What's it like being Canadian?

SolidSqual

I just bought some awesome gear from a Canuck and it got me wonderin', that's all.

Early B.

Good question. Are you guys basically Americans under a different government or what?

Early B.

And why do some of the best singers come from Canada?

zingo

Early B. wrote: »

And why do some of the best singers come from Canada?

That's definitely true with Buble.

bobman1235

Forget the singers, all the nicest people seem to come from up there, at least with regards to celebs. Watch an interview on one of the late night shows some time with a beautiful American actress, and then watch one with a beautiful Canadian actress. The American will be all full of herself and stupid, the Canadians are all friendly and down to Earth.

There's something in the water up there that makes them immune to the lure of celebrity narcissism

SolidSqual

Canada also has a ton of really great audio manufacturers and designers. . . is that because they are stuck inside and left to tinker 9 months out of the year?

ben62670

If you get sick you can go to the doctor, and get treated no matter what. Low crime rate. People are real nice too.
Ben

BIZILL

ben62670 wrote: »

If you get sick you can go to the doctor, and get treated no matter what. Low crime rate. People are real nice too.
Ben

same here in southern arizona. (if you're an illegal)

hearingimpared

That's better than being America's asshat!

NotaSuv

ben62670 wrote: »

If you get sick you can go to the doctor, and get treated no matter what. Low crime rate. People are real nice too.
Ben

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2008/february/10_myths_about_canad.php
a little insight on the Canadian health care system.....

fantastic people and very friendly....spent alot of time in the James Bay area.....truly Gods Country up there, and the fishing cant be beat..........

obieone

They're NOT whiners. That's a GOOD thing.

chillywilly

It's great being Canadian you can go to almost any country with a Canadian flag on your hat or backpack and are treated nicely. I lived in Tennessee for 4 years and it was a blast but there's no place like the great white north. You ca say eh and hosser and people understand. The biggest problem I had down their was the money being the same color. When your drunk you almost have to study what bill your giving (waitress loved me sometimes). Here you just pick the color it's just easier.

kgingras

Early B. wrote: »

And why do some of the best singers come from Canada?

Hmmm... we gave you Celine Dion and I cannot tell you how happy I am that she makes the US her permanent residence.

Celine walks into a bar, bartender asks "why the long face?".

ben62670

chillywilly wrote: »

It's great being Canadian you can go to almost any country with a Canadian flag on your hat or backpack and are treated nicely. I lived in Tennessee for 4 years and it was a blast but there's no place like the great white north. You ca say eh and hosser and people understand. The biggest problem I had down their was the money being the same color. When your drunk you almost have to study what bill your giving (waitress loved me sometimes). Here you just pick the color it's just easier.

That's funny!

treitz3

What's it like being a Canadian? Having ridiculous customs fees and a plethora of taxes with regulations, documents and the list seemingly goes on and on just because they want to score a great piece of audio gear at a great price from America. That's my take anyway and I'm not even Canadian.

George Grand

I would wear that girl on my head.

NJPOLKER

I am told that a law abiding citizen can't shoot a bad guy with a hand gun because they don't want law abiding citizen to have that type of gun. Sounds kinda like communist New Jersey to me!!
You probably can't play your polks too loud in Canada without paying a special tax.
Oh well Canada sucks just like New Jersey.
Drew

NJPOLKER

BIZILL wrote: »

same here in southern arizona. (if you're an illegal)

BIZILL, It all over the United States but you know that. I just wanted everyone else who may not get it to know it
I wonder if the Canadians give illegals as good of health care as we give them.
Drew

Midnite Mick

People often think that the grass is greener.

We are taxed to death....both locally and if we want to bring something over the border.

Native relations is a total mess. A huge waste of money and more sadly a waste of an entire people/culture (and I don't mean that to come off insulting/derogatory)

Health care in the province I live is pathetic. You can wait 6 months to a year for various tests. A homeless person just recently died after waiting at the Emergency in a major Winnipeg hospital for 36 hours unattended from what has been reported as a very treatable problem. Often when things are "free" they aren't very good.

Oh, and the kids in the neighbourhood run the show around here.

But I guess everybody has their problems.

dorokusai

What's it like being Canadian?

Probably pretty lonely and desolate which eventually turns you into a brain matter starved zombie with USA on the brain.

