The Canadian
One of the biggest differences I have noticed between Chinese and Western culture is how easily strangers interact. Back home, you do not usually start talking to people you do not know. Even at the canteen in university, nothing will happen between you and the one sitting opposite you. Here, small talk happens anywhere. People chat in line, say hi on the staircase, or start up a full conversation when you are trapped on a train together for a day and a half.
Riding The Canadian, I was surrounded by travelers from the US, France, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK—most of them retirees (Notice how similar it is to the tour bus on Icefield Parkway). Conversation just happened everywhere. An Australian couple sat with me at the dining table and explained how dinner service works. A man from the US told the most epic story of his life adventures. A retired Canadian man talked about his years working for Bell, and a woman from New Zealand pointed out the window to teach me the names of the crops growing on the prairies. Even train staff from Manitoba weighed in with local recommendations for things to eat and do.
The most special connection was with a woman in her 70s from the US. I was standing in front of the activity whiteboard, struggling to read the cursive writing detailing the day's schedule. She bumped into me, read it out loud, and explained what I did not understand.
Later, we joined the bingo activity together. Since I had never played before, she taught me all the details. We played eight rounds, and every single participant won at least once—except me. When the game ended, she handed her rewards right over to me anyway. Later on, I saw her playing a card game called Seven with her husband, and when I expressed curiosity, she taught me how to play that too.
My only frustration is with myself—I am so bad at memorizing names, and I really wish I could remember what everyone was called.
Time moved ridiculously fast on board. The train itself is slow and frequently stops to yield to freight trains, which feels completely incomparable to the high-speed trains in China. But as a sightseeing train, it is a different world. Between the activities, the scenery outside, lovely conversations, formal three-course meals, endless snacks and drinks, and time zone changes that pushed the clock forward an hour, a day and a half felt like a fleet.
