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The Xenophobe's Guide to the
Canadians
by Vaughn Roste and Peter W.
Wilson
A guide to understanding the Canadians which
shows the quirks of personality that set them apart
from their neighbours to the south in the United
States of America.
The
Xenophobe's Guide to the Canadians
is now available on Kindle
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STORE UK
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| The fabric of
society |
| The nation
aspires towards a 'cultural mosaic', something
like a patchwork quilt, whereas Americans have
aimed for the 'melting pot'. Canadians are
essentially practical, and have figured out that
the bat-brained idea of a melting pot would
simply never work in a country where 50% of the
land never completely thaws at all. A quilt is a
much more pragmatic idea: it's cold outside. |
| On a clear day
you can see forever |
| Having so much land has a
great effect on the character, customs and
culture of the nation. Take, for example, the
prairies. The plains of Canada stretch out
endlessly. The flattest spot in the world can be
found here, with nary a tree to obstruct the
view, which leaves the prairie observer with a
remarkably huge view of nothing. In Saskatchewan
it is said that you can watch your dog running
away for three days. |
| Honesty is the
best policy |
| In the settling of the
Canadian prairies, the early pioneers had no-one
to rely on but themselves and their near
neighbours. Honesty and integrity were
important, not to mention things like a good
reputation and a virtuous character. It's an
attitude that persists to this day. In areas
with sparse population, one cannot underestimate
the power of public opinion (and the potential
damage of the rumour mill). Peer pressure
promotes public propriety. Politicians are
expected to live up to their promises (and are
regularly voted out when they regularly don't). |
| The bear truth |
| Canadians are
down-to-earth, even earthy, people, and there
are fewer extremes of class in Canadian society
than in many others. Arrogance is curtailed by a
lack of things about which to brag, although in
your presence a Canadian might have caught a
larger fish or climbed a higher mountain than
you have, and killed a more ferocious grizzly
bear (with his bare hands, naturally). |
| Please send us your review or
thoughts on this title. |
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info@ovalbooks.com
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| Xenophobe's Guides aim to help
us understand our differences. |
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Daily Express
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| Short, aphoristic, seriously
funny, not that xenophobic and almost entirely
apt guide, perfect homework for the fortunate on
ferry or plane. |
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The Observer
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Nationalism and Identity
Character
Attitudes and Values
Happy Families
Manners and Behaviour
Leisure and Pleasure
Drinking and Eating
Custom and Tradition
Sense of Humour
Culture
Systems
Culture
Systems
Business and Commerce
Government
Language |
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| Authors: Vaughn
Roste and Peter W. Wilson |
| Format: 96 pages,
pb |
| Published: 1/6/09 |
| Updated: June 2009 |
| Price: £4.99 |
| ISBN: 978-1-906042-25-7 |
| Online eBook. Click on
button below to sample. |
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