The Fall weather can be perfect for enjoying the scenery outdoors. At the same time, there have been some interesting interactions with people (and creatures) around me.
A recent conversation I had at a rugby park:
Older man: “Is this boy’s rugby?”
Me: “Yes, it is.”
Older man: “Oh, well I just thought, because that one has long hair…”
Me (giggling to myself): “Right. That one’s my son. He’s into heavy metal.”
The sunny day last weekend when I met the older man:
Later in the conversation:
Older man: “I thought only young people were on their phones all the time!”
Me (thinking, “Wait! Aren’t I young anymore?): “I’m writing something for my blog. It’s really the only chance I get.”
Not only people are out at the rugby parks… on a rainy Sunday a few weeks ago as I sat in the car listening to an audiobook (not Richard) before the game started, I noticed this crow outside my window who seemed very interested in me. Or maybe he likes audiobooks? Crows are pretty smart, after all.
On a rare half-day away from the office, I was standing in line at a Thai place (which despite the name may really be Chinese) in the food court. A senior-aged Asian couple was having a lot of trouble figuring out what to order and how much of their change they needed to give. A man had come out from the kitchen and was speaking to them in their own language trying to sort things out. It was, admittedly, taking a long time, but whatever.
A Caucasian woman (CW) beside me turned to me:
CW (thinking I must be a kindred spirit): “THIS is why I’m moving back to Alberta!” [Based on 2016 census data, more than 40% of people in Metro Vancouver and 21% of people in Alberta are immigrants.]
Me (feigning innocent interest): “Oh really? Why? Do you not like people of other races?”
CW (spluttering): “Oh no, I don’t have a problem with other races. Just with the government’s immigration policies.”
After a bit more waiting, she turned to me again and said scornfully, “You just go right on loving everyone!”
Me: “I plan to! I think that’s the best way.” (And really wanting to say, “Yes, even someone like you!”)
Some Fall colour and a beautiful sunset to distract me from intolerant people:
At my son’s game
On another topic, did you know that the Deadpool movies were filmed in Vancouver? A couple of weeks ago my son was playing hockey at the Agrodome, which he informed me is the same rink where Deadpool chases after someone (very slowly) while driving a Zamboni. They do a lot of filming there — I was just reading that there was a scene from Rocky IV filmed there as well.
In the movie
I heard on the radio that there is going to be snow soon in Toronto. But what the heck was this little bit of snow doing in the driveway next to my office? Must have fallen from a truck or something I guess, but it still was not something I wanted to see! Unlike this beautiful rose that is currently in bloom in front of my house.
And lastly, as I was trying to get in my front door today, I heard a very loud, “Meow”, as my neighbour’s cat quite insistently had decided that he should be allowed in the front door. Quite a conversation ensued, until I finally had to get my husband to come and pick him up from inside our front hallway. He brought the cat in to look at the dog, telling him that THIS was why he was not allowed in our house… the dog was not amused, but frankly couldn’t be bothered to rouse himself. Some protector! (But he’s cute, so we let him stay.)
I'm Feeling This 
You have a lot to say in pictures and conversations over the last few weeks! First I always love your pics and that crow pic looks very very close to your car. The older man at the rugby park: would I have loved to be a fly on the wall there between your facial reactions and his🤣
The CW woman well I won’t wax political here
about immigration. My mom is an immigrant so
I’m pro. Canada is such a wonderfully diverse and to borrow your word eclectic place! I need to really go to Vancouver in the Spring!
Roses are my favorites so I like the symbol of the Rose in your front yard. Bless your doggie
Maybe he knew he would win out but it was utterly cute of your husband to show him the cat. Did it make it back to the neighbor?
Oh what were you listening to? Greg Wise Dracula in prep for Castlevania S 2?
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It’s funny how I’ve become a picture-taker. Yes, the crow was a couple of feet away, seemingly checking me out. I actually really enjoyed my conversation with the older guy who was out for a walk with his wife. It did make me giggle inside, though!
The CW just really took me aback. I’m sure, too, that that older Asian couple had probably been here at least 20 years, so really had no connection to current immigration policies anyway.
That rose bush always has a few blooms late into the fall. As for he cat, my husband was telling me he tried to get in again this morning — and that was after the dog tried to chase him away! Bold as brass.
Not Greg Wise, yet. Maybe I’ll do a post about audiobooks soon. I’ve listened to a few good ones.
