Culture shock for Canadians in the US

[Tinker 0]

I found a problem with asking someone where the washroom was.

We were on a bike trip and I just HAD to go, we ran into a Hotel and I asked for the washroom, the girl just looked at me and told me the dryer was broken. While I stood there in disbelief wondering what the hell the dryer had to do with it , my SO spoke up and asked where the restroom was

I had to laugh at the touqe and tobaggon post, my SO has a tobaggon he just loves!!!!!Wearing on his head!!!!!! I really do worry about him.

[Flames9_RN 358]

lol, that stil lhappens to me!! i ask for the washroom and they have no clue what I'm asking for!!

[Kathryn41 3,205]

Yeah, me too (VBG)!

[raphael7546 0]

I was watching a documentary on Elvis the other day ( I have no idea why, I don't even like him) , anyway, the guy was talking about Elvis when he was in the Army and that he had to go to Germany. How Germany was so hard for him because he had never been to another foreign country before, except Canada but thats not a foreign country! What!!!!? Canada isn't a foreign country???

I couldn't believe that!

I've been here almost 2 yrs in June and I am still trying to adjust to this place. It is so unfriendly. I haven't made a single friend here. I live in a prodominetly Mormon town much smaller then what I'm used to. ( grew up in Vancouver, BC) Unless you're Mormon, people won't give you the time of day.

I get teased constantly at work. Always with the Canada "EH" #######. So much so, that I'm almost ready to quit my job and go home. I am not liking this place at all.

[CutienPurg 0]

Im sorry raphael

[misa 2]

I'm sorry to hear that too.

[Reba 2]

in the US, the washroom is where the laundry machines are. I figured that out when we went house shopping one time. It was funny.

I totally understand raphael, I felt the same way for the longest time here. Do a Yahoo search for groups in your area who are not Mormon. There's gotta be someone! Even if you have to go for a bit of a drive.

Or move. We still want to, or at least I do. I'd like to be a lot closer to the border and my family. We have no family here other than James' brother, and even though he lives across the street, we never see him.

[kimmbo 0]

I just wanted to say that Im sorry to hear that youre having a hard time, I went through the same thing only in reverse when I moved to Canada from Las Vegas 5 years ago.. even at work, they would tease me all the time about my "huhs and uh huhs"...LOL...now its just a joke with all of us because everytime I say Huh and they point it out, I point out everytime someone says "EH" or "You's".and we all laugh about it..LOL..I love my coworkers now and they have all been so supportive of this new journey that we are on to get my husband to the US... and I will miss them so much

I still get incredibly homesick all the time... when I first moved here and was having such a tough time, I asked my family and friends to "mail" me pics, or write me a letter every once in awhile, send me the local paper, not just emails...and that helped alot..its so nice to have real mail, other than bills, in the mailbox!

I agree about the Yahoo groups....theres so many of them...

If you scrapbook I can suggest scrapbook.com...its a very friendly place and you may meet other scrappers there in your area...if you do go there you will have to look me up!

another great place to meet others is if you do any volunteering... when your helping others or even animals people wont care what religion you are...or maybe I should say they shouldnt care..

It took me awhile to make friends too, it was just me and my husband for the first year and a half.. we started doing date nights together...usually dinner and a movie..but to make them interesting we would take a bag and put names of restraunts around town that we had never been to, in it...and would pick one.. did the same with movies we wanted to see...might seem a bit childish but we really had fun doing it and found a couple really great places to eat that we still go to..

again sorry to hear that youre so unhappy....and I hope it gets better for you..

Edited April 24, 2007 by kimmbo

[~Nini~ 2]

I'm worried that I'm not going to adapt once I move to PA, too. I felt like such a foreigner when I asked a waiter at a restaurant where the washroom was and he said condescendingly, "You mean the bathroom, right?"

I mean, there's a lot of other stuff too, like the recycling around here (non-existent) and the high fructose corn syrup. I read labels to see whether HFCS is in it and it's become a joke around my friends and family. And I can't get used to not seeing the French labels either.

