The Familiar and the Unfamiliar

There is both the very familiar and the very unfamiliar in moving here. It is difficult to decide which we want to seek out. We have had fish twice, but we could have done that in Manitoba anytime - though it is an exciting novelty to eat something that was caught so nearby. The grocery store fish is similar in price (which is lame), but I'm sure we'll find some local place that sells cheaper stuff.
Mainly, the familiar stuff is a result of globalization and still being in Canada. There's a Tim Hortons on every corner, the nearby mall has practically all the same stores as Polo Park in Winnipeg and there is even a Chez Cora nearby (though not nearly as French as the one in St. Boniface!). Even in that, though, there are differences - Superstore is called Dominion (though it is exactly the same - save the fact that the carts aren't coin-op) and Safeway, the Bay and 7-Eleven are nowhere to be found.

Then there is the very unfamiliar- and I am talking, of course, about the accents. Some are stronger then others, naturally, but everyone talks so differently here! There are times when you just plain can't understand someone! It is really neat, though, and makes me so much more aware of the way I speak.
Also unfamiliar to this prairie girl are all the hills. I have spent quite a bit of time in BC as a kid and so it's not like I've never been around hills before, but they have never been such a part of daily life as they are now. Our apartment is situated right in the middle of a hill, so we are constantly going up or down it to get anywhere. It's exhausting, but I think my legs will just get stronger and stronger!

Lastly, as we discovered very early on while driving in our rental car - Winnipeg's confusion corner has nothing on this city. There are no straight roads. None. Look up St. John's on googlemaps and just try and find a grid. It's ridiculous for two people with such a crappy sense of direction!

So, there are these familiar and unfamiliar things as we try to adjust. I miss Winnipeg's Rye Bread and eating at Stella's, but we're making our way here and finding the local flavour here might be just as good (or better).