Differences in Canada, pt. I

When I first visited Canada, I half-way expected it to be the US with different money, but I'm pleased to report it's not. Obviously, the two countries have a great deal in common, but living here has exposed me to some fine differences. Some observations:

When you enter someone's home, you take your shoes off. Apparently this is a habit developed to prevent people from tracking dirty slush through the house. But it's still done even before it's snowed. So a month ago, when Nicole and I visited her friends in their home, I was surprised to find myself walking around in my socks in their house. Maybe it's not just a Canadian thing but a practice done in cold climates. I wouldn't know.

American puritanism doesn't rule Canadian TV. After 9 pm, words like "shit" and "fuck" are audible on Canadian TV, and nudity isn't hidden. And guess what? Canadians aren't out, fornicating in the street, the very moral foundations of their society peeling away. I also haven't heard any stories about Tory MP's trying to pick up guys by texting their interns or tap dancing in the men's room, either.

Toronto is a diverse city. When Nicole told me this in New Orleans, I had my doubts, but she was right. But the demographics are different than a lot of American cities. There's a lot more people from the Indian subcontinent and fewer African Americans (African Canadians?). But every hue of the human race is represented in Toronto; I'm glad to see it's not lilly white.

Speaking of lilly white, there's a lot of people from the UK here. I mean, to my surprise, British accents are completely ubiquitous. Clearly, Canadians are people who did not rebel. And the British influence is obvious in the names of public places and institutions. As I've jokingly told Nicole, Canadians can't decide if they want to be British or American.