You know Michael: Canada is beginning to sound better and better all the
time. :^) Unfortunately, where there are people, there is no paradise.
However, considering the social nature of TR rebuilding, while I'm not
saying we're all a bunch of overfed housecasts I don't see any of us as a
Jeremiah Johnson either. I have yet to see a TR6 made entirely of
reconverted bedsprings and bottle caps smelted in some fanatic's backyard in
the spirit of Chariman Mao's Great Leap Forward (And may the saints and
strong liquor preserve me from such a sight).
We obviously like where we are or we wouldn't be there. Every place has
drawbacks. Quebec is just starting to emerge from 30 years of polical
instability just about took us from being one of the most powerful
manufacturing centres on the continent into the status of a bananna
republic. I didn't stick here for reasons of money. Stupidity perhaps, but
not dollars. Montreal is a fun city, and I know it so here I is.
On the negative side, I recently went back to my high school (public) to
visit as they were having a reunion. One of these concrete blockhouse
suburban 3-story buildings. It maxxed out at 2000 students in the sixties
and seventies, but got hammered by the linguistic wars in the eighties when
french and ethnic students were barred from entry (against the wishes of the
english-speaking community). The place was depressingly unchanged in any
positive way. On the negative side it had worn out paint, falling ceilings,
1/3 the students from when I was there and clearly desperately needed
maintenance. And this is not in a poor neighbourhood at all. The new
principal of the school came up and said very jovially "So what do you think
of your old school". I just shot back "I'm amazed I escaped from this place
now that I see it again. It looks like a tired prison. What have you done to
the place?" He nervously tittered and scurried off. Now I feel for the guy
since I am told that if he tried to organise the parents or even assign
detention painting-duty to students to do a job that is covered by a
unionised person such as building maintenance, the whole system would go on
strike. Pathetic.
What you need is great wads of cash so that you can do the jet-set thing and
just move restlessly from place to place experiencing only the best and
moving on before it palls. That's the solution! Cajun cooking, Montreal
festivals and British country lane driving. But you better not get your
directions screwed up or you'll be drinking bayou water, eating Bubble and
Squeak and sending your kids to a clapped out prison, er I mean high-school.
Cheers,
Mark
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Hargreave Mawson [mailto:OC@46thFoot.com]
Sent: Saturday, June 14, 2003 4:50 AM
To: triumphs@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: Louisiana.....(was: anywhere in the world)
On Fri, 13 Jun 2003, at around 15:15:08 local time, "Smith, Brian
(Inland-Gaylord)" <BSmith51@ICCNET.COM> wrote:
>Jeff,
>
>Before you start getting everybody's hopes up and filling the bayous around
>Rayne, you better tell them the rest of the story. Like where our education
>system ranks, and the rate of teen pregnancy.
Brian,
To continue with the comparisons between Louisiana and UK: the
educational standards of our state schools (= US public schools) stink.
Many state schools have such a high proportion of teenage mothers that
they have had to open crhches for the babies, and to add breast-feeding
and childcare to the curriculum.
> You must live outside the
>city limits...and have a Parish School System. Here in Bogalusa, we have a
>city school system and my property taxes are over $550 a year (no homestead
>exception for city property taxes)
You poor thing.
> and I can't send my daughter to the
>public schools.
I don't send my sons to state schools either, and my property taxes are
eight times yours!
> I used to live in Lake Charles and the my property taxes
>there were 1/5 of the taxes I have now. And the food was better on your
>side of the State as well!
Oh, yes, I had forgotten about our cuisine. Fish and chips; sausage
and mash; toad in the hole; spotted dick; meat and three veg. Can't
hold a candle to Cajun cookery.
ATB
--
Mike
Ellie - 1963 White Herald 1200 Convertible GA125624 CV
Connie - 1968 Conifer Herald 1200 Saloon GA237511 DL
Carly - 1977 Inca Yellow Spitfire 1500 FH105671
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