Abducted By Aliens

One of the best things about the States is how you can buy anything you want anytime you want without searching fruitlessly for it in vain. You people down there in the States, enjoy the rampant commercialism available to you and mourn the poor souls elsewhere who must do without.

One thing about being in a really foreign country is my expectations are lower. If I’m in Iraq I don’t expect to be able to buy my favorite brand of tampons at the Haji store. If I’m in Turkey, I don’t expect to be able to buy my favorite brand of face cream. However, being in Canada is sort of like being abducted by aliens. Aliens who constructed a mini-version of the US just for me, but since they are aliens they got parts of it “wrong.”

Canada is so similar to the States that I thought I could just go out and buy a maternity coat for winter. Especially since I am in Canada where one NEEDS a winter coat. Wrong. The 2 maternity stores that I have found don’t carry coats, and the department stores don’t even have maternity sections. Oh, how I long for a Target store up here! I see other pregnant women everywhere I go, and only 1 of them had on a cute winter coat. Soon I will have to just wear a blanket. I’m thinking of just using my poncho-liner.

And it is not just the coat I can’t find. It is all kinds of things. Things I could just go to Target and buy. Like Christmas placemats that are cute, cheap black socks, a red maternity t-shirt – the list goes on. One thing I have been missing like crazy has been Morningstar Farms brand foods. The stores don’t carry them here, and I really want some of their fake bacon. Luckily, they have finally started carrying Silk – so it is getting better.

I also searched for a cloth diaper service here in Ottawa. I wouldn’t mind using cloth diapers if someone else took the dirty ones away and brought me brand new clean ones every week. But here in the Wilderness Capital no such service exists. (If it does they are utilizing the common Canadian marketing technique of no advertising.)

I also wanted to buy some Femepads. I clicked on the Canadian supplier on the website, but they are not available in Canada. I could order them and get them shipped to the US, but I think my mom is getting tired of mailing things to me that I can’t buy up here! Here is the message I got from the Canadian supplier: “Thanks for your e-mail We are the CDN distributor for Sea-Bands but do not stock Femepads at present If you want a large enough qty we may be able to bring some in for you with our next UK shipment Pls advise” (That is how the guy wrote it. No periods.) Well, I don’t want a large shipment. I want two of them! They are like ice packs for after childbirth. I thought they might come in handy. Hopefully someone down in the States will be able to get a couple for me. But it is just so annoying. Stupid aliens!!!!