Royal

Judyrem - Welcome! Glad you are coming to visit.

We went to Niagara-on-the-Lake in July and loved it. Was our first visit there and we had a great time biking along the parkway and visiting the wineries.

Some great B&B's andvery good restaurants. If you are looking for a very nice meal be sure to try The Charles Inn on the Main St.

LoveItaly

Hello Royal, although my husband and I went to Canada every chance we got I am sad to say we never saw a big part of Canada, just your beautiful BC. His godparents son and family lived in Vancouver.

I am hoping to get back to your wonderful Canada at some point. Toronto! So perhaps I can meet some of the folks that live there. I think it would be easier for me to visit a new area. I chose to keep all the beautiful memories of BC in my heart as I think I would feel a bit blue returning without my husband.

I have started some web research regarding my grandfather and have bookmarked info where his parents are buried. I need to do some more research. I don't know if my grandfather's grandparents were born in the Maritime Islands or in Scotland.

Royal if you are ever in the mood I would imagine you would love my area which includes San Francisco, the wine country etc.

Have a wonderful trip Judy! My friend (Toedtoes on Fodor's) visited as you are going to do last year and is now back in Canada for a lovely ten days. Her last trip was absolutely delightful and she had the opportunity to meet some of the Canadian Fodorites. She and I will be seeing Kodi in San Francisco and we can hardly wait!

Cheers to all of you!

LoveItaly

Hello Royal, although my husband and I went to Canada every chance we got I am sad to say we never saw a big part of Canada, just your beautiful BC. His godparents son and family lived in Vancouver.

I am hoping to get back to your wonderful Canada at some point. Toronto! So perhaps I can meet some of the folks that live there. I think it would be easier for me to visit a new area. I chose to keep all the beautiful memories of BC in my heart as I think I would feel a bit blue returning without my husband.

I have started some web research regarding my grandfather and have bookmarked info where his parents are buried. I need to do some more research. I don't know if my grandfather's grandparents were born in the Maritime Islands or in Scotland. Dear BAK got me started on this fun project.

Royal if you are ever in the mood I would imagine you would love my area which includes San Francisco, the wine country etc.

Have a wonderful trip Judy! My friend (Toedtoes on Fodor's) visited as you are going to do last year and is now back in Canada for a lovely ten days. Her last trip was absolutely delightful and she had the opportunity to meet some of the Canadian Fodorites. She and I will be seeing Kodi in San Francisco and we can hardly wait!

Cheers to all of you!

Royal

LoveItaly. I haven't been to San Francisco since I was 19 and went with my parents. That was a long time ago!

My daughter and husband and my son and his girlfriend have been there in the past year and have been urging us to go as they both had wonderful trips. It's on our "to do" list for sure.

Hopefully you will make a trip to Ontario and maybe the Maritimes in the near future.

BTW I love your screen name as my favourite country to visit in Europe is Italy. Have been 3 times and can hardly wait to return.

Hope you and Toedtoes have a wonderful visit with Kodi.

LoveItaly

Well I sure also encourage you to come here to Northern California Royal. I am glad your family has enjoyed their visits. People are relaxed and friendly and there is so much to see and do. Or one can relax, San Francisco is a great walking city as you no doubt remember.

Ah yes, beautiful Italy!!! BTW, just to tempt you regarding San Francisco. Once my Italian friends in Italy visit San Francisco and the area they always return.

I look forward to chatting with you again. And by the way, Kodi and I have planned on the four of us having dinner in the Italian section of San Francisco, North Beach, at a restaurant owned by a man from the Naples area. All the waiters are young fellows from around Italy. Good food, Italian or California wine and lovely Italian accents!

AndrewDavid

and loveitaly knows great places to eat italian in north beach!!!imho

cheers
AndrewDavid

LoveItaly

Hey AndrewDavid, I often think of you! How are you two doing? Have you read about all the crime in our Oakland? Even in the Lake Merritt District. Robberies in the restaurants etc. Three people were arrested yesterday and the thought is that they were responsible for a lot of the "take overs" in the restaurants so hopefully that is true as if so perhaps the crime rate will go down.

BTW AndrewDavid, the restaurant you and I went to is where Kodi, her friend, Toedtoes and I will go to when Kodi and her friend are in SF. Wish you two could be there with us. I so remember with great joy our day together..good memories!
I hope to see you again dear friend.

bob_brown

Anybody want to open the education can of worms? I live in Georgia where the SAT score rankings put Georgia 47th in the 50 states. I will open the Pandora's box of debate by saying that Canadians in general are better educated than folks down here.

