By Frode Bøe

 

I’ve lived in Prince George, British Columbia for more than nine months as an exchange student. Moving here was a huge change from what I’ve been used to for the 18 years I lived in Norway; there are many differences between our two countries, but of course a lot of similarities as well. One of the factors that attracted me to traveling to Canada for a year was the Canadian stereotype that I hear so much about; the extremely polite northerner who goes to Tim Horton’s and watches hockey. In fact, this is probably the most accurate stereotype I have ever encountered.

 

My impression is that people are very welcoming in Canada. In my first week in Prince George everyone I met would greet me and make small talk with me. When I went to school I didn’t feel awkward and lonely; there would always be someone who thought it necessary to point out the fact that I’m an exchange student and have a conversation with me about that, which really made the sudden change in environment easier. When going for a walk in the park everyone who passed me would smile or say ‘hello’ even though I didn’t know them; this is not uncommon in Norway, but I feel like it happens more frequently in Canada. Canadians seem to feel the need to insert pleasant conversations into every situation; by that I don’t mean that people from other countries prefer awkward silence, but Europeans (in my experience) allow silence where silence is needed. Small details like that are what I really like about the Canadian stereotype.

 

There are many differences between people in Norway and Canada. Norwegians don’t spend their time and money on ATVs, or “quads”; in fact I had never seen a quad until I moved here. Grown men going out with their friends “quading” was a very strange concept to me when I first arrived, but it’s apparently quite common in Prince George. A more common free time activity in my home country is going for a walk; Norwegians hike a lot! People go for walks in Prince George too, but from what I can see not nearly as much. Norwegians also don’t have a habit of “going out” for coffee, except maybe occasionally in a café, but even that is rare. Coffee is normally something we invite people over for and drink at home, while in Canada Tim Horton’s is a meeting point for most people. One difference between the two countries, that amuses me, is how fast food places like McDonald’s is full of elderly people meeting up for a coffee or a meal. In Norway old people fear McDonalds; it’s too new for them, while in Canada I guess McDonalds must have been around pretty much ever since it was established. Sporting events are quite different in Europe than they are in Canada; if you’re sitting in the audience of a soccer game, you could potentially get beaten up for cheering for the wrong team, while at an ice hockey game you only have to worry about getting beat up if you’re a player and you’re on the ice!

 

Another difference I’ve noticed between Norway and Canada is that Canadians are in general more pleased with their social and political advances. Norway has topped the UN’s Human Development Index 10 times, including the last four years; however there always seems to be this feeling of “we can do better”, as if first place is not good enough. Norwegians are always nitpicking problems and complaining about the things that we don’t do as well as we could have. Canadians, on the other hand, appear to be very proud of their achievements. From what I’ve seen and read in Canadian media Canadians come off as very proud of their school system, their diversity, their medical system, the way aboriginals are being treated in their country, even though they don’t rank highest in the world when it comes to any of these things. I don’t think they are displaying smugness; instead it looks like they are proud of themselves and their community, which is a very positive mindset; a lot of good change can come from thinking that way.

 

No matter where you live in the western world, American culture is everywhere. As a kid I watched Disney movies, as an early teenager I watched American sitcoms, and all through my life Hollywood movies have dominated both the theaters and my DVD collection. In other words; we are force-fed the American lifestyle. This piqued my curiosity growing up; however I learned early on from a series of sources that the “American Dream” is wildly exaggerated and that living conditions in the US for anyone below the upper middle class are terrible. But there were still aspects about America that intrigued me; like the American culture, architecture, the prominent consumerism and commercialism; not necessarily things I love, but things that I would be interested in experiencing. It was at this point that I figured going to Canada would be the perfect option for me; I would get to experience the culture of North America without having to deal with what I consider to be the negative traits of the United States. It didn’t take me long after arriving in Canada to see that I had made the right choice. The American-looking neighborhoods where everyone has their own driveway, garage and front lawn; the enormous shopping giants like Costco and Walmart; the high school prom and graduation; it was all I had expected and more.

 

Now, obviously these are personal opinions based on my own observations, and I am from a larger city than Prince George, therefore some of the differences I’ve observed between Canada and Norway could simply be differences between large city and smaller town. But either way, I have enjoyed myself the last 10 months that I have spent in Canada; the experience has allowed me to reflect over the differences of our societies and confirm (and enjoy) a lot of the Canadian stereotypes. People in Canada have a very positive attitude, and I’m not only speaking about the politeness, but also their social political attitude and the way they go about their everyday activities.

 

Canada is a wonderful country, and I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to stay here as a guest for almost an entire year.