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Canada vibe and culture is like American culture from 2 years ago. It is sort of sweet in a way to be able to visit a time machine. Canada has very nice people for the most part, a tad bit naive but that makes them slightly charming. It is behind the times in comparison to America. Trends here come and go very fast, and by the time people in other countries see it via the media it is already past news here. I say this as a Canadian living in the USA. I have family asking for things for gifts that I can often find in the discount clearance bins here but they are still hip and cool up there. Clothing etc...
I finally made a decision:
I LOVE THE U.S ONLY.......YEAH,YEAH,YEAH.
SWEET HOME ALABAMA.....
OH GEORGIA.....
ALL MY EXES ARE LIVING IN TEXAS.....
I LOVE NYC...
I LOVE THE MID STATES AND SOUTH CHICKS....
I finally made a decision:
I LOVE THE U.S ONLY.......YEAH,YEAH,YEAH.
SWEET HOME ALABAMA.....
OH GEORGIA.....
ALL MY EXES ARE LIVING IN TEXAS.....
I LOVE NYC...
I LOVE THE MID STATES AND SOUTH CHICKS....
BOOOOOOOOOORN IN THE U.S.A.......
I guess you wont need to continue wasting your time here on the Canada forum.
for your reference, i could do a cross-analysis of Austin, TX (pop. 1.9m CMA) and Montreal, Quebec(pop. 4.1m CMA). i understand that both cities do not represent each country’s norms. quite the contrary, actually.
i moved to Montreal from Austin, mainly because I had been attracted to easier immigration procedures provincially ran by Quebec. but another huge factor that got me sold was the fact that i read on a hippie forum online that Montreal is a good place for hippies, and i just kinda assumed that Montreal would be very similar to Austin, TX in vibe.
in a nutshell, i couldn't find that Austiny-vibe in Montreal. there are some elements that are shared such as : 1) importance of arts ; 2) residents of both cities love their weed. other than that, the vibe is just different.
of course, i understand that Montreal is the 2nd biggest city in Canada and used to be the premiere city in Canada before the 70’s. on the other hand, Austin started out as a chilled-out college town whose consistent growth just recently accelerated and the city is on its way to becoming a major mid-sized city; perhaps something on the ranks of Seattle or Minneapolis. nevertheless, many Austinites still like to see themselves as small-town people and try to keep that “hippie haven” vibe going. two cities play different roles.
Student (uni) Population : Austin - more dominant presence represented by University of Texas at Austin. it used to be a college town after all. many graduates have stayed and settled down ; Montreal - a lot of students but Montreal used to be the premiere city of Canada and still the 2nd biggest city (largest in French Canada) so there is huge non-student population as well. student population is more diluted out by everyday people.
Diversity : Austin - mostly white with sizable hispanic minority and some black minority. in other words it doesn’t feel very diverse. black people mostly stick to themselves. with hispanic people it’s 50-50. however, integration can be easy if you conform to the white culture. nothing much of international diversity. but people are pretty open-minded about race for the most part.
Montreal - much more diverse. more of a global village feel. lot of immigrants. Arabs, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian, Filipinos, Italians, Haitians, etc all well-represented. most immigrant groups keep to their groups. about the same level of different ethnic groups mixing as Austin.
Food : Austin - can be hard to find authentic “insert food here” but beef barbecue is one of the best in the world. you can get top-of-the-line Tex Mex. Montreal - due to diversity, you can find all kinds of food in Montreal. also, poutine. hard to find good barbecue and Mexican food, though.
Friendliness : Austin - this is the best part about Austin. everyone is exceptionally friendly, nice and chill. in fact, coming from other parts, people might seem “too friendly” even for Americans. i’ve started conversation in a bus stop numerous times with strangers. that’s just the way people are. people that just met you speak as if they had known you for years and sometimes address you by words like “hun” “bro” “sweetheart”. you can say that this is partly a Southern thing. but i’ve observed that this is also partly due to the “Us vs them mentality” Austinites have against the rest of Texas. Austin is an oasis of progressive thinking and artsyness that is surrounded by a sea of rednecks. Austin culture is heavily influenced by hippie culture of the 60’s and many see themselves as spiritual hippies. at the same time Austinites are also live-and-let-live. people are open-minded. liberals and conservatives can be friends, as opposed to West Coast liberals who can be militant about their beliefs. people just don’t judge based on your looks or superficial beliefs.
