Have you been to Canada or do you want to visit Canada.
Jan 7th, 2005, 05:24 PM
#21
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Neil,
Well, so, you're headed to San Francisco sometime in 2005...I would be happy to help out on this portion of your trip! I can only hope it won't be during September when I'm tenatively planning MY next trip! Please feel free to email me directly at [email protected].
Best regards,
Melodie
Well, so, you're headed to San Francisco sometime in 2005...I would be happy to help out on this portion of your trip! I can only hope it won't be during September when I'm tenatively planning MY next trip! Please feel free to email me directly at [email protected].
Best regards,
Melodie
Jan 13th, 2005, 05:27 AM
#22
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Thanks. Your comments were interesting and I enjoyed seeing where you went, where you are going and so on.
Neil, too bad we don't get to see you but Judy in Calgary should take good care of you.
Jan 13th, 2005, 10:31 AM
#23
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And let's add to the list of inducements very reasonably priced accomodation.
I am paying C$55-99. for B&B in Vancouver and Victoria next week. All look like lovely places to sleep.
A/D
PS Michi has chile arrived yet? Neil got his.
I am paying C$55-99. for B&B in Vancouver and Victoria next week. All look like lovely places to sleep.
A/D
PS Michi has chile arrived yet? Neil got his.
Jan 13th, 2005, 12:22 PM
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Hi Michi,
I too have visited your fair land. Both my wife and I have family there. Me with an Aunt in St Catharines and my wife has a cousin (with associated family) in Toronto.
I have been to Canada three times now but have not got out of Ontario.
Toronto has to be one of my favorite cities, cosmopolitan, friendly (or at least I found it so) and well laid out with public transport that works.
One of my fondest memories though was of going up to my uncle's cottage on a lake up in Muskoka and spending Canadian thanksgiving up there with his family. Really welcoming and great food.
Have nothing but good memories about the place and I am looking forward to getting over there again (believe it or not for a winter visit) so my kids can have a white Christmas. Lucky I do not mind the cold though ha ha.
Cheers
Steve
I too have visited your fair land. Both my wife and I have family there. Me with an Aunt in St Catharines and my wife has a cousin (with associated family) in Toronto.
I have been to Canada three times now but have not got out of Ontario.
Toronto has to be one of my favorite cities, cosmopolitan, friendly (or at least I found it so) and well laid out with public transport that works.
One of my fondest memories though was of going up to my uncle's cottage on a lake up in Muskoka and spending Canadian thanksgiving up there with his family. Really welcoming and great food.
Have nothing but good memories about the place and I am looking forward to getting over there again (believe it or not for a winter visit) so my kids can have a white Christmas. Lucky I do not mind the cold though ha ha.
Cheers
Steve
Jan 14th, 2005, 01:53 AM
#25
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Andrew
Yes, the chile recipe did arrive but I haven't made it yet. Thanks. I hope your trip to Vancouver/Victoria is leisurely, fun and productive.
Steve, we lived in St. Catharines for 10 years and returned to the suburbs of Toronto 7 1/2 years ago. I loved it and being close to Niagara Falls and the Welland Canal. Returned to the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) to be closer to family.
Yes, the chile recipe did arrive but I haven't made it yet. Thanks. I hope your trip to Vancouver/Victoria is leisurely, fun and productive.
Steve, we lived in St. Catharines for 10 years and returned to the suburbs of Toronto 7 1/2 years ago. I loved it and being close to Niagara Falls and the Welland Canal. Returned to the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) to be closer to family.
Jan 14th, 2005, 05:14 AM
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Hi Michi,
I absolutely love Canada! My husband, 2 children and I went to Niagra Falls via Toronto, drove from Calgary (for a week) to Banff, Lake Louise and up towards Jasper and back. We stayed in Vancouver and took the ferry to Vancouver Island where we stayed with friends.
Last year I went by myself to Nova Scotia - Halifax, Bridgewater, Antigonish and then to Vancouver and stayed with a friend in Kamloops. I love the scenery, the snow, the people and the history! I definitely plan to return one day.
