Canadian Americans

[LearningTOfly 0]

This ought to genereate some interesting feedback...

T-Shirt Co. Offers 'Go Canadian' Package
AP ONLINE

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - An American T-shirt company has a solution for fellow citizens who want to vacation in Europe without having to answer questions about U.S. politics: pose as Canadians.


This advertising package released by U.S.-based T-shirtKing.com, shows the "Go Canadian" package which includes a Canadian flag-T-shirt with the words to "O Canada," a Canadian flag lapel pin, a Canadian patch for luggage and a quick reference guide title


For $24.95 US (about $30 Cdn), T-shirtKing.com offers the "Go Canadian" package, full of just the kind of things an American traveller needs to leave home and its politics behind. There's a Canadian flag T-shirt, a Canadian flag lapel pin and a Canadian patch for luggage or a backpack. There's also a quick reference guide - "How to Speak Canadian, Eh?" - on answering questions about Canada.

It's the brainchild of employees at the Mountainair, N.M.-based company known for novelty T-shirts it sells worldwide on the Internet.

The Go Canadian idea sprouted after one of company president Bill Broadbent's colleagues heard of someone being harassed about U.S. politics during a recent overseas trip.

Some people might not mind, but others "just want to be on vacation," Broadbent said. "So we were joking that they could just go as Canadians, and that just kind of evolved."

The package went up on the company website Nov. 12, and sold a couple hundred within weeks.

Sylvia Dawson's boyfriend has been joking that she needed to find him a Canadian flag for a coming trip to Spain. That's after his daughter, who is studying there, warned that he might be questioned about politics when he comes to visit.

So she bought a package.

"I said, 'What are you going to do if someone asks you about the prime minister of Canada?' And he said, 'I'll study up,' " Dawson said.

Such questions are the reason for the package's quick reference guide, which offers tips in case an American in disguise gets quizzed on Canada.

When it comes to sports, the guide suggests: "This is easy to remember. There is only one real sport in Canada and it is called hockey. Regardless of any trivia question, the answer is Wayne Gretzky.

If a Canadian says he had to "deke out of a meeting," it means he avoided the meeting. If someone is headed to "Hogtown," that's Canadian for Toronto. A trip to "Cowtown" means the person is going to Calgary.

And in all cases, the guide advises: "If your vacation is to be stress free, leave those heavy politics behind and travel with a light heart and quick wit, Canadian style."

The Canadian Press, 2004

[tunaplanet 0]

Afterall, Canada is the 51st state.

Forty-two

[LearningTOfly 0]

Sad but true...

[SkyDekker 1,121]

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Afterall, Canada is the 51st state.

I prefer to call it the better state.

[mr2mk1g 10]

A better solution with more universal appeal would probably be a T-shirt displaying the message

Quote

"I didn't vote for him".

This could be applied by almost anyone in almost any situation. You could even turn-coat depending on who accosts you by simply saying it's in reference to X as opposed to Y.

It would also sell equally well throughout the world, regardless of a person's accent.

[wmw999 2,116]

Americans who want to escape the reputation of Americans as being rather boorish and ethnocentric have been doing things like this since at least the 1970's.

That's when I traveled in Europe, yes, as an American, and spoke with people. I was not the recipient of a list of stories about American travelers' boorish behavior if I identified myself as a Texan -- that was cool.

When not asked in France, I often wasn't figured for American (I used to speak French with a Brazilian accent), and it was the same. But there were preconceptions about Americans, and sometimes it was just a hassle to get past them.

Would I buy such a T-shirt? Of course not. But when in Brazil, I dress more like Brazilians; when in London, I tried to dress more like the people who were there. Mainly to make it clear that I wanted to meet them, rather than expecting them all to meet me.

Wendy W.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Guest]

No worse than those whores on vancouver.craigslist offering to marry Yanks for $20k.

mh

.

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[SkyDekker 1,121]

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No worse than those whores on vancouver.craigslist offering to marry Yanks for $20k.

Must be the same as those american whores who'll marry anybody for money, just so he can get a green card.