It's July 1st and Canada is now 152 years old. I am at my sister's house in Guelph, house sitting her beautiful home. Where are they? Well, they are in Iceland for my niece's wedding. They have traded warm summer breezes here for long cooler and lighter days in Iceland. As for me, I am soaking up the perfect peacefulness and quietness while looking out at nature as I sip my morning coffee.

Five weeks back in my home country, and I am adapting just fine. My busy days in Japan have been traded for so much free time for thinking and contemplating everything. I actually have too much time to think perhaps for my own good. I walk very much, looking and learning about every inch of my new environment. I notice everything from people, to English conversations going on all around me, and to all of the strange and wonderful sights along the way. This week I passed by the University Bear all decked out in Canada's birthday costume on campus. I am in the city of Guelph where my sister lives, about one hour's drive west of Toronto. This city is a unique blend of city and country, and has train and bus services to Toronto daily. Many people live here and work in the big city, perhaps comparable to Yokohama and Tokyo. Of course those cities have much bigger populations than the cities in Canada, but the same idea of a bedroom community servicing the big city.

On Saturday I walked downtown, 5.5 km, to visit the Guelph Farmer's Market. It has been so many years since I went. Rachel was with me so I could show her one of the areas frequented in my younger university days. The Farmer's Market sold fresh produce, organic meats, cheese, farm fresh eggs, bread, and other unique foods and drinks. We bought some fresh picked lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, and a chicken breast from a free range chicken farm. We tried a taste of Kombucha which is all the rage here in North America as a healthy fermented and nutritious drink. It is very tasty, the Ginger Lemon variety that we purchased, and so thirst quenching. Walked home afterward along the river on a sunny and clear day of 22 degrees.

On the way we stopped in at a Planet Bean coffee shop. This shop is a fresh organic Fairtrade cafe so all of the beans are purchased fairly from individual or group coffee growers and they are paid properly for their hard work with the organic price premium. The profits from the coffee bean farming help the local poorer communities in such countries as Ethiopia, Mexico, Peru, and others to build infrastructure, improve health care, and provide education for their citizens. Buying a cup of coffee from this shop is making a difference for these people. Not to mention that the coffee was tasty as was the piece of carrot cake shared between us.

News this week in Canada, well Canada's Birthday, so here are some facts for you to enjoy.

Canada is the second largest country in the world with 9,976,182 square kms.
Canada's road network is long enough to circle the Earth's equator more than 19 times.
Canada has the longest coastline totaling 243,042 kilometres spanning three oceans.
Canadians have big hearts donating $9.6 billion dollars to charities in 2017.
Canada is diverse, with the population made up of more than 250 ethnic origins.
The life expectancy in Canada was 82.2 years in 2015.
Canadians are Book smart with 54% of people having college or university qualifications.
Hockey is Canada's most popular sport...obviously.
Canadians can hold their beer with 39.7% of the market share of Canadian alcohol sales.
Canada has liquid gold in maple syrup producing 12.2 million gallons in 2016.

So there you have it, some of Canada's fun trivia. Happy Birthday Canada.

Other news, Tye-dyeing or Shibori in Japanese is all of the rage here. The colourful t-shirts and fashions are all back in style once again. Arimatsu area keep producing those beautiful and creative designs. Also regarding Canada being the home of insulin discovery, the Americans are discovering the cheap cost of Canadian insulin used by Diabetics. Americans are coming here to purchase insulin by the vial. In Canada the cost is $30.00 per vial as compared to $320.00 per vial in the U.S. Insulin is the life-saving medication for Diabetics. Let's hope that the Americans can figure out a way to reduce the cost for all Diabetics.

It's time to finish. I miss so much about my Japanese life, but I also love my new Canadian life. I will always have the two countries in my heart️.

Keep Smiling,

Rosemary

Chapter 4