TV show on NZ

[West R Lee]

John,

Sounds like a very interesting and rewarding life you've lived. I think you'd probably be right at home here in Texas. Vancouver area sounds like a great place. Great post.

West

 

[West R Lee]

John,

Sounds like a very interesting and rewarding life you've lived. I think you'd probably be right at home here in Texas. Vancouver area sounds like a great place. Great post.

West

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

John,

Pardon my ignorance, but what are the other languages in Vancouver?

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

John,

Pardon my ignorance, but what are the other languages in Vancouver?

 

[john_kidder]

In Vancouver, mostly Cantonese and Mandarin from Hong Kong and China, and a fair amount of Punjabi from northern India - we're part of the whole Asia-Pacific these days as much as North America. In Toronto and Montreal, lots of immigrants still from Europe and Africa, growing numbers of Korean speakers. Makes for a huge burden on the school system, but in the end you get a bunch of bi- or tri-lingual kids who can be at home around the world. Also, French (with English) is one of Canada's two official languages - both my younger kids were taught in French from Grade 1 to graduation. So we get quite a mix.

While many of us think we're better for this great "multi-cultural" mishmash, there are lots who think everything should just be done in English all the time. It would certainly be cheaper. But then we'd lose one of the defining characteristics of the country, which is that there aren't really any defining characteristics.

 

[john_kidder]

In Vancouver, mostly Cantonese and Mandarin from Hong Kong and China, and a fair amount of Punjabi from northern India - we're part of the whole Asia-Pacific these days as much as North America. In Toronto and Montreal, lots of immigrants still from Europe and Africa, growing numbers of Korean speakers. Makes for a huge burden on the school system, but in the end you get a bunch of bi- or tri-lingual kids who can be at home around the world. Also, French (with English) is one of Canada's two official languages - both my younger kids were taught in French from Grade 1 to graduation. So we get quite a mix.

While many of us think we're better for this great "multi-cultural" mishmash, there are lots who think everything should just be done in English all the time. It would certainly be cheaper. But then we'd lose one of the defining characteristics of the country, which is that there aren't really any defining characteristics.

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

John,

Did your kids get French as the primary language in school or as a secondary language? How many Canadians are fluent in French and English? I thought most of those who can speak French are in Quebec, and some in Quebec don't speak much English.

True story: I was up in Winnipeg with a woman who was born in Japan and spoke English as a second language. Non-stop. I had her believing that the name "Winnipeg" came from French trappers who mispronounced the goal of the weekly greased-pig contest: to win a pig. And I swear on the collected works of Leonard Cohen, she wrote that in a postcard she was writing at the time. I don't know who was getting the postcard, but the recipient must have thought West was up there peddling loco weed.

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

John,

Did your kids get French as the primary language in school or as a secondary language? How many Canadians are fluent in French and English? I thought most of those who can speak French are in Quebec, and some in Quebec don't speak much English.

True story: I was up in Winnipeg with a woman who was born in Japan and spoke English as a second language. Non-stop. I had her believing that the name "Winnipeg" came from French trappers who mispronounced the goal of the weekly greased-pig contest: to win a pig. And I swear on the collected works of Leonard Cohen, she wrote that in a postcard she was writing at the time. I don't know who was getting the postcard, but the recipient must have thought West was up there peddling loco weed.

 

[West R Lee]

:lol: Not in about 23 years Darryl.

West

 

[West R Lee]

:lol: Not in about 23 years Darryl.

West

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

This was 21 years ago, so you're under the proverbial cloud of suspicion.

 

[Darryl Hattenhauer]

This was 21 years ago, so you're under the proverbial cloud of suspicion.

 

[john_kidder]

Darryl:

Love the fiction about "winning the pig". My first wife sometimes, just possibly with some justification, used to accuse me of making up answers to questions when I was poorly armed with facts. We were living in the Okanagan Valley in the '70s - from our living room on the hillside we could look north and south a very long way up and down Okanagan Lake. At the southern end of the lake is a town called Naramata. I wondered out loud what "Naramata" might mean in the language of the Okanagan people - Marion immediately said that it was Okanagan for "the place where the sun always shines". Made sense to me, Naramata's like that. It wasn't until we were having a dinner party for a number of other folks, and I repeated the story, that I found out it was just a bald-faced lie. Hoist on my own petard, I was.

