Americans don’t make a big fuss about being Americans the way Canadians do, at least most of us don’t. Many, many Canadians in Taiwan loudly go out of their way to let everyone in earshot know that they are Canadian. I don’t know why this is…but it just is.
I believe the reason for this is that most Canadians do not like to be confused with americans. This is why when traveling we feel the need to plaster ourselves with the flag. The reasons for this association dislike varys i suppose, but i don’t wish to get into stereotyping so i won’t say.
EH
well…i heard that americans travel in europe with canadian flags on their backpacks, cause they were told that europeans dislike them…
i guess it’s hard to tell how many “real” foreigners live in taiwan, since many, many taiwanese people hold 2 or more passports…
Ubiquitous? The thing is, the population of the US is almost 10 times that of Canada, but there’s no way I see ten times as many Americans as Canadians. I doubt I even see twice as many - It’s probably closer to 1:1.
I think that Canadians are Americans.
North Americans
Only better.
My biggest fear is to be misconscrewed for an American while travelling.
We (Canadians) have always (weather permitting) worn T-shirts in Canada. Yet the US had to actually make a law for this right…I think it’s called
“The right to bare arms”
But, typical to the Amerikan experience, they opted for their own spelling and now Amerikans are dying at a rate too unfathomable to comprehend.
Do the math…
Take the average # of murders over a given weekend in any 3 major Amerikan urban centres…match that against the national annual total of murders in Canada…or the UK, or France, or Taiwan, or Australia, or, well, I think my point is made…
On second thought, my biggest fear is to travel in Amerika.
If you need to count how many Canadians there are here, just visit the drunk tank at your local police station early Sunday morning and multiply that number by how many police stations there are in Taiwan. Should give you a pretty accurate number.
Can’t swing a dead cat here without hitting a Canadian!
Only better.
My biggest fear is to be misconscrewed for an American while travelling.
We (Canadians) have always (weather permitting) worn T-shirts in Canada. Yet the US had to actually make a law for this right…I think it’s called
“The right to bare arms”
But, typical to the Amerikan experience, they opted for their own spelling and now Amerikans are dying at a rate too unfathomable to comprehend.
Do the math…
Take the average # of murders over a given weekend in any 3 major Amerikan urban centres…match that against the national annual total of murders in Canada…or the UK, or France, or Taiwan, or Australia, or, well, I think my point is made…
On second thought, my biggest fear is to travel in Amerika.[/quote]
I’ve always wanted to go to Kanada, but have only been to airports. Once in Vankouver, and once in Nova Skotia. I would like to go through Kuebek and Saskatkhewan and even go way up north to Yucon Territory. The scenery is very beautiful I hear, especially in British Kolumbia.
[quote=“Toe Save”]
But, typical to the Amerikan experience, they opted for their own spelling and now Amerikans are dying at a rate too unfathomable to comprehend.[/quote]
Looks like you’ve got your own spelling system there. I guess I’ll start writing Kana-duh.
[quote=“Toe Save”]
Take the average # of murders over a given weekend in any 3 major Amerikan urban centres…match that against the national annual total of murders in Canada…or the UK, or France, or Taiwan, or Australia, or, well, I think my point is made…[/quote]
If beaver trapping and maple tree tapping had been condusive to exploitation by slave labor, your crime rates might be slightly different.
Yeah, most shops don’t have electronic sliding doors. You’d be at a complete loss. Door knobs are a real bitch. 
Off-topic a litte further, (JeffG, Muffin - sorry - let me know if you want me to split away the Canada stuff into a more appropriate thread)
Recently my pride in Canada has been renewed for a variety of reasons:
- Decriminalization of pot - still a few hurdles, but they’re being overcome one by one
- Legalization of gay marriages, with all ensuing rights, obligations and benefits
- An ever-increasing ethnic diversity and increased immigration at a time when immigration to other countries (USA, Oz, UK) is slowing.
Canada rules. I live here, I love it. Just one thing: my GF (from Keelung) says the reason Canada is called Canada is because NADA happens here. That is what she was told at ESL school! Nothing happens here? Gimme a break! Look at the great people caNADA has produced: Bon Jovi. Joni Mitchell, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Maragaret Atwood, Maoman, Jimmy Mitchell, Ace Ventura and don’t forget Pierre Trudeau…
Canada, love it or leave it! (and a lot of us do!)
Fortunately I have enough self-confidence in my own identity as an individual that I don’t have to depend upon my national/ethnic identity to bolster my self-esteem. It’s just an accident of birth where you happen to hail from - take pride/shame in your own accomplishments, not vicariously sharing the accomplishments of millions of other people you don’t know and only have in common the accident of happening to being born in the same geographic area that’s your home country.
Thus endeth my rant on Canadian/American relations amongst the Taiwan expat community.
Blueface wrote:
Tell me you meant this in a way other than how I’m reading this.
To the “proud” Canadians out there… No disrespect but as another Canadian I find this, “Yeah Canada, we’re so much better than those stupid Americans” cringingly emberassing. Surely if Canada is such a grand place, and so elightened in comparison to our ignorant neighbours, we wouldn’t feel the need to take every opportunity to push this viewpoint down people’s throats, now would we? I grew up with the happy impression that, for the most part, Canadians were a pretty unassuming bunch and didn’t cling to nationalist sentiments and the need to feel superior to other nationalities. I’ve been away a while now, but I’m fearing this is no longer the case… say it ain’t so…
akosh,
Look at Canadians who bash Americans as “jumping on the bandwagon”.
I thought the US got rid of slavery 140 years ago.
But I guess this is just your way of trying to avoid being called a racist. Why don’t you just come out and say what you mean?
Do you really believe the War Between the States was fought over slavery??? And what happened to the former slaves? You think they disappeared into thin air?
What are you talking about??? Why don’t you read the FBI’s annual Unified Crime Report along with the Bureau of Justice Statistics report on victims and then come back and talk. Sheeeh! 
On second thought, never mind. “Ignore” button: ON.
[quote=“blueface666”] And what happened to the former slaves? You think they disappeared into thin air?
[/quote]
I think most of them are dead by now 
[quote][quote]
baobao wrote:
But I guess this is just your way of trying to avoid being called a racist. Why don’t you just come out and say what you mean?
[/quote]
What are you talking about???
[/quote]
Come on you can’t be that dumb.
Having second thoughts or just too chickenshit to come out in plain English and say what you mean?
I want to spread this info widely. Once it becomes common knowledge the poor old Canucks will have to resort to desperate measures to distinguish themselves. What will they do? Be even more polite?
HG
I’m having a lot of fun with my English and Australian friends right now. A year ago they were spouting the typical “Canadian/American, what’s the dif? The US says jump, you guys say ‘how high?’” Well, what a difference a year makes! The Aussie and English governments are now doing the jumping, and the Canadian PM not only snubbed Bush on Iraq, but is adding salt to the wound with the pot thing and the gay marriage thing. Funny. But we’ll probably end up paying a hefty price for our disobedience 
.
I don’t have a flag on my pack. Don’t have a flag anywhere, except in my heart. You know, Canadians aren’t much for flag waving at home… I’ve only come across this phenomenom in my travels.
Zen