Ottawa, ON for 4 years. Colder than a polar bear's toenails in the winter but beautiful in the summer. Occasional trips to the Bare Fax and Barbarellas although being on a students limited budget not a lot of private dances were had. Thursday nights were the best night to party, lots of drink specials. The Pit was great for live music their house band were called the Hammerheads and they put on a great show.
Edinburgh, Scotland for 1 year. Mostly work and little play. Was doing graduate courses. I shared a flat with my Irish cousin and his buddy from western Canada. Both were graduate students as well. Beautiful city, full of culture. Tons of students. Festivals throughout the summer. Great pubs. Was surprised to find quite a few Canadians there. So much so that I ended up playing in a recreational ice hockey league (mostly Canadian and Polish ex pats). The weather sucked, that was my biggest complaint. I think at one point it rained steady for almost two straight weeks. No strip clubs or massage parlors there as far as I know, but wasn't looking.
Limerick, Republic of Ireland. 9 months. Worked and volunteered through friends of the family. Dated a girl there for about 5 months. Sex was interesting without contraception. Had to master the pullout method. I didn't drive much there because its insane. People drive way too fast for the roads, which are nothing like here. For Irish standards its a pretty rough town, its nickname is Stab City. But close to some incredible scenery on the west coast. Golfed a bit and was able to visit my family in the North frequently. No strip clubs or anything of that nature. Ireland was strict back then.
But truth of the matter none of these places touch the Toronto I grew up in. Obviously I'm biased but there are way more things to do and see here. Still it was nice to see how other people lived.
