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O Canada, a love letter
Apr. 18th, 2013 02:48 pm Dear Canada,
It has recently come to my attention that some of your more vocal citizens* take objection to people saying, "Really, Canada? Really?" or something similar. The immediate reaction seems to be, "Yeah, like your country is so great?"
I would like to clear up this misunderstanding right now. You see, when we say this, we** are expressing our shock, yes, but we are in no way thinking our country is so much better or would do things differently. No, we are shocked because we expect Canada to be better because, frankly, your rep is fabulous.
I'm actually being pretty serious about that. People expect America to be filled with, and I do apologize in advance for the language, fucking idiots with a serious world-sized ego problem. If someone were to say America/an American did something stupid, the world would nod and agree that it's pretty damn likely that even if it's not true this exact time, it's happened before and will happen again and it just figures, doesn't it? And that's quite possibly the sanitized version.
Canada, however, has this reputation for being nice. Intelligent. Well mannered without it being something they use as a weapon to exclude others.
Also, I don't think the entire time I was in school they taught us much of anything about Canada beyond, "Uh, it's up north somewhere. Once you reach Santa's village, you've probably gone too far." Granted, I was "educated" in the South where it's likely they figured we would never need to know anything beyond that because, really, what're the odds that we would converse with any Canadians ever? Pfft! (Before The Internet.)
Basically when it came to the rest of the world, we were taught that Mexico was the little brother who could show you either a really, really fun time or get you killed and Canada was the cool older sister that you didn't see or talk to much, but occasionally would appear and dispense advice you were never going to actually take because it made too much damn sense.
Pop culture did little to change this image. So when we express shock over something we'd previously thought inconceivable on Canadian soil, it's simply because we do think you're better than us and when we come across proof that you're not, it kind of blows our minds.
I'd love to say that I have learned the error of my ways and I will remove you from your pedestal at once but let's be realistic here. That's just not going to happen. So when I next express my disbelief over some Canadian antics (like your stubborn refusal to renew Bomb Girls already!) it's not because I think my country could do better. It's because I'd like to believe yours will.
Love,
me
*- At least in the areas I've been wandering around the last two weeks or so.
** And by we, I of course mean "I".
Oh, my brain. Why are you so weird? And this isn't exactly super serious, nor is it not. How serious can something be when it comes from someone who has called Canada "Canadia" since she was 16 or so? :P
It has recently come to my attention that some of your more vocal citizens* take objection to people saying, "Really, Canada? Really?" or something similar. The immediate reaction seems to be, "Yeah, like your country is so great?"
I would like to clear up this misunderstanding right now. You see, when we say this, we** are expressing our shock, yes, but we are in no way thinking our country is so much better or would do things differently. No, we are shocked because we expect Canada to be better because, frankly, your rep is fabulous.
I'm actually being pretty serious about that. People expect America to be filled with, and I do apologize in advance for the language, fucking idiots with a serious world-sized ego problem. If someone were to say America/an American did something stupid, the world would nod and agree that it's pretty damn likely that even if it's not true this exact time, it's happened before and will happen again and it just figures, doesn't it? And that's quite possibly the sanitized version.
Canada, however, has this reputation for being nice. Intelligent. Well mannered without it being something they use as a weapon to exclude others.
Also, I don't think the entire time I was in school they taught us much of anything about Canada beyond, "Uh, it's up north somewhere. Once you reach Santa's village, you've probably gone too far." Granted, I was "educated" in the South where it's likely they figured we would never need to know anything beyond that because, really, what're the odds that we would converse with any Canadians ever? Pfft! (Before The Internet.)
Basically when it came to the rest of the world, we were taught that Mexico was the little brother who could show you either a really, really fun time or get you killed and Canada was the cool older sister that you didn't see or talk to much, but occasionally would appear and dispense advice you were never going to actually take because it made too much damn sense.
Pop culture did little to change this image. So when we express shock over something we'd previously thought inconceivable on Canadian soil, it's simply because we do think you're better than us and when we come across proof that you're not, it kind of blows our minds.
I'd love to say that I have learned the error of my ways and I will remove you from your pedestal at once but let's be realistic here. That's just not going to happen. So when I next express my disbelief over some Canadian antics (like your stubborn refusal to renew Bomb Girls already!) it's not because I think my country could do better. It's because I'd like to believe yours will.
Love,
me
*- At least in the areas I've been wandering around the last two weeks or so.
** And by we, I of course mean "I".
Oh, my brain. Why are you so weird? And this isn't exactly super serious, nor is it not. How serious can something be when it comes from someone who has called Canada "Canadia" since she was 16 or so? :P
