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Do you say eh or huh?
October 31, 2006 If you walk into a coffee shop in Canada, and order an Americano, and then meander over to the counter where you doctor your coffee up, you won't find a container of "half and half" like you will in the States, you'll find a container of "cream." What Americans call half and half, Canadians call cream, and heavy cream is called whipping cream.
What Americans call a stocking cap, beanie, or various other words, Canadians call a "toque". It's french, like serviette, which a lot of Canadians say instead of napkin.
On a sign that indicates a place to use the toilet, you'll see that it's called a "Washroom" here in Canada. This has caused a lot of confusion as I've asked for washrooms in department stores in the States and they look at me as if you say, "You want to take a bath?" Now I know to ask for the restroom.
The thing in your living room may or may not be called a chesterfield if you are Canadian. This word is fading with progressing generations, but every Canadian who speaks English as his or her first language will know what you mean if you say, "The magazine is on the chesterfield."
Canadians take out the garbage. Americans take out the trash.
When an American says he's pissed, he means he's mad. When a Canadian says he's pissed, he means he's drunk, really really drunk. For angry, he'll say pissed off.
I'm in my musing, sort of melancholy, philosophical world of being in Canada, trying to figure out what is so different about this place that I can literally feel it in the air as soon as I cross the border, and why it makes me so sad to be here. Sometimes I feel like an imposter: I say "huh". I do, all the time. I say trash, I say restroom, and I say "Sem-eye" instead of "Sem-ee" when I'm talking about a big truck.
We are in Victoria, and as we drove past the Parliament Buildings for British Columbia (Victoria is the capital of B.C., not Vancouver) it was night, and the old, beautiful building was lit up with thousands of little white lights.
There is a song by The Innocence Mission (I'll probably be quoting them a lot) from their Small Planes cd, and I'll just quote the whole song here, since it pretty much exactly describes how I'm feeling.
Song About Traveling
A man said Why, why does traveling
in cars and in trains make him feel sad,
a beautiful sadness.
I've felt this before.
It's the people in the cities you'll never know,
it is everything you pass by,
wondering will you ever return.
The colors of rowboats, the greens and the blues.
Orange grove side streets you only see halfway.
And beaches in winter
and when kites are flown.
It's the people in the cities you'll never know,
it is everything you pass by,
wondering will you ever return.
A sweet and sad song, and add to that the sorrow that I sometimes feel about not living in the country of my youth, and you have how I feel. Well, add some relief and joy over being with my family right now, some adoration of my kids as well as some general frustration about the little crying party they all decided to throw at six this morning, some desperate missing of my superstar husband, and some real homesickness for, (can this be?) America- gasp, my home now, my Redwood cabin, my community. Life is so strange, all the little loves and hurts, the way I love my family and I love my community. The way my home and my husband are intertwined, the way I miss Canada, miss British Columbia, but have come to adore Northern California where I met Chinua, where we have our life together.
And then there are those pangs of nostalgia for India, for Thailand. This earth is vast and there are homes everywhere for me. And yet it is not my home at all, and that is why this constant search, under tables, in lit windows as I'm passing by, this search for home is not futile. It's as if God holds my home in His cupped hands.
Reader Comments (8)
A fitting story for me to read as I'm longing for travel today. (Well, even more than most days.) I smiled at your 'toilet' blunder. Brought me back to day one in England, had to pee so bad my eyes were watering, asked at the hotel front desk for the 'bathroom' and got that same 'you want to take a bath?' look. Funny. And I so strongly agree with your/Innocence Mission's sadness over wanting to KNOW a place, the people. I'm going to try to get your number from Megan and call you soon, re: the party. Enjoy your family, embrace the differences. Love you-Lavonne
I love this post. Sigh.... it makes me miss all the places I've called home too, including Canada. I love how in The Last Battle when Narnia was no more and they got to Aslan's Land that it was like Narnia and England and all places, only they were only the shadows of the real thing. It makes me happy that even though I can only live and be in one place at a time I know in the end we will be in the best place. And be truly content. Someday.....
You've managed to say this so perfectly. What a great post. It's so nice to know that one day we will finally be "home".
Good luck on your journeys!
Exactly. Should I just cut n' paste this on my blog?
I still say garbage all the time instead of trash, but I find myself correcting it unconciously as I assimilate Americanese.
I miss toques and cream, and Vancouver. I'm still waiting to feel at home where I am, thought it's getting better.
HUg your fam for me please, esp. your dad and mom, they're on my favorite people list.
I feel your sentiment. Though many places have been home, a part of me always misses my dear island, Victoria was home for a while.
Love you and hope this time with your fam is beautiful.
John and Aria's applications for UK visas were approved and we even have them in hand! It only took a week and we're in shock over how "easy" it was. We plan on moving to Scotland in January. Nice to know a country is willing to let us ALL in.;-)
The Bible tells us that we all are travelers looking for a home. That our only true home is in Jesus Christ. So true. Sometimes, I feel the same as you. I live in Nevada now (the DESERT!), I'm originally from Mississippi (green, flowering, HUMIDITY!). I sit in my home with my husband, the love of my life, my children and then things we've accumulated to make our home, and yet I feel like a stranger at times. I think that is God's way of bringing me back to Him when I have lost my way as I often do. I love it when He takes care of me, even when I didn't know I needed it!
Enjoy your trip.
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