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The more common word in Canada is actually pop, soda is very seldom used. Also serviette is a Canadian French word, like toque - so it is commonly used, but the English <napkin> is used just as often.Quote:
Originally Posted by elanor_lupin
Regarding milk bags:
Yes, Canadians do use milk bags, but milk can also be bought in cartons, or less commonly, jugs.
I think either characterisation of the division of Canadian wizarding government is permissible, however I strongly feel that the divisions of government would be consistent accross the continent. ie: If in a story you choose to make the wizarding government of the United States a nation, then I think it would be necessary to do the same with Canada. The two countries have always existed alongside one another, with interactive, converging and diverging histories.
Sidenote: Didn't Rowling mention the Canadians being good at Quidditch (while Americans preferred Quodpot?) This would suggest we at least have a national team if not a national government, though you COULD write around that, sayin that teams FROM Canada are good at Quidditch.
On this note, I do think it would be necessary to underscore special status of Quebec. Their Wizarding government might be separate from the rest of Canada, or it might not. In either case, I think it would be likely/interesting that any wizarding community would maintain close ties with other Francophone wizarding communities in the world (France and the Francophonie, as well as the other historically french speaking communities in Manitoba, New Brunswick, the Rest of Canada and even the States--Louisianna for example. Maybe under the historical umbrella of Nouvelle France.)
I also think it would be necessary/interesting to devise a history and special structure/backstory for Native magical folk, who'd have a history that long pre-dated European discovery of the continent.
As for differences: We (Canadians) always pride ourselves on being more progressive than our friends in the States (at least until last May). Growing up, I always learned that while the States has the "melting pot" of multiculturalism, Canada promoted the "mosaic" approach, where immigrant communities can keep as much as they want to of their culture while adapting to Canadian law.
I honestly have never called it a sofa or a chesterfield. It's a couch. ;)
And milk bags are only in the east. I moved from the west to the east and that was a hilarious shock. But they have cartons in the east, too.
And yes, thanks to (my generation) being primarily raised on American TV, we know all the jokes/bad things the Americans say about us. (Wizarding folk without TV might lack this American influence) And we have our own jokes, too... (and our own provincial stereotypes) We're rather confused, halfway between American and British systems, half metric, half imperial, officially spelling things the UK way, unofficially often forgetting this fact. And of course there's the inferiority complex...