Advice for those skaters moving to Canada

[synteis]

So bagged milk is common in North America? There's only carton or in tins in my country. Unless its take away from the normal coffee shop, then its in plastic bag, enuf to fill 1 glass only
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Oh wow, that's so cool.

 

[synteis]

I'm not sure professional skaters eat mayonnaise at all, but she's really going to miss buckwheat and rye bread.

Here in Russia, bagged milk is usually cheap local one, which may be more healthy, but not pasteurized well enough to survive a week outside a refrigerator.

There's a very sizeable Ukrainian community in Toronto as well as a smaller Russian one so there's definitely buckwheat and rye bread in some of the local bakeries. I don't know how big those communities are in Oakville though, assuming that that's where she lives since the Ukrainian bakeries I know are all in the north of the city. Also, I do buy both flours regularly here but they can be quite expensive unfortunately. Nothing beats buckwheat pancakes though.

 

[eaglehelang]

I had never heard of bagged milk before and I’m shook. Only 1lt cartons and bottles in italy

Same for us in France. Bagged milk seems so strange to me

Same in Asia. Even the local cow/goat milk is poured into glass bottles before selling them

 

[xeyra]

Canada doesn't have ultra-high pasteurized milk like other countries do. Here pasteurized and micro-filtered are the norm not UHT. Only UHT can be left at room temp until it is opened. Canada follows quite protectionist policies with regards to dairy that allows for smaller, less industrial farms and processes to be supported. Personally, having grown up on pasteurized and micro-filtered milk I can't stand the taste of UHT.

Thanks for the explanation! That makes more sense. I'm not particularly fond of UHT milk myself, but I'm also not sure I've ever tasted any other kind.

 

[TGee]

lol a person is moving across the globe and people worry about milk and mayo I doubt Zhenya even eats mayo anyways.

And for the record, Russia also used to have bagged dairy product (including milk). My dad still buys sour cream in a bag. So Zhenya might come with her own tiny milk container

It's surprisingly some of the little things that can get to one in a big move.[emoji2]

In her case, the issues in transition may come more around having to organize some of her own off-ice training etc.

Lubov Ilyushechkina said that it was a big change for her to go from a program where everything was built in to Cricket where she was responsible for setting up and working with offsite trainers for physical fitness and dance.

 

[synteis]

This is not quite OT but yeah, bagged milk is very convenient for bulk usage and the 4L multi bags fit very nicely in the fridge. That being said, they are single use plastic. Hopefully they find a way to keep them while replacing the current bags to something that is multi-use.

 

[synteis]

It's surprisingly some of the little things that can get to one in a big move.[emoji2]

In her case, the issues in transition may come more around having to organize some of her own off-ice training etc.

Lubov Ilyushechkina said that it was a big change for her to go from a program where everything was built in to Cricket where she was responsible for setting up and working with offsite trainers for physical fitness and dance.

All the best luck to her, moves do suck. There's the big things, but like you said, there's also the little things. Hopefully the cute shops, restaurants and cafés in Little Japan on Dundas and in Kensington Market plus PMall and T&T and the cute cafés in North York and Scarborough soothes some of that.

 

[ancientpeas]

topic: Our milk is very tasty. When I have traveled I have noticed the difference. The only problem with bagged milk is the single use plastic problem. I'm hopeful they will find a solution to that because it's basically the same price for 2L in a carton to get 4L in bags.

There is actually a thread about it in The Cafe for those who are really interested.

It was really more of a joke than anything anyone should take seriously.

I hope Evgenia's transition to life in a new country is seamless and that she is happy here. I'm sure there are things she will really miss about Russia (which I've always heard has some of the best ice cream in the world) so I hope the adjustment isn't too difficult. I also hope she's not too homesick. I really admire her for being brave enough to do this. It shows real internal fortitude to basically change your whole life (new coach, new country, different language etc) at such a young age. I was the same age as Evgenia is when I moved away from home and to a new places (in the same country though). I hope she gets lot of emotional support from those around her.

 

[esteticlove]

This reminds me of one of my childhood nightmares - go to the store and buy some bagged milk! *buys the milk* *hyperventilates* *don't move* *don't drop it* I always had the feeling it would explode any minute

I am very excited for Med and wish her a lot of luck!

 

[VegMom]

The whole idea of dairy is pretty gross to me. But the idea of dairy products in bags sounds even more disgusting.

The majority of the world's population is lactose intolerant, you know?

 

[TGee]

There's a very sizeable Ukrainian community in Toronto as well as a smaller Russian one so there's definitely buckwheat and rye bread in some of the local bakeries. I don't know how big those communities are in Oakville though, assuming that that's where she lives since the Ukrainian bakeries I know are all in the north of the city. Also, I do buy both flours regularly here but they can be quite expensive unfortunately. Nothing beats buckwheat pancakes though.

Beyond the Ukrainian and Russian communities, buckwheat is a traditional flour in Quebec.

Superlarge pancakes in the style of Brittany count as Quebecois comfort food.

