So, true to my previous post, I ended up going on the Buffalo - Detroit trip last week. Specifically, I ended up in the Niagara region of Ontario and suburban Detroit. They were interesting places, but perhaps not in wholly positive ways.
As it stands, my history with the Canadian Immigration authorities is a fascinating one. Due to the wonders of NAFTA and spousal sponsorship, I was able to obtain a work permit in 30 minutes and a permanent resident (green) card in two months. The experience of actually living and working in Canada (Toronto) didn't go so well, but at least we gave it a shot.
Side note: Gordie, on the side chance you Google this and realize our three degrees of separation while on break from pwning BC and the provincial NDP - I bet your part of the country is way cooler.
But I digress.
When trying to enter Canada last Monday, the straight-out-of-CIC-school border guard pulled me over for having an immigration visa in my US passport but no PR card on hand. This should have been simple, but unfortunately it went down as follows:
Dude in sunglasses: "Did you live in Canada?"
Me: "Yes, from July - December 2007."
Dude: "So you no longer live here?"
Me: "No."
Dude: "Do you have your PR card with you?"
Me: "Well, no, because I'm not coming here to reside again. I'm just here for two days."
Dude: "You need to go inside."
Sadly, things did not improve from this point on. The immigration officer inside the "scary building" didn't understand a simple fact of law: When you obtain a PR card by having your spouse sponsor you, and you live continuously with said spouse, you are entitled to retain said card no matter where you live. Period.
Suffice to say that Canadian Immigration now has me "flagged," a copy of my business card on file, and my smiling face in a computer somewhere. This has occurred for having what is technically more of a right to enter their country than the average American. Excellent.
Crap like that is why I don't live there anymore. That, and it gets cold there. (Who knew?)
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Suburban Detroit (the nice part) is a mix of shuttered businesses and brand-spanking-new high-end shopping plazas. It's depressing, but it's a fair reminder of how America found itself in its current economic state. There are a lot of houses for sale, a lot of empty parking lots, etc., but a lot of people apparently interested in obtaining an iPhone. (Including me.) Epiphany provided by a Spanish participant of our travel adventure: Proscuitto is a cheap knockoff of Serrano ham. Curious.
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So now I find myself rocking it back in Lower AL, which is an okay place as long as I remain in the "bubble" (i.e. not the super-Republican suburbs). It's a good spot for now, but I don't know that it'll stick forever.
Especially if I don't find a good Sazerac around.
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5 comments:
Hmmmm...a Sazerac you say?
I often think about how long I would have lasted in Birmingham, had I not gotten the lifeline of all lifelines in the summer of 1997. I don't know how good the Blue Bubble is in the 205, but I get the distinctive sense it wouldn't be nearly enough.
As it happens, I know where one can get a Sazerac...in the 415. Funny thing, that...
Ah, Sazerac.
I wouldn't have lasted as long in the South had I not lived in New Orleans (a very blue bubble as long as you stay in Orleans Parish) and Toronto for a period of time. Birmingham... no way. For all the scary redneck and suburbanites, the tiny bubble of Mobile is more like New Orleans than it is Birmingham. Thankfully so.
I hope you realize our goal is to eventually get you to move here. Not right away if you don't want (you need to enjoy that beautiful house for a bit longer), but eventually. I don't think it'll be too hard, although I know we have to compete with NYC.
I think we're going to enjoy the hell out of your corner of the world when we visit.
As is our way, I was recently discussing "long term plans" with my lovely spouse. Although "long term plans" seems like a laughable term, we did conclude the following:
- I doubt very highly that we'll be here longer than a few years, and only due to various career / educational goals. We also need to fix up this beautiful house and wait for the market to come back so we can turn a profit.
- I see us living in a much more cosmopolitan place after here.
- Were we to have children (i.e. adopt), we would not want to raise them here.
- Finalists for more acceptable locations at this point are NYC, California, or abroad.
I think that adults can manage to survive in a "bubble" because they know better. That's much more difficult and alienating for kids. I would not want to induce the outsider-brainwashing that Stagger and I received on anyone, especially not an innocent family member.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but looking at the Facebook content from our fellow alumni, one thing stands out like Dolly Parton running the Bay to Breakers: the ones who have children are the ones who don't live in 205 anymore.
Hmmm.
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