do we or dont we...........
Apr 23rd 2015, 7:31 pm
#31
"In cruce vincam"
Joined: May 2010
Location: Mill Bay, Vancouver Island
Posts: 3,232
Re: do we or dont we...........
Live the dream! Just remember to bring warm undies!!
Apr 23rd 2015, 8:28 pm
#32
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Joined: Feb 2013
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 3,874
Re: do we or dont we...........
surely it's better to buy the warm undies here?
Apr 24th 2015, 4:24 am
#33
Fancy a Cuppa?
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 438
Re: do we or dont we...........
Driving here is not like that. The landscape can be repetitive and you can go for miles and not see a soul, which probably sounds great but can actually be quite eerie. 10 hours can seem like 20, and a very different experience.
Apr 24th 2015, 5:32 am
#34
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Joined: Feb 2013
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 3,874
Re: do we or dont we...........
It can also take hours to find somewhere to buy lunch! We've found ourselves having a very early lunch because the next vill was at least 2 hours away, or a very late one
It can be difficult to find a suitable place to stop for a picnic lunch, or for the kids to go to the bathroom ........
........ I used to very carefully note on the map where there were provincial or national parks and rest stops so that I could say "anyone need to go? next one is 150 km away" or "either go behind a tree or wait 1 hour".
Canada really is a big country with huge distances between villages and towns.
I happen to love it ....... but it isn't for everyone!
It can be difficult to find a suitable place to stop for a picnic lunch, or for the kids to go to the bathroom ........
........ I used to very carefully note on the map where there were provincial or national parks and rest stops so that I could say "anyone need to go? next one is 150 km away" or "either go behind a tree or wait 1 hour".
Canada really is a big country with huge distances between villages and towns.
I happen to love it ....... but it isn't for everyone!
Apr 24th 2015, 6:33 am
#35
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 7
Re: do we or dont we...........
lol, i will be buying our 'undies' there, have already been told the best places to over there to get them.
again, thankyou you all for your replys, its has been interesting.
Really looking forward to the next step in our familys adventure.
I think when you have 3 children, it does not matter what the seneory is like, they will be bored as soon as they get in the car!!
Pack up and tree stops lol
again, thankyou you all for your replys, its has been interesting.
Really looking forward to the next step in our familys adventure.
I think when you have 3 children, it does not matter what the seneory is like, they will be bored as soon as they get in the car!!
Pack up and tree stops lol
Apr 24th 2015, 11:17 am
#36
Account Closed
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 0
Re: do we or dont we...........
Its no picnic........
Apr 24th 2015, 3:48 pm
#37
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Joined: Oct 2007
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 1,371
Re: do we or dont we...........
Or it can be a picnic. 
It's all about your attitude. If you come expecting to live how you did in the UK, or if you come with grand expectations, you're going to be miserable. Everything is different - how cities and towns are built and connected, the infrastructure, the architecture, the lack of anything resembling an English village or anything resembling English geography, the public transportation, the lack of trains (trains are almost entirely freight), the lack of cheap airlines, the way people move around cities, the cars they choose to drive, the places where they choose to shop, the items available at the shops and supermarkets (say goodbye to your English eating habits and nostalgic comfort foods), the mainstream foods available to eat, the food on the menus, the TV culture, the sports culture, the lack of English style pubs, the ice hockey chicken wing dominance in pubs and restaurants, the landscape, the length of seasons, the lack of trees, the lack of greenery (which I would argue is a bigger culture shock to somebody from the UK moving to the prairies than you'd expect- it's almost entirely overlooked), the social values, the small talk in public, the lack of sarcasm (don't be sarcastic to people you do my know in Canada), the interactions with neighbours, at the supermarket, the superficial niceties, the expectations of what children learn, how they learn and when... They're are mostly all different. And Canadians don't care how it was done in the UK. You're in their world now. My point is that Canada, but especially Canada's prairies, is a foreign place to somebody expecting a mirror of UK culture.
However, if you go in wth an open mind and avoid comparing all the details in life to how things were in the UK, you will be fine. Expect things to be vastly different. Have low expectations. Don't assume you're going to love it. Treat it as if you were moving to Mongolia or somewhere equally exotic and remote. When you eventually arrive, and you don't have such high expectations, if things start falling into place, you and your family will have a much better time than if you had expected the moon.
