I recently read a thread that displayed a little bit of racial intolerance. Full marks to the mods who quickly nipped it in the bud. It's too easy sometimes to focus on the miniscule and forget to look at the wider picture. I don't think anyone was really hung up on race in their discussions but like our joysticks, sometimes we all need to be 'recalibrated'. :( So, big picture...Christmas is near. Hang on a minute..this is an international forum and perhaps Christmas is not ...shall we say...to everyones liking. Fair enough. These two paragraphs highlight three facts: 1. This is an international forum and visitors to this forum are multi-cultural, 2. Our faiths are many and varied, and3. The common thing that brings us together is that we are all interested in aviation as expressed in our desire to simulate it on a computer and look (if not contribute) to these forums. Sometimes on this forum we are helping each other, sometimes we are beating each other up..as families do. But at this time of the year, in my faith we take time to place special emphasis on family, friends and associates and forget about all those little ups and downs. Personally, I take the time to rejoice in the fact that a basic tennant of life is that given a choice, people would naturally rather cuddle ( or play Flight Sim) than kill. Not that I am suggesting for one moment that I want to cuddle any of you guys out there.. :( but I also have a pink triangle on my desk for those who do! (help me out here Paster Pilot!).The real purpose of my post is to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year but in particular to offer the opportunity to those of you out there who speak broken english or bad english to reply to this post in any way you feel ( I remember we had friends from Iran last year, some who spoke good english and some who didn't). You contribution is valued and while I may speak english, remember, it is the only language I know!. That's makes anyone who speaks or attempts to speak more than one language special in my eyes. So let's here what you have to say and not be concerned about how you say it :( Merry Christmas everyone. Terry

Hello,Belgium calling :)J'appr

And Merry Christmas to you Gus. Love your gifs. I challenge Avsim to make Minnie Mouse and Santa Claus selectable emoticans over this period as well lol :(

I live in a city where 49% of its population was born in another country. The city of Toronto is one of the most diverse place in the world and something we celebrate.The luxury of living here means that for lunch today I can choose from any lunch from any country in the world (India, Thai, Italian, Mediteranean, French, Greek.....You name it) all in my backyard. So today for lunch I think this Irish boy is going to get me some Mecca Halal Pizza. :(

...today for lunch I think this Irish boy is going to get me some Mecca Halal Pizza. :(

Now there's a cosmopolitan approach if I ever saw one. :( I have been to Montreal, Vancouver, Victoria and even Cold ****** Lake but unfortunately I have never had the opportunity to savour the international richness of Toronto. Its on my bucket list though.... Merry Christmas ytzpilot.

Now there's a cosmopolitan approach if I ever saw one. :( I have been to Montreal, Vancouver, Victoria and even Cold ****** Lake but unfortunately I have never had the opportunity to savour the international richness of Toronto. Its on my bucket list though.... Merry Christmas ytzpilot.

Merry Christmas to you too :(

Very very well expressed Terry. A Merry Christmas to you also.A Merry Christmas to all who celebrate Christmas and for those who don't,......., enjoy your holidays, in what ever way is appropriate for you.Regardless of faith, peace on this planet is attainable, we all just must want it that way. :( Best wishes for ALL,Mel

I was born in Montreal, Quebec and have called Vancouver my home since 1991. I grew up in an english neighbourhood in a very French province. There were issues with the French and us square heads (tete carre) but when I managed to learn the french language it opened a whole new world for me, besides the guys at work love it when I order breakfast.... 2 hegs side by heach, du bacon and du toast tabernack! Vancouver is no different except for its geographic location.Our home if you would like to call it, is home to many cultures and langauges many different personalities visit this site everyday and for as long as I have visited and contributed to it I have seen but a few individuals who have made mistakes and have paid with loosing their privileges. Thanks for starting the post Terry, happy holidays to you all. Sincerely,Robert

The luxury of living here means that for lunch today I can choose from any lunch from any country in the world (India, Thai, Italian, Mediteranean, French, Greek.....You name it) all in my backyard.

