This is the end of our around the world Education Week tour. Don’t you wish we could go on visiting other countries? I do. We end today with New Zealand. A destination that is at the top of Nathan’s bucket list. The place is gorgeous! To show us around her homeland, we have Julie from Gore, New Zealand. Way down south. She has lived in New Zealand all her life. Julie is married with two girls (seen in the photos) who are 7 and 5. Take it away Julie…

What are some traditions or customs of New Zealand?

Everyone, well most, take their annual holidays at Christmas and go away to the beach, lake or river. Remember, its summer at Christmas for us. The Maori people, the indigenous people of New Zealand, have a number of traditions or tikanga including powhiri (a traditional welcome ceremony) and a hongi (a traditional greeting which is done by pressing one’s nose to another person nose).

What do you love about New Zealand?

I LOVE my country! I love that I can drive two hours in one direction and be on the snow slopes. Drive one hour in the other direction and be at a beautiful white sandy beach. Walk 15 minutes and be at the river. It is also a very mulitcultural country. I love that!

What is your favorite food that is only served in New Zealand?

A traditional Maori hangi! A hangi is a special way of cooking food under the ground using red hot rocks and steam. Rocks are heated and put into a pit in the ground. And then wire baskets of food – meat (maybe pork, lamb, chicken), potatoes, kumera (like sweet potato) – are put on top of the rocks. The baskets get covered with wet sheets and the wet sheets get covered with wet sacks. Then the sacks are covered with dirt. The water in the wet cloths turns into steam when it gets heated by the rocks. And because the steam can’t escape through the dirt it heats and cooks the food. It takes about 7 hours to cook a hangi from start to finish but the food is delicious!

What are the living conditions like in your town/city?

I live in a reasonably small town of about 13,000 people. The town is surrounded by farms (mainly sheep and dairy). The living conditions are really very good. Most of the homes are made from brick with some of the newer houses being made from wood. There are no apartments or anything like that in Gore. There are quite a lot of what we call ‘lifestyle blocks’ in our area. Where people live out of town on quite a bit of land, but not a farm. We live in a smallish three bedroom house with quite a small yard.

What are some trends in fashion, interior design and arts and craft?

I really don’t have any idea. Away from the big cities I really am out of touch in this area. Not that I have really been one to keep up with trends. I can tell you the trends in my life right now and that is shopping in vintage/second hand shops and sewing!

What is the biggest thing happening in the news there?

Locally – Whether or not the town should get curbside recycling. Ummm hello – YES!! This debate has been going on since we moved here two and a half years ago. Get with the times people!

Julie's two daughters.

What is it like to be a mom there compared to other parts of the world?

I think mums (we spell it differently down here) all around the world want the same thing for their children. They want them to be happy and healthy. Being a mum is the hardest but most rewarding job that there is. There is always that constant battle of work/home/social life – which I think a lot of mum’s would struggle with.

How are children raised differently there? What do they eat, play with, popular games or toys?

I would say it is probably no different than the US. My girls both go to school. School goes from 8:45 a.m. until 3 p.m. With a short break in the morning and then a longer break at lunch time. They both get homework, not a lot but enough for them to moan and groan. Generally they have a book/story to read, then maybe some maths and writing. Food here is probably no different than the U.S. Games and toys are also probably no different than the U.S. Popular activities at our place at the moment a bike riding, babies (their dolls), ponies (My Little Ponies) and anything to do with crafting.

» Tell me… What do you think about New Zealand? Do you want to visit there? To read other articles in the Education Week segment, click on the logo below.

Sadly, what I know about South Africa is from the movie The Endless Summer. My dad is a surfer and we watched surf movies growing up. But even in the movie, South Africa seemed like an exciting tropical place to visit. To tell us about South Africa is Eunice who lives in a municipality just outside Durban called Queensburgh, in a suburb called Malvern. She is married with three grown children and two grandchildren.

{image of Cape Town by Joanne from Flickr}

What are some traditions or customs of South Africa?

