Elisachristina

I think Patrick is on the same page as hdm and Dan051. If you read his post he said:
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The only lack of logic I see is the assumption that if someone puts a flag on his luggage it ISN'T because he's proud of his country. It would be much more LOGICAL to assume that he uses it to show who he IS, not who he ISN'T.
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Elisachristina

BTW...I never thought I would see Americans and Canadians slinging mud at each other b/c Americans LOVE Canadians and I thought Canadians liked us...take away the politics (that was a plea actually) and we are the same people.

hdm

elisachrista,
I, for one, wasn't really slinging mud. Nor do I think was Patrick. It was more like we were slinging Play Doh.

I think Canadians have a remarkably close relationship with Americans, especially those of us who live near the border and travel back and forth regularly. We'll play nice. I promise.

Elisachristina

That's good to hear. Especially since I'm leaving in a few minutes for Toronto (first time) and I'm very excited.

hdm

And you're on the computer? Wow, you must be so well-organized!

First time in Toronto? Well, I think it's going to be a nice weekend. Is there anything I can help you with? Sights? Restaurants? Neighbourhoods?

Elisachristina

Yes, that is how I ended up on Fodor's. I'm just waiting for my Fiance to finishing packing his stuff and then we are taking off. Its a five hour drive for us from Pennsylvania. I've been researching stuff to do in Toronto all week. I'm pretty set. I printed out all their picks for best restaurants and I got some advice from some of your fellow Canadians on another string re: restaurants.

We are staying at the Soho Metropolitian hotel (we hear the restaurant there is excellent) and we are just planning on walking around exploring the city. We did hear something about a train ride to Niagra Falls? Do you know anything about that?

hdm

Darn, you would ask me the thing I can't answer. I don't know about a train to Niagara Falls but it's an easy drive (about 11/2 to 2 hours). If you do drive, be sure to stop at Niagara-On-The-Lake which is the home of the Shaw Festival. It's a very charming little town and definitely worth a stop if you're on the way to NF anyway -- they're pretty much side by side.

The Soho is in a great area. Have a wonderful time in my city!

Elisachristina

Thanks! I'm sure we will love it. Lots of people from our neighborhood frequent your city and constantly rave about it...we usually go to NYC for road trips, but this time we wanted to check out Toronto.

I have heard about Niagra-On-the-Lake, my best friend was there a few weeks ago, but she told me it was only a 45 minute drive from Toronto!

Is there anything you would suggest MUST do while we are there?

hdm

No, it's longer than 45 minutes. It's a two-hour drive from Toronto to Buffalo and NOTL is closer than that. You might want to leave some time for it on your way home, since you'll be driving to the border anyway.

I'm not sure if you mean MUSTS in NOTL or in Toronto. In NOTL, you could always try to get last-minute tickets to a play but unless you're a real theatre buff, if you've got limited time there, it's nice just to walk around. There are many nice shops and restaurants to explore.

In Toronto, try not to just stick in your hotel area. There are so many interesting ethnic and other neighbourhoods. Ask at your hotel about Little Italy, Greek Town, Chinatown, Kensington Market, St. Lawrence Market area, Queen West Village, the Annex. Harbourfront usually has a festival going on. Also go into the gorgeous craft store there. Distillery District usually has something happening. Bloor/Yorkville area is very ritzy. Take public transportation. Walk and talk to people.

Let us know what you did when you get home.

Alisonh

I have a Canadian Flag tag on my suitcase because it is easy to distinguish on the carousel. I fly a flag at home (year round) because I am patriotic. I wear my Canada/Vancouver t-shirts when I travel because they are some of my favourites in the current "rotation" of clothes in my closet!

I DO get tired of the immediate assumption that if english speaking with no (?) accent I am from "America". But I think it's an honest mistake. If your B & B host uses it as an opportunity to slag Americans, I take it with a grain of salt - "if they gossip with you, they'll gossip about you". I'm sure that others get regaled with stories of bad Canuck travellers!

Just my $.02 (Canadian!)
Alison

jorr

I am from the US and have traveled for years in Europe. There is one thing that I and others experience from some Canadians travelers which becomes very annoying and old. We call it "The Canada Quiz".

Canadians with their maple leaf on thier back pack, right in the middle of a conversation will start quizing you on Canadian geography, celebrity questions, and the ever-popular, "do/did you know that Peter Jennings is Canadian?". Sometimes I feel embarrased for the person asking me this stuff because I have known most of the answers before some of them were born.

