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| Where do you come from? |
| UK |
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28% |
[ 24 ] |
| Canada |
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27% |
[ 23 ] |
| Australia |
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10% |
[ 9 ] |
| New Zealand |
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1% |
[ 1 ] |
| South Africa |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| Ireland |
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1% |
[ 1 ] |
| USA |
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29% |
[ 25 ] |
| Elsewhere |
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2% |
[ 2 ] |
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| Total Votes : 85 |
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MixtecaMike
Joined: 19 Nov 2003
Posts: 643
Location: Guatebad
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 Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2003 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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I can vouch for the little brother syndrome among kiwis, I was born one but changed nationality to Australian as soon as I was eligible. The same thing occurs with Guatemalans who insist they are different to Mexicans, as if anyone here in Mexico gave a hoot.
It's true that in Latin America americano means anyone from the Americas, but if you are half an English teacher you should be able to explain that American does not mean americano, it means estadounidense.
A question for all the World Citizens, this sounds like, totally awesome Does it mean you no longer need visas or work permits? LOL |
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Capergirl
Joined: 02 Feb 2003
Posts: 1232
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
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| Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2003 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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Leeroy, you're not afraid of a little controversy, are ya?! 
Canadian here and proud of it, too.  |
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joe-joe
Joined: 15 Oct 2003
Posts: 100
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
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| Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2003 8:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Oh Lordy, the Canadians have overtaken we Brits on the poll. Come on you trusty British folk, where art thou?? |
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ntropy
Joined: 11 Oct 2003
Posts: 671
Location: ghurba
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| Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2003 10:33 pm Post subject: Time tells |
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Fifteen years ago, when I started going overseas to teach, being called American was annoying and I was of the group who sang my Canadian-ness. Now, although that is no less annoying, the flag on the backpack thing has surpassed even that.
Current popular beer commercials in Canada have capitalized on patriotism/nationalism but if you watch closely they never celebrate what we are, but only what we aren't (American) |
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MixtecaMike
Joined: 19 Nov 2003
Posts: 643
Location: Guatebad
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| Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2003 10:55 pm Post subject: Re: Time tells |
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| ntropy wrote: |
Current popular beer commercials in Canada have capitalized on patriotism/nationalism but if you watch closely they never celebrate what we are, but only what we aren't (American) |
If you don't want to be treated like Americans then you need to stop speaking like them. LOL Just kidding.
Oh, and the "eh" doesn't count as a linguistically distinguishing feature because kiwis all say it too. |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2003 11:57 pm Post subject: |
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| The Japanese also say eh, only differently and it sounds very funny. |
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struelle
Joined: 16 May 2003
Posts: 2372
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2003 4:18 am Post subject: |
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| I think it often seems like there are more Canadians around because Canadians are always mentioning that they are Canadian. I also worked with one guy, who, when ever a Canadian was mentioned he would point out to everyone that that person is Canadian. |
Chalk up another Canuck here. But I find this 'I am Canadian' attitude, i.e. from the Molson Beer commercials, to be quite annoying. People with this attitude go around with 2 or 3 maple leaves stiched to their bags. When they meet people, they give a little nudge and wink to say, "Oh, I'm Canadian, you know." These folks have no hesitation announcing their nationality, and will volunteer it freely.
Why do they do this? Who knows, but I guess nationalism has a lot to do with it. I try and tone this down and wait until the person asks where I'm from before announcing my Canuckness.
On the other side of the coin, when Chinese folk learn of my Canuckness they hardly know much about the country except that (a) it's cold (b) there aren't many people and (c) Norman Bethume served the Chinese people as a doctor during the war. I try and explain that I come from Vancouver where it's not so cold in the winter, but, that usually doesn't register. Oh well, live and let live.
I think Wolf summed it up pretty nicely about being a global citizen and such. However, I detect a bit of 'reverse nationalism' in his post, that is a desire not to set foot on Canadian soil again. I can understand that, as Canadian nationalism really annoys me too. But we should include our 'home' countries as part of the international matrix as well.