We live in a country which is a mix of first and third world, so there are a lot of things which you would find anywhere in the developed world, and things peculiar to Africa. We have a huge variety of wildlife – birds, insects, snakes, the Big five (lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards and buffalo), crocodiles and everything inbetween. We have a lot of wildlife reserves too.

What is your favorite food that is only served in South Africa?

We have dishes from all the different cultures who live here. We have Indian, African, Afrikaans, Malay and European influences in our cuisines. One of the African dishes I like is called samp and beans. Samp is dried corn which has been roughly crushed. It is cooked together with dried beans for several hours until done and then greens can be added if desired, or it can be eaten as a side dish with meat.

What are the living conditions like in your town/city?

Queensburgh is in a greenbelt and wherever you drive through this area you are surrounded by trees. Because it is a very old area (my husband’s family moved out here in 1895), the roads are mostly quite narrow and there are quite a lot of older houses. There has been a lot of development lately, so the character of the area is starting to change. But it is still a lovely tranquil place to live. It is one of those areas where people settle, their families grow up and settle in the same areas and the next generation does the same. It is not unusual to have been living in the area for three or more generations.

In our area we are close enough to shop in Durban if we want but far enough away to feel as if we live in the countryside. We build mostly with bricks here in South Africa, and usually the houses are one-story.We usually have walls or hedges lining outer boundaries as well.

What are some trends in fashion, interior design and arts and craft?

Fashion-wise we are first world. Same for interior decor. Art-wise, indigenous art is really starting to come into it’s own. There are a lot of South African artists whose work is doing very well overseas at the moment. I wouldn’t be surprised if you found some locally.

What is the biggest thing happening in the news there?

The biggest thing happening on our news at the moment is our President’s love life, and the fact that we are hosting the soccer world cup this year in June/July.

What are some stores you like to shop there?

We have Woolworths here and a lot of the boutique shops (Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, etc.). We also have supermarkets called Pick-n-Pay, Shoprite Checkers, Spar, Game. We really don’t have any problems getting goods here and can find almost anything we want. I just have a problem with craft supplies. We don’t have a lot of local manufacturers (the number is growing), so a lot is being imported. And with the cost of import duties some of the stuff is quite expensive. I just won’t buy at some of the prices they ask. I either do without or make a plan around it.

What is it like to be a mom there compared to other parts of the world?

The subtropical climate makes us be a bit more careful because there are a lot of parasites that can infest us. The African children don’t have much immunity to diseases like polio and measles, and many die every year from these. Cholera is a problem because of lack of clean water in some areas. We are also having a problem with malaria. But these diseases are found in other parts of the world as well, they are not peculiar to us.

How are children raised differently there? What do they eat, play with, popular games or toys?

The children here are the same as everywhere else as far as pastimes are concerned. I am really concerned at the amount of time kids spend playing video and computer games, instead of being outside playing physical games. They just seem incapable of amusing themselves. Even kids from poorer families want cell phones and handheld games. I see parents practcally bankrupt themselves to get these for their kids.

As to what our kids like to eat, we have Kentucky Fried Chicken and McDonalds here, so you can guess where the queue is.

What is something all moms can learn from South African moms?

Protect your kids from the sun (use hats, sunscreen, UV-resistant swimming clothes). Teach them tolerance for the other people and cultures who live here with us. And appreciate the modern conveniences we enjoy in our third world country. Things could be worse! I find that most of the people (of all colours) here in South Africa are much the same as anyone anywhere else. We’re just trying to survive and do the best for our families with what we have.

» Tell me… What did you learn about South Africa? Would you like to visit there? To read other articles in the Education Week segment, click on the logo below.

