Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 257 Location: The middle of nowhere
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 12:06 am Post subject: I have survived Canada
hi hi
I just got back from a grueling journey with a couple of friends from Fairbanks Alaska to Whitehorse, Fort Saint John, Edmonton, Vermillion, Saskatoon, through North Dakota and Minnesota. In spite of Canada's best efforts to kill us, strand us, run us off the road and/or make us all horribly sick, we made it through in one piece.
I have to say, almost everyone we met along the way was incredibly friendly and helpful, even at 11:00 pm when we had just bought 117 dollars worth of gas only to find out that Wells Fargo had frozen all our credit cards (and wouldn't reactivate them until the next day) because apparently they think someone who steals a credit card's first action would be to drive to the middle of Yukon and try to buy gas with it.
Even the random construction worker that was eating breakfast in the lobby of the Super 8 where we stayed overnight in Vermillion said hello and wasn't above having a pleasant chat. Anyone else have similar experiences driving across the unfathomably vast distances that are Canada? Surely people who live there must.
We're Canadian. We're bred to be polite. It's what we're known for internationally and we have to keep up appearances lately, especially when our side of the globe hasn't been that popular lately. >.>
But really. Canada and the US may seem the same but we're completely different people. I have... interesting experiences whenever I go to the US. I'm just used to people being extremely nice. Like, people don't get off the bus until they thank the bus driver nice.
We're taught to say 'sorry' and 'thank you' to everyone (even our beer commercials poke fun about it). Kinda like the Japanese, although we're a step down from their level of politeness.
I love that picture Icekatze! Was that guy Canada's best effort to kill you? XD I've (shamefully) never been out west, so most of the animals I see around here are of the urban variety.... (but I *have* been attacked by squirrels.... and I have some great pictures of a peregrine falcon ripping the stuffing out of a pigeon on the 10th floor of a building...) It's kind of crazy that even if your trip was in my (absurdly far-away) backyard, I would probably have been more of a stranger than you in the Yukon!
As for friendly and helpful people, I can testify that they're all over the place here too (even if I live in the city). I've never had the means or the opportunity to travel a lot, so I guess I tend to assume that people are the same everywhere! Though I know there are some differences.... like how people from outside Montreal (other North Americans at least) have trouble getting used to the typical greeting between friends/acquaintances (the dreaded two-cheek-kiss!) XD But if that's not friendly, I'm not sure what is!
...and yeah, I always thank the bus driver before getting off the bus too!
Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 257 Location: The middle of nowhere
Posted: Sun Aug 17, 2008 11:21 pm Post subject:
hi hi
Well, whatever the reason, it sure sets a good example and made our disaster laden trip more bearable.
I'm sure there are lots of different factors involved in why there's no small supply of surly, rude people in the US of A and why nice people don't stick their necks out, but in the US kids are taught in school at an early age not to talk to strangers (to run away screaming in fact) but then aren't given any further instruction on how to make the transition from child to fully capable adult. Anyway, I'm sure there have been volumes written on the subject, but its probably an entirely inflammatory can-of-worms™ that I'm hesitant to open.
I don't think the bears were too bad. Most of the ones we saw were from the safety of a moving vehicle as was the wolf we saw (Although I did see fresh bear tracks around our camp-site one morning, the bear obviously wasn't interested in us)
Canada's best effort to kill us was probably either the herd of bison that were standing in the middle of the road, or that one car that pulled out in front of us while we were going 110 km/h (~70mph for us non metric users) but thankfully I was alert enough to quickly slam on the brakes and avoid a high speed collision.
Anyway, even though we were tired and cranky about having to drive over 5307 kilometers (3298 miles), I was still able to enjoy the natural beauty of the countryside and I'm glad I made the trip. It would have been a lot harder for my friends to move back to the lower 48 without a third driver too.
Joined: 01 Oct 2008 Posts: 766 Location: Canadaaaaaa
Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:42 pm Post subject:
Cicerone wrote:
We're Canadian. We're bred to be polite. It's what we're known for internationally and we have to keep up appearances lately, especially when our side of the globe hasn't been that popular lately. >.>
But really. Canada and the US may seem the same but we're completely different people. I have... interesting experiences whenever I go to the US. I'm just used to people being extremely nice. Like, people don't get off the bus until they thank the bus driver nice.
We're taught to say 'sorry' and 'thank you' to everyone (even our beer commercials poke fun about it). Kinda like the Japanese, although we're a step down from their level of politeness.
Oh dear, is America that bad? It's true, we are bred to be polite people. But I like it this way, though people make fun of us. I like holding the door open for people behind me and thanking the waitress and being cheerful at people I don't know. Why shouldn't I? It breeds good relations. The waitress, for example, there's one place in Edmonton we stop at every few months. She remembers me and my family because we're polite and easy-going and nice in general and talkative. Not all Canadians are this polite, certainly.
I've never been elsewhere, but I guess this explains the typical internet additude if most people are Americans and they really are all that rude and surly... what was that song... "We'll always be polite, except on HOCKEY night!"
Yep, there's Canadians for you. Glad you had a good trip. I know the area you went through pretty well, seeing how I live there, and it's definately a pretty nice, friendly place. That construction worker sounds just like my dad, too. He's conversational with pretty much anyone. But it's fairly common around here.
The three phrases most likely to come out of my mouth are "thanks!" "No worries." "I'm sorry." And yet, I don't think it's unhealthy. I'm on good terms even with my enemies.
I have this sudden urge to move to America just to say thank you to people.
Way belated topic bump, but it's Canada! I have to talk about it!
Glad you had a good trip. I love Canada too. _________________
Japan, Canada and England, keeping up the rules of etiquette for the rest of the world! _________________ "...well, I'd rather see a resolution without any dead bishies or unwanted magical sex changes, but that's just me." ~Brendan
Joined: 04 Dec 2007 Posts: 257 Location: The middle of nowhere
Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 7:16 pm Post subject:
hi hi
I think most people are generally polite when pressed, but you'll always find a handful that are suspicious of your motives. I've had people respond to "good morning," with "what do you want?" Which is perhaps part of the reason why people don't go out of their way to be polite, it can result in getting your head bitten off.
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I've never had the means or the opportunity to travel a lot, so I guess I tend to assume that people are the same everywhere! Though I know there are some differences.... like how people from outside Montreal (other North Americans at least) have trouble getting used to the typical greeting between friends/acquaintances (the dreaded two-cheek-kiss!) XD But if that's not friendly, I'm not sure what is!
I know the area you went through pretty well, seeing how I live there, and it's definately a pretty nice, friendly place. 
That construction worker sounds just like my dad, too. He's conversational with pretty much anyone. But it's fairly common around here.
