Re: Americans... a new and vulgar people


MM wrote:
On 11 Aug 2006 20:59:16 -0700, "Jason P" <jaspetr@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

The difference between American and Canadians is usually like day and
night.

What *are* the differences? Please elucidate! By the way, what is life
like under Arnie?

MM

I don't know if you can generalize. For instance Californians are very
different from New Yorkers. Having lived in both places I like
Californians in general better, but there are greater differences
between Northern and Southern California than between San Francisco and
Portland Oregon. Generalization always have inherent pitfalls.

I don't think many people in California take Arnold very seriously.
Right now he's scrambling for the center to stay in office, and has
reversed himself more than most people care to count. He may be a lame
duck. I can't say he is any worse than Grey Davis or before him Pete
Wilson. In California there is a strong plebiscite driven voter
initiative program. This takes issues right to the people, and often
political agendas of guys like our present 'Guvanator' get over-turned
when it's put up to 'The People.' It has a way of making him and his
predecessors look pretty foolish.

I find Canadians very warm and friendly and GENUINE. Americans tend to
be warm and friendly too, but it is less authentic and more
superficial.

Once, in Canada, traveling by bicycle I had broken down and was forced
to ride about 40 miles in only one gear, up some very long and steep
hills. Arriving in a small town I found a hardware store and I was able
to purchase cheap replacement parts for a few dollars which would do
until I got another 25 miles along my route. By now getting dark, I
opted to stay at a local bed and breakfast. The woman there said she
was all filled-up for the night but given my somewhat dire situation I
could sleep in her bed, and she would use the couch. Okay I said (it
sounded great given how tired and frustrated I was).

She let me use her dead husband's tools to facilitate a repair on my
bicycle and in the morning she left early to pick berries. She told me
to help myself to anything in the refrigerator, she left warm breakfast
breads in the oven for me and pancakes. She just asked me to please
lock the door on the way out as I was leaving since she would not be in
the area. That would NEVER happen in the U.S. -- especially me being a
total and complete stranger. For about 20 dollars (or less) I was
treated like welcomed family, and she made extra efforts to aid my
comfort and my peace of mind.

Americans are friendly and generally trusting (except in New York City
of course) but Americans are never that trusting of complete strangers.


At another bed and breakfast I was also treated like a special guest,
getting letters, invitations for holiday gatherings, and an occasional
telephone call, years after my stay there. At another bed and breakfast
the woman of the house drove me several miles to the local beach to see
the super tides some 15 miles away from my mapped route. All I had to
do was express an interest in the tides there and she was happy to
offer a special ride. That was in the Canadian Maritimes. In Quebec
province I got very similar treatment even though people said the
French Canadians were snobbish and stand-offish. That was not my
experience there, though there was an air of rejection toward things
"English." However once I explained I was an American traveling by
bicycle that stand-off-ishness disappeared. Once in a French-Canadian
pub I was beat some guy at billiards all afternoon. He kept buying me
beers and shaking my hand. He spoke no English and I very little
French. The more I beat him the friendlier and happier he became toward
me. In the U.S. I would have experienced a very different attitude,
losing to strangers gets old here quickly. Once waiting for a ferryboat
I ask some woman the time the next boat would arrive. She was cold and
distant until she saw my mode of travel and understood I was an
American. Then she warmed up and talked with me for several minutes.
She said local 'French' people didn't like talking to English
speakers, and they wouldn't speak English except in special
circumstances. However for Americans they always would make an
exception to that rule of thumb.

I found French-Canadians warm and friendly and other Canadians the same
way. American are warm too, but only to a point.

.

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