I spent this weekend exploring Victoria, BC thanks to being invited to speak for the Victoria Secular Humanist Association. It was my first time in Victoria, and my first time driving a car onto a boat. Which I got to do four times! I know, how crazy is that?!?!
…I am from Indiana. Ferries are novel, shush.
The drive to Victoria was fairly uneventful, other than the torrential downpour I drove through. Apparently I was in a part of the Pacific Northwest that’s a temperate rain forest. Not only is that neat, but it washed off the thick layer of pollen that had coated my car, alleviating my worries that I would be stopped at the border for smuggling plant biomaterial or yellowcake uranium or something.
We spent Friday night pub hopping (Canoe, Swan, Bard and Banker). Saturday was for the indoor tourist-y stuff, since it was pouring rain. After stuffing ourselves with delicious breakfast at the Blue Fox Cafe, we checked out the Royal BC Museum. We’re two dorky biology grad students, so needless to say we had a good time. I think I was most amused by the fact that the Museum’s IMAX theater had multiple daily showings for a documentary about beavers.
1. Really, beavers? That’s so… Canadian.
2. Heh heh heh, beavers. I have the sense of humor of a five-year old.
I did learn things, though. For example, the main way Canadians used to finance their Navy was through beer, beer, and more beer:
I also found a new potential wedding location:
And this needs no explanation:
After that we hopped over to the Victoria Bug Zoo, which was freaking amazing. The place was packed with different types of stick insects, leaf insects, praying mantises, Hercules beetles, diving beetles, and more. My favorite was the huge leafcutter ant colony they had living in clear plastic pipes on the walls. You could see the ants hauling chunks of leaves through their tunnels to farm the fungus they eat.
My least favorite section was the corner devoted to spiders. You should have seen my facial expression as I was taking this photo of Sean holding a Mexican redknee tarantula.
On Sunday I gave my talk about the Creation Museum, which went great. It was awesome meeting some of my blog readers. Hello, guys! I want to give a particular shout out to Sarah, who not only hooked me up with free tickets to Butchart Gardens, but bribed me with stereotypically Canadian chocolate:
Om nom nom. I am such a chocolate fiend. Can we start a trend where people start bringing me local chocolates, like people bring PZ squid things? I would totally be down with that.
Speaking of chocolates, I’m always surprised how many types of candy bars Canada has that the US doesn’t. I’m seriously jealous. My new tradition is hitting up a convenience store and loading up on all the weird chocolate bars I’ve never seen before:
Why can’t I find Caramilk bars in the US? What the hell is Wunderbar and Aero? Your Kit Kat come in dark chocolate? Your Reese’s lack apostrophes and come in bar form?! You get fancy 3 Musketeers?!? WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?
The strange candy bar differences are just one of the many things that makes Canada feel like Bizarro America to me. We’re so similar, so the slight differences are jarring. Canadians pronounce “sorry” really funny, which becomes apparent quickly because you also say “sorry” so much more frequently than Americans. Things are spelled funny like “centre” and “theatre.” “Bathrooms” are universally called “washrooms,” which Sean found hysterical for some reason that I do not quite understand. Your walk signs on street signals are also particularly jaunty and brisk looking, which Sean and I both found hysterical for some reason no other person on the planet will ever understand. And then there are all the hints of Britain, like random pictures of the Queen, or English Candy Shops, or this that I stumbled upon:
…Yeah, we were pretty much giggly obnoxious American tourists the whole time. It’s because we love you. Please accept me if Bachmann or Perry become president.
The way back was fairly uneventful. I nearly had a stroke when we drove past a store devoted to Twilight, since we were getting close to Forks, WA. And creepily, on every of the four ferries we took throughout the trip, we were behind a mini van from Texas with one of those “Jesus is _____” license plates. Obviously a sign from God, not patterns in peoples vacation behaviors and traffic bottlenecks.
Glad you had a good time! Your talk was enough to convince me to donate to the BC Museum, that’s for sure, and my sweetheart and I both signed up for the Victoria Humanists.
I’m pretty sure you can get the caramilk bars in the states under the name Caramello.
At least, my wife occasionally returns from the store with something that looks an awful lot like that. I warn you though, they seem to have a half life of about six minutes.
