So insular

Visiting the bank yesterday to deposit a check my dad sent me for my Birthday (yeah I know it has been months since my Birthday) I had to hold back my laughter. There was a new girl in training who was watching the teller process my dad's check. She looked up at me all inquisitive and asked "oh does Australia have its own money?". I think I was a too shocked at first to laugh. After I replied in the affirmative, she responded with "huh, I did not know that!". Now I know the cliché is that American's don't know what is happening outside there own backyard but jeez. I mean the girl is going to work in a bank, where there is money, all kinds of money.

N was telling me yesterday about a girl in her lab who went to Toronto for a conference, who was surprised to notice such a thing as an exchange rate and that it changed each day. It was her first trip to another country and therefore dealing with other currencies but to never have heard of exchange rates or that they change. Hmmm.

As an aside to the story above, I nearly wrote 'overseas' instead of 'another county'. I still think of travelling to other countries as going overseas seeing that's what we do as Australians, but of course US to Canada there's no sea to go over -duh. The concept of changing countries by simply crossing boarders is still strange to me. When I was in Niagara Falls last year (a day trip during my Toronto holiday) I saw the falls from both the Canadian and US side. It was so novel to cross the boarders by walking. It was kinda strange that my mobile phone worked on the US side but not on the Canadian side there isn't that much distance between them (I called mum so she could hear the roar of the falls). Incidentally, the US side is beautiful, all parklands, while the Canadian side is like Las Vegas, incredibly tacky. I was surprised because I kinda expected the opposite, but the view is better from the Canadian side so they have exploited that. The US tried with their viewing platform that attempts to provide a better view by stretching out from the cliff face but that's the limit of the tourist attractions. Even the hotels are understated in comparison, lacking the sickly neon lights which make the Canadian side seem as bright as day. At least when you are looking at the falls from the Canadian side, all that is behind you and you aren't as distracted from the view of falls at night by bright lights.

Looking at towards USA:


Looking towards Canada:


Returning to Canada after spending the afternoon in the US enjoying the parks: