Blame Canada

Having ranted about Canada in my last post, I think I should point out that there are some good things about living in England. A big one is the tax system. In England, if you work for someone, they do all your taxes for you! Whereas in Canada, you have to file taxes no matter who you are.

If you’re self-employed, you have triple the workload. The deadline for filing taxes in Canada is fast approaching, and everyone is showing the strain. Joe has it the worst – a business in the UK, a business in Canada, and additional income in both countries. And it all has to be declared on his Canadian taxes. I was up until past midnight last night helping him, and today he’s going to the accountant. With any luck, it’ll all be over soon.

So Canada isn’t quite as idyllic as I might have made it sound. People’s use of words and grammar sometimes annoys me too (although England is no different). Often they pose a downright communication barrier. For example, a ‘skank’ in Canada is a slut. But in England, ‘skanky’ just means generally gross or dirty. So when I said I was feeling skanky after cleaning at the Rock the other day, my co-worker gave me a very odd look.

Here’s another one. The same co-worker said the other day rubbed her stomach and said she felt ravished. I thought ‘Really?? How unfortunate for you.’ The word ‘ravish’ means ‘to rape’. I think she meant ravenous. So many people have made this mistake I’ve stopped correcting it.

# posted by Suzie : 12:05 PM