i went to a park with my ex-gf and picked up a game of kickball with some people who were having a birthday thing. they invited us to a party afterwards and we made a lot of friends that night. this is definitely impossible in Montreal. Montreal - Montrealers are more reserved and act like big city folks. it is rare for people to initiate chit-chat or smile in public. once in a while you’ll come across asshat behavior that you would never encounter in Austin. of course, the vast majority are not this way. I’d say people in Montreal are similar to people from Northeast cities such as Boston or Philadelphia: not really known to be nice or polite but not necessarily rude. just regular big city folks minding their own business. making friends in Montreal requires more of an effort and networking just like in any other big cities.
Pace of life: Austin - very laid back and slow. people walk very slowly. people are spontaneous and not very punctual. also, flaky. you can’t plan things too far ahead of time. Montreal - faster paced. people walk faster. i’d say in the metro, people walk just as fast as in Seoul (pop. 22m CMA). also, you gotta make social appointments ahead of time. punctuality is expected.
Somehow started a conversation with somebody in the streets: Austin - the occasion is very special. the person you are speaking to is a very special in a new age sort of way and you’ll probably exchange Facebook or number and become friends. Montreal - the conversation - if it was begun at first place - is good and cordial while it lasts, but you probably will not see that person again.
What people do for fun Austin - social life is geared on outdoor activities. hiking, camping, swimming in lakes, pools. and of course part of that is there is a huge psychedelic drug scene. food trucks, tacos, margaritas. house parties. music shows. live music is everywhere - it's hard to avoid it. can be hard to find edm and rave stuff. hard to find psy trance. indie rock, country folk, metal and psych rock are big.
Montreal - clubbing is big. EDM stuff and raves are big. nightlife is extensive and there’s something for everyone. vibrant rave scene even psy trance.
Fashion statement Austin - you have the people dressed up like hippies, hipsters, frat boys, t-shirts and jeans kind of people. but whatever they are, nobody really dresses up for their everyday life. everyone’s casual. they don't care about their looks. at the same time, some people are really vocal about their beliefs. for example, many people have bumper stickers that says something about the environment, politics, gay pride, or reference to music. there are a lot people dressed very weird or behave themselves in a weird manner. these people are keen on self-expression. Montreal - everyone dresses up. some are fashionistas and hipsters but by dressed up, i mean they seem clean and they have their **** together. they just seem more straight-edge than Austinites. come to think of it, i don't think people like standing out. bumper stickers are rare here. i’ve only seen Montreal Canadiens bumper stickers and flags.
Weed Austin - everyone smokes but only at home or secluded parks. Montreal - people smoke everywhere and you’ll smell it all the time in the downtown core. people smoke on busy streets (albeit with some caution) because the cops don’t really care.
Homeless/Pan-handlers/Public Transportation
Austin - panhandlers smell really, REALLY bad. and they get on the bus. that’s why most middle class folks don’t use the bus. also transit blows. car-dominant. huge bicycling culture.
Montreal - you get on the bus and everybody’s normal. no bums. no weird smells. one of the best transit in North America. huge bicycling culture.
Politics Austin - central area is fairly liberal but the suburbs are super conservative, Republican and a strong small government libertarianism. people make a big deal about who's liberal and who's not. it's constantly on their minds and they make it shown by driving a Subaru full of bumper stickers, wearing a tie-dye. or driving a huge truck and listening to country. Montreal - very liberal by American criteria, but people don't make a big deal about it.
Funkiness Austin - hard to avoid it. every one is funky and weird. no one's really normal. kinda like Portland, OR in that funkiness is concentrated. everybody's high out of their minds. Montreal - most of the city doesn't feel so funky. only in select areas like the Plateau.
Last edited by jamesse; 03-29-2015 at 09:08 PM..
Reason: toning down of profanity to 'asshat'; adding content to fashion
Canada vibe and culture is like American culture from 2 years ago. It is sort of sweet in a way to be able to visit a time machine. Canada has very nice people for the most part, a tad bit naive but that makes them slightly charming. It is behind the times in comparison to America. Trends here come and go very fast, and by the time people in other countries see it via the media it is already past news here. I say this as a Canadian living in the USA. I have family asking for things for gifts that I can often find in the discount clearance bins here but they are still hip and cool up there. Clothing etc...
Clothing and what else? more specific?
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