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I am gonna try posting this because I’ve had trouble replying all day so forgive me. Definitely post a review on your various Audio books because I am so far behind and would love some guidance and recommendations from you👏👍
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Your reply definitely worked. I had never listened to audiobooks before Armitage, but now I’m really enjoying them on my car rides.
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Yeah, I’ve got no patience for that kind of thing. If there’s some reason that I can’t speak about it in a situation, I’ll be deafeningly silent and/or scowl, and I don’t pick fights about it. But just don’t tell me about how you have nothing against immigrants, you just don’t want them with us. I can’t believe people are so bigoted about other people’s language, either. Like it would have been faster to try to sort out the situation in a language that is nobody’s native tongue.
(and honestly — let her move back to Alberta and freeze to death)
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I was actually quite pleased with my feigned innocence in asking about other races. It didn’t start a fight, but she definitely got the message! I find it so funny too that she just assumed that because I am a white woman that I would be as bigoted as she was!
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This is actually one of my chief worries — that anyone (white or non-white) will think I am like that. I find the behavior of some of our fellow white people so disturbing — it is practically the only situation in my life where I experience secondary embarrassment.
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The other night I went to hear Naheed Nenshi speak. He has been the mayor of Calgary since 2010 and was the first Muslim mayor to be elected to a large North American city. Quite inspiring. He wears purple every day, with the combination of red and blue symbolizing the blending of people into community. This is the mayor of the largest population centre in Alberta, the province that woman wants to return to. Mind you, a large urban area may be quite different from the rural locales.
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And that is an excellent point if I read it right that urban areas tend to be more culturally diverse and perhaps then more open minded and embracing of multiple languages than rural areas. Vancouver is pretty embracing for lack of a better word this moment of other languages, cultures, religions no?
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Well that is my assumption. Especially because the population in the city tends to be more diverse. But as my encounter with that one woman shows, not everyone embraces difference.
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I think it’s really hard to generalize. I know from around here, that the most rural parts of the state have lots of Mexicans / Mexican Americans, etc. About half the people working in the dairy industry now are Latino. I would characterize the attitudes of the white population toward the newcomers as “complex.” On the one hand there is a lot of respect for how hard they work. There is also some racism / prejudice, but in the context of awareness that if the Latinos went away the industry would probably collapse because most people from around here don’t really want to do the work. That’s different from what happens in the schools, where it seems clear that racism is open and at times aggressive. Which is in turn different from how the question is addressed in the churches, and so on. I’ve also seen plenty of examples of racism in big cities i’ve lived in (Tampa, Austin) or been a regular visitor to (DC, Chicago).
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It is all really complex. And hard to generalize, I agree. And it’s different from region to region.
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Ugh, I hate this passive agressiveness to immigrants so very very very very much! And what’s wrong with speaking in your own language? If that lady comes to The Netherlands, I’d bet she’d prefer us helping her in English as opposed to Dutch…
LOL on the cat and dog story!
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I think she just doesn’t want anyone who isn’t like her to be here. She’s welcome to go to her province where the immigration rate is a bit lower. But really, there is so much movement now in our global community that I think you have to go with the flow and embrace differences.
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I mean Sue that is exactly the point it is a global community. Imagine if she went overseas and someone said that about her. Differences are good! Not everyone is going to agree all the time and I think one can learn from differences. Look at all the languages and different cities that people hail from on your blog, on Guylty’s, on Servetus’ blog. I think it’s fantastic and enriching and a wealth of opportunity to get to know other people albeit via the internet and initially around a swoonworthy guy who looks good in just about anything!!!
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Yup. Preaching to the choir, here. That’s for sure one of the things I like the most about the Armitage blogging community. Such interesting women from around the world. And we all just go with the flow if comments are in first language.
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I love all your pictures. That crow looks cheeky.
Re CW: God forbid people speak their own language. I just had a very annoying discussion with a teacher about how very inconvenient she finds bilingual children. I can’t believe someone would expect a parent *not* to speak their native language with their kids. What kind of a bizarre attitude is that—and from an educator no less. I bet she thinks she’s tolerant as well. And why would she argue this with me? She knows I’m married to an immigrant and my politics are no secret.
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Kate I cannot believe the nerve of her to say that both rude and unprofessional😤
How awful 😲
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That’s a really strange attitude from an educator. Isn’t it better that kids learn several languages? And even better if you’ve got someone to learn from at home!
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Exactly! Research shows that bilingualism is so beneficial for children. Beyond the obvious benefits of speaking more than one language, their brains are just connected better, they’re better at maths, less likely to develop dementia, the list goes on.
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