How do you feel when you encounter an American? (high school, live in)
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Wow, that's really interesting because as an American, I have wracked my brain and honestly cannot think of a single American that I know who is in their 50s or 60s and limps or uses a cane or a walker.
Maybe you're seeing people who are really in their 70s or older and who just look great other than their limp!
My experience also. The people I can think of who limp or use a cane/walker are late 70s at the youngest.
During the winter months when I see plates from Southern states I ask myself WHY. Otherwise seeing Americans is about as exciting as someone from Ontario or New Brunswick.
I do remember once in the 80s travelling with a group of students in Montana being recognized as Canadians due to the big cultural differences, we asked at the bar if they could switch the TV from some basketball game to the Stanley Cup playoffs game between the Flames and the Oilers.
Wow, that's really interesting because as an American, I have wracked my brain and honestly cannot think of a single American that I know who is in their 50s or 60s and limps or uses a cane or a walker.
Maybe you're seeing people who are really in their 70s or older and who just look great other than their limp!
That's kind of what I was thinking too. I am 64, and went for a 50 mile bike ride today. This evening I walked to a friends house in downtown Leipzig to play cards, almost 4 miles of walking round trip. Yes, I know a few people who have some mobility issues in their 60s, but I know ten times as many who don't. Aging and health challenges are not confined to the borders of the USA.
....... what's your general attitude when you encounter Americans in Canada?
No attitude. It's such a common thing here on the west coast we are quite accustomed to it and nobody thinks anything of it. There are thousands of Americans entering BC every day. BC apparently gets something like 3,000 American vehicles and drivers crossing the border from Washington alone daily. That's not counting the number of Americans that daily cross at the BC border crossings shared with Idaho and Montana, or coming from Alaska, nor does it count all the Americans that arrive by train, air or ferry every day - I don't know how many the daily grand total is for our province.
I know that for all of Canada the country gets around 14 million Americans visiting annually. I understand that, in order, Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia are the usual top three Canadian destinations for highest numbers of American visitors but all the other provinces get a lot as well. It's good for our economy, likewise when Canadians cross into America it's good for the American economy too.
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No doubt some of those “thousands of Americans” are actors.
In much of Canada, and depending on what part of the U.S. you're from (think... accents), travelling in Canada as an American can be a pretty "incognito" thing. A lot of people won't even notice you're American unless you tell them or they see your licence plate.
Yeah, when they *say* licens/ce it's a dead giveaway immediately!
LMAO.
Now when I pronounced "Hawk" as "hawk" instead of "hock" or say "gutter" instead of "eavestrough" and ask for a cup of "cawfee" but look at you funny when you ask if I want "brekkie", you'll know I am from New Jersey.
Now when I pronounced "Hawk" as "hawk" instead of "hock" or say "gutter" instead of "eavestrough" and ask for a cup of "cawfee" but look at you funny when you ask if I want "brekkie", you'll know I am from New Jersey.
There are literally scores of words that give Americans away.
It's a generational thing, and perhaps even a regional one. I grew up using " serviette " but rarely do now.
Things like " fragile ", " hostile " " niche " , " clique " a lot of the vowel sounds, etc. are better indicators.
For the American accents that are closest to a Canadian one, it's a combination of pronunciation, cadence, and certain terms.
For instance most Canadians wouldn't say " electric bill " but " hydro bill ". However I wouldn't judge someone to be American just based on that.
If someone says " Y'all "....then chances are high they are American.
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