10. Tasty Chewing Gum - I don't think Europeans like chewing gum as much as we do in Canada. Until I came here I didn't realize how often I popped in a piece of sugarfree trident or excel until I couldn't get it easily over here. Honestly, there wasn't anywhere on Warwick campus I could get gum - madness! Even when I do buy some gum (Hollywood, Soap, or any other weirdly named variety) it usually disappoints. I will request visitors bring Canadian gum.
9. Swiss Chalet - This may seem like a bit of an odd choice to some of you. After living around the corner from a S.C. in Canada, I rekindled a lifelong romance with this down home comfort food. My mom was thoughtful enough to include in my stocking a package of the Swiss Chalet sauce you buy in the store. I haven't used it yet, but rather left it on my shelf as a reminder of the half chicken special I love so much. I went to Frado's in the UK for BBQ chicken but Frado ain't got nothing on rotisserie goodness and lemon flavoured hand water.
8. Pedestrian Crossings - It's the inspiration for this post and it's something I continually miss from Toronto. In Europe, most of the traffic lights are not suspended above the intersection for all to see (they are attached to polls in the ground close to the cars). Subsequently, pedestrians may get a green walk signal or a red stop signal, but have NO idea what colour the light is at any given time. For veteran jay-walkers like myself, I have no clue if I have enough time to skip across the intersection. In Toronto, not only can you see the progression from green to amber to red, but we are gifted with a COUNTDOWN telling you how much time is left to cross. This may have been designed for old ladies with walkers, but I appreciate knowing I have five seconds to sprint across Avenue Rd. to get to class.
7. The Moderately Fashionable Populace - I make take some flack for this one, but I think Hincks will back me up. For the most part, Canadians are generally less fashionable than their European counterparts. This makes it all the harder to stand out in a crowd of well-dressed and well-groomed Versace and Prada lovers. Europeans are not such a fan of baseball caps, generally never wear socks and sandals, and rock the speedos and swimming trunks (maybe the latter is one quality of European culture we should be happy not to have adopted). All in all, it just takes more effort and ingenuity fashion wise when planning to go out.
6. Wireless Internet - I pine for wireless internet and the ability to download TV episodes and films online. The internet connection at both Warwick and Amsterdam is through an ethernet cable which I haven't rocked since the Morris Days in 2004. I cannot count the number of times I've wanted to walk someone through my apartment on skype only to dislodge the cord and thus the internet connection. There are also strict penalties to downloading large files. Sorry Brothers and Sisters, Lost, and all the Oscar films, I'll have to try and stream you online.
5. Canadian News - I keep up with the happenings in Canada through a variety of online newspapers and publications but it's much more difficult to stay "in the loop" over here. Case in point, I have followed the parliamentary crisis with a curious eye but have never felt fully knowledgeable about everything that's going on. Whereas back home I had a number of ways of keeping informed (radio, newspaper, television, and, yes, online) there is something to be said for the day-to-day inundation of material that I'm lacking over here.
4. Washrooms - I begrudgingly called washrooms "toilets" in England since that's the custom, but I always felt crude asking for them in an establishment (I think our euphemism is a more superior term). Aside from what they are called, a lot of them COST money to use at the train stations and airports in Europe. In the Netherlands a lot of clubs and cafes charge for use of the facilities. When did their use become a luxury?! Further, toilets are different all around the world which has left me longing for a familiar Canadian perch - many have pull strings, two types of buttons to press, or in the Netherlands are so poorly designed that I cannot even describe the construction without going into graphic detail. You have to see it to believe it.
3. A Tim Horton's Double Double - Again, some will take issue with my desire for the Canadian staple. It's widely known that the coffee is cheap, fairly weak, and inferior to the types of expresso you can get in Europe. Nevertheless, the Double Double has such a distinctive flavour, much preferred to the harshness of the Starbucks brand, that just can't be replicated. Along with the Swiss Chalet sauce, my Mom sent some packets of Tim's coffee. While there are traces of the taste in the coffee I've made with it, it is still lacking the two squirts of cream from a bag and the scoops of sugar that blend so nicely with the fresh pot of brew. Accept no imitation.
2. A Toronto Night Out - I've been out a lot in Europe. What I do miss is the whole process that goes into a night out in Toronto: meeting for drinks and chat at a friend's pad; the race to collect the party into the four cabs waiting impatiently outside; stashing coats under, over, behind, or on top of a piece of furniture; dancing the night away; OPDizzles; street meat; and the inevitable jaunt home to the 1.3.5. With our friends, we're never at a loss for conversation and every gathering delivers. It may get repetitive, but who says it ever gets old?
