...And here I thought I was the only one who thought we might have an identity problem!
What Do You Love About Canada? (And What Don't You Love?)
- Thread starter countryboy
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...And here I thought I was the only one who thought we might have an identity problem!
Acceptable by whom? If I want jungle humidity, I'll go to a jungle.
Good ... our tolerance and acceptance of others
Bad ... the lengths we'll go to avoid hurting feelings.
Good ... our tolerance and acceptance of others
Bad ... the lengths we'll go to avoid hurting feelings.
We are all antis.
nope, not the only one country boy, and yes Anna... too many Canadians fall back on the sad attempts to define us merely by what we're not.
Well, I have something in my hand that's not a coffee cup.... that doesn't really help you to know what it IS though, does it?
We are all antis.
OK, I'll bite - what's an "antis?" Seriously, I live out in the woods so I'm not the sharpest tack in the box...I really don't know what that means.
But most houses here have air conditioning, countryboy. Cars have air conditioning as well. So if somebody does not like humidity, he doesn't have to be subject to it.
What Do You Love About Canada? (And What Don't You Love?)
This is coming our way once Alberta is done with it. We've had about 5" so far this week.
Weather Watches & Warnings: Watches & Warnings - The Weather Network
This is coming our way once Alberta is done with it. We've had about 5" so far this week.
Weather Watches & Warnings: Watches & Warnings - The Weather Network
Really? Do you have them new-fangled 'lectric lights too? I guess it's great to have A/C if you don't mind staying sequestered indoors, safely away from all the weather threats and other assorted bits of nastiness out there. Or escape to cottage country on the weekends...oh, oh..too many bugs, right?
Don't kid yourself, SirJP...Ontario has lots of ugly weather, just like most other parts of Canada. Even tornadoes down in "tornado alley" around London. The humidity in Windsor is rather legendary too. And up on the 401 on the way to Montreal (Ontario side), I've seen some pretty nasty whiteouts and snowstorms. Oops, getting away from your "southern" Ontario area there.
Are any of those A/C systems computer-controlled? Oh, oh...could be a problem.
And aren't we just the picture of outstanding social health? Gawd, I love being a perfect Canadian. I love it so much I sometimes have trouble keeping my lunch down when another perfect Canadian starts telling me just how perfect we really are. Gotta' quit watching CBC so much...it'll put bad ideas in your head.
Didn't you mention somewhere that you lived in the U.S. for a while? If so, which part? I'm not familiar with this melting pot you're talking about. I don't think I've seen it in Arizona, Texas, or California...where there is some of the best Mexican food anywhere, prepared and served up by jen-yew-wine Hispanic families - 3 generations in the one in Sand City, CA - and they didn't look the least bit "melted" to me. In fact, they even spoke Spanish right there in public! The nerve! Mind you, I've only ever been to 46 of the 50 states so perhaps I missed something there.
You might be confusing this melting pot thing with our obsession for too much government up here in peace-lovin' Canada. We seem to have to crank up the legislative machinery every time some well-intentioned do-gooder thinks someone is being trod upon because there isn't a law in place to accommodate his or her particular and unique need at the time.
You would have been fascinated by how the communities of Winnipeg used to deal with "ethnic" issues. The short answer is, they didn't. They just let people be people and the variety of ethnic communities in that city was (and maybe still is) nothing short of staggering. They had their own social clubs that used to "hop" with people having a great time. Hell, their annual Folklorama celebration is a sight to behold. Nowadays, we have lots more government involvement, laws, regulations, enforced political correctness, and a host of other wonderful things to enhance and nurture the lifestyles of all. I guess that's why we're not a "melting pot", like those nasty and rough ol' Americans down there! Sheesh...
When you go to Montreal, you are getting far away form Southern Ontario, you are near Ottawa there (winters are tougher in Ottawa as well).
And ‘tornado alley’? Really? We haven’t had too many tornadoes for a long time now. What we usually get is the aftermath of the tornadoes after they devastate the Southern coasts of USA. Thus we got aftermaths of hurricanes Andrew, Hugo etc (all we got was a bit of rain).
Ontario may have plenty of ugly weather, Southern Ontario has very little.
And yes, in summer we do have the choice, stay inside the air conditioned house, or escape to the cottage country to the north.
In fact we know at least four doctors who came to Ontario from Saskatchewan, the main reason they gave was the weather (and maybe they make more money in Ontario, I don't know).
That is precisely what is meant by the mosaic, counrtyboy. We let people be people they are free to practice their own culture, their own customs (provided they don’t conflict with our constitution, of course).
And they do have the melting pot model in USA, just that it is not working as it should, people are not that willing to give up their culture, their customs. While in the last century the European immigrants were willing to forego their culture, customs for the American melting pot, the new immigrants (Mexicans and third world immigrants) are less willing to do so.
Melting pot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Incidentally in USA, I lived in Salt Lake City (the land of Mormons), Ann Arbor and Cincinnati.
Tornado? Hurricane? You do know they are different monsters, don't you?
One tornado is too many for the right people....
Hey, I went to school in Ann Arbor (Michigan U...what else?) Are you familiar with the "Gandy Dancer" restaurant? Might not be there anymore..
OK, so here's my point. I have really been fortunate to have moved around Canada and the U.S. a lot...in many little corners of both countries. I spent a lot of time in Minneapolis (worked for a company based there) but lots of time in other places. Some international stuff too...Paris and Tokyo (6+ years there)...