{image by Nathan}

Nathan was excited about Portugal being represented in our around the world Education Week. He spent two years in Lisbon and Madeira. Therefore, some of the pictures in this post are from him. But rather than asking Nathan about Portugal, I had Paula who is currently living in Lisbon do our Q&A. She is far more interesting than Nathan, I’m sure. Paula has lived in Portugal all her life. She is married with two children, 16 and 9 years old. She is employed at an educational exchange program for Portuguese and American scholars and students. Thanks, Paula, for sharing with us your lovely country.

What are some traditions or customs of Portugal?

We have a long history and many of our traditions and celebrations are related to our history. For instance, many towns organize fairs in their castles to attract tourists. There are many castles in Portugal although most of them are in ruins with only a few walls left. In these fairs the locals dress up in medieval clothes and sell local products and food. In Lisbon, on June 13, we celebrate Saint Anthony with parades and music in the streets. On this occasion bars and restaurants usually serve grilled sardines with bread and wine.

What do you love about Portugal?

I love the mild climate and the long coast line with wonderful sandy beaches. Lisbon is a beautiful city with old neighborhoods and monuments but the countryside appeals to me more and more as I grow older.

What is your favorite food that is only served in Portugal?

Dry cod fish (we call it bacalhau) is a national food that we cook in many different ways. Grilled fresh fish is also delicious and very easy to find especially in the summer months. Then each region has its own typical dishes and desserts. I love the traditional desserts which are mainly made with egg yolks, sugar and almond. Very yummy but not good if you’re on a diet. I also love the cheese – there are many different types according to the region where they are produced.

{image by Nathan}

What are the living conditions like in your town/city?

Lisbon is a city with ca. 1 million inhabitants. Many people work in Lisbon but live outside the city and commute everyday. Portuguese population is aging because most couples have only one or two kids and many have no kids at all. On the other hand the life expectancy has increased so we have many elders and fewer children.

What are some trends in fashion, interior design and arts and craft?

In arts and crafts, I would say there’s a “new” movement and many girls and young women are learning to sew and knit and they open small online shops to sell their products. Whereas women of my mother’s generation all learned to sew when they were little, the next generation didn’t have much interest in crafts but now we see a new interest for handmade items and for learning crafts.

{image by Nathan}

What is the biggest thing happening in the news there?

I’m sorry to say it’s the economic and financial crisis. Unemployment rate is rising every month and examples of companies that are closing down are always in the news. Soccer (which we call football) is always in the news too.

What are some stores you like to shop there?

The things I prefer to buy are books and fabrics, and we get better prices buying these online. For clothes, when I can afford it, I like a store called Lanidor. It’s a Portuguese brand but they opened stores in several other countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. I also like to shop at the El Corte Ingles, a Spanish department store. For the kids I buy at Benetton, Zara, H&M and of course, I buy them clothes whenever I travel to the US. There are no GAP stores in Portugal.

Paula's two children.

What is it like to be a mom in Portugal compared to other parts of the world?

I think one of the main differences is that in Portugal there are very few stay at home moms and even fewer who do home schooling. I only know one mom who is about my age that doesn’t work outside of home but her daughter goes to school. In the countryside there may be more stay at home moms than in the cities, but children usually do go to school. This means we have less time to be with the children, and we spend our days running to get it all done.

How are children raised differently there?

Nowadays with the globalization I believe children are very much alike in what they eat and what they play. They all like to go to McDonald’s even when they only eat the fries and they all enjoy video games. Wii is a great success here. They all want to dress alike and I struggle against this as I think this type of behavior (doing exactly the same all the other kids are doing) kills their creativity. I try to talk my daughter into being herself and not copy what the others do. But it is not easy as kids tend to think that being different is bad. I remember 2 years ago we went shopping for stationary for school in August and there were no notebooks available featuring the idol that was fashionable that year (probably Hanna Montana). My daughter was on the verge of tears but I convinced her that at home we could turn a plain notebook into a cute one, with her drawings and photos and some felt. When classes started she was really nervous because her notebooks were not alike the other kids’, but what happened was that the other girls loved and praised her notebooks and she felt super important that day. I also made some pencil rolls for her and her friends loved them and she felt great. She has come to understand that different can be great, but it’s a slow process. 

