The few times where it sucks to not be American

Don’t get me wrong; I am a proud Canadian.  And I love it here.  I love the wide open spaces – outside the city, of course – the things for which this country stands, and the fact that it’s a bilingual country. 

We are the true north, strong and free.  I wouldn’t trade my home country for the world. 

But every once in a while, there’s a little something that happens and I think, “Wouldn’t it be nice if I were American?”

Then I burp and it passes …

Still, though, there are some things that I think America is hogging, and they need to learn to share better.  Here they are, in no particular order:

Skype Phone Numbers.  When I was in China, communication with my people in Canada was challenging for a number of reasons: time zone differences, technological impairments and short attention spans (one person who shall remain nameless couldn’t do Skype video chats without staring at themselves and making faces).   I had found this great way of calling landlines/cell phones for free through my computer … but it meant I did all the calling.  Which can be frustrating. 

Yes, I had a cell phone. But long distance charges to a country half a world away was scary for most.  And I don’t blame them.

Enter Skype Phone Numbers.  I sign up for a local number in Canada and pass it on to my contacts.  When they call it, it doesn’t cost them anything and goes right to my cell phone.  Which means they can call me.  Amazing concept …. If it were available for Canadians.  Which it’s not. 

Facebook stickers.  Someone started sending me Muppet Stickers yesterday.  That someone is in the States.   I tried sending Muppet Stickers back.  I am not in the States.  Ergo, I couldn’t send the Muppet Stickers.    Me = sad.  Those Muppet Stickers are awesome!

Paying the US price on books.  Do me a favour and pull a book off your shelf.  Find the price of the book.  See how there’s a US price and a Canadian one?  Which one’s lower?  If you can’t figure it out, I’ll give you a hint: it’s not the Canadian one. 

The book I’m reading right now sells for 35 dollars in the US and 48 dollars here.  That’s a 13-dollar difference.  I could buy a whole book with that! 

(err… a whole book in the States; maybe half of one here…)

I want to be able to pay the US price for a book; it makes no sense to me whatsoever that there’s such a difference.   

American Thanksgiving. I know I know. This one’s a little different, seeing that we could easily match up our schedule with theirs, like we did with Daylight Savings Time.  Thanksgiving on a Thursday might seem a little strange, but hear me out:  between Thursday and the weekend, there’s a Friday.  And if I understand it correctly, not many people end up working that day. And just like that, four-day weekend. 

We only get the Monday off. Anyone else feel gypped?

Shipping US items to Canada.  I was doing some online shopping the other day and found the perfect gift for someone. I mean, perfect.  So perfect it was beautiful.  So  I clicked on it to select it …. only to find out that the US company selling it doesn’t ship north of the border. 

Of course, they ship to other countries; just not Canada. 

What I want to know is what they have against us that they can’t ship our way?

I had to settle for something not quite as good. 

I am a proud Canadian.  And it will take far more than what is here to get me to pack up and head south.  Though with the current cold and the freezing rain warnings, the warmer temperatures in Florida could be the straw that breaks the proverbial camel's back ...