Toronto Vs. Elkins

Coming from Toronto, Canada, a city with nearly 6 million, to Elkins West Virginia has been a complete culture shock. The skyscrapers, apartment buildings, and shopping malls have been replaced by trees, deer and more trees. Making this transition has been a difficult task, but I feel that so far I have done well. One of the biggest changes I have had to make is language, or more appropriately, slang. Like Early in "The Quare Gene", the language and certain words that are common knowledge for people of my age and culture at home, are met by "What did you just say??" here. The primary word that has almost been eliminated from my vocabulary as long as I'm here is still. This may seem like an ordinary word, but back home, it is used in a very different context. For example, someone could ask what are you doing or what's up; a common response would be, "I'm chillin still." It is difficult to explain how or when to use it, but basically it means something that is still being done. You could say, "I'm still chillin", it basically means the same thing, but we just switch the words around. It is usually said after every sentence. I tried to explain it to some of my teammates, but they just laugh and think I'm crazy. I have to consciously remember not to say it here because nobody would understand me, but when I talk to my friends at home, its back to normal.

Although I like Elkins so far, there are certain things that I can't embrace. For one, the love of country music and the lack of any other music but country. Toronto is the most multicultural city in the world and you can find any type of music on the radio. Here I feel as though I'm cut off from everything else but Elkins, West Virginia. This includes anything that involves Canada. I have found that Americans in general are ignorant to every other country but their own. Turning on the news at home would have stories on Canada as well as the US. Here, it's nothing but American news and stories. This is the reason why most Americans know very little about Canada.