What is something that all moms can learn from Portuguese moms?

Balancing family life with working outside of home. Most moms have a full-time job as most families cannot live with only one salary, but I think we’re pretty successful balancing our family life with our work. Moms try hard to spend quality time with their children and to make a home for them. We know how hard it is to do so with little time.

» Tell me… What did you learn about Portugal? Anything new? To read other articles in the Education Week segment, click on the logo below.

I have read all of Jade’s comments on Simply Modern Mom. She’s been here a while and how exciting it was for me to learn that she is in Scotland! It’s one of my dream destinations. Gorgeous views and scenery. Jade is located in Aberdeen. She has been dating her boyfriend for six years. She works as a geophysicist allowing her to travel often, which is something she loves doing. Thank you, Jade, for doing our Q&A about Scotland.

What are some traditions or customs of Scotland?

Scotland has some well known traditions and stereotypes recognized throughout the world. I think the most well known one is the kilt, of course. Then there’s the food – haggis and deep fried Mars Bars. We certainly eat haggis. The deep fried Mars Bars are limited to a small minority of the population though. Another tradition which I really enjoy is a ceilidh which is a party with traditional Scottish dancing, it involves a lot of spinning around and if you’ve got a strong Scottish boy as your partner it’s not uncommon for your feet to lift off the ground while you’re twirling around! We’ve all had to learn these dances since we were at primary school so most of us remember them.

What do you love about Scotland?

What I love about Scotland the most is the people (ok maybe I’m biased!) and the way they use the language. It’s distorted throughout the country into different versions, and I love that there are still local dialects. It sounds fantastic.I also love the scenery which is why a lot of people come to visit Scotland. We are so spoiled with gorgeous mountains and natural beauty as well as a mixture of great architecture, from old castles to new and interesting buildings such as in Glasgow.

What is your favorite food that is only served in Scotland?

Probably pineapple cakes are one of my favourite foods. They are small individual cakes with sweet short crust pastry, a layer of pineapple mixed with a sort of pineapple jam, cream, then yellow fondant icing over the top. I know pineapples don’t really grow in Scotland but that’s the only place I’ve had these cakes. I do love a bit of haggis, neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes) too. It’s complete comfort food to me, especially when you put some wholegrain mustard in with the mashed potatoes.

What are the living conditions like in your town/city?

Living in Aberdeen is similar to living in a lot of cities in the UK, people either live in flats (apartments) or houses. In Scotland there is still a strong tradition of using local stone and mortar for construction. In Aberdeen it is common for a lot of houses to be composed of granite, this is a very hard strong rock which had a grey appearance but glitters when the sun shines on it. In the southern parts of Scotland it’s a lot more common for sandstone to be used. In the southwest it is red coloured sandstone and in the east, blonde sandstone, giving each areas cities a different feel.

The best thing about Aberdeen is it’s a small city, you can get everything you need there from shopping and cinema, swimming pools and parks, but in minutes you can be out of the town to the beach or into the countryside. It’s the best of both worlds and still has a very community feel to it.

What are some trends in fashion, interior design and arts and craft?

We follow the major fashion trends here, but it’s also a bit chilly so sometimes there’s a bit more layering involved! There are a lot of people here at the moment doing more traditional arts and crafts again. It’s become somewhat fashionable, such as knitting and sewing. I suppose it’s pretty similar to the USA, there’s a bit of scrapbooking here but it’s not as popular as the USA.

What is the biggest thing happening in the news there?

The story which dominates the news here at the moment is the war in Afghanistan. There have been many Scottish lives lost there. In terms of local news, one of the main story today is about a missing retired farmer with dementia who because lost in the Argyll hillside who was found thanks to his old sheepdog, Nell, who was with him and who alerted searchers to where they were in the woods.

What are some stores you like to shop there?

