Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
Feb 6th 2017, 6:23 pm
#16
Dichotomus tinker
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 6,678
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
Thank you for everyone replying with helpful and understanding advice. Emigrating as a grown up has turned out to be a much more anxious experience which many more barriers to my usual thought process than I was expecting
Apologies to those who read me attacking their country/themselves/someone they know - I didn't mean to do anything to earn the "Cope/Stop whinging" replies.
Apologies to those who read me attacking their country/themselves/someone they know - I didn't mean to do anything to earn the "Cope/Stop whinging" replies.
Keep calm & carry on, you'll be fine
Spoken by someone that has been in Canada 50 years, others on BE with the same thoughts
Feb 6th 2017, 6:24 pm
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 267
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
In our family (UK) parlance, we used to describe steak and kidney pie as "steak and kiddly" (yeah, I know, we are weird).
My wife asked "what is kiddly?"
I said "duh, kidney"
she did not believe me. Completely refused to countenance it.
My wife asked "what is kiddly?"
I said "duh, kidney"
she did not believe me. Completely refused to countenance it.
Feb 6th 2017, 6:31 pm
#18
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 267
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
Some things in Canada I find are opaque bordering on cheeky (being a complete ar$ehole if a restaurant customer does not tip 15% of the bill) etc. Sales taxes, sneaky additional fees added here there and everywhere (e.g. having to pay $130 to use the elevator to move into our apartment).
However, overwhelmingly, I find Canada to be convenient. I believe they invest heavily in making life easy. For example major railway stations in the UK so badly designed that they have no drop-off facilities in front (possibly changed in order to thwart terrorist threat). In Canada even very small stations have a designated waiting area, turning circle etc. Everything designed not to thwart individuals but to make life convenient.
Perhaps examples badly chosen but I do find annoyances in Canada to be fewer than in the UK.
However, overwhelmingly, I find Canada to be convenient. I believe they invest heavily in making life easy. For example major railway stations in the UK so badly designed that they have no drop-off facilities in front (possibly changed in order to thwart terrorist threat). In Canada even very small stations have a designated waiting area, turning circle etc. Everything designed not to thwart individuals but to make life convenient.
Perhaps examples badly chosen but I do find annoyances in Canada to be fewer than in the UK.
Feb 6th 2017, 6:31 pm
#19
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2012
Location: Qc, Canada
Posts: 3,787
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
I'm going to take the OP in the spirit I think it was intended (just a bit of a rant).
It's different. And a huge learning curve. Just because we speak the same language (officially), doesn't mean that things function the same way as the uk.
(- 2 weeks to register with a GP? Try (well) over 3 years... and that only happened because I had a very sick baby who ended up in hospital & needed follow up care/monitoring.)
It's different. And a huge learning curve. Just because we speak the same language (officially), doesn't mean that things function the same way as the uk.
(- 2 weeks to register with a GP? Try (well) over 3 years... and that only happened because I had a very sick baby who ended up in hospital & needed follow up care/monitoring.)
Feb 6th 2017, 6:31 pm
#20
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
Its because Visa debit as far as I know is not a thing in Canada for brick and mortar stores and transactuons are processed as Interac debit.
And online at Canadian companies they need to specifically accept Visa debit ad accepting Visa alone isnt good enough.
They work well on US websites though as well as in US stores but are not too useful in Canada.
And online at Canadian companies they need to specifically accept Visa debit ad accepting Visa alone isnt good enough.
They work well on US websites though as well as in US stores but are not too useful in Canada.
Canadians just don't realise that they eat every part of an animal...
Probably more parts of an animal than 'we' do in Britain.
See also T&T Chinese supermarkets....
Scotiabank issues Visa Debit cards and have done for about 2 years.
It's just that no payment systems seem to recognise them as Visa Debit cards....
Probably more parts of an animal than 'we' do in Britain.
See also T&T Chinese supermarkets....
Scotiabank issues Visa Debit cards and have done for about 2 years.
It's just that no payment systems seem to recognise them as Visa Debit cards....
Feb 6th 2017, 6:36 pm
#21
Dichotomus tinker
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 6,678
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
Feb 6th 2017, 6:38 pm
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 267
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
ATMs that do not charge - major plus for the UK. (some rumbles that this is about to be scrapped or chipped away at somehow, which would be a terrible shame as the current system works (and puts others to shame))
Feb 6th 2017, 6:38 pm
#23
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2012
Location: Qc, Canada
Posts: 3,787
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
Thank you for everyone replying with helpful and understanding advice. Emigrating as a grown up has turned out to be a much more anxious experience which many more barriers to my usual thought process than I was expecting
Apologies to those who read me attacking their country/themselves/someone they know - I didn't mean to do anything to earn the "Cope/Stop whinging" replies.
