...I don't really understand forum etiquette re: grammar - i.e. is a subject capitalized in the same manner in which a title is? Anyway...
So, my wife and I live in Hamilton, Ontario. We made the trip down to Boston on the 30th and stayed through to the 2nd to take in the WC. We stayed at the Boston Harbor (nice, but what kind of hotel doesn't offer in room movie service? boggling), we took in some of the scenery, found the subway system remarkable and far superior to Toronto's (we're daily commuters to a financial district), the food was incredible.
However, here's my real takeaway:
Canadians have this reputation - globally, really - of being polite. So much so that we're often the target of really tired humour. Honest to god, the people of Boston are about a thousand times more polite than those in Toronto.
Everyone we encountered (not just service-based interactions) were incredibly welcoming. To a rule. But here's something that blew us away:
We're on the train (why they didn't have that "Patriot Train" service for the alumni is beyond me, but I digress) headed to the game. We're chatting about what's to come, etc. There's a girl on the seat beside us, they were three-seaters. She overhears us and says "so how you gettin' there?"
"We're supposed to get off at Meaford (I think that was the name) and grab a cab from there."
"Oh, you don't wanna do that - everyone's gonna be grabbin' a cab. Jump off with me at the next station, and my husband'll drive you guys to Gillette."
I looked, stunned, at my wife - quite honestly so taken aback by the generosity of the offer that I was initially suspicious.
I got the nod from her, so said "yeah...yeah, okay, sure - can't thank you enough."
"He'll look at me like I got three eyeballs, but he'll survive."
So, we get off at the next stop with this girl, and sure enough, there's Dave, her husband, waiting for her. He waves us in, and is more than happy to sit in what ended up being a half hour of traffic, just to give two complete strangers a ride and help them out.
Canadians are polite - but I would move to Boston in a heartbeat and would do so knowing that based on what we experienced, we'd be living among some of the most quality humans on the planet.
In short - for those of you that live there - you are incredibly lucky (and likely contributors).
So, my wife and I live in Hamilton, Ontario. We made the trip down to Boston on the 30th and stayed through to the 2nd to take in the WC. We stayed at the Boston Harbor (nice, but what kind of hotel doesn't offer in room movie service? boggling), we took in some of the scenery, found the subway system remarkable and far superior to Toronto's (we're daily commuters to a financial district), the food was incredible.
However, here's my real takeaway:
Canadians have this reputation - globally, really - of being polite. So much so that we're often the target of really tired humour. Honest to god, the people of Boston are about a thousand times more polite than those in Toronto.
Everyone we encountered (not just service-based interactions) were incredibly welcoming. To a rule. But here's something that blew us away:
We're on the train (why they didn't have that "Patriot Train" service for the alumni is beyond me, but I digress) headed to the game. We're chatting about what's to come, etc. There's a girl on the seat beside us, they were three-seaters. She overhears us and says "so how you gettin' there?"
"We're supposed to get off at Meaford (I think that was the name) and grab a cab from there."
"Oh, you don't wanna do that - everyone's gonna be grabbin' a cab. Jump off with me at the next station, and my husband'll drive you guys to Gillette."
I looked, stunned, at my wife - quite honestly so taken aback by the generosity of the offer that I was initially suspicious.
I got the nod from her, so said "yeah...yeah, okay, sure - can't thank you enough."
"He'll look at me like I got three eyeballs, but he'll survive."
So, we get off at the next stop with this girl, and sure enough, there's Dave, her husband, waiting for her. He waves us in, and is more than happy to sit in what ended up being a half hour of traffic, just to give two complete strangers a ride and help them out.
Canadians are polite - but I would move to Boston in a heartbeat and would do so knowing that based on what we experienced, we'd be living among some of the most quality humans on the planet.
In short - for those of you that live there - you are incredibly lucky (and likely contributors).