There are lots of shops here, including the big international chains, but there are quite a few more local stores as well. Locally there are lots of great small shops and delis. The Ian Mellis Cheese Shop, which I adore. UK-wide there are Marks and Spencer’s and Next which are well known high street favourites here for clothes. I also like to shop at Gap and TKMaxx. We bought a few pieces of furniture from IKEA when we first bought our own place. Although now I’m more keen to buy older pieces at auction and refurbish them myself. We’re really lucky be able to get everything we need so easily here and there is plenty of local meat and veg which is reasonable priced.

What is something all moms can learn from Scottish moms?

I’m not a mum yet so can’t speak from personal experience, but from my Mum and Gran I would say that Scottish mum’s are great role models, they teach children that women should be strong and independent as well as supportive of their husbands. Both my Mum and Gran are very strong women, they gave their children care and attention but also taught them independance too.

» Tell me… What do you think of Scotland now? Did you learn a new thing or two? To read other articles in the Education Week segment, click on the logo below.

Today’s country is the Philippines. I asked Jing who has been living in Manila, Philippines, all her life to tell us about her country. She is a 42-year-old single mom of four teenagers and a grandparent of one. Thanks, Jing, for teaching us about the Philippines.

What do you love about your country?

I love our seven thousand plus islands. It gives the country such diversity that you’ll never tire of seeing more and more of it.

What is your favorite food that is only served there?

I love sinigang! It’s a tamarind-based sour soup which can be made with pork, beef, shrimp or fish and vegetables like string beans, kangkong and labanos. It is a very versatile dish that’s hugely comforting and easy to make.

What are the living conditions like in your town/city?

I live in the suburbs, in a village where kids can still play on the streets outside their homes. It’s getting increasingly urbanized though. Malls are the big thing here in the Philippines. Personally, I don’t like these giant boxes of commerce. I would prefer little shops but those are fast vanishing.

What are some trends in fashion, interior design and arts and craft?

This being a tropical country, the emphasis is on keeping cool especially with the summer months upon us. Sandals and flip-flops have become the order of the day. Things are laid-back. Fashion-wise, we are up-to-date with global trends but Filipinos still tend to be a bit conservative. Interior design trends are based on our wealth of indigenous raw materials. Upcycling is slowly but surely getting big here. Fashionistas have gone vintage. Crafters are finding new uses for old things.

What is the biggest thing happening in the news there?

There’s going to be an election this May so, that event is pretty much headlining everything.

What is it like to be a mom there compared to other parts of the world?

I think mothers across the globe basically have the same concerns: how to raise their children well, teach them the right values, feed them healthy food, etc. The difference lies in the environment we’re living in. Instilling the proper Filipino values is important in our culture. Preserving the family prevails above all; we like getting together as a family on weekends to eat and talk. We always tell our children to pay respect to their elders by using the terms “po” and “opo.” We encourage them to say thanks, “salamat.” We emphasize the importance of working together (“bayanihan”) as a family or as a team to achieve a common goal. We also put a premium on taking care of our elders; extended families are still very much the norm here with either the grandparents or uncles or aunts living with the family.

How are children raised differently there? What do they eat, play with, popular games or toys?

We are a rice-eating culture, so everything revolves around rice. Children are usually served white rice together with a main dish and fruits. We are fortunate that we still get our food fresh here. You can go to your favourite butcher and get meat just butchered that very morning. There are all sorts of fresh vegetables to make all sorts of tasty dishes. And of course, the seafood-fish, shrimp, crabs, squid-they’re all here.

We have traditional games but unfortunately, they have been replaced by computer games and online games. That’s what most kids are into these days.

» Tell me… Have you been to the Philippines? What did you learn from Jing that fascinated you about her country? To read other articles in the Education Week segment, click on the logo below.

