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Tony Montana posted:oh wow Are there really guns like loving everywhere? People walk around with handguns and poo poo? That can't be real. I never saw people walking around with guns but learned my brother suddenly is a conservative Christian gun owner worried about Hillary takin' his guns away (pre-election). Surprised me to no end. Even my mom, up there in age, has been going to a gun range. WTF. Times they are a'changin'. How does having no healthcare as a national service reconcile with being a 'great country' or whatever the gently caress? Do you cringe when people stand up and say poo poo like 'the greatest country on earth!!'? Do you find it unbearably arrogant and self-absorbed? I don't understand why the US has such lovely health care. It's not true that everyone can afford it and those poor folks slipping through the cracks will literally die and/or go bankrupt. Yes, it's selfish and arrogant to not want to help out a brother in need. In Canada, I have never experienced a delay in health care and have been really impressed with my doctor and hospital's network of staff, expertise, and technology. How do you perceive the rest of the world sees you? I think moving away from the US and looking back gave me a totally different perspective of the country. 1. Lots more gun and other violence. 2. A seemingly large population of people who like the three G's: God, guns, and gold. Seriously, they scare me to poo poo. 3. The US is currently a laughing stock due to Trump, but on the other hand I went to the Woman's March and was equally impressed with the resistance. Where else have you been in the world? (this is a direct question to whoever answers my questions). Mexico and Ireland. Mexico was a tequila-filled romp, and kind of scary, but I really loved Ireland. What is great about being American? In my view, there's just a nostalgia of what it could be like, not what it is. When I think of the pure innocence of childhood, I realize what I didn't know then--a very enjoyable time of life was naive, and there were big things surrounding me (which we had begun to progress out of when I became an adult, like the need for more civil liberties and environmental regulations). Now the country is going backward again. That America doesn't seem to recognize freedoms and liberties for all anymore. Whereas Canada (though not at all perfect, particularly with its residence schools and Harper's crap and not moving away from oil sands) seems to represent more freedoms overall than the kind you think America is supposed to. America seems poor and gang-ridden and full of people who are anti-science. It seems fake and blingy, with people who fall looking for an American Dream which is full of materialistic crap. Gimmicky. I mean, obviously that isn't true of the whole country but that stereotype was big enough to elect Trump--I really don't look forward to traveling there in the future, tbh. The one thing I really miss, though, is the old architecture and loving front porches. I live in Vancouver, BC, and only some older houses in the city have them. Everything else seems so bland here. I like sitting on front porches in front of a grassy yard sipping iced tea or mint juleps and waving to neighbors or just having them over. I guess it's just the oldness of the more eastern parts of North America compared to the newer west coast buildings. I miss red brick, I miss pretty woodworking in pubs. Also, there is a lack of genuine friendliness where I live, but I think Vancouver, BC, is known for that. The US seems friendlier overall, and it helps build some strange sense of cultural unity, though I am not sure how the country's current divisive attitudes affect that unity found at random times. I remember having wonderful talks with strangers from more progressive areas in Indianapolis (Broad Ripple) and Chicago. I experienced the same kind of old architecture and friendliness in Irish pubs on the western Atlantic as well. What was the last meal you had? In detail please. P&J. Thanks!
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Feb 3, 2017 00:44
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spacetoaster posted:This is a dumb derail and not what this thread is about. Shut the gently caress up about your idiot religious beliefs. Not understanding why people own guns is not a religious thing? It's a valid question and curiosity. I grew up in the US and have no understanding of this whole gun culture. My little brother got suddenly conservative/religious in the past year and at the same time was trying to sell me this bullshit that he needed guns because of this and that. It was nothing but paranoia brought on by whatever rural backwoods propaganda "news" articles were going around that he needed guns in case of an intruder and that Hilary was tryin' to take away his guns and freedom, neither of which point had any basis in reality. Look, some people in the US have some really weird ideologies about some things, and guns is one of them. Now you are run by a crazy maniac who is a walking cliche of these crazy mentalities. Despite what you want to believe, most of the rest of the world does not like what America stands for right now. You can kid yourself, but it's an echo chamber. I was born in the US, grew up there, and moved away as an adult. I did entertain wishes to move back at times, just to be closer to family, but have no desire to now, given the kind of Trumpism that is rampant there. The country is no longer an ideal place to live. I'm currently working on Canada citizenship so that when I travel around the rest of the world I will feel safer by not whipping out that US passport.
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Feb 9, 2017 17:06
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Grandmother of Five posted:That is interesting imo. Did you experience a lot of bias or hostility as an American when travelling abroad? I'm assuming you have to some extent because of your passport comment, and it'd be interesting to hear about how that hostility and bias has been expressed concretely, if you've got personal anecdotes to share. When I first moved to Canada, my jeep temporarily had on my California plates, and a driver yelled out to me to "Go back to America," but I am pretty sure that was due to road rage on her part--we were in a construction zone and trying to take turns merging and she was not letting me take a turn (?). I live near Vancouver, BC, however, which is full of people from other places. My first job I had, we were actually all from the states and South America. None were from Canada. My statement about not being safe traveling the rest of the world under a US passport now is due to Trump's presidency. He is making enemies right and left out there. I do not want to be associated with his walls and racism. So this is more of a looking forward thing. We went to Ireland last year; the world mostly loved Obama, and it was a more peaceful and stable time. I just felt a sense of pride in that. But now, not so. Trump is making enemies, and though he doesn't even really represent all Americans, you never know when you travel who will you associate you with that kind of mentality. I didn't vote for the guy. I am also in a nice position where I can disassociate myself from a country that no longer represents my ideals and which, to me, is going down the gutter at the moment. Don't get me wrong; America is very diverse, and there are plenty resisting what Trump's America stands for (me included).
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Feb 9, 2017 17:32
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Just thought of this thread yesterday when I went to a local foods market and found some collard greens. This is one thing I miss that my Mammaw used to cook down South. I was so excited, I bought some and cooked them up and need to go back and get more. Thankful to whichever local Canadian farmer decided, of all things, to grow collard greens up here. The only time I ever see them is at this particular market.
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Feb 10, 2017 21:43
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reagan posted:There's a protest about a pipeline that you may have heard of. People here don't really care. They don't have love for the oil companies, but they don't have love for Native Americans either. Part of it is because they view many of the protesters as tourists from the coasts who are just here to have one big party and pretend like they give a poo poo about these poor bastards living on the Res. It's the flavor of the month for these people.
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Feb 12, 2017 21:39
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Nessa posted:For a Canadian perspective, it is common courtesy to take your shoes off in every home unless the homeowner tells you otherwise (and that's usually because they've been doing renovations and the floors are kinda dirty) Same. I moved to Canada from the US, and the first thing I thought was weird was that everyone took off their shoes when entering the home. It makes sense, but I don't remember that from growing up in the US.
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Feb 21, 2017 22:57
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