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A Song of Ice and Fire / Other Topics / WORLD TOUR

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Ser Gary
User ID: 1523284 Feb 16th 9:56 AM
Because we all come from different parts of the world, this board offers us a unique opportunity in terms of our personal education. Therefore, I though it might be worthwhile for each of us to write something about the area in which we live. Perhaps a paragraph or two. Don't go into great detail. Depending on how this goes, perhaps we could take this to other areas of information in the future. Naturally, I'll go first.

I live in Johnston, Rhode Island, which is in the northeast region of the United States. Johnston is a town of about 30,000 residents located some 7-8 miles west of Rhode Island's capital city of Providence. Rhode Island is noted for being the smallest of America's 50 states, but it is among the leaders in population per square mile. When tourists ask about what to see and do in Rhode Island, they are invariably pointed in the direction of Newport, which is a beautiful and popular seaside resort. For a long time, Newport was home to the America's Cup yacht races and some of this country's most prominent families, including the Vanderbilts and the Astors. Shortly after the turn of the twentieth century, Newport was THE place to be for America's rich and famous. The land is still dotted with huge mansions and picturesque properties. Most have since come under the jurisdiction of the state or some preservation society, for the great depression of the late 1920s definitely took its toll on the upper classes here and they had difficulty maintaining such extravagant lifestyles. Today, tours of some of these premises are offered for a set price, which goes toward offsetting their incredibly high property tax rates.

I didn't really want to focus exclusively on Newport, though. For Providence is where a true renaissance has been taking place. A little more than a decade ago, Rhode Island's capital city was on the brink of collapse. It was literally falling apart. The darker sections of the city were expanding and businesses were leaving in droves. When things looked their absolute bleakest, a concerted effort was made to resuscitate the city -- and it's been working. The downtown area was renovated to make it more "people friendly". Roads were re-routed, as was the Providence River! Dilapidated structures were torn down and replaced by beautiful new ones. The downtown area became truly majestic. They actually now offer gondola rides on the river, and an exhibition called "Waterfires" is held during many months of the year. Basically, canisters lining the center of the river are set ablaze to wondrous effect. There is a huge outdoor skating rink, ala Times Square, and a magnificent new shopping center called "Providence Place Mall" recently opened to rave reviews. Incredibly, Providence still boasts the Arcade, which is the oldest indoor shopping mall in the U.S., dating to the early 1800s. Providence is also home to three world-class institutions of higher education: Brown University, a member of the Ivy League; the R.I. School of Design, regarded as one of the finest graphic arts schools in the world; and Johnson and Wales University, which has a similar reputation with respect to the culinary arts.

Ser Gary
User ID: 1523284 Feb 17th 1:44 PM
Okaaaaaaaaaaaay. Isn't there a popular bridge or something?

Min
User ID: 0074284 Feb 17th 2:10 PM
Oh, please continue this! :-))

Sphinx
User ID: 8882983 Feb 17th 2:58 PM
Yes there are good things about London. Charing Cross Road has the best little olde bookshops in the world. It has more green areas per capita than any major city in the world (Kensington Gardens are paticularly cool). At night, Soho is vibrant, and there are so many cool little clubs. When I first came here, ionstead of deciding which club to go to, we'd just wander around at pub closing time and see which club had the best fliers.

And there's the Underground. Hot and Overcorwded it may be, but there's no easier way to get arounds a major city that I've been to. Leicester Square has some of the best cinemas on earth, and Chinatown has some amazing restuarants. It's also untrue that Londoners are unfriendly. Londoners without briefcases have more time of day for the next guy than any other people I know. Camden High Street and Market are the coolest places to shop ever invented.

Oh yeah, and speaker's Corner in Hyde Park is unreal - a dozen people up on soapboxes, preaching, arguing, sermonising, on religion, politics, philosophy - as a spectacle, sheer class. Anyone can join in - just get a soapbox. Also the greatest football team on Earth plays rougly half it's games there, (Chelsea, for anyone who didn't know).

(BTW, Kay, I didn't know you were from Tromso - I watched Chelsea play there the year before last in the Cup-Winners Cup, and the snow was mental! the lines on the pitch were red as was the ball, but the lines still had to be cleared three times and the Ref was mad not to call the game off.)

Sooo... Yeah. London. Ace. Damn good museums too.

KAH
User ID: 0541004 Feb 17th 3:34 PM
Sphinx;

Hehe. Yeah, I remember that game. I was wondering if the players had to start wearing...er, those thingees you walk in the snow with. What are they called?

Not skis, but those tennis rackets the Canadians like to put on their feet...damned if I can recall the English word... :o)

Min
User ID: 0074284 Feb 17th 3:37 PM
Oh, you DID jump in. I just wanted to volunteer, saying something about roastbeef with PEPPERMINT sauce - have you ever heard anything AS pervert as this? Peppermint sauce on beef? Hm, what else can I think of? Fish and Chips?
*prepares herself for any nasty remarks about Sauerkraut*
*giggle*

Claidhaim
User ID: 8590713 Feb 17th 3:42 PM
I thought that bridge in London fell down.....at least that's what the song is about.

Helloooooooo from the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania. I'm from the small hamlet of State College. The home of Penn State University, which I attended. I haven't lived here all my life, but have for the last 12 or so years.

In a nutshell, this place is boring. There are some sights, some theatre, museums, etc. but once you've been there, that's it. We're in the mountains in the center of the state and it's 3-4 hours drive to either Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore, D.C., or Baltimore.

For fun and excitement we always have six home Penn State Football games which one cannot see sober. At least I think so. I know you can't really see them drunk. We take guns for walks in the woods, we drown worms in the streams and generally lead an outdoorsmans life.

Oh, yeah. Golf. I play lots and lots of golf when the weather will cooperate.

Min
User ID: 0074284 Feb 17th 3:45 PM
I could never have pictured you and your dog walking in some huge city, Claid. Wilderness suits you. :-)

Min
User ID: 0074284 Feb 17th 3:46 PM
Just thought of a question that seems to fit in here. Which shouldn't stop the desciptions, I thoroughly enjoy them.
What is the prejudice you hate most about your people or country?

Aerian
User ID: 1557854 Feb 17th 4:30 PM
What can I say about my home town, other than I miss it. I'm from Anchorage, Alaska, but going to school in Tacoma. I must agree with Swithin that the weather is particularly nice today -- but one can still see air. And then there's the infamous Tacoma aroma . . . well the less said on that subject the better.

I didn't intend to talk about my place of exile. I love my college -- but honestly the weather shouldn't act like April, when its February (although admittedly last spring, we were getting snow in May).

Anchorage is quite possibly the world's ugliest city. All the worst aspects of strip mall architecture are amply displayed throughout city. It's sprawling, and rather souless. The climate is considered lousy by most people's standards (dark, snowy, cold), and public transportation is virtually non existant.

So why do I love the place? Of course, there are the people, the huge public library, Title Wave -- an immense used book store-- and my favorite Mexican restaurant. But there are other things that I love too. Being awake to see the sun rise over the mountians because it's rising at 10 am. Bears, moose, coyotes, and lynx live in town. The way trees covered in hoarfrost look sillouhetted against the pale blue winter sky. Ice skating on the marsh south of town.

Inspite of winters that last from mid-October to early May, the summers are pleasent, and mild. They aren't too hot, and it only rains really hard when my favorite hiking partner has a day off. Still even in the rain, the hiking is wonderfully (but very muddy). Fifteen minute's drive and an hour's hike from my house is a small, shallow lake in the mountains. It is studded with rocks left behind by the glacial retreat. It is perfectly still, reflecting the sky like a mirror. It is beautiful in the same way that japanese rock gardens are beautiful. The peace is almost a physical presence.

I love spending the day hiking across the alpine tundra. The tundra is springy, fun to walk on, and the smell is indescibable -- fresh, sharp, but also subtle and sweet. In July, blue berries and raspberries ripen. They grow in abundance beside the trails, just ready for a snack. No blackberries, alas! (but then no place is perfect)

Oh dear, I'm making myself homesick, I'd better stop.

Min
User ID: 0074284 Feb 17th 5:28 PM
Aerian, you were making _me_ homesick for a place I've never been...

Relic
User ID: 9328513 Feb 17th 7:55 PM
Wow, awesome idea Ser Gary. Sanke your home land sounds great, what i wouldnt give for a few beers and songs on a saturday night...

I'm from Brooklyn, New York City. I live in a place called Greenpoint, athough they should have called it GreyPoint. Truely nothing green here. But as ugly, polluted, and crowded it is, there are benefits. Mainly living right across a tiny little river from a huge city.

