Canada: An expensive, inconvenient, inferior alternative to the US

Have you ever been so surprised by someone's inability to see another side of an argument, that you have no reaction? No witty retort, no thought out reasoning, just.... silence. And shock. And dumbfounded confusion. Recently, an acquaintence of mine on Facebook reacted violently to rather harmless (or so I thought) post. A post where I was expressing (perhaps inappropriately) my inability to choose a political candidate I felt represented my desires, and beliefs.

Because this "socialism" movement, where people like to claim that even the poorest of society DESERVE something just for being alive? I can't get behind that. Partially because I've SEEN, firsthand, how socialism and its bedfellows play out in most places. Armenia is a stark reminder to me of the absolute bleak uselessness of making everyone the same. That it removes the drive, the spark out of the human spirit. Canada, where I currently am, is a smaller version of that - where I see drug addicts, who have admitted to choosing to be homeless, get rent subsidies and have an iphone. But me? My paycheck gets a 25% cut before it even gets to me. So that guy can smoke crack and wear pajamas all day.

It is infuriating, in a way that makes me want to cry.

This facebook acquaintance reacted so violently to this post of mine, telling me how I wasn't even human, and how DARE I express these opinions. Basically calling me a terrible person. And even using the phrase "you're a terrible person". It was surprisingly awful. He told me that I'm a guest in Canada. That I need to appreciate it here. And how people like me are the oppressors, and how I'm awful.

The interaction was so jarring I quit facebook for 2 months.

And now, I'm just here to make a LIST of the CRAPPY things I deal with in Canada. I don't appreciate Canada. I think Canada is the worst. And if you think of it as left-wing mecca, feel free to come find out for yourself JUST how much it sucks here. Here is a short list of the things I hate:

1) Weather - Just three weeks of BLAZING HEAT and then a really long, stupid, grey, rainy fall. Until blazing heat again.

2) Terrible banking. OH MY GOSH. I've actually cried over how stupid their banking is. REAL. SALTY. TEARS.

3) High taxes 

4) Poor quality food - The other day, we got a watermelon. When Norman tasted it, he said "It's the best Canadian watermelon I've ever had!" And he was right. It was watery, and flavorless, and the flesh was pale.... just like most Canadians themselves. 

5) High price of food - We spend $600 a month on food for 2 people. And we never have fish, or beef, or seafood. We eat chicken and pasta. 

6) Stupidly inflated real estate. A one bedroom condo? 400,000 please. Maybe, if it was somewhere AWESOME like Hawaii, but CANADA???? REALLY????

7) Crappy amenities/high price of amenities (like utilities) - single pane windows +baseboard heaters+damp, awful weather = high prices. 

7) Exorbitant, ridiculous cell phone plans - we pay $95 a month. We have 1 GB of data. 

8) Lack of affordable distractions/entertainment

9) Lack of decent shopping

10) Health care is "fine"until you have to go to a specialist or have a family doctor, then get on a miles long waiting list - Ive been waiting since february for an appointment with a dermotologist.

11) ICBC (its the government owned vehicle licensing and insuring company - $200 a month to insure our car)

12) Lack of usable highways

13) Cost of fuel

14) Worthless currency

15) Attitude of most canadians - their only defining characteristic is that they are NOT American. As if that is something to be proud of.

16) Attitude towards most immigrants - someone actually wrote and issued a letter about how dangerous Norman and I are. Because we aren't Canadians. Because those Swiss - they're really screwing up the world.

17) That the dream of Canada being the U.S. but done better is  a LIE

18) That Canadians allow themselves to be taken advantage of and overcharged, and no one ever does anything about it

I know the response to this will be "if you hate it so much, why don't you leave?"

Just know, we have been TRYING TO. For YEARS.

Now, I have a countdown to when we should hear back from US immigration regarding our application. And even though we have less than 150 days left on the countdown, some days, I'm so unhappy I feel strangled. I HATE THIS PLACE. And I NEVER want to live here again.

SO. To sum up? I don't appreciate Canada. Never have. Never will.