Change of seasons? Reading choices

[Pax]

Yep. French Quebecers (french is Québécois).

It is not easy to become an American. Many rules and regulations.

As for the snowbirds, in Quebec you can leave the province for a max of 180 days per year not to lose the health care benefits. You can't even be out of the province (let's say travel in Canada for 180 days). Some cheat (by paying cash for everything for x period of time just as they leave or a few weeks from their return, or have family do transactions in QC for instance during their leave so it "looks" as if they are physically here!)

In some other provinces the leave is not 6 months but 7 months. And if we stay longer in the USA, there is a form to fill out to prove you are still a Canadian. This form prevents the US government asking you to pay taxes as an american citizen. Complex thing for being neighbours but I guess every country (either Canada or USA) wants part of your income.

Our snowboards are starting to migrate South anytime now. They cherish Florida, Arizona and Texas.

Same is true on the reverse, we looked into to emigrating to Canada a few years ago, very complicated! And unless you are wealthy, almost impossible after age 50.

Your written English is great, must be cool to be able to speak and READ in different languages. I always wanted to read The Count of Monte Cristo in the original French.

[Helene2013]

Thank you Pat. Until my mid-teens, I had no clue what English really was coming from a mostly French area. My mom had family in B.C. and decided to move there to "force" us to learn English. So I went for a year in a private college. It was my worst nightmare year ever. Talk about "hating" mom to make me go through all of this. haha

But thanks to her, today I have excellent job/salary because I am bilingual. My work is mostly in English for the past 20 years. Most of my bosses barely spoke French. Imagine! In fact, I'm better at writing English than French. That is terrible when you think about it. Also, I probably read 25% French, and only watch basically the news in French so maybe only 10% of the tv, videos, etc.

I could work in the USA with the Firm I'm with but it would be very complicated.

I would love to learn Spanish. One day when I have more time. I think I'll move to Mexico. No choice. haha

[malkin]

Still working on my Spanish and tired of Harry Potter y la Piedra Filosofal, I am now reading La Telaraña de Carlota.

[Veronica]

I'm using Duolingo to learn Spanish. The Spanish speaking moms at school have been really supportive and I try to say something to each of the ones I know every day. I can't say much that is useful "comida y ropa" food and clothes are what I know and only the present tense.

Veronica