I’m from Canada, and I know exactly what you mean about feeling like you’re in a “bizarro” world. I get that feeling every time I visit the states!
Sorry.
If, just north of Forks, you had taken Hwy 110/La Push Road to (where else) La Push (where the werewolves live), you would have seen a roadside sign: Treaty Boundary—No Vampires Beyond This Point.
People Diana and I have spoken to in Forks are disappointed that none of the filming of the movies was done in their area, but at least they get to sell Twilight kitsch.
Coffee Crisp is a chocolate bar you should not miss.
I feel exactly the same way when I go to the US. Can I just say that American Oreos are so much better? I have no idea why. As my brother put it, “It’s like eating a pillow.” I suspect that they just ship us all the stale ones.
Glad you enjoyed Canada. Next time try coming a little further east – Calgary just opened a brand new science centre (yes, that’s how you spell it) and it’s supposed to be pretty spectacular!
Jen – You were in Victoria, which is commonly held to be more British than Britain. They trade on that for the tourists. It’s not exactly representative of the rest of the country ;) Anywhere else, and the only place you’ll find that kind of phone booth is outside an Elephant and Castle (chain of pubs).
We did the same thing as you on our last trip to Seattle, except we brought back peanut butter Oreos. Yum!
Cadbury’s chocolate bars I’ve not seen before! How come other countries get Cadbury’s bars we don’t have in the UK? (Oh and Aero originated in the UK, didn’t realise you didn’t get that in the USA! Knew you didn’t have Cadbury’s though, I think Cadbury’s did just get bought by an American company though so maybe that will change?)
I was a bit shocked to think there are places on the planet where you can’t get an Aero bar
Wait, Oreos can be tasty? The ones I’ve tried taste of ash and disappointment. Maybe they just dont ship well.
I’m sad. We don’t have many red phone boxes in England any more.
When I was in Victoria ~ a decade ago, there was a store called the Rainbow Room. It was ALL CONDOMS. Cracked my shit up for DAYS. Because I, too, am 12 years old. I think my favorite was the one with ruler hash marks on it. I’m guessing if it were still there you would have found it, it was totally in the touristy area.
After 10 years in the states we still get care packages sent from our families. They consist of the bars you have mentioned, plus Crunchie and a few candies.
The most important thing for my wife though is the Red Rose and Tetley tea. She hasn’t found one in the states she likes as much. I like getting President’s Choice Plum Sauce. I haven’t seen plum sauce down here and duck sauce is ok but not the same.
Also the Shreddies and Special K down here are made differently. I guess I’m just used to what I grew up with but the ones down here suck. And why does the generic white bread turn to mush when you put butter on toast? Do people here like that?
Posts like this make me home sick.
Sonja,
You’ll be deflated to learn that the Rubber Rainbow Condom Company went bankrupt in 2006, according to the O!Zone company’s website, who bought their remaining product.
chigau,
I agree. Coffee Crisp is my favourite as well. I didn’t know it was only marketed in Canada.
Googling around, I found there was a long campaign by a guy in Milwaukee which did result in Nestlé bringing it to the US, but it doesn’t seem to have taken off.
And you are sending out an sos to the world, why?
I have a list of must haves when I go to the states. I always thought the U.S. got all the good stuff but after seeing your post, I am surprised to find that it goes both ways.
I also never noticed a difference between Canadian sorry and American sorry. I’ll have to listen harder for the difference. Unless its a Western Canada thing.
I’m going to guess that chigau was by the ocean, had an extra bottle and thought “I’m putting a message in that”
“Please accept me if Bachmann or Perry become president.”
Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!
I am an American living in Canada now. I live in what is called the Ottawa valley. Where “eh” ends most sentences and z is pronounced “zed”. I love living here… don’t get me wrong. But, I just returned to the States after being in Canada non-stop for 3 years. The differences I found were in the taste of most of the name brand sodas. The better coffees available in the US. (Sorry never have liked Timmie’s brand of water flavored with coffee.)And, oh my goodness there’s nothing like a Krispy Kreme glazed donut anywhere! But, one thing I found which I love in Canada is those Areo candy bars. Never had anything like them before. They now come in a mint flavor (flavour) that is to die for.
