I spent most of my life in Boston before coming to Toronto.  Sure, I lived in Cincinnati for 8 months and Maine when I was tiny and a few other places for a few months at a time.  But really, Boston is it.

Now I live in Canada.

People here ask me all the time what I find different about living in this country.  I've noticed a few things - different products on store shelves, people almost never drive in the right lane of any street, milk is in bags.  Milk is in bags!  But the one that weirds me out the most is this:

People talk to me in elevators.

In Boston, unless you are on the elevator with someone you know, you stare at the door, or stare at your feet, or look at whatever you happen to have in your hands.  You do not talk.   You do not make eye contact.

Here, people chat you up. 

"Nice day, huh?"

"Been shopping?"  Um, no, I'm carrying groceries that I found on the sidewalk.

I don't really know what to do with this.  It happens most often in our building, where sure, maybe people want to be nice to their neighbors.  But it happens other places too.  I always answer because I don't want to be rude, but really, I don't feel like chatting in the elevator.  I'm in there in order to get someplace.

Another thing I noticed is that people touch each other a lot more here.  I get hugged, kissed, and once in awhile even groped by friends (you know who you are, don't deny it!).  I'm used to a hug.  But people in Boston just aren't very kissy with their general friend population.

I mean, it's nice to have affection, even though I get plenty from the hubby.

But is Boston really that austere, or is Toronto just that effusive?