As A Canadian

[sodamntired]

Does the following statement offend you?

 

"I've been to Canada. It's not THAT different from the US."

 

I was born and raised in Manitoba, and have been in the states for the past 6 years, and I have heard this more than a few times. And I have always had a problem with it. I tried to explain that they are, you know, different countries and different cultures, with different people and different histories. I usually get shouted down by the Americans.

 

your thoughts?

[Muran]

My current observation about people from the US, is that they are very fat.

 

A shallow generalization, no doubt, but geez. Last time I was there, it was such a polarization of disgustingly skinny people, and disgustingly obese people. Largely disgustingly fat people, though. There were never just average people...

[supercanuk]

Immensely different cultures in some respects, but in other respects quite similar. It would really depend on what you are comparing. In a broad general way we have similarities, both products of the British empire, both have dark histories of empire building and genocide. But then you could say that Canada is quite different because of the French influence. But if any of you are familiar with American politics, the French influenced the fight for Independence as well. Again, too many broad generalizations create stupid results lol.

[Lauren]

when i lived with my parents we lived really close to the u.s. boarder (half an hour). the only real observation i made about people from the united states (or at least michigan) is that they seem to be rude, short tempered and always have better things to do. we'd go shopping in the states and instead of a sales person coming over to help us reasonably soon, the salespeople there would just stand around and talk to each other until you went and approached them. a-holes!

[HoboFactory]

I've only been to Canada once, and it was only for a couple of days. Perhaps it was the shortness of my stay that disallowed me to truly experience Canada, but when I was there, there were, relatively speaking, only a few things that seemed to say to me "You're in a different country" and it was mainly small things, like road signs and what not.

[sodamntired]

the salespeople there would just stand around and talk to each other until you went and approached them. a-holes!

someone who works retail in the states, i can tell you this is very very VERY true. . I work a register as a cashier, when I am not ringing someone up, I go out to the front to look for someone to help. Most of the time I stand there by myself, and see co-workers either mingling or standing alone behind their registers. I'll tell someone standing there that they should be out in the front, and I have been told. "no, I like it here." and there's usually a group of girls mingling around a register together. I purposely send guests/customers their way because I don't want to be earning the same amount as they are, while I'm doing more work.

 

I blame the parents of America. They allow their children to do whatever they want, because, they would hate to tell their children "NO!" because you might hurt the little darling feelings. It is the "Lazy Generation" where everything needs to be given to them. I heard a girl telling her friend, "it sucks when they don't take credit cards. I forget how to use paper money sometimes."

 

I'll let you think about that. This girl has said she has FORGOTTEN how to count.

[Polyurethane]

I work in retail too, at good ol' Crappy Tire. Let me tell you, it is a really crappy job. The reasons are numerous, but the main reason would have to be the customers. I can understand if you're angry that we're out of a product you want, but don't start shouting at me. I can't control how many we order, let alone how many are even produced. Or if I don't know about that one particular product you heard about from your friend, don't start shouting at me that I don't know anything. I don't care if your friend said (s)he got it from here (most of the time it turns out that they didn't anyways).

 

Anyway, sorry for the tangent. I just hate my job.

[Guest Prosis]

Unfortunately, Canada is becoming very American by the second. I say unfortunately not as an anti-American statement but rather as a cultural protection statement. I really don't know why Canadians feel the need to equate success compared to Americans or use them as either a template or a goal to surpass but they have for many years now...so there we are, we're the frogs trying to be the beef instead of just being a frog...

 

And someday we'll explode ...

 

Although it's our own fault not theirs...

[ReaperACI]

Ehh, I agree to an extent. I do see, locally, the growing belief in teens that society owes them the world on a silver platter. "We should not work, we should have all our dreams NOW, and we do not need to work for it".

 

As well, I see the trend in retail stores in my area, of staff gabbing in corners and ignoring you, even if you try to get their attention. Of course, interfering with their discussion is "rude and offensive".

 

Is there a snowball/landslide just beginning to occur within Canada now? Are we looking towards a, sad but true, "American" future of obese people who choose to launch lawsuits against EVERYTHING that offends them? "Oh no, you yelled at me and said 'jerk', I will sue you".

 

Don't get me wrong - I know MANY Americans that are extremely concious about their well-being, emotional, mental and physical. Unfortunately, I must admit that after several discussions with American students, out of an average of 50, only a small handful provided intelligent responses to my questions. I have many American friends (young or old, that I have met online or personally), and while I value their friendship, I must admit only a small handful of them actually take the time to understand the world, look at the globe, read the news.

 

I was rather dismayed to be asked "what's anti-histamine?" or "so, someone is sending me this thing by 'priority mail', what is it and is there anything else?"

 

I recently was asked (I rejected) for $600 because this kid figured he could sell 30 products on eBay, take the money, not ship them, and not get in trouble.

