Once again I’m linking up with Emily P. Freeman to share what we’ve learned in the past month. Without further ado here are 11 assorted things I learned in January.
- If you leave batteries in a flashlight for several months they might leak and rust.
2. I heard that “chatting” is a Canadianism. Is it true that Americans don’t use this term for informal conversation?
3. Pastrami originally comes from Turkey.
4. You can recycle Tetra Paks — at least in Calgary. (I also just learned that “Tetra Pak” is two words.)
5. Lately I’ve been listening to more classical music while driving. I tune into CBC Radio 2 rather than scanning the stations for a feel-good song (like Tom Petty). One day between classical pieces I learned this tidbit: Tchaikovsky had a patroness with whom he made a pact to never meet; after he ran into her by accident he wrote a letter apologizing profusely.
6. Lagoustines are a shellfish that cost much more than lobster. They are so delicate that they are shipped live in individual compartments.
7. Hungarian is one of the few European languages that is not Indo-European in origin (Finnish and Estonian are others).
8. The 1985 Anne of Green Gables miniseries was filmed in both Prince Edward Island and Ontario.
9. Stunt non-fiction is a genre (think A. J. Jacobs’ The Know-It-All: One Man’s Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World and Gretchen Rubin’s The Happiness Project).
10. Vermouth is wine infused with aromatic herbs and fortified with brandy.
11. The Calgary Public Library no longer charges a fee if you neglect to pick up your holds.
What did you learn in January?
Hooray for number 11 – that sounds rather obnoxious of them in the first place, to be honest.
I think I like “stunt non-fiction,” although it is admittedly gimmicky… it has the deadline/project appeal (I think this is a J thing, in Myers-Brigg terms).
But scanning the radio for a feel good song is so fun! 🙂
I am extremely intrigued by this tidbit about the word “chatting,” and I might start asking everybody around me (all Americans) to see what they say about the word.
Thanks for sharing. 🙂
@EmilyMiller Don’t worry, I was loudly singing along to “Hey Soul Sister” in the car the other day. 🙂 Bikini Body Mommy is the one who commented on “chatting.” She’s from California and now lives in Toronto.
My American husband says “chit-chatting” all the time; I’m pretty sure he also says “chatting”. Can’t objectively tell you what I say after years in the US, now that I’ve been thinking about it for too long!