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.

---

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!

Carol Nelson is attributed with saying, "Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home." Of course, spending Christmas away from friends and family makes the homesickness even more tangible. At the best of times, it is difficult to deal with the distance, but it is even more difficult when it comes to the holidays.

Thanks to some folks in Alberta, homesick expats such as myself can bid on "The Great Canadian Mystery Box" which promises to contain a "trip to Canada in a box". According to the seller's eBay listing:

My husband and I were reminiscing today on growing up in Canada.

Namely what it meant to us, prominent things we remember enjoying, laughing about, munching on, stereotype Canadian memorabilia, etc. We thought that it would be amazing to offer someone a 'trip to Canada' in a box.

Stuffed to the brim with things you couldn't possibly get anywhere else. We have gone all over town to find things that remind us of and Canada and our hometown of Edmonton, Alberta.

We are one of the locations that Brad Pitt was recently filming 'The Assignation of Jesse James', he and Angelina Jolie also visited our West Edmonton Mall with the kids as we have a giant indoor theme park in the mall, among many other things. Wonder what was stuffed in from there.... We are also the hometown of Wayne Gretzky who made his name with the Edmonton Oilers, we are known as 'The City of Champions'. You may encounter coins you have or haven't seen before and many other pieces; to wear, to show off to your friends, to taste...

Those hints provide a fairly good idea of what the box may contain. Its contents seem to be a little more promising than those in the "Medical Mystery Box of Canadian Delight" that had been up for bidding last March.

Again, if anyone bids on this item and wins, please share with us what the box contains!