Friendliness Factor - So far, so good here in Canada. I've manage to sign myself up for a social insurance number and sign up for the government based medical insurance (more on my thoughts and experiences on that later).

There is, however, one very unnerving experience which keeps repeatedly happening: people are friendly.

I know it sounds strange that this would tweak me out but it does. The fact that strangers speak to me... on the street, in the store, at the gym, wherever... for no other reason than to be polite and friendly, is a bit of a mind-bending experience for me. For example, the day I moved here and was unloading my moving van, more than one person stopped as they were walking by and welcomed me to Canada and the neighborhood and said they hoped I liked it here. They were being friendly and sadly my first thought was, "They stopped to talk to me so they can scope my shit out."

I guess living most of my life in NY, I assume that if I don't know you and you start talking to me you are: a) crazy, b) going to mug me, or c) crazy and you're going to mug me. There have been a few times when my partner and I have been out when strangers have initiated some sort of conversation with us and she has actually had to tell me to "relax." You see, when folks do that, I physically and mentally get into a defensive posture and assume the worst.

I'm a little better now but for the most part, I still feel like I'm in some sort of shiny-happy twilight zone episode or a warmer and fuzzy version of a Ray Bradbury story. I suppose I should be grateful to being pushed to stretch and grow in this way... makes me wonder if there's a way to make this kind of attitude contagious?