Every day in Canada I'm forced to face my arch enemy...math. After moving here, I quickly realized that the metric system would be a bit trickier than I thought, requiring continual conversion. Seriously, why did the U.S. not just switch over to metric when I was a kid as my teachers promised? Did you know that the only other countries besides the U.S. that have not officially adopted the metric system are Liberia (in western Africa) and Burma (also known as Myanmar, in Southeast Asia)?
I find it especially confusing when dealing with food. I remember the first time I went to purchase deli meat. I waited in line, stepped up to the counter to order a pound of ham. No wait, not pounds, grams right? But, how many? The first time I ordered meat, I just played the rookie Canadian card and said "I need this much turkey" and held my fingers about an inch apart. The girl asked "Aboat 400 grams, eh?". Um, exactly. I'm continually converting the quantity for recipes. My recipe calls for 12oz. Ok, so how much is that in milliliters, which is what the containers here read. I now have the conversion chart in my cookbook bookmarked so I can quickly reference it.
Of course, the speedometer on my car displays in miles, not kilometers since it was purchased in the U.S. Dayven's truck is Canadian so he doesn't have to worry about this. I've actually gotten quite used to looking at the smaller numbers in the center of the dial to get an accurate reading of my speed. I learned this one the hard way.
At the pediatrician's office, they weigh Wyatt in kilograms and measure him in centimeters. This is actually great for adults because you feel so much lighter when your weight is only in double digits instead of triple.
The temperature is measured in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit. At first, it was hard to wrap my mind around a "heat wave" at 33 degrees, but now the Celsius temperature is starting to have a bit more significance for me. There's actually a rough calculation you can do to determine the temp in Fahrenheit. It's not precise, but it's close enough to get the general idea.
Currency is another area that must be converted. When we first moved here, I always asked Dayven "How much is that in real money?" like we're just using pretend monopoly money up here. There's no quick formula for figuring this out since the exchange rate is always changing, but right now it's in our favor, so it's like everything is on SALE! As our friend Charlie often says "The exchange rate is REALLY good today, I have to go buy something." I also love the fact that dollars are coins here. Anything $5 and up comes in a bill, but there is a $1 coin, called a "loonie" and a $2 coin, called a "toonie". The men don't like it as much since they carry their coins in their pockets, not their wallet, but I think it's great. You can look in your wallet and think you have absolutely no money (as I often do) but then still manage to scrape together $6 or $7 just by digging around in your change purchase!
I'm getting more used to it all and have learned to quickly convert most things in my head. It's probably a good refresher for my math skills anyway since I figure I'm operating at about a second grade level.
3 comments:
Amen! It's ridiculous that the US isn't on the metric system yet, especially because it's so basic! But the one thing I HATE about the metric system is using a recipe that calls for GRAMS of sugar, or flour...or something that should be listed in CUPS! It may just be a British thing. They use scales a lot to weigh out their ingredients and haven't figured out that doing things by volume is easier.
Okay no more venting.
First, I can so relate. I have been know to find at least $18 in coins in the pocket of my purse on a good week. In Oz, the $2 coins are smaller that $1 so I always have more of those!
Second, while I don't mind the metric system, celcius temps and colorful money, I like the Imperial system. Since the USA is one of the only places still using it, I think it makes us kinda unique. That, or it fits in with my leftover teenage anti-conformist angst.
Third, what do you do about spelling? When I moved here I had a boss who thought it was VERY important for the Yanks to spell like locals so I had to start using British English at work. I actually write emails to Aussies & Singaporeans in British English and the Americans in American English. Some days I don't remember which way I am supposed to spell what!?!?
Canada uses the British spelling for many words - neighbour, flavour, theatre, cheque, and sometimes they add an "a" to words, like orthopaedic or an extra "l", like marvellous. I write the newsletter for my mom's group so I try to make an effort to use the British spelling, but sometimes I forget since my spellcheck is set to American English. If they notice I've spelled it wrong, they don't make a big deal about it. That and the addition of French to all signs and labels makes it interesting!
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