Jen,
This is awesome! I was just in Victoria in August for my cousin’s wedding. My parents lived in Victoria for a long time in the 70s. I have a couple empty bottles of Canoe beer decorating my kitchen actually (I like beer). Which was your favorite brewery that you visited?
Also, come talk in Houston some time!
Cheers,
– Ben
Space City, TX
It’s called a ‘washroom’ (at least in public) because ‘bathroom’ is a misnomer–there are generally no baths or showers in them–and ‘shit/pissroom’ would be too rude. But people do wash their hands in them. I’ve heard some Canadians call their own private waste-extraction facilities ‘bathrooms’ because they have baths there.
Stop bein’ such a hoser, eh Jen?
Riptide, from the first wave of New Immigrants fleeing Bush the Dumber.
Well, now I don’t feel quite so bad about my own habit; whenever my company sent me up to Canada, I would cram all available space in my luggage with Caramilk, Aero and Bueno bars for the return trip (also, bags of Tandoori Spice Doritos, but I guess they stopped making those). I always felt like a smuggler at the airport. (I know it does you no good now, Jen, but the Meijer’s in Lafayette carries mint Aero bars in the English section of their world foods aisle.)
And I’m sorry, Rasputin, but although Caramello is superficially like Caramilk in its ingredients (though not the shape), it’s just not as tasty.
In Germany, at least in 1996, Kit Kats ONLY came in dark chocolate. Which is as it should be. Seriously, SO much better than American Kit Kat. I don’t get why we’re not seeing more of these here, what with the increasing popularity of dark chocolate. Which is the only kind of chocolate there should be.
I’ve seen the Three Muscateers truffle crisps down here in South Carolina and I think they’re kind of gross. But maybe you’ll like them? I got a box of Australian chocolates and snacks during the reddit snack exchange and that was awesome. Sooooo good. :3
Honestly, I could see myself moving to Canada regardless of what happens stateside. I really like that country, and the boarder is only about an hour north of where I’m currently planning to settle down.
It’s already been said, but it’s worth repeating:
Coffee Crisp. For some reason you can’t get it in the US….
My wife’s American. She says “Sawry” (as in “starry”) whereas I say “sorry”…as in lorry. We’ve discussed this at length and it turns out I am right and she is wrong.
I shall be contacting immigration regarding your blasphemous words about Tim’s. Next thing you know, you’ll be dissing Wayne Gretzky!
So glad you enjoyed your trip here. About the only things we’d have done differently is spend more time on the seashore and we would have insisted on taking you kayaking (if anyone from the prairies needs to know why, check out kayakyak.blogspot.com Its one of the reasons I live here rather than Oilberta). And, seriously?, you should have been introduced to the local artisanal chocolate bar makers. Chocolate bars with chili or rosemary are not to be believed!
As for the center/centre thing–blame Noah Webster. After your War of Independence, he decided to change American spelling away from British English. And when you’re writing the book, you control the discussion–just like the folks at the Creation Museum are trying to do.
But the Islands are different than the rest of Canada–it is the only place where the environment isn’t actively trying to kill you pretty much all the time. When Cook arrived, there were about a quarter million people living here–the largest non-agricultural population the world has ever seen. And the Haida have been living here since before the ice left. Its a crazy, wonderful place to live. You’d be welcome here, or anywhere north of the border, anytime. Heck, Dan Savage and Michael Moore are pretty much honorary citizens already. We wouldn’t even notice another smart,wise-ass atheist.
You forgot Smarties, candy coated chocolate bits. MMMMM THough Aero is my favorite. Victoria is great and I love visiting there! Glad you enjoyed yourself. I vote for you coming even more East. Regina Saskatchewan was a fun Science Centre. Maybe you just need to do a whole Canadian tour. Now you just need to convince us Canadians to send you chocolate for all important occasions.
My favorite thing to do when I go to the US is hit up the grocery stores. So many weird and different things. Spray cheese is something I still can’t figure out.
Ahahaha, you must park somewhere your car gets jizzed on by the very confused cedar trees all over campus.
Also, I swear I remember commercials for Aero bars in the USA some 25 years ago. Must not have caught on.
1) The beaver is a proud and majestic animal, so it’s no wonder its name has become synonymous with our proud and majestic genitalia.
