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  • crazy4carrots
    crazy4carrots Member Posts: 5,324
    edited September 2009

    Our Canadian language is unique to us -- as is our pronunciation.  We'd get a very strange look in the store if we asked to see a small table to fit in our foy-er.  "Excuse me, do you mean foy-yay?"

    But I found it most interesting when I lived in England.  Knowing how the French and English - for centuries - were enemies, and how there is still some polite hostility (is that an oxymoron?) I found it interesting than the English employ French words so often:

    For example;

    cake = gateau; eggplant = aubergine; zucchini = courgette

    And as for pronouncing words so much differently than they are spelled -- hah! the English are masters at it:  the name Featherstonehaugh is pronounced Fanshaw!

    And what does all this have to do with healthcare?  Hey, who cares?!Smile 

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  • CapeBretongirl
    CapeBretongirl Member Posts: 364
    edited September 2009

    Mantra, I can't tell the difference.  I love SOB, NOB!!!  Do you mind if I use it?  On my American cousins, lmao

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  • Mantra
    Mantra Member Posts: 968
    edited September 2009

    YMB, Darn, I knew I should have trademarked SOB & NOB. Laughing

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  • AnnNYC
    AnnNYC Member Posts: 4,484
    edited September 2009

    Having grown up in Northern Wisconsin, I guess I share a few Canadian-isms.  We definitely said "pop" -- never "soda."  "Foyer" -- I never heard "foy-yay" till I came to New York!  Do you say "bubbler" for "drinking fountain"?  Or is that totally Wisconsin?  There's even a fair percentage of people who say "eh."

    No "ABOOT" -- but we do say "know, no, boat, go" with a very "pure" "o" sound that comes from Germany and Scandinavia -- if you've heard it, you know what I mean!  People outside Wisconsin don't always know where we're from, but they know our "o's" are "foreign"!

    And Elizabeth -- I lived in Boston for 2 years!  Woobin, indeed!  I was a waitress and had to quickly adopt a Boston accent to be understood.  A large coffee is "lodge" -- well, "lodge" with a Wisconsin accent -- "ladge"!  And there was a menu item called "potted beef" -- when I asked for it in Wisconsin-speak, more like "patted" than "pawted", the cook thought I was saying "parted" -- so "pawted" it had to be!

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  • pip57
    pip57 Member Posts: 12,401
    edited September 2009

    My sister and her family have lived in the Boston area for over 30 years.  It was interesting to watch her become 'Americanized' over time.  My nieces love to point out our different words and our 'accents?'.  Every time we say 'eh' at the end of a sentence they are all giggling and saying 'eh' back at us.  And we do say it a lot more than I thought.

    Here is another difference for our cross border dictionary.  When you mention 'hydro' they haven't got a clue.  They call it utilities.  I even spoke to a friend of my sis who was telling me how some state had 'cleverly' harnessed the power of water to make electricity.  When I explained that that was a very common thing to do in Canada, she kept trying to explain that it must be different because clearly it had never been done anywhere else before now. 

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  • crazy4carrots
    crazy4carrots Member Posts: 5,324
    edited September 2009

    We northerners tend to shorten our words, especially the vowel sounds, so that "about" really does tend to sound like "aboot".  Whereas, our southern neighbours like to add an extra vowel sound so that it really sounds like "abaout".  This happens with lots of words, which get more and more elongated the further south (or should I say "saouth"!) one goes.  Paula Deen is a perfect example -- I do so enjoy listening to her!

    However, this doesn't explain why my Michigan neices and nephew, and my upper NY state neighbours say "dahllor" instead of "dollar"Kiss.

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  • pip57
    pip57 Member Posts: 12,401
    edited September 2009

    Wouldn't it be boring if we were all alike?

