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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:

Driving in Toronto is Difficult

One-way changes direction

Downtown Toronto can be difficult to navigate while driving.  Here are a few things to be aware of.  First, Toronto is full of one-way streets and while this isn't novel for a big city, I've never seen a city full of so many one-way streets that change direction every block or so.  As soon as you get to an intersection in our neighborhood, you have to turn right or left because the street you are driving on changes to a one-way in the opposite direction - see the picture to the right.  I guess they do this so people can't overload the side streets with traffic.  Luckily, Google Maps is up-to-date with all of this information so your directions should be up-to-date.

Where to Shop TO: The Healthy Butcher

I don't eat meat, but my husband does so when we buy meat I try to be sure it is at least organic, free of hormones and antibiotics.  When possible, we buy meat from animals raised on their natural diet (chickens/pigs that are pasture raised, cows that are grass fed,etc).  So, we looked throughout Toronto for a butcher shop that meets our ideals for sourcing meat.  

The first place we found that we tried out is called The Healthy Butcher.  They have three locations - one on Queen just West of Spadina, one on Eglinton at Avenue, and one in Kitchener.  They say that their priority is local and organic meat, but they also offer some groceries and prepared foods like soups.  I really like their philosophy.  They have a quote in their store that says something to the effect of  - we should eat half as much meat at twice the price.  I completely believe that this is the way our society should focus on eating - much less meat of a much better quality.

Architecture in Toronto

Right in center of city - on Queen St.

Outside City Hall with modern skyscraper behind

Who thought this was a good idea?

ROM - mix of modern & historic

Melting pot - I think that is the best description of the architecture in Toronto.  Here you'll find many beautiful historical buildings, most of which are in fantastic shape, stashed throughout the city.  Then you'll also find slugs of concrete, evidence of the boom of growth in Toronto of the 60s and 70s.  City Hall and the library at U of T are perfect examples of this.  They don't look so bad on a sunny day, but man are they dreary on a gray winter day!  Of course there is also your fair share of new and modern buildings especially skyscrapers and condos!  But most uniquely, you'll find a hybrid of historical buildings mixed with a modern flare - in a way I've never seen before.  They literally build modern parts coming out of or around the old structure.  Take a look at the photo of the Royal Ontario Museum, I think this is the best example of the type of hybrid architecture but there are examples of it elsewhere like at U of T.  I appreciate that they aren't demolishing the historical buildings and have come up with a unique way to modernize the city, though this style takes a bit of getting used to.  

There is no one way to classify the architecture here so you're in for a treat when you start exploring!

Netflix Canada

When we were moving to Toronto, I remember feeling disappointed that we weren't going to have some things I was used to in the states - among them Target stores, Amazon.com, and Netflix.  Well, I have to say these things are much less missed now than they were 6 months ago.  As I mentioned, Target announced plans to be here by 2013.  Also, Amazon.ca has recently increased their product offering significantly so while you can't get as much as you could in the US, it is no longer limited to books, CDs, etc.  And now Netflix is available in Canada!

Netflix Canada is limited to streaming only so no DVD delivery is available (there are other companies who offer this service in Canda - Zip.ca, Canflix).  The streaming plan costs $7.99/month which I find extremely reasonable (yes I just said something is a reasonable price in Toronto!).  Considering it can cost $8 for HD movies on Rogers, to get a full month of movies for $7.99 sounds like a steal!  The selection of movies is more than sufficient for me but I don't watch a ton of movies.  They also have TV series available, which I haven't used but plan to!  So if you have a computer or a WII, XBOX, PS3, Apple TV, iPhone, etc - you can get Netflix now and start streaming.  It is the little things in life and having Netflix in Canada is one of them that makes me smile!

