Simply put, Canadian people are generally much nicer than Americans. No offense to American people and I’m not saying Americans are not nice. I’m just saying Canadians are nicer. People outside North America like to think Canadians and Americans are basically the same, while in fact they are not. Speaking the same language or having similar lifestyles doesn’t mean they are the same. It’s just like people from the same country or same city are not necessarily the same, even people from the same neighborhood can be very different. One key difference between Canada and the U.S. is Canada promotes multiculturalism whereas the U.S. does not. I’m amazed at how accepting and tolerant Canadian people are when facing so many immigrants from so many different cultural backgrounds and different parts of the world every year. Canadian people are very gentle. This is what I like about Canada the most:) Besides the multiculturalism, below are some other distinct features about the Canadian culture which I found on a website when I was doing a research about the Canadian culture as part my effort in adapting to
the new environment. I hope these can help clear some of the common confusions or misconceptions regarding the American and Canadian cultures.

* Canadians are more reserved than Americans less reserved than Brits. As their culture is divided into French and English areas slightly different rules apply.
* Tradition and good manners are part of the culture.
* A reserved and quiet demeanor is appreciated.
* The phrase “You’re just like Americans” will chill most conversations – Canadians see themselves as a separate country and culture.
* Most offices work on a first name basis
* Bribes and “understandings” are not part of the business landscape.
* Business is not discussed during a meal.
* Personal space is valued in British areas – a two foot minimum is standard with no touching other than an initial handshake. In French areas this is not as important.
* Female office staff are referred to as “women” not as “girls”
* Racial, religious and sexual comments are avoided in most situations.

Discussions about cultural differences are interesting, in the meantime can be sensitive as well. It’s so easy for people to label or generalize a certain group of people based on their limited insight into that particular culture/subculture, because it would demand less effort in trying to understand something that they are not familiar with. However, that will only create biases and stereotypes. Ironically, we all have been brainwashed to different extents by the media. It’s sad. While we have no control over the media, we can discipline ourselves. To have a clear perspective on life and people around us, there’s no easy way but keep learning so that we can constantly keep our preconceptions and wrong judgments in check.

i really like this topic ,it`s interesting as we keep meeting new people in our lives.i certainly had this experience in the past, when i see some beautiful woman with an ugly guy i start wondering is she visually impaired ? i know i shouldn’t have asked this question but i am human , i sometimes think of myself as being critical but let`s face it this is a human nature. People are different and see things in different ways.
I indeed appreciate what you are doing guys, your website is awesome and listening to your podcasts has helped me understanding english that is spoken by real native speakers, reading your blogs is of a great help for me ,i don`t even need to ask anyone else i`m already convinced. You are the best.
Good luck ank keep up the great job.
Ouiza from Algeria

My name is Neal. I am originally from Uzbekistan.

In my opinion, the people of the same origin and culture always try to stick together in a foreign country. It’s a common practice. As a matter of fact, they try to encourage and support each other by providing some good advice, guidance and so on.

Let’s say an American comes to China to work there for a long time. He gains some important skills there to survive. He learns a local language of the country, and finds a few nice European restaurants which serve delicious American food. If he gets to meet his countrymen in China, he definitely recommends them to visit one of the greatest restaurants he has already visited. Moreover, he helps them to choose a great training centre to learn Chinese to speak it as fluently as he does. It’s some kind of a social instinct to help those who are in need.

As for choosing a soul mate, it’s fun for a person of one race to choose the person of another race. By doing this, both of these people exchange their cultures, religions, believes, values and life experience. They learn to respect and love the person who is different and unique. As they say: “What makes you different makes you beautiful”. From medical perspective, those marriage couples who come from different origins and have different genes, have healthy, smart and powerful next generations. That’s a medical fact.

PS now i’m listening to your podcasts from 2007, it’s weird to hear your voices from the past:)