Canadians just not as friendly as they used to be...

[Mark Arbour]

Friendly Canadians? Not number one any more, but still damn friendly. The US was only 10th. Then again, I didn't see the UK ( at P&C and Celia), Germans, or French there.

[wildone]

That's okay, we are willing to step aside for Bahrain.

 

After all it is the friendly thing to do

[Jack Frost]

People are more likely to find Canada and be more familiar with Canadians than finding Bahrain and knowing its inhabitants.

 

I guess it's the whole Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition attempt disaster made Canadians a bit too mean than usual and that skewed up our reputation this year.

 

I'm sorry, I'd like to accept this finding, but I can't. My deepest apologies if I caused any offence.

[Mark Arbour]

That's okay, we are willing to step aside for Bahrain.

 

After all it is the friendly thing to do

 

And that is why I'm sure you'll win it right back again.

[Tiger]

People are more likely to find Canada and be more familiar with Canadians than finding Bahrain and knowing its inhabitants.

 

I guess it's the whole Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition attempt disaster made Canadians a bit too mean than usual and that skewed up our reputation this year.

 

I'm sorry, I'd like to accept this finding, but I can't. My deepest apologies if I caused any offence.

You finally tipped the scales. You should be truly ashamed for making Canada less friendly.

[methodwriter85]

It's the Canadian oil boom, I reckon. Oil gold rushes usually ain't pretty to the niceness of the people.

[paya]

And they are mean to our gypsies we were exporting there on the basis of human rights violations and stuff. They even renewed the visas towards CZ because of that! Now how friendly is that!

[Phantom]

I thought that canadians were genetically altered to be nice! Hmmm guess it's the American influence playing a part there......

 

 

 

 

[Toast]

I'm from Georgia, not much contact with Canada. Only Canadians I know are here on GA. Using that as my guide. Everyone in Canada is gay and super nice.

[Daisy]

Ahhh, it's the stiff english upper lip. We Seem not friendly, but it's just the exterior . People confuse it with snobbishness , when it's just reservedness.

 

We're brilliant in a crisis though, even with strangers (well, the Nooorth anyway, can't comment on the South ), the cup of tea being the saviour and ice breaker.

 

 

[glomph]

"Blame Canada"!

[Guest kayden]

Where the hell is "Bahrain"?!

[glomph]

Ahhh, it's the stiff english upper lip. We Seem not friendly, but it's just the exterior . People confuse it with snobbishness , when it's just reservedness.

 

We're brilliant in a crisis though, even with strangers (well, the Nooorth anyway, can't comment on the South ), the cup of tea being the saviour and ice breaker.

 

On my first trip to England, I couldn't get over how friendly everybody was. I never seemed to encounter a stranger. It certainly ran against my stereotype of British reserve. People weren't shy with their opinions. One guy was still bitter that the US had rebuilt Germany but left much of London in shambles. (This was just 31 years after WW II.) But he was very friendly to Americans as individuals.

 

Of course maybe it's just me, being such a great person and all. I mean no one was ever rude to me in Paris when I was there, And in Eastern Europe, people would just walk up and start speaking German to me (no matter what the native language was there).

[rknapp]

[Peter Griffin]

Canada sucks.

[/Peter Griffin]

 

 

No idea why my bf wants to go there so bad...

[Jack Frost]

It's the Canadian oil boom, I reckon. Oil gold rushes usually ain't pretty to the niceness of the people.

This only applies to Alberta. Don't bring the eastern provinces into this as it doesn't benefit from this boom. Well... except Newfoundland.

 

Ahhh, it's the stiff english upper lip. We Seem not friendly, but it's just the exterior . People confuse it with snobbishness , when it's just reservedness.

I deeply protest the term "stiff english upper lip" being applied all over the country due to the fact that there is a major non-English province in the country.

 

No idea why my bf wants to go there so bad...

He wants to go to Quebec. That's all. Just to get in touch with his hidden dormant French-Canadian roots. And I totally encourage his sentiment.

[woody]

Heh I'm an Australian living in Canada atm seeing a guy from Bahrain

 

we must be the friendliest couple ever

[wildone]

This only applies to Alberta. Don't bring the eastern provinces into this as it doesn't benefit from this boom. Well... except Newfoundland.

