Minnesota - contd from previous post..

Lesser known facts about MN - contd.

- 'Minnesota nice' is not mandated by some draconian law enacted by the state, as some outsiders might think, but is actually because of a genuinely and sincerely nice and pleasant people.

- Smiling at and greeting friends, neighbors and even rank strangers is not compulsory, but is generally observed as such.

- Rest of Small-town-Minnesota is even more charming than our largest small-town - Minneapolis. If you wanted to visit an actual city, Chicago is about 7 hours to the South-East of us. But be warned- Minnesota-nice ceases to exist East of the St. Croix river.

- Unlike it's neighbor state- Wisconsin, Minnesota's main source of revenue is NOT speeding ticket charges. That honor goes to Parking violation tickets downtown Minneapolis.

- All Minnesotans are proud Norsemen and Vikings. In fact most of the Nordic minded people from far away places like China, India, Vietnam, Somalia, Mexico etc. move to Minnesota to discover/invent their Nordic roots and feel at home in this frigid tundra.

- Minnesota is viewed variously as a Red, Blue or purple state - depending on the viewer's predisposition, but an unchangeable fact is that Minnesotans firmly believe that the word 'polite' is an integral part of the word 'politics'.

- It is true that the local TV and Radio stations eagerly talk about the possibility of it snowing, leading up to Christmas. You see, without that white stuff there would be no white Christmas. The rest of the year they are anxiously reporting oncoming blizzards with gloom and doom written on their faces.

If you have any (lesser-known) facts to contribute, please leave comments.

Minnesotans like their winters cold and snowy. "Keeps the riff-raff away!" being the common refrain. But those hardy (or devoid of choices) enough to stay a full cycle of all seasons learn to appreciate the wondrous and sudden changes in landscape, as the seasons pass the baton. Come spring and in a couple of weeks, the barren land turns on the switch of lush greenery and blossoming trees. Before you know it, the weather is so hot and humid that you can actually complain about the heat also. Before conceding to a frigid winter, the scenery changes again and the land dons the brightest and most varied colors during Autumn. Dozens of varieties of Apples load the trees and pumpkin patches are rolling with orange orbs. People keep going on with their lives as before, but come winter and nature slowly recedes into a deep slumber for the next few months as grass turns yellow and trees look dead - devoid of all foliage. But even that starkness has a beauty of its own.
Most of those who stay long enough to view the entire spectacle, involuntarily become naturalists. That, usually is the beginning of a long lasting (mostly) love (but sometimes) hate relationship with Minnesota.

Summer in Minnesota

Minnesota is not one of the most terribly exciting or happening places in the U.S. of A. And I mean it as a compliment :-)

When I first heard of Minnesota, I had to dust-off my old school atlas and look it up in the 'USA political map'. Had never heard of it. Had had no reason to, I suppose. The only thing connected (physically) to Minnesota that I had heard of was the Lake Superior.

After landing at the old Humphrey terminal, as I was being driven out to my apartment, the orneriness of sprawling suburbia struck me as out of place. Where were the modern, towering skyscrapers and glitzy glamorous malls that I had seen in Hollywood movies. Gradually it began to sink into me that this place must be the true backwaters of America. The real America of course being mostly like the Big Apple - New York and Los Angeles. I promised to myself that sooner than later I would leave this place for the REAL AMERICA!!
But that was then....

Having braved several hundred feet of snow, peppered with a few momentary interludes of sunlight and warmth I can safely claim that I love the place.

Some lesser known facts about Minnesota:

- The MN license plate claims that it's the land of 10,000 lakes. Actually there are 11,842 lakes (10 acres or larger). Just in case 10,000 didn't make you happy enough.

- The official state bird of Minnesota is NOT the mosquito, as any native will swear over his life, but actually the loon. Although, if visibility and ubiquitousness were considered as factors in deciding the symbol, the result might have been different.
A factoid related to the above-mentioned fact: A MN mosquitoe isn't really a bird, but seems almost as large.

- Dislike of cheese-curds is NOT officially a crime in the MN penal code, but don't get too vocal with your opinions. People take their cheese-curds seriously!!

- Minnesotans don't talk only about the weather. They also talk about fishing and football. Though weather is still the number one ice-breaker (no pun intended) among strangers - based on unofficial and unscientific surveys.

- Pick-up trucks DON'T outnumber people in Minnesota - It's an even match.

- Minnesota DOES have outdoor drive-in movie theaters that operate in summer and very often an entire movie can be seen without any snow (gasp!!) and sometimes you can even roll your windows down.

- Mall of America is MOST CERTAINLY NOT the only monument in the twin-cities. We now also have our very own IKEA store much closer to home than the one in Schaumburg IL.

contd..