Should I call you:
a) Brits
b) European
c) something else
Pick one word to use in your best stereotypical description of Americans.
Pick one word to describe your fellow countrymen and women.
Do you want the Beckham's back?
Diana or Camilla?
Now for my Canadian friend.
Canadian Bacon? Is it really bacon or is it just ham?
Are Canadians really happy all of the time, if so, why?
I really hope I can get some good answers from my friends on this. I feel that we Americans just do not know enough about International affairs. The other night, Josh and I were watching a special on the Royal family and Josh asked if Charles was still a Prince since he had divorced the Princess. Listen, we just have really busy lives, and at least now I'm trying to learn something. If any other Americans have any questions for them, feel free to ask in the comments section.
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11 comments:
I'm looking forward to the replies. All I know is that I used to work with a guy who would always tell me I was a bit randy, And I don't think it was good.
Great questions! For what it's worth here's my answers:
Americans - sorry, but first thought was 'loud' from my experience of American tourists in UK; actually I think 'exuberant' is better, Americans have a great 'can do' attitude!
Beckhams - no thank you, keep 'em!
Diana/Camilla - neither,Zara Phillips for me (Princess Anne's feisty daughter)
The 'Brits' issue bit tricky: Definitely not European - we like to think we are nothing like our landlocked neighbours! English folk don't mind 'English' or 'British', but Welsh, Irish and Scots prefer to exert their national identity. I like being English, but I like that fact that Britain is 'Great'. (Extra complication - 'Great Britain' is England, Wales and Scotland, 'UK' is 'The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland'. Southern Ireland or 'Eire' is a totally different country (but that's a whole other political issue). Sorry for confusing you, it's confusing for us who live here!
I'm a Brit. It's on my passport. It's all about embracing the nation - so even if I meet a scot or a welsh person with a massive chip on their shoulder, I still think of them as a fellow Brit. Sometimes this can make them very cross. Ha ha.
Now don't be offended. My stereotypical description of an Amercican is naive. Mostly with reference to the country's foreign policy and a (you've allowed me to indulge a stereotypical perception, after all) belief that the US's influence can only ever be for the good.
So obviously, this can only mean that Brits are stereotypically pompous. Believing that we are the only ones clever enough to understand how the world works. You know the thing; 'Good heavens - we had an empire, we know how to deal with the colonies etc.' Yup, if you wanted a second word it would be 'infuriating'.
Beckhams - have they gone anywhere? They still generate so much press coverage on all kinds of issues that it doesn't seem they have gone away at all. I think they are quite funny - he's all buff with a squeeky voice and she's so skinny. And you know how skinny women make me laugh. He he, they have sticky legs.
Diana or Camilla? Now this is one question I really don't get round to thinking about (bothers my mum though - she's a diana fan). The fame game probably did turn Diana a bit nutty at times. And of course, children should never lose their mothers. Maybe Camilla will also get a bit weird. Where I feel quite positive about Camilla is she's one of relatively few older women seen in public, dressing pretty well, having various officials and other people showing respect to her. I think that's a good thing.
I enjoyed that Amanda. Any other time you want my opinion, you just ask.
by the way, Goodygang, what were you doing at work for him to call you randy??
Amanda you are so funny. It's not ignorant to have questions - It's ignorant to not know something, but assume you do. At least that's what I think.
I want to answer some of your other questions too, okay?
A stereotype that Canadians have about Americans is that they don't know anything about the rest of the world.
One word to describe Canadians - Exasperated - but in a tongue in cheek, funny, laugh at ourselves kind of way.
Oh - and for the Brits and any Europeans - Canadians HATE to be lumped with Americans. It's like calling someone from Ireland "English".
I know a disturbing amount about Canadian Bacon right now because I just wrote an article about Canadian food for BellaOnline. Okay - in Canada we don't call it Canadian bacon we call it "pea meal back bacon". It is a cut of ham from the back of the pig that has a cornmeal coating around the outside - traditionally to keep it from spoiling. Technically, it's ham not bacon. Apparently it used to be covered in pea meal, rather than cornmeal, back in the "good ol' days" before the Europeans (in the "new world" discovered the thousands of uses for corn that we see today. We don't eat it much in Canada.
Do you think Canadians are happy all the time? That is too funny. No we're not happy. We're not unhappy either. We're normal. Yup. We tend to lean towards exasperation - we're exasperated with the weather, we're exasperated with government spending, we're exasperated with... well, with most things. But we do it in a funny way. Check this these rants by Rick Mercer - I'm not sure if you've heard of him, but he's a very popular political commentator/comedian here in Canada. Has his own show, The Rick Mercer Report.
Rick Mercer Weather Rant and Rick Mercer Rant about the Queen (for our friends in England).
Thanks to all of you for you great information. It was so intersting. We all learned something new today!
Miss spelled the verification word twice again! This is a loaded question, but what is wrong with me??
I was working with a group of men that like to party and tease. I was young and getting married they always teased, I guess I blush too easy. I don't even know what randy means.
Goodygang - when Prince Andrew was young, good looking and the most eligible batchelor in England he was known by the tabloids as 'Randy Andy' - does that help?
PS Reluctant Housewife - we know about the Amercian/Canadian thing in the UK; I would never mix you up! Have a distant cousin who played ice hockey for Canada in the Olympics, never mentioned bacon though!
I love to read your blog. It's something I do everyday like reading the paper. Sometimes I get more from your site.
I always look forward to what crazy things you might say!!! You are not right girlfriend! In a good way!!!_christon
Well, even though I would consider myself more versed in international affairs than the average American, I still learned something new ;) Thanks for this
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