Here's the thing though. I have a very intelligent Serbian friend (who has been in Canada like 30 years). It's interesting because, like Matty, English is his second language but he has a strong sense of the subtleties of it more than just about anyone I talk to. We have some great conversation.
Anyway, we had a recent conversation that began with him saying, "I love Canada [and I know he does] but the one thing that bothers me the most . . . "
From him, that gets my full attention.
" . . . is the dependance on the British monarchy and all the focus on the relationship to the British."
Wut?
I was sure he was going to talk about Canadians with a constant excessive need to put America in its place. There is always a contingent of Canadians with insecurity complexes and compensation issues - which takes the form of cutting down America to feel better about yourself blah, blah, blah. They can only see Canada as it relates to the US and they complain how the US sees itself as the center of the universe - when, to all appearances, they do too.
It is the major ongoing disappointment about Canada of my lifetime and it is the totally obvious way that sentence has to end based on my experience. And I told him that was my expectation.
The British thing? I seldom think about that except in the most benign way. It is a casual, friendly mutual respect that gets touched on in passing once in awhile. Focus? I have never seen anything I would call focus.
But no, that was his observation. He was not backing down. And again, extremely intelligent guy who has lived here 30 years.
Weird one. It has got me thinking.
Different perceptions.
I sure did mean food! 
one of the best typos ever! I'm not even going to edit it, it makes me laugh so damn hard!
