Kansas, Toto, etc. Part Two

A few more thoughts on how I know I'm not in Canada...

A student brought a fairly realistic toy gun to class the other day, with a working laser sight on it. Rather than call the police or at least send him to the office, I told him to put it away, but not before I went to the class next door and pointed it at one of my colleagues through the window. In a similar twist, many of my students carry x-acto knives with them to sharpen their pencils. We haven't had any stabbings yet.

In Korean class, tonight we played "two truths and a lie." One of my truths was the following: I've met Wayne Gretzky. My teacher had never heard of him.

Cellphones work even in the subways here. Not only that, but I have a cellphone. This may be the most shocking development of all.