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It's done. Nearly five months in Canada seem to have passed in the blink of an eye. I've met new people, discovered new places and had new experiences. Of course, there were some downs too (it's life, after all), but these downs are definitely overshadowed by the ups. Like Zambia, this is a period in my life I will not easily forget. Nevertheless, it's good to be home, even if only because that means I survived my travels (man, I really don't like flying). Yes, it is good to be home. But in a way, being home is just as weird as being in a new country; for this list of 30 Canadian things that stood out to me (as weird, new or cool), I could make a list twice as long of things that are weird about the Netherlands (who calls their vacuum cleaner a dust sucker?!). But that list will have to wait until another time.

Unfortunately, I dropped my camera in November, and there were a few things that surprised me, but I didn't manage to take a photo of:

- the school buses. Those old-school yellow buses really drive through town. I hardly believed it myself when I first saw one, but they really are still in use

- a sign by the side of a street, informing drivers about the visually impaired child living there

- people on bikes; Halifax is not as fit for cyclists as many Dutch cities, but still quite cyclist-friendly. However, law requires that all cyclists wear helmets. I obeyed the rule, but felt a little ridiculous, as I have biked without helmet for my entire life.

This is it from me, for now. But now that I'm back, I hope I can talk to you in real life, instead of over the phone or here on the internet!

Love, Roos

#30

I found Dutch chips I'd never seen before in The Netherlands. Who knew we have our national brand?

#29

Apparently, these signs are not just used in movies; they're real. And yes, concern about alcohol consumption is quite prominent

#28

Most toilet stalls look like this; not really private

#27

Canadian dollar bills are made of plastic, so they don't tear as easily as euros (plus, they have a cool see-through line)

#26

People went just as crazy with their Christmas decorations as they did with their Halloween ones

#25

A lot of the houses look like these; pretty and cozy

#24

The weather has been quite good during these past 4 months. But, when it did rain, it RAINED