I am feeling very Canadian right now

I guess it's the Olympic hockey. Who knows. I doubt it was the snowboarding or the freestyle skiing. Either way, when my husband said he was going to Canada next week, I automatically began thinking about things that I need from Canada. Despite the availability of a ridiculous amount of stuff here, there are some things that someone has to go out of Israel to get for me.

If you spent a day in any of the malls here you would probably come away saying: "what could you possibly need?" Notice I said "need" not "want". These things are essential and without them I would face an existential crisis.

So here's my list. Feel free to challenge my selection. I dare you.

1. Decent bras -- there's no lack of bras here. What there is, is a lack of good WonderBras or Warners bras for a decent price. If you need a cheap bra that will look nice when you get hit by a bus, it is available in Israel. If you need a super-fancy bra that costs a month's salary, it's also available in Israel. If you need a pretty, yet sensible, bra that actually does its job and will still be useful after three washes, and doesn't require you to get a second mortgage, you need to leave Israel.
2. Workhorse pantyhose -- fortunately I rarely need them but when I do, I do not think I should have to pay a fortune for a pair of really delicate (read: useless) pantyhose. Whatever happened to nude, reinforced toe, support hose for $3? The cheap ones here are awful.
3. Vegan black licorice -- I only eat Panda and I have to stock up on it every time I go away. Fortunately it is plentiful everywhere but here.
4. Sunglasses with readers -- you know, the kind you get in the grocery store for $18. In a country this sunny, I can't believe they are not available. They are critical to my mental state and that of my husband, who usually throws a Hebrew map in my lap as we are driving somewhere on a sunny day and asks where our exit is (usually about three seconds before we get to said exit).
5. Pretty cotton underwear that won't fall apart after three washes -- you are probably noticing the under garment theme here but what can I say, the choices here are either Madonna or Whore. I need something in between.
6. Decent food colouring -- the kind that actually turns your baking the colour it advertises on its label.
7. Hypo-allergenic earrings -- just the plain loops will do. I have sensitive skin so I need gold, silver or hypo-allergenic metal. And since I lose them on a bi-weekly basis, I don't want to wear gold all the time. Plus silver has to be cleaned and heaven knows I won't do it.
8. Cambridge hardback notebooks -- I have been using the same notebooks for the past 25 years and I am not about to change now. I like the size, the quality of the paper and the hard back -- and the fact that they open to the left.
9. Red Rose Orange Pekoe teabags -- I grew up with them. Enough said. (I hide them in the back of my cupboard and I don't share them unless pressed to do so by some Nosy Parker.)
10. Sheets and pillowcases that fit our beds -- if you brought your beds from North America the sheets here do not fit them properly. The sizing isn't the same. Fortunately I don't need new sheets often but if you are wondering why we still have some Pokemon sheets hanging around, now you know.

There are more things for sure. My toothpaste, my toothbrushes, my motion sickness medicine, Canesten (I am not explaining what that is here), disposable razors, flannel pajama pants, Baker's baking chocolate, benschers with English, and more. But you get the idea. 

It is just too bad that the Winter Olympics weren't held in Israel this year or I would have asked one of the Canadian hockey players to bring some back-up bras with him.