Apologies to those who read me attacking their country/themselves/someone they know - I didn't mean to do anything to earn the "Cope/Stop whinging" replies.
. I'm probably one of the major whingers there
Feb 6th 2017, 6:47 pm
#24
Dichotomus tinker
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 6,678
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
agree, and even after being here 'donkeys years' many of us whinge about everything in Canada, its a Canadian pastime, 'you name it, folks in Canada will moan about it', even if its 100% perfect.
Life isn't worth living without a good moan
Feb 6th 2017, 8:12 pm
#25
.
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 20,185
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
Afternoon Guys!
This might be kind of a rant, but I don't really know if I'm being homesick and being unreasonable. I guess just looking for a "We thought this was weird too!" from some guys... Or at least a "It's just temporary, you've not turned into a grump in Canada".
I moved over here in December and I've been getting hit every few days with something I think is "weird" in how the country works and I just wanted to ask if it's me or if the country really does have badly designed systems.
For instance -
I need to go to work every day on the Go train here in Ontario. You swipe your Presto card on (like Oyster) and off. Unless they set you up with a favourite trip in which case you just swipe on. But if you use the buses or subway its just a swipe on. Unless it's a go bus incase you swipe on AND off. If you need to swipe off there is no turn styles or "reminders" that you need to it, you just get a charge, but if you need to set off from your usual station you need to "Override" your trip to do it properly. (This all makes sense to me now, but it's something you kind of just have to "know" it seems - at first i had no idea what was happening, especially with buses).
I was given a "Debit Card" for shops, but a "Virtual Visa" for online as the Debit card isn't a visa. But the "Virtual Visa" is a visa debit and very few places actually accept Visa debit... and I can't get any sort of Visa Credit without it actually being a credit card (you can't just have a Visa card, linked to your account, that works everywhere online - why?)
Got a mobile phone over here (Wind/Freedom Mobile) because they were cheapest (at $40/month compared to a tenner a month on GiffGaff), and their coverage seems to be everywhere I actually live or travel. However even with full signal you don't get any data at peek times - no government intervention to make them warn you about that, it's just something you need to know. I've switched to Bell and I'm now paying $90 for what I got in the UK for a tenner.
There is no delivery option for groceries so if you don't drive you're kind of stuck with whatever you can get close-by. Grocery bills seem to more than double at somewhere like Loblaws than somewhere like Freshco - It's an even bigger difference than the difference between shopping in Peterborough or in the centre of London, even when trying to keep to cheapest branded product.
I spent 2 weeks trying to register at a Doctor. There was no where to look up Doctors accepting new registration and the systems over here just kept telling me to "Call around". After 2 weeks someone suggested I try a Walk-in clinic, I didn't know until then that you can just walk into a doctor that has never seen you before...? Why do you need to register if this is the case? And if this the way everyone works, why is anyone registered anywhere (and how did they do it if everywhere is consistently full...?)
Those are just some of the things from the top of my head. How do I get past the comparisons to the UK? Do I just hold on tight and hope eventually I know what's going to hit me in the wallet before it happens... or do all Canadians keep getting smacked by weird systems they've never used before?
Anyway, thanks for listening!
Graeme
This might be kind of a rant, but I don't really know if I'm being homesick and being unreasonable. I guess just looking for a "We thought this was weird too!" from some guys... Or at least a "It's just temporary, you've not turned into a grump in Canada".
I moved over here in December and I've been getting hit every few days with something I think is "weird" in how the country works and I just wanted to ask if it's me or if the country really does have badly designed systems.
For instance -
I need to go to work every day on the Go train here in Ontario. You swipe your Presto card on (like Oyster) and off. Unless they set you up with a favourite trip in which case you just swipe on. But if you use the buses or subway its just a swipe on. Unless it's a go bus incase you swipe on AND off. If you need to swipe off there is no turn styles or "reminders" that you need to it, you just get a charge, but if you need to set off from your usual station you need to "Override" your trip to do it properly. (This all makes sense to me now, but it's something you kind of just have to "know" it seems - at first i had no idea what was happening, especially with buses).