Manhattan is a marvel of maodern human achievment. It seems to be the hub of almost everythign going on in America, and sometimes even, the world. And its in ALOT of movies =). I have lived here almost all my life, after my parents escaped a USSR occupied Poland.

I'd like to say some good things about this city...but i can't. Beyond the availability of almost any human produced item NYC is just a great big city filled with crime, pollution and greed. Anything driven by money as much as this city is, cannot be good. Hopefully soon i can get my ass out of here and to someplace...like Anchorage =).

LindaElane
User ID: 0276214 Feb 18th 0:00 AM
I'd sell my right leg to live in London.

Min
User ID: 0074284 Feb 18th 6:39 AM
Linda, perhaps you and Emily could switch flats? :-)

Relic, we can put up the farm in Anchorage, too, if you want. Or in Canada. I love Canada. It's the best country I've get to know so far. One day, I will live there. Perhaps on a farm? ;-)

labor
User ID: 0067194 Feb 18th 7:02 AM
Are you sure that you will survive Canadian/North American coffee, Min? ;) One of the most terrible beverages I ever happened to drink...

Ser Gary
User ID: 1523284 Feb 18th 7:31 AM
You're probably right, Labor. But I've never had the chance to taste coffee from anywhere else. Who has the best?

KAH
User ID: 0541004 Feb 18th 8:48 AM
South America, perhaps. :P

Snake
User ID: 8890073 Feb 18th 9:20 AM
KAH, they are called snowshoes. And they're excellent for manouvering in deep snow where there is a close tangle of trees. You really need them when you're hunting, cutting logs or firewood, etc. A real must where I live.

As for predjudice I hate most about my country or people? Can't really say. Us Canadians seem to be a little too mild mannered. Although the Native population has been ridiculed and abused for quite some time. And being Metis, I don't like that.

I'm wondering if any of you have heard of a Canadian show called This Hour Has 22 Minutes. It's a political satire show. They crack me up. Anyhow, the reason I'm talking about this is that it is amazing how little people know about things that don't have to do with themselves. For instance. The show has this section called talking to Americans. No offence to all you Americans out there, but it sure makes you guys seem not so bright. One time they told the Govenor of Arkansas that Canada was trying to raise money to build a big glass dome over their government house, which was an igloo of course, to keep it from melting. And he BELIEVED it. He even said that he hoped Canadians would be able to raise the money as it would be a shame if our parliment melted. I laughed until I almost cried.
Anyhow, it is a great show and if you ever get the chance to check it out you should. It'll give you a good insight into what Canada is really like.

Oh, Min, we'd love to have you come over here to live.

Jeff
User ID: 1536664 Feb 18th 10:00 AM
Let's see. I'm in Cleveland, Ohio, which long has been the butt of many jokes here in the U.S. From the river catching on fire in 1969 to going into default in 1979.

The lake and river have been cleaned up, and we've got a pretty cool waterfront district known as the Flats full of clubs, restaurants, etc. We've got possible the best orchestra in the world and lots of museums, etc.

We still can't compete in cultural terms with some of the places some other folk are from, though. London, Cologne, etc. I've lived in London, Washington, D.C., Japan, Africa, and some other great places, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

The thing I love about Cleveland are the people. Maybe its just a Midwest thing, or maybe its because the people are so used to being the butt of jokes that they just stick together. There's just something about this town that makes you feel welcome. I'm not from here originally, but I can walk into almost any tavern and start up a conversation with anyone. People say "hi" to each other on the street much more often than in many other big cities. If a local sports team is doing well, the entire city puts on their "gear" and rallies around them. There's a real sense that we all have something in common, whether its suffering through lousy winters or historically lousy sports teams. You can get a pretty nice house at a fair price, without an hour commute to downtown. So, I guess this might not be the most glamorous place in the world, but it suits me just fine.

KAH
User ID: 0541004 Feb 18th 10:09 AM
Ah, thanks Snake.
Here in Norway we call those snow shoes 'truger'. The reason I brought up Canadians, was something my dad once told me.
When he was serving in the army, there was once this NATO winter maneuver, with participants from various NATO countries, among them a contingent of Canadians.

