Well, I have officially been on PEI 15 years effective last night. January 2, 1993 I drove from good old Grand Mère, Québec in a blinding snowstorm, following my uncle Reg. All I could see were his car lights, had he gone in the ditch, so would I. I guess PEI wanted to celebrate my 15 years yesterday by giving us a blinding snowstorm. I am just glad I didn't have to drive anywhere though.
When I think back to 15 years ago, age 21, everything I owned in the world was in the back of my Sundance. I looked forward to what I would encounter here! My plans were to only stay for 5 years and then go back to civilization to live my life. Little did I know just how much PEI would grow on me and finally adopt me as one of its' children "from away".
As I lay awake most of the night wondering if the snow plough would come clear my driveway, I had time to think about what I like and dislike about PEI. Here's what I came up with:
Like:
1. I like the slower pace and the lack of stress
2. I like that I am never stuck in traffic, unless there is an accident, then people like to stay and look, so traffic generally slows down, unlike in Quebec where they would curse you for being dead and give you the finger as they speed up.
3. I like that politics are relatively mild, no one party wants to separate from Canada. And frankly our Premier is young and good looking in his own way. When is the last time Québec had a good looking Premier??
4. I like the weather for the most part. We rarely have extremes, temperatures are generally between -20 to 20. So we never really freeze or have heat waves. At least not in comparison to the interior provinces. Not sure I could handle the heat of Toronto or the cold of Winnipeg.....
5. I like the wind. Yes, I know most people would think I am crazy, but I have discovered that while I cursed the wind many times, especially when living in Fort Augustus, when it isn't there it kind of feels like something is missing. Mind you, I have had to adjust my hairdo accordingly, I now go for the curly messy look, I found that the straight, sleek look just didn't do very well in the wind.
6. I like that no matter where I am on PEI, I am never farther than 20 minutes from a beach. While I don't like to swim in the ocean, I do like being by the water.
7. I like the people. Generally most people are kind and thoughtful and ready to help out when someone needs it.
8. I like that there are no big wild animals such as bears or moose.
9. I like how I can send my son out to play and don't have to worry about him getting abducted.
10. I like how the whole Island separates waste from compost and recycling.
Dislikes
1. I think my major pet peeve is how people drive. I'm not sure that merging is taught in driving school. The merge and the stop sign seem to have somewhat of the same meaning here. People! A merge sign does not mean stop! And for those in oncoming traffic, if someone is trying to merge, let them in.... don't try to speed up and run them off the road!
2. The overuse of pesticides. I really wish the whole Island would go completely green and organic. As consumers we should do something about it! Is the perfect french fry worth the health of our families?
3. The panic mode everytime a snowstorm is announced. People go crazy like we will be stuck in shelters for months! The grocery stores are packed solid, food is flying off the shelves, there is never any water left.... and in the end, the storm tapers off before reaching PEI and all is back to normal. The panic was for nothing.
4. Bridge toll. As Islanders, I really wish we didn't have to pay to leave the province.
5. Downtown parking..... need I say more?
6. The mud in the spring.
7. The over exaggeration of taking adavntage of something that sells. Anne of Green Gables.... Golf Courses, anything Confederation related etc. etc. etc...
8. The strong focus on hockey and that every child must play.... well, not every child wants to play, nor can every parent afford it or even want to sit in a cold rink for 14 years.
9. The lack of sidewalks in residential areas
10. No Sunday shopping from January to May. For some, Sunday is the only day they have to go out.
So that's it, I guess overall PEI is a pretty great place to be, and like it or not, I plan to stay for a while longer!
1 comment:
i take it you had a nice sleep?
oh ne colleague here was telling me that on saturdays and sundays, they have to be on the ice at 6 AM for her 5 year old son.
thats worse than coming to work!! 6 AM!!
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