How should we characterise Canadians?

[L_n_O 3]

I'm not going to fight about this.. cuz I think most Canadians don't really care if we can be differentiated or not..

we're happy with who we are and don't need the recognition or approval

I got one, the Canadians on VJ love Americans

Rock on!

[Lona.C. 16]

one big happy family.

the end.

GOT THAT RIGHT

< god I have fun reading this thread this morning LOL )

[Chica Yeyé 41]

devilette,

don't be mean ... it's not like she's mexican, you know.

Close enough, no?

Funny... NOT.

[almaty 19]

we are far more awesome than americans

..why do you hate Americans?

just a joke, but i thought Canada was in north america....??

Edited August 28, 2007 by almaty

[Tinker 0]

we are far more awesome than americans

..why do you hate Americans?

just a joke, but i thought Canada was in north america....??

silly, didn't you watch the you tube thread, he says we're the best part of North America

AND liz must love at least one American

Think Canadians can be a tad sarcastic

[trailmix 77]

Ok I may be going out on a limb here but...

I was actually thinking about this thread and I discussed it with my Husband (an Australian) and asked him what makes Canadians different than anyone?

In the course of this discussion we decided that nothing really makes us particularly stand out from the rest of the world (as individuals). I said I think we are more like New Zealanders, Australians, British etc.

Here is the thing we agreed on. The perception of the United States (not saying it's true of ALL Americans, but it is generally the perception) is that American's believe that they live in the greatest country in the world and they think that everyone else thinks that too - and if you don't - they think you just don't know what you are talking about.

American politicians go a long way toward reinforcing this perception.

Whereas, with the aforementioned countries, they believe they live in/have the greatest country in the world, but they don't expect anyone else to necessarily agree.

It's also hard to generalize about a people. Canada is a huge country, so just as you can't generalize about 'American' individual traits, you can't really generalize about Canadians.

[Sister Fracas 5]

It's also hard to generalize about a people. Canada is a huge country, so just as you can't generalize about 'American' individual traits, you can't really generalize about Canadians.

bravo!

I'd hope that on this board there would be more people that realize there is no such thing as "the greatest country in the world" *puts on flame retardant suit*

[Nessa 23]

After reading this thread I am craving canadian bacon.

[no name 1]

Or across the river in Jersey. Way too close to home. Canadians (or even Californians) will never get it.

Nah we didn't get it at all....

In Newfoundland (CANADA) where they took in thousands of passengers who were due to land US cities but were not allowed to fly into the US.. "We" didn't get it when we put those people up in our private homes, fed them and gave them all the comforts of home with NO financial rewards..

Nope our Firemen and Rescue workers didn't get it at all when they just up and left their families and jobs to go to NYC and work along side their US colleges because they wanted to "help" their brothers..

There were Canadians in those towers as well.. our country remembered those victims in a televised COUNTRY WIDE memorial of the event and prayed that day for your nation and it's healing..

Um, we had nationwide events on TV as well........

I'm sorry but taking in passengers is not the same as walking in a city with armed guards everywhere, with ash everywhere, and smelling burning building/flesh for months. Not even close.

Nope, not an urban myth. I used to work in an MP's office in Canada (Member of Parliament). One of the nice things that we did is we handed out Canadian flag pins and sticky labels and such for Canadians who were travelling overseas. We REGULARLY (we lived an hour from the Windsor/Detroit border) had Americans stopping in while they were in the area wanting to pick up Canadian lapel pins, flags and other sort of paraphenalia. Their reason? Almost always that they were going overseas and knew that Canadians were better treated than Americans in many countries. Fact.

I guess my (American expat/traveller - many countries) experiences & my friends (American) experiences don't count, eh? Whatevs - you worked for an MP you must know all things Canadian!

...and the fact that you're such a world traveler makes you more experienced at such matter than say, a person who worked for Parliament in Canada? Um....yeah.

Pretty much, yes. I saw it with my own eyes in foreign countries, not from some biased chair in an office IN CANADA.

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

Ok I may be going out on a limb here but...

I was actually thinking about this thread and I discussed it with my Husband (an Australian) and asked him what makes Canadians different than anyone?

In the course of this discussion we decided that nothing really makes us particularly stand out from the rest of the world (as individuals). I said I think we are more like New Zealanders, Australians, British etc.

Here is the thing we agreed on. The perception of the United States (not saying it's true of ALL Americans, but it is generally the perception) is that American's believe that they live in the greatest country in the world and they think that everyone else thinks that too - and if you don't - they think you just don't know what you are talking about.

American politicians go a long way toward reinforcing this perception.

Whereas, with the aforementioned countries, they believe they live in/have the greatest country in the world, but they don't expect anyone else to necessarily agree.

It's also hard to generalize about a people. Canada is a huge country, so just as you can't generalize about 'American' individual traits, you can't really generalize about Canadians.

oh that sooo typical Canadian. do you always have to be so nice? just come on out and say you believe Canada is the greatest country on earth. straight out. no hiding it in a long and nice explanation.

love ya guys!

Daniel

:energetic:

[Cassie 8]

lovely post trailmix

[L_n_O 3]

we are far more awesome than americans

..why do you hate Americans?

sigh

this is why I shouldn't go outside the Canadian forum

where exactly did I say I hated amercans? I love 'em. I'm engaged to one and have about 175 others coming to our wedding next year.

[Tinker 0]

devilette, we understand you were there and we can't imagine the horror you went through.

You don't understand, we stood in shock and cried just like you guys, we were scared to death hearing the reports come in....CAUSE we are so close to you and other countries tend to forget that we aren't the same country. If that makes sense.

NO I wasn't there, but neither were all Americans who watched it on TV...

Don't be so selfish to think it didn't effect anyone else but the ones right there. I for one called my SO begging him to get his son and try to come up here, but even he said that Canada probably wasn't safe either. Chaos reigned here as well for abit.

I still cry about it when I see it on tv, I still see the pictures and the whole thing just slams back into me.

This thread isn't about 9/11, it's about picking on Canadians.

[almaty 19]

we are far more awesome than americans

..why do you hate Americans?

sigh

this is why I shouldn't go outside the Canadian forum

where exactly did I say I hated amercans? I love 'em. I'm engaged to one and have about 175 others coming to our wedding next year.

just joking, my Canadian sister...

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

who is picking on the Canadians here, I don't understand? I think the OP started the thread with the best of intentions, some very mild stereotypes got posted and then a debate about maple leafs on backpacks.

I think a lot of people are offended and I don't understand why.