{image by Lisa}

Today we are going down under. Oh how I would love to visit Australia, it’s on my bucket list. It is such an adventurous place, it seems. To tell us about Australia, I have Catherine and Lisa. Catherine lives in Darwin, been there for about 9 years. She is married and a stay-at-home mom with two boys (and a husband). Then Lisa is living in Brisbane, which is the capital city of the state of Queensland. She has lived there since 1984. She and her husband Rob have two kids, Ella, 6, and Finn, 4. And she works part-time as a nurse.

What are some traditions or customs of Australia?

Catherine: Aboriginal Australian traditions vary from place to place but are based on their belief in the Dreamtime and their connection to the land. These stories are told through their art, craft and through traditional dances. Another tradition common to Australia and New Zealand is Anzac Day. This is a national day commemorating the first major military action (at Gallipoli in Turkey) fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

Lisa: January 26 is Australia Day and is a national public holiday. On that day, Sydney has a reenacting of the first fleet arriving, lots of local gatherings for BBQ’s, cockroach races in pubs, two-up games, thong tossing games, prawn peeling contests, concerts and fireworks. It’s a day not only celebrating the birth of our nation, but what it has become.
Sport has a HUGE following here. People are very commited to their chosen team, whether it’s a type of football, cricket, basketball- whatever. There is also lots of rivalry, but not usually violence. Lots of people play sport, too, which is another advantage of great weather.

What do you love about Australia?

Catherine: I love that Australia is so big that you can’t know all the landscapes and so, there is always something new to discover. I love that the people are mostly friendly and generous. I love that we have beautiful weather and are able to spend lots of time outdoors.

Lisa: I love the relaxed lifestyle, the diversity of places to visit (city, beach, snow, outback). The food, the outdoors- lots of open spaces, outdoor dining. The weather, for the most part, although I don’t like the humidity in Brisbane.

What is your favorite food that is only served in Australia?

Catherine: Vegemite (a food paste made from yeast extract).

Lisa: We are known for BBQ’s, meat pies and sausage sizzles. We have some deserts that are unique to us- Pavlova (meringue covered in cream then fresh fruit), lamingtons (sponge cake covered in chocolate icing and rolled in coconut) and ANZAC biscuits (you call them cookies). Most of our fresh foods we grow ourselves, which is great, although we do find some imported things sometimes (oranges and grapes from USA).

{image by Catherine}

What are the living conditions like in your town/city?

Catherine: People mostly live in suburban houses. There are a few apartment complexes in the inner city. Where I live, in Darwin, homes are single-storey and open plan with lots of windows and doors to let the air flow around the house. Most houses have large verandahs to shade the house and provide an outdoor living space.

Lisa: Traditionally, homes in Brisbane were made from wood. They were known as Queenslanders or Workers Cottages. Dating from early last century, many still exist and are renovated and often extended. They were raised off the ground, had high ceilings and wide verandahs. They were meant to be cool in summer and warm in winter but the opposite is usually the case. The other trend now is towards modern rendered houses built on small blocks (400 sq. meters). In my neighbourhood, it is popular to buy a block, knock down the existing house and build two new houses, or maybe one big one. Open-plan living is popular, with a wall of doors that open right up onto a large deck.

Living in Brisbane is great. Population about 1.85million so not too crowded. There’s lots to do. The beach is only an hour’s drive away, so popular for a day trip, or longer holiday. Brisbane has lots of bike paths which are safe for taking the kids for a ride.

{image by Lisa}

What are some trends in fashion, interior design and arts and craft?

Catherine: I think the dominant trend in interior design is for more eco-concious living and connecting the outdoor and indoor spaces of the house. There is also a growing awareness and appreciation for Aboriginal art in Australia.

Lisa: Craft has made a big comeback here. There are markets on every weekend in lots of places with handmade goods.

What is the biggest thing happening in the news there?

Catherine: One big ongoing national story at the moment is on stopping Japanese whaling in Antarctic waters and the actions of activist groups against whalers.

Lisa: The news over here is mostly about the Queensland Government at the moment. The leader of the government is called the Premier and ours is currently selling off lots of the state’s assets to raise money. We are not happy and her approval rate has just been reported as being 28 percent. And lots of angst about our health system and schools.

