than Americans. While I have said that here before, years ago, the response here was derision.
This recent place was a hardline sports bar where all the dudes were over six feet and over 300 pounds and they allow nothing but the sports channels except for Jeopardy. When Alex read off his correction to a wrong answer, somebody at the bar said, "I wonder if he really KNOWS stuff or just reads it."
So I jumped in saying, "Canadians are smarter than Americans." There was an incredibly long and stunned silence. I had to clarify by listing all the Canadians successful in the media and enterainment over here: TREBEK, Art LINKLETTER, Peter JENNINGS, Martin SHORT, Michael J. FOX, Lorne GREEN, Paul SHAEFFER, and on and on. O.K., I had to concede Pamela ANDERSON, but they didn't seem to object to HER.
I had to expound further that, first of all, what I was referring to was a "something extra" in the command of language and wit and edge of personality, and that this is probably due to a difference in the education systems. Mexican nationals also show a drilled grounding in reading and grammar of their own language and just the basics in general that many Americans lack about their own.
So this became a running joke of the scoffing variety. I, a non-jock, gained a certain amount of acceptance through all the joshing that ensued. At the end of that first session, one of them came from the other end of the bar and shook hands, saying, "You're all right except for that Canadian shit."
Wait till I take this cartoon. It's gonna be ON YOU, Canuckistanian!1
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