No Shirt...No Shoes...No Service...

So I learned something new this week. You're thinking, well I hope so--you are a student, aren't you and you're paying enough to learn stuff. But this was something I didn't learn in the classroom.

Taking your shoes off when you go inside is a Canadian (or at least a Canadian prairie) thing!

First of all, I went for a massage this week. I walked into the office and took of my shoes at the door because it was a fairly sloppy day outside and I was also wearing my winter boots, so it just seemed like the right thing to do. The lady at the front desk seemed surprised and told me I didn't have to take my shoes off. Then my massage therapist came out and also told me that I didn't have to take my shoes off. She, too, seemed shocked that I was exposing socked feet in public. I mentioned to her that I had worked at a chiro. office and almost everyone took off their shoes when they walked in the door, especially in winter. We also got to talking and I found out that the "indoor shoes/outdoor shoes" policy that we had at our elementary and high schools while I was growing up was not a universal school policy. I went home and told my roommate about the weird reaction I had received for having stepped out of my boots in public.

The next day we had someone from the seminary over for lunch. We invited him in and he began taking off his shoes while commenting that he has known a few Canadian students over the years and he had noticed that all of them take off their shoes when they enter a house. He said he really liked the custom because there was a certain informality that is created by walking around in sock feet. My roommate and I just looked at each other and grinned. What just seemed so practical--taking off outdoor shoes to keep floors clean--is actually a cultural norm.