as soon as i opened my mouth in europe or the uk, folks knew i was from someplace else. the first question was generally to determine american or canadian, and once i’d confirmed the latter, most people responded with “oh, how beautiful!” (at this point i’ll invite you to check the tomato’s blog for some insight on that one. she’s already said it better than i could.) if the conversation continued on the topic of canada, i’d often end up bursting some pleasant bubbles about how nice it is there. a few times i felt like the Bad-News Canadian commenting on such topics as genocide (“um no, it wasn’t just a brief phase hundreds of years ago”) and the destruction of old growth forests for a quick buck. yes, i am incredibly privileged to carry a canadian passport, and while our foreign policies are not quite as insanely aggressive as our southern neighbours, canada is very much a part of the military industrial complex. i love my country, but i’m fucken ashamed of my government. i’ve had many a cynical thought about how effectively we must be marketing ourselves to the rest of the world as Tolerant, Multicultural, Environmentally Aware, Nice Canada.

but, um, i’m noticing something in downtown toronto this week. people are really friendly. yes, i’m walking through the world as a conventionally attractive white girl, but hey, strangers nod and say hi back, the tram drivers aren’t sitting behind bullet and/or spit proof plexiglass, and folks say thanks very much when they get off or on.

and, um, those polite little social noises that i’ve dismissed as empty in the past?

i musta kinda missed them. ‘cause they’re striking me as examples of kindness and courtesy and human engagement. and it is awfully nice.