It’s the final issue of the Interrobang for this school year, and honestly, it’s gone by so fast. It seems like yesterday was the first day of class and it’s already the end of a fruitful year. While I’ve been writing about all these different Canadian things that catch my eye, I've often been asked "what has Canada has taught you?" She’s taught me a lot, all in such a short time, and I list just a few below in no particular order:
10. Hockey is life: I’d be livid with myself if hockey wasn’t on this list. I grew up watching the very limited hockey that ESPN would broadcast back in India. I fell in love with the Anaheim Ducks and NHL 2002 back in the day, but to actually live in the country where it’s considered a pastime in the winter has been unreal, in a word. Cue the celly...
9. Poutine is heavenly: French fries with cheese and gravy: Poutine. Poo-teen for those still wondering how it's pronounced. I still remember the first one I had, back at Oasis, the school cafeteria if I may, back in October 2011. I’ve been hooked on the stuff ever since. Now, it’s been brought to my attention that too much poutine isn’t the best thing ever, mainly because it’s so fattening and unhealthy, but let’s be frank here, it’s delicious. And because it is delicious, I’m going to make the exception every so often. Mmm, gravy...
8. 12°C is warm weather: Back in Calcutta, India, our winters would touch 12°C. Sometimes, if we got lucky, it would drop to 9°C or so. It used to be freezing cold back then. The other day when my dad called and I told him 12°C was warm, he gasped. Now that I've lived here for seven months, I now know that is 12°Cwarm weather. Why even the other day when it was 3°C, I told myself it's warm, so I guess old man winter has yet to show me what he can do. Perhaps a trip to Winnipeg or Alberta might change all that, but until then, "To the beach..." 7. The Toronto Maple Leafs are really awful: Sorry, Leafs fans, but you know I had to. I knew you guys never made the playoffs since the lockout; I never knew it’s been such a long, unfruitful run. It’s tough on you guys, I can empathize, but this is something that I came across only after coming to the Great White North. And I love it. The odds of laughing at James Reimer, or the Phil Kessel trade, or the fact that the team is just god awful. Buck up, lads, you’ll be playoff-bound soon. Or not.
6. The Arkells are brilliant: The Arkells are an amazing band. And they’re Canadian. I’d never heard about them, and now they fill up my iPod. I’d say coming to Canada has really opened my eyes to a lot of great music that you would never ever hear of if you stayed in India. I’m disappointed with myself for not going to the Arkells show in London a few months back, but I plan to see them if and when they return to London. Until then, my iPod has to work overtime.
5. Without Tim Hortons, this country would be static: You really didn't think I’d forget Tim Hortons, did you? Without Tim Hortons, there is no Canada (if you permit me to exaggerate just a little bit). It’s true, though; Timmies are in every part of the country I’ve seen. After all, who doesn't like to grab a hot coffee and a donut, and oh need I mention 'Rrroll up the Rim'? 1 in 6 odds? I laugh at that Tim Hortons. Still, I'm hooked. And now, to grab myself a large double-double and roll up the rim...
4. Nickelback is not everyone’s cup of tea: Honestly, this one surprised me to a degree. I grew up listening to Nickelback, and when I came to Canada, I discover that they are despised in some parts of the country. I haven’t been able to decipher the reason so far, but rest assured I will try to put this mystery behind me. I set Rockstar as my alarm tone because it is so annoying. Everyone knows that, "Coz we all just wanna be big rock stars..."
3. Shovelling snow is a better workout than you’d get at GoodLife: For starters, I’ve never ever hit a gym in my life, so don’t count on me being an expert. What I can tell you is that shovelling snow is not fun. Every morning, in those sub-zero conditions, you go out and burn those calories. I did it for the first time ever this winter and it wasn’t pleasant. And you know what the best part is? You get to do it all over again the next day.
2. Bilingualism is in: This is one thing that’s impressed me so far. I’ve never been to Quebec, but I hear it’s a lot more French biased. Ignoring that fact, everything I’ve seen is bilingual. I see it as promoting cultural diversity, which I believe is a great thing. French-Canadian or English- Canadian is still Canadian, and that is the main thing. Merci.
1. ‘Eh’: Hilarious as this may seem, this is a word I’ve observed numerous people use, whether on the bus or in the halls of Fanshawe. The word seems to be a conjunction finding its way into many sentences, although I’ve seen it as a standalone word numerous times.Where did I first hear it eh? Only everywhere, and by everywhere I mean everywhere. And you know what the funniest bit is right now? I use it myself. Funny how that works, eh?
It’s been a great year in Canada and at Fanshawe. I’ve made so many friends and met new people. I love this country, to tell you frankly: the culture, the food, the people. It’s definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made in life. The country has grown on me and I can’t wait to be back next year.