TO Restaurants: Akai Sushi

I posted a review on Yelp a while back about this sushi place near us on the restaurant stretch of Harbord, but realized it never made the blog because the review was pre-blog.  It is a great little place, and while we're surrounded by options on Bloor, Akai is leagues above the other options (slightly more expensive as well but prices are very reasonable for what you get - just maybe not the top option for students).  We go a few times a month and though I've never craved sushi before, I crave Akai often.  I love everything I've tried - and my favorite are the spicy crunch rolls.  Lately I've been keeping my eye out to see if any restaurants (Chinese, Thai, and sushi) offer brown rice, and hadn't found a single one.  At Akai  yesterday I realized they offer it so I gave it a try, and it reaffirmed my love for Akai!  They usually give us a small appetizer and a green tea ice cream dessert on the house which are always tasty!  The only thing I would change is there are a couple of mini sushi dishes on display that I think are unnecessary and look like they belong somewhere else.  Definitely recommend it - give it a try!

Getting Car and Renters Insurance

When we were planning for our move from NYC to Toronto, we bought a used car.  We were going to need car insurance again!  I had used Allstate for car and renters insurance when I lived in MN and had retained them for renters insurance in NY.  So, when we bought the car in MN, we had it insured temporarily until our move through Allstate.  When we arrived to Toronto, we tried to just call-up Allstate Canada to have our car and renters policies transferred, but low and behold it isn't that easy.  In Canada, they have separate underwriters than in the US so there is no such thing as just "transferring" your policy per se.  For the renters policy, we were going to have to have our rings re-appraised even though we've had them continuously insured through Allstate since we got engaged.  The experience didn't make us feel like we were being rewarded for customer loyalty so we decided to check out prices with other companies - if we had to start over, it may as well be at the best price.

Exploring TO: Art Gallery of Ontario

Northwest corner of AGO

Last night was officially my first visit to a Toronto museum.  I know what you're thinking, how could I have been here almost 6 months and not made it to the Bata Shoe Museum yet?  Crazy I know - but since I can't figure out why there even is a shoe museum, I haven't made it a priority.  But, last night I went to the Art Gallery of Ontario!  On Wednesdays admission is free (normally $20) so decided to check it out.

Must Try Italian - Enoteca Sociale!

Picture by Aislinn Smith

We found a fantastic little Italian restaurant in the West End of Toronto called Enoteca Sociale.  It is really a close second to the quaint places we used to love in NYC, and we'll definitely be back.  Check out the full review on Yelp or Blog TO, and then head over to check out the restaurant when you can!

Honest Ed's

There is a store on Bloor and Bathurst called Honest Ed's.  I've never seen anything like it.  I often feel like I've happened upon Times Square if I drive by it at night as it literally lights the neighborhood.  It is a humongous superstore, a predecessor to Wal-Mart I would say, known for the original & quirky sayings of its founder, great deals, and a no-frills shopping experience.

More News On Target Corp. in Canada!

In an effort to keep everyone up-to-date on this all important subject, here is a link to a press release:  http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/target-corporation-to-acquire-interest-in-canadian-real-estate-from-zellers-inc-a-subsidiary-of-hudsons-bay-company-for-c1825-billion-113449674.html 

It says that Target has signed a deal to purchase the leasehold interest in up to 220 sites currently owned by Zellers.  And, the best news is that Target will be in Canada by 2013 - that is two years from now!  Much better than the four years we heard about a little while back.  One step closer to the joy I get from a trip to Target! 

Weeked Wine Tasting in Niagara

Follow-up from my previous post.  We had been wine tasting up in the Hudson River Valley when we lived in New York, and while the white wine was pretty good, it was nearly impossible to find a good red wine.  We assumed Niagara would be the same, but we were pleasantly surprised with the quality of some of the wines we tasted - some better than others.  For our first time in Niagara, we drove down Saturday morning and spent the day wine tasting, then stayed near the falls for the night.  We tried a few wineries on the escarpment and several others in Niagara on the Lake (NOTL).  The one thing I realized early on is that some of the wineries are family-owned while others are corporately owned - the difference isn't necessarily obvious on the outside, but I prefer to support the family businesses. 

Exactly What IS Boxing Day?

I wasn't in Toronto on December 26th this year, but everywhere I went Americans were making some comment about it being Boxing Day back in Canada - and I should know what that is because I live in Canada now?  I had heard of Boxing Day when I lived in the US, but didn't pay much attention.  However, in Ontario, Boxing Day is actually a statutory holiday, so I did some digging to figure out what I could about Boxing Day hoping not to look so ignorant when people make comments in the future.