[QUOTE=Shamozzle]
I’m from BC, but I worked in Alberta in the oil fields where I met tons of Newfys. I’m going to use the term because they used the term amongst themselves.
Anyway, they were always talking about how different thing were back home.
In the Alberta oil fields, everyone is “go, go, go!!”, head down, make money, every man for himself, F the rest… But in Newfoundland, everyone is a friend until proven otherwise. People walking down the street will stop and help you move furniture into your apartment and then someone will run to the store for some beer and everyone makes a night of it. Or hitchhikers getting picked up by the first car 95% of the time.
I found myself yearning to live in such a socially positive environment.
[/QUOTE]
E. Annie Proulx spent a long while in Newfoundland and wrote about the gritty happiness of the ancient newfys in “The Shipping News”. It really is quite legendary.
Every once in a while, I have the opportunity to help out a confused foreigner. Not many people speak English here, and, for instance, the time I got to help out an English couple trying to decipher the only-in-Bulgarian train schedule absolutely made my day.
On my way to see Transformers the car in front of be began to belch white smoke and tire chunks. I pulled up next to the driver and signaled that she had a flat tire. Already running late for a movie I really wnated to see, I pulled over with her. When she emerged from the car I saw a VERY pregnate woman. I changed her tire in under five minutes and took off. But I guess thats more of a case of manners.
When I frequented New Orleans I used to pay the toll across the Tchoupitoulous bridge for the following 10 drivers every once and a while. It’s funny to drive away to see drivers in your rear view mirror rushing to just to see who I was.