[Moonlight_Graham]

Canadians and Americans are much more similar than we are different. It depends where you go obviously in the U.S., but i stayed 3 weeks in California the past summer and it was a bit different, but nothing significant. Here's differences that i noticed:

 

- People in Cali are a bit more afraid to talk to strangers than in Canada. They don't seem to interact with neighbours very much either.

 

- There's a lot more blacks & mexicans/hispanics, and a lot less muslims & french people than in Canada.

 

Other than that, i didn't see much difference in the people.

[Ruettiger]

It all depends on where you are, in both countries. People from Newfoundland are completely different than those from Alberta. Likewise, those from northern AB are different from the south. The States is no different in that aspect.

[Sparq]

For as long as Americans can come to Canada and still watch American Idol, culture shock will me mild at worst.

[borntohula]

Unfortunately, Canada is becoming very American by the second. I say unfortunately not as an anti-American statement but rather as a cultural protection statement. I really don't know why Canadians feel the need to equate success compared to Americans or use them as either a template or a goal to surpass but they have for many years now...so there we are, we're the frogs trying to be the beef instead of just being a frog...

 

And someday we'll explode ...

 

Although it's our own fault not theirs...

canada had/has a culture of its own? that everyone identifies with? where have i been? show me this "culture" you speak of...

[Moonlight_Graham]

canada had/has a culture of its own? that everyone identifies with? where have i been? show me this "culture" you speak of...

Hockey Night in Canada

Molson & Labatt beer etc.

Uniquely Canadian words: tuque, toboggan, pogey, chesterfield, eavestrough, deke, "dick all", housecoat, homo milk

poutine

Kraft Dinner

Growing up watching Mr. Dressup and The Friendly Giant

Tim Horton's

bagged milk,

Canadian candy: Crispy Crunch, Caramilk, Smarties, Coffee Crisp, Eatmore, Mr. Big, Aero, Crunchie, Sweetmarie, Wunderbar, Jersey Milk, Nibs

Tragically Hip, Matt Good, Sloan etc.

 

so ya we have a culture all to our own. SHOCKING!!

[Doormat]

Oh shit bagged milk. That takes me back 11 years.

[Bizud]

Don't forget the caesar!

 

[prototypepariah]

Hockey Night in Canada

Molson & Labatt beer etc.

Uniquely Canadian words: tuque, toboggan, pogey, chesterfield, eavestrough, deke, "dick all", housecoat, homo milk

poutine

Kraft Dinner

Growing up watching Mr. Dressup and The Friendly Giant

Tim Horton's

bagged milk,

Canadian candy: Crispy Crunch, Caramilk, Smarties, Coffee Crisp, Eatmore, Mr. Big, Aero, Crunchie, Sweetmarie, Wunderbar, Jersey Milk, Nibs

Tragically Hip, Matt Good, Sloan etc.

 

so ya we have a culture all to our own. SHOCKING!!

if that's what makes the 2 places different you may as well give up. Both countries have just about all that, just labeled a little different. Although tim horton's is 1000 times the doughnut that dunkin or krispy kreme is.(and there are a few horton's in America, and it's owned by an american company)

 

 

your talking about 2 giant countries with several major differences in culture. America is not one culture and neither is canada.

 

the way of life for people in the NE of america is drastically different than from the south, the midwest, the pacific, or southern california. To put that all together is narrow minded and generalizing.

 

Just like saying that canada is just one. I have a feeling that life is pretty different in the GTA area compared to most of the western provinces or the maritimes. and much different than quebec.

 

The core values and believes are similar, in practice they might not look like it but they are.

[borntohula]

exactly. not to mention how most of the things that were mentionned are all products. great to know our country's identity is based on our enjoyment of a lovely bowl of KD. thanks for proving my point.

[sodamntired]

we also got our patriotism boost from the I AM CANADIAN commercials.

 

I dare any Canadian on here to ask an American for a "Serviette" and see if they know what you are asking for.

Edited November 19, 2007 by sodamntired

[Ruettiger]

I've yet to hear a Canadian, aside from my grandfather, ask for a serviette or call a couch a "chesterfield"

[Ravenous megin-sane]

i say serviette

[borntohula]

i say chesterfield for some reason, when the couch is old.

[Prometheon]

Yeah, when I think of chesterfield I think of a specific type of couch, made with a sort of patchwork cordouroy (sp?) type of material.

[Kenwell]

I find Canada not too different from the United States, at least physically, as other people have mentioned, but I find that there is a difference between Canadian and American people. Also, I find that this difference is slowly diminishing, something that many Canadians fear.

 

I do feel that most Canadians are more polite and friendly than their American counterparts, but I also find that with each generation, there is growing apathy towards Canadian values. Hell, Canada is a land of compromise, unfortunately. From the Alaskan Boundary Dispute to the 'Holiday' Tree debacle of the past few years, it really is only a matter of time before Canada succumbs to all US pressure, and then it will be clearly evident how alike both places have become.