Oh, Canada

Ontario, Canada - This weekend we drove from Detroit to Toronto for a wedding. It's the first time I have been to Toronto in about 15 years, and the first time I have driven over the border in almost a decade.

We all know that times have changed since 9/11. But driving to Canada was a bit of a shock for someone who used to drive to Windsor to go drinking on a Saturday night. Nowadays, passports are definitely required and it takes at least a half-hour just to cross the border.

It's most startling after traveling in other continents, where barriers are being broken down, not built up. These days in Europe, you can drive from country to country without even being aware that you are crossing a border. Yet in North America, the borders are becoming tighter and tougher. Irony. 

Despite the fact that we had to wait a  long time to get there, Canada is alright with me. I think it's cool that all the signs are in English and French, even though only about a quarter of the population actually speaks French. And I really appreciate that you can order a small coffee (or whatever) and actually get a smallish-size, as opposed to the super-sizes that prolifierate in our obesity-inducing consumer culture.

But I still wonder why Canadians insist on wearing that Maple Leaf whenever they leave their fair country. Only the Brazilians can rival the Canadians when it comes to flag pride - why?