Originally Posted by lawleypop

I don't know why people still have that impression.

People aren't polite anymore. Try opening a door for someone. Either you don't get a thanks, or you get an old lady telling you she can bloody well do it for herself.

I don't see us as being more polite than any other place.

I have noticed a lot more people slamming doors in my face lately. Its making me very bitter:( I always try to hold the door still, hopefully I don't become really bitter and starting slamming doors on people! The one day I held the door for someone and the person just walked through the door as if I wasnt there lol:(

Originally Posted by jo87

I have noticed a lot more people slamming doors in my face lately. Its making me very bitter:( I always try to hold the door still, hopefully I don't become really bitter and starting slamming doors on people! The one day I held the door for someone and the person just walked through the door as if I wasnt there lol:(

I try to always hold the door open for people - usually, they're pretty well-mannered about it.

Speaking of holding the doors open for people, I find that this system of a door right after a door on the entrances to most buildings on campus makes it awkward.

Like if someone holds the door open for you, you say thanks... but then there is another door like 2 meters after it.

Do you say thanks again? lol

Originally Posted by Ownaginatios

Speaking of holding the doors open for people, I find that this system of a door right after a door on the entrances to most buildings on campus makes it awkward.

Like if someone holds the door open for you, you say thanks... but then there is another door like 2 meters after it.

Do you say thanks again? lol

I always say thanks 2 times! And its funny cause I've wondered if thats the right things to do, but I figured if they can hold 2 doors for me I can say thanks both times.

Originally Posted by lawleypop

I don't know why people still have that impression.

People aren't polite anymore. Try opening a door for someone. Either you don't get a thanks, or you get an old lady telling you she can bloody well do it for herself.

I don't see us as being more polite than any other place.

really? politeness was the first thing I noticed in Canada. I had trouble carrying a suitcase and a guy offered for help (i declined).

And I open doors for a lot of people and always get thanked

I even asked a person what a pita was (imagine that ) and he told me politely (although his explanation had "tortilla shell" in it, I didn't know what it was at the time)!

@Topic: polite, non-racist, friendly, open-minded people is what comes to my mind when I think about Canada.

But surely parties must not have existed long ago, that's what I thought after reading the title...what was the Canadian culture before? (no I don't want to take a course in ANY country's history...one country was enough for me to decide my unending hate for history)

Disclaimer: I have not lived in an English speaking society ever, that's why I didn't know about pita or tortilla shell.

That's interesting.

I went to Ottawa over reading week. Had a knapsack, one of those TNA bags (laugh all you want, but that thing can carry SO MUCH SHIT), and a goodlife bag. To and from, not one person offered to carry something for me. And trust me. it was obvious that I was having a hardtime carrying all that. (and no, I didn't have a suitcase to use )

So many times I try and ask people the time, or ask someone a question, and they shun me. They don't even reply. Or they look at you, mumble, and step a few feet away.

Wish I could say I've had your experiences.

I hold the door for people EVERY time I open a door. I even look behind me to see if there's people coming. I think I've had MAYBE 10 people say thanks to me all year.

Lol: I too say thanks both times! Glad I'm not the only one that feels stupid saying it twice. XD I've always wondered if other people thought that, haha.

Originally Posted by lawleypop

...one of those TNA bags (laugh all you want, but that thing can carry SO MUCH SHIT)

LOLOLOL.
I actually laughed quite a bit.
but you're right, they're HUGEE.
now all you need is some leggings, some flowey shirt and you'll be one of us.
:3


As for the two doors thing, I always say thank you twice.
It is kinda weird, but I think it would be weirder to say thank you for the first door, and not the second, or for the second and not the first.

Canadian culture, it seems, is quickly dying as we become more "American". Not saying that's necessarily a bad thing, that's just how it seems. Candians have traditionally been seen as polite, rugged, and hard-working, particularly by those who were liberated during WWII.
That aside, hockey and decent coffee are pretty definitive.

mmm...Canadian culture.

A few of the interesting arguments I've heard center around the founding institutions of this nation (French Catholicism, English Anglicanism, Scottish Presbyterianism).

All are hierarchical, communalist, traditionalist, loyalist and, above all, anti-American in nature.

This explains our connection to the throne, the acceptance socialism and "Toryism" (if not in government, than at least in moderate toleration), the fierce connection to our traditional identities (maintaining elements of who we were before we were Canadian) and our desire for "middle" of the road solutions to domestic and international problems.

Its a Sociological theory as far as I can remember, but don't quote me on it.

Just a thought.

Originally Posted by lawleypop

That's interesting.

I went to Ottawa over reading week. Had a knapsack, one of those TNA bags (laugh all you want, but that thing can carry SO MUCH SHIT), and a goodlife bag. To and from, not one person offered to carry something for me. And trust me. it was obvious that I was having a hardtime carrying all that. (and no, I didn't have a suitcase to use )

So many times I try and ask people the time, or ask someone a question, and they shun me. They don't even reply. Or they look at you, mumble, and step a few feet away.

Wish I could say I've had your experiences.

I hold the door for people EVERY time I open a door. I even look behind me to see if there's people coming. I think I've had MAYBE 10 people say thanks to me all year.

Lol: I too say thanks both times! Glad I'm not the only one that feels stupid saying it twice. XD I've always wondered if other people thought that, haha.

@bold: just happened once to me, I asked something and they just looked at me and went on to do whatever they where doing, didn't take much offence.

@carrying things, maybe people would think you'll find it offensive or suspicious ...dunno :p In my case, I'd say the people were from university and it was welcome week...

and finally @doors.... 4 doors daily (most of the time), floor, after stairs, door to lobby, door to outside building saying thanks 4 times makes both people laugh I try new tone of saying thanks everytime

Originally Posted by Ownaginatios

Speaking of holding the doors open for people, I find that this system of a door right after a door on the entrances to most buildings on campus makes it awkward.

Like if someone holds the door open for you, you say thanks... but then there is another door like 2 meters after it.

Do you say thanks again? lol

Whats more awkward is when somebody holds it and you're not even near by and they end up standing there for like half a minute to wait for you to get to there, and you feel you have to sound even more thankful then usual!

Get on with your day man, i know how to operate a door handle; i've been doing it since 1993!

I think the biggest mistake people make is this knee-jerk reaction to multiculturalism based on living in Toronto/Missassauga. Rural Canada has an immense reserve of "Canadianism" if you want to call it that, so even if you don't like the metropolitan lifestyle, there is still a whole big country out there. Regardless, this is a country founded by immigrants and new cultures are not new. The west was settled by eastern europeans, yet I don't see people feeling threatened by Hungarian culture and what not...

Anyways, what I think would be good for this country is maybe something like what you see in the Jewish community, with the birthright stuff. Maybe if the government subsidized more youth trips like Katimavik that encouraged young people to get out of their shitty city and see the country. I know a lot of my peers from Mississauga who can't find my town on a map, even though I live only like an hour away and when I talk about areas outside of their region they just look at me cluelessly. Or what about a mandatory enrollment in the reserves?! That would be so cool! I've always wanted to join the reserves, but I could never pass the drug testing lawl (yes being a pot head is totally Canadian ADMIT IT!).

Originally Posted by zombiejesus

I think the biggest mistake people make is this knee-jerk reaction to multiculturalism based on living in Toronto/Missassauga. Rural Canada has an immense reserve of "Canadianism" if you want to call it that, so even if you don't like the metropolitan lifestyle, there is still a whole big country out there. Regardless, this is a country founded by immigrants and new cultures are not new. The west was settled by eastern europeans, yet I don't see people feeling threatened by Hungarian culture and what not...

Anyways, what I think would be good for this country is maybe something like what you see in the Jewish community, with the birthright stuff. Maybe if the government subsidized more youth trips like Katimavik that encouraged young people to get out of their shitty city and see the country. I know a lot of my peers from Mississauga who can't find my town on a map, even though I live only like an hour away and when I talk about areas outside of their region they just look at me cluelessly. Or what about a mandatory enrollment in the reserves?! That would be so cool! I've always wanted to join the reserves, but I could never pass the drug testing lawl (yes being a pot head is totally Canadian ADMIT IT!).

I wish every country subsidized youth trips...would really be fun