Oh Canada

I was born in Hong Kong, and came to Canada when I was a teenager. I've come to love both these countries. If I'm in Canada, I tend to call Hong Kong "home", and when I'm in Hong Kong, I call Canada "home". They're one and the same.

Most people are surprised that I lived in Hong Kong, as I can barely speak Cantonese. When they meet me, they usually think I'm a CBC. But I'm not. I guess I act like one though. I'm very proud of Hong Kong and I'd go back there in the summer if I could.

Before I came to Canada, I didn't know much about it. I always thought that Winnipeg was the capital of Canada, just because I saw that city on the globe, and it looked like it was at the centre of Canada. I guess I never listened in Geography class. smile I wasn't sure if Canadians spelled the same way as Americans did, (i.e. colour vs. color, centre vs. center), and I was glad to find that they spelled it the English way, because it doesn't seem right any other way. After so many years here, though, I've learned a lot about Canada. I like Canada because it's such a beautiful country, and so big! I want to explore it more. The people are friendly and come from all over the world.

There are a lot of differences between here and Hong Kong, though. The major one is the weather. It gets soooo cold in the winter! When I was a kid, learning about the water cycle, I never really bothered to understand what snow was and how it was made, because I figured I'd never have to live with the stuff. In Ontario, of course, it snows quite a bit, and at first I stayed inside all the time. But, within that first year in Canada, I made snow angels, snow men, and went cross country skiing. I was fine as long as I was dressed in warm clothing. I liked going to watch hockey games, which is like Canada's national sport. (However, I've tried lacrosse and I don't like it, and curling doesn't make any sense to me.)

Other differences about Canada:

  • people say "pop" instead of "soft drink"
  • the word "herb" is pronounced with the "h" silent
  • "hockey" in Canada is "ice hockey" in Hong Kong, and "field hockey" in Canada is "hockey" in Hong Kong
  • I went from being in "year 8" to being in "grade 9"
  • people drive on the right side of the road rather than the left
  • cars actually stop sometimes and let you cross a road
  • tissue paper is called "kleenex" after the brand
  • "tippex" is called "white out", of which "tippex" is one brand name
  • everyone is so much more dependent on personal cars for than public transport
  • there are so much more TV channels!
  • milk is available in plastic bags, and not cartons