Canadian is a Culture not a Citizenship

I went to my neighbourhood supermarket a few days ago for a little shopping. I only got a jar of Organic Milk, and a bag of Raisin and Cashew, each. I went to the cashier who happened to be a phony Indian woman in her early 50's. This was a perfect example of a phony person: Fake smile, if I could see that at all and forced(!) greeting and useless chit chat! As soon as she saw the bag of Cashew the man attribute of East-Indian people, jealousy, emerged! I barely have seen any people as jealous and cheap as Indians and I'm stereotyping. This is based on my observations throughout all these years living in Canada. The bag worth more than $10 and she wondered how I can pay that much for an unnecessary food! So she asked me where I was from. I told her that I was from Rajastan, which is a state in India! She looked at me and first, for a moment she was about to believe that. I added that I was from Jaipour which is a main city in that state! She didn't buy it and now I kept going by all different major cities around India, starting from Srinagar! She said that she was from Srinagar and I added a few more!

She insisted on her question and even once made the right guess but I denied that! Then I said I was Canadian(!) and she said: We are all Canadian(!) I said: You're not Canadian. You're Indian!

That was the end of it. She didn't like my answer and said nothing! 

It's funny that some idiots in this country believe the bullshit that the Government of Canada force in to their asses! A filthy animal who is born and grown in filth, shit, grime, pollution and after years of living in the country still cannot write 5 sentences without grammatical and spelling errors and still chow on the garbage that they sued to stuff inn their filthy village, call themselves Canadian! Next time I see this filthy pretender, I will certainly avoid her. It'd much better than listening to her stupid accent and smell her stinking cloths.

(Photo: A cashew tree in India)

A Call after more than a Year

One of the things that people, who come from poor countries, think about Canada, I repeat, think, and this thinking is not rational(!), is its health services. They think it's a good system, in comparison to the US's and of course their own. When I first came to Canada, I remember that there was a monthly amount, a premium, that everyone had to pay, based on the size of their family, to benefit from basic health services. They made it free a few years later. I always resisted paying and when I did it was with delay. I don't remember if there was a penalty for the delay or not. My point was I am always careful about my health. So why should I pay for the health services which take care of drunkards, drug-addict, crap-eater, etc?!

The system actually encourages irresponsible people to do whatever they want to do and eat whatever they like(!) because they say: What the heck! If something bad happens to me, I'll go to the doctors and they'll fix me! 

I don't know much about British Columbia but I think it was the same thing until I got the hell away and returned to Alberta in 2011. Now the so-called health system is in trouble. They have hired so many people with high rates and they don't know how to pay them! In the meantime small communities and towns far away from major cities face shortage and have to resort to foriegn sources which mostly comes with problems. I'm not going there but will probably discuss that in another post. When I was in the Milk River area in the southeastern part of the province, I remember a big sign at the side of a major road asking for physicians to come and help the residents of the town! Same problem you see in the so-called Third World countries! Most of the health professionals like to work in major cities so they can enjoy(!), what they call it the quality of life! Iran is a good example of this issue. For years and years, I had heard that physicians from India had to be hired by the government and sent to small communities or places where because of weather conditions, physicans would not work. I personally never had any experience because I and my parents and grandparents all were born and lived in the capital. Then what the government did was establish medical schools in almost every city and town! The classes were so big that I remember once a high school friend of mine, who is a specialist now, told me that the instructor had to use a megaphone! And although he's originally, from both parents, is from a small town, he stayed in the capital and continued practicing! The other thing the government did was forcing the newly graduates of medical schools to spend a few years in remote and small communities. That was part of the deal when they were accepted to the medical school. I don't know if it worked or not but I'm sure even talking about that in Canada will result in being labeled by so many different things! You would be accused of being anti-democracy, you'd be called names, you'd be called against Western belives and values, you name it! 

My personal experiences with AHS has not been very good every time i had to drop by. I had to see a few physicians and I can say that a number would easily fall under the category of incompetant and unprofessional. Waiting times are usally and unnecessarily long and over-staffed clinics and medical offices, which turns in excessive budget, as well as burocracy, always has been a problem. When I moved to this town more than a year ago, I tried to find a family physician. I haven't had one since I left British Columbia in 2010(!) and even at the time, when I was much healthier, the so-called family physician who was a woman in her mid-30's, I would think, was not so good. 

I called a few clinic around the city and then eventually one of them put me in their waiting list. Now more than 13 months I have just received a call to see that physician! I have seen him once and I really didn't like the way he handled the problem I had explained to him. The only good thing he did was referring me to a specialist whom I have seen and the session went well, I hope! I'm looking forward to see my family physician to see how he is going to deal with the problems I have. 

