How should we characterise Canadians?

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I have to call bull$hit too on the Americans pretending to be Canadians thing - I jsut don't know anyone who has ever done it. Besides you don't get "treated better" because of your nationality. You get treated better because you are nice and respectful.

Having said that, I think I'm the only American I know who is regularly mistaken for canuck abroad. Dunno why. Maybe growing up 10 miles from the border rubbed off on me.

Against my better judgement, I will relay the following experience.

During my trip to Scotland and England, our tour group had a group supper in our hotel. Some of us were rather loud and boisterous that evening, and our waiter was NOT amused and was rather rude to us whenever he saw us....until the next morning when he stopped to have a chat with us. Somehow the fact that we were Canadian came up. The waiter was shocked and exclaimed "You're Canadian? I thought you were Yankees!" and instantly, and I mean instantly, he was no longer Mr. Rude Waiter. He was actually turned out to be kinda cute and a lot of fun.

I have worked 10+ years in jobs that dealt directly with tourists and have travelled abroad myself and I have seen the "pretending to be Canadian phenomenon" and the "treating better because you are perceived to be Canadian" with my own two eyes. It happens.

Anyways, I see my prediction turned out to be right.

Well, he is still a$$hole if he treated you differently because he thought you where from somewhere else. I'm sure it does happen, but he is the exception rather than the rule. Cassie, I have lived 10+ years abroad in Europe and Asia. I have always been treated well because I am a nice and respectful person to people I meet. I have seen Australians, British, Israelis, French, etc being treated differently because they were behaving like a$$holes.

I know and have encountered many, many American expats and tourists. This "pretending to be Canadian" thing is an urban myth.

[chri'stina 190]

While I agree it would be a "fact" that Americans were stopping by to pick up Canadian items (you worked there, so you saw it yourself), you cannot say that it is "fact" that Canadians are treated better than Americans overseas. There are too many variables to take into account. Which country is it? What is the tourist doing? Did they make an effort to speak the language? And so on and so on and so on...

I'm absolutely sure that Canadians have been treated better than Americans in some cases. Lkewise, I'm sure there have been instances where Americans have been treated better than Canadians. It just depends on the situation, really.

After all, unless someone goes around stating "I'm an American!" or "I'm a Canadian!" most people from Europe or Asia or South America probably won't be able to tell, unless they've had repeated exposure to the many accents in both Canada and the United States. Let's be honest -- to untrained eyes and ears, Americans and Canadians do look alike and sound similar. The only people who would know from the get-go would be the customs officers and (with great exception) they rarely care WHERE you're from, so long as you've got a valid passport and you're just visiting.

In India, I bet they can't tell the difference between a Canadian and an American tourist. I am sure many Americans/Canadians wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Indians and Pakistanis or Indians and Sri Lankans when they are just walking around. When you are from the same region and look somewhat similar, it's hard to know sometimes unless you ask the person. So we could just hope that people won't judge you on the nation you are from.

I don't doubt that some countries may be biased enough against the US to treat the citizens of Canada better than the citizens of the US, but it really matters what country you are in as I think in India it would not make a difference.

Can't be bothered to read the whole thread - but I know more NYers in FL than Canadians. New York has taken over FL and you will never win hehehe

So true about NYers here in FL. We moved here from NY too.

[Cassie 8]

I have to call bull$hit too on the Americans pretending to be Canadians thing - I jsut don't know anyone who has ever done it. Besides you don't get "treated better" because of your nationality. You get treated better because you are nice and respectful.

Having said that, I think I'm the only American I know who is regularly mistaken for canuck abroad. Dunno why. Maybe growing up 10 miles from the border rubbed off on me.

Against my better judgement, I will relay the following experience.

During my trip to Scotland and England, our tour group had a group supper in our hotel. Some of us were rather loud and boisterous that evening, and our waiter was NOT amused and was rather rude to us whenever he saw us....until the next morning when he stopped to have a chat with us. Somehow the fact that we were Canadian came up. The waiter was shocked and exclaimed "You're Canadian? I thought you were Yankees!" and instantly, and I mean instantly, he was no longer Mr. Rude Waiter. He was actually turned out to be kinda cute and a lot of fun.

I have worked 10+ years in jobs that dealt directly with tourists and have travelled abroad myself and I have seen the "pretending to be Canadian phenomenon" and the "treating better because you are perceived to be Canadian" with my own two eyes. It happens.

Anyways, I see my prediction turned out to be right.

Well, he is still a$$hole if he treated you differently because he thought you where from somewhere else. I'm sure it does happen, but he is the exception rather than the rule. Cassie, I have lived 10+ years abroad in Europe and Asia. I have always been treated well because I am a nice and respectful person to people I meet. I have seen Australians, British, Israelis, French, etc being treated differently because they were behaving like a$$holes.

I know and have encountered many, many American expats and tourists. This "pretending to be Canadian" thing is an urban myth.

All I was trying to say is that I have seen it happen -- it's not chronic, it may not be something every American traveller does (because I know they do not, I have been in contact with many many American tourists over the years), but I have seen it happen.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

My experience is that most people do not make such a fine distinction of the Americans and the Canadians as Canadians may have liked

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

They are ruthless savages that will stop at nothing to take over America

Yeah - and clubbing baby seals to death is their national pastime.

a seal goes into a canadian bar and asks for 7 up and canadian club.......

[almaty 19]

They are ruthless savages that will stop at nothing to take over America

Yeah - and clubbing baby seals to death is their national pastime.

a seal goes into a canadian bar and asks for 7 up and canadian club.......

they still clubbing those cute baby seals to death...

[Lona.C. 16]

LOL I will create my very own T shirt Logo saying ,

I am German EH

I mean I am Canadian EH

oops i mean i am americian EH

< oh whats the differance my farts smell just like yours EH ? >

LOL

[Tinker 0]

LOL I will create my very own T shirt Logo saying ,

I am German EH

I mean I am Canadian EH

oops i mean i am americian EH

< oh whats the differance my farts smell just like yours EH ? >

LOL

OMG *ROTF* there went my tea

Here's one, Canadians believe in Children!!!!!!!

Edited August 28, 2007 by Tinker

[Cassie 8]

LOL I will create my very own T shirt Logo saying ,

I am German EH

I mean I am Canadian EH

oops i mean i am americian EH

< oh whats the differance my farts smell just like yours EH ? >

LOL

:lol:

[Tinker 0]

Most of us learn from our mistakes.....*carefully checking to make sure I didn't miss a word*

[Sinergy 3]

we are far more awesome than americans

funny, I thought Canadians WERE Americans....

my bad...

indeed Frances.

I kinda expected that kind of remark from her tho

[L_n_O 3]

one big happy family.

the end.

[Sinergy 3]

one big happy family.

the end.

yea right!!!

QUOTE(liz_legend @ Aug 28 2007, 09:08 AM)

we are far more awesome than americans

[Lona.C. 16]

LOL I will create my very own T shirt Logo saying ,

I am German EH

I mean I am Canadian EH

oops i mean i am americian EH

< oh whats the differance my farts smell just like yours EH ? >

LOL

OMG *ROTF* there went my tea

Here's one, Canadians believe in Children!!!!!!!

and they eat poutin while creating them

LOL

[Tinker 0]

and they eat poutin while creating them

LOL

*whispering* think I'm the one Canadian that thinks that stuff is just nasty

I got one, the Canadians on VJ love Americans