You know, Canadians are really nice folk. Seriously, everyone we've met so far have been really, really nice people. Everywhere we've been, we've been made to feel really welcome. The people in the neighbourhood where we live, at the kids' school, at the school where I work... In fact, almost every Australian I've ever spoken to has expressed a positive opinion of the folk from Canada, so no big surprise, it's what we expected, and I'm sure it's a big part of the reason why teaching exchanges to Canada are so popular with us Aussies. In the entire time we've been here, we've actually only met one grumpy, miserable, rude Canadian and there were probably two reasons he was like that... One, he was clearly born elsewhere and has migrated here and so I can't really count him as a Canadian; and Two, he worked in the local post office. If Australian post office workers are any indication, it would appear that being grumpy miserable and rude is a globally recognised requirement for that position.

Anyway, as I was saying, the rest of the non-postal working Canadians we've met have been just delightful. We had a dinner invitation on Sunday night to Peggy and Doug's place across the road, where we shared a very pleasant evening chatting, laughing and enjoying a delicious roast beef dinner and a few glasses of wine. They were further proof of the "all Canadians are nice people" theory.

Meanwhile, Kate and Alex have been enjoying the opportunity to learn to ice skate on our next door neighbour's backyard skating rink. Dave and Claudia, and their kids Mark, Emma and Lukey have been just so helpful to us since we got here. They have lent us fax machines, baking trays, skating rinks... even their car a few times while we were trying to oragnise our own. They are also further proof to the theory.

We've been wondering what to do and where to go for March break, and yesterday we were chuffed to get an invitation to join our new friends Kim and Sean for a few days of skiing up at Mont Tremblant in Quebec. Kim spent her day researching places to stay and finding good deals, and when she suggested we tag along with them it took very little arm-twisting for us to say yes. Tremblant is a very nice looking resort - run by the same group who own Whistler - with great skiing and a lovely European atmosphere in the village. We are staying at a place called Château Beauvallon on the first night, and then three nights right in the heart of the village's pedestrian precinct at The Carlson. Follow the links to check them out. We'll write more when we get back after the trip, but we are really looking forward to it.

Thanks to those nice Canadians, I guess I can cross "skiing in Canada" off the dream list.