Ask A Foreigner

NumberNineDream · 02-10-2010, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr dave

is Toronto the only city this has happened in? because if it's a night out on the town (and in the pubs) that's pretty standard from coast to coast.

as far as big Canadian cities go Montreal is tops for me although i haven't had a chance to visit Vancouver yet (it's on the back burner for a late spring / early summer visit).

this really depends on the area you're visiting, for the most part Canada is pale.

Canada is also a nation of immigrants, we're taught this from elementary level history classes. the first European settlers (French) landed in Port Royal, Nova Scotia in 1604 and established the Acadian culture prior to being deported by the English in 1755 and having to walk back from (or settle in) the bayous and swamps down south (the term Cajun sounds like Acadian for a reason). so for the most part the average Canadian is used to the idea of being a stranger in a familiar land.

the Vikings preceded that by upwards of a few centuries but landed in Newfoundland (which only became part of Canada in 1949) and were ultimately unsuccessful in their distinct colonization. although based on the heartiness of most Newfounlanders i don't think the Viking influence was lost or ignored.

Well I was talking about Montreal mainly. I spent 35 days there, and didn't have to speak any word of French. I was speaking Arabic the whole time. There's even a street there called "St. Cathrine", that is now known as "St. Lebanon"... spooky.
It didn't bring me much happiness, as the whole reason of going to a foreign country is to be able to insult people in a language they don't understand. The two times we tried to make fun of people, they turned out to be Lebanese, and started shouting at us in extreme anger.