Being Canadian

It's strange being a foreigner.  Here's what usually happens (or something similar).

South African - "Hallo, hoe gaan dit (vandag) met jou?" I look Afrikaaner.

Me - "Sorry, I only speak English"

South African - "What part of America are you from?"  Not once have I been asked where in Canada are you from?

Me - "Actually, I'm Canadian"

South African -  "Is it?  My (insert distant relative) lives in Canada.  From my completely non-scientific,  anecdotal evidence, quite a few South Africans have emigrated to Canada.

Me - "Really, where in Canada?"

South African - "I can't recall just now."  or "Somewhere near Vancouver"

Me - "Well it is a big country" or "Vancouver is a long way from where we lived"

Then we get into discussions about the weather.  They assume that the weather here is much hotter than I have ever experienced before. I explain how August (or June from what I hear at the moment) in Southern Ontario is hotter and more humid than here in PE, even in the summer, and they are surprised.  They ask about snow and comment on how their 19C winter probably isn't as cold as we get in Canada.  I say "No, not quite as cold".  If I have time I tell them about how we have 4 true seasons and around a 70C variance from our hottest humid to our coldest windchill, where I come from.  They are always amazed.

Sometimes, I get the really funny stereotypes coming out, like when the pest control guy arrived.  He found out I was Canadian and immediately asked me to say "Out and about".  He looked shocked and disappointed and then said, "but that didn't sound like a boot at all."

Then there was the neighbour who quietly said "I don't want you to take offense, but can I ask you a question?"  She wanted to know "Why do Americans and Canadians hate each other so much?"  I told her if we hated each other as much as she thought, it would be highly unlikely that we would share the longest undefended border (military wise at least) in the world.  She nodded her head and told me her sister lived in the states and was married to an American and it was interesting to hear a Canadian perspective.    

To be honest I really didn't give being a foreigner much thought before we left.  I was too busy moving a family.  It wasn't until I got to PE that I realized just how unknown Canadians are here.  The day after we arrived we went to one of the local malls to pick up a few needed items.  The sales associate was a lovely chatty woman who had never met a Canadian before.  We bought a coffee maker, vacuum and a few other things from her.  She was intrigued to meet a Canadian, we talked for a long time while the bill was being tallied up. When I ran into her at the mall a few days later she recognized me immediately and called me by my first name.  I didn't recall hers.  She told me she was telling all her friends about the really nice Canadian family she met and how polite and patient we were. 

She really got me to thinking.  All of a sudden, I felt like I was an ambassador of the average Canadian and I asked myself what kind of representative did I want to be.
 
So, I have started paying more attention to the little things.  Never known for my posture, I find myself standing a little straighter.  Never one to pay much attention to what I'm wearing day to day, I look twice in the mirror to make sure I am presentable.  I wear mascara everyday and blow dry my hair all pretty like.  (Sorry Eco Mama it has to be done).  I have even been known to (gasp) apply lipstick prior to leaving the house in the day time, sans dh, for no special occasion at all.  I see you smiling, mom!

These aren't major things I know, but they do make an impression.  I could be the tired, haggard, rushed Canadian mom all I wanted to back at home.  All my mom friends understood.  Here it's different.  It's not that the mom's here are any different than I was back in Canada, they are not.  But here, I need to be more than that.  And that, I have decided, is no bad thing.


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