Bert the careful turtle...

Culture shock is an alarming thing, never more so than when you're returning "home". I had somehow thought that re-integrating into society (after my stint in the penal colony) would be smooth and easy. Not to be.

In Australia, a great deal of pride is associated with our lack of class-system. There is no aristocracy, no hierarchy and in particular, no elevation of doctors above the general population. As such, it is considered wanky to brag about being in medicine. We do it, but we know it's wanky.

Due to this lack of pretension, I have learned that when I communicate with my superiors by email, I should address them by their Christian name, and use polite but informal language.

Not so in Canada. In explaining my tardy reply to the head of U of T's family medicine residency, I addressed him by his first name (with which he had signed his initial email), used informal language and signed off with a sincere "Cheers".

His response was quick, scathing and signed "Doctor ....."

My knee-jerk response was "Wank"! It'll take some time to re-acclimatize.

In any case, given the massive disaster unfolding in Japan (and on the heels of the disasters in Christchurch & Queensland) it all seems trivial. I keep reading Dad's SAS survival manual and thinking about what I can do to help.

The Civil Defence Service has some suggestions: