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#41
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Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags
"rghYQM" schreef in bericht om... (gman99) wrote in message ... zzyyxx wrote: Why do they insist on putting their flags onto their backpacks and whatnot? I'm an American who's done quite a bit of traveling in Europe in the last couple years and haven't experienced any problems with people disliking or being rude to me. So why do they feel the need to proclaim that they're not American? Like you wouldn't be able to tell from their accents! It's kind of insulting to me too, because they don't want to be mistaken for an American, like there's something wrong with being American. We were on vacation in Paris a year ago. Around the time "French Fries" became "Freedom Fries" in the States. We had dinner in a small restaurant and the service was poor. I passed the waitress my credit card and remarked to my wife I wouldn't be adding a tip. Well it must have been the Maple Leaf on my CIBC Aerogold VISA Card because the waitress came right back over and asked if we were Canadian. I said yes and she apologised for the poor service and said our meal was complementary. Did that make you feel better or did you tell the lady in plain terms that she shouldn't treat people based on the passport they happen to carry or the idiots they happen to have as presidents? Sjoerd |
#42
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Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags
st wrote:
On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 22:35:07 -0400, zzyyxx wrote: Why do they insist on putting their flags onto their backpacks and whatnot? I'm an American who's done quite a bit of traveling in Europe in the last couple years and haven't experienced any problems with people disliking or being rude to me. So why do they feel the need to proclaim that they're not American? Like you wouldn't be able to tell from their accents! It's kind of insulting to me too, because they don't want to be mistaken for an American, like there's something wrong with being American. As a general rule, Australians and Kiwis don't put flags on their bags. Canadians, on the other hand... And then there are Dutch people with Aussie flags on their bags (and T-shirts and caps and stubby-holders and ...) in order to be mistaken for an Aussie! :-) |
#43
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Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags
zzyyxx wrote:
On Sun, 27 Jun 2004 04:42:20 GMT, "Pete" wrote: [deleted] Like you wouldn't be able to tell from their accents! I assure you that almost no European will be able to distinguish between the accents of Canadians & Americans. Lots of Canadians sound just like Midwestern Americans except for the occasional difference in "out" ("oot") as in "about." True. But they should be able to distinguish between American and Kiwi/Aussie. Sure, like you would be able to distinguish between Germans, Austrians, Swiss, Luxemburgians, Italians and between the Spanish and Portugese and between the different Scandinavian countries, Finland and Holland and ... |
#44
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Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags
zzyyxx wrote:
Why do they insist on putting their flags onto their backpacks and whatnot? I'm an American who's done quite a bit of traveling in Europe in the last couple years and haven't experienced any problems with people disliking or being rude to me. So why do they feel the need to proclaim that they're not American? Like you wouldn't be able to tell from their accents! It's kind of insulting to me too, because they don't want to be mistaken for an American, like there's something wrong with being American. Well, if I was an anonymous American, I wouldn't carry a flag either. |
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Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags
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#46
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Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags
"Cyril & Sandy Alberga" wrote in message ... zzyyxx wrote: Why do they insist on putting their flags onto their backpacks and whatnot? I'm an American who's done quite a bit of traveling in Europe in the last couple years and haven't experienced any problems with people disliking or being rude to me. So why do they feel the need to proclaim that they're not American? Like you wouldn't be able to tell from their accents! It's kind of insulting to me too, because they don't want to be mistaken for an American, like there's something wrong with being American. Have you ever considered that they might be proud to be Australian, New Zealanders, etc.? In the past my wife and I traveled in Europe with American flags on our backpacks, and nobody accused us of trying to prove we weren't Canadian. That's funny. |
#47
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Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags
