Articles in Canadian Life
Racism in Canada
The Front National went from being a marginal party in the 70s to being the third largest political force today. Frankly, if such a party existed in Canada, I’d be really annoyed. Fortunately, here, the influence of such fringe parties is very limited, so limited that I never hear anything about the Heritage Front or the Nationalist Party of Canada.
Hockey Playoff Game 3: Ottawa Senators vs New York Rangers
What better way to readapt to Canada than to go to a hockey game?
The Ottawa Senators made it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and on Monday night, it was game 3 against the NY Rangers. We headed to Scotiabank under a dramatic stormy sky—it was over 27°C that night (and it’s now 4°C… go figure).
10 Weird and Funny Questions French Asked Me About Canada
I don’t talk about Canada that much when I’m in France—I’m usually too busy enjoy France in the first place. But one thing you have to know about French is that they have an opinion on everything. And sometimes, it leads to funny comments and questions!
How My Bank Account Was Compromised (And Depleted)
On Monday afternoon, the phone rang. I picked up and heard two seconds of static, often a telltale sign of telemarketing. I’m not sure why I didn’t hang up the phone. I usually do—we get a lot of telemarketing calls, and I have no patience for sales pitch at 2 p.m.
5 Canadian Culture Facts I Never Truly Understood
I have been living in Canada for quite some time now and all in all, I think I adapted pretty well. Yet, there are a few cultural facts—habits, customs etc.—that I adopted without being entirely comfortable with.
Couponing, a North American "Sport"
When I first came to Canada, I did notice stacks of flyers filling the mailbox and catalogues left periodically at the front door, but I didn’t think much of it. Spontaneously, I’d put all that in the recycle bin. I mean, I hadn’t skimmed through a brochure since I was a six years old impatiently waiting to look at the Galerie Lafayette toys catalogue around Christmas time!
The Fitness Quest
My plan A was Goodlife Fitness, a gym with several locations in Ottawa. The membership fee being one of my main criteria, I went online to see how much it was. Surprise surprise, the fees were nowhere to be found. Instead, those interested in joining Goodlife where asked to provide their info to be contacted about plan rates.
Canada is Huge
At school, I learned that the three largest countries in the world were Russia (and at the time, the USSR was larger than current-day Russia!), Canada and China. As a kid, it was hard to comprehend how big these territories actually were. But as a new Canadian, the country immediately struck me as humongous.
Picture of the Week: Canadian "I Love You"
The other day, I was shopping at Herbs & Spice, a food store on Bank Street. I walked out carrying heavy bags and in a hurry to go back home, and fell face to face with this sign from the shop next door, Wilde’s: “Nothing says ‘I love you’ like a dildo”.
I was sort of taken aback for a second, then it made me giggle like a schoolgirl.
10 Ways to Not Become Poor in Canada
Christmas shopping is underway in most parts of North America and a lot of consumers took advantage of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. So, how to not become poor in Canada? How to manage your money smartly?
Here are ten useful tips.
