The Saskatchewan Experience

Saskatchewan. Known as the province 50 years behind the rest of the country. It probably is the brunt of most Canadian jokes just trailing behind Newfoundland...but we won't get off on that rabbit trail. Saskatchewan has been progressing and seems to be on an upward trend but once in a while something happens to remind you that it still has a ways to go.

- The Regina Fabricland closes at 5:30 on Friday evenings.
- Up here the Christmas candy goes on the very reduced sale after Valentines.
- When driving on secondary highways you feel like you are playing a video game trying to dodge and miss the potholes without crashing.
- If you don't have the correct right hand turning sign, you just turn a left hand one upside down. I'd have to say that this actually works good for giving directions. "Just turn at the upside down sign..." though I don't believe that that was the intention.


Now for small town humour:

The diced tomatoes were on a good sale the other day (esp for up here) so I decided to stock up a little bit on them. After shopping a little more I came back down the aisle to pick up a few more cans. The employee stocking the shelf with the canned goods stops, looks at me rather solemnly and in a serious tone starts telling me that she listened to some show on tv that was warning about canned goods and how they affect your health and are more or less killing you. Then she points over to the pasta across the aisle and starts talking about the dangers of plastic packaging and how that isn't good for you either and how you also shouldn't freeze stuff in plastic. Thankfully we didn't get around to the dangers of microwaves though I'm sure we would have had the conversation lasted much longer.

Then while waiting to use the ATM machine I couldn't help but hear the conversation taking place in front of me. An ambulance driving was ahead of me and then a middle aged woman came in. She started asking him if you can get into the service (you were in the navy, right??) if you have a record. He started talking about how they would see a criminal record. She said it wasn't that...just fines (which sounded drinking related) and she continued on with a hopeful voice. Well, I'm just thinking this might help get my son on track. Then she starts laughing about how she'd be in trouble if her son T. knew she talking about about him like this, esp with an audience. Wow, just wow. Thankfully I was able to avoid being part of the conversation though it was hard to act like you weren't hearing anything when you could only fit about 6 people in the space where the ATM was.

At the grocery checkout someone thought I was Minnie Zimmerman back to visit her mother. Uh, no, and I don't look like a Mennonite...make up on and no head covering. Funny what groups people label you with just because you are wearing a skirt. lol.

I've almost been living here for a year now and love it. I'm turning into a Saskatchewanian? Saskatchewanite? Well, whatever we are supposed to call ourselves...:) Come visit someday and you just might find yourself liking the province, people, and humour too. :)