Back in Ottawa

Sometimes, I really question the phrase "best place on earth" people in Vancouver keep chanting. This Christmas was a white Christmas in Vancouver, and life is pure hell. Nobody seemed to know how to shovel snow, and all minor streets stayed covered for weeks after the snow. Most sidewalks stay ice-covered a week after snow, as half-thawed snow froze overnight when temperature dipped below zero. Back to Ottawa, sidewalks and streets seem to be clear, and life just seem to go on as usual, despite however many centimeters of snow that have fallen. Oh, did I mention that the bus strike is still on? It's mightly inconvenient, as I can't bike to many places in the snow. I did bike to work today, however. Due to the lack of exercise an excessive food I ate during the holiday, I find myself out of breath after a short bike ride in fairly warm weather (by Ottawa standards).

Overall, I seem to like Ottawa more than Vancouver for now. But it could just be the rare snow, or the fact that I was staying in a moldy basement room in Vancouver, and a clean and big upstairs bedroom in Ottawa. But I'm definitely warming up to the idea of living in central Canada rather than the Wet Coast. Of course, if housing gets cheaper in Vancouver, this might change.