So you know how we Canadians pride ourselves on being friendly and kind, at the very least friendlier than those snotty, self-important Americans? Well, I hate to break it to you, people, but it's not the case! I have been shocked at how friendly people are here (excepting those whose job it is to be mildly friendly, i.e., bus drivers, library workers, etc.). Maybe it's all the sun that just makes people happier in general but people seriously stop me in the street to chat. It helps that I have adorable and precocious children, I must admit. For instance, Asha told a man at the Water and Power Board that he was her favourite kind of person because he had a big head and a big body. Luckily he thought it was funny. But even when David and I were in front of our house moving in furniture and the kids were inside, a neighbour (whose name was Odyssius if you can believe it) stopped to welcome us to the neighbourhood.
I think our views of our neighbours to the south are tainted by encountering them in situations like cruises and resorts. Not to offend those of you who like to go on cruises but they do tend to foster a certain sense of entitlement! I'm not sure yet what stereotypes about Canadians we may be reinforcing or busting. We didn't exactly live in an igloo but we did live in a log house in the woods. We also drive a pickup truck and actually let people in when driving. That's gotta set us apart. People may be friendly when walking through the neighbourhood but on the roads it's another story. I'm pretty sure even Odyssius would have honked at me and swerve around when I was slowly creeping along (at 40 mph in a 40 mpoh zone) looking for the post office!
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