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I had always pictured Portuguese as very chatty for some reason, the same way Mediterraneans are. But I guess in the Latin world, you are usually open to people you know, not plain strangers — unless you live in a small place. But in these case, strangers don’t stay strangers long!

@Angele — I agree, Canadians are extremely polite. Freakishly polite, almost! :lol;

@Final_Transit — I was like that too! And I once heard the joke about a Canadian being asked how he is, while he is left in the middle of the road after being ran over. “Great, having a good day” he replies

@Shantanu — I do find Indians open and chatty, at least those I meet in Canada. But then, it could be the Canadian influence!

@Lis of the North — Chinese chit-chat is… unique

@Brenda — Same as in Chinese, then. I can say “I am back” a few dozen times a day when my in-laws are here!

This one of those posts that I simply love!

Ok, Canadians are like the Portuguese! The Portuguese also love to chat with strangers, I have never seen anything like it. Me, I am like the French lol (I wear the “don’t speak to me” mask); but slowly I am beginning to compromise…
My granny, when she left Mozambique, was very quiet and now (24 years later) she chats with strangers in the bus, at bus stops, in the subway, in stores, in the church, everywhere…it is amazing!

“By the time the next tramway had finally arrived, all passengers had agreed that a good revolution would solve most problems and that the current government really wasn’t good.” — LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL beautiful!

Funny, in Portugal people always ask that as well “you’re back, eh?” even if you have just been away for 5 minutes (this is the proof that we have learned a lot from our Discovery period lol).

Chatting is cultural indeed!

Excellent post! I hope you are feeling better !

Cheers

@rowena — Oh, don’t get my started on old Italian women, they basically invented gossip! I have some in my family

@Bluefish — I don’t mind a little bit of small talk but I find gossiping too much, especially at the office, counterproductive.

@barbara — It’s funny how different yet similar at the same time people from different cultures are. No wonder stereotypes exist! I like the North American way to be honest, even if I wish sometimes people would be a little bit subversive, like French.

@Gail at Large — Think so?

@the writer — I have always had this stereotypes that Nordic people, Scandinavian, Russians etc. don’t like chatting much. Not sure why I have the stereotype!

@Tulsa Gentleman — I find most Americans pretty friendly to strangers, especially in the USA and in smaller places.

@LIsa ~ Urban Native Girl — It was fun to observe and fun to write too!

@Seb — Thank you! By all means, ask your friend, I’d be curious to have another opinion on that.

@Linguist-in-Waiting — No, foreigners are not old! But “lao” (old) is used as a mark of respect and a way to call people.

For example, kids or young people who are about the same age will call each others “xiao” (little). For exemple Xiao Zhu, Xiao Li etc. Adult will use “Xiao” when talking to kids as well. But you would use “lao” for older people, usually friends. Like two older gentlemen would call each other “Lao Zhang” and “Lao Deng”. “Lao” is also used in a lot of words, such as “Lao Jiao”, literally “old country”, which mean hometown or the region/ province you grew up in.

Finally, there are other ways to call people, such as “comrade” (Tongzhi) etc. but rarely “xianshang” (mister) or “taitai” (mrs).

Sorry for the long lesson!

@Soleil — No, you haven’t been imaginating it… although I though I was until recently, when I started thinking about it!

@Tanya — I feel the same in Ottawa. I didn’t notice it at first because it was pretty much the only place I knew in Canada. But the more I travel, the more I realized that people are more chatty in smaller places, or other provinces. Winnipeg was the most friendly place I have been to… “Friendly Manitoba” they say!