Shoes also provide a barrier of sorts for the goo that people might have on thier floors, your socks could kill you if you aren't particular about where you've had them.
Taking shoes off at peoples homes...
- Thread starter kiwi_NZ
- Start date
You're going to vancouver to try poutine? Good luck, wrong part of the country by about a 5 hour flight.
Machjo, this reminded me of a story illustrating how big Canada really is. There was a British couple living in Southampton, England in the last century (or rather, 19th century). Their son was emigrating to Canada. They had an acquaintance who lived in Victoria, BC. So they wrote to him saying that our son is landing at some place called Halifax, please meet him there.
Back came the reply “Meet him yourself; you are closer to him than we are.”
Machjo, this reminded me of a story illustrating how big Canada really is. There was a British couple living in Southampton, England in the last century (or rather, 19th century). Their son was emigrating to Canada. They had an acquaintance who lived in Victoria, BC. So they wrote to him saying that our son is landing at some place called Halifax, please meet him there.
Back came the reply “Meet him yourself; you are closer to him than we are.”
That would be how I would treat a guest in my home too and certainly makes sense. My daughter not coming from freezing temps keeps her coat on as the Canadian temps that are comfy indoors are still cold for her, I guess it may take a year or two to acclimatise, she has been told by her partners Mum that is rude to wear her coat inside as much as the shoes thing. I just want to make sure I'm not out of line on my visit that's all.
When I move there and have my own home you can all visit with your shoes on, your coats on and I won't need to turn up the heat *winks*
I think learning and accepting new ways and cultures is very exciting and no doubt will be fun too and frustrating maybe, but heck who cares, it's all about loving where you're atCool! I'm a happy camper
Oh another god thing if you're in Vancouver. If you know another language, it can get you out of a speeding ticket...
Oops... sorry, just ignore that. Just thinkint out loud.
Lucky I don't wear spikey heels huh! Tell ya something I've learned from this thread.... I better buy some groovy looking sox and brush up on Canadian etiquette .. I'm so gonna have a great time, I can feel it in me bones...
Sounds like it's going to be uncomfortable for you during Xmas with the lady of the house, kiwi_NZ. She actually told you ahead of time to be sure to take your shoes off? Man oh man, she sounds like she sure is staunchy Your personality seems to shine through with a great sense of politeness and humour, how could the staunchy lady not like you? Avoid her at all times if you are uncomfortable. Be yourself and be aware! Stay out of her staunchy way, go out to enjoy the city with your daughter. That will take care of the staunchy lady.. hope it goes well for you!
Stay out of her staunchy way, go out to enjoy the city with your daughter. That will take care of the staunchy lady.. hope it goes well for you!
LMAO! I know a few Maori words, somehow that tongue won't work and get me out of mischief!
SJP
I fly into Vancouver and we're off to Edmonton for a few days and Xmas so will try Poutine there I guess. My daughter thinks it's the best food on the planet! (lol)
I have always wanted to try Pumpkin Pie and I'm so going to when I find it
On the contrary. Maori would be perfect. Do you honestly thinkthe police will run around looking for a Maori interpretor over a speeding ticket?
Not that I've ever used that strategy...honest!:smile:
I'd never seen poutine in Vancouver nor Edmonton. It might exist, but if so, you'll have to search for it. Now the good news is that if you're planning to find a sure source of poutine from Vancouver, that'll be about a five hour flight. From Edmonton, maybe only about a four hour flight. You'll need to go to Quebec.
What Machjo was getting at was that poutine is the specialty of Quebec, and not of Alberta or BC. In Vancouver, you are about five hours plane flight away from Quebec.
And pumpkin pie is curiosity, nothing special. It is not better than any of the other pies.
Like haggis. I lived in Scotland for two years (and England for six years) and there I tried haggis. It tastes OK, but nothing special.
Doesn't it matter if you have hardwood floors or carpet?
We have hardwood floors which are easy to clean, so I often tell people not to worry about their shoes. But carpet is a different story, I think it would be expected that you take your shoes off.
In the winter I would expect people to take their boots off no matter hardwood or carpet.
We have hardwood floors which are easy to clean, so I often tell people not to worry about their shoes. But carpet is a different story, I think it would be expected that you take your shoes off.
In the winter I would expect people to take their boots off no matter hardwood or carpet.
Oh, and Ottawa has it too. I'm french Canadian myself, but being vegan, I'm not into poutine. And Ottawa is still right on the border with Quebec, yet even in Ottawa you still can't buy it just anywhere and still have to look for it a little.
Oh, and Kiwi, you're going to have to get used to the notion of distance too. In Canada, when we say that a certain city is not far away, sometimes, depending on context, we mean a good few hundred km away.
LOL Machjo...you're hilarious tonight! Sipping on some fine wine, are we? Just kidding! Enjoy yourself....we're here for a good time, not a long time! LOL
Actually I don't wear high heels usually, unless it's a very special occassion, but I wouldn't kick anyone's butt for wearing shoes if dirty, I'd just think about not asking them over again unless they were very polite and uncomfortable in my abode. If they are clean, with or without shoes, sock and all, I would offer slippers and sweater to keep them warm and make them feel at home. That's what the norm is in Canada, isn't it? (I grew up in Newfoundland and it was a social thing, if you knew each other well, you could be yourself with or without shoes and coat.)
Just kidding! Enjoy yourself....we're here for a good time, not a long time! LOLActually I don't wear high heels usually, unless it's a very special occassion,
but I wouldn't kick anyone's butt for wearing shoes if dirty, I'd just think about not asking them over again unless they were very polite and uncomfortable in my abode. If they are clean, with or without shoes, sock and all, I would offer slippers and sweater to keep them warm and make them feel at home. That's what the norm is in Canada, isn't it? (I grew up in Newfoundland and it was a social thing, if you knew each other well, you could be yourself with or without shoes and coat.)
Sounds like it's going to be uncomfortable for you during Xmas with the lady of the house, kiwi_NZ. She actually told you ahead of time to be sure to take your shoes off? Man oh man, she sounds like she sure is staunchy Your personality seems to shine through with a great sense of politeness and humour, how could the staunchy lady not like you? Avoid her at all times if you are uncomfortable. Be yourself and be aware!
She can be a very nice lady and we communicate via email to keep in touch before my arrival. I think the shoes thing was mentioned to me as my daughter found it odd that she was so staunch about it, hence the "anal" comment. Anyways I just got a message from her that made it clear that whether or not it's normal in NZ that she is anal about it and I must obey so to speak and I said that wasn't;t a problem and could I wear sox or slippers or coverings over my "clean" shoes and the answer was I was being ridiculous, don't be stupid and 'no' was the answer. They do have beautiful wooden floors and I wear platform shoes not heels and it was just getting silly and she wants to make a Pavlova which is a Kiwi famous dessert here and so totally yummy and i offered to make one as that's what we do here and she was offended as she wants to make one for me. She sent me a pic of a Pavlova and said what do I think? I thought it was a Canadian flan of some sort as it didn't resemble a Pav and i got in trouble. If I knew that was a Pavlova attempt I wouldn't have asked what kind of desert it was. Tho I can see the very very funny side of what looked like a flan it did apparently hurt her feelings because i didn't recognise it! I think she is menopausal and as woman know you can be very flighty about the smallest of things let alone the biggie things ... I'll have a great time anyways as I always find the humour there somewhere but I wanted to check a few things first and perhaps make light of it when I arrive.. Phewwwwwwwww that was a rambling (lol)