So there are domestic growers and heritage mills.

On the milk question, UHT long life milk tastes closer to what is sold in Russia as "baby milk" which is processed to a different regulatory standard. Bet Zhenya will drink the fresh bagged milk in Canada not the UHT stuff. [emoji39]

More sensibly, taking a week to check out whether the proposed living arrangement with a family will work for Zhenya, and scoping out shopping and services make sense.

When I went to grad school in another country, my family put up the expense for a one week advance trip to get thinks sorted even though I would be arriving for good a month later.

 

[silverfoxes]

The whole idea of dairy is pretty gross to me. But the idea of dairy products in bags sounds even more disgusting.

The majority of the world's population is lactose intolerant, you know?

I am not vegan or lactose intolerant, but I haven't bought dairy milk in ages. Almond milk >>>>>

She will manage somehow. You know, skaters move abroad all the time and I don't think most of them generated nearly this much concern about their well being.

 

[1critic]

Medvedeva to Arrive in Canada Next Week

I am not vegan or lactose intolerant, but I haven't bought dairy milk in ages. Almond milk >>>>>

She will manage somehow. You know, skaters move abroad all the time and I don't think most of them generated nearly this much concern about their well being.

She is probably the 1st elite Russian female skater to be coached by a non Russian. Plus she has a large following so.

 

[TGee]

The whole idea of dairy is pretty gross to me. But the idea of dairy products in bags sounds even more disgusting.

The majority of the world's population is lactose intolerant, you know?

But soy allergy or intolerance is even more prevalent than lactose intolerance.

Milk in plastic bags is a turn-off I agree though. We always transfer it to pitchers.

Can't say for Zhenya, but Slavic peoples consume very large proportions of dairy in their diet, especially cultured products. So, even an athlete is likely to consume it unless veganism is a deliberate choice.

The one healthy probiotic Russian dairy product that I can think of that will be hard for her to find is kefir.

There is kefir in Ontario, but it's not like the kefir sold in large glass soda pop type bottles in Russia. What we have in Ontario is thick and not really drinkable. And sometimes kefir here is mixed with fruit which is an absolute no in Russia. (That's for yogurt is the Russian view.)

 

[1critic]

You lucky Canadians and your non-UHT bagged milk. I love dairy but all we get here is reconstituted UHT stuff. 7,600 islands and not a single one has a large enough farm to provide affordable fresh milk.

On Topic: Glad she can already look forward to a warm welcome. She's had a rough off season.

 

[moriel]

Perhaps Zhenya, Jason and Boyang (if he does milk) need to step up and experience this unique Canadian cultural icon before it vanishes...

After all didn't 5 of the G7 countries just agree to getting rid of single use plastics...

But I've got to say that at the rate our family vacuums through fluid milk, stacking the 4 litre multibags is the only way there is room in the fridge to get through a few days at a time. Maybe we'll need another fridge sooner than hoped. Or the reinstitution of daily milk delivery.

On the other hand Zhenya will have other challenges such as not being able to find 2 litre jars of mayonnaise in the dairy case. Canadians love real mayo, but no one tops Russians on that front.

OFF: What is all this thing about bagged milk? Why do people call it "unique Canadian cultural icon"?
Was it invented in Canada or something? Because 1L bags of milks are fairly common, and milk is sold like that in Russia and in Brazil, for example, 100% sure.

 

[synteis]

OFF: What is all this thing about bagged milk? Why do people call it "unique Canadian cultural icon"?
Was it invented in Canada or something? Because 1L bags of milks are fairly common, and milk is sold like that in Russia and in Brazil, for example, 100% sure.

I looked it up and they definitely do exist elsewhere including much of South America, some of Eastern Europe, South Africa and Israel. I suspect it's mostly a big thing because it's very uncommon in the US but very common in Eastern Canada so it become seen as a 'unique Canadian cultural icon'. I've never totally understood why people find it so weird but I grew up with it so I always just shrugged when people got excited/shocked/freaked out over it. That being said, most other countries seem to sell them as individual units (~1L) while in Canada they're most commonly sold in 4L multibags. They're the cheapest unit price for milk here which is why they're so common.

 

[cruzceleste]

My country has bagged milk:agree:

 

[moriel]

I looked it up and they definitely do exist elsewhere including much of South America, some of Eastern Europe, South Africa and Israel. I suspect it's mostly a big thing because it's very uncommon in the US but very common in Eastern Canada so it become seen as a 'unique Canadian cultural icon'. I've never totally understood why people find it so weird but I grew up with it so I always just shrugged when people got excited/shocked/freaked out over it. That being said, most other countries seem to sell them as individual units (~1L) while in Canada they're most commonly sold in 4L multibags. They're the cheapest unit price for milk here which is why they're so common.

TBH it would be funny as hell if fans actually met Zhenya with bagged milk gifts

 

[Princessroja]

This forum and bagged milk. Four pages and like 85% of the posts are about bagged milk. Do we realllly need to have a third thread for this?