The Culture Shock of Canada

I am from the US, so when I met my wife who is from Canada, it was quite a shock to me at first, even though our countries are a lot alike in many cases. I remember when she took me to Canada for the first time, I had not been there since I was around nine or ten years old, when my parents took my brother and I to Toronto. So I honestly had no recollection of the country, as it had been almost 20 years since that time. After we crossed the border, and I saw things in kilometers, that's when I truly knew that I was now in Canada, and no longer in the US. There was even a not too subtle reminder that I was in Canada, as we headed towards Hamilton and I saw a huge Canadian flag by Lake Ontario.

While it may seem funny, the biggest shock to me at first had to be the differences between our currencies. I kept laughing when my wife told me that the name for their dollar bills were loonies, and they were coins, not paper currency. So I really struggled with this at first whenever I was out by myself and someone gave me back change. I always thought I was being ripped off when I was only given a handful of coins. The color of the money also was much different as well, as Canadian currency is extremely colorful, not dull like US money.

Of course the most pleasant surprise was the Canadian fascination with hockey. This was something that I was aware of, but never quite understood until I was immersed in their culture, and realized how much of a role it played in their everyday lives. At first I had trouble coming to grips with the fact that in the winter, there were an inordinate amount of rinks that you can step onto, and skate at your leisure. This to me was one of the best parts of visiting Canada and was the culmination of childhood dream, as I had grown up playing hockey and wishing I could have an outdoor rink of my own.

Now that I have been part of this culture for the last 6 years, I have to say that the Canadian people in general are extremely polite and I feel like this is my adopted home. I will be moving back home soon and it is going to be a struggle for me now, as I know I will greatly miss this country and all of its beauty.

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