Monkey See, Monkey Do

Coming up with an informed opinion about a city after only a few days' visit is not only futile, it's mostly an exercise in idiocy. Similar to the blind men and the elephant parable, exploring a few city blocks and then declaring, "Amsterdam is like this" or "Spainards are all this" not only proves your ability to draw ill-formed conclusions but also your lack of worldliness.

I would be offended if someone came to San Diego and said, after a long weekend, that they had gotten a good grasp of the city. "Really? You got the place all figured out in four days?"

Then again, San Diego is widely described as picturesque, relaxing, and a good place to settle down in your middle to old age. Aren't all of these things true? They certainly are but then why visit if only to confirm the obvious and colloquial?

In this way, I often feel disappointed when visiting other cities where preconceived notions rest heavily. The first five to ten generalizations of most any area are true and I'm gone before I can dig further.

Somehow, despite being fully aware of this ignorance, I still feel equipped to have opinions after just the barest of touches. I could say with conviction that the Red Light District is a disappointing place, that taking the elevator to the top of Sagrada Familia isn't worth the hype, or that the food in London pubs is all the same, but I'd just be reinforcing my shallow experiences while unduly influencing yours.

A few weeks ago I was speaking with an acquaintance at dinner. It was revealed that she was originally from Toronto. After asking a few perfunctory questions, it dawned on me that I actually knew very little about Canada and had absolutely run out of Canadian conversation topics. Anything that came out of my mouth would have sounded banal or broadly ridiculous.

Here are the things I know about Canada: A few celebrities and comedians. Kristin Kreuk. They suffer a hefty income tax. They have universal healthcare. The drinking age is lower. The capital is Ottawa and not Toronto. Ketchup flavored potato chips are popular up there. I can rattle off most of the sports teams. I can't spell "Saskatchewan" but I can place "Yukon."

Afterwards, when I shared the "she's from Canada" fact with another friend, her reply was, "Oh that makes sense." And somehow, without any explanation, we understood what she was referring to. A particular Canadian-ese applied to the acquaintance. We both retro-assumed it without being able to explain it. So a broad generlization about a people and a country that may not objectively be true, but due to our common perceptions of a space, are now true.

"He's from _____."
"Oh, that explains it."