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I flew to Ottawa in September and drove 2-1/2 hours to get to where I was going. I had the radio on in my rental car. Whoever I was listening to (it was two or three people on a talk radio show) were not boring, they were hilarious. They were talking about Canadian politics and US politics. I forget everything they said, but it was very funny.
I've taken four trips up that way now. My experience so far has been that Canadians are very friendly. It made me a little suspicious at first because I live in New Jersey and when people are that nice, it usually means they are up to no good. It didn't take long to figure out that it was just my cynicism getting in the way.
I used to live in Austin, TX and now I live in Montreal. I'm South Korean, neither Canadian nor American.
Montreal is a wonderful city. It's got everything. It has more infrastructure for fun than Austin.
more festivals, more restaurant/bar options, better transit, better connectivity, little things like having indoor ice rinks, the Underground City, young intelligent people from all over the world.
BUT, I find people here more cold. Less inviting to new social interaction.
It is so much harder in Montreal to find new friends.
I feel like most people here stick to their old friends and that's it.
People in Austin are always looking to add more people to their social circle.
This is my subjective, personal experience, but I can say that Montreal is a fun city but I had more fun in Austin.
I think weather has a lot to do with it. When you have long, dark winters for like 5 months of the year, people's moods go down.
Austinites are like dogs, they make noise and are everywhere. Noise coming from all corners. More stimuli.
Montrealers are like cats, they are quiet and make interaction only when it's necessary.
I used to live in Austin, TX and now I live in Montreal. I'm South Korean, neither Canadian nor American.
Montreal is a wonderful city. It's got everything. It has more infrastructure for fun than Austin.
more festivals, more restaurant/bar options, better transit, better connectivity, little things like having indoor ice rinks, the Underground City, young intelligent people from all over the world.
BUT, I find people here more cold. Less inviting to new social interaction.
It is so much harder in Montreal to find new friends.
I feel like most people here stick to their old friends and that's it.
People in Austin are always looking to add more people to their social circle.
This is my subjective, personal experience, but I can say that Montreal is a fun city but I had more fun in Austin.
I think weather has a lot to do with it. When you have long, dark winters for like 5 months of the year, people's moods go down.
Austinites are like dogs, they make noise and are everywhere. Noise coming from all corners. More stimuli.
Montrealers are like cats, they are quiet and make interaction only when it's necessary.
There is a huge degree of difference in friendliness between Canadians and Texans.
6 months in Canada and 6 months across Texas in my experience, and on the 1st day you will know the difference, and weather is just 1 factor.
Plus you were in Montreal, which from my experience is where the most jovial in that country are located...
Has it ever been proven that people living in warmer climates are more jovial? I mean I here about it all the time for Europe, where Dutch and Scandinavians are considered a lot colder than Greeks or Italians.
Has it ever been proven that people living in warmer climates are more jovial? I mean I here about it all the time for Europe, where Dutch and Scandinavians are considered a lot colder than Greeks or Italians.
It might have to do with the warmer weather allowing people to go outside more often, interact with others, and see what the world is like. Individuals living in colder climates are more insulated. I hear it all the time from my friends from the Caribbean. I get the feeling it's the same in East Asia too. The Thai, Vietnamese, Southern Chinese, etc. are livelier than the Northern Chinese, Koreans, Japanese etc. Of course that liveliness can translate to being happier as well as being angrier. The emotions are just more vivid.
Has it ever been proven that people living in warmer climates are more jovial? I mean I here about it all the time for Europe, where Dutch and Scandinavians are considered a lot colder than Greeks or Italians.
I don't think it's proven but I think it's common sense.
Because, if you live in a cold climate, there are more things you need to worry about. You need to worry about winter, firewood, food, etc. You need to be more diligent and faster paced. You need to hunt. You kind of need to pick 1 or 2 people as your close buddies and create a support network. You need to plan things ahead of time.
People in the south don't have to do any of that.
People in the north tend to be more hardworking, "get from point a to point b".
People in the south can afford to be more willy-nilly, lazy.
I'm Korean and I felt some similarities in disposition between Eastern Europeans and us. We don't open up easily. Communication can be abrupt, direct and rude.
Some dichotomies i know :
Northern China + Korea (direct, harsh) vs Southern China(softer)
Northern US(introverted) vs Southern US (outgoing)
Canada(internal) vs US(external)
Northern Asia (rough) vs Southeast Asia (friendly)
Northern Europe (not friendly) vs Southern Europe (friendly)
I don't think it's proven but I think it's common sense.
Because, if you live in a cold climate, there are more things you need to worry about. You need to worry about winter, firewood, food, etc. You need to be more diligent and faster paced. You need to hunt. You kind of need to pick 1 or 2 people as your close buddies and create a support network. You need to plan things ahead of time.
People in the south don't have to do any of that.
People in Arizona and Florida don't need to hunt, have personal support networks or plan things ahead of time? They don't need to worry about food? They don't hunt? Or about bringing water with them if they go out for a walk on a hot day? Or be on the lookout for poisonous or dangerous creatures of various kinds?
I do recognize that things are a bit different but let's not get carried away.
I don't think it's proven but I think it's common sense.
Because, if you live in a cold climate, there are more things you need to worry about. You need to worry about winter, firewood, food, etc. You need to be more diligent and faster paced. You need to hunt. You kind of need to pick 1 or 2 people as your close buddies and create a support network. You need to plan things ahead of time.
People in the south don't have to do any of that.
People in the north tend to be more hardworking, "get from point a to point b".
People in the south can afford to be more willy-nilly, lazy.
I'm Korean and I felt some similarities in disposition between Eastern Europeans and us. We don't open up easily. Communication can be abrupt, direct and rude.
Some dichotomies i know :
Northern China + Korea (direct, harsh) vs Southern China(softer)
Northern US(introverted) vs Southern US (outgoing)
Canada(internal) vs US(external)
Northern Asia (rough) vs Southeast Asia (friendly)
Northern Europe (not friendly) vs Southern Europe (friendly)
Aside from this assessment being more than merely simplistic; it would be a century or more out of date. Unless of course you've assembled it from the perspective of one of today's starving North Koreans.
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