Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Stereotypes

I HATE stereotypes. Hate is a strong word, I do realize that. I never use it except in cases like this
Being a Canadian, I get a lot of questions about dumb things when I go travelling like "Do you ride polar bears?" No, no I do not, I have never even seen a polar bear. Actually I have heard that they are quite viscous.
Here are a couple more stereotypes I have heard recently. -We live in igloos. (Like polar bears, I have never seen one before)
-We do not have telephones (Yes we have Cellphones, telephones, computers etc.)EXUSE ME, we invented the telephone in CANADA! :))
-We all say oot and oboot (first time I heard this, I didn't even understand what the person was saying)
-We all speak French (No actually I speak English and Spanish, I know only a couple people fluent in French and they do not live in Canada)
-It always snows (Well that one is true for about three months of every year)
There are a lot more!
Yes, it does get really hot here in the summer, where I live it gets up to 40 °C/104 °F
I don't like maple syrup and soccer is my favourite sport, not hockey. Although I must say I do love hockey, but that's more because I find myself to be quite patriotic, I love Canada!

But this one I love, said from someone in the UK:
Canadians are a nice intelligent version of Americans
I love it, (sorry if offended my American friends, I disagree with this, we're just the same)

Or if your travelling and you meet someone and they ask you where your from and you say British Columbia, Canada. They reply "Oh yeah I know someone who lives in Toronto, Ontario." And your thinking well that's quite nice but it's 4492km away from where I live, about a six day drive.
It is completely different over there than it is here, I love how they just assume that they know.

But what I find hilarious (not to pick on you Americans again! I love you all :)) Is that a lot of them just have zero idea about Canada. One of my teachers told me this story of when he worked at the U.S/Canadian border. He said that One time he was talking to a couple who said they were just driving through Canada to get to Alaska (which Alaska I could bring up a whole new conversation about Alaska entirely!) so that they could visit their family. He asked them how long they thought they would be in Canada for. They replied "Oh just the afternoon." I hope I don't have to explain this one...

Sorry I know this has become sort of me complaining about Americans, but I'm really not haha I hope you know what I'm getting at here. I have family in the States, I love the States, just so we're clear on that! I just hope everyone sees what I'm getting at here. Next time you hear something about a certain country or even that being said a person or anything else, DO NOT BELIEVE IT, find out for yourself because it is usually 99% of the time not true!!! I'm not saying I'm perfect at this, I can name a few times I've thought dumb things about other countries, but I try not to do it anymore!!

Since I started out with 'I HATE', I'll say
I LOVE CLASSIFIED :)

Buenos Noches,
Kayla

1 comment:

  1. lol I must say it is annoying... i find it quite funny in the same time haha!!

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