CULTURAL INFORMATION

TEACHER: EVELYN ASTO ♥COURSE: ENGLISHAGE: 2014SCHOOL: ESPAÑA!COUNTRY: CANADAMEMBERS:VASTI CONDORIHECTOR OJEDAPAMELA VENEGAS

DRIVING AND BIKING DRIVING: Canadians drive on the right, similar to most other countries in the world. This brings with it it’s own set of issues

for most people from the UK. The best way to deal with having to drive on the ‘wrong side of the road’ is to take your time and start out slowly. Allow yourself to get used to how it feels and as your confidence grows, then you can proceed. Safety standards are high on Canadian roads and although their official road death numbers are higher than the UK, the conditions there are excellent in most places and people utilize defensive driving. Seat belts are compulsory and you risk being fined if you don’t wear one or ensure others in your vehicle are wearing them.

If you’re planning to travel through Quebec, it may be helpful to familiarise yourself with some basic French travel phrases before you go. If not, you can take a French phrase book with you as many signs are only in French and you may have difficulty understanding the road rules there.

BIKING: In Canada cyclists must follow the same laws as drivers of motor vehicles. Each province and territory is

responsible for enacting the laws for their region. Some of the more specific laws that usually apply to cyclists are:

Cyclists must ride in single file on the paved shoulder or as far to the right of the paved part of the roadway as possible.

Bicycles are not permitted on roads that have signs posting such restrictions. No biking on sidewalks. Helmet laws are in effect in a several provinces, though in some cases they apply only to kids under 18.

Requirements for bike lights and reflectors vary from province to province. See each of our provincial bicycling pages for specifics.

STANDING IN LINE While the Canadian labour market has shown great resilience since

the last recession and is nearly back to normal, important weaknesses remain for youth and the long-term unemployed, according to a report released today by the C.D. Howe Institute. In “Who is Still Standing in Line? Addressing a Mismatch of Skills and Jobs in the Canadian Labour Market,” author Philippe Bergevin recommends broad policies to enhance labour mobility and emphasize skills training to help ensure unemployed Canadians have the right skill sets to integrate into the workforce.

TYPICAL FOOD AND DRINK FOOD: Poutine: Poutine — French fries generously slathered in gravy and cheese curds — is a classic Canadian treat that is

said to have originated in Quebec in the 1950s. Since then, it has been adapted in many weird and wonderful ways from gourmet versions with lobster and foie gras to —believe it or not — a doughnut version. It's also inspired a crop of trendy "poutineries" and a "position" to make it Canada's official national dish.

Ketchup Chips: There are some snacks that define a nation, but not many that taste good to only those who live there. What do

we love? The fact they leave our fingers dyed red after we've had a whole bag. Ketchup has never tasted so salty, non- tomatoey and outright good. Our U.S. friends may go nutty over Doritos, but we love our ketchup chips.

DRINK:

• Ice wine (a dessert wine made from grapes that have frozen on the vine). • Beer (hundreds to choose from; Moosehead in New Brunswick is Canada’s oldest independent brewery). • Canadian whisky. • Caesar (curious-tasting cocktail made from vodka, clamato juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and a stick of

celery).

MEALTIMES AND TABLE MANNERS MEALTIMES: Most Canadians eat three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast normally includes something like bread or toast or maybe cold cereal or even a granola bar, yogurt or

fruit. Lunch is generally 'on the go' - either a sandwich or soup at around midday. There are many fast food lunch

stops for office workers selling sandwiches, soup and bagels. Lunch breaks are normally short - between 30 minutes to one hour. School children can sometimes have hot lunches at school but it is more common for them to take a lunch box, with sandwiches and fruit for example.

Dinner is often served at 17:00 or 18:00, although this can be later (and longer) in Quebec. As a rule, dinner is a simple, hearty meal based on local ingredients; for example in the Maritime provinces, dinner is more likely to include fish, whereas in Alberta it would include beef.

TABLE MANNERS: They follow a simple rule: start with the cutlery out, set further away from your plate, and with each new course

use the following tool on the stage, moving in toward your plate. Yes, there may be a spoon on the right end and a fork on the left, but only one of those tools is for soup. Familiarize yourself with this classic table setting, and you should have no trouble finding their way in the maze covered. You will no doubt be found with slight variations of this configuration, but if you follow the "outside-in" rule, you can not go wrong. In addition, the servers provide high-end restaurants usually covered remove and replace as necessary, which has even more guesswork from the equation.

VISITING PEOPLE Persons eligible to visit Canada

These requirements for all persons wishing to enter Canada apply. To be eligible, you must:

have a valid travel document, passport, have good health, be prohibited from entering the territory (only available in English or French) demonstrate to an immigration officer who will leave Canada at the end of their stay, having enough money for your stay. The amount needed varies depending on the circumstances of your visit, the

length of it and where you will be staying (in a hotel or with relatives or friends). It may also need:

a medical examination (information available only in English and French) a letter of invitation from a person resident in Canada, temporary resident visa, depending on your citizenship.

SHOPPING HOURS Business hours can vary greatly in Canada, with differences between the shops, restaurants, bars and tourist attractions.

Use this information as a general guide, but rather check the schedules of each particular site before going to any.

Normal business hours are Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.   Banks have shorter hours, usually from Monday to Friday from 9.30 am to 4 pm, though sometimes more Friday. Most

banks are closed Saturday and Sunday, although some of them offer some services on Saturday morning. The shops (especially the independent and small) normally open from 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday and noon

to 5 pm on Sundays, although many do not open on Sundays. Malls generally have longer opening hours, and are open until 8 pm on weekdays and Saturday and from 10 am until 5 or 6

pm on Sundays. The restaurants are usually open for lunch between 11.30 and 14.30 and between 5 and 9 pm for dinner. Some of the best

known large Vancouver restaurants stay open enters the lunch and dinner. The restaurants also stay open later on weekends. Realize that Canadians eat and soon dinner, especially on weekends, so you can even see you in the position of being the last customer in a restaurant, in the heart of Vancouver, at 8 pm!

Small restaurants or do not belong to any chain may not open every day of the week, and usually rest on Mondays or Tuesdays.

Bars usually open in the evening, although some open at noon and before. They can serve until 3 am, although most close before.

The clubs usually open at 9 pm, but they are never filled to at least 11 to encourage visitors to come early, often have special offers and free entry until 10pm. Check the special offers of each club.

The opening hours of tourist attractions may vary, and are open more hours during the summer than during the winter. Here is also usually rest on Mondays or Tuesdays.

Note that if you need something in the middle of the night you'll always find a 24-hour shop, and be at least one pharmacy open all night too. In addition, many fast food places available 24 hours a day.

DATING Dating in Canada, began from the 80s, every person is a person

found on the internet and are in seen in public places such as restaurants, cinemas, parks, etc. Everyone talks about the things they like the most, it's like knowing a little. It is very common to this type of dating in this country. They start from 18 up, many people start relationships through this that they are dating.

There are many sites where you can find your ideal partner, reading his website and if you like its features, you can have a date with that person.

Appointments are undertakings and promises between two or more people about the place, day and time will be found to be an issue or treated.