An Exclusive International Interview
Put It in the Jug has gone international. Our correspondant, Oldman Gordon, is now situated in the beautiful Pacific city of Vancouver, Canada. We sat down with him at his home recently to discuss his double life as an AmeriCanadian.
PIITJ: So, is it true that you work near a nude beach?
OMG: (shakes head and chuckles) Yes, my building is about a five minute walk to the only nude beach in Vancouver. It's secluded by a rainforest and offers a great view of mountains and, reputedly, baby seals. I go there to eat lunch sometimes. It's quite beautiful, if you can filter out all the middle aged guys' junk.
PIITJ: Do you enjoy your job?
OMG: Yeah, the work is not bad. I like the idea of scientific inquiry through playing around, which is an ideal at my lab. And I like my coworkers. They are pretty much all international, which makes for some good discussions. It's fun to be considered international myself, to be grouped with Indians and Iranians and Germans. I like being mildly exotified [sic]. And I like observing both the U.S. and Canada as an outsider.
PIITJ: Do you miss anything about the U.S.?
OMG: I miss Molly and the awesome network of friends I helped assemble there. But as for general American culture, I don't really miss anything. Vancouver offers everything I like about American culture--it's modern, optimistic, multicultural. And it reduces a lot of the qualms I have about the States. Vancouver is more progressive, more egalitarian, more laid-back, built on a human scale, and less sprawling. I certainly feel that I fit better here.
PIITJ: So do you have Canadian pride now?
OMG: I'd say I have North American pride. Being in Vancouver, where there are Canadians, Americans, and Mexicans, made me realize that there is a coherent and special North American identity. I think we don't talk about being North American enough.
PIITJ: What is your living situation?
OMG: I'm subletting a house for August. Again with mostly international and friendly young people. Come September, I'm moving to another apartment quite close to another beach. The housing here on the West Side of Vancouver is new and high-quality, especially compared to the College housing on the East side of Providence. Most prospective housemates I've talked to never see their landlords because they have no problems with their houses. The shittiest house on the West Side of Vancouver is probably classier than the finest of Ed's properties.
PIITJ: Do you have regrets about moving so far North and West?
OMG: Not really. Much more frequently, I have affirmations. I ride the bus to and from work. Coming back, right before [I reach] my house, I have this great view of Downtown Vancouver, framed by the bay and distant mountains. Every time I see that view, I feel glad I came.
PIITJ: So, is it true that you work near a nude beach?
OMG: (shakes head and chuckles) Yes, my building is about a five minute walk to the only nude beach in Vancouver. It's secluded by a rainforest and offers a great view of mountains and, reputedly, baby seals. I go there to eat lunch sometimes. It's quite beautiful, if you can filter out all the middle aged guys' junk.
PIITJ: Do you enjoy your job?
OMG: Yeah, the work is not bad. I like the idea of scientific inquiry through playing around, which is an ideal at my lab. And I like my coworkers. They are pretty much all international, which makes for some good discussions. It's fun to be considered international myself, to be grouped with Indians and Iranians and Germans. I like being mildly exotified [sic]. And I like observing both the U.S. and Canada as an outsider.
PIITJ: Do you miss anything about the U.S.?
OMG: I miss Molly and the awesome network of friends I helped assemble there. But as for general American culture, I don't really miss anything. Vancouver offers everything I like about American culture--it's modern, optimistic, multicultural. And it reduces a lot of the qualms I have about the States. Vancouver is more progressive, more egalitarian, more laid-back, built on a human scale, and less sprawling. I certainly feel that I fit better here.
PIITJ: So do you have Canadian pride now?
OMG: I'd say I have North American pride. Being in Vancouver, where there are Canadians, Americans, and Mexicans, made me realize that there is a coherent and special North American identity. I think we don't talk about being North American enough.
PIITJ: What is your living situation?
OMG: I'm subletting a house for August. Again with mostly international and friendly young people. Come September, I'm moving to another apartment quite close to another beach. The housing here on the West Side of Vancouver is new and high-quality, especially compared to the College housing on the East side of Providence. Most prospective housemates I've talked to never see their landlords because they have no problems with their houses. The shittiest house on the West Side of Vancouver is probably classier than the finest of Ed's properties.
PIITJ: Do you have regrets about moving so far North and West?
OMG: Not really. Much more frequently, I have affirmations. I ride the bus to and from work. Coming back, right before [I reach] my house, I have this great view of Downtown Vancouver, framed by the bay and distant mountains. Every time I see that view, I feel glad I came.
