Differences and other musings

We've been home for almost two days now, and I'm still adjusting to normal life around here.  It's amazing how being away for a while has changed my views on where we live -- here's some examples:

• The cars here are HUGE.  As are the roads.  Nice and wide and relatively straight!
  
• You won't be looked at as a target crossing the road.  And you don't feel like you're in a live-action frogger game when you do attempt to cross the street.
  
• There are no people here.  Seriously.  
  
• Small roundabouts = good.  Gianormous roundabouts with no rules = bad.
  
• It's CLEAN here.  And we recycle.
  
• It doesn't smell like a festering ashtray when you step outside.  You don't risk cigarette/cigar/pipe burns walking in public. 
  
• People are civilized, and for the most part, have manners and follow rules.
  
• Things are CHEAP here.
  
• Showers are big -- and my elbows are happy for that.
  

I have a whole new appreciation for home, but there are a few things I wish we had here:

• Awesome small cars that are zippy to drive.  (our Peugeot was really cool)
  
• Responsibly sourced food available in grocery stores and restaurants.
  
• Pride for local products and discouraging the purchases of 'exotica' (yup, that's what they call it!) from faraway countries.
  
• Big department stores that carry fab products (the Bay and Sears make me cringe now), and have food floors that blow your mind.

And just some general things I've noticed being back at home:

• The water here is great.  Soap lathers up really well!  
  
• The trees hardly dropped any leaves. (I think they're late this year...I had dreams of coming back to bags of raking to do.)
  
• The reno fairies didn't come and finish all of our projects while we were gone.
  
• You can't get wake-up calls or room service on our phones.  LOL