 

Now Jack , last year Alberta and their ugly oil boom meant that they contributed 14 billion extra to Ottawa to be distributed around the country to the six have not provinces (In which Newfoundland is not one, they are a have province now). Guess what, the total payout was 14.2 billion so that means all the other 3 contributed 0.2 billion, AND guess where 8.355 billion of the transfer payments went to? Quebec you say? You are correct. Quebec has always been the beneficiary of booms in Ontario and other provinces since equalization was set up. I believe Quebec has taken 77% of all equalization since it's inception in 1961. Just stating the facts .

 

 

I deeply protest the term "stiff english upper lip" being applied all over the country due to the fact that there is a major non-English province in the country.

I believe she was refering to Britain. I don't think us anglophones have ever been accused of having a stiff upper lip.

 

He wants to go to Quebec. That's all. Just to get in touch with his hidden dormant French-Canadian roots. And I totally encourage his sentiment.

Now, now, Quebec is only 1/13 of Canada. Robbie, I'm sure you would feel welcomed all across the country.

 

Note: If you think Jack and I are being less than friendly, it is another Canadian trait. Quebec against the rest of the country, or visa versa . In reality, I respect Jack and his opinions and Canada is much better place with Quebec in it than without it.

 

Heh I'm an Australian living in Canada atm seeing a guy from Bahrain

 

we must be the friendliest couple ever

 

I would agree

[hh5]

I never been to france but yup I'm told their so unfriendly - all they look forward to be is a gov't worker.

 

I was in montreal rail station for about a two hours - i met someone - just for coffee and a good talk to pass the time

I say its friendly up there since the guy put up with me.

 

Too bad I didn't know there was gay section up there.

Maybe life would have been different ... if I'd known.

[Mark Arbour]

I never been to france but yup I'm told their so unfriendly - all they look forward to be is a gov't worker.

 

I was in montreal rail station for about a two hours - i met someone - just for coffee and a good talk to pass the time

I say its friendly up there since the guy put up with me.

 

Too bad I didn't know there was gay section up there.

Maybe life would have been different ... if I'd known.

 

France is so not like that. The people there are wonderful. The only time I've seen Frenchmen/women be rude is when confronted with ugly tourists (often Americans) who treat the French as if they were denizens of a third world country. The French won't put up with that any more than an American or a Brit would. Not that anyone should have to.

[Daisy]

 

 

I deeply protest the term "stiff english upper lip" being applied all over the country due to the fact that there is a major non-English province in the country.

 

 

 

 

Yeah, I was referring to Britian. But really that's not fair either. We British are Very friendly . Just not in the south .

 

Though, I think there is something to the idea of the 'stiff upper lip'. Just maybe its not about friendliness but something else, certain topics and such.

Joking aside, there is a debate in England about the differences between the north and the south, with friendliness being one of the parameters. Northerners, at least a fair few, pride themselves on being friendly and larger than life and down to earth, which is compared to down south. There maybe some class stuff to this . London though is known for the idea that the people in the streets are unfriendly. People don't smile at each other or chat to strangers on the bus or tube. It's annoying, but it's something my friends cite as a reason I can't convince them to move down there with me. It's probably more to do with it being a big city than anything else.

 

France is so not like that. The people there are wonderful. The only time I've seen Frenchmen/women be rude is when confronted with ugly tourists (often Americans) who treat the French as if they were denizens of a third world country. The French won't put up with that any more than an American or a Brit would. Not that anyone should have to.

 

hmmmm ... I think there is something to the idea that French aren't friendly. If it's not 'friendly', there is something characteristic to them, or at least some. Or maybe it is just the tourist thing . The not-deigning to speak to you, or avoiding you, unless you speak fluent french is a tad annoying. Even if you are trying. And they Can speak english. I've heard enough stories from friends of times they've had trouble over there. One girl is living over there for the year, in the middle I think in the countryside, and they won't let her into the only club around because she's english. Or for example, , 2 canadians in a cafe in paris. the waitresses were just ignoring their attempts to get their attention and chatting away, thinking they couldn't understand, only one of the 2 could speak fluent french, and interrupted their flow by saying something in french. They had been slagging the two of them off. Only once they realised they could understand, they looked, then turned back to slagging them off regardless . Maybe they just have balls. And not stupidly polite like we are.

