Sunday, June 30, 2013

Canada! Oh.

Living overseas has taught us bundles about how Canada is perceived and we can tally it all in one word: introversion.

We're told Canadians are inclusive, kind, generous, polite, and funny, especially about our selves. We’ve learned that our national ethic might as well be live and let live, and when we ask people why they think this the reply most often given is we’re thought of as peacekeepers not war-makers. That just makes us flat-out proud. 

We also learned that we’re not Americans. Seriously. About 99.9% of the time folks don’t ask where we're from, they ask if we're American. We think its only fair to mess with their heads a little. “Yep. Sure am. North American.” Pause for blank look while seconds tick by. “We're Canadian.” And — cue drumroll — the most frequent reply? “Oh. The other country.”

Now we know how New Zealanders feel.

So there it is. We’re the other one. The introverts. The quiet country. The wallflower at the orgy. 

Canada’s 146th birthday is July 1. Happy birthday, baby. Wishing you another quiet year.

(Big thanks, Classified. Keep up the good work. xo)

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