I figured out why Canadian Thanksgiving comes 6 weeks earlier than American Thanksgiving. It's a harvest festival, right? And Canada is (on average) further north, therefore the harvest occurs earlier. *checks Wikipedia* Yes, got it in one! Happy Canadian Thanksgiving.
I'm always pleased when I can figure things out. Neurological science has shown that learning new things or figuring things out actually boosts the dopamine (reward/happy chemical) level in our brains. So, there: if you didn't already know that, I just made you happier. You're welcome.
I have not been able to figure out what to write on my parents' anniversary card. It's been ambiguous ever since they split up for four years, starting in 2008, and then reconciled. My mom says that she doesn't know how to count which anniversary it is anymore. Are you supposed to count the separated years, when they almost got divorced? Are you supposed to start from scratch on the date that they moved back in together? Is it acceptable to write "Happy Anniversary! Can't believe you've been together for (n + 1) years! Way to go!"?
I also get confused by the etiquette of waiting for a bus. In downtown Toronto, in my experience, people mill around in a chaotic herd by a bus stop, and when the bus arrives they approach the door in as aggressive a manner as possible without actual shoving or making threatening eye contact.
Let's take King and Bay as the epicentre of Toronto's nasty, money-grubbing, type-A-personality workforce. The further one goes from that centre, the more courteous people are. One you're into the far suburbs, it's like being in a different country. (Sweden, perhaps.)
I live in a grey area. It's at the city limits. Thirty years ago it was a suburb, but it's gotten busier and is now more of a mid-urb.
The people I commute with operate with conditional courtesy. They queue up at the bus stop, and if the bus pulls to a halt with the front doors in the correct spot, at the head of the queue, they will file into the vehicle like well-behaved schoolchildren. However, if traffic is backed up, and the bus does not pull up right to the stop, but opens the doors one car-length back, the queue dissolves. You might think that, like a snake, the line would move to the doorway in an orderly fashion, but no. In this case, all bets are off, and everyone from every part of the line makes a run for the door at once. I don't understand why this happens. Can someone explain it to me?
(One more thing I do understand: a piece of dark lint on the floor that looks like a bug will "run away from you" as you walk towards it because of the breeze created by your moving feet. It's not actually a bug, but you'll have to lean way down to double-check that because its insectoid appearance is so freaky.)
8 comments:
Interesting, got me thinking about how people get on buses in London. You know I don't think there is any difference what bit of London they are in. They all stand around rather aimlessly then shuffle onto the bus. Or maybe that's just the buses i go on :)
I notice similar behavior here. It's not unique to Toronto, if that helps. People here might actually take to shoving you ("accidentally," of course) if they think they can get away with it or get by with a "Oh, sorry" and a phony smile.
Still, it's weird.
Still praying for you. Hope things aren't too ugly at work.
Here we usually line up for the bus, but if it stops early, like you mentioned, then we often will pull knives and fight to the death for the optimal seating. It's sort of like natural selection.
We don't celebrate Thanksgiving at all, why's that? Brit's aren't thankful for anything?
If your parents are now back together I'd just send them a card that says "Happy Anniversary" on it. :D You don't need to count the years, I often forget how many years I've been hitched anyway. It's a bit of a blur after you hit double figures.
Happy XX Anniversary of the day you first said "I do". That should take care of the entire time.
Bugs and lint are a huge dilemma, especially when the lint turns out to be a bug!
I can't tell you how many times I have thought lint was a bug. At least once a week.
Brilliant reasoning on the Thanksgiving date! Did those who settled Canada also take advantage of the native populations like down here? :-) Lines/queues are a funny thing. The line-ish thing to see the U.S. Constitution and other documents starts as a line. Then they let a big group through to crowd at the bottom of some stairs to tell you there is no line or direction to walk around the rotunda. Then they set you loose and people line up behind the documents. It's all very confusing.
I'm so glad I don't have to ride mass transit anymore - I've done it off and on for years. But I did witness similar behavior when I did.
I'd just say Happy Anniversary and call it a day.
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