Written Thursday and posted on Friday.
You know you’re a Canadian in the US when you can’t relate to speed limits that end in a five. Remembering that 80 gets you 50 is of no help at all when the posted speed is 45 or 55. My GPS is getting a lot of use as a speedometer. If only I could find something to work as an odometer. But that wouldn’t have helped when I walked to the beach from the campsite. The sign partway along the trail indicated the beach was ½ mi ahead. After walking for about eight minutes I came across another sign… beach ½ mi. Just to be sure I checked both signs on my return walk.
If a phone card states that it expires six months from the first day of use how can it possibly expire in December of 2012 when it was used for the first time today? The only way that makes any sense to me is if the calendar system has gone metric and two months have been eliminated. I don't think so.
The same international calling card instructs the user to dial as follows: 011-county code-area code- phone number. How do you find the country code for Canada? Since the phone was by the ranger’s office I asked if he could look it up for me. The local phone book contains a list of country codes but for Canada it says to “see the US area code page.” To which he quipped “You’re from our newest state?” We agreed that it might be worth trying it without a country code. So I crossed the road to the phone and carefully punched in the 11 numbers required to connect me with the Walmart International Calling Card service and listened to a recording promising to give me more minutes for my dollars. Next I entered the 12-digit calling card number, followed by the area code and the phone number. After three rings I heard a familiar voice… “Hello.” Hi, it’s me. “Hello?” Hi can you hear me? “Helloooo.” After jabbing at the mute button in case it was on I hung up and entered the 34 numbers again… same scenario. Ever the optimist I entered the sequence one more time and equally unsuccessful. At that point I called the customer service number printed on the card only to learn that the office closes at 10 pm eastern time. As I turned to leave and walk back to my campsite the park ranger said “I have free long distance,to anywhere, please use my cell phone. Your friend may worry because you didn’t get through.” Thank you.
You know you’re a Canadian in the US when you can’t relate to speed limits that end in a five. Remembering that 80 gets you 50 is of no help at all when the posted speed is 45 or 55. My GPS is getting a lot of use as a speedometer. If only I could find something to work as an odometer. But that wouldn’t have helped when I walked to the beach from the campsite. The sign partway along the trail indicated the beach was ½ mi ahead. After walking for about eight minutes I came across another sign… beach ½ mi. Just to be sure I checked both signs on my return walk.
If a phone card states that it expires six months from the first day of use how can it possibly expire in December of 2012 when it was used for the first time today? The only way that makes any sense to me is if the calendar system has gone metric and two months have been eliminated. I don't think so.
The same international calling card instructs the user to dial as follows: 011-county code-area code- phone number. How do you find the country code for Canada? Since the phone was by the ranger’s office I asked if he could look it up for me. The local phone book contains a list of country codes but for Canada it says to “see the US area code page.” To which he quipped “You’re from our newest state?” We agreed that it might be worth trying it without a country code. So I crossed the road to the phone and carefully punched in the 11 numbers required to connect me with the Walmart International Calling Card service and listened to a recording promising to give me more minutes for my dollars. Next I entered the 12-digit calling card number, followed by the area code and the phone number. After three rings I heard a familiar voice… “Hello.” Hi, it’s me. “Hello?” Hi can you hear me? “Helloooo.” After jabbing at the mute button in case it was on I hung up and entered the 34 numbers again… same scenario. Ever the optimist I entered the sequence one more time and equally unsuccessful. At that point I called the customer service number printed on the card only to learn that the office closes at 10 pm eastern time. As I turned to leave and walk back to my campsite the park ranger said “I have free long distance,to anywhere, please use my cell phone. Your friend may worry because you didn’t get through.” Thank you.
Anomalies of foreign travel ... friendly people? :)
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