Explain Canada

[Darth Shoju]

Hmm. Sounds like KeyCon.

ROFL!

No, like Rel said, and as another North Carolina resident I feel likewise, we probably reserve our feelings like that towards New York and the 'Yankees' from up there rather than feeling any spite at all towards Atlanta*.

LOL. I work in a call centre that deals primarily with American customers. One time I was speaking to a gentleman from somewhere in the South. He picked up on a trace of an accent in my voice and asked where I was from. I responded that I was in Canada, worried that he was going to get angry that I was taking a job away from an American (not that I assume all Americans get their nickers in a twist over that). His response was: "Ah ok. For a minute there I was worried you were a Yankee."

 

[Darth Shoju]

Within the rest of Canada there is a widely held suspicion that those who live in Toronto believe that Toronto is the Business/Cultural/Religious/Ethnic Center of Canada, therefore it is the only place of importance in Canada.

While at a purely rational point of view, most will agree that this is not a valid belief, there are many aspects of Toronto, ie. some of the media outlets, particularily op-ed writers that seem to particularily hold this belief.

Demographically it is the largest urban area in Canada, and therefore it does carry some weight in political circles, so I think that the rest of Canada feels resentful of this at times.

I once heard Valerie Pringle refer to Toronto as "the Paris of Canada." The level of derision I feel for this statement is difficult to express.

Ah, it's been a few years. Unfortunately, my favourite greasy spoon, Chez Basile in St. Anne de Bellevue closed down after I left for Ontario. Sniff......they had the *best* poutine

Banshee

Ah. Poutine. Here's another tip to the original poster: if you intend to indulge in this bit of Canadian cuisine on a regular basis, bring a spare heart along with you. You'll be needing it.

However, that English Quebecker refuse bother trying even a little is beyond me. I can't explain it without thinking either of bigotry, perceived superiorism of their language, or the silly argument "well, English is the majority in Canada, so I won't learn French" Joël

LOL. Or maybe it is because you don't exactly learn French by watching Habs games on French CBC (I should know ). While I agree that someone living in Montreal would be wise to pick up some French, it isn't exactly easy. I was forced to learn it until grade 9 and I couldn't hold a conversation with a fluent Francophone. In fact, I'm pretty sure if I tried the convo would look something like this:

Me: "Pardonez moi, sil-vous plait, q'ues ce...." (and my poor spelling there is indicative of my even-worse pronunciation)
Francophone: (rolling his eyes) "Look, what do you want?"

I wouldn't make decisions about University on the weather. First, winters are warmer than they used to be.

They are?!?!

*shivers at the idea of another -40 season in WINTERpeg*

 

[Three_Haligonians]

Me: "Pardonez moi, sil-vous plait, q'ues ce...." (and my poor spelling there is indicative of my even-worse pronunciation)
Francophone: (rolling his eyes) "Look, what do you want?"

This is what I remember:

"Je m'appelle Henri Matin. Il est le dix-huit septembre. J'aime le musique pop. J'aime Roch Vosine."

Do you think this will help me converse with francophones? Damn public education!

R from Three Haligonians

 

[Darth Shoju]

...J'aime Roch Vosine."

LOL



(BTW, nice sig there R..."Barrett's Privateers" right?)

 

[Dirigible]

My observation as a native of New York with Canadian relatives in a couple provinces: Socially, the USA is RPGnet. Canada is ENWorld. Most of the same discourse, but one is cleaner, friendlier, and more polite than the other.

So which country is Nutkinland?

 

[Three_Haligonians]

LOL



(BTW, nice sig there R..."Barrett's Privateers" right?)

Quite so! The unofficial anthem of the east coast. Our avatar seems a little ... patriotic? There are three of us here, and uh, we're from Halifax. In case you didn't get that...

R from Three Haligonians

 

[fusangite]

So which country is Nutkinland?

Nutkinland I would define more as a region; it's California/British Columbia. Stylish, dysfunctional, extremist screw-ups and lunatics with no ideological commonality with one another.

 

[Storminator]

As to our winters, they're notorious apparently, but really not that bad. My city (Ottawa) had a low of about -40 celcius last winter...

Only a Canadian would use "...really not that bad..." and "...about -40 celcius..." in consecutive sentences.

PS

 

[Joël of the FoS]

LOL. Or maybe it is because you don't exactly learn French by watching Habs games on French CBC (I should know ). While I agree that someone living in Montreal would be wise to pick up some French, it isn't exactly easy. I was forced to learn it until grade 9 and I couldn't hold a conversation with a fluent Francophone. In fact, I'm pretty sure if I tried the convo would look something like this:

Me: "Pardonez moi, sil-vous plait, q'ues ce...." (and my poor spelling there is indicative of my even-worse pronunciation)
Francophone: (rolling his eyes) "Look, what do you want?"

*lol* perhaps, but he would surely be friendly And of course you need to practice any langage before being able to use it more or less fluently - school isn't enough. It's as funny as to hear some quebecker (or French for this matter) trying to speak English OMG...

Joël

 

[Joël of the FoS]

Only a Canadian would use "...really not that bad..." and "...about -40 celcius..." in consecutive sentences.

PS

-40? Not that bad! My pool is still opened!