So please, my brothers and sisters to the north, drop the Canada quiz!

BTW, Thanks for your offers of help for Katrina. Unfortunetely George Bush is too proud of himself to accept it. I can't wait until that flaming idiot is no longer our president.

Carmanah

I hear you jorr, and I too am really embarrassed when I hear the Canadian quiz, especially since I'm Canadian. "Did you know that basketball was invented by a Canadian?!? Did you know that..." almost as eager like kindergarten kids trying to show off knowledge that they think their parents don't know. What's worse in my opinion, are the Canadians who continue to use urban legends (there was once this American family that came to Canada with skis strapped to their car roof... in July! Haw, haw haw!!), etc.

Anyhow, there are those of us on this side of the border which are equally embarrassed.

April

I didn't even know there was a Canadian quiz let alone ever do it, jorr.

I actually thought that the Canadian flag thing became popular when plane hijacking was in vogue and people became concerned about being conspicuously non-American to avoid a gun in the head.

sobolik

I personally would welcome you with open arms upon seeing your Canadian Flag. Therefore I suggest you are traveling to the wrong part of "America” Try the Midwest for a change.
Responding to your comment: "If I am approaching an individual in another country they may assume I am that stereotypical American the Canadian flag lets them know otherwise." In your experience do these people recoil and vomit upon sensing an American? (Beside the occasional radical bent on killing us "Americans" or anyone else)

I'm thinking Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. And admitting to the inevitable percentage of American idiots.
When I came to your country I had no USA insignia nor did I cause wide spread recoiling and vomiting- at least that I know of anyway. But I did immediately put a Canadian flag on my cars. Why? Cuz it is a very cool Country with very cool people that I would highly recommend to any traveler.

jorr

April, the reason you may never have heard of The Canada Quiz is because as in my case it usually happens when there is just one Canadian present. That's how I got the quiz two seperate times on two separate vacations in Europe. My parents who snow bird in the south also got the quiz. I like Canadians and have three great Canadian friends but that quiz is so embarrasing to listen to from some of your countrymen.

April

May you never be subjected to the Canadian quiz again.

Patrick

Geez, sometimes a little analogy doesn't seem to work, and sometimes even trying logic doesn't work either.

Just for the record, since it seems some may have missed it, my basic point is that when I see a flag on someone's luggage -- my first thought is that that person is proud of his country. I think there's something wrong when people have to assume there is some ulterior motive behind someone declaring what country he's from. Period.

I agree that many Canadians are rightfully proud of their country just as many US citizens are proud of theirs. And the number one reason for people displaying their flag -- ibecause of that pride. It just seemed to bad to me that some of you can't seem to imagine when you see a flag on someone's luggage that it has nothing to do with pride, but rather an attempt to fool people. Sad, indeed.

jorr

To Candadians, I wrote this comment to fellow Americans about the New Orleans mess on a thread on the US board. I am from the US. Please let me know if you agree or disagree with my views...

"Some Americans say it doesn't matter what people say in other countries about us. This morning I heard a broadcast from Europe where a person said that America thinks it is the leader and most powerful nation, but they only have their footing in mud. We can not be a leader of the free world, the economic power house of the world, and a nation which most every nation looks up to if we look like a helpless third world city and can't rescue starving people in a major American city left to lawlessness and needless death for five days.

Our creadibility has sunk lower once again. Its not the hurricane or the failed dikes. Its our disgraceful lack of response to it.

To those of you who don't see what the problem is or how it could have been handled better I for one have an answer be it only small. Those buses were sitting around for days while people were screaming for help. There was not a problem with high water in the dome and convention area.

Another solution squandered...This president has refused immediate help from countries around the world. Help in All forms which would not "get in the way" including much needed generators and the petroleum products needed to run them. When we refuse help and our own government gives too little help too late it makes us look very bad and ungrateful to the countries we have helped through the decades by not even letting them return a favor."


Also, do you feel dissed that Bush will not accept Canada's help? A country which "owes" us nothing.

GaryA

Actually Bush has now 'accepted' Canada's offer of help and 4 warships and a number of military and commercial planes with hundreds of volunteers are now their or on their way. The sad point is that for the first few days only the Red Cross responded to our offers of help. the other offers wern't rejected - just not responded to and who knows how much that cost the victoms?

April

Slightly dissed.

More surprised by the number of poor shown in television coverage (why is this happening in such a country?)

Completely baffled that such an astoundingly inept government got voted back in. Leadership, what leadership?