It's always the same, rarely is there any variety in the questions I get asked when people ask me about Canada. The conversations usually go something like this:
"Are you from America?"
"No, I'm from Canada actually"
"Oh where in Canada are you from?"
"Well, my family lives in Ottawa but I've spent the last few years in Saskatchewan"
"Is that on the West coast?"
"No, it's right in the middle"
"Oh I see, I've been to Canada before!"
"Really where have you been?...They are so going to say Toronto...wait for it..."
"Tornoto"
"....I told you so!"
"So what's the biggest difference between Canada and England?"
And usually at this point I have to explain that there isn't really one BIG difference between our countries but so many little ones that add up to a big difference.
Then I'm usually asked:
"Oh really? Like what?"
So I'm going to list as many as I can think of in the next 15 minutes before I have to leave for Peg-It!
(It is the end of the day so some of the list may be a tad bit exagerated :) )
1. In England they drive on the left side of the road, in Canada it's the right side.
2. The currency is pounds sterling in England, in Canada it's dollars.
3. The cottage cheese is rubbish in England, in Canada it's lush
4. Peanut butter is also sadly low quality in England, in Canada it's mint
5. In England it rains, in Canada it snows
6. On English keyboards the @ sign is where the " sign is on Canadian keyboards and visa versa
7. In England most fast food restaurants cater for vegetarians, in Canada they don't
(I'm sorry Lisa and Kerri!)
8. In England the kids at schools have to wear school uniforms, in Canada they don't
9. In England a private school means a public school and a public school means a private school, in Canada a private school means a private school and a public school means a public school. They also have state schools which is the same as a Canadian public school.
10. In England the principal is called the head master
11. In England people have an accent, in Canada they don't (although that's all realtive I'm sure)
12. In England they have castles, in Canada we have....no castles
13. England is...a bazillion years old, Canada is about 150 (I think)
14. In England everything is small, in Canada everything is big
15. England has a land mass of "very tiny" with a lot of people, Canada has a land mass of "massive" and not so many people
16. In England the pop bottles are tall and skinny, in Canada they are short and fat
17. In England the movie theatre is called the cinnema, in Canada it's the movie theatre
18. In England, when you are throwing a party and want a lot of chips (I mean crisps) you have to buy like a dozen bags in order to have the same amount you would be able to get from 3 Canadaian bags.
19. In England everyone drinks tea, in Canada everyone drinks coffee (okay that's a bit of a stero type but I do get asked if I want some tea at least 3 times a day)
20. In England the pastors all go for a pint after a good Godly service, in Canada they don't
21. In England they think that we sound the same as Americans, in Canada we know better.
22. In England football is the major sport, in Canada it's hockey (Ice Hockey to be exact!)
23. In England they play cricket, in Canada we have more sense!
24. In England they sing the hokey pokey as the hokey cokey...what is up with that?
25. In England they have a load of chippys where you can buy fish and chips, we don't in Canada.
26. In England to switch a light on you flip the switch down, in Canada you flip it up
27. In England everyone has radiators in their houses, in Canada we have furnaces
28. In England the plugs have 3 tongs, in Canada we have 2.
29. In England some of the houses have names, in Canada they are all numbers
30. In England the paper is taller and skinnier than the paper in Canada.
Right that's enough for now, really I could go on forever though!
I'm off to our youth club, where I will no doubt once again get asked by at least 1 youth where I'm from and how Canada is different to England!
Ta-Ta and Cheerio!
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4 comments:
A few more...
In England they wear shirt and shorts (and football boots) and play football for two 45 minute blocks. In Canada, they dress up in something approaching Viking warrior gear (minus the horns) and play football for a seemingly infinite number of 20 second blocks. :-)
In Canada they know how to make good coffee, in England you have to pay a ridiculous amount to import good coffee!
In England we usually only have english on our packets, in Canada you have to put up with french as well.
In Canada there is Tim Hortons, in England there is not. :-(
In Canada they add horrendous amounts of wax to Dairy Milk chocolate, in England they do not.
In Canada you can afford to eat out, in England even Burger King is for special occasions (we won't mention the place with the big M - YUCK!!!)
Indeed we too could go on forever with the differences, but there is one important thing that Canada and England have in common. We love them both!
wow what a great list!
Are the light switches really mixed up or was that just poor electricianship?
Whats up with that wacky private/public craziness??
How bizarre.
So, you like the place or not? There seem to be more and more Americans who live there but constantly complain? Are the Canadians as whiney?
I certainlyhope not ...
As a Canadian (yes, I read your bio so I know I got it right), do you like you former governors or not?
I really do like the place very much actually. I may joke about the differences between Canada and England sometimes but it's all in good fun. There are pros and cons to both countries, a major pro about living in England is the mild weather! I don't have to dress up in 50 layers before leaving the house in January!
As for the question about my former governors, I honestly don't think I can give a very informed answer because I was never very good at keeping up with the politics in my own country. I do know that I wasn't impressed with the whole scandal that happened this summer though!
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