I absolutely love Canada! My husband, 2 children and I went to Niagra Falls via Toronto, drove from Calgary (for a week) to Banff, Lake Louise and up towards Jasper and back. We stayed in Vancouver and took the ferry to Vancouver Island where we stayed with friends.
Last year I went by myself to Nova Scotia - Halifax, Bridgewater, Antigonish and then to Vancouver and stayed with a friend in Kamloops. I love the scenery, the snow, the people and the history! I definitely plan to return one day.
Jan 14th, 2005, 04:05 PM
#27
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My friend Pauline, who lives in Canberra, gave me a book on Australian slang when we met. It's proven to be very interesting. And now she's used a word in one of her emails that made my morning.
I had sent her a photo of four of our grandchildren with what we know as popsicles. Her reply came soon after calling them "icy poles." A much superior description.
What interesting words did you come across in Canada that were different from the Australian version. Amuse me.
I had sent her a photo of four of our grandchildren with what we know as popsicles. Her reply came soon after calling them "icy poles." A much superior description.
What interesting words did you come across in Canada that were different from the Australian version. Amuse me.
Jan 14th, 2005, 06:23 PM
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Michi, I'm not Australian, but I'm an immigrant, and there were Canadian words, expressions and names that seemed "different" back when I still was new here.
The most amazing name to me was Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (in Alberta).
I thought Moose Jaw (in Saskatchewan) was an unusual name for a town. Speaking of that, Saskatchewan was an unusual name too. Of course I knew Saskatchewan's name before I got here, but that didn't make it sound any less odd to me. I've just Googled it, and see that it comes from "Kisiskatchewani Sipi," which means "Swiftly Flowing River" in the Cree language.
If you can believe the depths of my ignorance, I didn't know that the thing they slapped around a hockey rink was called a puck.
I was amazed that there were so many kinds of milk (homogonized, skim, 2%, half-and-half, and whipping cream). Back in South Africa, we'd just had milk and cream, and that was it.
"Toque hair" was quite a funny expression. It's what your hair looks like when you take off a toque (winter cap) that you've been wearing for quite a while. It can be a challenge to have good hair days when you have to wear a toque.
I'd never worn mittens as a kid in Africa, so of course I'd never heard of "idiot strings" (a long string that is passed through the sleeves of a jacket with the mittens tied to each end of it, to prevent the loss of the mittens). My kids didn't have idiot strings. By the time they were born, those clips that attached mittens to the jacket sleeves were available. However, I well remember the time when each of my sons put down his foot and refused to wear mitten clips any more. I reckon that graduating from mitten clips, round about the time one is approaching Grade 1, is a Canadian rite of passage.
There must be others, but those are the ones that spring immediately to mind.
The most amazing name to me was Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump (in Alberta).
I thought Moose Jaw (in Saskatchewan) was an unusual name for a town. Speaking of that, Saskatchewan was an unusual name too. Of course I knew Saskatchewan's name before I got here, but that didn't make it sound any less odd to me. I've just Googled it, and see that it comes from "Kisiskatchewani Sipi," which means "Swiftly Flowing River" in the Cree language.
If you can believe the depths of my ignorance, I didn't know that the thing they slapped around a hockey rink was called a puck.
I was amazed that there were so many kinds of milk (homogonized, skim, 2%, half-and-half, and whipping cream). Back in South Africa, we'd just had milk and cream, and that was it.
"Toque hair" was quite a funny expression. It's what your hair looks like when you take off a toque (winter cap) that you've been wearing for quite a while. It can be a challenge to have good hair days when you have to wear a toque.
I'd never worn mittens as a kid in Africa, so of course I'd never heard of "idiot strings" (a long string that is passed through the sleeves of a jacket with the mittens tied to each end of it, to prevent the loss of the mittens). My kids didn't have idiot strings. By the time they were born, those clips that attached mittens to the jacket sleeves were available. However, I well remember the time when each of my sons put down his foot and refused to wear mitten clips any more. I reckon that graduating from mitten clips, round about the time one is approaching Grade 1, is a Canadian rite of passage.
