What I have learnt this week

When we were asked to do these blogs I thought it would be great to do one a week. I still do think that in theory, but if it means uploading week three in week four then so be it. I’m having such a great, but very busy time!

What I have learnt this week:

- Canadians have milk in a bag. A bag. I don’t get it. “Well what do you have at home?” one colleague asked. “A milk bottle that is delivered to our doorstep each morning by a milkman…” I then realised how ridiculous that also sounded…

- Cars drive on the right hand side of the road and that includes bicycles. It’s great having a bike so I can see much more of the city, but every time I get half way down a street my heart stops and I have a crazy panic and wonder if I’m on the correct side of the road. I used to think to myself that if it doesn’t feel normal then I’m probably on the correct side. However, I’ve now lived here long enough that I can’t decide what seems ‘normal’ in either country!

- What a ‘butter tart’ is. Pastry loaded sugar. My colleague is a fab cook and made a load of them because she couldn’t believe I didn’t know what they were. (They are very tasty!)

- Canadians like Galaxy chocolate. I was taken to a sweet shop down the road from my office and told they sold U.K. chocolate there, but Rochelle (my baking colleague) didn’t know what was good, so I bought the office a load of Galaxy chocolate and with much suspicion they tried it, and definitely agreed it was great chocolate.

- My voice is weird. In order for me to write a report on the impact that Startup Canada is having on entrepreneurs across Canada, I have to interview the various community leaders. I record these interviews and then write them up after, otherwise I would miss anything important and spend most of the interview trying to spell Nanaimo. That means I have had to listen to about 17 hours of my own voice. It’s really not a pleasant experience. And I have now been here long enough that I now think the Canadian accent is normal and every time I speak my accent sounds weird. It’s only a matter of time before I start saying ‘eh’ and calling everything ‘awesome’ rather than brilliant…

#ssimexchange #sarahkeith