Steve |
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Dr.J
Joined: 09 May 2003
Posts: 304
Location: usually Japan
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| Posted: Tue Dec 02, 2003 5:51 am Post subject: |
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Country club...
That conversation with the english guy wasn't in japan was it? |
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Lynn
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 696
Location: in between
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| Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2004 11:48 pm Post subject: |
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| dyak wrote: |
| MELEE wrote: |
I think it often seems like there are more Canadians around because Canadians are always mentioning that they are Canadian. I also worked with one guy, who, when ever a Canadian was mentioned he would point out to everyone that that person is Canadian.
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I used to work with a girl who took it one further and would wait until someone thought she was American before yelping, 'I'm Canadian, I'm Canadian!'
I then changed jobs and a met another girl who did the exact same thing; she was almost disappointed when I asked her if she was Canadian. She assumed I'd lived there because there's no other way to tell, y'know. |
I had the opposite. My Japanese collueges couldn't get in out of their heads that I was not Canadian. I was just like your co-worker, Dyak, but I always yelled, "I'm American! I'm American!" |
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khmerhit
Joined: 31 May 2003
Posts: 1874
Location: Reverse Culture Shock Unit
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2004 1:12 am Post subject: |
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Leeroy explained
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| A strange neurosis hits people from "little brother" syndrome, causing them to be needlessly patriotic |
Too true. The Cambodians have this affliction real bad. They fear they will be swallowed up by their more populous (and industrious) neighbours, and their paranoia, correspondingly, knows no bounds. They get very touchy about their shrinking borders, slights to their national pride and so on. Then they had Big Brother syndrome.
Historically Yours
Khmerhit |
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nolefan
Joined: 14 Jan 2004
Posts: 1458
Location: on the run
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2004 2:16 am Post subject: my turn |
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well, another mark for citizen of the world... even though I hail from Morocco, I have barely spent 5 months there in the last 13 years. I spent most of those years in Tallahassee, Florida so that is as close to having a hometown as I get.
strange that so many Canadians are leaving the country when it is working so hard at attracting people to come there..... is it the cold that makes most of you guys leave?
Australia is getting there as well: the government is working hard to bring in more people into the country while aussies are heading elsewhere...
a bit strange if you ask me.. |
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Shaman
Joined: 06 Apr 2003
Posts: 446
Location: Hammertown
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2004 2:20 am Post subject: |
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Ca-knucklehead here. Perhaps my avatar should have been a puma instead. 
Shaman |
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thelmadatter
Joined: 31 Mar 2003
Posts: 1212
Location: in el Distrito Federal x fin!
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| Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2004 2:07 pm Post subject: American |
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One non- Canadian here. American or U.S. citizen if you please.
Im not thrilled about the notion that just because those of us from the U.S. refer to ourselves as "Americans" (as most of the world does) that somehow it "betrays" our imperialist attitude (on a personal level). As noted before, what other derivation of "United States of America" is suitable? Yes, I realize that history and politics does show such but I really hate the politically correct game of "musical chairs" we play with the names of categories of people.
Im in Mexico, and they do not like to hear us called "Americans" either. They also use 'estadounidense.' I have no problem with this - it works in Spanish, its accurate enough and not offensive. One little irony tho -- the official name of Mexico is "Estados Unidos de Mexico" so arent Mexicans "estadounidenses" too?
So I just say that in Spanish Im "UnitedStatesian" and in English Im "American" because each language has the right to use the words it chooses. |
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Canuck2112
Joined: 13 Jun 2003
Posts: 239
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| Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2004 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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| You know that lumbering foreigner you see on the Shinkansen with the prominent Canadian flag sewed to his bag? That's me. |
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yaramaz
Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 2384
Location: Not where I was before
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| Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2004 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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In my own private linguistic universe, a person is FROM the United States (or the USA or the United States of America) and they ARE American.
Billy Bob: 'I'm American!'
Mustafa: 'Very good, yes. Which part of the United States are you from?'
Is that a reasonable compromise? |
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