Americans and Canadians culture Q&A Thread.

[chickapin parterre]

How’s everyone’s day going in their respective countries. It’s a nice day in the US where I am.

well...the exit line in Mexico to walk back into the US are now short,....the service at the restaurant tables is very fast and curious and just thankful that inflation has not hit mexico

Well....the wait time for table service in the US is way too long....I have been snapping photos of all the signage up front and on windows giving grief about being short staffed and our patience is greatly appreciated...but have still found most restaurants are offering great prices and meals...and has for inflation...no problem here on the southwest border...folks still travel 75mph to have a longer look at a red signal light . and am eating one egg instead of 2

 

[Silver saucer]

If you could live in Canada (if you are American) or in the States (if you are Canadian), what city or Province/State would you pick?

It would be Alberta. After I initially moved there, I wondered what I was doing there in the Prairies!! But I learned to love it. It was the best life. Sadly, I had to move back to the US to take care of my mom. Moving her north was not going to be feasible.
Anyway, life goes on. The almost 20 years I as there was awesome. I say it again, it was the best life!

 

[Michelleybelle]

Canada has so many better snacks than the US...All-Dressed Chips, which can, on rare occasions, be found, Hawkins Cheezies, Hickory Sticks, Flake bars (I have seen them here, but they are imported, so not found regularly), Chapman's Ice Cream, A&W Root Beer made with real cane sugar, a plethora of chocolate bars that are not Hershey...I'm sure I could think of more. These are just off the top of my head.

As for the Kinder Surprises, they can now get them in the US (finally!!!), BUT they have to put them in safety packaging. The toy isn't found inside the chocolate egg, they come in a package with the toy on one side and the chocolate on the other...you know, so you don't choke on the toy by accident while trying to eat the egg in one bite.

We have All Dressed chips everywhere here in Maine - I didn't realize that was mostly a Canadian thing. I guess we got lucky based on proximity!

 

[prairie_girl]

Yes, I agreed with you about the citizenship test. It's not required simply to land as an immigrant or to enter as a refugee though. And once here, there is no requirement to take citizenship. Some never do, just like some never learn English or French.

My dad has been here almost 40 years and has never become a citizen. He’s quite happy to keep his landed immigrant status.

It would be Alberta. After I initially moved there, I wondered what I was doing there in the Prairies!! But I learned to love it. It was the best life. Sadly, I had to move back to the US to take care of my mom. Moving her north was not going to be feasible.
Anyway, life goes on. The almost 20 years I as there was awesome. I say it again, it was the best life!

Although it technically is, I don’t consider Alberta a prairie province. Not in the same way I do for Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

 

[ronandannette]

My dad has been here almost 40 years and has never become a citizen. He’s quite happy to keep his landed immigrant status.


Although it technically is, I don’t consider Alberta a prairie province. Not in the same way I do for Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Weird. I've honestly never heard anybody say that. What do you consider it then? (Sincere question. )
BC is the West coast, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are the Prairies, Ontario and Quebec are, well, Ontario and Quebec , and Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick are the Maritimes. The Territories are the far North. Give me your take.

 

[prairie_girl]

Weird. I've honestly never heard anybody say that. What do you consider it then? (Sincere question. )
BC is the West coast, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are the Prairies, Ontario and Quebec are, well, Ontario and Quebec , and Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick are the Maritimes. The Territories are the far North. Give me your take.

I’m with you, except to me, Alberta is, well, Alberta lol

I think I don’t think if it as a Prairie town is because of the Rockies. Doesn’t seem like a place where you can watch your dog run away for three days lol

 

[ronandannette]

I’m with you, except to me, Alberta is, well, Alberta lol

I think I don’t think if it as a Prairie town is because of the Rockies. Doesn’t seem like a place where you can watch your dog run away for three days lol

Yeah, you can. You totally can. This is a typical rural landscape in the northern Alberta region where I was born and raised. Calgary and everything south and west of it is very different.

 

[prairie_girl]

Yeah, you can. You totally can. This is a typical rural landscape in the northern Alberta region where I was born and raised. Calgary and everything south and west of it is very different.
View attachment 666691View attachment 666692View attachment 666693View attachment 666694View attachment 666696

What? Not every province has polar bear in their Northern region?

 

[ronandannette]

What? Not every province has polar bear in their Northern region?

Nope, not every one. Only The Territories, Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario and...wait for it...Manitoba.

 

[prairie_girl]

Nope, not every one. Only The Territories, Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario and...wait for it...Manitoba.
View attachment 666698

There needs to be a sarcasm font.

 

[SirDuff]

Weird. I've honestly never heard anybody say that. What do you consider it then? (Sincere question. )
BC is the West coast, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba are the Prairies, Ontario and Quebec are, well, Ontario and Quebec , and Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick are the Maritimes. The Territories are the far North. Give me your take.

Newfoundland is...Newfoundland. Not part of the Maritimes.

 

[Frozen Canuck]

I don’t consider Alberta a prairie province

Style at Home believes otherwise, with this set of Gus Modern prairie province tables.

And now, time for a story...

