Explaining Canada To Americans
Oh Canada! I am delighted to announce I’ve hit the big time. An American blogger has reached out to me to answer hilariously outrageous seriously thoughtful questions about what it means to be Canadian.
Yes. The wonderfully insightful and humorous Katy of Experienced Bad Mom felt the need to enlighten her legion of readers about that mysterious country to the north. She came up with some rather remarkable questions and turned to me, Kelly McKenzie, for answers.
I’m guessing Bob and Doug McKenzie were unavailable.
Yeah, right ‘eh?
So, leash up the sled dogs, gulp down that Timmy Ho’s coffee and slap on the toque. We’re going on a field trip.
To check out my ridiculous brilliant answers just click right here: The Surprising Truth About Canadians.
16 Responses
And Yuma. In addition to Florida, Yuma, AZ is filled with Canadians in the winter. Easy to see why – it’s warm. However, the combination of “eh?” and Yuma always makes me giggle. DH, originally from Vancouver, BC, has more relatives in Yuma this time of the year than BC. Great post! (ashamed to admit that until I married into Canada, I, too, was an American who barely knew Canada existed.)
Oh Linda you do make me grin. Once again. Yuma,eh? Wow. Who knew? My mom always itches to pop over to Hawaii when our weather turns chilly. Perhaps we’ll check out Yuma. Thank you. And do pass on a big hello to fellow Canadian DH.
Oh, I feel like this is directed at me after my Celine Dion reference. (Did I mention that we like to sing a song we call “Oh, Fudgee-o” to the tune of your national anthem as soon as we head north of the border? Is that bad? Headed over right now!)
That was YOU! I couldn’t for the life of me remember who made the Celine Dion reference. That was so funny. And your “Oh Fudgee-o!” anthem is just perfect. Not bad at all. You might want to toss in an Oh Maple Syrupee-o for good measure every now and then …
Love the collaboration ! I too have been asked if I live in an igloo, so hard not to come back with a reply that John Cleese would make. Great post !
Grinning over the John Cleese reference Jane. Perfect. I used to work Summers at the Tourist Bureau and man did we get some doozies. However I was never asked if I live in an igloo. Love to hear that story Jane. Perhaps on our next field trip…
Kelly, I’m sorry, I loved this collaboration and the very funny, highly relatable post! I’ve been asked wonderful questions about South Africa since I moved to the US so many years ago. And by wonderful I mean incredibly stupid. My favorite is: where is South Africa?
Noooooo. Nicki that is too funny. And believable. I worked a few summers at our local tourist bureau and was asked some incredible questions. It was mind boggling. My only regret is that I didn’t write them down.
This was too funny. I will have to share it with my Canadian friends. I tease them from time to time about “Eh” but never noticed their over apologetic nature. I will have to watch for that. 😉
Sorry to be the one to alert you to the apologetic nature, eh. It’s funny. I started to recognise it during the 2010 Olympics here. Folks were saying it a lot! Thank you so much for popping by Amanda. Grinning over the concept of you checking out your Canadian friends and their apologies …
My son fell asleep on a flight once. Slept right through what would’ve been his flight change in San Francisco. So instead of waking up in San Diego he woke up in Vancouver.
We’ve never let him live that one down.
I’m sure he would’ve popped in for some pie had I known you then. And if they’d allowed him out of the airport, which they did not. They just stuck him on another plane headed south.
Noooooo. Susan that is hilarious. He must have been rather spooked when he woke up and found himself in the Customs line. Oh man what I would give to have been in on that conversation.
“Welcome to Canada … you are supposed to be WHERE?”
He would have been more than welcome for a slice of pie or six had they let him free. Perhaps next time.
Can’t wait to read what you have to say! Heading over there now!
Thanks Mo. Reminds me of Partners In a Pair Tree …
I’ve never noticed any copious occurrence of “I’m sorries” among my Canadian friends. Usually, though, that phrase pops out of my own mouth far too frequently than is justified. Do people seriously ask if you live in igloos? Do they seriously still tease about eh-ing? That is odd, terribly odd, and on behalf of my country, I must say this: I’m sorry.
Well to be honest no one asks me if I live in an igloo any more. But they did – when I was in Australia in the 80s. It was rather astounding. I do notice the plethora of “sorries” here. Happens all the time. Don’t notice the eh-ing so must but maybe I’ve become immune, eh?