Culture shock

paul_valaru

paul_valaru

100% Pure Canadian Beef
Interesting article about a Canadian named Paul (No relation) In the states, and seeing things that shocked him.

I sorta see his point

some examples (for those of you who do not click links)

Top 5 things I saw in America which, as a Canadian, freaked me right out
Filed under: America, American Politics, Canada/US relations, U.S. Politics, funny, humor, humour, politics, weird — paulitics @ 11:38 pm

I’m back from my vacation down in the United States, and will return to blogging with regularity as soon as possible.

To celebrate my return to this frigid, yet comparatively sane country, I felt it worthwhile to relay a list of five items which I saw during my travels which the locals thought was perfectly normal (I presume), but which freaked the heck out of me as a Canadian.

#5

A trucking company which hauls all manner of freight throughout the deep south of the U.S. which calls itself a “Christian company” (the very idea of which seems as bizarre to me as a “Christian dog”) and which requires that its trucks to carry religious and political messages. The messages I saw included:
It’s not a choice, it’s a child
and
God loved us so that he gave his only son.

#4

A breakfast creation in upstate New York called “Stuffed French Toast”. What does “Stuffed French Toast” entail, you naïve non-American might ask? It’s French Toast (which, keep in mind is cooked in butter) stuffed with bacon, eggs and processed cheese (which they proudly call ‘American processed cheese’, I presume, to distinguish it from real cheese which could, after all, be French and/or offer unAmerican nutritional content). But here’s the kicker: on top of your “Stuffed French Toast” cooked in butter, you will find… a square of butter.

#3

A massive billboard in South Carolina just outside of Georgia which read:
“Victory is great, but honor is greater. Defend your Southern heritage.”

#2

A letter to the editor pasted proudly on a business door in Key Marathon, Florida by the business owner discussing how immigrants today are a disgrace to immigrants from the start of the 20th Century. The letter details how people need to read history because in 1901, when the business owner’s grandfather came to the country, he didn’t ask for any government handouts like modern immigrants are asking for. So modern, non-English-speaking immigrants are greedier than the immigrants from 100 years ago and thus do not recognize the value of hard work and don’t appreciate why America is great. (I’m not concocting a straw man here, this is, as best as I can recall, the structure of the argument). Apparently, nobody told the letter-writer that in 1901 NOBODY got government handouts (other than cheap land which WAS aimed at immigrants) because there weren’t significant government social programs until after World War II.
I guess the purpose of the letter was for other people to read history, not for the letter writer to read history.

#1

Casa D’ice, a restaurant located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which features political messages as their signature claim to fame. Among the political messages they put up under their restaurant’s name and proudly reproduced on their website include:

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link
 
A massive billboard in South Carolina just outside of Georgia which read:
“Victory is great, but honor is greater. Defend your Southern heritage.”
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Makes perfect sense to me. Then, it would I suppose...
 
SouthernN'Proud said:
Makes perfect sense to me. Then, it would I suppose...
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well do to the general lack of education about the south, and what it stood for, especially in Canada, it does have a bad connentation.

but we can un-ignorant ourselves, did you know that the confederate secratary of war was Jewish

PBS rocks
 
it does have a bad connentation.
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See, that strikes me as odd. And know that I have not always been a staunch defender of the Confederacy. How would the statement itself be construed as negative though? I'm genuinely curious.
 
I am still gagging over the stuffed french toast. If you are going to go that far into the world of fat and calories, why not stuff the toast with powedered sugar, cream cheese, cinnamon, strawberries and bananas? And even though it is cooked in butter, I would like a little butter on mine please.

Ya, we eat like shit here in the US, but that is because no one does it in moderation. It has become a habit for us which is why Dr Phil and Montel can make money exploiting parents of 80 pound 3 year olds.
 
SouthernN'Proud said:
See, that strikes me as odd. And know that I have not always been a staunch defender of the Confederacy. How would the statement itself be construed as negative though? I'm genuinely curious.
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Typical southern stereo-types

redneck, gun toting, this looks like a lovely place to burn a cross type thing.

And yes from movies tv jokes, and literature, that is the general idea that is conveyed.

I have learnt much since then
 
SouthernN'Proud said:
Dunno, never been. But this big sign isn't promoting slavery or lynching either.

See, thinking like this is why I don't "let it rest". As soon as I do, the myths creep back in.
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Well most of the uninformed also believe the whole Civil War was about Slavery ,so you got your work cut out for y'all.
 
Gotta love the Confederate money with the slavery right on it. They sure were proud of it. :D

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paul_valaru said:
Typical southern stereo-types

redneck, gun toting, this looks like a lovely place to burn a cross type thing.

And yes from movies tv jokes, and literature, that is the general idea that is conveyed.

I have learnt much since then
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You reminded me of my very favorite southern comedian, Blake Clark.

Blake Clark said:
I know y'all think we're all toothless, knuckle-draggin', gun-totin', trailer-park-livin' rednecks who date our cousins. Well, I'm here to tell you I never dated my cousin. Fucked her, sure but I never took her anywhere.
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PrincessLissa said:
I am still gagging over the stuffed french toast. If you are going to go that far into the world of fat and calories, why not stuff the toast with powedered sugar, cream cheese, cinnamon, strawberries and bananas? And even though it is cooked in butter, I would like a little butter on mine please.

Ya, we eat like shit here in the US, but that is because no one does it in moderation. It has become a habit for us which is why Dr Phil and Montel can make money exploiting parents of 80 pound 3 year olds.
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Mimi's Cafe serves french toast stuffed with a mixture of cream cheese and marmalade. :thumbup: Of course I then cover it in maple syrup. :D
 
A.B.Normal said:
Well most of the uninformed also believe the whole Civil War was about Slavery ,so you got your work cut out for y'all.
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yep. And I do it. Labor of love.

It's paying off too. One person at a time. The only way to eat an elephant is a bite at a time, ya know.
 
Those Casa D'Ice pics have been around floating around the 'net for 2 or 3 years, if not more, that I know of. So, those can be discounted in that article.

And, as a Southern lady, I can't see any reason not to defend my heritage --- just as anyone from any country would do.
 
I love that an entire country (4th largest in the world) is judged .... by 5 examples, none of which extend further than one person.
 
Professur said:
I love that an entire country (4th largest in the world) is judged .... by 5 examples, none of which extend further than one person.
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It's not a judgement, it is what shocked him, and made him see the cultural differences, I don't SEE a problem with a truck with religious verses on it, but I would be shocked as hell to see one.
 
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