the Chinese from China won’t talk with the Chinese from Taiwan. Every ethnic group self-segregates, and nobody talks with the white kids. So sad. I chalk it up to the mentality behind Trudeau’s Woke Canada.