It is something of a paradox cause the University of Georgia is one of the toughest state universities in which to enroll. [The entering class is expected to have a strong grade point average of 3.8 (the mid 50 percentile range is 3.68-4.0) compared to 3.79 last year. The SAT average has risen from 1242 to 1253 (mid 50 percentile of 1150-1350) for the Critical Reading and Math combined, while scores on the new Writing section rose from 604 to 609. Quote from UGA web site.]

At least Georgia's politically chosen Secretary of Educuation proved herself on TV to be smarter than a 5th grader.

I would like for her to take on a 6th grader!! Fifth grade was probably about right.

Liam

Tedgale: "Huh? What?

What limits are there on free speech in Canada?"

I wasn't the poster you were referring to, but I suspect what s/he was getting at was hate speech language regulations in Canada. It strikes me, anyhow, that anyone who says anything remotely negative in Canada runs the risk of being accused and hauled before some magistrate.

I subscribe to the notion that you don't live in a free society unless you are occasionally offended by something.

kodi

I'm glad I did finally click on this post. LoveItaly, I can hardly wait too!!!! Not long now.

I love our friends to the south and I love travelling in the US. Everyone is so friendly, and I think more outgoing than Canadians.

AndrewDavid, it's good to hear we are going to the same restaurant as you did. WE'll think of you.

LoveItaly

Hello Kodi, we will have fun and hopefully you will enjoy the restaurant! AndrewDavid, NeoPatrick and Lee and NeilofOz and his lovely wife all have. I can hardly wait to see you dear one! Talk to you later to make our arrangements!

twelveoaks

I can only imagine the outrage from Canadians if an "arrogant American "had posted such a message under general interest in the US section.

AndrewDavid

regarding education in canada and writing as a recent immigrant from the US ( santa Fe , NM) now happily married and living in Victoria, my sense is that the Canadian education system instills and encourages a certain amount of curiousity. Canadians seem somewhat more interested in learning about the world in general. It wasn't until i knew 2 of my best friends for more than 6 months that i learned they were 11th grade dropouts. They are among the brightest and intellectually curious individuals i know. I always tease my friend Dave by saying if he had my education ( both ba and ma) he'd b a captain of industry or a university president or, or , or...
how's that for a generalization!

i hope u all enjoy ur meal w/ nancy in n beach
cheers
AndrewDavid

bozama

I will tell you something about the Canadain education system.

It bends over backwards for my kid. He has a severe learning disabilty ,, but, he is also mechanically gifted. Yes, he has a mig welder ( I have no idea what that means) but he is reading and doing math at about a grade 6 level. He is "in" grade 11.
He now attends school, a normal highschool, but in a special class , for three mornings a week, and the other two days a week he is apprenticing in an Automotive Body work shop.He will get extra help with math so he can eventually pass the math needed for his trade. He has only 15 kids in his class.

Before you feel sorry for the poor kid,, think about this, he may earn more then you soon. I did say he was gifted, and he is, and his education, instead of worrying about "teaching to the test, or SAT" is about getting him a job,, a trade.

He does welding at home on the side, and charges ( and yes, he has customers, ) 50 dollars and hour, with a 1/2 hour minimum. He mostly repairs small items ,, chairs, etc. He also has adults and kids bringing him bikes to fix. He has also made a custom dog cart for my boss ,, made 150 dollars for an afternoon of work, that he loved btw,, and all from plans in his head.

He would have been a total failure in a school system that insists everyone does the same, your " No child left behind " policy is dumb and dumber, how about having a " no kids potentional overlooked " policy instead.

So many of your kids will get great educations, but , what happens to the other ones, the ones with the LOW SATs,, are they throw aways,, have they wasted the last 12 yrs in school, or did school get them ready for life,, what ever that may be for them.

I am so happy my kid will never take a SAT,,

I also have two other kids, and no they are not gifted, OR learning disabled.

bozama

I think we have enough free speech here, I think hate speech is hate speech and should not be tolerated for the sake of free speech.

Seems to me people who like to put down others always hide behind that one.

bluzmama

Since I've been going to visit my cousins to the north (BC) I've only run into one rude person. She worked for the RCMP and my friend wanted to buy a pin in their office for her son. This woman started ragging on my friend because all Americans call the Mounties "the Queen's cowboys". The staff sort of pushed her into the back office (apparently she doesn't play well with others). When we told my cousins, we all had a good laugh because no one had ever heard the term used on either side of the border.