This is a list of random things I've noticed since I moved to Canada. Beyond constant power supply, free health care and good roads, there are other things I'm having to come to terms with. Issa thread

1. The toilet bowls have water in them. I hate to be gross but when you flush the toilet, it quickly fills with water halfway through the toilet bowl. It helps to keep the bowl clean, but that splash-back when you are sitting over it is scary. No amount of tissue wee epp

2. People here are crazy about Pizza. Kids and adult alike. I don't get it. Why is Pizza such a big deal?? You should see the big, humongous packs you can order them in? I wasn't a fan of Pizza in Nigeria & definitely not here

3. For every healthy smoothie bar you see, you have probably driven past 200 McDonalds store, 100 Tim Horton's stores, 50 Domino Pizza stores. I exaggerate but you get the drift. Izz an ijekuje something.

4. There's nothing like pepper in this people's food dictionary. I once ordered spicy chicken wings and asked the guy to make the wings spicier than he's ever made them. When I tasted them, it was like chicken wings with tin-tomato

5. The 1st day I asked my host for drinking water, he burst out laughing. Most of the water coming through the taps qualify as drinking water. The chlorine taste though is something you'd have to get used to.

6. Don't even be deceived into buying raw sweet potatoes and attempt to cook them for 20 minutes like their Nigerian distant relatives. You wee be cooking potty instead of potato porridge

7. The filling stations are self serve only. You pull up to a filling station, slot in your card to pay for fuel and turn the fuel nozzle into your car to pump fuel. No fear of being short changed by dodgy fuel attendants

8. Fuel is called gas here. Thank God Diesel is still called Diesel but Power supply is called Hydro. Orishirishi

9. There's natural gas for domestic cooking that is transported through pipelines. You buy a house for your house and enjoy gas for cooking

10. Washing and drying your clothes is cheaper after 7pm on weekdays and during the weekend. I've also seen easy to dispense liquid soap you throw in the washer for your clothes

11. There are these snazzy ATM machines that instead of swiping, you just tap your card to the top of the ATM and it debits the sum you are paying for.

12. There's 13% taxes on most items you buy at the store, or at the restaurant in Ontario. It's called HST- Harmonized Sales Tax. Nothing harmonizing about paying 13% extra on an item. Do the math and see.

13. After eating at a restaurant, or taking an Uber, you get prompted if you want to pay a tip to the waiter or driver. Tip ko, tip ni . When I've 'arrived' here i'll think about that one

14. When I'm crossing a bend and I see a car turning as well,I always pause to check to see that the driver has chosen not to run me over I'm always surprised when they ask me to continue crossing

15. The place in front of your house where you park your car is called a driveway. It's a gas station not a filling station. There is no 'minerals' here, only pop or soda dispensed from a tap sometimes.

16. If you live in a townhouse or detached house, you have to separate your trash into three containers - compost, bottles and something else . Im constantly forgetting & having my hosts correct me. Could this be old age?

17. Red seedless grapes are expensive here compared to other fruits. The other day, I bought a pack of them and when I got home, I realized I had paid 9 dollars for it.
Ahhh, mogbe! my chest! Two Thousand, Six hundred naira equivalent for grapes ke???

18. You will find free WiFi in most malls, train stations and recreation centres you go to. You won't even need to ask for password.
If you go somewhere and see passworded WiFi, just know izz nor a free sontin there

19. Sadly, I've become more conscious of the color of my skin here. Even though I'm in Toronto that prides itself on being multi-diverse, I've had some funny 1st encounters with strangers that have made me recoil

20. May 1st is not a public holiday here. No sallah holidays as well.. The other day, people here were celebrating Victoria day? Victoria who? Are we in the UK or Canada pls? If we can celebrate that, ehn Naija holidays form part of the Commonwealth too.

21. Izz like they have used smoking to do some people here. How can someone be driving in their car, puffing on cigar, with their car windows all the way up, breathing in 2nd hand smoke again? Weird and strange behavior

22. Now that the weather is becoming warmer, people are walking around, in the street with their tops and shirts off. A case of killing two birds... stroll & bake under the sun

23. There's nothing like expressway as a stand alone word here. It's Highway, and here no need to protest toll fees. Just enter highway, drive, camera wee capture your car plates & you receive bill end of month for toll fees. Yaaar wehcome

24. Rent is collected on a monthly basis here. The price Before the landlord gives you the place though, they'll want to know every tiny detail about you. If you no get job, forgerrit. Just keep managing airbnb

25. I have been trying to write my drive test to collect driver's license here.
O mehn, see strange road signs in the practice test. Abeg na wetin two vertical lines & ladder dey do for the signage . To think I went to driving school in Nigeria & drove many years there

26. I wish there was some light music when I get on the train or the bus or when I'm at Walmart or waiting at the train station. It's a little bit creepy that people just walk around without humming to music even when their ears are plugged.

27. I miss those good old days of just crossing the Express way any how, as I like .
These days, one has to locate the nearest zebra crossing & then press that button to signal you want to cross to the other side of the road, and then wait for the sign to change to 'walking'

28. Walls! How could I have forgotten??!

Oyinbo people will use strips of wood to surround their house and call it wall . Who wood epp??

That's even for the ones that bother. You will jus open your front door & immediately see main road... no burglary proof sef... smh

29. Canadians commonly write today's date as Month first, then Day, and Year. As in, mm/dd/yyyy.

These days I find myself writing dates out in full where possible- June 13th 2018- before confusion sets in.