Here in Norway, the traditional way of moving in snowy environment is skis, which is rather ungainly uphill, but quite fast downhill (naturally). He was, however, quite amazed of how fast the Canadians moved on their snow shoes - they could almost match people on skis for speed _downhill_, and that must have been a pretty amazing sight. :o)

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Ser Gary User ID: 1523284	Feb 16th 9:56 AM Because we all come from different parts of the world, this board offers us a unique opportunity in terms of our personal education. Therefore, I though it might be worthwhile for each of us to write something about the area in which we live. Perhaps a paragraph or two. Don't go into great detail. Depending on how this goes, perhaps we could take this to other areas of information in the future. Naturally, I'll go first. I live in Johnston, Rhode Island, which is in the northeast region of the United States. Johnston is a town of about 30,000 residents located some 7-8 miles west of Rhode Island's capital city of Providence. Rhode Island is noted for being the smallest of America's 50 states, but it is among the leaders in population per square mile. When tourists ask about what to see and do in Rhode Island, they are invariably pointed in the direction of Newport, which is a beautiful and popular seaside resort. For a long time, Newport was home to the America's Cup yacht races and some of this country's most prominent families, including the Vanderbilts and the Astors. Shortly after the turn of the twentieth century, Newport was THE place to be for America's rich and famous. The land is still dotted with huge mansions and picturesque properties. Most have since come under the jurisdiction of the state or some preservation society, for the great depression of the late 1920s definitely took its toll on the upper classes here and they had difficulty maintaining such extravagant lifestyles. Today, tours of some of these premises are offered for a set price, which goes toward offsetting their incredibly high property tax rates. I didn't really want to focus exclusively on Newport, though. For Providence is where a true renaissance has been taking place. A little more than a decade ago, Rhode Island's capital city was on the brink of collapse. It was literally falling apart. The darker sections of the city were expanding and businesses were leaving in droves. When things looked their absolute bleakest, a concerted effort was made to resuscitate the city -- and it's been working. The downtown area was renovated to make it more "people friendly". Roads were re-routed, as was the Providence River! Dilapidated structures were torn down and replaced by beautiful new ones. The downtown area became truly majestic. They actually now offer gondola rides on the river, and an exhibition called "Waterfires" is held during many months of the year. Basically, canisters lining the center of the river are set ablaze to wondrous effect. There is a huge outdoor skating rink, ala Times Square, and a magnificent new shopping center called "Providence Place Mall" recently opened to rave reviews. Incredibly, Providence still boasts the Arcade, which is the oldest indoor shopping mall in the U.S., dating to the early 1800s. Providence is also home to three world-class institutions of higher education: Brown University, a member of the Ivy League; the R.I. School of Design, regarded as one of the finest graphic arts schools in the world; and Johnson and Wales University, which has a similar reputation with respect to the culinary arts.
Ser Gary User ID: 1523284	Feb 17th 1:44 PM Okaaaaaaaaaaaay. Isn't there a popular bridge or something?
Min User ID: 0074284	Feb 17th 2:10 PM Oh, please continue this! :-))
Sphinx User ID: 8882983	Feb 17th 2:58 PM Yes there are good things about London. Charing Cross Road has the best little olde bookshops in the world. It has more green areas per capita than any major city in the world (Kensington Gardens are paticularly cool). At night, Soho is vibrant, and there are so many cool little clubs. When I first came here, ionstead of deciding which club to go to, we'd just wander around at pub closing time and see which club had the best fliers. And there's the Underground. Hot and Overcorwded it may be, but there's no easier way to get arounds a major city that I've been to. Leicester Square has some of the best cinemas on earth, and Chinatown has some amazing restuarants. It's also untrue that Londoners are unfriendly. Londoners without briefcases have more time of day for the next guy than any other people I know. Camden High Street and Market are the coolest places to shop ever invented. Oh yeah, and speaker's Corner in Hyde Park is unreal - a dozen people up on soapboxes, preaching, arguing, sermonising, on religion, politics, philosophy - as a spectacle, sheer class. Anyone can join in - just get a soapbox. Also the greatest football team on Earth plays rougly half it's games there, (Chelsea, for anyone who didn't know). (BTW, Kay, I didn't know you were from Tromso - I watched Chelsea play there the year before last in the Cup-Winners Cup, and the snow was mental! the lines on the pitch were red as was the ball, but the lines still had to be cleared three times and the Ref was mad not to call the game off.) Sooo... Yeah. London. Ace. Damn good museums too.
