Last week, to celebrate my new big kid job and not at all to attempt to flee Oklahoma due to the results of Tuesday's election, I joined my sister and friend on a short celebratory trip to Montreal, Canada. While many travelers love to seek out and experience cultures that are different from their own, I couldn't help but notice how similar our state is to the land in the great north. So here are 7 ways Montreal is more like Oklahoma than the Canadians would probably like to admit.
The Rednecks
From neckbeards and Marlboros, to F250s and novelty t-shirts referring to marriage as "game over," Canadian rednecks seem to be just like us! So why did I go through the hassle of Canadian customs to meet people I tried to avoid by leaving my hometown?
Churches are everywhere
Like in Oklahoma, Canada also seems to have a church or a chapel on every corner. But unlike Oklahoma, Canadian churches also serve as museums and cultural centers instead of serving popcorn and loose interpretations of 1 Corinthians.
Canadians also love football
Like Oklahomans, Canadians love American college football. Like any old fall Saturday in Oklahoma, I walked into a brewery in Old Montreal for a beer and to escape 20 mile per hour (32.1 kilometer per hour) winds only to find the Bedlam game on half of the televisions in the joint. The main difference between the Oklahoma and Canadian experience is that Canadian beer is cheaper and stronger. Which was helpful, being that my Cowboys lost.
Canada doesn't want their federal government to "tread" on them, either
Montreal is a major city in Quebec, a province that has had many talks of sovereignty over the decades. While Quebec's rejection of their federal government is motivated by a desire to create its own nation with a shared French culture, Oklahoma's rejection of its federal government is motivated by how badass the "don't tread on me" license plates look on trucks and a refusal to comply with federal regulations set forth by the REAL ID Act.
Both have reputations for being "nice"
Both Canada and midwestern states like Oklahoma have reputations for having "nice" citizens. In both places, that statement can be true or false based on what part of town or time of day you're in the Waffle House or Tim Hortons.
The small talk is the same
Unlike many other large cities I've visited, Montreal is a lot like Oklahoma City in that waitstaff likes to make a lot of small talk. Topics are also similar between the cities and include asking patrons about where they're from, what their opinion of the weather is, and explaining that yes, even Sunday brunch bottomless mimosas have a serving limit.
There's construction EVERYWHERE
As in Oklahoma City, there is always some highway running through Montreal that is under construction. However, unlike Oklahoma, Canadian construction usually has a completion date.
Hayley is glad to be back. Follow her on twitter @squirrellygeek
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