Calling People of Canada. Advice Needed

[Rapscallion]

Don't forget that the Australian, Canadian, and US Dollars aren't worth the same, so comparing minimum wages directly doesn't mean much.

What I noted is that the exchange rate doesn't mean that much either, since there's a different cost of living. Taking the exchange rate into consideration, what three of us paid in a restaurant in Canada would have paid for one back home based on exchange rate alone.

Rapscallion

[Gravekeeper]

Only downsides;
-Minimum wage is like $8-10 an hour (In Australia it was $16)
-You will have the credit score of a 5 year old.
-People make fun of me coz I still don't understand power plays in hockey. Learn Hockey. They take it VERY seriously.
-Everyone thinks I'm a Kiwi. Or British. Or South African.
-People are shocked I haven't been to Whistler yet (I dislocated my knee a couple of times. That doesn't translate to skiing fun happy times!)

Australia has a higher cost of living though, so yeah minimum wage would be higher to match it

A power play is when a player on one team does something Bad(tm) and is sent to the penalty box for 2-5 minutes and his team is punished by having to play short handed so they only have 4 players on the ice vs the other team's 5 ( excluding goalie of course ). Hence they're a big deal for the increased chance of scoring they provide.

I find it amusing you're ID'd as a Kiwi before an Australian. Usually its the other way around. >.>

Bah, Whistler. Whistler sucks. ;p

Screw hockey. Seriously, I grew up in Alberta, and hockey is BORING.

You take that back. Right now!

[DeltaSierra]

Heck I've LIVED in BC for 39 years and I've never been to Whistler LMAO!! I'm on The Island too, with tons of family in the Lower Mainland, but I don't like to downhill ski - I prefer cross country.

Oh and realize that despite the outpouring of passion regarding hockey in Canada, our "national sport" is lacrosse. Figure THAT one out!!!

[Barracuda]

Ok, I seriously have to ask as an American....what the heck is poutine?

[DeltaSierra]

Poutine is holy. Its revered. Its an orgasm in a cup.

Basically its french fries covered in unripened cheddar cheese curds (the curds are not what "cottage cheese curds" are - but what is left after they drain away the whey when making cheese, you have these big chunks of cheese that are then put into presses and pressed into wheels) and then covered in gravy - makes the cheese all gooey and melty and absolutely delicious!!!



More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine

Here are the curds themselves - this is white cheddar curds that would then be pressed and aged: They taste VERY mild (not cheddar-ey) akin to a mozzarella.



More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese_curds

[Jetfire]

And (not checking the links) best places to get Poutine are from chip wagons. Trucks/vans set up in parking lots with fryers and heaters, that sell them out a window in the side of the van. Especially good in winter, but good all around.

Also (as Top Chef Canada mentioned), a very common post-Bar night meal (for the after drinking/before hangover period)

[Moirae]

Poutine is nasty. Its french fries, cheese curds and gravy. I'm from Canada but living in the US, and its disgusting. I won't eat it. It looks like something you'd upchuck after not chewing your food properly. And the texture is gross.

[telecom_goddess]

Poutine is nasty. Its french fries, cheese curds and gravy. I'm from Canada but living in the US, and its disgusting. I won't eat it. It looks like something you'd upchuck after not chewing your food properly. And the texture is gross.

ROFL!!!! It's not orgasm in a cup? You sure you don't like it now

[Salted Grump]

Poutine is an acquired taste; If the gravy is overheated or lumpy, or the fries are the cheap-o Mcdonald's type, it is, at best, 'meh'.

When the fries are square-cut with the skins still on 'em, the gravy is a beef base, so it's dark brown and smooth, and the cheese is thick and gooey, so it's all nice and hot? It's pure Grade-A comfort food. It'll warm you up, fill you up, and, most importantly, tastes damn good, even if it looks ugly as sin the first time you see it.

[Moirae]

ROFL!!!! It's not orgasm in a cup? You sure you don't like it now

lol. I've never been one to mince words.

[DeltaSierra]

ROFL!!!! It's not orgasm in a cup? You sure you don't like it now

LOL, like anything some love it, some hate it. I guess you have to try it and decide for yourself

[Moirae]

Think of it like ketchup chips. I LOVE lays ketchup chips. Yummm, expensive and I have to import them to get them now (two large bags costs me like $30), but mmmmm. I gave some to my husband and coworkers and they were all like... "they're meh", or "yuck".

Its an acquired tasted. One that I never acquired lol.

In Canada, the best chocolate bar is the Caramilk. Oooo, I love Caramilk. I used to eat one a day back home. Soooo good. I ordered some in, and my husbands reaction was "its chocolate". lol. But me, I'm in heaven if I have a milk chocolate caramilk bar.

There's alot of stuff I can't get in NOLA, and it really sucks. Caramilk, and ketchup chips are two of them.

[lordlundar]

You can't get Ketchup chips? My condolences.

[Moirae]

Yeah, most of the lays kind of chips that exist in canada don't exist in the US. It really sucks. You can't get hickory sticks here either.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

A friend used to go up to Michigan all the time and cross the border, bringing Ketchup chips and Dill Pickle chips back with him for us. The ketchup chips were good and I wouldn't mind having some again but I was pretty bummed when we no longer got the dill pickle chips. Happily, some US stores have started carrying them, both from Lay's and from Pringles...hooray!