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Tossing Pebbles in the Stream

This blog is my place to sit and toss pebbles into the stream. The stream of Life relentlessly passing before us. We can affect it little. For the most part I just watch it passing and follow the flow. Occasionally, I need to comment on its passing, tossing a pebble at it to enjoy the ripple affect upon Life's surface.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

I'll Have a "double-double" and a Bagel

Like colonialist before them the occupy forces in Afghanistan have recreated the important institutions of "home" in the foreign land. The British elite in Colonial India has their high tea while the Canadian military in Kandahar, Afghanistan has Tim Horton's Donut shop on their base.

Canadian and other military's soldiers can indulge in the very Canadian tradition of coffee and snack food daily at Tim Hortons. Here using the unique lingo associated with this franchise business named after a famous and much beloved hockey player (appropriately) who started the business and later died tragically) one can order a double-double and a box of 20 Tim bits. That translates a regular coffee with double portions of cream and sugar and a box of round donuts made from the punched out holes of the regular donuts.

In a recent article, an employee claimed she could tell from what military a soldier is from by how he orders at Tim Horton, even if they have begun to use the Hortonese lingo or Canada speak. Tim Hortons Coffee Lingo Hard to Master

Canadians order a coffee and a bagel while Americans order coffee and regular donuts . . .five dozen at a time! Could this be Amercian "supersize me" or do they always take some away with then to share with buddies later.

Even more telling of subtle differences between Canadians and Americans is that when confronted with the bilingual signs the Canadians order in one language or the other and not both as posted on the sign .

"We have gentlemen come up and ask for an apple fritter/beignes aux pommes, or an icecap/glace. It's pretty funny - they're pretty funny."

We can always count on our American cousins and their reaction to things beyond the American cultural experience, to bring a smile to our lips. We really are two peoples sharing one continent shaped by our unique histories and experiences in the World.

posted by Tossing Pebbles in the Stream @ 6:39 a.m.

1 Comments:

At 9:30 a.m., Blogger J C said...

Hello Mr. Pebbles. I linked here from Hidden Haven because I LOVED your cynical comment....I suppose it is true but it did make me chuckle. I've bookmarked your site and will be back to explore. Nice to meet you. :)

 

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