I flew into Toronto this weekend to recruit at a job fair for our schools in Korea. I was in Canada many, many years ago at Niagara Falls. I know--some don't count that as Canada, but nonetheless... I forget that Canada is indeed a foreign country. There is something different about Canadians. I can't always put my finger on it, but there are some subtle differences. In the Toronto airport, it seemed that 1 out of about 6 people was Korean. And 1 out of about 9 was from India or Pakistan (or a close neighbor). Toronto is known as a very international city so I suppose this fit my expectations to some degree. Yet, there was a distinct Canadian feel with hockey playing the TVs and conversations about the best hockey teams.
As we flew into the airport, it was dark, but the ground looked...well...different. After landing, I realized it was different--snow was everywhere! Water is frozen over and it seems that snow may stay around for several months. And to think it is even pretty warm for Canada. I was in Minneapolis, MN last weekend. A person working a parking booth outside claimed it was warm on that particular day. At about that time, the radio forecasted a high of 10-15 degrees that day. I suppose it all depends on your perspective.
When talking with Canadians, we sometimes talk about what you miss. I always hear Tim Horton's. So, in an attempt to interact with the culture authentically on our drive out of Toronto, we stopped at Tim Horton's. It's in a gas station...in NC, this is not usually a good sign of things to come. But I was optimistic. I ordered a sandwich which was good, but not necessarily something I would pine after from a foreign country. I tried a doughnut which I had heard were good. Granted I'm a Krispy Kreme fan, but this doughnut was not in the same league. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I'll give the Canadians the benefit of the doubt the coffee is fantastic because otherwise I am hard pressed to understand why Tim Horton's is such a big deal. I also assume there is some sort of cultural tie and love for this traditionally Canadian chain that Americans may have left somewhat untouched. But hey, to each their own. My prediction--Tim Horton's will remain untouched by Americans for the most part. Canadians, if I have offended you--my apologies...just one person's humble opinion. Also, I have been wondering, are Tim Horton's always in gas stations?
As a parting comment, I do love my Canadian friends and if you don't know a Canadian, you should and broaden your horizons!
1 comment:
It's the coffee that's so good, eh. That's why you missed the magic, Darren! Brian and I had a good laugh as we read this and it made us miss home. Hockey and Tim Horton's and snow... does it get any better than that? (Actually, I'm not really a hockey fan and prefer not to shovel snow, but it makes me all warm and nostalgic nonetheless...)
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