Ontario Week:  Canada is … different

Welcome to "Ontario Week"!  This week I’m going to put up a bunch of posts and videos with some random things I wanted to mention related to Ontario, Canada, and our trip.  Just some loose ends – things I didn’t have a chance to mention or post while we were on the road!  Here’s part 1…

A cottager flies the Ontario flag

Before we went on our trip to Ontario I wondered out loud just how we were doing preparing for all the cultural differences we would encounter in Canada.

Well, we didn’t do too bad with some of the ones we mentioned.  I’m not sure Nathanael ever did quite get into the groove of taking his shoes off in the house, though.

When were crossing the border into Canada, we were shuffled into a waiting room with some other people while our van was searched.  In the room was something the kids didn’t even notice, because they didn’t know what it was.  When I pointed it out to them, and explained how it worked, they went NUTS … they were so excited, we had to explain to the other people waiting that our children just didn’t have any experience with … water fountains.

Or then there was the time when we told Hannah to wait on the porch, and she said,"What’s a porch?"

Yeah, not a lot of porches here in Mexico City.  Or garages (in Canada, they can park their cars inside!).  And basements needed to be explained several times.

Someone asked us what was hardest to get used to.  Shari said one thing was the choices we have in the store.  Don’t get me wrong – we have lots of selection here in Mexico.  Often I’m standing in an isle bewildered about what to choose.  No complaints.

But after 2.5 years away from Canada, there are whole new types of products and we don’t even know what they are.  How do people even keep up with all these things?!

I went to the store one day and discovered that now I need to have a specific kind of toothpaste for brushing at night.  You mean I need to carry around two different kinds of toothpaste now??

And we took Hannah and Nathanael to Toys"R"Us one day.  That was just … too much.

I also found it very interesting hearing about the struggles churches have in Ontario – church leaders, Christians – the challenges of reaching out in Ontario culture.  It’s very different than what we deal with here in Mexico City (though of course many things are the same).  It’s helpful to know more how to pray for our brothers and sisters in Ontario.

One more thing.  One impression many Mexicans seem to have about Canada is that it’s tranquilo – that is, calm or tranquil.  I always thought this was a bit of a misconception.  I don’t anymore.

Sure, there’s some noise in Canadian streets.  But in Canada, the houses are more sealed and sound-proof.  There are no garbage collector bells.  No people yelling out that there are tamales for sale.  No gas men shouting out "GAS!"  Usually you won’t hear announcements coming from loudspeakers on trucks and cars all hours of the day or night.  Rarely are there fireworks and firecrackers in the street.

Don’t get me wrong – it usually doesn’t bother me here.  But it is different.  I’ve finally come to agree with my Mexican friends.  It’s pretty tranquilo up there in Canada.