“What’s a nice Canadian girl like you doing here in this hot weather?”

First off my brother turned 15 yestoday so:

Happy Birthday Tony!

Yesterday was a good day for the following reasons:

I received my Introduction of Communication and Culture assignment, in which I got a really good mark.

I finally figured out what to get my mom and brother for Christmas. A didgeridoo! And all I had to do was ask. You see I rang up my brother to wish him a happy birthday when I had this odd conversation with my mom:

Me: Hey Mom I’ve been trying to find you a present for Christmas that is uniquely Australian.
Mom: Oh really what about that instrument that is only found in Australia.
Me: Instrument?
Mom: You know the one that makes the funny sound. (Imitates sound, really well I might add)
Me: Ooooh a didgeridoo?
Mom: (Sounds excited about the prospect of possibly getting a didgeridoo)Yes that’s it. That would be really neat Melissa.
Me: Brilliant! I have been struggling to think of a something Australian to give you and Tony that isn’t one of those tacky collectables. So you want one? I am sure I can find a cheep one at one of those touristy places.
Mom: Are you saying I’m cheap? (She’s joking by the way.)
Me: Well no it’s just that an authentic one might be pricey. I’ll see what I can do.
Mom: I understand but it would be cool all the same.

Things I have been thinking about lately: (in no particular order)

My nationality keeps coming everyday. It’s weird because I have become accustomed to the “what part of America are you from?” question. However a guy I met on the way to the bus today. He picked up instantly that I was Canadian. He said he can tell the difference. He says that the American accent is more brash and loud, while the Canadian accent although similar is quieter and friendlier. I am starting to feel bad for Americans for some reason. Maybe it’s because no one likes them. How can people judge 300 million people on the stereotype that all they are obnoxious and think they own the world?

The climate or weather in Canada comes second. People always figure its cold. Canada has SUMMER! Nice warm summers depending where you live. Yes there is winter but its different depending where you live. The Prairies have cold winters; Central and Atlantic Canada have cold and wet winters. Vancouver, has nice mild winters.

And now for some cultural differences, or as it sounds from reading this really random ranting:

The proper name for Eskimos is Inuit.

Ice hockey is not a bloody violent sport it’s the awesomest game ever and its Canada’s national pastime not national sport. How come I never here how violent and bloody rugby is over here. *shakes fist in anger*

Canada has a foot ball league called the CFL and the players who wear all the padding and stuff are not pansies or wimps.

Another example of my nationality as a topic of discussion happened today.

Customer: What’s a nice Canadian girl like you doing here in this hot weather?
Me: I’m going to uni.
Customer: Oh I figured.
Me: It’s going to be the opposite in Canada.
Customer: I know I bet its getting really cold. (laughs)

You bet? Don’t laugh buddy my family is about to endure cold. Grrrrr…..wait never mind.

Hungry Jack’s commercials only have stereotypical masculine guys in them. Obviously the target audience or person they think comes to their restaurants is blokey blokes but I have seen girls come to eat at the restaurant. This one is strange to me for some reason. It’s been irritating me for weeks. Perhaps it’s proof that I think to much or that those communication classes I took at uni taught me to look stuff differently.

I have always heard the expressions “the American way or “the Australian way”, but for some reason when I hear the terms “the Canadian way” it sounds awkward. In fact if I put any other nationality in between the and way it sounds bizarre. Also I always here the some what negative expressions, “un-American” or “un-Australian”, but again I never hear the term un-Canadian. To me it suggests those expressions mean conformity. This concept has really confounded me lately and I have no idea why. Maybe it’s the letter A. I am really interested in what others think of this too.

Grizzly bears in Canada are like crocodiles in Australia. Each country knows how to stay safe around them, and tourists always seem to be the ones attacked by them.

I want to go to New Zealand, Malaysia, Japan and Brazil. So much in fact I keep dreaming that I go there and actually, I want to go to a lot of places.