I was given a "Debit Card" for shops, but a "Virtual Visa" for online as the Debit card isn't a visa. But the "Virtual Visa" is a visa debit and very few places actually accept Visa debit... and I can't get any sort of Visa Credit without it actually being a credit card (you can't just have a Visa card, linked to your account, that works everywhere online - why?)
Got a mobile phone over here (Wind/Freedom Mobile) because they were cheapest (at $40/month compared to a tenner a month on GiffGaff), and their coverage seems to be everywhere I actually live or travel. However even with full signal you don't get any data at peek times - no government intervention to make them warn you about that, it's just something you need to know. I've switched to Bell and I'm now paying $90 for what I got in the UK for a tenner.
There is no delivery option for groceries so if you don't drive you're kind of stuck with whatever you can get close-by. Grocery bills seem to more than double at somewhere like Loblaws than somewhere like Freshco - It's an even bigger difference than the difference between shopping in Peterborough or in the centre of London, even when trying to keep to cheapest branded product.
I spent 2 weeks trying to register at a Doctor. There was no where to look up Doctors accepting new registration and the systems over here just kept telling me to "Call around". After 2 weeks someone suggested I try a Walk-in clinic, I didn't know until then that you can just walk into a doctor that has never seen you before...? Why do you need to register if this is the case? And if this the way everyone works, why is anyone registered anywhere (and how did they do it if everywhere is consistently full...?)
Those are just some of the things from the top of my head. How do I get past the comparisons to the UK? Do I just hold on tight and hope eventually I know what's going to hit me in the wallet before it happens... or do all Canadians keep getting smacked by weird systems they've never used before?
Anyway, thanks for listening!
Graeme
Feb 6th 2017, 9:02 pm
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2013
Location: Washington State
Posts: 189
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
not2old.
Tried to reply to your PM but would not let me send it! Doing fine; just super anxious to go home! Recce in Sept and then apply for spouse visa as soon as I get back. Trying to be patient, lol. Only thing holding us back is trying to pay off our cc before we go!
Lovely to hear from you; take care!
Tried to reply to your PM but would not let me send it! Doing fine; just super anxious to go home! Recce in Sept and then apply for spouse visa as soon as I get back. Trying to be patient, lol. Only thing holding us back is trying to pay off our cc before we go!
Lovely to hear from you; take care!
Feb 6th 2017, 10:24 pm
#28
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,730
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
Feb 6th 2017, 10:36 pm
#29
Still alive
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 28,994
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
In our house growing up it was snakes & pygmies pie.
Feb 6th 2017, 10:40 pm
#30
Dive Bar Drunk
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Toronto
Posts: 8,648
Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
Graeme.
Welcome to Canada! It has taken you just a month to understand that Canada lags most other Western countries by 10 to 20 years depending on the industry.
I tried purchasing a Presto Card in December because I was fed up with speaking to people employed by the TTC but struggled to get as far as you did with the tap on tap off bollocks. I am now back trying to figure out why you can buy a single ticket with a debit card at a street car stop but can only do that with cash at a station???
Just on Saturday I handed over $10 cash and rather than the TTC Operative giving me change and a ticket I was given $10 broken down. I then had to count out $3.25 in front of her and put the cash into a box from 1933 and then take a ticket.
You are not ranting you are now in a country that sits one above communism. In time you will get used to the backwardness and inefficiencies caused by a lack of competition, state interference and non-existent productivity in the workplace.
It'll end after about 4 years the problem is by then you will be part of the system and not capable of functioning anywhere else.
Welcome to Canada! It has taken you just a month to understand that Canada lags most other Western countries by 10 to 20 years depending on the industry.
I tried purchasing a Presto Card in December because I was fed up with speaking to people employed by the TTC but struggled to get as far as you did with the tap on tap off bollocks. I am now back trying to figure out why you can buy a single ticket with a debit card at a street car stop but can only do that with cash at a station???
Just on Saturday I handed over $10 cash and rather than the TTC Operative giving me change and a ticket I was given $10 broken down. I then had to count out $3.25 in front of her and put the cash into a box from 1933 and then take a ticket.
You are not ranting you are now in a country that sits one above communism. In time you will get used to the backwardness and inefficiencies caused by a lack of competition, state interference and non-existent productivity in the workplace.
It'll end after about 4 years the problem is by then you will be part of the system and not capable of functioning anywhere else.
