My Social Experiment

Like my mom and sister, and I’m sure my mom’s mom before her, I’m a pretty smiley sort of person. Tennessee has its flaws, but unfriendly people are definitely not among them - the stranger who does not return a smile is more the exception than the rule.

Calgary is quite the opposite when it comes to its street culture and interaction with strangers. Perhaps I’m sensitive or simply pay more attention to these sorts of things, as Ben argues with me on this point. But when a friend came to visit in Calgary a few months ago, she commented that the polite but cold manner of locals was one of the first things that struck her. (And there was no prompting from me on the topic, I might add!)
Don’t get me wrong – most locals are unfailingly polite (they will give you plenty of space, won’t push on the bus, generally say please and thank you and avoid confrontational situations). But I don’t necessarily equate politeness with friendliness, and perhaps this is where the male and female mind differ, and why Ben describes people as being “friendly” while I pick up a different vibe: aloof and brusque, albeit polite, might be the best way to describe the “street attitude” of Calgarians. Much like Danes, I find that once you get them talking, they can be friendly and quite sincere, but it can take some effort to get to that soft interior!

I suppose this strikes me as odd because Calgary is a city the size of Nashville; in bigger cities I’d be more likely to expect this attitude.

To test my perception of Calgarians, over the past few weeks I have begun conducting a very informal social experiment when walking around the downtown streets and Plus 15 pathways during the workdays: I smile at strangers, a part of my countenance that I had partly given up not long after moving here. This is an interesting endeavor for me on days when I’m feeling thick-skinned, and when I just need some entertainment after sitting at a desk for hours.

My (highly unofficial) results have been, for the most part, as expected. The reactions are varied, but mostly I think people simply don’t know how to react to a smiling stranger. I get looks that indicate the smile recipient is questioning my mental stability (“Why in the world would she smile at a stranger on the street?”); I get angry glares (“I was perfectly polite, and now she expects me to smile, too?”); I get indignant huffs (“How dare she laugh at me!”); but on occasion, I DO get brilliant smiles, and those can make my day.

I was discussing this experiment with my loveliest of lovely Spanish friend and she shared the story of her father visiting Calgary from Spain. He continued to smile and greet strangers, only to be met with blank stares. My friend finally told her father he should probably just stop putting himself out there so much, as people would not reciprocate, and she hated seeing him in such a situation; his response was that smiling was his way of making people feel comfortable, and he did not intend to stop!

I still believe in a culture of smiling at strangers, but I suppose it’s also ok if others aren’t accustomed to this very Southern attribute. Just another of the reasons I love traveling and living in new places: there is so much to learn and observe, and so much about yourself that you discover! I, for one, will be tuning into my iPod and reading books while walking around and riding the bus for the next year or so, and taking the Calgarian street culture with a grain of salt :)

A Quick Ode to Nashville

I know this blog is supposed to be about Canada, but I must digress for a moment to write about my super duper hometown south of the border...

When I saw today that Gwyneth Paltrow was offering a write-up on her blog about Nashville, I was skeptical. What sort of real advice could a big-city actress possibly divulge about a friendly southern city that prides itself on an eclectic mix of modern, old-fashioned and just down-home South?

Well, I ate my words (or thoughts, at least), because she did a pretty good job of pointing out some of Nashville's best, including the more obvious like Robert's Western World, the Ryman and Loveless Cafe (a gimme, really), along with a few lesser known spots like my old haunts The Family Wash, Margot and Marche, and even a few new spots that I have yet to try since moving northward. Now I'm jonesing for a trip home to bask in all the good eating, drinking and music that Nashville serves up every day!

Read Ms. Paltrow's aforementioned blog here: GOOP

More Photos for your Enjoyment

We had to bid farewell to our good friend Alicia a few weeks ago as she headed to London for another adventure, but not without a final ski trip to Lake Louise! This winter has been unseasonably warm, making for some beautiful days on the mountain (if not the best snow conditions).

We also enjoyed a foray deep into the Calgary Farmer's Market and then took a stroll along the Bow River which is already melting. Last year it was frozen solid until the end of April, so things are looking up! The huge chunks of ice alongside the river are evidence (I hope) of an early and beautiful spring coming our way, although if I've learned anything about Calgary in the past 17 months, I'm sure it has at least one more cold spell/snow storm in store for us!

Photo Updates!

Have I mentioned yet that I was lucky enough to go to the Vancouver Olympics last month?!

