Notable Differences

Besides not getting my fingers and toes warm enough, there are other noticeable differences in my surroundings since returning to Canada. For one thing, Where are all the bugs?

Take the kitchen for example. There is no struggle for dominance over uninvited critters! You can leave the sugar uncovered and never see a single ant. Yes, my friends in the tropics, not one ant approaches the counter. At most, a lone fruit fly may show up if there's a really old banana sitting out. (All the fruit is generally inaccessible to them being in the fridge.)

So, now, this is a good thing. I mean, it's a great thing that I never have to scope out the bathroom for a cockroach before entering. There are none. There are not even small cockroaches, much less the stretch-limos we're used to seeing in Malaysia. And forget about seeing a cloud of termites all over your living room floor, dropping their wings like dry leaves that dissipate into every crack and cranny.

That's not happening. Not here in Calgary. No bugs!

For that matter, neither are there any snakes nor lizards scooting around. And definitely, no RATS. Believe it or not, it is said that Alberta has eliminated all rats from their province! Go figure THAT.

What we do have here are basements. These are rarely if ever seen in the tropics. In the cold North, a house must have a basement. That's to anchor the house solidly through the freezing and thawing of the ground, something that's not a problem in a consistently warm climate.

Sidewalks are also something we take for granted here. If you happen to spend time as a pedestrian, you'll appreciate the pristine condition of Albertan sidewalks. You'll also appreciate the consideration of drivers here who will immediately bring their cars to a dead stop should you even look like you might be heading out onto the road.

Something that has impressed me here is the rich blue colour of the sky. It's just a lot bluer than in other places for some reason. And the clouds are fluffier, too, it seems to me. No kidding!

And, last but not least are the autumn leaves! The trees just burgeon with red, yellow, orange and gold at this time of the year! Pretty!