Top Ten Tuesday - Living in Canada

For the most part, living in Canada is not much different than living in Maine. When we moved here, we really didn’t have huge adjustment issues, because it is so similar. But there are a few things that are different for us. After all, we are in a foreign country. :)

10. Dirt roads - There are way more dirt roads around here than there are in the States. The reason? The government only spends so much money on the roads, and when that money runs out, they don’t do any more to the roads. For the same reason the snow removal in the winter is not that great.

9. Stores/Restaurants - I very often hear, “You have WALMART up there??” Yes, we haven't dropped off the end of the world, you know. :) We do have Walmart, although we don’t have Super Walmarts, and we also have McDonalds and other common restaurants. They just are all on a smaller scale, and may not have the same options as they do in the States.

8.Loonies and Toonies - A Loonie is a $1 coin, and a Toonie is a $2 coin. There are no $1 or $2 bills, just coins. The loonie has a loon imprinted on one side of it, hence the name “loonie.” Toonie? Your guess is as good as mine. :)

7.Metric system - This has taken some getting used to. Figuring out things in meters or kilometers is sometimes challenging. I use the unit converter widget on my computer quite often. :)

6.Celsius - I know this goes along with the metric system, but it is something thats quite different. To be hot in 30something degree weather takes some getting used to. I do have to say, though, that it totally makes sense that the freezing point is 0 degrees Celsius. And the boiling point is 100 degrees. And in case you were wondering, to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, you subtract 32, mulitply by 5, and divide by 9. Boy, isn’t that easy.

Now for the last 5 things on my list, I am going to give you some things that are very common both in the States and in Canada, but Canada has a different name for them. You get to guess what each of these things is!

Sorry my Canadian readers, you can’t guess. :) That wouldn’t be very fair, would it? And my deepest apologies for my spelling...I am sure I didn’t spell each of these things right. Who really cares how gyprock is spelled anyway????

So here they are. Any guesses?

5.Washroom

4.Grade Primary

3.Icing sugar

2.Gyprock

1.Lipsyl

I know I have readers in different countries besides Canada and the States...what are some things that are different in your country? Do you have Walmart? Chime in, we’d love to know!