August 2 11

So, I am American. And Canadian. And American. And now Canadian again.

And there are things I love about living in the United States, like, you know, that people pronounce Mazda properly and they have Chick-fil-a and Target. And there are things that I don’t like all that much about living in the United States, like, you know, the lack of free health care.

And there are things I love about living in Canada, like, you know, drinking Tim Hortons coffee every day and listening to Bedouin Soundclash on the radio. And there are things that I don’t like all that much about living in Canada, like, you know…


NO REALLY.

It does, at least in Ontario.

Explain, you say? Don’t mind if I do.

Well, you go to the grocery store, and you need to buy supplies. Oh no, you can’t just buy your milk like a normal person, you need all the accouterments. You need to have yourself a jug to help support the flippity floppity bags inside your fridge.

And then you need to have yourself a little milk bag opener doo-dad so you can MAKE A HOLE in the bag. A hole that never gets sealed; it remains open until you finish your milk bag.

Oh my god.

BAGS.

Really? Who invented the whole let’s-drink-our-milk-out-of-breast-implant-looking-BAGS thing? How did this phenomenon catch on?

Why can’t Ontario just use plastic cartons like normal people??

EH?

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  1. SERIOUSLY. I know.

    Comment by Karen Sugarpants on August 2, 2011
  2. As you probably know- Israel is the same way- but they also have the option of cartons- so usually I will skip the bags and buy the cartons.

    But chocolate milk comes in tiny serving size bags- and that happens to be the best thing ever!

    Comment by Gemini-Girl on August 2, 2011
  3. We don’t have bags anymore here in Alberta, but I just read a blog from a transplanted Ontarian complaining that we don’t have milk bags here in Calgary! I guess you love what you are used to?

    Comment by Morgan on August 2, 2011
  4. Heh. Yeah. It seems to really only be an Ontario thing. So weird!

    Comment by ali on August 2, 2011
  5. I hate the bags too….I go to Mac’s when possible to avoid them where you can get big jugs…

    Comment by Kathy on August 2, 2011
  6. YES! Mac’s has the gallon plastic jugs! LOVE!

    Comment by ali on August 2, 2011
  7. I was so weireded out by the milk bags when I lived in Toronto that I just never drank milk.

    I hear you on the Tim Horton’s though… I have a friend who sends me their coffee so I can make it at home but it just isn’t the same.

    Comment by Shannon on August 2, 2011
  8. Every grocery store also carries paper cartons so you don’t HAVE to drink the bagged milk. Thankfully!
    We certainly don’t!

    Comment by ali on August 2, 2011
  9. Milk in bags is the reason I can’t live in Ontario. I am a Prairie Girl for life.

    Comment by Dawn on August 2, 2011
  10. That grosses me out. I don’t know why. I mean, it’s very earth-friendly. But still, YOU CANNOT CLOSE IT! And ewwww…..

    Comment by Kristabella on August 2, 2011
  11. I guess this is one of those days I’m thankful I don’t drink milk.

    Comment by Darcey on August 2, 2011
  12. but but but how do you eat cereal??!??!?!?

    Comment by ali on August 2, 2011
  13. We too have bags and the milk pitcher. I use a mini clip at the end so that it doesn’t spill. After a few years I got so used to it and love it now. A lot less room in the fridge, fresher since the bags are smaller than a carton and they are cheaper. Plus now they are selling milk pitchers with a cutting tool attached so you can cut it as you put it in the pitcher.

    Comment by Arica Saltzman on August 2, 2011
  14. Multiple times when I lived in Toronto I bought 4 liters of milk in bags only to find that all of them were “off” when I got them home. It happened often enough that we decided it was cheaper to buy the more expensive cartons since I’ve never had those be off upon initial opening.

    Comment by Mouse on August 2, 2011
  15. hey Ali we used to have those plastic bags in cowboy country too haven’t seen those weird bags of milk in forever….so um whats the properway to pronounce mazda?

    Comment by LAVANDULA on August 2, 2011
  16. I have one more ewwww story about the milk bags. When I was in elementary school and even some instances today there were kids who’s parents used to wash the big bag that the milk bags came in and re use them for the kids to bring their lunches in to school…now that is just gross no matter who well you wash out the bag! Blech!

    Comment by Charmedone17 on August 2, 2011
  17. In Israel, the milk jugs have the bag opener built in! 🙂

    Comment by Noah Roth on August 2, 2011
  18. That doesn’t really make me feel any better about it. Heh.

