Blog English – Arminius-on-tour

Right at the entrance to Gros Morne National Park warning signs tell you how many accidents with moose happened that year: nine. Moose seem to be really dangerous since they constantly walk on the roads and take unpredictable directions. In Rocky Harbour there is a well-known fish plant where we buy lobster, salmon and salt herring for a good price.

Leaving the National Park we find two caribous on a plateau that reminds us of Finland. Sea on one side, mountains on the other, tundra grown over with grass, cringed forests, and lakes. A landscape without disturbing civilisation appearances like houses, pylons, and wind power stations.

Unfortunately we see litter again and again. A plastic bottle, a couple of beer bottles here, and a shopping bag there. What a pity. When shopping in a supermarket I get so many plastic bags to change my garbage bag three times a day.

Many Newfies, how the inhabitants of the island call themselves, want to talk to us. That’s nice, but unfortunately communication is difficult. Canadians told me they do not understand one word of what Newfies talk. What shall a foreigner say? Newfie language always sounds as they still had a salmon from lunch in their mouth – crossways. After asking a third time most of them probably think “stupid bird, doesn’t speak English”. I apologize, but neither Oxford nor American English help here. Even the French has a certain sound here. Generally the Newfies are the nation’s dorks, a target of ridicule, and there are so many jokes about them. Rightly or just prejudice?

This entry was posted on Dienstag, Mai 11th, 2010 at 22:11 and is filed under Canada. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.