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Hearing a 20-something Albertan casually reference "frogs" made the bottom drop out of my stomach. (This was the better part of 20 years ago.) They'd never ca

Hearing a 20-something Albertan casually reference "frogs" made the bottom drop out of my stomach. (This was the better part of 20 years ago.) They'd never call someone that, face-to-face out on the patch, but the disdain was apparent. And the superficiality. Montreal is one of my favorite cities -- warts and all. (No pun intended, although now I see it.) This person reduced to using the term "frog" had never been to Quebec and had not even taken the time to learn the basics about the place, people, and culture. Canada has assholes, like everywhere else. Fortunately, on balance, I've found Canadians a lovely people. Not perfect -- but then again, not particularly trying to be, either. Good, not "perfect". Or so, as an American, I need to hope. Some place better than what we are becoming. The wheel turns... P.S. Shawarma Poutine. Whoever's appropriating what, I've made a mental note, for the next time I'm up there.

jperras 8y ago
> Hearing a 20-something Albertan casually reference "frogs" made the bottom drop out of my stomach. (This was the better part of 20 years ago.) Still happens today, really. Lots of casual cultural/ethnic (if you consider Quebecois an ethnicity, which is an argument that can be made) racism that is somehow okay. Like how the Irish are often derided as being a bunch of drunks; I'm sure they love that. I think it got better for a while due to social mobility and the ease of travel - it's harder to blindly dislike or hate a culture when you actually spend some meaningful time immersed in it. But with the recent rise of very nationalistic tendencies across many countries (Canada included, sadly, and from both the French and English populations), I'm worried things will regress. > P.S. Shawarma Poutine. Whoever's appropriating what, I've made a mental note, for the next time I'm up there. Oh it's delicious. And as someone pointed out earlier in the comments, I wouldn't call that appropriation. There's a heavy Lebanese/Middle Eastern influence in cuisine, especially in Montréal, due to the partially shared language (French is a common 2nd language for people that live in Lebanon).

jperras 8y ago

> Hearing a 20-something Albertan casually reference "frogs" made the bottom drop out of my stomach. (This was the better part of 20 years ago.) Still happens today, really. Lots of casual cultural/ethnic (if you consider Quebecois an ethnicity, which is an argument that can be made) racism that is somehow okay. Like how the Irish are often derided as being a bunch of drunks; I'm sure they love that. I think it got better for a while due to social mobility and the ease of travel - it's harder to blindly dislike or hate a culture when you actually spend some meaningful time immersed in it. But with the recent rise of very nationalistic tendencies across many countries (Canada included, sadly, and from both the French and English populations), I'm worried things will regress. > P.S. Shawarma Poutine. Whoever's appropriating what, I've made a mental note, for the next time I'm up there. Oh it's delicious. And as someone pointed out earlier in the comments, I wouldn't call that appropriation. There's a heavy Lebanese/Middle Eastern influence in cuisine, especially in Montréal, due to the partially shared language (French is a common 2nd language for people that live in Lebanon).