Feeling foreign

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I guess you could say I'm a well seasoned traveler. I have stacks of US customs forms at home so I can fill them out before I get to the airport, I can get from curb to gate in 20 mins on a good day with Nexus and status and I know the airplane entertainment system like the back of my hand. This weekend I went to Montreal for a mini vacation and, weirdly, it was traveling in Canada that threw me off the most.

1) I flew out of Toronto City Center (Billy Bishop) airport Which was a first, I usually fly out of Pearson. Riding the ferry was both frustrating and fascinating at the same time.

2) No passport required Flying on a driver's license was really weird. And I looked like such a newbie because I kept trying to show my ID at every turn and not showing it when I was supposed to.

3) Canadian money I think it's that all the signs and billboards were in a language that I can only half understand that makes me feel like I should be using a different currency.

4) No spend limit I kept trying to keep track of my receipts the whole time and was delighted to remember... I don't need to! I can buy as much as I want and not worry about being interogated at the border for the pair of jeans and magnets I bought.

5) Lounge Last year I had Elite status but only made it to Prestige this year. While Billy Bishop has a great waiting area, not having status sucks. I got to Montreal airport early and wandered around the terminal to waste time.

All in all, I really liked Montreal (and their cheese!). It was like going to a foreign country without all the hassles of conversion rates, passports and customs. I just really need to brush up on my French.

Eat or be eaten: San Francisco is everyone for themselves

I keep replaying it in my head how I got conned $300 on a San Francisco bus today. I used to hear these stories from other people and wonder how can you be so naïve? I would never be duped like that. And I knew it was a scam too but by the time I could stop it, it was too late.

Don't even say it... I know, I'm smarter than that and I don't know why I went along with it. I almost don't want to say cause its so embarrassing. But I'm a story teller and I can't stop myself.

This guy had 3 cups with a little red ball under and he kept asking people to guess, I wasn't even looking and when he couldn't get the people beside him to play along he moved. He started asking me to 'pick, pick, where's the ball.' I thought it was a magic trick cause he kept saying I'm not asking for money and he even gave me a dollar.

Then he's like see you won? But you have to show me what you have to win the equal so I said forget it and ignored him. There were 2 other guys who got really into it and they kept winning and when I said no no the 2 guys started saying 'oh my gosh but its so easy'

So he saw I had $100 and he said here I'll show you he grabbed the $100 and asked me to pick again. I was like WTF is going on but he wouldn't give me my $ so I just picked. Of course I lost and I freaked out and he's like okok I'll give double or nothing but again you have to show me you have $200. I was so mad about my $100 I wasn't thinking so I showed him the $200 and again he took it from me (idiot move I know). Just then the bus stopped and when I went to grab my money he pretended to fall backwards. But he was pushing the door open and ran off and the other 2 guys ran off w him.

I'm so stupid because I knew it was a scam too I KNEW IT.

Everyone who gets scammed says the same thing, it happened to fast!, and I used to think whatever, naïve! But now I get it! It seriously happened so fast! And when they ran off not one person helped me. Most of the other riders even knew it was a scam no one said anything!

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On a separate note: I always hear about San Francisco and how great a city it is but honestly their homeless problem is off the hook!

I did not expect that for such a wealthy, large city. There are 3-4 homeless people per block, not exaggerating. And they ride the bus and are loud and love to talk to you and leer at you when you walk by.

Walking 10 blocks I get asked for money at least 20 times.  I wouldn't feel safe living here alone.  How does the mayor just sit there knowing such a large population of his city is homeless?