2) Wunderbars are the best damned chocolate bars in the world.
I really love the fact that Canada has so many candy bars available as 70% dark chocolate…like the Aero and Coffee Crisp. Mmmmmmmm, tasty goodness.
I cannot live without Coffee Crisps…but I don’t understand why it’s so difficult to find Altoids up here.
And FWIW, I’m in Ontario and I have yet to see one of those red call box thingies. However, Toronto has a student housing building held up entirely by coloured pencils!
When I moved to the US, I found that too. Cadbury’s and Nestle generally don’t sell their chocolate in the US. Kit-Kats taste different in Canada because they were licensed by Hershey’s in the US from the original creator, Rowntree’s, before Rowntree’s was acquired by Nestle.
For those canadians who have not had the misfortune of having an American Kit-Kat, it’s the difference between a Hershey’s Bar and a Jersey Milk.
I’m also a heretic: A canadian who prefers M&M’s to Smarties.
Bard and Banker was kind of awesome, though there’s no way I could afford to go there regularly. Victoria on a whole was very expensive!
They have Kinder Surprise eggs in Canada too, don’t they? Or however they translate it? They’re a German chocolate egg with a toy inside, usually requiring some assembly. The chocolate is OK, but it’s the toy that rocks. Rumor has it they don’t sell them in the states because they think the toys are choking hazards. But they’re inside a little plastic case, and you can just stamp “ages 3 and up”on the wrapper, like we do for all the other choking hazard toys we sell…
Not only are Kinder eggs not sold in the US, you can’t even bring them into the country – US Customs will confiscate them.
America has some candy bars we can’t get up here in Canada (except in specialty candy shops). I’m partial to Payday bars and Peanut Butter Twix bars.
As for Canadian/American differences, I find that servers in restaurants are, on average, about the same, but America has a wider distribution. That is to say, in Canada, the servers are all generally polite and conscientious about their jobs, but there’s not a lot of variation past that. In America you get lots more servers who are better and worse than average. For every, I-hate-my-job-and-I’m-just-here-to-collect-my-paycheque person, you also find someone super enthused who wants you to leave thinking you’ve had the best service on your life. While I certainly appreciate that when I encounter it, it’s also a little unnerving.
Thanks for coming Jen, your talk was great and you are welcome back to Victoria any time. One of the audience members was hoping to get you back to give a talk to a group of astrophysicists or something. Hopefully that will work out.
Glad you enjoyed some of our attractions and experienced a sampling of our local culture. You are correct that while our two cultures are very similar on many levels, there are interesting and significant differences. I always enjoy the novelty of travelling in the states. One of the weirdest things I noticed is how your gas stations are allowed to sell ice cold beer singles, but they then give you dirty looks when you buy one and go and drink it in your car. Is that not what they are for? I mean come on, ice cold beer singles at a gas station sold next to the pop, or better yet in an ice filled cooler right next to the cash register? What kind of a mixed message is that? That would never fly in Canada.
Those bastards.
Not true. I brought Kinder eggs to my buddies at Jefferson and MIT last March, and was inspected by customs. The official did not care, although he made a bit of a stink about the apple I bought at the Vancouver airport, which bore a “USA” sticker.
The things we choose to care about…
Smarties – British isotope of M&Ms to me.
Aero – bubbly chocolate bar that I saw in Singapore as far back as the 70s, also associated with Britain. UK themed stores here in Santa Monica CA carry them and many other British sweeties. Just saw an ad on TV for Aero-style Hershey’s Kisses.
I’ve always envied Canada for poutine (but I think it’s an eastern thing?). Never had it and always wanted to make my own but could never figure out what to look for in a store to make the curds part.
The gloves are off with the timmie’s comment! lol.
We do have Krispy Kreme. Or at least we did. I haven’t seen them around as much lately though.
I do notice a different in “soda” (or “pop” as I say :P). In fact, that’s one thing I usually get a fair bit of when I cross the boarder.
Why was the “USA”-stickered apple a problem? I thought it was B.C. that had problems with people bringing in apples.
We have Aero bars, except they’re called Hershey Air Delights I believe. From what I understand, Nestlé and Hershey’s are competitors, at least here in the US, but Hershey owns the Kit Kat name here, while Nestlé owns it in Canada (and I’m sure other countries). Interesting stuff.