KAH User ID: 0541004	Feb 17th 3:34 PM Sphinx; Hehe. Yeah, I remember that game. I was wondering if the players had to start wearing...er, those thingees you walk in the snow with. What are they called? Not skis, but those tennis rackets the Canadians like to put on their feet...damned if I can recall the English word... :o)
Min User ID: 0074284	Feb 17th 3:37 PM Oh, you DID jump in. I just wanted to volunteer, saying something about roastbeef with PEPPERMINT sauce - have you ever heard anything AS pervert as this? Peppermint sauce on beef? Hm, what else can I think of? Fish and Chips? prepares herself for any nasty remarks about Sauerkraut giggle
Claidhaim User ID: 8590713	Feb 17th 3:42 PM I thought that bridge in London fell down.....at least that's what the song is about. Helloooooooo from the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania. I'm from the small hamlet of State College. The home of Penn State University, which I attended. I haven't lived here all my life, but have for the last 12 or so years. In a nutshell, this place is boring. There are some sights, some theatre, museums, etc. but once you've been there, that's it. We're in the mountains in the center of the state and it's 3-4 hours drive to either Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Baltimore, D.C., or Baltimore. For fun and excitement we always have six home Penn State Football games which one cannot see sober. At least I think so. I know you can't really see them drunk. We take guns for walks in the woods, we drown worms in the streams and generally lead an outdoorsmans life. Oh, yeah. Golf. I play lots and lots of golf when the weather will cooperate.
Min User ID: 0074284	Feb 17th 3:45 PM I could never have pictured you and your dog walking in some huge city, Claid. Wilderness suits you. :-)
Min User ID: 0074284	Feb 17th 3:46 PM Just thought of a question that seems to fit in here. Which shouldn't stop the desciptions, I thoroughly enjoy them. What is the prejudice you hate most about your people or country?
Aerian User ID: 1557854	Feb 17th 4:30 PM What can I say about my home town, other than I miss it. I'm from Anchorage, Alaska, but going to school in Tacoma. I must agree with Swithin that the weather is particularly nice today -- but one can still see air. And then there's the infamous Tacoma aroma . . . well the less said on that subject the better. I didn't intend to talk about my place of exile. I love my college -- but honestly the weather shouldn't act like April, when its February (although admittedly last spring, we were getting snow in May). Anchorage is quite possibly the world's ugliest city. All the worst aspects of strip mall architecture are amply displayed throughout city. It's sprawling, and rather souless. The climate is considered lousy by most people's standards (dark, snowy, cold), and public transportation is virtually non existant. So why do I love the place? Of course, there are the people, the huge public library, Title Wave -- an immense used book store-- and my favorite Mexican restaurant. But there are other things that I love too. Being awake to see the sun rise over the mountians because it's rising at 10 am. Bears, moose, coyotes, and lynx live in town. The way trees covered in hoarfrost look sillouhetted against the pale blue winter sky. Ice skating on the marsh south of town. Inspite of winters that last from mid-October to early May, the summers are pleasent, and mild. They aren't too hot, and it only rains really hard when my favorite hiking partner has a day off. Still even in the rain, the hiking is wonderfully (but very muddy). Fifteen minute's drive and an hour's hike from my house is a small, shallow lake in the mountains. It is studded with rocks left behind by the glacial retreat. It is perfectly still, reflecting the sky like a mirror. It is beautiful in the same way that japanese rock gardens are beautiful. The peace is almost a physical presence. I love spending the day hiking across the alpine tundra. The tundra is springy, fun to walk on, and the smell is indescibable -- fresh, sharp, but also subtle and sweet. In July, blue berries and raspberries ripen. They grow in abundance beside the trails, just ready for a snack. No blackberries, alas! (but then no place is perfect) Oh dear, I'm making myself homesick, I'd better stop.
Min User ID: 0074284	Feb 17th 5:28 PM Aerian, you were making _me_ homesick for a place I've never been...