There must be others, but those are the ones that spring immediately to mind.
Jan 15th, 2005, 01:18 AM
#29
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Susan
Clips to keep mittens latched to the coat/jacket came after raising six children (12 hands and you only need to lose one to make them worthless). I used the "strings" for sanity.
I bought a pair of leather/lambswool mitts for my nearly three-year old grandson and intend to fasten those strings. When our daughter (now almost 50) attended university, she asked me to knit her mitts fastened with string. She lost them just the same.
The word "jumper" was different. We call them sweaters. A jumper in Canada is either a horse that jumps or a sleeveless, one-piece outfit for females, usually worn with a blouse or sweater.
Clips to keep mittens latched to the coat/jacket came after raising six children (12 hands and you only need to lose one to make them worthless). I used the "strings" for sanity.
I bought a pair of leather/lambswool mitts for my nearly three-year old grandson and intend to fasten those strings. When our daughter (now almost 50) attended university, she asked me to knit her mitts fastened with string. She lost them just the same.
The word "jumper" was different. We call them sweaters. A jumper in Canada is either a horse that jumps or a sleeveless, one-piece outfit for females, usually worn with a blouse or sweater.
Jan 15th, 2005, 03:13 PM
#30
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LizF - It's "Coeur d'Alene" (pronounced cor-duh-LANE.) Roughly translated, it means "Heart of an awl." Indian (Native American) guides told French fur traders that the Indians of North Idaho had hearts as sharp as the point of an awl, referring to their sharp trading practices.
I grew up in Coeur d'Alene and we camped extensively in Idaho, Montana, Washington and British Columbia. Returning to the region many years later, my wife and I took a driving trip through the area. During our trip, she was teasing me about how I seemed to "fit in" with the Canadians. She challanged me to see if I could actually fool someone into thinking I was Canadian.
We had setup camp on Kootenay Lake in southeastern British Columbia but needed to purchase our fishing licenses and some supplies for the night. We stopped into a nearby fishing lodge. We walked in and, in my best Canadian accent, said to the little old lady behind the counter, "I'd like to see a-boat an angling license please." She pulled out her license book and proceeded to ask for my identification. I handed her my Florida drivers license. She looked at it, then at me and said, "Oh my, you're an alien, eh?" My wife burst out laughing, I started laughing and after I explained our little bet, the lady & her sister had a good laugh too. After we got our supplies, they invited us to stay for awhile and we ended up sitting on their deck, watching the sunset over the lake and drinking highly potent apple cider! It was the highlight of our trip.
I grew up in Coeur d'Alene and we camped extensively in Idaho, Montana, Washington and British Columbia. Returning to the region many years later, my wife and I took a driving trip through the area. During our trip, she was teasing me about how I seemed to "fit in" with the Canadians. She challanged me to see if I could actually fool someone into thinking I was Canadian.
We had setup camp on Kootenay Lake in southeastern British Columbia but needed to purchase our fishing licenses and some supplies for the night. We stopped into a nearby fishing lodge. We walked in and, in my best Canadian accent, said to the little old lady behind the counter, "I'd like to see a-boat an angling license please." She pulled out her license book and proceeded to ask for my identification. I handed her my Florida drivers license. She looked at it, then at me and said, "Oh my, you're an alien, eh?" My wife burst out laughing, I started laughing and after I explained our little bet, the lady & her sister had a good laugh too. After we got our supplies, they invited us to stay for awhile and we ended up sitting on their deck, watching the sunset over the lake and drinking highly potent apple cider! It was the highlight of our trip.
Jan 16th, 2005, 11:52 AM
#31
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I just "knew it" that if I didn't look up the spelling of core da lane John from Miami and previously of C. D. L would be lurking in the corners of this forum and jump on me for being so slack. So sorry John I will do better next time - promise!