1. Language Ease - One of the benefits of being abroad is the experience of living in a culture where English isn't the native language. It's a constant challenge and a definite character builder. Nevertheless, since touching down in Europe whenever I open my mouth to speak I identify myself as an outsider: in England my accent immediately labeled me as North American (usually assumed to be American) and in the Netherlands I interact in minimal Dutch which I must pronounce with an accent since a lot of people happily switch to speaking English. It may be timidness of my part, but it has translated into being extremely self-conscious of my interaction and the language I use. Whereas in Canada I might have asked more questions of a shopkeeper or made sure I was getting charged the correct amount for an item, I feel less agency when interacting with strangers since I'm always the cultural outsider. It may sound extreme but it's just comfortability I miss - the freedom to walk into a store and not feel like I need to go the extra mile in prepping myself for interaction. It all goes back to confidence I guess, mixed with the Canadian politeness of not wanting to offend anyone.
It has been just over four months in Europe and these are some of the things I've come to miss about day-to-day life in Canada (from the mundane to the more significant). Do not get concerned. These things don't keep me up at night, but rather are reminders of the home I love so much.
That being said, I am currently living in one of the coolest cities in the world - I (am)sterdam:
4. Washrooms - I begrudgingly called washrooms "toilets" in England since that's the custom, but I always felt crude asking for them in an establishment (I think our euphemism is a more superior term). Aside from what they are called, a lot of them COST money to use at the train stations and airports in Europe. In the Netherlands a lot of clubs and cafes charge for use of the facilities. When did their use become a luxury?! Further, toilets are different all around the world which has left me longing for a familiar Canadian perch - many have pull strings, two types of buttons to press, or in the Netherlands are so poorly designed that I cannot even describe the construction without going into graphic detail. You have to see it to believe it.
3. A Tim Horton's Double Double - Again, some will take issue with my desire for the Canadian staple. It's widely known that the coffee is cheap, fairly weak, and inferior to the types of expresso you can get in Europe. Nevertheless, the Double Double has such a distinctive flavour, much preferred to the harshness of the Starbucks brand, that just can't be replicated. Along with the Swiss Chalet sauce, my Mom sent some packets of Tim's coffee. While there are traces of the taste in the coffee I've made with it, it is still lacking the two squirts of cream from a bag and the scoops of sugar that blend so nicely with the fresh pot of brew. Accept no imitation.
2. A Toronto Night Out - I've been out a lot in Europe. What I do miss is the whole process that goes into a night out in Toronto: meeting for drinks and chat at a friend's pad; the race to collect the party into the four cabs waiting impatiently outside; stashing coats under, over, behind, or on top of a piece of furniture; dancing the night away; OPDizzles; street meat; and the inevitable jaunt home to the 1.3.5. With our friends, we're never at a loss for conversation and every gathering delivers. It may get repetitive, but who says it ever gets old?
1. Language Ease - One of the benefits of being abroad is the experience of living in a culture where English isn't the native language. It's a constant challenge and a definite character builder. Nevertheless, since touching down in Europe whenever I open my mouth to speak I identify myself as an outsider: in England my accent immediately labeled me as North American (usually assumed to be American) and in the Netherlands I interact in minimal Dutch which I must pronounce with an accent since a lot of people happily switch to speaking English. It may be timidness of my part, but it has translated into being extremely self-conscious of my interaction and the language I use. Whereas in Canada I might have asked more questions of a shopkeeper or made sure I was getting charged the correct amount for an item, I feel less agency when interacting with strangers since I'm always the cultural outsider. It may sound extreme but it's just comfortability I miss - the freedom to walk into a store and not feel like I need to go the extra mile in prepping myself for interaction. It all goes back to confidence I guess, mixed with the Canadian politeness of not wanting to offend anyone.
It has been just over four months in Europe and these are some of the things I've come to miss about day-to-day life in Canada (from the mundane to the more significant). Do not get concerned. These things don't keep me up at night, but rather are reminders of the home I love so much.
That being said, I am currently living in one of the coolest cities in the world - I (am)sterdam:
Click on the photo to get the full effect. Bec and I "doctored" photos of ourselves after our walk. I hope you enjoy.
Doc's Prescription of the Day: Don't take the mundane and the comforts for granted. It takes time without them to realize how much you appreciate the little things.
5 comments:
bahaha.. your toilet! i have thought of it often since leaving amdam.. too crazy.
i hear you on all of them. i won't elaborate, you know i know....
sick picture, doctor.
miss you. let's chat todayyy! xo
And that photo just became my desktop at work. It took me a few minutes to figure out how you did it, but very nice work...
"4. Washrooms"
I felt the same way when I was in India. I have a pretty funny story I'll tell you sometime. It's too long and embarrassing to type up and leave on the internet right now but pretty epic.
All the best,
Levi
a few comments:
- the fashion thing may be tough, but hold your head high and know that your good looks are internationally appreciated. and no one rocks a henley like you.
- timmy hos requires 18% cream to taste like home...just learned this this past weekend. sick, i know, but true.
loved our juicy catch up. part deux sometime? xox
AMAZING photo!
That is all.
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