(Photo: Alberta Health Services on a building)

A Different Type of Massage

I, at times, go to massage places. I mean real places where you can get healthy massage not the fake ones with sexual purposes. This time I found a place which is only 5 minutes drive from my home. From the get-go I realized the person is from Eastern Block. Yes! It is still considered Eastern Block because those people are different from Western Europeans. 
Anyways I reached there with a 5 minutes delay(!) because I, the silly(!), had to go to a bank and get cash. I was not sure if she had a machine. So it was a must to avoid an argument with an Eastern European woman who barely speaks English! It was a very nice and big house. Clean and organized and part of the house was turned to a little clinic with office stuff, bed, equipment, basically whatever you need to run a business. As I had guessed it was a woman from one of the three countries which used to be part of The Soviet Union and they were the first three which became independent. Now I have no idea what the relationship of these countries are with Russia today but I see no benefit for them. I don't think there has ever been any benefit for most of the Soviet Union republic which became independent. Many of them such as Khazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, Tajikistan and perhaps a few more, have good and strong relationship with Russia. Assholes such as Ukraine are in conflict with Russia! To my surprise the lady talked in favor of Russia. 
The lady provided a very strong massage which I did not expect to that level. She even used cupping and the entire hour was productive. We had a little chat and that was the time that I sensed that English is a real challenge for some! I was so beat that I barely could walk! I put my cloths on, paid the lady, got the receipt (for the insurance, hopefully!) and walked to the door. An old man, probably her husband was sitting in the living room and I raised my hand (that's been my way for decades!) as a sign of salute and goodbye(!) at the same time and grabbed a knob which seemed to be the entrance door. Wrong! It was a closet! I was so exhausted that I couldn't even see where I was going and the man, on the coach said nothing! Either because he couldn't see (He was an old man wearing glasses with full head of white hair!) or didn't know how to say that in English! I shut the closet's door and found my way out! If I need to have another massage, which I will, before the end of the year as I still have insurance benefits available to me, I will go there again, unless I found a better place within the same distance or a little longer. Unfortunately I can't reveal the name and address but there're many great massage therapists around the province. You need to do your search and find a good one.

(Photo : The former Soviet Union map and its republics. The three small northwestern republics, numbered 2 to 4 in the map, became independent first and the lady is from one of them)

Alphones Chickens Out!

I contacted my buddy Alfons down in California to discuss our hikes in Nevada. We were supposed to hike Boundary Peak and then Mt. Charleston, both in the State of Nevada this month and then when my supervisor said that I needed to give him a 30 days notice, I suggested to Alfons to postpone the trip/hike to October but he chikened out! 

He indicated the cold and his lack of ability to do a hike in winter. I was aware of that but since he's the one who always brings the vehicle(!) of need (a 4WD) and is a good company, I was hoping I could convince him this time as well! I really didn't care if he'd be able to reach the summit! Now that he has stepped back I'm left with a delimma! Should I stay or should I go? I'm not really worried about the trip cost. Neither I am worried about the ricks on the mountains. What makes me think twice about a trip of such is the stupid restrictions that the US Government has still in place! I, as someone, who intends to do a non-essential trip, needs to be tested for COVID, within 72 hours before his flight and provides the result to be able to board. At the same time, it's said tha the US does not recognoze the mix-shots! So for me who had received AstraZeaneca as the first shot and then Pfizer as the second shot, I don't know what would happen to me, If I went to the airport!! 

Then there's this re-write of the exams in December, which I haven't registered for but i will. I was hoping to study some on the plane(!) because it's change of the environment that you need at times to encourage you to do what you have to do but I guess I have to drop the damn plan and think of another time. I even thought of doing Guadalupe Peak in western Texas, where we attempted the last time we were togethere and we didn't even go to the area(!) because of his stupidity. My plan was going to Albuquarque. through L. A. and from there drive down to Texas, do the hike, as they say October is a very good months for this hike and then drive east to Austin to see The Pika, if he's back and then go to Houton and fly back to Calgary. It would've beeb a wonderful trip if it was not this stupid Covid! But I don't think it will happen soon. 

(Photo: Alfons, my hiking buddy avoid our upcoming advantures out of fear for his life! His performance in the previous hikes was poor. refer to Telescope Peak trip and Flatiron Mountain trip posts)

Too Much Unhealthy Fat

The company had a barbecue a few days ago. You know the usual: Burger, Hot Dog, Soda, and few side items. I didn't touch any of them! Too much crap that I don't need! Guys were asking me one after another if I had eaten! The answer was the same: I don't eat this kind of food! I have enough problems without eating this shit! There's no religious reason behind that. I believe religion is a law that is supposed to prevent you from derailing in your life. Not that stupid thing of don't eat this and don't eat that. That's a physician's or a dietitian's job! The fact that people don't eat Pork and Beef for religious reasons is stupid to me. I, in fact, eat port for spite! Not that I intend to jeopardize my health to mock or irritate people. I eat Pork once in a while and that's because it has too much damn fat! I bought a Ground Beef-Pork pack from a supermarket last week to make some meatballs. The result was not bad but look at the pot that I cooked in it in the above picture! I slightly took each and every meatball out and there was so much nasty grease left on the bottom! That is why Pork is avoided by me, most of the time not because of a stupid religion! Tenderloin and other lean parts are good of course and does not have more harm than Beef. I, in general don't eat that much any more. So I am not picky for eating a meal in a week. All I care about is a lean, fresh and, if possible, naturally grown meat, which is actually very hard to come by in today's world, in most places, particularly in North America(!) but I know Canada is much better than the US.

(Photo: My pot after cooking Beef-Pork meatball was covered in big lumps of fat!)