Where are you from? What's it like there?

[robert]

Canada/Sweden
What's it like to live where you live? Tell us more about your part of the world!

I'm in Alberta, Canada, since 1999. Before that, I lived in Sweden. I view myself as Swedish more than Canadian, since I lived in Sweden for my first 30 years (now 15 years in Canada).

Things are a bit different in Canada than in Sweden, for example when it comes to government support in general, but honestly not that much. I've always had the view that we should work towards social equality instead of social inequality, and Canada has overall a more conservative view, something I don't really support. People in Canada are nice and friendly, and there are many interesting places one can visit - this country is huge!

Weather-wise, we get lots of snow and cold climate in Alberta, but summers are usually quite warm. Where I lived in Sweden, it was more moderate - slightly warmer winters and slightly colder summers than here in Alberta.

I am very thankful to being lucky enough to be part of both these countries - they are both great countries to live in, and I will not complain. I have a fantastic job, being a full time guitar teacher, wonderful family, and life is good.

Occupation?

By the way, what is your job? You know mine!

[zagatron1]

USA born, I'm currently in Washington, D.C. Been here twice. Originally from the state of North Carolina, my journey (and my Mom) brought me up to DC in time for me to start the 3rd grade (1960). From there to the state of Maryland to attend junior and senior high schools. Spent most of my adult life in Maryland until the last move back to DC in 2005. Been here ever since. It's comfortable here even though this country has issues and I'll leave it at that. Since living on the east coast most of my life I consider myself lucky weather-wise and anything else I can think of... y'know like uhh earthquakes, mudslides and all that. I will not complain either. I'd like to check out Canada one day. I'm lucky enough to have been across both the Atlantic and Pacific.

Occupation? I do amps these days.

[johannes.maas]

Both of my parents moved over from the US to Germany in the mid 70s. I was born in Germany but have the US Citizenship. (although I might change to the German one next year...)

I´ve been living here for the last 37 years and am not planning to move anywhere else because me and my wife bought a nice small house in a town called "Bremen" (where the Becks beer comes from).

Occupation?
I work as a Business Analyst for a global freight forwarder, have a B Sc. in Int. Freight Forwarding and Logistics and a M.A. in Accounting & Finance.

When I have spare time I play around with my Guitars, do some home recording and play in a hard rock / metal band.

[zagatron1]

I've been past Bremen on the way to Bremerhaven. I was livin' in Heidelberg in them days. The former Patton barracks (Heidelberg-Kirchheim) to be exact. I've been to Schwetzingen, Mannhein, Stuttgart, mostly military installations, you get the idea. Loved it while I was there. Beautiful! That accounts for my going over the Atlantic.

[Vladan]

I'm from Belgrade, Serbia.

Just like Johannes, I work in International Freight Forwarding business. Namely I have an agency of my own. So Johannes, you can tell to your colleagues there's a respectable forwarding agent in Serbia, they can contact and use for any applicable business.

He, he, who'd expect this?

[johannes.maas]

Nice! Whats the companys name? I work for Röhlig (www.rohlig.com ) in eastern Europe our Joint venture Partner "Gebr. Weiss" is more known I guess (Weiss-Röhlig).

I work for the German Head Office.

[Vladan]

Johannes, you have a personal message.

[creekster52]

Currently living in Dallas, Texas. Third largest city in Texas, ninth largest in the U.S. I prefer smaller cities and rural areas, but this is where the jobs are.

I am an insurance agent specializing in Medicare coverage, but semi-retired in January and only work seasonally now. I moved back to Texas in 2009. Before that, I worked for a yacht service yard in St. Petersburg, Florida 1999-2009. I have owned several sailboats, was a liveaboard for years and sailed a 24 ft. double-ender sloop from St. Petersburg, Florida to Bimini via the Florida Keys and back to Florida. Before that I was a steward on offshore oil rigs and production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico for four years. I did all sorts of work prior to that including veterinary assistant on an Arabian horse farm in Texas, and aircraft ground crew/refueler in Little Rock, Arkansas. I hold a private pilot rating, but have been inactive since 1986.

I started playing guitar as a teenager, but more or less quit during high school and didn't start again until sometime in 2000. I played in a band during that time, but got drafted into playing keyboards. 

[Vladan]

Wow, Creekster, I kinda envy you. What a career.

[creekster52]

My preferred career choice was fixed-wing pilot, but there were thousands of Vietnam era pilots in the job market at the time I started pilot training, so my chances were slim at best. Also the cost of advanced pilot training was out of my reach. I even attempted to enlist as a Warrant Officer in the Army (helicopter pilot), and passed the written exams, but busted out on the physical due to a fused vertebra (tail bone)...Go figure! 

To coin a phrase..."What a long, strange trip it's been"!

[zagatron1]

Ain't that a blip! Not too long out of flight school at Ft. Rucker, my reserve unit was to ship out to the Gulf ('90-"91) in support of the 101st. I was an AH-64 Apache pilot and participated in that 100-hour war on Jan. of '91. I had been in country since early Sep. of '90.

[creekster52]

Thank you for your service Zag. Did you like flying rotor? I never got a chance to fly rotor, but had more than my share of helicopter rides when working offshore.

[zagatron1]

Yeah Creek, I actually got a chance to do 2 things I wanted to do. Got my GT score above 110 so I could qualify for warrant officer school, then later went to flight school. Got a chance to experience flying a UH-1D from a residual fleet (those things been around since '56) that retained those for training and National Guard units, and the UH-60 Black Hawk. I wound up in an AH-64 Apache. A great machine I might add! Before all that, I was in transportation.

[GaryP]

I know this post has been around for awhile, thought I would add my part. I live only an hours drive or so from Robert. Early May and I am looking outside at the snow falling right now, but I know the summer will be good. I spent the last 35 years in the repair of motorcycles, all terrain vehicles and snowmobiles. The last 10 as an instructor of mechanics at a trade school. If anyone needs advice with any small powered equipment I may be able to help (trade for help with a muddy sounding Hagstrom Swede, issues with the tone switch I believe). As an instructor of adults I appreciate the teaching methods Robert uses and also appreciate the difficulties some of my students have in learning a new skill at an older age, now that I am filling all my spare time with the guitar.

[robert]

Thanks Gary!

I have crappy pots on my Swede too. Replace with quality pots and switches - that's the only way to go.

Keep on rocking in a "free" world!