Canada is not a state of the USA ... RE: [Ailist] Examining mental models

[LMLiz0810 at cs.com]

That reminds me of an experience, over 30 yrs ago, I was working at a Girl 
Scout camp in Wyoming for the summer.  We had groups of Girl Scouts from all 
over the US.  One week we also had a group from Toronto.  That same week we had a 
group from a southern state, I think it may have been Texas.  the girls from 
the southern state asked the girls from Toronto if they lived in igloos.  I 
still laugh about that one.

On the other hand -- whenever I go to Pt. Pelee (a Canadian National Park,  
in Lake Erie) I chuckle at the sign in the visitor's center that says "Welcome 
to the Deep South." -- Yes, it is the southern most point in Canada and of 
course perspective is everything.

-Liz McGough

In a message dated 1/14/2008 6:59:25 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
lionel.boxer at rmit.edu.au writes: 
> Interesting to hear about an American mentioning context and smoking a
> cigar on a Canadian beach in the same sentence.  There are cases of
> Americans - with ski racks on the roof of their cars - asking the
> Canadian boarder crossing guards how far it is to the nearest ski slopes
> - in mid-July.
> 
> Lionel Boxer CD PhD MBA BTech(IndEng) - 0411267256
> Associate of RMIT University - lionel.boxer at rmit.edu.au
> Graduate School of Business
> What's up?: http://intergon.net/events.html
> The Sustainable Way: http://intergon.net/tsw
> >>>Sue Hammond <shammond at bendbroadband.com> 15/01/08 7:40 AM >>>
> Your post reminded me of my year behind the Iron Curtain. In 1975, I 
> joined about 8 other American students to be the first ones in Poland 
> trying to help the Poles learn the American English accent. I had been 
> in Heidelberg Germany the year before and thought it would be really 
> 'neat' to live in Eastern Europe. I used to take the train into West 
> Berlin to stock up on supplies  every so often. We went through the East
> 
> Berlin train station where the guards with the dogs and guns would come 
> on and search the train. We had to get an exit visa to leave Poland...
> When the wall came down I realized I really had lived a portion of 
> history. Those years abroad made me understand the idea of framing and 
> assumptions which is what Esther asked to start this thread. I honestly 
> think it inspired me to find my way into OD.
> AND I grew up in Buffalo where we would go over the border to either buy
> 
> beer or go to the beach. I would always buy a Cuban cigar to smoke on 
> the beach in Canada. It all feels like several lifetimes ago. And I 
> agree, it's all for the better
> Thanks for the trip...may the world continue to become flatter.
> sue hammond
> 
> Leif Josefsson wrote:
> >Irresistable desire to continue the thread, but removing the sarcasm.
> >
> >The conversation makes me appreciate development in Europe where the
> >expanded Schengen treaty from Jan 1 makes it possible to travel *from*
> the
> >arctic cirlce in Finland *to* Cabo de Sao Vicente in Portugal passing
> >Estonia, Latvia, Lithaunania, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium,
> France
> >and Spain. (Check out
> >
> here)<http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=sv&msa=0&om=1&
> msid=109997574159115725113.0004436a59445db272276&ll=55.279115,13.007813&
> spn=33.307177,81.738281&z=4>
> >  * Without passport and any visible border control.  *Just an approved
> >EU identity card.
> >**
> >Of course this is a distance that can be contained inside the US, but
> four
> >of these contries were on the other side of the iron curtain just a
> little
> >more than 15 years ago. And the last two countries where fascist
> >dictatorships just some years earlier than that
> >**
> >The world is changing.  Mostly to the better.
> >
> >Hejdå from Leif J
> >
> >
> >
> >2008/1/10, LMLiz0810 at cs.com <LMLiz0810 at cs.com>:
> >   
> >>Please excuse me for continuing this tangent, but I culdn't resist.
> >>
> >>You mean Canada's not just another northern state, (she typed with
> more
> >>than
> >>a hint of sarcasm in her fingers), I just go there all the time. 
> I've
> >>lived
> >>on the border my whole life - first in the metro Detroit area and now
> in
> >>the
> >>greater Buffalo area.  Things have changed some starting in late '99,
> I
> >>take a
> >>passport these days, but we really do just go to Canada -- for lunch
> or
> >>dinner,
> >>for a better view of the (Niagara) Falls, a winery tour, and as a
> >>short-cut
> >>to visit family and friends in Detroit.
