Why I love Canada

So I've been to Canada three times now. The first time doesn't count cause I didn't get to do anything Canadian or go anywhere or see anything. The second and third visits were awesome. Yes, I went to go visit my awesome Canadian boyfriend, but he's not the only thing that is awesome.

I'm gonna list all the things I love about Canada so far.

1. Downtown Toronto

This place is sweet. There are comic book shops everywhere and vintage video game stores and trolleys and so much delicious food. I do not live in a big city, just a college town. So we have one place to go look at comics and toys, one movie theatre, and one street of food. But Toronto has everything! It's like when I was in Japan but everything is in English and French.

2. Kinder Surprise

There is some ban on Kinder Surprise in the States. I do not like this one bit. Who doesn't teach their children to not choke on small toys?  After reading that snippet, I finally realized that the yellow egg inside of the chocolate egg is supposed to be the yolk.

3. Free-ish Health Care

So I woke up several times last Tuesday with stabbing pains in my lower abdomen. That is dangerous business. It could have been my appendix, my ovary acting up again, ectopic pregnancy, some sort of infection. This was a pain that said "YOU'RE GONNA DIIIIEEEE!" So I made my boyfriend take me to the hospital. Since I'm not a citizen and don't have a medical card, this was not free. But it was only $290. That is amazing. $290! That will not pay for 1 ultra sound for me here without insurance.
For citizens, they pay some fee every year for their medical care. Maybe around $600. My dad pays $300 a month out of his paycheck to insure both of us.
Yes, taxes are higher up there (13% in Ontario for sales tax, but you get it back if you don't make a certain amount of money a year). I don't feel like starting a political discussion. I just care that I only had to pay $290 to go to the emergency room and get tests done.

4. Real Sugar instead of HFCS

High Fructose Corn Syrup is bad for you. Do not believe the commercials from the Corn Growers of America trying to convince you it is good. It is not the same as sugar and increases the chances of type 2 diabetes. Just Google it. Real sugar tastes much better. People who drink Pepsi Throwdown know what I'm talking about.

5. The Crosswalk Signs

This is going to sound funny, but their crosswalks have a guy who shoulders and shoes and he's kind of walking like he's saying "Haters gonna hate."



6. The NEW signs

I think these are for new traffic patterns or new traffic signs. I'm not entirely sure but I giggle every time.

7. Canadian Border Patrol

It took us over 2 hours to get into the States from Canada and I missed my train last Sunday because of it. It took us 2 minutes to get back into Canada.

Things that I don't like about Canada:

1. Z is Zee not Zed

Do you even realize that your alphabet doesn't rhyme? "... T U V, W X Y and Zed. Now I know my ABCs, next time won't you sing with me?" See? That just does not work.

2. They are Smarties, not Rockets

Those chalk candies you call Rockets are actually Smarties. And your chocolate candies called Smarties are just Nestle M&Ms.

3. Health care is slow and not quite right.

When I was told to pee in a cup, I wasn't given little wipes to make sure my general funk and germs did not mix with the general funk and germs that may or may not have been in my pee.
After 5 hours in the hospital and no longer being in stabbing pain, I wanted to go home, but your doctors wanted to do more tests on me after they determined it wasn't the three deadly things I was worried about (ectopic pregnancy, appendicitis or infection).  I kept telling you I had a pre-existing condition with my ovary and you wouldn't listen.

I can live with these tiny differences. I vowed to make my future children pronounce things American like, but after like 4 days in Canada, I said "sore-y" instead of "s-are-ry" and I knew I would have no chance. But they will say Zee instead of Zed!