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  • Mantra
    Mantra Member Posts: 968
    edited September 2009

    Garburator vs garbage disposal.  A few years ago DH went over to some neighbours of ours in Florida who were sitting outside, and asked to borrow a wrench. Sure. What are doing? Something is wrong with my garburator and I need to take it apart. Another neighbour heard this and said, I'll help you. He's Canadian. So they both head off our house and go inside. The neighbour looks at me and says "I thought he said his carburator is broken? You have it in the house!!??" No, he said our GARBURATOR is broken. Several minutes passed and I could see the puzzled look on his face. Finally he said "Darn, at the risk of sounding stupid, what in the world is a Garburator." I explain to him it's the thing under the kitchen sink . . . thinking how odd he doesn't even know what a garburator is (even though it is not exactly a popular item now a days given the environmental impact), this guy was in his 70's. He explains that it is called a garbage disposal. 

    Another odd word is jewelry vs jewellery. My US friends get a kick of how we pronounce it. When I go back to the US every winter, I have to learn an new language! I still get a kick out of FOY ER. It sounds like they are saying Fire with a twang.

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  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited September 2009

    Foy-yer drives me nuts!  It grates!  I love all the accents.  And explaining the beauty of "eh", how it means so many things.

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  • crazy4carrots
    crazy4carrots Member Posts: 5,324
    edited September 2009
    How about chocolate bar (Cdn) and candy bar (U.S.)?  And since not all "bars" are made with chocolate, candy bar makes more sense!  Of course, all my bars must have chocolate, or why bother??!!Tongue out
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  • mke
    mke Member Posts: 584
    edited September 2009

    I've straddled the border for so long that nothing bothers me.  Zee Zed I don't care.

    My best story of misunderstanding was when I arrived in Canada, very pregnant and went into labour (sp) a month later. My labor (sp) nurse was from the West Indies and told me to "move my bum".  I looked at her in astonishment.  To me a bum was a vagrant and while my husband was a bit unshaven, he didn't look that bad and I couldn't imagine why she wanted me to move him or where I was supposed to move him.  I could have understood butt, ass, behind, rear, derrierre, bottom, gluteus but "bum" had me flummoxed.

    Motherhood is a hard intro to Canadian English.  A soother?  What the heck is that?  Oh yes a pacifier.  Gripe water?  Nappies?

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  • pip57
    pip57 Member Posts: 12,401
    edited September 2009

    Too funny!!!!!

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  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited September 2009

    My sister sent me this catchy tune about WHO health statistics!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVgOl3cETb4

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  • mke
    mke Member Posts: 584
    edited September 2009

    Well, as I was told on one of the expunged threads, WHO statistics are not reliable.  Certainly I regarded that opinion as "God's truth".  Unfortunately the person didn't explain exactly what was reliable.  So now I must rely on FOX news.  Fortunately I don't get FOX news.

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  • Mantra
    Mantra Member Posts: 968
    edited September 2009

    Just wondering the word is on the street is in other areas regarding flu vaccines. We are being told that people who had the vaccine last year are more susceptible to getting HINI. I've always had a flu vaccine but now I'm nervous to get one. I also nervous about getting the HINI vaccine because I don't want to be a first year guinea pig

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  • jezza
    jezza Member Posts: 698
    edited September 2009

    Talking about spelling and accents. When I went to school you were marked wrong if you spelt colour as color...tumour as tumor but now with the net etc I think both have become acceptable or will for the next generation.

    Funny story..to "nurse " a baby here means to have a baby sit on your lap. A friend who loved babies moved to America. A neighbour (note the spelling lol) called in with her baby. My friend said "I love babies...do you mind if I nurse her?" The lady looked horrified ...apparently it means to breastfeed in America!

    jezza

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  • jezza
    jezza Member Posts: 698
    edited September 2009

    Sorry I got off topic as well...hope you don't mind. My cousin moved to Canada about 30 years ago and just loves it!

    jezza

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  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited September 2009

    to "nurse" means to breastfeed in Canada also

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  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited September 2009

    My med onc has prescribed Zometa for me. The hospital doesn't infuse Zometa. OHIP won't pay for it. My insurance won't cover it. This is the first time I have encountered such a situation. This is the first time that I have been denied a drug that is proven to protect my bones and provide protection against bone mets.

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  • Enjoyful
    Enjoyful Member Posts: 3,591
    edited September 2009

    Please excuse an American for butting in on your conversation.  My daughter and I vacation in Canada quite frequently and until recently we were planning to move to Canada.  I submitted all of my emigration paperwork but then the cancer came back so...  I'm assuming that being Stage IV automatically disqualifies me from living in Canada.  My daughter still plans to go to university there, but now I can't move with her.

