Inershus

Go to Winnipeg. I love Winnipeg. At the very least go to Minneapolis. I wasted 4 years of my life in Fargo. Fargo’s worst offense is that it’s so painfully bland. Fargo’s culture isn’t really a culture. Whatever cultural values that the first Scandinavian and German settlers brought with them has been thoroughly diluted by the American marketing machine. It’s a place that’s been utterly consumed by corporate consumerism. All there is to do is eat at chain restaurants, buy shit from China at chain retail stores, and get annihilated at over-commercialized bars with no atmosphere. It’s a horribly depressing and naive place full of sidewaysed hatted, Abercrombie wearing, truck driving idiots, who blare generic rap or the latest “country” on their stereos and swear that piss like Bud Light is god’s nectar. It’s basically just a suburbanized, ever-sprawling, marketers wet dream. Forget about walking anywhere in Fargo because many of the sidewalks aren’t cleared in the winter and it has the population density of the Sahara desert. Well not quite but apparently Fargo city planners didn’t get the memo that sprawl is a method of human habitation that has no future. “Ugly American” comes to mind when thinking of Fargo. Fuck that place! (Sorry to sound so pretentious but that’s my honest opinion)

I think any ‘Pegger will tell you that their city’s geographic isolation has led them to develop a very unique and independent culture. The city is unlike anywhere else on the North American plains in that it’s urban history reaches way back into the early 1800’s. I would definetely check out the Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature (my absolute favorite natural history museum!) It might be a good idea to check out some of the Ukrainian cultural fare such as Alycia’s restaurant, and maybe drive out of town into the Mennonite townships. Also Osborne village is a great place for the alternative crowd- a definite “college/artisan/hippie/punk/anarchist” feel to the neighborhood. Winnipeg’s physical isolation has unfortunately also led to an inferiority complex amongst Manitoban’s who, “pound for pound,” might be about the friendliest and most laid back people you will ever meet. I think those who don’t like the ‘Peg just “don’t get” Manitoba. It is a very unique province with a culture that is all it’s own. Oh, and the girls in Winnipeg are beautiful