Summertime Poll

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More Canadian Lingo

I've been a bit MIA lately as we've been traveling non-stop.  I've got a bunch of posts I've been meaning to get out so I'll start with this one - a follow-up to my previous post on differences between Canadian and American English.

Here are some more translations of American words into Canadian:

• Electricity = hydro
• A local (non-express) lane on the highway = collectors
• Physical therapy = physio
• Napkins = serviettes
• A grill = a bbq
• Merge (into another lane) = squeeze

More spelling differences (which some may say is trying to cheat at scrabble - thanks to Eddie Izzard)!:

• Check is spelled cheque.
• Jewelry is spelled Jewellery.

And a few pronunciation differences which are helpful to be aware of:

• Been (ben) is pronounced "bean".
• Capillary (cap-i-lary) is pronounced ca-pil-iry.

I'll keep updating this as I learn more and more each day!

Election Day!

While I can't really say I've been following this much, I do think it was worth mentioning that it is election day today (as in a national election - big stuff).  Back on March 25th it was announced we'd have an election this year because the conservative party in power failed to create a majority.  So after a few months of campaigning, today is the day.  While I don't yet understand the detailed workings of Canadian government, I did want to share a few facts and resources that I find helpful in getting a basic understanding of what is going on with this election.

Did You Know?: Black Squirrels

One of the first things I noticed when we moved to Toronto were the squirrels.  I'm used to squirrels, but all of the squirrels I'd ever seen were gray with maybe a bit of white.  So when all of a sudden out of the corner of my eye, I saw a large, black, furry, rodent running on the side of our deck - I was pretty freaked out.  It took me a bit to figure out what it was - just a harmless squirrel, but black in color!  While you'll also see some gray squirrels in TO, the majority that I see are black.  Really, they are pretty cute once you get used to them but they still scare the bejeezus out of me every once and a while.

Celebrating Easter, The Canadian Way

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!  In Canada it is hard not to since it is a long weekend for most, and we lucked out with fabulously warm weather Saturday (and everything is finally starting to bloom).  Since Good Friday is not typically a day off in the US, I was surprised to learn that it is one of five nationwide statutory holidays in Canada.  On top of that, many people also have Easter Monday off as well (statutory for federal employees only though some other businesses take the extra day as well) making it a nice, long four-day weekend.  I've come to find out that most things are closed Friday and Sunday with the exception of some restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries.  Luckily for those like me who haven't finished preparing for Easter, virtually all of the service industries in Toronto are open on Saturday (stores, restaurants, gym, dry cleaner, etc).

TO Restaurants: Tati Bistro

Tati is a great French bistro on Harbord Street.  The interior is very quaint, and they have the best patio I've been to yet in Toronto as well as sidewalk seating in the front when the weather allows.  The food and wine are always good, and I enjoy the warm European feel.  The service, though friendly, is very slow.  And, it can be a bit spendy.  When you're in the mood for French food, check it out - and call ahead to reserve the back patio if it is warm enough!  Check out my review on Yelp from the link on the lower, left-hand side of the screen.

Can-Con

I guess it shouldn't be surprising with the small audience base here in Canada that it could be difficult to fund many great TV or music productions, and that people would turn to the US or other countries for more selection.  I recently learned about can-con requirements for radio and TV stations - which basically means a certain percentage of the content they air must be Canadian.  I find the whole concept very interesting, and apparently other countries have similar requirements. In Canada, these requirements are set by the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC).  Here is how it breaks down: