Canadian Expatriates, its contributors, and readers have been invited by Foreign Affairs Canada to participate in a series of eDiscussions. The current topic is “Showcasing Canadian Culture and Know-How Abroad”.

We are asked to consider the following questions:

What role does Canadian culture and know-how play in our foreign policy?

How might the government best promote Canadian talent and expertise in the world?

The eDiscussion runs from April 4 to May 6, 2005. At its conclusion, a summary of the discussion will be sent to senior policy planners.

The Expat admin team encourages its readers to join in the eDiscussion at the Canadian International Policy website.

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Posted by Admin

The administration team is currently searching for Canadian expatriates who would be interested in contributing to the Expat Blog. The subject matter is wide open, but must remain family friendly.

If you are interested in joining our blogging team, please send an email our way!

Thank you!

1. Iced tea in Canada and iced tea in the States are two completely different animals. Canucks tend to drink very sweet iced teas that come from either a powder or a syrup; whereas, Yanks go for the real deal brewed from tea bags (and heavily sweetened in the South).

2. Canadians raised on five pin bowling really suck when it comes to ten pin.

3. Although Yanks may call Canabuck "Monopoly money", the colourful bills do serve a purpose. It is much easier to sort through a stack of coloured bills at the cash register than it is to sort through a fistful of all green bills.

4. The American media hates Canada, which isn't really surprising considering that the media hates everything and constantly takes that angle when reporting. Everything becomes a smear campaign - not even Paula Abdul is safe.

5. There is a direct correlation between Canada replacing its one and two dollar bills with coins and the increase in the price of chocolate, chips, and pop out of vending machines. For that very reason, Americans should fight against the creation of a widely circulated one dollar coin.

6. Speaking of chocolate, chips, and pop, they are so much cheaper Stateside! (Again, fight against that coin folks!)

7. American drivers definitely "drive it like they own it" and do not stop for pedestrians.

8. Mountain Dew in the States contains caffeine (hooray!) and also has a plethora of not so tastey offspring - Diet Mountain Dew, Code Red (cherry), Diet Code Red, Limewire (orange), Pitch Black (grape), Baja Blast (lime), and Electrocution (wild berry).

9. It is nice not to have to wait for three years to have a gallbladder removed. (Link requires Flash, a love for Dr. Seuss, and a sense of humour!)

10. With city police, the county sheriff, and state troopers, I don't know who the heck is pulling me over! (Just kidding, I am an awesome driver. I totally drive it like I own it!)