[woody]

heh this makes the article seem a bit more likely

 

http://yesbuthowever.com/bahrain-friendly-8136368/

 

thought it sounded a bit strange

[paya]

heh this makes the article seem a bit more likely

 

http://yesbuthowever...iendly-8136368/

 

thought it sounded a bit strange

 

31 people?!

[Mark Arbour]

Yeah, I was referring to Britian. But really that's not fair either. We British are Very friendly . Just not in the south .

 

Though, I think there is something to the idea of the 'stiff upper lip'. Just maybe its not about friendliness but something else, certain topics and such.

Joking aside, there is a debate in England about the differences between the north and the south, with friendliness being one of the parameters. Northerners, at least a fair few, pride themselves on being friendly and larger than life and down to earth, which is compared to down south. There maybe some class stuff to this . London though is known for the idea that the people in the streets are unfriendly. People don't smile at each other or chat to strangers on the bus or tube. It's annoying, but it's something my friends cite as a reason I can't convince them to move down there with me. It's probably more to do with it being a big city than anything else.

 

 

 

hmmmm ... I think there is something to the idea that French aren't friendly. If it's not 'friendly', there is something characteristic to them, or at least some. Or maybe it is just the tourist thing . The not-deigning to speak to you, or avoiding you, unless you speak fluent french is a tad annoying. Even if you are trying. And they Can speak english. I've heard enough stories from friends of times they've had trouble over there. One girl is living over there for the year, in the middle I think in the countryside, and they won't let her into the only club around because she's english. Or for example, , 2 canadians in a cafe in paris. the waitresses were just ignoring their attempts to get their attention and chatting away, thinking they couldn't understand, only one of the 2 could speak fluent french, and interrupted their flow by saying something in french. They had been slagging the two of them off. Only once they realised they could understand, they looked, then turned back to slagging them off regardless . Maybe they just have balls. And not stupidly polite like we are.

 

The problem with all of this is it's anecdotal. For example, my French is miserable, not even close to fluent, and I've never gotten anything but encouragement from the French, and in Paris no less. So your example of the Canadians is completely counter to my own experience. At the same time, French restaurant service is notoriously slow and inattentive, but it seems that way for everyone, whether a tourist or not.

[Daisy]

The problem with all of this is it's anecdotal. For example, my French is miserable, not even close to fluent, and I've never gotten anything but encouragement from the French, and in Paris no less. So your example of the Canadians is completely counter to my own experience. At the same time, French restaurant service is notoriously slow and inattentive, but it seems that way for everyone, whether a tourist or not.

 

yeah, it's anecdotal.

I'm also going on my own experience. I've never been to Paris, but my dad has a house in southern france and I've been to the Alps a few times. They still have problems with the language thing. But yeah, they wouldn't want to live there if they didn't like the people. And I had dinner with a french guy last night, and he's great .

 

(I agree about the service, it was the 'slagging off' that I was pointing to, but I can't remember now what it was they were bitching about them)

Edited December 29, 2009 by Smarties

[Jack Frost]

Now Jack , last year Alberta and their ugly oil boom meant that they contributed 14 billion extra to Ottawa to be distributed around the country to the six have not provinces (In which Newfoundland is not one, they are a have province now). Guess what, the total payout was 14.2 billion so that means all the other 3 contributed 0.2 billion, AND guess where 8.355 billion of the transfer payments went to? Quebec you say? You are correct. Quebec has always been the beneficiary of booms in Ontario and other provinces since equalization was set up. I believe Quebec has taken 77% of all equalization since it's inception in 1961. Just stating the facts .

Quebec's share in the equalization is at Canadian average for such payments. Don't let the numbers fool you when you have to consider the $$$ per capita. The Maritimes take in much more... just not too many people there to turn the numbers into billions like Quebec can. ;p

 

And Ontario is now a have-not. The federal government finally is letting it to be one. Amusing.