Fongolio

What's it like being Canadian?
Just ask: Jim Carey, Mike Myers, John Candy (from the grave), Donald Sutherland, Keifer Sutherland, Monty Hall, Howie Mandel, Alex Trebek, Paul Shafer, Rush, Jason Bay (Boston Red Sox), half of the National Hockey League. The list goes on and on. All proud Canadians. All really successful in the United States. We love being America's neighbors but we love being Canadians. Out here in British Columbia where I live winter's are relatively mild and summers are stinking hot (daytime highs above 100 F are quite common in July and August). I have gone skiing in the morning driven less than 15 miles and golfed in warm comfort in the afternoon. We don't like war but aren't afraid to go if absolutely neccessary. We like to keep peace. Just like in America our politicians stretch the truth like it's made of rubber but for some reason are well respected on the world stage. We pay waaaaaaayyyy too much for gasoline and diesel fuel considering that more than 1/3 of the world's oil lies under our soil and yet we don't do anything about it. But we love this place and don't for even a second consider ourselves the 51st state. We love this land and our people but we like our neighbors too. Most of the people I've talked to really feel for the economic crunch being felt by our neighbors to the south and we hope it doesn't happen as bad here but we know how bad some familes have suffered. Our hearts also go out to all the vet's and familes of the Iraq war but we are grateful that our politicians kept us out of it (but not out of Afghanastan). We love hockey and a weird brand of football and beer. I don't speak for all Canadians but I know a lot who feel this is what it's like to be Canadian. Oh, and we like pretty girls like the one in the picture.

danger boy

the best thing about being Canadian? Poutine!!!

cheese curds, fries and gravy!!!

SolidSqual

Midnite Mick wrote: »

People often think that the grass is greener.

I wasn't implying a grass is greener idea at all. I'd take USA over any country any day. I'd rather be hated than neutral. Feared than bullied. Rich than poor. Free than oppressed. Speaking English instead of French.

danger boy

SolidSqual wrote: »

I wasn't implying a grass is greener idea at all. I'd take USA over any country any day. I'd rather be hated than neutral. Feared than bullied. Rich than poor. Free than oppressed. Speaking English instead of French.

yeah but would you take Bud Light over Kokanee, eh?

BeRad

NJPOLKER wrote: »

I am told that a law abiding citizen can't shoot a bad guy with a hand gun because they don't want law abiding citizen to have that type of gun. Sounds kinda like communist New Jersey to me!!
You probably can't play your polks too loud in Canada without paying a special tax.
Oh well Canada sucks just like New Jersey.
Drew

You have no clue buddy. Enjoy your life of ignorance while others just sit back and calmly smile.

BeRad

treitz3 wrote: »

What's it like being a Canadian? Having ridiculous customs fees and a plethora of taxes with regulations, documents and the list seemingly goes on and on just because they want to score a great piece of audio gear at a great price from America. That's my take anyway and I'm not even Canadian.

I have all my gear from the states and payed no more than standard sales tax when bringing it across the border. The shipping carriers screw us when we get it shipped up here but I have the geographical advantage of being able to just drive across to pick my stuff up and come back home. Thanks to NAFTA, there is no duty on electronics or anything made in North America, just sales tax that would be applied if we bought it here.

mrbigbluelight

danger boy wrote: »

the best thing about being Canadian? Poutine!!!

cheese curds, fries and gravy!!!

I have an ashtray that looks like that.

Willow

It's great to be a Canadian. Yes we don't have to worry that our insurance will run out at 12am and can't get the care needed, but as mentioned we do have to wait sometimes 6-12mths for an MRI (at least in ON). Our gov. has it's many issues as does every other. People here are friendly, heck in Ottawa we just had our 6th murder of the year!
We do have to buy 2 of everything, 1 for warmer days and 1 for the colder. Sure we are not look at as a power nation...but it's the quiet ones you need to watch out for. Ohhh yeah we have Quebec and they think they should have their on rules and such... Would I trade it for any other country....NO.
Our roads suck do to the +40 to the -40 temps we get. We do have some of the best beer and some great wine, yes there is Poutine (mostly a eastern On an d Quebec thing). I just wish we had warmer weather during winter and more warm water ie oceans... around.
The fact that our country is bilingual is fantastic, nothing wrong with being able to speak more than just English.

SolidSqual

danger boy wrote: »

yeah but would you take Bud Light over Kokanee, eh?

No, but I'd take a Sam Adams.

McLoki

Willow wrote: »

Our roads suck do to the +40 to the -40 temps we get.

For those of you who never got the whole metric thing - that is -40F to 104F.

Everything is metric up there.....

Michael

kgingras

Fongolio wrote: »

We love hockey and a weird brand of football and beer.

And with the recent passing of Paul Newman, its important to note that watching "Slapshot" is a rite of passage!