Pages: 1 [2]   Go Down

Author Topic: Canada is most favorite nation.  (Read 8161 times)

Rob C

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 24074
Canada is most favorite nation.
« Reply #20 on: February 23, 2010, 12:16:02 pm »

The thing about migrating is that it is a positive act if you have good reason to move. For artistic people, I think that it can be very conducive to improved creativity (consider the US writers/artists living in Paris pre-war, soaking up the culture and experiences), but I have a suspicion that the fix has a relatively short high before elsewhere becomes the norm and the wanderlust takes hold anew. So you move on... and then, when you are old, you realize you don't really fit in anywhere anymore. Unfortunately, what you can never know is whether you would have felt quite as out-of-step had you never moved from the native hearth - we can never have the two experiences at the same time on which to base judgement of this.

Rob C

Guillermo Luijk

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2005
    • http://www.guillermoluijk.com
Canada is most favorite nation.
« Reply #21 on: March 23, 2010, 07:31:06 pm »

In a trip to New England (USA) 2 years ago, including visits to Quebec and Montreal, I was disappointed at the bad English (even worse than mine!) spoken but the Canadians I encountered in those cities. And even more dissapointed about the null interest (could even be called rejection) they had for the English language, even if half Canada is English speaking. I thought this only happened in those small old European countries such as Belgium, with ancient language rivalries.

A good thing about Canada: nobody seems to hate that country all around the world. So I bought a pair of sticky Canadian flags to distinguish my Samsonite suitcase for which many times I worried at airports (so many people having exactly the same brand and model). At first I thought about a USA flag since our journey was mainly to New Englad; unfortunately the USA have so many enemies all around the world that made the USA flag not a recommended luggage identification method.
« Last Edit: March 23, 2010, 07:35:08 pm by Guillermo Luijk »
Logged

bjanes

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3387
Canada is most favorite nation.
« Reply #22 on: March 25, 2010, 06:04:02 pm »

Quote from: Guillermo Luijk
In a trip to New England (USA) 2 years ago, including visits to Quebec and Montreal, I was disappointed at the bad English (even worse than mine!) spoken but the Canadians I encountered in those cities. And even more dissapointed about the null interest (could even be called rejection) they had for the English language, even if half Canada is English speaking. I thought this only happened in those small old European countries such as Belgium, with ancient language rivalries.

A good thing about Canada: nobody seems to hate that country all around the world. So I bought a pair of sticky Canadian flags to distinguish my Samsonite suitcase for which many times I worried at airports (so many people having exactly the same brand and model). At first I thought about a USA flag since our journey was mainly to New Englad; unfortunately the USA have so many enemies all around the world that made the USA flag not a recommended luggage identification method.
I live in the Midwest of the USA and don't have much experience with the French speaking part of Canada, but we regard the Canadians as very good neighbors. Unlike New Englanders, they don't even have an accent.  
Logged

ndevlin

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 679
    • Follow me on Twitter
Canada is most favorite nation.
« Reply #23 on: March 25, 2010, 10:14:16 pm »

We apologize unreservedly for Celine Dion. So sorry. So very, very sorry.  
Logged
Nick Devlin   @onelittlecamera        ww

Richowens

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 977
Canada is most favorite nation.
« Reply #24 on: March 25, 2010, 10:46:36 pm »

Celine who?? Oh Yeah..... her. She was so 2000.    
Logged

Graeme Nattress

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 584
    • http://www.nattress.com
Canada is most favorite nation.
« Reply #25 on: March 26, 2010, 08:29:51 am »

Quote from: Rob C
Isn't it strange that people take such personal pride in nationality when, truth be told, they had absolutely no say in being born in whichever darn country they happened to see first light?

Rob C

Unless you get to choose your country of nationality and citizenship later on in life.

Graeme
Logged

Guillermo Luijk

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2005
    • http://www.guillermoluijk.com
Canada is most favorite nation.
« Reply #26 on: March 26, 2010, 08:51:21 pm »

Quote from: Graeme Nattress
Unless you get to choose your country of nationality and citizenship later on in life.
I don't think you have any reason to be proud in that case. IMO the only logical reason to be proud of anything in life is participation. If you didn't participate in the merits achieved by that country of your election, you have no reason to be proud of living there (in any case you just have a reason to feel lucky for it). On the other hand, even if you didn't choose the country you live in, but you actually feel you are contributing to its success, then there is a reason for pride.

Regards
« Last Edit: March 26, 2010, 08:52:43 pm by Guillermo Luijk »
Logged

Chris_T

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 541
Canada is most favorite nation.
« Reply #27 on: March 28, 2010, 07:42:46 am »

Quote from: Guillermo Luijk
In a trip to New England (USA) 2 years ago, including visits to Quebec and Montreal, I was disappointed at the bad English (even worse than mine!) spoken but the Canadians I encountered in those cities. And even more dissapointed about the null interest (could even be called rejection) they had for the English language, even if half Canada is English speaking. I thought this only happened in those small old European countries such as Belgium, with ancient language rivalries.

You are lucky that they spoke English with you at all. Perhaps times had changed. A decade ago in a Quebec City cafe, the waitress refused to respond in English to my request for help with the French menu. I had to point at the next table to order a sandwich. They are not English challenged, but it's a pride and political stand. There were (are?) actually laws about which language(s) shop's signs should be in.
Logged
Pages: 1 [2]   Go Up