It's all about your attitude. If you come expecting to live how you did in the UK, or if you come with grand expectations, you're going to be miserable. Everything is different - how cities and towns are built and connected, the infrastructure, the architecture, the lack of anything resembling an English village or anything resembling English geography, the public transportation, the lack of trains (trains are almost entirely freight), the lack of cheap airlines, the way people move around cities, the cars they choose to drive, the places where they choose to shop, the items available at the shops and supermarkets (say goodbye to your English eating habits and nostalgic comfort foods), the mainstream foods available to eat, the food on the menus, the TV culture, the sports culture, the lack of English style pubs, the ice hockey chicken wing dominance in pubs and restaurants, the landscape, the length of seasons, the lack of trees, the lack of greenery (which I would argue is a bigger culture shock to somebody from the UK moving to the prairies than you'd expect- it's almost entirely overlooked), the social values, the small talk in public, the lack of sarcasm (don't be sarcastic to people you do my know in Canada), the interactions with neighbours, at the supermarket, the superficial niceties, the expectations of what children learn, how they learn and when... They're are mostly all different. And Canadians don't care how it was done in the UK. You're in their world now. My point is that Canada, but especially Canada's prairies, is a foreign place to somebody expecting a mirror of UK culture.
However, if you go in wth an open mind and avoid comparing all the details in life to how things were in the UK, you will be fine. Expect things to be vastly different. Have low expectations. Don't assume you're going to love it. Treat it as if you were moving to Mongolia or somewhere equally exotic and remote. When you eventually arrive, and you don't have such high expectations, if things start falling into place, you and your family will have a much better time than if you had expected the moon.
Last edited by Lychee; Apr 24th 2015 at 3:55 pm.
Apr 24th 2015, 3:53 pm
#38
Concierge
Joined: Jun 2011
Location: Oakville, ON, CA
Posts: 8,320
Re: do we or dont we...........
k.claydon, I just want to say I love your attitude towards your new adventure, it's brilliant.
Apr 24th 2015, 3:54 pm
#39
"In cruce vincam"
Joined: May 2010
Location: Mill Bay, Vancouver Island
Posts: 3,232
Apr 24th 2015, 5:20 pm
#40
BE user by choice
Joined: Oct 2010
Location: A Briton, married to a Canadian, now in Fredericton.
Posts: 4,854
Re: do we or dont we...........
I have been following this with interest, and I too think k.claydon has a 'can do' spirit which may well win the day.
I would however say that Lychee has a damned good way of looking at things. Lychee you always make me think that I wish that I had paged your particular oracle before I came here
But I would still have come, and have many less regrets and am finding my feet, at last.
Driving here is nothing like driving in France, I lived there for 15 years before I came here. Now I live in Fredericton - that's where I go geographically, anywhere else is a big plan adventure - you drive for many hours and see absolutely nothing of interest - if I get really lucky (hasn't happened yet, perhaps a moose) other than that, zilch. There's nothing but the next far away inhabited bit, and there isn't much there either.
Isolation is the same too....we are talking on another planet, nothing for miles isolation
We have posters on here who love it, and I thinks that's amazing, it personally makes me want to wet my pants - and I lived in what was called 'isolation' in France, but it just isn't the same in Canada. I now live in a small (amazingly small) City, but I am right bang smack central to all amenities, we can walk to school, library, supermarket and work - which others on here would hate, but give me the snow in winter and it makes me feel safe.
Lots of people adapt and tolerate the cold quite well (there's even some that like it
). When Lychee said that it depends on your expectations she couldn't be more right. If you want a fun adventure, you will have a blast. Lots of happy stories and epic memories whether or not it becomes your forever home. Your growing family will love it if you do!
Very best of luck
I would however say that Lychee has a damned good way of looking at things. Lychee you always make me think that I wish that I had paged your particular oracle before I came here
But I would still have come, and have many less regrets and am finding my feet, at last.Driving here is nothing like driving in France, I lived there for 15 years before I came here. Now I live in Fredericton - that's where I go geographically, anywhere else is a big plan adventure - you drive for many hours and see absolutely nothing of interest - if I get really lucky (hasn't happened yet, perhaps a moose) other than that, zilch. There's nothing but the next far away inhabited bit, and there isn't much there either.
