I’m moving to the States before Christmas. It’s not officially official yet but I’m optimistic enough to want to start making lists of things to bring with me. Things that I can’t get outside of Canada, and that I’ll miss terribly.
But here’s my problem: never having been cut off from my Canadian goods, I don’t really know what I’ll miss, besides Tim Hortons coffee and Montreal (Fairmount) bagels. I’m sure there are dozens of other things I’ll only think of once I’m far away from home and all I’ll be able to do about it is weep and whine and beg my friends to send care packages.
Any expat Canadians who want to whine about what they miss most from home, and help me make my list?
Peanut butter. I’m not even Canadian, but American peanut butter is really too damn sweet. I’ve had Canadian peanut butter one time, and it was so much better! Although we do have organic p.b., which is ok and not too sweet.
As someone who grew up in England though, I feel your pain. At least I did until I found a place that sold Cadbury Flake bars.
I get Tetley Tea and Stayfree Prima sent down, as well as Digestif cookies and Tim Horton’s coffee. And I can Saskatoon berries (won’t matter to an Easterner) and bring them home each summer. And Mackintosh’s toffee usually makes an appearance in care packages.
I’m not Canadian, but I like to visit. I bring back cases of Smarties every time, and there’s at least one Canadian anime dealer who knows he can sell a case of them to me anytime he’s in my area for a convention.
Soda is nice, too, if you have a favorite. Everything’s corn syrup down here.
So I take it you probably got the job? Congratulations!
I haven’t lived in the US, but when we were living in Ontario there were a few things we missed from Québec.
Poutine. Unless you never eat it, you’ll find that you miss not having it available. St-Hubert sells poutine sauce in cans and in powder form, so you could stock up on that (or another brand, if you prefer). Curd cheese may or may not be hard to find where you’re going - we managed to find a local cheese shop that carried some (though for some reason, most clients seem to prefer it chilled and squeek-less… at least the owner kept some out at room temperature!)
Maple syrup - we could get some in southern Ontario, but it cost an arm and a leg. Much cheaper to stock up on cans from here, especially in the spring time!
Not very practical to take with you, but we could never find vol-au-vents in Ontario either, which kind of sucked for certain recipies that we have!
God, I’m sure there’s more! I spend 6 years over there, most of it whining about wanting to be over here! I’ll come back if I think of anything!
Been there done that. Missed Greek and Lebanese food, clothes that fit, bagels, smoked meat, steamies, fries, poutine, beer, Rick Mercer, flour that you don’t need to sift, margarine*, sugar shacks, valuable coins, dark chocolate bars (hard to find, not impossible), getting good tea in a restaurant (Lipton is CRAP!), people talking French and news of the homeland.
But you do adapt. I’ve been back two months and still haven’t had half a dozen things on my list.
*my wife missed the margarine, saying U.S. margarine tasted weird.