I was actually delighted to find one on my trip to England this summer (for a conference in Durham), as I actually needed to make a call, and it would be cheaper than my cell phone. Sadly, that particular box didn’t work. I wonder if they just put it up for show next to the castle.
It’s true. Even seeing the speed limit signs change is strange; and malls are just… different.
Though I admit to being shocked that you _don’t_ have Aero. I mean, I knew the chocolate situation down south was generally dire, but wha?
Ah, another German here – never thought there would be :D
Hey Jen, if you ever plan a trip to Switzerland or Germany (Oktoberfest, you know :D), give me a call. You’ll never leave again if you tasted Lindt Chocolate for the first time… ;) And in Munich there’s a nice little cafe where you get real hot chocolate – not the crap they’re selling everywhere – pure hot godlike chocolate…
Beavers has also shown at the Pacific Science Center a couple of times; I think it’s actually an American film.
If you’re really into whale skeletons, I recommend a visit to Beaty Biodiversity Museum at the U. of British Columbia in Vancouver.
My sister (who was a nanny in the US for some time) said it was forbidden in the US (at least in some states) to sell toys in a bundle with chocolate, this is why KinderÜberraschung is not sold in the US. But the kids were hot for them, my dear :D
Actually, there is some law/regulation in the US banning non-food items enclosed within food items, Kinder eggs included. I guess you got a border guard who didn’t care.
Oh maaaan. Now I know what I’m doing the next time I go to Vancouver.
Canadian sorry sounds like sari and Americans pronounce the O more as an O (soh-rry).
And thank goodness for that! Give me a Tim’s donut over one of those disgusting Krispy Kremes any day of the week.
And, unfortunately, it’s cheap when compared to Vancouver.
On whale skeletons–There was (or is?) an awesome whale exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago. Then again, you may know that since you’re from that area.
On chocolate–Aeros can be found in Ireland, too, so if you have a Celtic store in your city, they might have them. I used to score free ones for helping out at a friend’s Celtic store. :) Check out Butler’s chocolate website. Their stuff is awesome. In Ireland, I got a box of dark chocolate bars filled with Jameson whiskey and truffle. UNBELIEVABLE.
The Rubber Rainbow, alas, no longer exists. But it was an awesome little shop.
Hi Jen!
I’m so glad you enjoyed your trip to Victoria. I’ll need to make sure I have a day off to attend one of your talks the next time you’re in B.C.
I miss most of the differences between the US and Canada, possibly because I am married to an ex-Canadian. Most of my in-laws are Canadian (some are Dutch), so there is a bunch of going back and forth.
My daughter will be applying to both the Univ. of Washington and Univ. of British Columbia, and she has a friend attending Univ. of Victoria.
YES. That was it. Sad it’s gone, it was a fun place to shop!
Check out the Arrogant Worms’s tune “We are the beaver”. It should be on YouTube.
Wow. I always took our Canadian chocolate bars for granted. I knew that you guys don’t have Oh Henry bars, but Aero? Wunderbar? 3 Musketeers? You’re so deprived!
Anyway, Victoria’s a nice city. I’ve been there a handful of times, and I always enjoy my visits.
I have to come in here from the Old Country (Britain) with a bit of serious chocolate one-upmanship.
Some years ago I was helping organize a Science Fiction Convention on the island of Jersey. About 1,000 people, mostly from the mainland.
Based in the hotel was a specialist maker of hand-made chocolates, with a workshop in the nice cool basement. We got to know hime quite well going over for meetings, then a chocaholic on the committe asked to buy one of his wholesale blocks – seriously good Belgian chocolate in 5 kilo blocks.
More, many more, were bought on subsequent visits, and word got out in fandom.
As a result, when we sent out the hotel booking forms there was a space to order blocks of chocolate – milk, plain, or white. When we conveyed the numbers to the choc guy, he took some convincing, but eventually put the order in.
By the end of the convention he had sold 300 blocks thats 1500kg of chocolate, or 1.5 metric tonnes; plus the amount in the shop that he would normally sell in a year.
A memorable event.
There’s an interesting story to Hershey’s ‘Air Delight’ actually, that may possibly mean some litigation soon between Nestle and Hershey.
