So right now I am in a foreign country - Canada to be exact. Vancouver, British Columbia to be more exact. Yes, they do speak English here and drive on the right side of the road so it is not much of an adjustment. But some things are different. Take the money. I went to the bank and gave them $380 and only got $378.23 back. Or was it $373.83? My sister assures me that this is a good rate of exchange so I believe her. The smallest bill is a $5. Less than that is a coin. There are Loonies and Toonies and you don't want to mix them up because one is a $1 coin and the other is a quarter (I think). And all the coins are shiny like they just got made a few minutes ago. How do they keep the coins so shiny? I must remember to ask somebody.
Also, in Canada you can get a ticket for going through an intersection when the light is yellow. In the US, if you stop on yellow, somebody will be in your trunk. I am trying to change my habits before I get a ticket driving my sister's car. And of course, pedestrians rule. It is easier to turn right on red than right on green because of all the pedestrians crossing the street.
Canadians are polite to a fault, very laid back most of the time. They love to say "No worries" when an American might be saying @#!*%$. I might like it here except that everything is so expensive. Some of the most expensive things are candy and ice cream because you shouldn't be eating those anyway. I would probably lose weight if I lived here long. I would be definitely giving those things up and not just for Lent. There are messages on the TV about what to eat and don't get either paper or plastic but be green and use re-usable sacks. Everything is re-cycled and use of any paper products is discouraged. Kleenex, paper towels and toilet paper are wickedly expensive. I know one could use a handkerchief but what is the substitute for toilet paper???
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