... And things we didn't miss so much

Now, for the sequel to the other day's post... things I didn't miss at all.

Ice. I hate icy sidewalks, and parking lots, and cul-de-sacs. Hate them. Despise them with every fibre of my being. Inevitably, I wipe out at least once a year, and I have several scars to prove it. It usually happens in the spring, of course, when the snow's melted and then frozen again overnight into a lovely skating rink. But Calgary had such mild weather while we were home that everything was sheer ice. The weather was nice for walking, but the ground certainly wasn't.

Tipping. This sounds really weird, but hear me out. In the Netherlands, servers' wages are higher, so they're not dependent on tips to make up the difference. So they don't tip. At most, they round to the nearest euro, maybe a bit more if the service is good (which it often isn't). There certainly aren't tip jars at take-out places, and even at places where you would tip in Canada, like the hairdresser, they get confused when you try to tip. It's wonderful. You know exactly what the meal or drinks will cost, and you don't have to bother with tripling the GST or anything. Oh, and on a related note, the posted price must include all relevant taxes. If the sticker says five euros, that's what they charge you. No taxes added at the register. I love it: I had trouble while I was Christmas shopping, because I kept forgetting that I needed to add five percent.

Calgary Transit. Okay, I'll admit that the fancy new signs that tell you, to the minute (and fairly accurately), when the train is coming are nice. In fact, I'm used to them now: all the train stations in the Netherlands have them, and so do all the bus stops in Eindhoven (seriously). But I don't miss having to rely on transit to get around, especially given Calgary's sprawl, the distance between our parents' houses (which, for those of you counting, is roughly 40 km), and the general uselessness and stupidity of Calgary Transit. I'd almost forgotten how terrible it is, how long it takes to get anywhere if you're not travelling between places near a station, and how poorly organized it is. However, this ties into the next point...

Cars. Beyond a few taxi rides while travelling, I think I can count the number of days I rode in a car in 2011 on both hands. I'm exaggerating a bit, but not much. You know, I don't think I miss it. Part of that, of course, is that I can't drive, so I'm dependent on others for rides. And both Stefan and I are prone to motion sickness, so riding in a car isn't always a pleasant experience, especially since we're not used to cars anymore. And really, I just don't miss Calgary's complete reliance on cars for everything.

Looking at those last two, what I particularly missed from Eindhoven was my bike. After about two weeks in Canada, Stefan pointed out that it was the lack of a bike that was really bothering me. Not that a bike would have done much good in Calgary: the distances are too large and the hills are far too steep for my tastes. But because I can't drive, I've been dependent on rides from other people or on transit for so long, or on walking, which is generally impractical in Calgary. But here in Eindhoven, with my bike, I'm not restricted in how or when I get around. For the first time in my entire life, I can go where I want to go when I want to go there, without having to rely on someone else to take me. My bike gives me a lot more independence than I could ever have in Calgary, and that I really missed.

And finally, on a completely unrelated note: happy birthday, Grandma!