Recently I've had my eyes opened.

Canadians are easily recognizable on the Internet.  When we're playing games, when we're chatting, even when we're just hanging out, lurking somewhere, we're recognized because of one thing.

We have matters.

I was playing Dominoes at pogo.com.  Funny, I used to hate pogo, but now I like it again.  Sort of like me and the colour orange.  I used to hate it, until I didn't have to see it on the walls of the High School I used to go to.  Now I like it again.

Whenever you're playing a non-rated game of Dominoes, and you can't find anyone to play against, a "robot" will play against you until someone comes.  While waiting for players, I wasted the robots many times.

Then someone came, wanting to play against me.  I creamed him three times, and he left.

Someone else came in, and they didn't waste any time.  "a/s/l", they said, asking me for some vital statistics I could easily make up.  I told them it was in my profile, but just for convenience, I provided it for them.  They found out I was male, said "oh", and left.  Obviously, that was a guy who thinks you can pick up chicks at a game site.  He also must have thought that if you played against a guy, you'd be considered gay.  Either that, or he really needed a girl to flirt with, and was almost ready to flirt with me, until he found out I was a guy.

He didn't even stay for me to cream him.

Then I played against someone who was a professor in username only.  I creamed him a few times, and he left.

So far, I've noticed that everyone who plays on-line has bad spelling/grammar.  This was highlighted by someone who I will call Robin.  That was not their name, but it was close to their username.  After we exchanged a few games, said our "gg"s and "ty"s - the lazy person's way of saying "good game" and "thank you" - Robin asked me where I was from.

"Canada", I answered.

"Thought so," said Robin.

"How so?" I enquired.

And then Robin told me how she knew.  "you matters".

It took me a moment to translate, but I guess Robin's right.  After all this time, and everything I've done on the Internet, I never realized what set me apart from people from other countries.

I have matters.


©2002, CW Tyger
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