Aero, along with other ex-Rowntree bars like Rolo and KitKat are, as previously mentioned here, manufactured and distributed by Hershey in the USA. Hershey have stated that they have tried to sell Aero in the US before but the bar was not commercially successful. Hershey still have the contract with Nestle to distribute Aero. In launching Air Delight they have essentially contradicted themselves in stating that such a bar is not worth launching in the USA, and of course Nestle do not have a share in the profit if the bar is successful, it being purely a Hershey product.
The White Spot restaurant chain http://www.whitespot.ca/ has (their interpretation of) poutine on the menu.
Giant Skeletons? You want to come to Toronto and see what’s in the ROM… http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonidzerda/3747683752/
I love Aero bars! And you can totally find them in the States, other than just at Meijer. They have them at every World Market store I’ve ever been to (Illinois, Missouri, and Florida).
dude, that beaver movie is SUPER old. I remember seeing it as a kid in baltimore. when I was young enough that the dam part was WAY funnier than the beaver part.
I looked it up, 1988. that is pretty old. that movie can order it’s own scotch.
also, hershey has recently debuted an aero knockoff, it sucks. foreign candy is always better.
“I also found a new potential wedding location:”
Check out California Academy of Sciences! They have T-Rex and whale fossils, amongst others.
http://www.calacademy.org/
I had wondered about that – the first time I saw the Hershey I thought “Aero rip-off!!!”
Oh My Rock, the walk signs! I was fascinated by those the entire time I was in Toronto for NASBR. They look like the Keep On Truckin’ guys! Other things I enjoyed: Passive aggressive rather than sincerely condescending signs, recycling bins constantly within reach, French everything, and Tim Horton’s.
Wunderbar is awesome. The weirdest texture thing when you bite into them, too.
You should see Japan. They have, like, 70 different kinds. I’m not being hyperbolic.
True. Maybe a little too much. I accidentally elbowed a young man in the face today on an escalator, for which he apologized. Yes, buddy, you were very inconsiderate when you placed your face in a place that my elbow might go. I said sorry too, but I think mine was justified. I had just elbowed someone in the face.
I hear bathroom much more than washroom. Probably a regional thing.
Sorry ’bout that.
I’m trying to find a term for toilet that isn’t a euphamism about washing. Toilet, lavatory, latrine, they all refer to a place where you wash yourself. The only ones I can think of are Water Closet and Crapper.
Another fantastic thing about Canada: there’s a reason they call us Canukistan. If for some tragic reason your activism actually shuts you out of jobs in the States, come north and join us! We aren’t near as serious about religion and politics here as I think the States is. Except perhaps for rural Alberta, the Bible belt of the north.
I’m glad you like our country, we’re rather proud of it too :)
Jen,
Can a humble Britisher send you a Yorkie (“It’s not for girls”, but it is delicious), a Terry’s chocolate orange, and maybe some Green & Black’s ? Would US customs explode it or something?
Seriously, if you get excited by Aeros… ;)
I quite want to visit Canada too, although more for the scenery than the chocolate. But I also want to buy a private island there. Much cheaper than european private islands ;)
/Nick
I should mention some of the best things about marrying a Canadian:
Learning about Nanaimo Bars and that edible fruitcake actually exists. I have learned to make both around Christmas time.
Though I suspect I married the only person from Vancouver Island who will not go camping. This is possibly part of him being an ex-Canadian. He stopped going to family reunions the year it included camping near Powell River, BC (we did go to the one that took place in Rathtrevor Provincial Park, but we stayed in a rental near the beach).
Jen, if you want a wedding underneath a whale skeleton, you should go to the natural history museum at UBC (University of British Columbia). They have a BLUE WHALE SKELETON HANGING FROM THE CEILING AND IT IS AMAZING. A hundred times better than the one in that picture there.
Kinder Surprise aren’t chocolate, at least not according to the EU; the cocoa solid content is too low for it to qualify, so in the Netherlands it’s called “cacao-fantasie.”
You can get Green & Black’s in stores in the U.S. My wife’s a fiend for the 70% stuff.