Relic User ID: 9328513	Feb 17th 7:55 PM Wow, awesome idea Ser Gary. Sanke your home land sounds great, what i wouldnt give for a few beers and songs on a saturday night... I'm from Brooklyn, New York City. I live in a place called Greenpoint, athough they should have called it GreyPoint. Truely nothing green here. But as ugly, polluted, and crowded it is, there are benefits. Mainly living right across a tiny little river from a huge city. Manhattan is a marvel of maodern human achievment. It seems to be the hub of almost everythign going on in America, and sometimes even, the world. And its in ALOT of movies =). I have lived here almost all my life, after my parents escaped a USSR occupied Poland. I'd like to say some good things about this city...but i can't. Beyond the availability of almost any human produced item NYC is just a great big city filled with crime, pollution and greed. Anything driven by money as much as this city is, cannot be good. Hopefully soon i can get my ass out of here and to someplace...like Anchorage =).
LindaElane User ID: 0276214	Feb 18th 0:00 AM I'd sell my right leg to live in London.
Min User ID: 0074284	Feb 18th 6:39 AM Linda, perhaps you and Emily could switch flats? :-) Relic, we can put up the farm in Anchorage, too, if you want. Or in Canada. I love Canada. It's the best country I've get to know so far. One day, I will live there. Perhaps on a farm? ;-)
labor User ID: 0067194	Feb 18th 7:02 AM Are you sure that you will survive Canadian/North American coffee, Min? ;) One of the most terrible beverages I ever happened to drink...
Ser Gary User ID: 1523284	Feb 18th 7:31 AM You're probably right, Labor. But I've never had the chance to taste coffee from anywhere else. Who has the best?
KAH User ID: 0541004	Feb 18th 8:48 AM South America, perhaps. :P
Snake User ID: 8890073	Feb 18th 9:20 AM KAH, they are called snowshoes. And they're excellent for manouvering in deep snow where there is a close tangle of trees. You really need them when you're hunting, cutting logs or firewood, etc. A real must where I live. As for predjudice I hate most about my country or people? Can't really say. Us Canadians seem to be a little too mild mannered. Although the Native population has been ridiculed and abused for quite some time. And being Metis, I don't like that. I'm wondering if any of you have heard of a Canadian show called This Hour Has 22 Minutes. It's a political satire show. They crack me up. Anyhow, the reason I'm talking about this is that it is amazing how little people know about things that don't have to do with themselves. For instance. The show has this section called talking to Americans. No offence to all you Americans out there, but it sure makes you guys seem not so bright. One time they told the Govenor of Arkansas that Canada was trying to raise money to build a big glass dome over their government house, which was an igloo of course, to keep it from melting. And he BELIEVED it. He even said that he hoped Canadians would be able to raise the money as it would be a shame if our parliment melted. I laughed until I almost cried. Anyhow, it is a great show and if you ever get the chance to check it out you should. It'll give you a good insight into what Canada is really like. Oh, Min, we'd love to have you come over here to live.
Jeff User ID: 1536664	Feb 18th 10:00 AM Let's see. I'm in Cleveland, Ohio, which long has been the butt of many jokes here in the U.S. From the river catching on fire in 1969 to going into default in 1979. The lake and river have been cleaned up, and we've got a pretty cool waterfront district known as the Flats full of clubs, restaurants, etc. We've got possible the best orchestra in the world and lots of museums, etc. We still can't compete in cultural terms with some of the places some other folk are from, though. London, Cologne, etc. I've lived in London, Washington, D.C., Japan, Africa, and some other great places, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. The thing I love about Cleveland are the people. Maybe its just a Midwest thing, or maybe its because the people are so used to being the butt of jokes that they just stick together. There's just something about this town that makes you feel welcome. I'm not from here originally, but I can walk into almost any tavern and start up a conversation with anyone. People say "hi" to each other on the street much more often than in many other big cities. If a local sports team is doing well, the entire city puts on their "gear" and rallies around them. There's a real sense that we all have something in common, whether its suffering through lousy winters or historically lousy sports teams. You can get a pretty nice house at a fair price, without an hour commute to downtown. So, I guess this might not be the most glamorous place in the world, but it suits me just fine.
KAH User ID: 0541004	Feb 18th 10:09 AM Ah, thanks Snake. Here in Norway we call those snow shoes 'truger'. The reason I brought up Canadians, was something my dad once told me. When he was serving in the army, there was once this NATO winter maneuver, with participants from various NATO countries, among them a contingent of Canadians. Here in Norway, the traditional way of moving in snowy environment is skis, which is rather ungainly uphill, but quite fast downhill (naturally). He was, however, quite amazed of how fast the Canadians moved on their snow shoes - they could almost match people on skis for speed _downhill_, and that must have been a pretty amazing sight. :o)