A number of years back (7 or so???), I needed to go to the Canadian consulate in an American city. The waiting room was sparsely decorated, but it did have a few pieces by Canadian artists AND those coffee tables. Being from the prairies myself, I fell in love with them. When the lady who was helping us came out to talk to me, I commented to her about how much I loved the tables they had used. She went on to explain to me which province each table was and how they fit together (two of the tables were next to each other, but one was beside a different chair), except she was...wrong. I said, "No, I think this is Alberta, this is Saskatchewan, and this is Manitoba. She was like, "Oh, yeah...right." I HAD to know where she was from, so awhile later, I asked her where she had moved from and how she was liking living in the US. She was from Ontario. So it is possible to get a consulate job and have zero geography knowledge of the country you are from and representing. I mean, Saskatchewan? How can you mess up on not knowing SASKATCHEWAN??? Go ahead and be confused by those Maritime places, but the big rectangle in the middle that is challenging to say, but easy to draw is the giveaway on the map test.

 

[SirDuff]

Style at Home believes otherwise, with this set of Gus Modern prairie province tables.

And now, time for a story...

A number of years back (7 or so???), I needed to go to the Canadian consulate in an American city. The waiting room was sparsely decorated, but it did have a few pieces by Canadian artists AND those coffee tables. Being from the prairies myself, I fell in love with them. When the lady who was helping us came out to talk to me, I commented to her about how much I loved the tables they had used. She went on to explain to me which province each table was and how they fit together (two of the tables were next to each other, but one was beside a different chair), except she was...wrong. I said, "No, I think this is Alberta, this is Saskatchewan, and this is Manitoba. She was like, "Oh, yeah...right." I HAD to know where she was from, so awhile later, I asked her where she had moved from and how she was liking living in the US. She was from Ontario. So it is possible to get a consulate job and have zero geography knowledge of the country you are from and representing. I mean, Saskatchewan? How can you mess up on not knowing SASKATCHEWAN??? Go ahead and be confused by those Maritime places, but the big rectangle in the middle that is challenging to say, but easy to draw is the giveaway on the map test.

Hardest to spell, easiest to draw

 

[Buzz Rules]

Anything exciting happening in Canada, Canadians?

 

[NAB]

Only thing on the news today is Prince Charles and Carmela are in our Capital today. This is there second stop . First was Newfoundland.

Everyone is getting ready for the long weekend, Monday is Queen Victoria’s birthday. To me this was always called the 2-4 weekend…..24 bottles of beer…lol

It’s also Graduation time for Universities and colleges. My daughter Graduates next Thursday . She will be a registered nurse.

 

[Buzz Rules]

Only thing on the news today is Prince Charles and Carmela are in our Capital today. This is there second stop . First was Newfoundland.

Everyone is getting ready for the long weekend, Monday is Queen Victoria’s birthday. To me this was always called the 2-4 weekend…..24 bottles of beer…lol

It’s also Graduation time for Universities and colleges. My daughter Graduates next Thursday . She will be a registered nurse.

Congratulations to your daughter.

 

[ronandannette]

Only thing on the news today is Prince Charles and Carmela are in our Capital today. This is there second stop . First was Newfoundland.

Everyone is getting ready for the long weekend, Monday is Queen Victoria’s birthday. To me this was always called the 2-4 weekend…..24 bottles of beer…lol

It’s also Graduation time for Universities and colleges. My daughter Graduates next Thursday . She will be a registered nurse.

Happy Victoria Day everybody! Funny how it is called several different things, depending on where you live. @prairie_girl tells us in Manitoba it's mostly called "The May Long". Here everybody pretty much still refers to it as Victoria Day. Various Commonwealth countries have versions of it (2nd Saturday in June in Great Britain, 2nd Monday in June in Australia) and it is considered QEII's "official" birthday, even though she was actually born in April.

Here the Queen's Birthday part is not such a big deal; there are no public events or any traditional way of celebrating. It's the first long weekend of the summer season though and it's party time - hence the 2-4 beer reference. A lot of people here make their first camping foray of the year too, which is actually a really dumb thing to do. More often than not it's still freezing overnight and snow is a common occurrence. It was cold and rainy/snow showers all this past week and it's currently -2C but is supposed to smarten up just a little over the weekend. Very typical May weather.

 

[NAB]

Happy Long Weekend!

This is the weekend all the cottages open up and camping starts back up. Mind you with gas prices I don’t know how many decided to stay home.

Weather here is warm. It’s already 24 C this morning but calling for periods of rain today. Doesn’t look like it now though, sun is out. Definitely not the norm for this weekend usually it is on the cool side.

We are not camping but going out of town for a Stag and Doe tonight.

 

[Buzz Rules]

It’s national American Red Cross Day here in the USA. It’s also national strawberries and cream day.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

Happy Victoria day, unofficial kick off to summer weekend to all who are celebrating or observing!

It’s a beautiful warm sunny morning here at the marina, it’s a nice change to the cooler wet weekends that usually accompany this first long weekend of the summer. I’m enjoying the sun, the breeze and my coffee on the balcony and I am in no rush to move…

It’s good to finally be free of covid restrictions to celebrate as we choose! The last 2 years have served to remind me to not take anything for granted - even if it’s just a late day bbq with family & friends.
Have a wonderful weekend All!

To our American friends.. your turn next weekend!