Sadly, Ben is in the middle of "busy season" and could not escape work to join in the fun, but Almudena and I managed to sneak out for a short but sweet weekend. It was all completely last minute - we booked airfare on a whim when a sale popped up a few weeks prior to the Olympics, booked one night in a hostel about a week later, and purchased event tickets the day before we flew out.

The atmosphere was beyond amazing - I have never seen such goodwill in the midst of huge crowds and long lines. We attended the women's mogul skiing event at Cypress (the infamous mountain which experienced delays and cancellations after downpours washed out much of the venue - and yes, we were watching our event DURING said downpour, but that is a different story!) We saw an American win gold and a Canadian win silver, and were still in the city (although on our way out) at the moment the first Canadian Olympian won gold on Canadian soil. From inside our hostel, we could hear cheers throughout the streets ... and man was there a party that night!

I met up with my fabulous cousin from Cali and her husband, and the girls had a photo-op with the superstar of the moguls event - Canadian Snowman, who was sporting not only his Canadian flag, but also a Molson Canadian beer :) After hours in freezing rain at that event, the next day was absolutely gorgeous - sunny and warm, so quite a treat for Almu and I after a cold Calgary winter! I just love Vancouver - the entire city seems to be on the water, with harbors and beaches all around...

Trucking On in the North

Many of you have been hearing rumblings of this for a while now, but it's official: Ben and I are extending our time in Calgary by one year!!

After much debate, we decided it's the best choice for us right now - life is pretty darn good here and the winter has been significantly milder this year, making the decision a bit easier! Of course don't ask how I feel when it drops back to -30 degrees in December!

We're looking forward to another fabulous summer in the Rocky Mountains (one was just not enough, not when summer is so short!) and one more ski season before heading southward again. If all goes as planned, we should be home sweet home in May 2011. Until then ... cheers and happy travels!! (Yes, if you have not made it up to visit yet, we are giving you an extra year of leeway, so come see us - this amazing area has to be one of the world's best-kept secrets!)

Things I Don't Love:

(On a less positive note!)

1) Escalator standers - you know who you are! If you insist on not walking up the escalator, then at least stand to the right, please :)

2) Not being able to smile in passport photos - which for me means ten more years of carrying around a passport in which I look like a stoner!

3) Local residents (most of them) who don't wak on the right side of the road or follow normal accepted pedestrian etiquette.

Things I Love:

1) Unseasonably warm winters

2) The big, wide-open Alberta sky that so many locals take for granted, but that repeatedly inspires awe in me

3) The spectacular sunsets that occur on every clear day, in aforementioned big sky. Extra love for a view over the city skyline or the mountains (which is not hard to do around here)

4) Knowing that in my heart, in spite of all the directions and places I pull myself, I'm still a Southern girl :)

Good Karma

I think that every company should offer employees the opportunity to volunteer during work hours. I’m not talking lots of time – just a few hours a month or every couple of weeks.

I would make the argument that giving people the chance to take a break from the frenzied work day to volunteer for causes they care about will sustain a happier, more productive workforce. Individuals who volunteer their time not only improve interpersonal skills and confront new (and unique and exciting) challenges, but also grow as human beings – and then they bring all of these life experiences to the table at work. It’s a win-win situation for everybody involved.

I am lucky to now work for a company that values community service, so every month I have the privilege of continuing my involvement with The Walk-In Closet. I have been working with this group for a little more than a year, and every month I still look forward to the time I’ll get to spend with the amazing women there. It’s so easy to get bogged down by day-to-day life, to feel bored and sorry for yourself because you spend the day sitting at a desk, or because you have to get up early, or because it’s cold outside. But each time I walk into the doors of the Walk-In Closet and interact one-on-one with a woman who is trying to change her life for the better, I’m reminded of how lucky I am.

In the face of huge adversity, whether it be conquering cancer, healing an addiction or escaping an abusive situation, almost every woman I work with comes in looking for a fresh start - willing to work hard and fight for a positive outlook on life against all odds. I love this – I love seeing this resilience and often wonder if I pull more inspiration from them than they do from me!

I will be curious to re-examine the corporate mentality toward volunteering once I return to the US - I find that community involvement is a huge part of life in Canada (or at least in our little region that we've grown to know and love!) I supoose it goes back to that more "socialistic" mentality. Even though Alberta is the most conservative of the Canadian provinces, it is still more liberal than most parts of the United States, and there is a strong sentiment toward taking care of your own. Cheers to that, and let's hope the attitude spreads!