Weird Things Americans Have Said To/Asked Me

[BermyCat 1]

I'm not too surprised that you've been accused of being a nurse. Most of the women I've met from the Philipines are nurses. That's because nurses are so highly in demand worldwide, that nurses from any country have an easier time immigrating to just about any where.

It's very silly to think that just because you've met a lot of nurses from the Philipines that all Filipinos are nurses.

~ Catherine

Edited March 27, 2009 by BermyCat

[JennaLyn 0]

I am laughing at all of these posts...and laughing at myself.

When my bf and I first got together, I kid you not, I asked him what Canadian "monies" are called...DOH!!! my first trip to Ottawa, I couldn't help but to refer to it as "fake" money...I was not used to it, so to me it was not real...I think that is why I spent more of it then I should have.

My mom and daughter have asked him about Thanksgiving up there..is it the same? Do you eat Turkey? I think its because you all celebrate it earlier then we do...

Tom(my Canadian fiance) loves to joke with people and tell them all about the "snow" ants you all have up there...and killer beavers and such!!

I really felt WICKED(cause I am from Boston and use that word more then I should) stupid!!

He said that a lot of Americans have no idea what goes on outside their border, and he is right!! I will admit I never paid much attention to anything going on in Canada...obviously cause I did NOT even know that your "monies"(he still gives me grief about that) is also called Dollar(man I feel dumb lol)

And he refers to a bathroom as a restroom...which I think is funny, and first time he asked me where he could buy a Toque..I had no freaking clue what the hell he was talking about...

[mejduprey 0]

I love it that no one in the US knows who the heck Stephen Harper is....but I discovered through traveling abroad that neither does the rest of the developed world.

M.

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Ok, here is my favourite (and very annoying) question that Americans have asked me:

"You speak English very well (gee, I feel more intelligent now). Where are you from?" (note: I don't look like the 'stereotypical Canadian', so most people assume I'm from some 'other foreign country')

I say: "I'm from Canada..." (and then I get a... look...)...

I then go into somewhat of a lecture explaining about Canadian weather (which is similar to what is here in NYS), and other Canadian topics (higher taxes, politics, history, culture, food, sports, and anything else I can think of that is Canadian...).

And get another... look...

Luckily we have Timmy's up here in NYS and is only a few hours away from the border, so Canada isn't too 'foreign' to Americans after all...

Oh and then there is the misconception about going through this damn immigration process:

"I thought you were a US Citizen already when you got moved down here and got married" (yeah, if only it were that easy nowadays...)

Lol...I swear, I should just write a book about all of this, as Canada is definitely different from America, indeed!

And after all that's said, I should ask:.."So, how about you and your life in America as an American?"

Ant (Canadian, eh?)

P.S. My husband (the American) says it's a "stocking cap" and I (the Canadian) say it's a "touque"....

Lol...I wonder what our Baby will name these funny hats? (by the way, we bought a couple of those for them recently)

Edited March 28, 2009 by AntandD

[Autumnchik 6]

I love this thread!!!

Okay, so we live in Northern New Hampshire, about an hour or so from the Canadian border (Quebec). Often, when I tell people my hubby is from Canada, they respond, oh well at least it is a little warmer here huh, he is further south. Then they get blank looks on their face when I say, no he is actually from British Columbia .... so I have to go into the whole, "it is the OTHER side of Canada, above Seattle, mild winters there actually" explanation. I've said it so much I have the speech down pat

[Reba 2]

I usually have to point out that Toronto is further south than probably 8 or 9 mid-west and western States, plus 3 or so eastern States, and that yes, we have summer, sometimes quite hot, and no, just because I'm Canadian doesn't mean I like the cold After a few years, it gets kinda old yanno?

[coldwatersurf 5]

my american family came to Canada last week. and they didnt know what to do with all the coins. They called them "TOKENS". it was funny to hear the word in a sentence when they had to pay the cabbie and it was their last day in canada and my friend had a handful of toonies and loonies and we probably gave the guy over $10 in tip just cuz they wanted to get rid of it.

[Marilyn. 340]

i find it interesting that American money is starting to look colourful too

[LDora 7]

My husband refers to Canadian money as "Monopoly Money", and everyone I know continually brings me every single bit of Canadian change they find. My mother-in-law actually found a two-dollar bill a while ago. My husband's biggest gripe about Canadian money was actually that we use "too many coins with silly names", and he says they weighed his pockets down the entire time he was there.

I also remember the first time he came to Edmonton, watching everyone queuing up for the cross-walk and waiting for the WALK sign to change, turning to me in disbelief and saying "I can't believe you guys follow those RULES here!"

[Reba 2]

"too many coins with silly names", and he says they weighed his pockets down the entire time he was there

he should visit Britain sometime

[Reeena 0]

All this money talk reminds me I need to get rid of all my change here before we move next month. I lived in Japan for 4 years before moving here to Canada and still have Yen floating around...

[Rhiannercakes 14]

You know what I don't get?

Why Americans think milk in bags is so weird.

Alot of the Americans that approach me online are like "DO YOU HAVE MILK IN BAGS??!"

My friend from Idaho also thinks I say "Aboot".

And I totally don't.

Good thing I can always pick on her about living in Potatoland.

[Krikit 1,163]

i find it interesting that American money is starting to look colourful too

That's too funny. I paid for something with a $5 dollar bill yesterday and hesitated to hand it over because it was pink..... I thought it may not have been real. Now I know how the Americans feel when they're handling Canadian money.

[Danu 19]

You know what I don't get?

Why Americans think milk in bags is so weird.

Alot of the Americans that approach me online are like "DO YOU HAVE MILK IN BAGS??!"

My friend from Idaho also thinks I say "Aboot".

And I totally don't.

Good thing I can always pick on her about living in Potatoland.

i totally know what you mean. When we went shopping I had to stop in the milk isle with my fiance just so he could get a picture of milk bags to show everyone at home. I dont understand why its such an odd concept to them.

[July09Bride 1]

The phrases my fiance' always gets on me for, is my "uh huh", my "yep", and my "huh".

"Uh huh" is a perfectly normal American response for "you're welcome", "yes", "sure", etc.

"Yep" is a perfectly normal American response for "you're welcome", "yes", "sure", etc.

"Huh" is a perfectly normal American response for "pardon me", "what was that", "I don't understand", etc.

For him...

house = Canadian -> HOH-se and American -> HOW-se

south = Canadian -> SO-th and American -> SOW-th

The things we say and how we mean them... Oh, one more. Canadian = pea meal bacon --- American = Canadian bacon