Don't forget the two hundred thousand Poles living in and around Toronto! Though I'd rather have a Mediterranean lunch to be frank. :(

Well, I am Polish born, currently living in South Africa with a Bosnian wife (who smuggled herself out from Sarajevo in the heat of the war). I have family in Germany, Ireland, Poland and the USA. How's that for cosmopolitan!?Happy holidays to all!!! May this planet of our's one day learn to live with its differences. Unfortunately, we have a long way yet to go...

How's that for cosmopolitan!?

Simply perfect! :( The question that naturally comes to my mind is: where does your heart belong to?To the place you were born in, the place you live in or maybe the place your beloved wife came from?I believe the theory saying that your home is where your heart is. For this reason I feel a citizen of the World.I know many guys love to fly (virtually) to and from their home airports. It can be clearly seen when it comes to requesting new sceneries (or AES for them).It's not my case. Although I mainly fly around Europe (the whole of it), I do flying on all inhabited continents with equal pleasure and sentiment. Both in places I've been to (to come back int virtual reality) and the ones I haven't discovered yet.Serdecznie Cie pozdrawiam, Konrad.

Don't forget the two hundred thousand Poles living in and around Toronto! Though I'd rather have a Mediterranean lunch to be frank. :(

This is true...My highschool Sweetheart was born in Krakow and came to Toronto when she was 5 years old....If I wanted to be her Boyfriend I had to speak Polish to her mother...I did learn quite a lot of Polish in that 5 years we were together....Polish Moms are good cooks and I love the Kielbasa and Cabbage Rolls.....Mmmmmm Cabbage Rolls :(

This is true...My highschool Sweetheart was born in Krakow and came to Toronto when she was 5 years old....If I wanted to be her Boyfriend I had to speak Polish to her mother...I did learn quite a lot of Polish in that 5 years we were together....Polish Moms are good cooks and I love the Kielbasa and Cabbage Rolls.....Mmmmmm Cabbage Rolls :(

My wife is Polish, and the food is wonderful! I'm a lucky guy.Happy Holy days to all.

This is true...My highschool Sweetheart was born in Krakow and came to Toronto when she was 5 years old....If I wanted to be her Boyfriend I had to speak Polish to her mother...I did learn quite a lot of Polish in that 5 years we were together....Polish Moms are good cooks and I love the Kielbasa and Cabbage Rolls.....Mmmmmm Cabbage Rolls :(

Food, language and culture. They add a richness to any society. Some of the best cities in the world that I have been to are those where you are a stranger amongst strangers such that everybody just wants to fit in. In my home town of Auckland you could be excused for thinking you were in an Asian city at times but there is nothing more facinating, exciting or pleasant than walking around the Asian food markets, with the smell of exotic herbs and spices, the background of unfamiliar music and language and the smiles and welcoming of the traders and merchants; a far cry from some of the more surly upmarket Western stores that judge you by the clothes label you are wearing. We also have South Pacific Cultural Arts Festival once a year (Auckland is also the biggest Polynesian city in the world) and it is a mosaic of culture, food, language, colourful dress and games and sports perculiar to the islands of the SW Pacific.The wonderful spires and architecture of our oldest churches are complimented by the ancient Islamic and Indian styling and art of the newer mosques. And of course the range of ethnic restaurants that represent just about every culture in the world is fantastic. Such diversity is not without it's problems but I wouldn't turn the clock back for anything. But YTZPilot......Im not too sure about the Cabbage Rolls. :(

Hi, Terry!Many years ago a Maori folk goup from Rotorua came to my town to participate in an annual summer folk festival.They presented us with excellent haka and made the audience so hot!I hope I will come to NZ one day and see haka where I should see it to understand its original meaning.

Im not too sure about the Cabbage Rolls

Neither am I. :(