Canadian Bacon, Australians and Flax

We watched Canadian Bacon last night - a very funny and very astute film by Michael Moore and starring a range of comedians including John Candy, Rhea Perlman and smaller roles for Dan Aykroyd and others. It hilariously showed how easy it is to create fear and loathing and justify war, and why a government or industry might want to do that, using the example of the US starting a war with Canada.

The stereotypes of Canadians as super-polite, friendly (except when their beer, Molson Canadian, is insulted) and in keeping with those qualities, socialists, is very well done.  I loved the Mountie writing christmas cards to his prisoners in the cells, the worst of which is a scumbag corporate takeover man who sacked all his workers; and the other Mountie insisting that the anti-Canadian grafitti on a stolen Mountie truck be bilingual, so that 'le Quebecois' were not offended.

I saw Canadian Bacon about 20 years ago, and this time got a lot more out of it.  I hadn't registered that it was a Michael Moore film, either, until watching it this time round.  I guess he wasn't so well known 20 years ago.  He has a cameo in it too, as a mad NRA type.

Phones and competition
I got myself a local sim card the other day, so I have a Canadian phone number.  I was surprised to learn that if someone calls me from overseas on it, both the caller and me have to pay -much like international roaming anyway!  This is standard.  There was an American in the phone shop as well, and we listened with surprise to the sales person say 'well, it's because Canada is such a large country, with a big service area and a small population, that prices are higher for telecommunications' (they also have timed local calls here, for landlines as well as mobiles - and a caller can't tell whether a number they're calling is a mobile or a landline by the number, and so can't choose whether or not to call a mobile at a higher cost).  I commented that Australia also had these qualities, but had a greater choice of providers - perhaps it was that factor - competition - that caused the difference in prices.

UPDATED TO ADD - I'm charged whenever anyone calls me, full stop - international or not.  So is the caller.  Unbelievable!  Lucky mobile phone companies.    So, my pre-paid credit has been chewed up as I've received a few calls.  I think I made one.

A lot of things in Canada are more expensive than in the US, and than in Australia - food, clothes, makeup.  The US is markedly cheaper though.  As an example:  a towel bought at Anthropologie in New york cost $36 USD.  The same item in Canada, purchased online from the US, is $48 Canadian (not including delivery charges).  The Canadian dollar is worth 98 US cents this week, so where is that additional $12 going?*    Presumably this is a tax issue:  the US is a low taxing country, because it doesn't need as much revenue to provide social services (education, health, childcare, etc).  Australia and Canada do provide those services through the government, which means everyone gets them, and everyone who can, also pays for them, via taxation.  The 'socialist' (or 'nice'!) approach that Canadian Bacon highlighted.

I think there's something to be said for increased competition in a market, as long as there is still regulation, like telecoms in Australia.   Letting market forces benefit consumers isn't all bad, as long as the market is accessible to everyone where it's providing essential services.  So a bit of government regulation and safety net provision is called for.    It isn't exactly a matter of consumer choice to need basic health care, though choice of health provider should be possible, as an 'extra'.  That's the broad position of countries with universal health care systems, including Australia.

So, I'm not doing any more shopping here, except when I have to (food and petrol, for example).  I'll wait until our one final day in Los Angeles en route to home, and pay significantly less for my purchases.  It isn't my economy.  I'll use the savings to contribute to the Australian economy when I get home.

I gave some money to a homeless man yesterday.  This goes against my socialist preference to contribute to a bigger, common pot than to an individual, so I'm not sure why I did it here when I didn't do it in the US.  Perhaps because he asked so nicely.

A new Lonely Planet survey ranked the top ten friendliest countries in the world, and Canada isn't on it!  Quite a surprise, because they really are amazing.  This is prompting some comments from Canadians on the Thorn Tree (Lonely Planet forum).  My favourite is 'F*** 'Em.  They don't like our friendliness, "F*** 'Em."

Australians
There are Australians everywhere here!  Until now an Australian accents have been rare.  The other day at Granville Island market, I ordered some olives, then I heard the next two people after me also order olives in Australian accents!   We haven't encountered Australians elsewhere on our travels because they're all here.  Part of this is that under 30s are eligible for a 2 year working visa, a very generous situation compared to other countries.  And another part is ski-ing, also very popular with Australians - I've heard Whistler referred to as 'Little Australia', as almost all of the staff there (hospitality and ski industry) are Australian.  So, we're not special anymore.


Flax
is the big thing here.  There's flax in everything, and signs expounding its benefits are everywhere (particularly BC flax, grown in the state).  There's even a whole shop dedicated to 'Flax Rolls' around the corner.  Which are wraps, made with a flat bread that has flax in it.  I was relieved to discover that Flax is Linseed, thank God.  Phew.   I haven't been missing out on this essential nutrient all my life, nor depriving my child of something so essential to health and growth.  We've been having it by another name.  But it's really huge, I haven't seen such a food 'buzz' about anything for a long time (even pomegranate, which was huge at home a while back, and is still huge here.  Huger even, it's become standard, in juices etc.  Not at all exotic anymore).


* This reminds me of another scene in Canadian Bacon, where the Mountie Dan Aykroyd fines John Candy's character $10000 Canadian or $10 USD, and watches lasciviously as John Candy counts out his $10 USD.