Normally I use this column to write about something Canadian that the country loves (or something that the majority hates). This week I thought about twisting it around just a little bit. The reason is simple: I've been here for five and a half months and it has been quite a ride.
I guess the best thing that has happened to me so far is hockey. No, not ice hockey, but ball hockey; 'Ball So Hard,' to be precise. Imagine the joy on my face walking into Sportchek to buy my first ever hockey stick. I'm told by many people that they've "never seen anyone embrace Canadian culture so much." It is strange when I think of it, but as an international student, I guess I find it contagious to a large degree.
Should I decide to put sport aside (although that would be very hard), there are still many things I love about Canada. Take London, for instance. I never expected the city to be this good. The people and even the college is amazing. It's always hard for someone to pack his bags and move to a new country alone, but fitting in to Canadian culture has been smooth so far. What's interesting to note is the banter I enjoy with friends in London, England. The constant question, "How's your London? My London is fine," goes around quite often. That's when I realize that I'm not from the city, yet I've adopted it as my own in a little over five and a half months. It's been homelike so far, this city, and I can only expect the future to be equally pleasant. Canadian culture is something I really want to experience, and though things like poutine and Tim's coffee are already crossed off my 'To Do In Canada' list, there are other things that I would love to try – I just don't know what they are yet.
I already know one of the things I'm going to try real soon (although chances are it will be next winter before I finally attempt it): ice hockey. I told you earlier, it's going to be hard to put sport aside, but going to the John Labatt Centre to watch the Knights play has been great. How great? I won't tell you, you need to experience that yourself.
I've had so much fun in this city and I've yet to set foot into a bar. I hear that is uncanny and unheard of, especially since I'm a student in the Forest City.
I may not know what's in store for me another five months down the line, but I can look back at the past five and a half months with nostalgia, and always be glad I made the decision to leave Calcutta, India and move thousands of kilometres away to the city of London, Ontario.
Keeping in mind that this is the heath issue of the Interrobang, I thought I'd write something in tune with the theme. I had initially thought about writing on the health care system in Canada, but given the fact that I've yet to fall sick in Canada (which is a good thing, I might add), I don't have much to say on the system. Therefore, I thought that I would write something on two Canadian 'delicacies' that I've come across a few times during my four months here: poutine and back bacon. I use the word 'delicacies' because I feel that too much of it could turn us all into Homer Simpson!
Poutine was something that I was introduced to by my classmates at Fanshawe College. One Tuesday afternoon during our break, we stopped for lunch. Since everyone went for poutine, so did I. In fact, it surprised all of my classmates who were present that it would be my first-ever plate of poutine. It turned out to be pretty good, to tell you the truth. I've had it on several occasions now. Fried potato with cheese curds and gravy? It certainly makes the Belgian invention that came to be called french fries more interesting. On the flip side, I've overheard people cursing poutine, though I've yet to come up with a suitable reason why they do that. Jarrett Bellini, Video Producer for CNN who covers comedy, has said that "Poutine is going to slowly (and deliciously) kill Canadians one at a time in a long nationwide drum circle of exploding aortas." I wouldn't differ too much from Jarrett's point of view. Death from an exploding aorta due to too much poutine consumption probably wouldn't be all that bad.
Bacon: the name itself makes my mouth water. I've been eating a lot of bacon from my time in India. It seems a little strange, doesn't it? A few of my friends and I used to feel glad that we were Roman Catholic, the reason being that the religion didn't classify any meat as forbidden. This was unlike India's two major religions: Hinduism (which prohibited the consumption of beef as the cow is considered sacred) and Islam (which forbids consumption of pork). It is pretty sad that McDonald's in India does not serve the Big Mac burger. The reason they do so is the alleged ban on beef, but that is diverting from my topic a little too much.
I've always loved bacon. From a young age, bacon and eggs was a staple breakfast of mine. However, my decision to move to Canada introduced me to a different kind of bacon: back bacon. For some reason, it tastes so much better than streaky bacon, which is the prime cut of bacon available in India. I haven't really been able to come to a suitable explanation why back bacon tastes better, but I hope to have an explanation soon.
Food is something I've always loved. Even while on holiday in other countries, my mother and I were always game to sample local delicacies. That is something I'm thankful that my parents instilled in me. To quote newspaper publisher James Stuart Keate, "In any world menu, Canada must be considered the vichyssoise of nations – it's cold, half-French and difficult to stir." Food is something that brings people together, however fattening it may be. I'm glad I can cross poutine and back bacon off my list of foods to try: it does make me a little more Canadian.