I have never had to empty my backpack crossing a border (except into the UK, but they're special) when displaying my American passport - Canadians I have been traveling with had to empty their backpacks and were questioned privately on several occasions. It even extends beyond Europeans -once when I hooked up with some Kiwis in Ireland and was invited back to their London flat for a few days, one of their flat mates was particularly cold towards me. He wouldn't even look at, or speak to me as we piled in the VW to head to a pub the first night I was there. 10 minutes after we arrived at the pub one of the other folks asks me something about Canada and this distant guy gets a quizzical look on his face, comes over, has me confirm I am Canadian and then apologizes for his behaviour because he thought I was a Yank. After that we drank and snag for days - ah Europe and youth!. Sounds to me like the guy was an idiot. If someone was treating Canadians that way I wouldn't drink with him. I'll chip in here. Recently I met some travellers who had big New Zealand flags on their bikes. It turned out they were US citizens travelling around the world and had picked the NZ flag as they got way less hassle if people thought they were Kiwis. Regards Nigel in NZ |
#48
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Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags
We did meet a Dutch couple (with the inevitable caravan!!) in Bogdzkale in
Turkey - she wearing an Australian Institute of Sport tracksuit - with flag (a perquisite of elite athletes normally). They lived in Sydney, were now Australian citizens and their daughter was at the AIS - guess they qualify as Australians. I don't think they were indicating anything other than normal parental pride in their daughter and her accomplishments. "Frank Slootweg" wrote in message ... st wrote: On Sat, 26 Jun 2004 22:35:07 -0400, zzyyxx wrote: Why do they insist on putting their flags onto their backpacks and whatnot? I'm an American who's done quite a bit of traveling in Europe in the last couple years and haven't experienced any problems with people disliking or being rude to me. So why do they feel the need to proclaim that they're not American? Like you wouldn't be able to tell from their accents! It's kind of insulting to me too, because they don't want to be mistaken for an American, like there's something wrong with being American. As a general rule, Australians and Kiwis don't put flags on their bags. Canadians, on the other hand... And then there are Dutch people with Aussie flags on their bags (and T-shirts and caps and stubby-holders and ...) in order to be mistaken for an Aussie! :-) |
#49
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Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags
In article .net, "Pete"
wrote: Why do they insist on putting their flags onto their backpacks and whatnot? Are you implying that only Americans can be patriotic? Like you wouldn't be able to tell from their accents! I assure you that almost no European will be able to distinguish between the accents of Canadians & Americans. Lots of Canadians sound just like Midwestern Americans except for the occasional difference in "out" ("oot") as in "about." Uh-uh. I have never understood why people say this. It is not true. The Canadian "out" is more like "oat" than "oot." They also say many other things differently from Midwestern Americans (although some people in some parts of the border Midwest states have a similar accent--Minnesota, for example). They tend to use British words and phrases, and some that are exclusively Canadian (example: American "pacifier" = British "dummy" = Canadian "soother"). Having traveled quite a bit in Canada, I can always tell a Canadian (even if I can't tell them much ;-)). Sheesh, I can even watch American TV shows or movies that were shot in Toronto or Vancouver and tell you which minor characters are being played by locally hired actors just by the way they talk. -- Trudi "Cleveland rocks."--Ian Hunter |
#50
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Canadians, Kiwis, Aussies and their flags
We call em' a Play Purdy round hyar...g
Tim K "Cleveland, city of lights, city of magic...Burn on big river, burn on..." Randy Newman "Trudi Marrapodi" wrote in message news:trudee-2806042358170001@icstudent- They also say many other things differently from Midwestern Americans (although some people in some parts of the border Midwest states have a similar accent--Minnesota, for example). They tend to use British words and phrases, and some that are exclusively Canadian (example: American "pacifier" = British "dummy" = Canadian "soother"). Having traveled quite a bit in Canada, I can always tell a Canadian (even if I can't tell them much ;-)). Sheesh, I can even watch American TV shows or movies that were shot in Toronto or Vancouver and tell you which minor characters are being played by locally hired actors just by the way they talk. -- Trudi "Cleveland rocks."--Ian Hunter |
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