"We don't eat fishies; bears eat fishies. We eat plain food. Fishies are yucky."
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
CA - CA International Meeting of the Minds - California Style
Nearly a decade ago, I moved to Jacksonville, FL from California to be with my husband. We rented a cute apartment in a neighborhood lined with huge oak trees dripping Spanish moss, crepe myrtles and azaleas. The river was wide and dreamy and our neighborhood oozed southern charm. Unfortunately, within days, we discovered that other less bucolic southern stereotypes persisted as well. While discussing why Brandon and I were both home on a Monday, our gardener let us know in no uncertain terms that he did not celebrate Martin Luther King Day. And then I realized I wasn't in California anymore.
A few months later, I took a job as a city planner in local government. Let me tell you, planning is wildly different in Florida than it is in California. I won't expound, but it was culture shock for me. Enter the Canadian.
Andrea started about the same time I did. She needed an internship for her masters program and decided to knock it out while visiting her dad for the summer. Normally she lived near Toronto. She and I would sneak out to the vending machine for diet cokes and to discuss the office.
"Would that happen in Canada?"
"No."
We got along well. Anyways, we have continued our friendship over the years, with many trips between our great countries to see each other. We call these our "international meetings of the minds." We discuss important things, like Canadian potato chip flavors (ketchup! really!), candy (Cadbury Crisp? Yes!), pear flavored yogurt (delicious), and exotic Canadian wedding traditions. Did you know that in Canada it is traditional to have one of your friends MC your wedding? Like full on, with about two hours of talking time. No big deal, just a major speaking event at one of your friend's most important life events. It's almost like requiring that one of your friends deliver your baby. Almost.
Just wanted to preface these pictures with a few anecdotes. Here's some photos of Andrea, Alec and sweet little Elise from their visit last February (yes, that long ago):
A few months later, I took a job as a city planner in local government. Let me tell you, planning is wildly different in Florida than it is in California. I won't expound, but it was culture shock for me. Enter the Canadian.
Andrea started about the same time I did. She needed an internship for her masters program and decided to knock it out while visiting her dad for the summer. Normally she lived near Toronto. She and I would sneak out to the vending machine for diet cokes and to discuss the office.
"Would that happen in Canada?"
"No."
We got along well. Anyways, we have continued our friendship over the years, with many trips between our great countries to see each other. We call these our "international meetings of the minds." We discuss important things, like Canadian potato chip flavors (ketchup! really!), candy (Cadbury Crisp? Yes!), pear flavored yogurt (delicious), and exotic Canadian wedding traditions. Did you know that in Canada it is traditional to have one of your friends MC your wedding? Like full on, with about two hours of talking time. No big deal, just a major speaking event at one of your friend's most important life events. It's almost like requiring that one of your friends deliver your baby. Almost.
Just wanted to preface these pictures with a few anecdotes. Here's some photos of Andrea, Alec and sweet little Elise from their visit last February (yes, that long ago):
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Favorite Quotes this Week:
"frosty the snowman was a jolly soul...with a corncob in his nose..."
"I like to party!"
"I like to party!"
Sunday, July 14, 2013
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