Yes, most French-speaking Canadians are in Quebec, and yes, there are quite a few Quebecois who speak little English. But this this changing in both dimensions. 2001 census data: Canada overall, 59% English as mother tongue, Quebec, 8.3%; Canada overall, 23% French as mother tongue, Quebec 81%; Canada overall, 18% with neither French or English, Quebec, 10%; Canada overall, 17% bilingual English and French, Quebec 41% (10% Canada other than Quebec). 3% of the population of the country speaks Chinese (either Cantones or Mandarin) as their mother tongue.

I doubt that this is a hell of a lot of interest to other on this board - I often find myself a but frustrated in my search for even more Guild arcania when we drift off like this. But it sure got me going.

Cheers,

 

[john_kidder]

Darryl:

Love the fiction about "winning the pig". My first wife sometimes, just possibly with some justification, used to accuse me of making up answers to questions when I was poorly armed with facts. We were living in the Okanagan Valley in the '70s - from our living room on the hillside we could look north and south a very long way up and down Okanagan Lake. At the southern end of the lake is a town called Naramata. I wondered out loud what "Naramata" might mean in the language of the Okanagan people - Marion immediately said that it was Okanagan for "the place where the sun always shines". Made sense to me, Naramata's like that. It wasn't until we were having a dinner party for a number of other folks, and I repeated the story, that I found out it was just a bald-faced lie. Hoist on my own petard, I was.

Yes, most French-speaking Canadians are in Quebec, and yes, there are quite a few Quebecois who speak little English. But this this changing in both dimensions. 2001 census data: Canada overall, 59% English as mother tongue, Quebec, 8.3%; Canada overall, 23% French as mother tongue, Quebec 81%; Canada overall, 18% with neither French or English, Quebec, 10%; Canada overall, 17% bilingual English and French, Quebec 41% (10% Canada other than Quebec). 3% of the population of the country speaks Chinese (either Cantones or Mandarin) as their mother tongue.

I doubt that this is a hell of a lot of interest to other on this board - I often find myself a but frustrated in my search for even more Guild arcania when we drift off like this. But it sure got me going.

Cheers,

 

[West R Lee]

Well I know what you mean John, and I am the worlds worst. Cracking dumb jokes when I get bored here, but many times it makes me laugh. I will have to admit that many times, as with your post here, I am fascinated to learn more about the people that I talk with here, where they are from and a little of their backround. It does require regression from the thread, but in the long run, I end up more familiar with those I am communicating with. Your post doesn't bore me, I've never been to Canada and am enjoying reading it.

West

 

[West R Lee]

Well I know what you mean John, and I am the worlds worst. Cracking dumb jokes when I get bored here, but many times it makes me laugh. I will have to admit that many times, as with your post here, I am fascinated to learn more about the people that I talk with here, where they are from and a little of their backround. It does require regression from the thread, but in the long run, I end up more familiar with those I am communicating with. Your post doesn't bore me, I've never been to Canada and am enjoying reading it.

West

 

[Jeff]

frustrated in my search for even more Guild arcania when we drift off like this.

Your tolerance for my frequent similar transgressions is appreciated.

Myself, I find the majority of everyone's broader interests & opinions quite interesting & worthwhile.

 

[Jeff]

frustrated in my search for even more Guild arcania when we drift off like this.

Your tolerance for my frequent similar transgressions is appreciated.

Myself, I find the majority of everyone's broader interests & opinions quite interesting & worthwhile.

 

[coastie99]

A big round of applause for John_Kidder.
He's the only other edumicated person around these parts who spells "colour" correctly !!

 

[coastie99]

A big round of applause for John_Kidder.
He's the only other edumicated person around these parts who spells "colour" correctly !!