Or at least I think it's Canada. Seem like my they might not be sure either.
View of Ottawa from our hotel room.
In Quebec. Everything is in French. I was killing some time in the motel room, watching some TV. In the states, I'm used to flipping through the channels and running into the Spanish channels. My mind is used to that, so here when I hear a different language, it automatically registers as Spanish. It's takes a second to realize it's French.
One thing that struck me as funny was once when flipping through the channels, I was happy to find an episode of the Simpons. I had to laugh when I heard Homer and Marge speaking French.
For rent?
This is my friend Alan, Ian's older brother, stylin the 14's on his mini-van. Ladies, I think he's available. He looks to be "family ready". ha ha
Ian's photo shoot on Friday.
Ian and his brother Brad.
The crew at the mall. I had bought a camera the day before. I brought my camera, but I had accidentally left the battery back in Oceanside. My camera was on it's last legs, and I had decided it was time to get a new one. Ian ran me by the mall on Thursday to pick one up. I found the one I wanted, and checked out. When we got back to the hotel room, I started thinking about it how much it had cost. Something didn't seem quite right to me. I took out the reciept to take a look. To my amazement I realized I had been charged over $40 in tax. Wow!! Canada has some crazy taxes. I got hit with a Provencial Sales Tax(PST), which in Ontario is 8%, and a Goods and Services Tax(GST) which is 5%. I had no idea tax was so high here. And I also got hustled by the salesman. "Do you already have a memory card? You're going to need a memory card. We have a really good deal on some great cards over here. They are usually $29.99, but we have them on sale for $9.99. You only get that great discount though, if you buy three cards." "Okay" I said. I ended up dropping $350 dollars by the time everything was added up.
After checking the reciept at the hotel, I decided to get online to see what I would pay for the same set up back in the states. I found the camera for $193, and the card for $8.95(with no obligation to buy more than one)
Hmmm......$350, or about $200. My feelings were kind of hurt, and I was feeling a little raw. These damn Canucks really stuck it to me.
I decided to take the camera back. Ian looked at me seriously and said "Don't you know about the Canadian Return Tax?" I looked back, "What! No way!" He was joking of course.
They did get me again though. When I bought the camera, I had paid for $200 of it with US dollars. When I took it back, they said they don't have US dollars in the store, so they were going to have to pay the $200 back in Canadian dollars. The exchange rate was about .96 Canadian to 1 US dollar. So they took me for about $8 there. And when I have to convert that $200 back to US dollars before I leave, I'll lose another $8, plus the exchange fee.
That night, at the grocery store, the cashier short changed me a dollar. There were a couple of other things like that, that happened as well, so I was feeling a little abused, and kind of Anti-Canada.
Ha ha ha I'm just joking. It's great here. I'm having a great time, hanging out with my friend Ian, and all the crazy Canadians.
At the counter, returning the camera.
Ian, and Robin. Robin is fighting tonight too.
Ian checking in with the commission.
Alan again. He's a really good graphic artist, and web designer among other things. He is the one who designed my "Believe" shirt.
The crew at weigh ins. Me, Slim, Brad, Alan, Ian.
Robin's a funny guy. I can just see him waking up that morning, picking out his clothes, "Hmmm, I'm probably going to be seen in my underwear today. Which ones to wear? Which ones to wear?, I think I'll wear my manly and stylish pink ones."
Ian made weight no problem. He had been training for this fight for 10 weeks. His original opponent had pulled out on Tuesday. It didn't phase him. He signed to fight the replacement. The replacement pulled out just before the weigh ins. Ian didn't find out until they called his name to step on the scale. When he stepped up, the promoter pulled him aside to give him the news, and tell him that he had found another last minute replacement, the third new opponent.
A fighter will spend months in training, focusing on a particular opponent. If that opponent is suddenly changed last minute it can be very distracting trying to get the mind used to the idea of a new opponent and a different fight. Imagine the opponent being changed again, just before stepping on the scale, and then standing across from someone who is a complete mystery, doing a staredown, knowing you'll be stepping into the ring to do battle with them the next night. Something like that might be overwhelming to a lesser man, but Ian is here to fight. He's trained hard, and is ready to go with who ever they put in front of him.
My respect goes to Remi Morvan for having the courage to step up last minute, and take on the challenge. THESE GUYS ARE WHAT MMA IS ALL ABOUT. TRUE WARRIORS.
Ian turned me on the the Lebanese Shawarma's. That is some good food. After the weigh ins, Ian took us to the Shawarma Palace.
I think she is the mother of one of the owner's of the restaurant, putting her time in, helping prepare the food. There's nothing better than real food, made by real people.
Things are definitely different in Canada, like the $23 Lobster Subway sandwich.
Ran into an MMA fan in the Subway. They were both really nice.