What is it like to be a mom there compared to other parts of the world?

Catherine: I think Australia is lucky because there is the opportunity to let your child play outside and go exploring without the worry (or censure from other people) this would create in many other parts of the world. One disadvantage for mums in Australia is that many families do not live near extended family and this can make motherhood very isolating.

{image by Catherine}

How are children raised differently there? What do they eat, play with, popular games or toys?

Catherine: Australia has lots of opportunities for children to be outside and to play sports (although we do still have a problem with obesity). Popular sports for Aussie kids are cricket, rugby, Australian Rules Football and swimming. We play outside all year round swimming, in the sandpit, bike riding and gardening. My children both love to eat vegemite sandwiches, barramundi and chips or anzac biscuits, but pavlova is yuck!

Lisa: They start school here in Prep. They wear a uniform and must have their hat- “No Hat No Play.” As we have one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, we are very big on sun protection. They take their own food to school, but also have Tuckshops- like your canteens, I guess.

What is something all moms can learn from Australian moms?

Catherine: It is hard to be so general about Australian mum. But I think something that people could learn from Australian mums is to let your children get dirty, let them go exploring and let them find a bit of trouble. My children are potentially at risk from all sorts of dangerous critters living right in my backyard, but I teach them how to be careful and let them play. That will make them stronger, more interesting and more confident people than if I made them stay inside because they might find trouble.

» Tell me… Did you find Australia fascinating? What did you learn from Catherine and Lisa? To read other articles in the Education Week segment, click on the logo below.

{image by Sandy}

How did you like learning about Japan yesterday? Just wait until you see what other countries I have for the remainder of this week and all next week. Today, I had three Canadian readers telling us about “O, Canada” – OK not the anthem but the beloved country. Some of us in the U.S. may not think of Canada as being so foreign. But I think you’ll be surprised. And have you noticed that Canadians are all so kind? I have several friends from Canada and they are the nicest people I know. With three Canadians contributing to this Q&A, I’ve taken bits and pieces of their answers to shorten this post a bit.

Our three Canadians include Melissa who lives in Fort St. John, British Columbia. Fort St. John is a small city located in the northeastern part of the province, close to the Peace River. Melissa’s family moved there when she was 10. She left for college in Vancouver then moved back. Melissa and her husband, Rob, have a soon-to-be 3 year-old name Rhys.

The second Canadian is Shauna who lives in Victoria, British Columbia. She was living in Vancouver for the last two years but recently moved back to Victoria, as it’s definitely what she considers home. She is 26 and newly married. She works as a French teacher. And Shauna loves to cook and play ice hockey.

And the third Canadian is Sandy who lives on Sointula Island on the east side of the north end of Vancouver Island. She has lived there for 11 years. Sandy has been married for 41 years and have three grown children.

What are some traditions or customs of Canada?

Melissa: I live in Northern Canada, and for many people in the North, outdoor activities are a huge part of our culture. In the summer, most families go camping, fishing, boating (river boating is especially popular where I live), hiking, ride ATV’s or horses and have lots of picnics and barbecues with family and friends. In the winter, activities involving snow and ice are huge – hockey and skating, tobogganing, snowmobiling, curling, downhill and cross country skiing. In fact ice is loved so much here (at least we “try” to love it), our city hosts a major ice carving festival every year where professional ice carvers from all over the world come to compete. The sculptures are absolutely stunning, and every year they build better and more elaborate ice slides for the kids in one of the parks in the centre of town.

Shauna: Canadians are definitely known to be extremely friendly and like talking about their feelings. We don’t have a lot of strictly “Canadian” traditions, although watching hockey games could be said to be one.

What is your favorite food that is only served in Canada?

Melissa: Many other Canadians would probably say Poutine, which is French fries with gravy and mozzarella cheese, but while it is delicious, it is most definitely not healthy. Where I live, which is Northern Canada, we eat a lot of wild game (moose, elk, deer) or bison, rather than the traditional beef.

