Significant Edmonton Materials

As I’ve read that a few of you have also found, it was troublesome for me to wrap my mind around five “Edmonton materials” that are significant to me.  This could be because there are none, or perhaps there are so that I’m already subconsciously aware of and use on a daily basis that they don’t seem significant to me. Let’s give this a shot.

·         Stress ball: I’m not sure if this would make anyone’s list, but hey, we live in Edmonton, you need one of these things.  I find this to be a useful item as drivers in Edmonton are among the worst in the country (aren’t insurance premiums here the highest in all of North America?).  If you’re not constantly being cut off by people who don’t flicker, horned and then cut off again for following the speed limit, or maybe even just the endless amount of potholes that do wonders to your car and somehow never seem to get fixed in the summer: a stress ball is good for you!

·         A re-useable coffee mug: This one is for fellow coffee addicts.  Considering how temperatures here are rarely ever desirable, mainly cold for the majority of the year, I tend to always keep a coffee mug with me.  The benefits are that you’re doing the environment a favour, your re-useable coffee mugs are usually bigger than what you get from a disposable cup (more is never a bad thing, right?), it keeps you warm during frosty times, and you get discounts at most places here for bringing your own, which probably saves me several hundred dollars a year.

·         Hockey Paraphernalia: Mandatory. There’s no better way to fit in while you’re in Canada, especially Edmonton, than having something hockey related on display. This could include a front license plate, T-Shirt, Oilers socks (don’t ask me, but I have a friend who considers it sacrilegious to not wear those things), or even just a jersey of any team. It’s almost like a white flag here, saying to fellow Edmontonian’s, “I come in peace; I enjoy hockey as well and consider myself one of you”.  The strangest thing is, though, that I lost a bet last year and had to wear an Oilers jersey for a day (diehard, long-time Chicago Blackhawks fan here) and when I was seen in public with it, I was asked several times that day, “An Oilers jersey? Why are you wearing that?”  Looks like we’ll need to start playing better to get our respect back. Needless to say, if it's anything other than a Calgary jersey you'll probably be fine.

These are a few off the top of my head.  I’m sure there’s more.  Whether the prompt called for Edmonton-specific materials or just stuff that helps you get by here, I’m not sure, but the few aforementioned things I would say are essential for survival here.

P.S. Considering how this is the last prompt on the list, I would like to say that it was enjoyable blogging with you all and reading your perspectives on the city over the duration of the course.

Cheers,
Patrick