    I was so looking forward to living in Canada and not having to worry about getting health care insurance.  Canadians are awesome!

    E

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  • mke
    mke Member Posts: 584
    edited September 2009

    Have you tried Trillium hrf?  I think you will be eligible for help if your drug costs exceed 3% of your family income.

    Sorry your cancer is back enjoyful.  I don't know what immigration would say about stage IV.

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  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited September 2009

    HRF -- does that mean Zometa comes in pill form?  I can't imagine doing an IV yourself!  Shame on OHIP for not covering it -- it looks like it is shaping up to be a good preventative of mets too!  Maybe a snarly letter to the Minister?  Do a double whammy -- pull the cancer card and also mention that preventative meds are a heck of a lot cheaper that the alternative.

    Enjoyful -- What university is your daughter thinking of attending?  I'm sure some of us have gone to her choice and can give some good tips about the city and campus.  I'd still look into emigrating -- ya never know!

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  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited September 2009

    Zometa is administered through an IV. Access Zometa arranges for a nurse to come to my house to do it here.

    The current Minister of Health was a student at a school where I used to teach. I helped him when he first began his political career as a school trustee. His brother was one of my students and I know his mother through a mutual friend. Trillium will cover anything that is over 4% of the family's annual income. The company that manufactures Zometa may actually offer a subsidey of up to 50% .... so I'm exploring. Mostly I was shocked that Manulife will not cover it -- Iit is the plan that my employer has does not include Zometa. I'll figure this out. It's still not as bad as what some of our American friends have to go through so I will keep that perspective. Once it's more commonly used, I expect that the rules will change. And I hear that there is something coming on the market that is even better than Zometa

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  • Mantra
    Mantra Member Posts: 968
    edited September 2009

    I just checked our drug plan (Suinlife) and they don't cover it either.

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  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited September 2009

    HRF -- you have an "in" with the Minister!  Is it because you're not Stage IV that OHIP doesn't cover it?  How about Aredia -- I started on that and switched to Zometa because it was a faster drip so I assume they're pretty well the same drug.

    I'm sorry about this -- I hope you find something to help out.  This is so frustrating, especially when your onc prescribes it and it has to be administered in a hospital!!!  And no, it will never be as bad as what our American sisters have to deal with, but still sucks big ones for you!

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  • konakat
    konakat Member Posts: 6,085
    edited September 2009

    HRF -- just thinking.... one option could be contacting the drug company -- another person got some financial relief for a different drug she gets (she's in TO).  It might help?

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  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited September 2009
    konakat, it's possible they would cover the Zometa for stage IV but I'm not sure. I think a good part of this is that the hospital maybe only budgets for stage IV women for zometa. I think it's as much a hospital issue as it is government. Zometa is approved under the Canada Health Act so OHIP will cover it but only if administered in the hospital. The drug company does offer a subsidy in some cases so I will apply for that. Interesting that Sunlife doesn't cover it either, Mantra. It's ironic that the only reason I even know about Zometa is by learning from the women on these boards - I would never have known that we have a problem in Canada in getting this drug. If I get the subsidy from the drug company, the cost might come down to $275 for each infusion .....I'll need 6 of them. If necessary, I'll pay for the first one and hope we can find a better solution within 6 months.
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  • Mantra
    Mantra Member Posts: 968
    edited September 2009
    Hrf - I was also surprised to find out that Sunlife would not cover my pain meds prescribed by my surgeon for post op pain. It's available only by prescription yet they won't cover it. Odd.
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  • hrf
    hrf Member Posts: 3,225
    edited September 2009

    As we have all been saying, our Canadian system has room for improvement too

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  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 19,757
    edited September 2009

    I had trouble with only one prescription Norflex. Apparently, though prescribed and filled, it can just be asked for so it's not considered a prescription!

    I am very interested in getting Zometa too. I thought it was only twice a year. Why six times? For 3 years? How did you approach someone once your onc prescribed it Helen? I'll get on your band wagon if you want! Maybe older women should be allowed to get it to prevent bone mets. Our bones are older.....

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