What have we learnt?

We have been in Canada now for two years and 2 days...I can't believe it's that long and at the same time I can't imagine living anywhere else. Our town, Bolton, which always make me chuckle as it is so not like Lancashire, holds a Fall Fair this week each year.  It's like the Lingfield and Oxted show if that were 1/20 th the size, and had no animals larger than a llama.  We went along yesterday after an hour running around town dishing out leaflets for next weekends Pumpkin Fest. Small person slid down the jumbo slide 5 times- a lover of the simple rides...we avoided a big bowl thing that was like the cage from my youth.

The best part of the show for me was meeting up and talking to people that I know...#community. The cub leaders tried again to enrol me as a leader.  "Where's you red shirt" they shouted every time I walked by. I explained "I don't like kids!" But apparently that's no barrier.  I will resist.  Inside the arena, on the skating rink ( no ice yet, phew) I met up with the community farm people and we chatted about the Fest.  I met friends whilst we watched the dog show and on the way back chatted to the ladies in the wine store about an up coming toonie sale.  When we first arrived in Canada I recall that it was hard starting conversations - not sure if it was my accent or that I was a stranger but there were many monosyllabic conversations in shops.  Now small person gets cross " stop talking to everybody mom!" Can't help it, it's what I do.

So, how to capture our time here so far...blatent copying of a cool post on Facebook that listed 30 things about Britain.  Here's 30 things about Canada...

1. It's not like America
2. Crisp are called chips
3. Chips are called fries
4. No one understand you when you say "half past three"
5. Men wear baseball caps a lot, mostly backwards
6. Milk comes in plastic bags
7. People call you "Hun" but not in a German way
8. People really do say "eh?" at the end of sentences, but not all the time and not everyone
9. No one knows what a jumper is.
10. It's not like America
11. Cars run on gas, but it's not a gas, it's a liquid. What's up with that?
12. All teenagers are beautiful human beings, with Saturday job, manners and great teeth
13. Getting a coffee at the drive through is normal. Getting out of your car to get one is the strange way
14. Most people drink bad coffee from a donut chain, but no one admits it is bad. It's a patriotism thing. They've introduce a dark roast version to give it some flavour. It's not awful.
15. Canadians are as polite as you have been told they are
16. Canadians in cars are appalling.
17. Some Canadian cars have rust holes that you could put your fist through and no one minds
18. They have a really great baseball team
19. Teachers go on strike to "protect education" but that harms the kids education. No one seems that mad about it...goes to point 15.
20. They sing the national anthem in school every day
21. The language is like syrup, everything blends and flows.  "Wad hur" comes out of taps. The second city is call "Tor-on-oh"
22. Towns are named after British towns, but pronounced literally, like folks learnt English from books.  Tottenham is pronounced Tot En Ham; Scarborough is pronounced Scar Bore Oh
23. The cheese is generally bland, ever when it proclaims itself Fort
24. You can buy a tea pot and a tent in a shop called Canadian Tire
25. Some words are spelt right but they say Pross ess for process.
26. You have to buy alcohol in government owned store. It's tied to preventing young people drinking too much. Ontario has a huge under age drinking issue. Guess that didn't work, eh?
27. People smoke pot, you can smell it everywhere
28. It's not like America
29. In two years of living in the 4th most diverse area in the the world (Greater Toronto) I have only experienced one example of racism, and that was a taxi driver who smelt of beer and had issues with Judeism. There's always one looney out there
30. It's a fabulous place to live and we love it here