In this fully English episode, I chat with Reena, an Indian/ Canadian born and raised on Vancouver Island, about one essential question:
How do we spot a true Canadian in the wild?
We dive into Canadian habits, slang, culture, and everyday quirks—from “eh” to “hey,” from winter pride to hockey obsession. We compare social life, food culture, childhood memories, and what it really feels like to fit in as immigrants.
What we talked about:
**True Canadian Signs **
Canadian's cozy style: The flannel jacket + boots + Toque Combo
Hockey jerseys everywhere
Common slang: loonie, toonie, eh
Canadians being polite & say Sorry a lot?
People always holding doors for you
Supporting local shops & communities
A deep love for outdoor sports and winter
**Canadian Lifestyle **
Appreciating snow, skiing, nature
Proud-to-be-Canadian energy
Night life? Canadians prefer staying home
Gen Z drinking matcha instead of alcohol
Canadian Food Culture
Poutine (of course)
No strong “national dish” – everyone loves exotic foods
Canadians LOVE sushi!!
Ordering coffee: what’s a *double double? *
Most donut shops per capita
Canadians definitely have a sweet tooth
Wildlife Moment!
Polar bear jail (!!??)
Black bear vs. brown bear — how to react but we both had no idea!
Vancouver Island vs. Vancouver city life differences
Childhood & Tech Nostalgia
The mystery of milk bags
MSN & landlines memories
How the Anxious Generation affects kids today
Immigration, Identity & Belonging
Being Indian-Canadian on Vancouver Island
The quietness of island life for a city girl like me
Why making friends in Canada is… tricky
Being patient when you relocate
Expanding your social circle through hobbies
How my own cross-cultural marriage helped me integrate
Immigrants just want to fit in
Owning my true accent — and why I recorded this first English episode
Language & Authenticity
Keep speaking, practicing, and making mistakes
Speak up for your true feelings
Maybe Canadians should be less polite to build deeper connections?
If you want to do something, just do it — hey
And yes…
We said hey, but it’s kinda eh!
這一集是我第一次全英文錄音的Podcast！
用自己的口音說真實的話
這也是我錄第一集全英文節目的原因
邀請到在溫哥華島長大的在地 Indian/Canadian—Reena，陪我一起聊聊：
到底要怎麼從生活中辨識 “真正的加拿大人”？
我們從加拿大人的穿著、Slang、飲食習慣聊到文化特色，再延伸到移民身分、交友難易度以及在新國家找到歸屬感的過程。
加拿大人穿衣標配：Flannel jacket + boots + Toque(毛帽)
隨處可見的曲棍球球衣
常說的 slang：loonie、toonie、eh
很有禮貌又不直接的加拿大人
幫你開門是日常
超挺當地社群、喜歡小店購物
熱愛戶外、熱愛冬天、熱愛滑雪
Proud to be Canadian 能量滿滿
經典美食：Poutine (但其實加拿大人都沒有在吃?)
沒有明顯“國民料理” ，反而超愛異國料理
加拿大人超愛壽司
Double double 點咖啡密碼
Tim Hortons＝全球甜甜圈密度第一
其實加拿大人真的很愛甜食?
加拿大竟然有 “北極熊監獄”
黑熊 vs. 棕熊要怎麼應對？(結果我們兩個人都不知道)
**回憶殺 & Childhood memories! **
Reena 小時候的 milk bag 回憶
MSN、家用電話懷舊情懷
我也分享了《Anxious Generation》對孩子的影響
移民、身分與融入
印度後裔在溫哥華島成長的感受
我覺得島上安靜到不習慣，都可以聽到自己的心跳(??)
加拿大人好相處但深交很難?
搬到新地方需要耐心
找到熱情所在才能建立新圈子
異國婚姻也許幫助我更快融入新國家的生活
移民者都在尋找 identity
語言 & 真誠表達
持續練習、犯錯也沒關係
說出真實的感受才能跟人建立更深層的連結
也許加拿大人可以不用這麼客氣跟有禮貌？
想做什麼就去做hey
最後…
We said hey, but it’s kinda eh!
If you want more English episodes, tell me what you'd love to hear next!
Email me anytime at: dearsonjapenpalclub@gmail.com
--
Hosting provided by
SoundOn 
