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American gardeners are really super, super nice people. They all speak the same polite, courteous language as all other gardeners everywhere else in the world. There are no foreign gardeners.
But before that during a visit to a small town not far from the border, while having lunch in a diner, I overheard a conversation at some tables between farmers that I have never heard in Canada. Basically it was about guns and one guy saying that if his neighbour stepped foot on his property during the night he would shoot him dead. It was to my ears, a clownish conversation, so bizarre you wanted to laugh. Another farmer brought up how he had heard that in England even though they didn't have guns the murder rate was very low, and another farmer (or good ole boy type, rural, anyway) responded with the wisdom that New York City had more people than all of Britain so that didn't count.
I'm not calling this story false, but it's uncanny how often I read stories like this wherever people from different geographic locations converse. I'm from the west coast, but I'm a college football fan, so I post on some boards that are full of southern guys. Every other week someone starts a thread about how they visited the west coast and got berated for opening up a door for a woman or saying "yes ma'am", blah, blah, blah. Yet I haven't seen any of the examples happen in 39 years. The above story comes across like one of those. It may very well have happened but it's so far outside the norm that it's completely meaningless.
I've been to the US many times. It's not terribly foreign--outside of using US currency in stores and restaurants and bars, it's pretty much the same as home. On the ground, Americans and Canadians obey the same traffic laws, respect the same courtesies (such as holding the door open if someone is hurrying), line up for the bus, and tip restaurant and bar servers. We follow American sports that the rest of the world doesn't: baseball, football (and we have our own kind of that), basketball, and we rule in hockey, which America plays too.
What does differ is in Americans' misunderstanding of us. We're a market economy, yet I was once asked, by the guy on the next barstool in Las Vegas, "So, how is socialism working out for you Canadians?" (What socialism?) Another time, I was asked how I could possibly consider myself a citizen of a free country, when I am not allowed to own guns. (Fact: Canadians can own guns.) I legally own a few guns, though I would never think of using them for home defense. I know Canadian self-defense laws too well.
Then, there's the Queen, and what she means. Many Americans cannot wrap their heads around the fact that the Queen of Canada is not the Queen of the UK, though the two different offices are embodied in the same person, who just happens to live across the sea from Canada. Most (though not all) Canadians get it; many Americans don't. Again, I've had to explain this before to the guy on the next barstool.
But day-to-day, visiting the US is not terribly foreign; not a big culture shock. I enjoy educating the guy on the next barstool; and if he's not willing to be educated (which happens), then I am happy to cheer for his team on the TV behind the bar, at which point, we get along just fine.
I'm not calling this story false, but it's uncanny how often I read stories like this wherever people from different geographic locations converse. I'm from the west coast, but I'm a college football fan, so I post on some boards that are full of southern guys. Every other week someone starts a thread about how they visited the west coast and got berated for opening up a door for a woman or saying "yes ma'am", blah, blah, blah. Yet I haven't seen any of the examples happen in 39 years. The above story comes across like one of those. It may very well have happened but it's so far outside the norm that it's completely meaningless.
Well, you're not southern, so I'm not sure how you would see what they describe.
In any event, I have another story from another road trip to a western state. Not a bad story, just an interesting story of the kind that make road trips fun. I saw a store dealing in western memorabilia and wandered in to check it out. It was stuff like "this is the bullet that killed Billy the Kid." However, after being warmly greeted by the proprietor, he asked where I was from and I told him I was from Canada. And he immediately pulled out a chair to visit with me. He said his family used to ranch in BC and left after Pierre Trudeau became prime Minister here. He wanted me to fill him in with all the details of how Canada had gone downhill since Trudeau tried to "push French" down everyone's throat. As he described it, his family had seen the writing on the wall and escaped in the nick of time.
While our views were in no way similar, it was an enjoyable chat and kind of touching to touch base with an ex pat who wanted to touch base, no matter how long ago he and his family had left.
Same road trip as above, but different state, while having breakfast at a chain restaurant - can't remember which one - a lanky old cowboy type had been staring at us through breakfast and when we were about to leave he asked me where we were from. After I told him, a little cautiously, wondering if Canadians were in the same category as the "Californicators" down there, he said, "I like Canadians. Y'all have a good time on your trip, ma'am."
Well, you're not southern, so I'm not sure how you would see what they describe.
In any event, I have another story from another road trip to a western state. Not a bad story, just an interesting story of the kind that make road trips fun. I saw a store dealing in western memorabilia and wandered in to check it out. It was stuff like "this is the bullet that killed Billy the Kid." However, after being warmly greeted by the proprietor, he asked where I was from and I told him I was from Canada. And he immediately pulled out a chair to visit with me. He said his family used to ranch in BC and left after Pierre Trudeau became prime Minister here. He wanted me to fill him in with all the details of how Canada had gone downhill since Trudeau tried to "push French" down everyone's throat. As he described it, his family had seen the writing on the wall and escaped in the nick of time.
