Korean Job Discussion Forums

[laogaiguk]

[Ya-ta Boy]

I hope Bill is treated like a rock star in Canada. He played in the high school band and I thought his sax playing on (was it Leno? Letterman?) was pretty darn good. Go Bill!

This is one situation where Canadians are showing superior taste.

[Wrench]

I studied Canadian history and infact the books that were required for the course were extremly harsh. I don't think anything like that would fly in the US.

My American Economics prof was especially critical of American history.

Not many Canadian or Americans know this but the American revolution wasn't a wildly supported movement in the 13 colonies. Most Americans are to stuborn to listen to critisism. Canadians are to damn arrogant to acknowledge that Canadian history is a bloody one.

No one likes having their flaws flaunted in front of them.

I am Pro-American but I am More Pro-Money, so if it comes down to snugling up to something I choose cold hard currency.

[Ya-ta Boy]

[Wrench]

[laogaiguk]

[riley]

While Canada as a country hasn't played a large part in American history, the land and people have. An interesting book Rebels and Redcoats by Hugh Bicheno mentions that British regiments did recruit from Canada. I can't remember which regiment in particular, but it most of it's soldiers came from P.E.I. and had played a crucial part in several battles. (I'm at work so I can't find exact info.)
What has also been interesting has been our fixation on Canada as being easy to take over and glad to join us. We invaded Canada in both wars we fought with Britain and through our lack of preparation and equipment showed a belief that it would be easy and that we would naturally be welcomed. (hmmm, no comparisons to Iraq, please. Actually, this seems to be a common mistake in many of our wars.)

[Ya-ta Boy]

[Pyongshin Sangja]

Merry Christmas.

[Wrench]

[Ya-ta Boy]

[Ya-ta Boy]

Question for fellow Yanks:

When you know you are going to meet a Canadian, what is your gut reaction?

I know I have learned a new one since coming to Korea and being exposed to chronic anti-Americanism from so many Canadians.

At one time I had a generically positive pro-Canadian feeling. I will admit that it was not the result of study and contemplation. It was just a nice feeling.

After coming here, I learned this was like going to Paris Baguette and buying an unidentified pastry and biting into it. Sometimes it was fine. Sometimes it was booby-trapped with that red bean crap that feels like fur on your tongue. Majorly unpleasant.

When I meet a 'fellow North American' I hold back and see if they are a Canadian or a NotAmerican. I really, really dislike being ambushed and that is the feeling the NotAmericans give me.

Is it a loss on my part? I don't know for sure. I estimate that 2 out of 3 are regular people; but once burned, twice shy. Twenty-five times burned...well, you can do the math.

There was a time when almost all Canadians complained that Americans did not know anything about them or pay any attention to them. It was pretty much true. But now most Americans know about Canada. They know that Canadians dislike Americans and criticize everything we believe in and do and are. Yes, Canadians are getting the attention they used to say they want. Unfortunately, it is the NotAmerican Canadians who are getting the headlines.

A year or two ago I mentioned that one of my fantasies was to ride a bike along the St. Lawrence up in to Nova Scotia. I have given that up. Someone posted that it is my loss. I don't see it that way. There are a million places to see in the world. If I choose to spend my money elsewhere, it is a loss for the location I forego...and because of the motivation, it is a loss for that country because I do tell my friends and family about my feelings. Korea suffers when someone here does something stupid and rude to a foreigner. So does Canada (or any other country). The US has lost enormous amounts of good-will and suffered major blows to its reputation the last few years. So has Canada. Drug-dealing scofflaws in Korea and the nastiness seen by the other foreigners here in Korea...it all adds up.

The cross we Americans have to bear (and overcome) is Bush and his fundamentalist allies. The cross Canadians have to bear (and overcome) is the notoriety of the NotAmericans.

PS: I get quite a few pm's asking for advice about coming to Korea. When it is an American, one of the things I feel compelled to say is, "If you are lucky, you won't have to work with a Canadian". (I mean the NotAmericans.)

[riley]

What I hate most is when I get dinged over my country's mistakes and I can't come up with a good defense nor some thing about Canadian screwups. The kicker is that all I can do is show my lack of knowledge of Canada which just proves for the american hater how ignorant we are.
Still though, it did get embarrassing to constantly forget the capital of Canada.
The most memorable bit has to be when I met a new coworker and he asks where I'm from. I say the U.S. and he answers, "Yeah, you look like one" ?!?!?!!

[laogaiguk]

Yo, Ya-ta Boy, most of the Canadians you meet whom their first questions is "Where are you from?" are usually jerks who weren't well liked in Canada either. Nova Scotia is one of the last bastions of what I like to call old Canada. Especially around Cape Breton. You could publically profess your love for Satan, and they would still invite you in for dinner. Really Ya-ta, stop generalizing all of Canada. For the um teenth time, your worries are valid, but it's just not true everywhere. My friend ran a bed and breakfast. Not one American ever left saying they didn't completely enjoy their time in Atlantic Canada. Go to Nova Scotia, you might actually be surprised.

I get a gut feeling when ever I am with Americans in a foreign land that the non-english natives will hate me. A few of the Americans I have been forced to go out with (they were friends of friends) refused to ever try to actually communicate with the country's native people in anything except English (not even trying to slow down or do the You - give - me - beer). They would then complain all night about how stupid the locals are that they can't even speak the world language. I know this is stupid, but as I tend to learn the language of any country I go to, I can always hear their comments, and they lump me in with the jerks who just gave them a hard time. This hasn't happened yet with a Canadian (but I was in Japan and China, and there are more Americans, so I do have to account for that). Is this gut feeling stupid? Yes, cause most Americans I know are no different than me. Have I met stupid Canadians? Hell yes, they are worse cause they think just cause we are both Canadians that we should definitely be friends.

Again, bad Canadians and bad Americans exist. Just like good and bad Brits, Aussies, etc... I understand your "gut feeling", but you can't just ignore or generalize an entire country's people.

For riley "Yeah, you look like one." I believe the Korean government will give you 2000000 won if you prove this genius has a fake degree (which seems quite possible)

[Kuros]