Greetings From The Great White North

Hello to all of my faithful blog readers!! Due to family health issues, I am writing my blog from Calgary Canada for the next while.
That said, I will still be commenting on things about Rio de Janeiro (my home for the past 15 years) infused with new adventures of being back in the Great White North. Reverse culture shock.
I was born and raised in Calgary, yet I was spared the 'redneck' education so imminent in this part of the country. I sometines refer to myself as a caviar socialist. I like to have my 'caviar'(low taxes and free enterprise), yet I also want free education and health care for all Canadians. Is that too much to ask?
My hometown has changed from the Hicksville of yesteryear, to the great financial oil and gas industry city it has become today. Toronto is being shaken up by the fast movers and shakers coming out this town.There are more millionaires per capita in Calgary than in any other Canadian city. The unemployment rate is the lowest in Canada. If you get bad service at restaurants and such, it is because of the LACK of workers available.
But of course, the underside of this Eldorado is the increasing crime that comes along with the boom. There is an increase in gang activity related to drugs. There have been about 30 homocides this year, the majority gang related. Then of course there was the unfortunate shooting of a Brazilian foreign exchange student who was hit by a bullet while walking downtown after a dinner with his girlfriend. It outraged this city and people rose up to this young man's plight. A trust fund has been set up and a fundraiser dinner took place. An 80 year old woman even offered to donate her eyes (don't know if that is possible). It goes to show you the pure and genuine good side of my hometown still exists and that it hasn't been destroyed by lowlifes trying to be smart and take take take.