Despite the RA, the neighbours have been extremely welcoming. While the movers were here, people from three doors down came over to introduce themselves and say hi, but were also considerate enough to scurry away quickly. They seemed fascinated that we left the US for political reasons.
Our immediate next door neighbours are great. We've chatted several times, and today they invited us over for an afternoon barbecue. I felt bad to decline, but we want to get as much done as we can before we have to start working for a living. I thanked her profusely, and I hope I didn't breach any etiquette by saying no, but I can't get my mind around socializing yet.
Allan and I both prefer the anonymity of cities to the chattiness of small-town life. I've always been friendly with my neighbors (sans u) in New York, but definitely keep a certain distance. I hope I can maintain that here without seeming unfriendly.
3 comments:
I can't speak for the Candadian experience as a whole, but I can tell you how it was for me.
My family always had an unspoken yet binding "one neighbor" rule. Which means, you're chummy with one of the neighbors, have them over for a beer after dinner once or twice a season, give them some tomatoes from your garden in the summer, and leave it at that.
The other neighbors (maybe I should say 'neighbours'), you say hello to, but otherwise ignore.
Maybe my family is just strange.
To sum up my thought, anyway, I found most of our neighbors were friendly but not pushy, and enjoyed the privacy of the big fat hedges just as much as we did.
That sounds brilliant, S'cat. Exactly what I would do.
Am I making you miss Canada?
I hope the job (and the rest of your life) is going well. I look forward to catching up when I can.
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