(VOVWORLD) -Canada, the second largest country in the world, is known as a welcoming and tolerant country and is now being recognized as one of the most diverse countries in the world. Today we welcome back Amanda Butler, an English teacher and copy editor from Toronto, who will share some interesting facts about Canada on today’s Culture Rendezvous.
Hi, Amanda! Welcome to our weekly show, Culture Rendezvous. As a Canadian, do you agree with people who say Canadians are friendly and polite?
I think it is a really interesting question. So I think, it really depends on different perspective, I know Canada has a reputation for being a country with very nice and friendly people. But you know we have good and bad people in every country. Something that I notice all Canadians do it, I myself included as well is that we say “Sorry” too much about everything. I think it comes off overly polite, almost too polite. For example, if somebody bumps into me in the crowd, I would say “Oh, sorry!”, even though they did it to me. We say “Sorry” a lot. But overall, I can agree that most people are quite friendly here. We live very harmoniously. In Toronto, you have neighborhood full of people from all corners of the world living together, and it is beautiful.
Thanks to you, we can avoid some culture shock when we visit Canada. I have to say, honestly, that I’m not used to saying or hearing people say “Sorry” very often.
One thing that many people wonder about when they visit another country is the legal drinking age. In the US it’s 21. Is it the same in Canada?
No, in Canada, it is younger. In US it is 21, the legal age for drinking and in Canada, it is 19 for drinking and also marijuana is legal here. So it could be legal for drinking and marijuana when you are 19. Marijuana is legal here, so you just go to the store and buy it like you would buy beer or cigarette. In Quebec, it is even younger, so the legal drink age is 18 there.
 Canadian Ice Hockey team (Photo: PensBurgh) |
Sports are important in every country. What is the national sport of Canada?
Definitely, Hockey is our national sport. The most affiliated with Canada, we have a lot of ice, so it is good for playing Hockey. And the most famous Hockey team in Canada is the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are the most famous because they have the most fans but the funny thing is they are the least successful team in the whole league. I don’t think they have won since 1965. But their fans are so dedicated. People put flags on their houses representing their team and they are always glue to the TV whenever the games on.
Where do people go to play ice hockey?
And in the winter, one thing I think is quite special is that you will see the neighbors, they create their own ice pond. They just put some water down before it gets too cold and freezes. And then the kids will go and skate and play hockey outside in the winter time. That is what they do to keep themselves busy. The houses here are big, we have big gardens in front and behind the house as well, and we have holes with water. So what we do is we flood the garden in the autumn with water and then when it freezes over, you have your own ice ring for the winter.
 Backyard Ice Hockey Rink (Photo: Internet) |
What are some popular summer sports in Canada?
So I think the three most popular sports in Canada would be Hockey, Basketball, and Baseball. There are many more but those are the top three. In summer, it is all about basketball and baseball. We have a lot of different sports and that goes with each season. There are a lot of winter sports that people are dedicated to like skiing, sliding and so on.
Thank you very much, Amanda, for sharing some interesting facts about your country, Canada. We hope to have you back here with us again on VOV24/7’s Culture Rendezvous. Goodbye to all our listeners out there!