Shauna: Nanaimo bars are delicious. They’re a chocolate-coconut/nutty cookie type base with a layer of buttery icing topped with a layer of hard chocolate. I’m also a big fan of real maple syrup on my pancakes.

What are the living conditions like in your town/city?

Shauna: There are lots of condos and houses. Some of the homes are 100+ years old (that’s old for here). Most of the homes are multi-stories, built mainly with wood, as opposed to the bricks used in more Eastern cities. Open concept living is popular, with an open kitchen and living room. Homes tend to be fairly spacious, with each child in a family having her own bedroom, and there are usually multiple bathrooms. The condo buildings are in general about 4-5 stories high as there are height restrictions in many areas.

Sandy: No apartments and one small seniors complex. Lots of homes are still woodburning. Some were float houses originally. We range from very old to very new and modern log homes. Walking and biking are common modes of transportation but we just about all have cars.

{image by Sandy}

What are some trends in fashion and interior design?

Shauna: Lulu Lemon pants (a brand of yoga wear) are popular amongst young women, as are slim dark wash jeans and flats (shoes). Everyone’s sporting scarves right now – a nice pair of jeans, a sweater, a scarf, and a great pair of knee-high boots is very fashionable. Interior design – lots of browns and taupes on the walls, hardwood flooring, stainless steel appliances, dark dark brown furniture with a cozy area rug. Everyone seems to be excited about clean lines and (what I find to be unfortunate) non-wired lighting, so you have to have lamps in every room.

Sandy: Thrift store chic jeans and shirts very casual We laugh because we might drop something at the thrift store only to have a friend buy it for us because they thought it would suit or to even buy back your own. Mostly we shop down island.

What is the biggest thing happening in the news there?

Melissa: The biggest news here right now is definitely the Olympics. We have two local athletes competing in Vancouver, which is pretty great for the size of our city. The Olympic torch passed through our community about two weeks ago, which was a lot of fun. It was really nice that the Vancouver Olympic Committee did such a good job of trying to get the torch to nearly every community in Canada.

Sandy: We had the torch land in Port Hardy (north end of Vancouver Island) by ferry and all the local talent was out. Talent from more than four communities native dancing, choir and band. One of the hockey teams ran the torch. It was a real local event with fireworks to end the evening.

What is it like to be a mom there compared to other parts of the world?

Melissa: I think that it’s pretty great to be a mom in Canada, or more specifically, British Columbia. There is a lot of opportunity for our children, and there are a lot of resources available to parents. Our province funds a lot of really great (free) programs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. And because I live in a community that consists largely of young families, there are tons of activities available each week for me to take my toddler to. In fact, I have to be careful that we don’t try and do too much each week!

Melissa and her son Rhys

How are children raised differently there? What do they eat, play with, popular games or toys?

Melissa: I feel that in my community, children are fortunately still encouraged to be quite active. We have lots of parks, walking paths, trails for the summer, three indoor ice complexes (one of which is enormous and brand new) along with an outdoor ice rink in almost every neighbourhood. Our city is quite safe and children will walk or ride their bikes to school, and we have an abundance of high quality athletic programs from hockey to dance to martial arts. There is always space for your child, no waiting lists. However, there is still a lot of unhealthy eating habits, junk food, etc. maybe partly to do with the fact that families are always racing from one activity to the next.

What is something that all moms can learn from Canadian moms?

Melissa: This is by far the most difficult question. Maybe it’s because I am Canadian, and we tend to be rather modest about our accomplishments (unless it’s about winter sports). While we might be incredibly proud of our country and our accomplishments, we try to teach our children to be proud and confident, but also humble. There is always more than one way to do something, and everyone is important. I think that we have a cultural aversion to arrogance, and while yes, there is both poverty and extreme wealth in our country, we aren’t divided into distinguishable classes, and for the most part, everyone has the same opportunities.

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