What I saw in the U.S. was quite the opposite of a "melting pot"...I certainly know what that means but I saw so many very interesting cultural pockets and not really any "put-downs" of any culture. I still can't get my head around this melting pot thing. You said "We let people be people they are free to practice their own culture, their own customs (provided they don’t conflict with our constitution, of course)" and that's what I saw down there...all over the place. Please...tell me where you saw that. Was it San Fransisco's Chinatown? The Hispanic culture in California? The Mennonites in Pennsylvania? Frankenmuth, MI? (Big German culture and Christmastown, USA)...where? Hell, I've even spoken Japanese with a few people down in Seattle and nobody seemed to care what we spoke.
I think that big ol' Statue of Liberty actually has a lot of meaning to the thousands (millions?) of people who chose America as their new home. Even today.
I know a lot of Americans personally...probably hundreds, and I have never encountered any serious opposition to new Americans and their particular cultures. At least, no more than exists here in Canada...and it DOES exist here, believe me.
I think we're pretty good and making new Canadian feel welcome here, but I simply don't get this "holier than thou" attitude many of us seem to have in that department.
I worked at University of Michigan for six months, in 1977. I am not familiar with ‘Gandy Dancer’. When were you in Ann Arbor? I remember an Indian restaurant there, ‘Raja Rani’ (it means king and queen). I also remember ‘Pagoda’ restaurant, it was just off campus and used to be a hang out of university students. I don’t know if it is still in existence.
I lived in Salt lake City, the society was quite homogenous there in 1the 70s. It was a true melting pot, people from all different backgrounds (all European, of course) came to salt Lake City and became Americans. While there were a few ethnic restaurants, there were not that many separate enclaves of different ethnic groups. There were very few blacks in Salt Lake City in those days. It illustrated the melting pot model perfectly.
University of Michigan of course, was very cosmopolitan, as are most universities. There was a substantial population of German extraction in Cincinnati, but again, there were no German enclaves. Cincinnati was also a melting pot.
In those days, there were very few Mexicans or third world immigrants in these places, they used to congregate mostly in big cities such as New York. The melting pot model started to really break down with Hispanics and third world immigrants.
countryboy, I decided look up those restaurants, just for the sake of nostalgia. I could not find the Pagoda restaurant. Either it doesn’t exist or they don’t have a website.
Raja Rani, however, is very much in existence, after more than 30 years, and they do have a website.
Raja Rani Restaurant
Raja Rani, however, is very much in existence, after more than 30 years, and they do have a website.
Raja Rani Restaurant
Will check that website...thanks. I seem to remember that the Gandy Dancer might have been called the Pagoda at one time. It was in an old train station, I think. Last time I was in Ann Arbor was around 1984, taking a bunch of executive business courses (for us workin' types). The food was very good, as I recall.
By the way, I always screw up the name of the University (of Michigan) because everyone used to call it the "U of M" but I couldn't do that...I came from Manitoba and the real U of M is there...the University of Manitoba. But at least I never called it Michigan State...they wouldn't go for that in Ann Arbor!
So what's better...a melting pot or a mosaic? I know quite a few immigrant families both here and in the U.S. and in most (if not all) cases, they made the choice to move "here" to become part of the society. If in fact a melting pot does exist in the U.S. somewhere these days, what would be so bad about that?
After all, it is the "land of the free and home of the brave" and I know anyone has the freedom of speech and a whole bunch of other stuff. Just look at the staggering array of restaurants in NYC - given that restaurants are usually one of the "faces" of the culture and I can't see too many "melting pot negatives" there.
In fact, I get a bit uncomfortable when I see a few people that move to Canada and then try to get laws changed to suit their own requirements. I don't agree with that at all. If their choice is to move to Canada, then be prepared to live under the existing umbrella. If there are enough of any certain group in an area, certain key business services will conform to their customers' requirements anyway...I see ATMs down in Richmond, BC with keypads in Chinese...works for me.
I lived in Japan for a number of years and I certainly didn't expect Japan to start changing things around just because I had arrived on the scene. Hey, if I needed help with the lingo (like when getting a drivers licence) you just find somebody to give you a hand. They even have bars and restaurants there that have signs (in English, sort of) out front that say, "No Gaijin"...that means no foreigners welcome. Was I offended? Nope! I just went to the next one.
By our standards, there is a fair amount of racial prejudice over there but it doesn't bother the foreigners. "We" simply didn't go looking for trouble.
Mind you, Japan has a very clear sense of who they are (I believe it's known as an "identity") and I maintain that we do not. In Japan, if you don't like it, you leave. I know that's a fairly horrifying thought to the average liberal-type in Canada, but it's pretty common out there in the world. What's that old expression, "When in Rome...?" Once again, works for me.
Last but not least, having lived in foreign countries and having done business in many others, the thing that really gets under my skin is when some Canadians begin to talk about imposing our standards on other countries. That is part of what I mean when I rant on about our "holier than thou" attitudes, arrogance, and all that other stuff. I think it's rude and insensitive to begin making all kinds of statements about how other countries do things. Most, if not all of them have been around a lot longer than Canada (we're a puppy in "world years") and most of them know what they're doing. If we didn't have all the natural resources that we do have (and waste, to some degree), we wouldn't be enjoying such a high standard of living.
If might interest some Canadians to know that the U.S. is held in very high regard by most Japanese. People in their 50s will take you around Tokyo and point out things that "General MacCarthur" built for them during the occupation after WWII. You don't often hear about the proverbial "ugly American" in Japan and in fact, you would hear a lot of good things about them. America is a big player on the world stage, and far more generous than we might give them credit for...they spend more on foreign aid (per capita) than we do. It goes on and on, but I'm more than a bit tired of the America-bashing that I keep hearing about here. Just had to mention it...
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Anti-American. lol Meaning "other than American".
Online etymology dictionaryL. anti- from Gk. anti "against, opposite, instead of," from PIE *anti (see ante).