Before coming to Canada, I have to admit I hadn't thought about the country much nor did I know much about it. In fact, I chose Canada for my year abroad precisely because I didn't know much about it. When people think of North America, the focus tends to rest on the USA which is understandable given the domination of American culture around the world through television and music. But that's why the USA didn't attract me: even though I've never been there, I somehow feel I already know what to expect there because I've seen it on the TV so many times. By contrast, Canada is quieter, perhaps sometimes eclipsed by its dominant southern neighbour, but nevertheless still powerful in the global arena. I realised I wanted to learn about Canada, who the Canadians were, their place in the world and what it means to be a Canadian.
Other than sounding like a pub (and a great one at that), I called my blog "Maple and Moose" because before coming to Canada, those were about the only things I knew about the country. I knew that Canadians were partial to a bit of maple syrup, and I liked to imagine herds of moose roaming around vast expanses of romantic, untouched Canadian forest. This blog will hopefully document some of my experiences and enlightenment in Canada and North America.
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| A fun t-shirt I saw later in Montreal basically saying Canadians are all about ice hockey, maple leafs and saying "eh?" |