Isolation is the same too....we are talking on another planet, nothing for miles isolation
We have posters on here who love it, and I thinks that's amazing, it personally makes me want to wet my pants - and I lived in what was called 'isolation' in France, but it just isn't the same in Canada. I now live in a small (amazingly small) City, but I am right bang smack central to all amenities, we can walk to school, library, supermarket and work - which others on here would hate, but give me the snow in winter and it makes me feel safe. Lots of people adapt and tolerate the cold quite well (there's even some that like it
). When Lychee said that it depends on your expectations she couldn't be more right. If you want a fun adventure, you will have a blast. Lots of happy stories and epic memories whether or not it becomes your forever home. Your growing family will love it if you do!Very best of luck
Apr 24th 2015, 5:47 pm
#42
Account Closed
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 0
Re: do we or dont we...........
Or it can be a picnic.
It's all about your attitude. If you come expecting to live how you did in the UK, or if you come with grand expectations, you're going to be miserable. Everything is different - how cities and towns are built and connected, the infrastructure, the architecture, the lack of anything resembling an English village or anything resembling English geography, the public transportation, the lack of trains (trains are almost entirely freight), the lack of cheap airlines, the way people move around cities, the cars they choose to drive, the places where they choose to shop, the items available at the shops and supermarkets (say goodbye to your English eating habits and nostalgic comfort foods), the mainstream foods available to eat, the food on the menus, the TV culture, the sports culture, the lack of English style pubs, the ice hockey chicken wing dominance in pubs and restaurants, the landscape, the length of seasons, the lack of trees, the lack of greenery (which I would argue is a bigger culture shock to somebody from the UK moving to the prairies than you'd expect- it's almost entirely overlooked), the social values, the small talk in public, the lack of sarcasm (don't be sarcastic to people you do my know in Canada), the interactions with neighbours, at the supermarket, the superficial niceties, the expectations of what children learn, how they learn and when... They're are mostly all different. And Canadians don't care how it was done in the UK. You're in their world now. My point is that Canada, but especially Canada's prairies, is a foreign place to somebody expecting a mirror of UK culture.
However, if you go in wth an open mind and avoid comparing all the details in life to how things were in the UK, you will be fine. Expect things to be vastly different. Have low expectations. Don't assume you're going to love it. Treat it as if you were moving to Mongolia or somewhere equally exotic and remote. When you eventually arrive, and you don't have such high expectations, if things start falling into place, you and your family will have a much better time than if you had expected the moon.
It's all about your attitude. If you come expecting to live how you did in the UK, or if you come with grand expectations, you're going to be miserable. Everything is different - how cities and towns are built and connected, the infrastructure, the architecture, the lack of anything resembling an English village or anything resembling English geography, the public transportation, the lack of trains (trains are almost entirely freight), the lack of cheap airlines, the way people move around cities, the cars they choose to drive, the places where they choose to shop, the items available at the shops and supermarkets (say goodbye to your English eating habits and nostalgic comfort foods), the mainstream foods available to eat, the food on the menus, the TV culture, the sports culture, the lack of English style pubs, the ice hockey chicken wing dominance in pubs and restaurants, the landscape, the length of seasons, the lack of trees, the lack of greenery (which I would argue is a bigger culture shock to somebody from the UK moving to the prairies than you'd expect- it's almost entirely overlooked), the social values, the small talk in public, the lack of sarcasm (don't be sarcastic to people you do my know in Canada), the interactions with neighbours, at the supermarket, the superficial niceties, the expectations of what children learn, how they learn and when... They're are mostly all different. And Canadians don't care how it was done in the UK. You're in their world now. My point is that Canada, but especially Canada's prairies, is a foreign place to somebody expecting a mirror of UK culture.
However, if you go in wth an open mind and avoid comparing all the details in life to how things were in the UK, you will be fine. Expect things to be vastly different. Have low expectations. Don't assume you're going to love it. Treat it as if you were moving to Mongolia or somewhere equally exotic and remote. When you eventually arrive, and you don't have such high expectations, if things start falling into place, you and your family will have a much better time than if you had expected the moon.
I agree 100% with everything you say. My post was only with regard to how Saskatoon is quite isolated and driving to the other population centers can be a challenge especially in the winter months.
I do not would want to put the OP off. It just needs to be taken in consideration...(I moved to Moncton ffs
not uhappy here btw) I was just trying to illustrate one of the many challenges that will have to be overcome and you cant compare driving on the Praries to most of Europe.
Apr 24th 2015, 6:08 pm
#44
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Joined: Oct 2007
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 1,371
Re: do we or dont we...........
