I think a big part of the reason I so dislike this place is it reminds me of Texas.
I hate Texas.
It isn't just some knee-jerk, liberal hatred of the state that spawned George W. Bush. It comes from experience. I've traveled across the state. I even briefly dated someone from Dallas, and know that city well enough to know I never want to go back, not even to change planes.
The only exception is Austin. I love Austin. Been several times, and I could happily live there.
If it wasn't in Texas.
Austin is a hip, cool island of sanity in a huge sea of YeeHaw stupidity. It seems so out of place. It seems like it should belong... here. Conversely, Bako has "Lone Star" stamped all over it. It's as if there was some cosmic screw-up and each city landed where they are by mistake.
They say it's never too late to right a wrong, so perhaps we can initiate some sort of prisoner swap.