Canada
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Q&A: Incarceration Rates
I moved to Canada with my ex-husband, and then three months later the relationship was over. I was thus sensitive to issues surrounding failed marriages, and at the same time, I was trying to figure out my new country. That was when I heard on the news the story of a young man who murdered… Continue reading
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Canadian Welfare System Is Hopeless
A family friend in Montreal donned her noticeable diamonds and went to get her welfare check. “Lady, have you got no shame?” the employees of the welfare office asked her. So she went home, called all her friends to complain about the mean government officials, took off the diamonds, and returned to the welfare office.… Continue reading
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Clarissa in Ottawa, Day 2
We dedicated our second day in Ottawa to exploring the city. First, we went to the Byward Market. There are several stalls selling these funny Canadian hats and mittens: Downtown Ottawa is beautiful: Even though there are weird looking buildings like this one: I’m kidding, of course. I liked the weird building. I’m just trying to… Continue reading
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Clarissa in Ottawa, Day 1
Ottawa is a great place, people. It’s both cozy and sophisticated, safe and fun. The city is not huge and it has a comfortable, welcoming small-town feel. However, it’s a city with great universities, exquisite restaurants, and interesting stores to discover. The trip to Ottawa that I took this week started at Tim Horton’s. I… Continue reading
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Domus Cafe in Ottawa, Canada: A Review
Today in Ottawa, I decided to take my sister to lunch to show my gratitude to her for driving me to Ottawa for my conference and back. We chose to visit Domus Cafe whose talented young chef uses ideas borrowed from Canadian country food by takes them in the direction of haute cuisine (I still… Continue reading
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The Imperfections of Canadian Healthcare
My Canadian readers are clamoring for clarifications on my posts that extol the free universal healthcare system in Canada. To ensure that my relatives who are in Canada don’t stop talking to me, I will clarify: the Canadian healthcare system is absolutely amazing if you have a serious health issue. You will get an operation,… Continue reading
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Thinking About the Economy: Why Can’t We Be Like Canada?, Part II
The middle class and the small businesses in Canada carry a really harsh tax burden. There is just no comparison with the kind of tax rates I, as a college professor, pay here in the US and what a person in Quebec with a similar level of income has to shell out. Of course, having… Continue reading
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Thinking About the Economy: Why Can’t We Be Like Canada?, Part I
In the Liberal circles in the US, the Canadian system of welfare is often an object of envy. “Why can’t we provide the same social safety net that Canadians do?” people keep asking. I can’t tell you whether the welfare system of Canada can be transplanted to the US. However, as a proud citizen of… Continue reading
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