I guess it's just worry about finding a job too, since I only have an associate's degree. I worry that I'm just not going to adjust, but I'm trying to find the good side in everything. (And I really do like the fact that PA sales tax is half as much as BC sales tax, and that things seem to be slightly cheaper over here.)

[MissStacey 1]

I had a funny moment here in Canada a few weeks ago. I am working in a Flower Shop right now and had to phone in a Wire Transfer to a Floral shop in Washington. I was spelling out the name of the person the flowers were going to- Suzi. I said" S-U-Z-I", the woman on the phone goes "S-U-S-I-E"? I said no," S-U-Z-I". Then she pauses and asks "What is zed-I?" I realized she knew zee, not zed.

[jg_am 0]

Nini & Bee, what part of PA are you moving to? We're in the Philadelphia area.

My wife was dealing with a bit of home-sickness last week. She knew people from my church before we were married, but she feels she only knows those people on a surface level. As she's gotten to know them more, I think things are getting better. She feels she'll never know anyone like she did in Canada, but she's only been two months.

On a lighter note, my wife went to mail something today and couldn't figure out the mail box. She eventually did. I guess they're different than Canada Post boxes. Someone asked her to babysit in case of jury duty and she never heard of that. I guess you all don't have that north of the border.

[mybackpages 0]

(And I really do like the fact that PA sales tax is half as much as BC sales tax, and that things seem to be slightly cheaper over here.)

Don't forget NO sales tax on clothing in PA!

[Emancipation 2]

Nini & Bee, what part of PA are you moving to? We're in the Philadelphia area.

My wife was dealing with a bit of home-sickness last week. She knew people from my church before we were married, but she feels she only knows those people on a surface level. As she's gotten to know them more, I think things are getting better. She feels she'll never know anyone like she did in Canada, but she's only been two months.

On a lighter note, my wife went to mail something today and couldn't figure out the mail box. She eventually did. I guess they're different than Canada Post boxes. Someone asked her to babysit in case of jury duty and she never heard of that. I guess you all don't have that north of the border.

Yep.. I'm hearing your wife for sure.. It is difficult going from having people who really KNOW you around.. to nothing, you are just "the newbie" or "the Canadian"..

We were walking through the mall the other day and I remarked to my hubby on how i don't even look for people that I know anymore. I wouldn't expect to see anyone that I know or run into anyone cause i know NO one here.. So.. yeah.. that made me a bit sad.. just thinking of how many people I knew back home, how many times I'd run into people on the side of the street etc. It's an adjustment for sure.. You are right.. its' only been 2 2 1/2 months for me as well.. time will help all this I am hoping.

[vanee 13]

I mean, there's a lot of other stuff too, like the recycling around here (non-existent) and the high fructose corn syrup. I read labels to see whether HFCS is in it and it's become a joke around my friends and family. And I can't get used to not seeing the French labels either.

I'm not in the US permanently yet, but I'm on my second 2-month stay, so I'm getting used to it, and I'm gradually finding things I like.

The health food store has a lot of products I like, but it's too far to go to as often as I'd like to. And even it has a poor selection of produce compared to what I'm used to. But you may want to look for health food stores in your area.

I love the prices at the local grocery store. But one time I looked at the ingredients of every type of bread they had, and every one of them had HFCS in it. Fortunately, I've found a bakery nearby that makes delicious bread with only healthy ingredients.

The yogurt in the regular stores doesn't taste like the yogurt I'm used to, but again, I found healthy yogurt in another store -- this time a co-op.

I hope you'll be able to find products you like too.

[susan+mike 0]

I've been here almost 2 yrs in June and I am still trying to adjust to this place. It is so unfriendly.

I just mentioned to my hubby a few days ago how unfriendly I find the people here. The only person that I could get any kind of conversation out of was the nail tech that did my nails last week...... and I think he could relate as he was an immigrant from Vietnam. He asked my why I would ever leave Canada to move to the US........ said he heard it was a better place to live........

Hope things get better for you soon...... it's really hard when you never feel like you're at home.