This time I'll write about my tour to New York City. Compared to Toronto, New York is very New Yorkish. It is bigger, louder, dirtier, and seems more alive than Toronto. There is more traffic, more cabs, and many more people on the streets. New-Yorkers also talk much more than Canadians. I guess that's what happens when people take instructions on the back side of subway tickets literally
When people in NY talk, it will be usually related to money, since NY is very expensive. Nevertheless, if you look carefully at the back side of subway tickets you'll see that some things in NY are still free
On the subway you may find great offers for people who talk too much about money
I would say Canadians are nicer and more polite, but Americans are more friendly and closer to Israelis in nature. One thing Americans and Israelis have in common is confidence. Some Americans believe god and 300 million people are standing behind them, or at least justice and 150 millions if they are democrats (as opposed to Israelis who know there is nothing behind them but pretend). After all, someone has to run the world, and if it is left to god weird things may happen
While on the outset Canada and the United States are similar, there is some tension underneath. It is a clash of two empires: the American empire and the British, and don't let Canadians know that the British is no longer an empire and the United States is its successor. From the states side, there is no problem. They don't even acknowledge the fact that Canada exists. Things look different from Canada. A large part of Canadian economy is owned by American corporations. All the technical standards are dictated by the states. The media, the music and the architecture are heavily influenced by the states. As a result, Canadians feel they have to protect their culture.
You may hear statements like "did you know that Canada is the only country ever attacked the United States on the ground?".
They were really brave in the nineteenth century. And they are still fighting, these days on trade treaties, taxes, and border control. The United States plan to require a passport from everyone crossing its border (as opposed to a Canadian driver license) made many Canadian angry.
On the one hand many Canadians believe Canada is a better place to live, but on the other you can sense
very deep inferiority feelings. It is like living in a shadow of a giant.