I have to say we have failed miserably so far in our grand scheme to turn BC into a francophone province, but by God, one day we will prevail!
Well, you're not southern, so I'm not sure how you would see what they describe.
Because the behavior they describe is not exclusively southern, although many of them believe that it is. For example, opening doors for women. I've done this all my life. I've observed others here do the same for my entire life. I've not seen a single woman take offense to that... ever. I'm sure there are isolated instances of women taking offense but, somehow, every southerner that visits claims that it happens to them.
I'm just saying that your story comes across in the same way.
Well, you're not southern, so I'm not sure how you would see what they describe.
In any event, I have another story from another road trip to a western state. Not a bad story, just an interesting story of the kind that make road trips fun. I saw a store dealing in western memorabilia and wandered in to check it out. It was stuff like "this is the bullet that killed Billy the Kid." However, after being warmly greeted by the proprietor, he asked where I was from and I told him I was from Canada. And he immediately pulled out a chair to visit with me. He said his family used to ranch in BC and left after Pierre Trudeau became prime Minister here. He wanted me to fill him in with all the details of how Canada had gone downhill since Trudeau tried to "push French" down everyone's throat. As he described it, his family had seen the writing on the wall and escaped in the nick of time.
While our views were in no way similar, it was an enjoyable chat and kind of touching to touch base with an ex pat who wanted to touch base, no matter how long ago he and his family had left.
Same road trip as above, but different state, while having breakfast at a chain restaurant - can't remember which one - a lanky old cowboy type had been staring at us through breakfast and when we were about to leave he asked me where we were from. After I told him, a little cautiously, wondering if Canadians were in the same category as the "Californicators" down there, he said, "I like Canadians. Y'all have a good time on your trip, ma'am."
Minor stuff, but it's why I love road trips.
Reminds me of the time I was driving in Seattle. A woman pulled up beside me honking her horn. Thinking something like my car was on fire, I rolled down my window just as she yelled " I love Canada " and drove off.
She obviously recognized my plates, but BC plates are not a rarity down there, so it was kind of odd, but hey, it made me laugh.
I've been to the US many times. It's not terribly foreign--outside of using US currency in stores and restaurants and bars, it's pretty much the same as home. On the ground, Americans and Canadians obey the same traffic laws, respect the same courtesies (such as holding the door open if someone is hurrying), line up for the bus, and tip restaurant and bar servers. We follow American sports that the rest of the world doesn't: baseball, football (and we have our own kind of that), basketball, and we rule in hockey, which America plays too.
What does differ is in Americans' misunderstanding of us. We're a market economy, yet I was once asked, by the guy on the next barstool in Las Vegas, "So, how is socialism working out for you Canadians?" (What socialism?) Another time, I was asked how I could possibly consider myself a citizen of a free country, when I am not allowed to own guns. (Fact: Canadians can own guns.) I legally own a few guns, though I would never think of using them for home defense. I know Canadian self-defense laws too well.
Then, there's the Queen, and what she means. Many Americans cannot wrap their heads around the fact that the Queen of Canada is not the Queen of the UK, though the two different offices are embodied in the same person, who just happens to live across the sea from Canada. Most (though not all) Canadians get it; many Americans don't. Again, I've had to explain this before to the guy on the next barstool.
But day-to-day, visiting the US is not terribly foreign; not a big culture shock. I enjoy educating the guy on the next barstool; and if he's not willing to be educated (which happens), then I am happy to cheer for his team on the TV behind the bar, at which point, we get along just fine.
I think a lot more differences pop up when one moves to the US and vice versa.
Your stories are very similar to ones that I have experienced. People thinking we are " less free " in Canada. People throwing around the word socialism, but at the same thinking Her Majesty has power over us. Well which is it?
These conversations never get nasty, and usually end up one of two ways. The questioner realizing that they really know nothing about what they are talking about, or believing I'm lying because " they had a friend who had a cousin who knew someone..."
Most are just funny, like the time when a guy heard I was from BC and said, " oh, Edmonton BC? a lot of blondes up there ".
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I saw a store dealing in western memorabilia and wandered in to check it out. It was stuff like "this is the bullet that killed Billy the Kid." However, after being warmly greeted by the proprietor, he asked where I was from and I told him I was from Canada. And he immediately pulled out a chair to visit with me. He said his family used to ranch in BC and left after Pierre Trudeau became prime Minister here. He wanted me to fill him in with all the details of how Canada had gone downhill since Trudeau tried to "push French" down everyone's throat. As he described it, his family had seen the writing on the wall and escaped in the nick of time.
