Hey there everyone! It\u2019s March, and you all know what that means! It\u2019s my birthday month!<\/p>\n
So yes, that means I\u2019m older, wiser, greyer, and presumably require less sleep\u2026 But I\u2019m still tired all the time. No, all things considered, not much has changed with me. I\u2019m still as happy as I\u2019ve ever been, and thankful to be working for an amazing company involved with the best country in the world: Japan. Students and readers like you truly inspire me to wake up and rush to my computer to work, day after day. I love it and wouldn’t change things for the world!<\/p>\n
To celebrate this month, I thought I would give you a bit of a cultural lesson.<\/p>\n
This is a peculiar little piece of Canadian culture, so before I start, take a look at the attached photo.<\/p>\n
This particular photo is of the back of my head! It was taken from the top of Seymour Mountain, on Vancouver\u2019s North Shore, my home.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s among the most beautiful places in the world and in this photo, you find me having just completed a snowshoe to the top of one of the many minor peaks of Seymour. This specific peak gives a lovely view over Deep Cove.<\/p>\n
But, it\u2019s not the view that\u2019s interesting here, nor is it the back of my head.<\/p>\n
No, what we\u2019re all interested in here is what\u2019s on top of my head. See that woolly, furry thing that I\u2019m wearing, with a funny little bobble poking out the top?<\/p>\n
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Now, what would you call such a piece of headgear?<\/p>\n
You may call it a \u2018stocking cap\u2019 if you’re from the US, which sounds utterly foolish to the Canadian like me. In Canada though, we\u2019ve got a very special name for that kind of hat. Now, I\u2019m far from an expert on the topic, but one possible reasoning for our special name is the sheer utility of this item of clothing: Canada is cold, so we find ourselves wearing one of these rather frequently!<\/p>\n
Well, without further ado, the name of this funny hat is a \u2018toque\u2019<\/strong>, variously spelled \u2018tuque\u2019<\/strong> as well.<\/p>\n The \u2018tuque\u2019<\/strong> spelling has its origins in Canadian French. And the most important point of the toque is the pom-pom at the top: that furry little bobble on the top of the hat. Without one, it\u2019s just not a toque!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u30dd\u30f3\u30dd\u30f3\u5e3d\u5b50\u3001\u3042\u306a\u305f\u3082\u6301\u3063\u3066\u3044\u307e\u3059\u304b\uff1f<\/p>\n So, do you own any toques<\/strong>? Do you almost own a toque, because your knitted hat doesn’t have a pom-pom on top?<\/p>\n Well, you can easily make your own bobble and sew it on your existing hat, and then voila: a toque! You\u2019re a true Canadian! Let me know if you have a toque where you are, and if you like them!<\/p>\n Bye for now and enjoying the springing of Spring 2022, already!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nic\u5148\u751f\u306e\u3001\u524d\u56de\u306e\u82f1\u8a9e\u30d6\u30ed\u30b0\u306f\u3053\u3061\u3089\u304b\u3089\u3069\u3046\u305e\uff01\u2193\u2193\u2193<\/p>\n