> >>
> >>In the early 80s we went to buy gas in Windsor; until about 18 months
> ago
> >>we
> >>would go shopping in St. Catherines or Toronto - even though the
> prices
> >>were
> >>higher the exchange rate made up for it (and if you spent the night
> you
> >>could
> >>get your sales tax rebated) -- ah those were the good old days
> (again,
> >>sarcasm
> >>dripping from my fingers).
> >>
> >>Now Canadians just come here to shop.  The weakened US dollar has
> really
> >>helped sales tax revenues in my county. They also seem to be helping
> >>local
> >>charities.  It se>> behind, wearing their new purchases to avoid the duty, 
> the malls have
> put
> >>in
> >>bins so the old clothes can be donated to charities (instead of
> littering
> >>the
> >>parking lots).  The benefits of a weak US dollar!
> >>
> >>That's just life on the border.
> >>
> >>Again, I'm sorry for continuing this tangent.
> >>
> >>-Liz McGough
> >>
> >>In a message dated 1/9/2008 5:45:08 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> >>lionel.boxer at rmit.edu.au writes:
> >>     
> >>>I like Bobbi's idea a lot.  I will likely give it a try.
> >>>
> >>>On another matter, in the interest of preventing misinformation from
> >>>becoming established fact - and being a Canadian by birth - I feel
> >>>       
> >>obliged to remind
> >>     
> >>>her about the Sovereign demarkation that distinguishes Canada from
> USA.
> >>>       
> >>That
> >>     
> >>>is, Canada is not a state of the USA (as is implied by the text
> below).
> >>>That will be made clear if if you do try to "go to Canada" from the
> USA,
> >>>       
> >>as you
> >>     
> >>>need to go through customs to get there and again to get back to the
> >>>       
> >>USA.
> >>     
> >>>Of course I realise this confusion is simply a discursive slip and I
> am
> >>>       
> >>sure
> >>     
> >>>that you realise my sense of humour is at work again.
> >>>
> >>>We experienced the customs issue in 1980, when we left Toronto to
> attend
> >>>       
> >>an
> >>     
> >>>industrial engineering university conference in North Carolina State
> >>>University.  We drove down in a pickup truck - 3 of us in the cab
> and 3
> >>>       
> >>others in the
> >>     
> >>>back asleep.  When we stopped in Washington for breakfast our Hong
> Kong
> >>>       
> >>born
> >>     
> >>>team member (who owned the pickup truck) remembered that he left his
> >>>passport at home (at that time Canadians just needed to show their
> >>>       
> >>drivers licence).
> >>     
> >>>  So, two weeks later, after attending the conference and diverting
> to
> >>>       
> >>Fort
> >>     
> >>>Lauderdale for Spring Break, we put him in the back of the pickup
> under
> >>>sleeping bags and dirty laundry and the Customs guard had one look
> >>>       
> >>(smell) as he
> >>     
> >>>opened the lid of the pickup and passed us through.  So, what does
> that
> >>>       
> >>make me
> >>     
> >>>...?
> >>>
> >>>Lionel Boxer CD PhD MBA BTech(IndEng) - 0411267256
> >>>Associate of RMIT University - lionel.boxer at rmit.edu.au
> >>>Graduate School of Business
> >>>What's up?: http://intergon.net/events.html
> >>>The Sustainable Way: http://intergon.net/tsw
> >>>       
> >>>>>>"Bobbi Bilnoski ~ Concinnity" <bilnoski at swbell.net> 10/01/08 3:09
> AM
> >>>>>>             
> >>>Hi everyone,
> >>>
> >>>Close your eyes and take 1 minute to imagine a map of the US, laid
> out
> >>>       
> >>in
> >>     
> >>>this room. Visualize the west coast, the east coast, the Canada and
> >>>       
> >>Mexico
> >>     
> >>>borders, how about Hawaii?
> >>>
> >>>Now, stand up. Got your mental map in mind? Everyone go stand on
> >>>       
> >>California,
> >>     
> >>>now go to Washington DC, now go to Canada, how about Texas, Idaho,
> etc ?
> >>>(Pick any state you like)
> >>>_______________________________________________
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> Eccles
> >>>School of Business at the University of Utah. Jack Brittain is the
> list
> >>>administrator. For subscription information, go to:
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> >>>       
> >>_______________________________________________
> >>The Appreciative Inquiry Discussion List is hosted by the David
> Eccles
> >>School of Business at the University of Utah. Jack Brittain is the
> list
> >>administrator. For subscription information, go to:
> >>http://mailman.business.utah.edu:8080/mailman/listinfo/ailist
> >>
> >>     
> >
> >
> >
> >   
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