Americans and Canadians

brianlux

I have a question for our Canadian friends here.  Having been born in California but also having lived in Western New York State for two years and Washington State for 4 years and having spend some time or traveled through 45 of the states, I've noticed that the US has a number of subcultures that can vary a good bit. 

Some very general observations: Mid to southern west coast people are generally very culture oriented, easy to meet but don't bond tightly and are often fast-lane people.  East coast people are more traditional, stand-offish when first met but once  a bond is made it is solid.  Midwest people are generally friendly but a bit stubborn and often set in their ways.  Northwest people listen to bands like Pearl Jam and are stoned 90% of the time.

So my question, Canadians, is, do you find the same to be true about Canada?  Are there varying general characteristics of people throughout your country?

erebus

Funny, I always marvel at the cereal aisle when I go to the States. So many more varieties of everything

Thirty Bills Unpaid

brianlux said:

I have a question for our Canadian friends here.  Having been born in California but also having lived in Western New York State for two years and Washington State for 4 years and having spend some time or traveled through 45 of the states, I've noticed that the US has a number of subcultures that can vary a good bit. 

Some very general observations: Mid to southern west coast people are generally very culture oriented, easy to meet but don't bond tightly and are often fast-lane people.  East coast people are more traditional, stand-offish when first met but once  a bond is made it is solid.  Midwest people are generally friendly but a bit stubborn and often set in their ways.  Northwest people listen to bands like Pearl Jam and are stoned 90% of the time.

So my question, Canadians, is, do you find the same to be true about Canada?  Are there varying general characteristics of people throughout your country?

There is no 'uniform' Canadian persona.

It's a combination of many factors, but people on the Atlantic coast are different from people on the Pacific coast who are different from people on the prairies who are different from...

I'd surmise that- among many things- geography is significant towards shaping the regional characteristics of the people there. But having said that, I don't feel Canadians are divided or polarized as significantly as our southern neighbours. Outside of an individual here or there and for better or worse, we tend to believe in and support social programs. We place priorities on health and education. We are comfortable with social assistance.

We have legitimate problems too, but they just seem smaller than some of the significant problems Americans are facing right now.

* The one difference I have seen over and over again is the service industry in the US is much friendlier and warm than in Canada. Businesses and the servers within these businesses in the US seem to genuinely appreciate your patronage. I'm not saying Canada is brutal, but I am saying that US workers tend to be more enthusiastic within their jobs serving you.

I say this with countless experiences throughout Washington State, many in Las Vegas, many in Hawaii, several in Boston, some in Los Angeles, and a few in Arizona. I'm relatively well-travelled within Canada. 

stuckinline

dankind said:

The potato chip aisle at a Canadian supermarket is truly a wonder to behold.

Why?

dankind

stuckinline said:

dankind said:

The potato chip aisle at a Canadian supermarket is truly a wonder to behold.

Why?

All of the awesome flavors that aren’t common in U.S.

Whole Foods has started to make all-dressed chips now, though, and they’re pretty damn good. I hate spending money in that place, but motherfucker, it’s closer than Canada. Ketchup chips are still tough to find in my area.

Wobbie

canadians don’t know how to spell....it’s as if they get extra credit for superfluous vowels.

hauntingfamiliar

dankind said:

The potato chip aisle at a Canadian supermarket is truly a wonder to behold.

Hot damn really?!!!

Hobbes

Biggest difference?


Kinder eggs.

Meltdown99

Hobbes said:

Biggest difference?


Kinder eggs.

It’s a no no for us to cross the border with them ... $300 fine.

Meltdown99

Another difference ... the land border crossings, the US looks at everyone as a criminal.  The Canadian Border Security are like “how’s it goin’ eh, welcome to Canada!”

lastexitlondon

Meltdown99 said:

Hobbes said:

Biggest difference?


Kinder eggs.

It’s a no no for us to cross the border with them ... $300 fine.

Really? Unreal but guns ...help yourself. And i love a kinder egg

northerndragon

Wobbie said:

'Muricans don’t know how to spell....it’s as if they are too slow to remember all the letters that go in a word.

*Fixed

darwinstheory

USA - about
CAN - aboowt - not a real thing, sorry.

I was comparing Texas to Quebec because both wish they were their own countries.
Cheese fries is the closest thing we have to covering fries in any type of sauce.
Aboowt is totally a real thing.  I've heard it with my own ears.

Absolutely without a doubt no discussion about it, "aboowt" is definitely a real thing.

I had never even heard of it, before actually hearing and noticing it all on my own. Part of my job about 10 years ago was to meet with higher up executives from various customers that my crew delivered products to every quarter. One of them, I noticed kept saying aboowt repeatedly and it sounded weird as hell to me considering how everything else sounded normal. I said something about it to my employee (the guy who delivered there every week) and he said "oh yeah, he's Canadian." Of course that lead me to a Google search and the life lesson on "aboowt".

Other differences:

USA - color
CAN - colour 

USA - favorite 
CAN - favourite 

lastexitlondon

Ah Canadians spell correctly. Like us. Well im awful at spelling but you know what i mean

northerndragon

lastexitlondon said:

Ah Canadians spell correctly. Like us. Well im awful at spelling but you know what i mean

BLACK35

erebus said:

Funny, I always marvel at the cereal aisle when I go to the States. So many more varieties of everything

I do as well, so many more choices

lastexitlondon

I noticed usa has totally different chocolate than u.k
Does canada have the same as the usa?

Meltdown99

lastexitlondon said:

I noticed usa has totally different chocolate than u.k
Does canada have the same as the usa?

Chocolate milk taste the same to me ...

Thirty Bills Unpaid

lastexitlondon said:

I noticed usa has totally different chocolate than u.k
Does canada have the same as the usa?

lol

Well the US' chocolate milk comes from brown cows.

In Canada... we don't have these awesome animals!

Longueuil

I dont' think the fastfood compagnies in Canada offer the "super size" option and it's a good thing. Who need a bucket of Coca-Cola?
Also,what is this piece of clothing?