Suffice it to say that that corner of the World is one of the loveliest you could find BUT only in the Summer and perhaps a couple of days in the spring and fall.
I must say that I wish you North American people would find another word to use for we foreigners when we go to your country other than call us "Alians" - it conjurs up images of little green people or something from Rothwell in N.M. and I always cringe when it is used. Foreigner is fine, even "others" is OK but Alians - no.
Suffice it to say that that corner of the World is one of the loveliest you could find BUT only in the Summer and perhaps a couple of days in the spring and fall.
I must say that I wish you North American people would find another word to use for we foreigners when we go to your country other than call us "Alians" - it conjurs up images of little green people or something from Rothwell in N.M. and I always cringe when it is used. Foreigner is fine, even "others" is OK but Alians - no.
Jan 16th, 2005, 03:52 PM
#32
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Dear Liz,
I'm not sure about this and stand to be corrected, but I think "aliens" has to do with not being a citizen in a country in which you live. And a foreigner is someone who is in a country other than his/her own.
When we go through customs/immigrantion in Canada, that's when the word alien is sometimes used, or in war, or in similar cases. I have never heard it used by anyone I know in place of the word foreigner (which I dislike as a description).
When I was nine years old, born in Canada, I was labelled an enemy alien by my government for the purpose of internment during WWII. But apart from that I rarely hear the word used.
If someone calls you an alien again, Liz, correct that person if it's inappropriate.
I'm not sure about this and stand to be corrected, but I think "aliens" has to do with not being a citizen in a country in which you live. And a foreigner is someone who is in a country other than his/her own.
When we go through customs/immigrantion in Canada, that's when the word alien is sometimes used, or in war, or in similar cases. I have never heard it used by anyone I know in place of the word foreigner (which I dislike as a description).
When I was nine years old, born in Canada, I was labelled an enemy alien by my government for the purpose of internment during WWII. But apart from that I rarely hear the word used.
If someone calls you an alien again, Liz, correct that person if it's inappropriate.
Jan 16th, 2005, 05:52 PM
#33
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I also wish my fingers would take down the messages that my brain sends them and after writing things down then at least do a spell check..... I must remember to proof read what I write.... aliens, aliens, aliens. Or is it my alien computer making me write things that I shouldn't?
Michi its just that Aliens sounds funny. My dictionary ( yes I do have one ) says 'Any being or thing foreign to the environment in which it now exists' and 'unfamiliar, strange or from another world'. Foreign on the other hand says 'person from another country, outsider or interloper'. I guess that interloper is really not much better but I feel more like I am interloping with people from another country than I am saying nan-oo, nan-oo, zip, zip, whackity whack!
Michi its just that Aliens sounds funny. My dictionary ( yes I do have one ) says 'Any being or thing foreign to the environment in which it now exists' and 'unfamiliar, strange or from another world'. Foreign on the other hand says 'person from another country, outsider or interloper'. I guess that interloper is really not much better but I feel more like I am interloping with people from another country than I am saying nan-oo, nan-oo, zip, zip, whackity whack!
Jan 17th, 2005, 04:13 AM
#36
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I don't like the word alien either since it has such a negative connotation. And I guess it depends on what dictionaries one uses for meanings. But I think there are much better ways of describing people.
In my case and for the government's purposes during wartime, I accept my father was an alien, but not me. But enough of that.
Don't use a bat, Liz, but I have a feeling you could probably stare someone down with the same effect.
Cheers!
In my case and for the government's purposes during wartime, I accept my father was an alien, but not me. But enough of that.
Don't use a bat, Liz, but I have a feeling you could probably stare someone down with the same effect.
Cheers!
Jan 17th, 2005, 11:36 AM
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Don't use a bat, Liz, but I have a feeling you could probably stare someone down with the same effect.
Yep! I could do that but not for too long before I would burst out laughing to give the game away.
Yep! I could do that but not for too long before I would burst out laughing to give the game away.
