Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth? — Page 4

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#76

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 1:41am

I dunno, you can't really bargain in Toronto's Chinatown.

But I had a lot of fun bargaining in Beijing. I think I've sharpened my skills at it (I got something for a quarter of the price), but I have a long way to go. You can start at a tenth of the price, and you'd still get ripped off.

To bargaining Chinese merchants, there are three types of customers:
1 - Local Chinese. They walk the walk and talk the talk, so they know the deal. They get the best price.
2 - Foreign / out-of-town Chinese. They might not know the local dialect, or if they do, they have an accent. They get an OK price.
3 - Foreign non-Chinese. Poor folk, they get ripped off the most, no matter how hard they bargain. The merchant knows they have the money and want to spend it.

BlueWizard's blog: The Rambling Corner HEDWIG: "The road is my home. In reflecting upon the people whom I have come upon in my travels, I cannot help but think of the people who have come upon me."

#77

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:04am

it was totally like that in bali, indonesia! my family bartered in indonesian (it's similar to malay, where my parents were from, sothat gave us an advantage) and we got this beautiful wood carving for US$25 instead of US$100 (I'm sure we still got ripped off, but anyway...) and a middle-aged british couple came up and bought it right off the shelf! i think merchants expect at least an attempt at bargaining! it's custom!

matt, next time you're near the rip-off places, can you tell me how much you could get that LV bag for? i was at a chinese night market in vancouver last month and i could only find the same bag for Cdn$28, which is still a fair amount because the bag is TINY (but the authentic sells retail for CDN$250).

"It's not always about you!!!" (But if you think I'm referring to you anyway, then I probably am.)

"Good luck returning my ass!" - Wilhemina Slater

"This is my breakfast, lunch and f***ing dinner right here. I'm not even f***in' joking." - Colin Farrell

#78

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 2:33am

>> ohio...part of... michigan...ummm... so they're both states now right? honestly if it ain't cali or the atlantic northeast, I know squat about it.

>> ohio...part of... michigan...ummm... so they're both states now right? honestly if it ain't cali or the atlantic northeast, I know squat about it.

but vermont IS in the atlantic northeast, silly boy!

#79

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 10:26am

I think it's true that American's don't know much about, or should I say, abooot Canada. I was an adult before I knew the capitol was Ottawa. It never seemed to matter.

I will say this, in the ten years I was in the Navy, of all the places I visited, the place where I was treated the WORST just because I was U.S. Military was Vancouver.

#80

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 12:03pm

Via Rail beats Amtrak hands down

Re: "And hockey sucks, who cares if we lose? It's all about football."

The football in Columbus sucks, too.

#81

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 12:20pm

Tiff, I'll check on that today

"The last train out of any station will not be full of nice guys." - Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

"I wash my face, then drink beer, then I weep. Say a prayer and induce insincere self-abuse, till I'm fast asleep"- In Trousers

#82

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 12:27pm

I agree about Via Rail beating Amtrak.

Amtrak sucks.

I've taken a number of trips on Amtrak (not in the Northeast orridor) and Amtrak has always been about 25% late (if the trip was supposed to take 12 hours, it took 15)

Problem is that Amtrak doesn't own the rail. So if CSX Transportation (the modern conglomerate of the B&O, Pennsy, NYC, and many others) decides they want to give priority to the 5 mph coal drag (a train hauling coal) then Amtrak has to wait.

The Passenger Rail Act of 19(who cares) which created Amtrak was a big mistake.

#83

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 3:03pm

I will say this, in the ten years I was in the Navy, of all the places I visited, the place where I was treated the WORST just because I was U.S. Military was Vancouver.

Really?? Well, come to Toronto, we'll treat you well. Just remember to bring that uniform of yours.

They'll treat you real nice at Woody's.

#84

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 4:53pm

Don't come to Vancouver. We'll still treat you badly.

I think Woody's will embrace you with open arms and open flies, though!

#85

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 4:58pm

That's not very nice Tiff... Why would anyone spending money in your hometown get treated badly?

Unless you mean bad, as in good-bad... which is an entirely different thread.

Hamlet's father.

#86

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 5:02pm

The funny thing about the Vancouver story is that my ship was the command ship the for US. Third Fleet. When the Admiral foudnout what had happened, he cancelled the Constellation (Air Craft Carrier) Battel Group's visit to Vancouver.

That's about 7,000 sailors who would've spent about $500-$1000 bucks (US) a piece.

Victoria, on the other hand is a cool town with nice people.

#87

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 5:02pm

^^ Which I'm sure you'll be starting any minute now.

I wouldn't say that American Navy Seals would be treated "badly" per se, but they probably wouldn't be welcomed with very open arms because BC is a very leftist peace-loving tree-hugging province. I personally think the uniform is very sexy. But that's just me. I'd welcome Rodney with open arms, if I wasn't a bit apprehensive that he'd be verbally or physically abusive. (That's a Rodney trait. Not a Navy trait.)

#88

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 5:03pm

I'm only verbally unpleasant if you piss me off.

#89

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 5:06pm

I'll put on the outfit Tiff, if you open those arms... :)

It's too bad that I don't think there is a place in the world where ANYONE is welcomed with open arms anymore, especially Americans. I'm going to Europe in a week and a half, and everyone I'm going with will be claiming Canadian citizenship, just to avoid the crap.

Hamlet's father.

#90

re: Canadian ignorance vs. American stupidity - Reality or myth?

Posted: 10/12/04 at 5:10pm

I would go and wear a **** with a picture of Bush and Blair on it.

If any Frenchies gave me crap I'd say "Shut the hell up before we make you bastards pay sixty years worth of back taxes!"

Also make it a point to call the Arc de Triumph the "Arch of Einsenhower" seeing how he was the last to go through it in Triumph.

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