canadian epitome of incomprehensibility New stereotype: weird and gross traditions! Okay, so that's a stereotype about every country ever. But see mummified_human_toe. Also, I've personally the Newfoundland "screeching-in" ceremony, where I kissed a dead cod on the lips. Didn't do the rum-drinking part, since I was 17 and this was part of an official choir function, but I did get an Honourary Newfoundlander certificate! 170623 ... e_o_i I missed a verb and I don't remember what verb it was. Personally did? Personally attended? Personally witnessed? No, more like personally participated in. But how could you impersonally participate in something? Tsk, tsk. Canadians. 170623 ... leif Welcome to the Newfie club. My heart belongs to the Atlantic--might as well just marry the cod. 170623 ... uwtb stands for hypocrisy contrivance of false appearance of virtue or goodness while concealing real character traits, inclinations. moral deception. as. if. wiping us out wasn't on the agenda. our hearts not on the menu. canadian is a curse in my house. i am not. we are not. and never will be. 200714 ... e_o_i Odd how I wrote under the adjective for the whole country and then talked about one province. But maybe not odd. Imagined communities are harder to imagine when too big. Unwieldy. Memories: The shop in St. John's selling joke shirts with "Newfoundland Liberation Army." Provincial. The '95 referendum (I was 7). Thinking later, Why is it a big deal whether this is Canada or Quebec? Either way the lakes, rivers, valleys, aren't going anyplace quickly. Called myself a "moderate anarchist" for not taking countries too seriously (I imagined). But it's not so much like the curtly eloquent snakelike words above (welcome to blather if you're new; if not, welcome again) - I'm in a privileged state where the labels can't hurt me much. "Privilege" sounds academic, the opposite of curtly eloquent. But I mean being white, sort of bilingual, etc. 200717 ... raze i persist in spelling words i'm told to terminate with "re" the american way, knowing i'm sinning against the ligament of language that's meant to be mine when i write: center. meter. liter. this doesn't extend to words like colour and flavour, where the u is okay by me. one of those strange brain things, i guess. 240412 what's it to you? who go blather from