Pop Quiz #1 !!!!!!!!!!

Students, clear off your desks except for a blank sheet of paper and a writing utensil. It is time for Canada quiz #1!

1. How many oceans surround Canada?
a. One
b. Two
c. Three
d. None, it is landlocked

2. True or False? Canada is the second largest country in the world.

3. Which of the following best describes Canada’s government:
a. A democracy
b. A conspiracy
c. A totalitarian dictatorship
d. A constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation

4. Who is the Canadian head of government?
a. Prime Minister Stephen Harper
b. Queen Elizabeth
c. Celine Dion
d. President Bush

5. Which of the following animals is the official national symbol of Canada?
a. the Maple leaf
b. the beaver
c. the loon
d. the mountain lion
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Answers:
1. Three oceans surround Canada; the Atlantic, Pacific and the Arctic
2. True, Russia is the largest country in the world, followed by Canada
3. Canada's government is "A constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation (CIA Worldfactbook)" If you know what that means, let me know.
4. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is the head of government
5. The official Canadian mascot is a beaver

How many did you get correct?

How Canada Got Its Name....An Alternative Hypothesis

Americans have heard the legend of how America got its name, it was discovered by Christopher Columbus but named after Amerigo Vespucci (although this legend has recently been debated.) But how did Canada get its name?

The official Canadian website (Provinces and Territories - The origins of their names) says that there are many stories of how Canada got its name but the most likely explanation is that "kanata" is the Native American word for "settlement". Early explorers mistook the local word to be the name of the entire country, hence kanata became Canada.

Here, I present to you an alternative hypothesis. Yesterday was my last day of work and as I rifled through my science papers, I saw the genus name Candida. Candida is a genus of yeast, and as we all know, yeast is needed to make beer, and Canadians love their beer. So, is Canada named after a key ingredient of beer?

I dug deeper and it turns out that Candida albicans is a yeast that causes thrush and vaginal infections. Gross! That makes my original yeast-beer hypothesis debunked because I don't think anyone would name their country after an itchy microorganism.

But, the word Candida does come from the Latin root meaning "white" or "glowing" , which I think is a beautiful way to describe Canada. It puts Canada in the same word family as candles (lighting the path in the dark) and candor (honesty of character). Now I have my very own story of how Canada got its name.

Confirmed: Hockey is a Canadian Obsession

Samosa correspondent Dan returned from a house hunting trip to Vancouver with a wallet full of Canadian dollars. I was closely inspecting each one, enjoying the colors and size of the bills, when I turned over the five dollar bill and found evidence to support two of my hypotheses. First, Canada is cold. The back of the bill is a winterscape with cool blue hues, snow frosted Evergreens and two large snowflakes.

Second, yes indeed, Canadians love their hockey. The back of the five dollar bill shows children playing hockey (three boys and a girl wearing the #9 jersey) and a short verse that reads:

"The winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. We lived in three places - the school, the church and the skating rink - but our real life was on the skating rink."---Roch Carrier

Like all things officially Canadian, the quote is also written in French. A Nation's currency tells a lot about what values their citizens hold dear. Apparently for Canadians, getting outside in the winter and playing hockey is a value which they learn at an early age; boys and girls, French and Anglo.

A Google search of Roch Carrier reveals the deep symbolism of this quote and this bill in particular. The quote is from a famous children's story (The Hockey Sweater), about a boy who wants a sweater from his favorite team's player (#9) and erroneously receives a sweater for the competing team. Apparently, the two teams represent Anglo vs. French traditions and the divide between the two identities in Canada run deep. It seems like a heavy story for bedtime, so when I get to Vancouver I will be sure to check out the book from the library.

Remembering my favorite Canadian

Today marks the one year death anniversary of Peter Jennings (ABC News: Peter Jennings Dies at 67). Peter Jennings' World News Tonight was part of my after school routine during high school. I will always remember Peter Jennings for being cool, smart and handsome. He was an iconic anchorman,and he is my idea of what a journalist should be. He started his career in Canada and became a rock in the lives of many Americans. He truly was an anchor in our lives and his contribution to journalism is missed.

Confirmed: A Canadian samosa?

Correspondent Dan reports purchasing and consuming a breakfast samosa at the University of British Columbia student union. While this version of a samosa tasted "somewhat Indian" it included one key ingredient not typically found inside Indian samosas...eggs. So while technically this samosa was made and eaten in Canada, I can't conclude that it is the definitive Canadian samosa. It does appear to be a tasty hybrid morsel, with eggs and veggies tucked inside a fried tortilla skin.

My brave correspondent has one promising lead in the quest for the iconic Canadian samosa. Two Canadians suggested that the closest thing to a Canadian samosa would be a pastry called the "beavertail." A cursory search at recipesource.com yielded disgusting results, and I was loathe to search for beavertail on google for fear of what hits may be returned to me. But I have been assured the real beavertail is akin to the funnel cakes and elephant ears we Americans would find at the county fair. The quest continues.....

Are there earthquakes in Vancouver?

Around 8:15pm tonight I experienced what I hope is my last California earthquake. I was sitting at the kitchen table eating a plum and reading the San Francisco Chronicle when I felt like someone was watching me. I looked up from the paper, felt a loose wobble pass through my chair, panicked for a moment, and then the wobble subsided. I think it all lasted about two seconds, but it felt longer.

Unfortunately, I won't be escaping earthquakes in Vancouver. In fact, I am moving into the most earthquake-rich region of Canada. In Berkeley, CA, I lived along the Hayward fault, and my Canadian sister fault will be The Queen Charlotte (both part of the humongous Ring of Fire). If you are going to be living with earthquakes, they may as well be royalty!