Speaking of chocolates, I’m always surprised how many types of candy bars Canada has that the US doesn’t. I’m seriously jealous. My new tradition is hitting up a convenience store and loading up on all the weird chocolate bars I’ve never seen before:
I can totally relate to this. I moved to Germany a week ago, and one of my favorite things so far has been trying out all the German chocolate types. And the beer.
I quite liked Tim Horton’s when I was in Canada a few years back; I always wished that the chain had made its way to Florida before I left.
I wonder if they sell Kinder chocolate in Canada. It’s fucking amazing and you can’t buy it in the US.
I’m a little late on this, but I believe the lack of apostrophe for Reese(‘s) products is because Canadian products need to be labeled in both French and English and since French doesn’t use apostrophe-S to show possession, it’s just easier to call it “Reese” and be done with it.
Whoops! Didn’t mean to reply to the comment with that. But since I’m here, yes, we do have Kinder chocolates.
Oh how I wish I could travel… Unfortunately, flies don’t like being neglected for long periods.
Next time you come to Canada, hit a Dollarama for your chocolate bars. A lot more variety and they’re cheaper too.
And, on that note, I’m settling down with 50% off Lindor eggs and a book LOL
We can find all of those awesome candy bars in our local Kroger in the ass crack of the south now. They’re expensive somewhat but worth it.
Don’t forget all those crazy potato chip flavors! Ketchup, all-spiced…. Great stuff!
You can get dark chocolate Kit Kats in America, just not the 70% cacao kind.
I know I’m late to this party, but I have to recommend Big Turk. Chocolate-covered turkish delight…mmmmm……. oh, sorry about that. I’ll switch over to a Cherry Blossom for later!
One thing Jen would enjoy (but missed) are Club cookies. I’ve only seen them once since I left Canada, when I was in Hong Kong.
http://www.bulkbarn.ca/en-ca/products.html?product=3582
As for other things to see, being in Victoria meant she missed the planetarium in Vancouver. It’s worth the effort to see it.
http://www.spacecentre.ca/
Tim Horton’s is not coffee. it’s watery sludge. And the doughnuts taste like a chemistry lab. I am convinced people only love it because in the middle of nowhere at 5.30am before hockey practice this was the only open store.for 40+ years.
not true. sorry.
can you please come to Vancouver as well? I’ll buy you candy bars! and we have the Museum of Anthropology as well as a huge blue whale skeleton at UBC’s Beaty Museum (http://beatymuseum.ubc.ca/research/whale) it’s really awesome!
I’ve been living in Canada for 6 years now and I have to say Canada has it’s issues as well…it’s nice but the “nice-ness” of Canadians is wearing me down. Still, glad you enjoyed it.
All of those candy bars can be found on Amazon…..
The Beaty wasn’t open yet when I was there in 2010, but the whale skeleton was visible through the windows. The Anthropology Museum was wonderful, though.
Actually, “washroom” is not universal.
My best friend & I & our circle most frequently refer to these spaces as, “the euphemism.”
“Mom, I have to go to the euphemism,” cracks up bystanders every time…and the kids have no idea why.
This was not the case previously. Although I will lower myself to drinking a Tim Horton’s coffee, I generally refuse to eat the donuts. Since they centralized the process and ship frozen donuts to the stores, the “Tim Hortons Fresh” slogan is no longer in reference to the donuts. Prior to that centralization though, WOW!!!
Wonderful essay, got the pleasure of reading
I thought all those chocolate bars were available everywhere! There’s my Canadian privilege, I guess :P.
Canadian here. I lived in the Uk for a while and I had a REALLY hard time saying I had to go to the toilet. I remember thinking, why do I have to tell them where I’m going specifically. I felt kind of embarrassed so I started calling it the Lou (loo…lu…sp?).
I know it sounds weird, sorry ;)
Besides I might not be going to the toilet I might be just looking to wash something…like my hands, no one needs to know exactly where I’m going in that room.
It’s sounds ridiculous now that I’m writing it down..
Also Cadbury Canada is NOTHING compared to Cadbury Uk.
I’ve seen more of the rest of the world then I have of my own country, I’ve never been to Victoria but I’m told I should retire there.
And Jen, if you read this: I can sponcer if you want to move to Canada, only you’ll probs have to live in Ontario for a bit…it’s not as nice as BC :(