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!

"Can I interest you in a Heineken or a cocktail?" the server asked.

We were celebrating our wedding anniversary so we had cause to celebrate.

"Sure," replied the Yank. "Two Caesars please!"

The waitress looked confused.

"It is my first day on the job," she explained. "I will be right back with that."

True to her word, she was back a short time later.

"Sorry! I forgot to check your ID."

I breathed a sigh of relief. I am well passed the age where getting carded is an inconvenience. In fact, I now view the process as more of a compliment than a hassle. I suppose, that, in and of itself, is a better indicator of my age than anything.

Before she went back to grab the drinks, our waitress passed on a question from the bartender. "Caesars are made with tequila right?"

My husband and I looked at each other in horror and decided that it was best to change our orders at that point. He got hooked on Caesars at home and we had forgotten that it was not a terribly common drink here in the States. It was, therefore, with a bit of a laugh that I later read the following sentence in the Wikipedia: "[The Caesar] is not well known in the U.S., and many Canadians living abroad prize a bartender who can mix a good Caesar." Apparently, we are not the only ones to have confused an American bartender.