Where's the Fruit?

It's nice to be back in Canada for a couple of weeks on the pretext of a business trip! All CIDA's field representatives based in Latin America and the Caribbean meet once a year to discuss new policies, share experiences, and exchange ideas with senior management. Normally, this meeting takes place somewhere in the region, with Cuba, Guatemala, Bolivia, and Jamaica being recent choices. This year's meeting was initially going to be held in Nicaragua, but got moved back to Ottawa. No doubt the idea of bringing us back in the middle of winter was to remind us how lucky we are to be in the field!

Being back in Canada has reminded me that life in Canada and Brazil is different (was there ever any doubt?). Some of the advantages of being in Canada are not having to separate my credit cards and my bank cards; being able to walk all over the place; not having to look over my shoulder when stopped at a red light; drinking tap water without wondering if I will end up sick; and not having to tuck a fifty into my shoe just in case. As for the not-so-great things about Canada: static cling (I was so happy without it, that I forgot it even existed until I landed back home); head hat (even without wearing a hat!); cold toilet seats; no beach (at least not nearby); and where's the fruit?