Same but different...

We've been living with in a bare house with no curtains and very dodgy furniture.  The container ship with all our goodies is probably still two weeks away but today we started thinking about how it will all come together.  We desperately need curtains for the lounge and our bedroom and lights for the dinning room and playroom which don't have any...  what?  Fanta Pants hadn't told me that bit.

So we ventured a bit further out today (between swimming lessons, preschool and the supermarket I don't go very far!).  We headed 15 minutes down the number 40 highway to find a familiar place (after going half way to the centre of Montreal on the number 20 highway Fanta Pants realised we were on the wrong one!).

From the outside Ikea looks the same everywhere and of course the furniture is the same but it was still quite different.  Firstly, most everybody was speaking French.  Secondly, Swedish meatballs do not taste the same across the globe!  I was certain they would be the same but Canadian Swedish meatballs are actually made in the USA and they've taken all the spice out and made them rounder and smoother...  

Luckily the landlord is happy for us to do whatever we need to 

Our little trip took twice as long as planned.  It seems that everything takes twice as long - I'm not sure if it's the weather, the extra clothes, the fact we don't know where we're going, a bigger population or the fact that Canadians seem to enjoy waiting in queues.  Everywhere we go there are long queues but no one seems to mind so no need to do anything to shorten them...

Carrots are also same but different.  Sounds crazy huh but they are.  Carrots are one of the only fruits or vegetables that are locally grown but they're not tasty - they're bitter.  We love carrots in our house and eat a lot of them but these ones are only good for cooking.  Plus Fanta Pants think they look like witches fingers.  Luckily you can buy these cute, stubby pre-cut and peeled baby carrots that are perfect for lunch boxes.

One of the fun parts living here for me is occasionally being able to speak French and getting to watch French language tv.  The other night I watched Le fermier dans le pré which is Quebec's cookie cutter version of A farmer wants a wife.  Hilarious!  It was exactly the same - set up, styling, props etc.  The only thing different was the farmer's broad Quebecer accents!

xx

ps - At long last Baby A cut his first tooth!  He's not a tiny baby anymore..