Still. Here I am. I am still surprised I am here, but it is growing on me. (For e.g., I get very very cross if people are rude and ill-informed about Canadians. Anyone had a look at the economy here recently? Yes. Also, Michael Ignatieff might the Prime Minister here one day!! An academic-historian-writer who is also quite handsome - Prime Minister!! Swoon.)
If you have never been here, you are probably wrong about it.
I haven't seen:
A Mountie in uniform
A beaver
A moose (apart from a very great distance in a wildlife park)
A bear (see above)
Bryan Adams
People routinely hanging around in canoes and wearing hats with flaps on
Snow all year round
People being nice and polite the whole time
People going "eh?" the whole time, or saying "abooot" instead of "about"
I have seen:
Irony, everywhere. In Top Five Nations Good For Irony, is Canada.
Real maple syrup
Snow like I have never seen before
People not going on and on like idiots when it's -20
People working normal working hours
Space. People running about outside because it's fun not because they have to or 'should'
People who can ski and skate, and I mean lots of people, not just people with money
People wearing check shirts
8 million people who I knew existed but not in such numbers who are Canadian, but speak French
A lot of Celine Dion
Space. Even the cookers are bigger.
Anyway, thanks for having me. Here's a bit of Gordon Lightfoot. He's Canadian. (Talking of which, you will be surprised by who's Canadian.)
Also, here are some very funny cartoons found by the incomparable Katy Newton, who I love, at the very most excellent Hark, A Vagrant. (Click on the link for a better view of this and some other excellent Canadian stereotype comics.)
7 comments:
I did not see a single checked shirt when I drove across Canada (bottom to top, not side to side) but I did see caribou and moose, and any number of people said 'eh' but possibly because they thought we would be disappointed if they didn't AND an entire town (numbering approx 38) invited us to a birthday party when we happened to be in the hotel/public hall/recreation facility on the night of the party.
I did not see Celine Dion but then maybe she wasn't invited.
Katy Newton is in herself a sufficient reason for the existence of Canada, past, present and future.
If there are no mounties in red singing The Indian Love Song, I'm not coming *empties suitcase back onto the bed*
Ali x
Sssshhh. Ixnay on the onderfulnessay of Anadacay. Is secret.
You have probably seen Mounties, just not in the their formal dress uniform, which is the red jacket with silly hat everyone thinks they wear all the time. The Arrogant Worms' "Mountie Song" will explain in part: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boenbohMSa8
Moose are highly overrated close up.
Apologies for Celine Dion, eh?
NONE of us actually say "aboot" instead of "about." It's an nasty made-up American taunt. And we're really made aboot it.
Or mad aboot it.
Some of us can type. Somc an't.
You've never seen a mountie or a moose - you can't really be in Canada!
I once met a mountie. He didn't have a hat but he did have a bloody big gun. I didn't ask about the hat in case he shot me.
maybe all the friendly people live in BC? I'm always stunned by how nice and friendly everyone is. I get culture shock every time.
My most popular ever blog post is called Celine Dion and her nude ski death. Fact.
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