    Comment by ali on August 2, 2011
  19. I live in Wisconsin and my milk comes in bags. Huh. That sounds like an AA introduction.

    Our chain of gas stations sells them in bags and I prefer it because I hate dealing with plastic jugs (so big, fill up the recycling bin too fast).

    Comment by Rosie on August 2, 2011
  20. REALLY? Where in Wisconsin?? I grew up in Milwaukee and my parents still live there…and I have NEVER seen milk in bags! too funny!

    Comment by ali on August 2, 2011
  21. I live in MN and it’s probably the same chain of gas stations Rosie mentioned. They’re Kwik Trip gas stations and they have bag milk. My parents used to get them all the time. I think they might actually be cheaper than milks in plastic jugs? I never thought it was weird though. They also have orange juice in bags as well and it’s quite good. 🙂

    Comment by prettylittlereckless on August 2, 2011
  22. Oh God, I had the same issue when I moved to Ontario. It’s the only province I’ve lived in that has this. So freakin’ stupid! Milk bags were the bane of my existence! Especially when my family goes through probably 8L of milk a week! I love those big 4L jugs of milk!

    Comment by Shannon on August 2, 2011
  23. Eastern Canada has the bags as well. Pretty much the only way I buy the milk. But I do occasionally buy the 2 litre containers when two of them are on sale cheaper than 4 litres of bags.

    As to having the milk go bad sooner… I’ve only ever gotten bad milk from stores that haven’t properly stored it. And that happens in either bags or cartons.

    Comment by Dave on August 2, 2011
  24. Weird. I never really thought about bags v. the jugs you can buy in the States but I guess whatever you are used to. I would imagine that the bags take up less room in the delivery trucks so this reduces the amt of gas it takes to get the milk to the store. And hm…what is the “right” way to pronounce Mazda?

    Comment by Jen on August 2, 2011
  25. like…um…
    mahz-da – both As are pronounced the same way.

    not maaaaaazda, the way Canadians use that a in plaza and pasta and mazda.

    Comment by ali on August 2, 2011
  26. Really what’s up with the milk bags?????

    Comment by Lorarian89 on August 2, 2011
  27. hummm we have those in Quebec too. I only buy milk in bags since a 4 litres only last 3 days anyway at my house.I have an 11 years old and a 4 years old but my suspicion is that I am actually feeding 3 more invisible kids.

    Comment by yanicka on August 2, 2011
  28. I grew up in Québec and moved to Ontario when I was 13, had milk bags in both provinces. Cartons too but the cartons are more expensive. The only time I don’t like bags is when someone cuts the opening too small or too big 🙂

    Comment by Amanda on August 2, 2011
  29. Is there any better milk packaging other than cartons? I think it is much better to organic disposable materials aside from cartons. I think we people or are genius to fin a way. Right?

    Comment by Recca on August 2, 2011
  30. I don’t drink milk but if I did I dont think I would be coordinated enough to use those crazy ole milk bags

    Comment by Sensibly Sassy on August 2, 2011
  31. I agree with you Recca. I can’t imagine drinking milk from carton packaging. Haha I don’t know but.. I just can’t take it. hehe

    Comment by Sarra on August 2, 2011
  32. When you drop it…*explodes* aaawww….hahahaha I haven’t seen such too! kinda cool to know…and weird to imagine. hahaha

    Comment by ella stefani on August 2, 2011
  33. When I think of milk in bags I think of breastmilk. I’m not sure I could get past that. 🙂

    Comment by Katie on August 3, 2011
  34. We live close to the Ontario border and I’ve spent a great deal of time in Canada, and I have never seen the milk bags! How…interesting!

    We have Tim Hortons all over here in north western NY though, and for that I am thankful.

    Comment by saly on August 3, 2011
  35. Weird. So glad I grew up in Alberta. Love live jugs!

    Bahaha!

    Comment by Katie on August 4, 2011
  36. Your blog is more informative than Wikipedia–this I never knew!

    Comment by Camels & Chocolate on August 8, 2011
  37. Milk bags? I find this highly disturbing and strange. Almost as weird as the first time I encountered shelf stable milk in the Dominican Republic. I’ll have my milk in a carton, please.

    Also, I’m not sure if you think I pronounce Mazda correctly or not considering I have the accent Anna Paquin wishes she had to play Sookie Stackhouse. The first time I watched True Blood, it was like fingernails on a chalkboard. Their accents were SO BAD. It was a mockery of my own accent.
    Uh, sorry about that mini-rant. Have a good one.

    Comment by Corey on August 23, 2011
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