Bits and pieces part II

Continuing from my last post........here are a few more things that I find different/amusing here in Canada:

It stays daylight outside past 8pm. I was so used to it getting dark by 6.30 or 7 back in India. Here the sun goes down only by 8.15. Here I am, feeling like making a cup of tea. (Feels like 4pm), then I take a look at the time and see that it is 7 already. Bright sunlight outside....feels strange. It has been great .......I take the kids to the park and they can play outside till 8. It's a five minute walk back to our house, in time for a quick dinner, bath and into bed. Still getting used to the fact that people here in general have early dinners. Eat by 7 or 7.30 (In India we have dinner by 8.30 or 9), then watch a movie, go out or have the time to do homework etc before going to bed. Our routine is still in a whirl, but that will fix itself by Sept 2nd when school starts.

Another thing we see here that we find so strange........many stores carry signs saying, in block letters mind you........'Buy now and pay in 2010!' I am not joking. We went to buy our t.v, and the sales rep was explaining to us about all these different installment and payment schemes. One of them, was to buy the t.v and pay for it only in the year 2010. No interest! This was their way of making a sale.........we didn't opt for this because we were not comfortable with the whole idea, but we did see lots of people buying even sofa sets under this scheme. That means they will actually use the product for the next two years, and then pay the full price. If they miss the deadline for the payment by even a day, then they get the billed amount plus a big interest amount added to it. You have to read the fine print in everything you do here. The Ad for something will say, only 20 dollars..........but by the time they add the 55 cents for this and the 3 dollars for that.....plus taxes.......the 20 dollars is suddenly 40!!

Anyway........HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY ........to everybody!!

Will put up more pictures by this weekend.