Canadia Web Literature

These are a few of the highlights for what comes up when you google "Canadia":

http://www.pigdog.org/categories/canadia_sucks.html

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=canadia

http://technorati.com/videos/youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DF5z_YfB1JkQ
Hint to the Foursexymen: Rockapella did NOT write "O Canada".

And, of course, the requisite Wikipedia disambiguation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadia_%28disambiguation%29

Canadian Update

Ok, this is the digest-version of my daily post. Clearly, I need to do my homework more if I want to be able to come up with interesting things to post every day. But failing that, I at least want to not fall out of the essential habit of keeping this blog feeling 'current'.

So, to start, here's a few fun things to check out.

1. Rick Mercer's blog - Believe it or not, Rick Mercer posts on a plain old Blogger blog, just like mine (though i think he may be soon moving to a better one, on his snazzy new website). Though I truly enjoyed his Liberal leadership convention coverage, and hearing about his christmas trip to Afghanistan, the most fun you'll have on his blog these days is definately the photo challenge. There are some classics ... don't forget to check out 2005-2006: there are some great entries, and some especially potent commentary on Canada-U.S. relations (such as Harper and Bush smoking hookah together; or my favourite Michael Ignatieff with his finger in bush's ear).

2. canadia-eh - This is a great blog by a Canadian from Edmonton. It chronicles her own adventures, amusing moments, and frustrations living south of the border. I'll credit this as an official inspiration for my own CanadiaBlog. It is quite a gem -- something I aspire towards; unfortunately, she is no longer maintaining it and seems to be planning on taking it offline soon (so check it out now, while it's still exists...)

3. My band! Why not? I need three things to make it a list, anyway. And my band is pretty awesome. Definitely have a listen. Canadian music at its best! (haha - www.myspace.com/threeseasonsandthemove).

4. There are a ton of other Canada and "Canadia"-themed sites and blogs out there ... but, some of them are stupid or offensive, and none of them are as good as this one, anyway. I'd like to provide a comprehensive Canadia-site-guide for you some time, but I think that is a project for another day.

It is pretty late right now so I will sign off!

ttfn,
-L

About the name "Canadia"

I should probably explain a bit about the title.

According to Wikipedia disambiguation, Canadia is, "Another, generally humorous, name for Canada, by back-formation from "Canadian".

It's usually used in reference to Canada by Americans, with the implicit joke that they themselves know little or nothing about Canada (as in the 'Family Circus' comic strip, above). Alternatively, I've seen and heard it used by Canadians poking fun at that same American stereotype.

After spending two-and-a-half years living in the United States attending an American University, I have amassed a lifetime's worth of anecdotal evidence which helps illustrate the Canadian-American cultural divide. This is what the blog -- and my film -- are supposed to be about, though the analysis will be more in-depth than just that.

I chose the title "Canadia" not only because it is a quirky cultural joke; a quaint product of the iGeneration's sense of humour. As the fictitious name of an imagined country, Canadia is a fantastic name. It implies mystique; fantasy; adventure. Americans who are aware of their ignorance about Canada see this as a fitting description. To them, Canada may as well be Narnia; they have heard stories of it's unlivable climate, it's wilderness, it's magical mystery, it's 'mounties' and 'igloos'; but they have never been through the looking glass to see it for themselves. (Or, even if they have, they have not seen the real Canada -- all they have seen is a North American society, much like a mirror image of themselves. Nothing could be farther from the truth.