Alan2005

But Kiwilass is right. 2nd generation immigrants don't have any problem with English (it's certainly true in the UK, and I can't see why it would be different here). Living in an area with a visibly dominant ethnic group doesn't mean they can't speak English and I would guess that the majority are bi-lingual.

lmartin999

You don't see your statement as being the worst kind of insulting racial stereotyping?

Lord Vader

30 years ago I would agree and in smaller cities and towns I would agree. In larger places, especially amoung the more populous immigrant groups, english within their own communities is less imprortant. Of course there are many exceptions, but I bet many kids of immigrant parents could go weeks without hearing english. Schools teaching in the "home" languages are growing. I think there is more pressure on the second and third generations to cling to the home culture of the first generation.

Multiculturalism reinforces pigeon holing. "You are a this, or you are a that". Personally I hate that. The ticket to cohesiveness begins with language. "We must fight as one". Lack of communication leads to the seperation of those that can only communicate with others of the same group.

Almost Canadian

What would you have her say instead? I didn't find it insulting or offensive at all. Or no more insulting than if someone said that all French like striking.

dgjamison

I did'nt mean they did'nt speak english!! as a matter of fact most of the young people I saw all spoke english (with a canadian accent) that was not a problem and they are very polite. If they passed you on the street a lot of them nodded and smiled as they passed. What I did notice was very VERY few were with other nationalities, just their own race, I would love to see more mingle with other nationalities, now please I am not saying they were all the same but the majority were imo

ExKiwilass

Really? I see no evidence of that here.

ExKiwilass

Okay, I'll give you this. But, this is easy to rectify by picking areas that aren't predominantly one ethnic group. E.g. where I live it's mixed with no one group predominating and there's a great community around the school and in the area. But there are parts of East Van I wouldn't live because I think I'd be lonely, honestly. The same goes for some 'burbs, etc.

But I still think we're dealing with v. recent immigration in most cases. Something like 40% of people in Van are foreign born. So, give it a generation and I bet there's way more intermingling and intermarriage. There already seems to be quite a few Asian/euro couples and eurasian babies. So it's happening.

dgjamison

Yeh I agree, and it's lovely to see a group of young people of all kinds of nationalities together. I have to say I find the asian kids when out having coffee, a meal ect: quietly sit and talk together, while in N. Ireland and I suppose the UK when you get a group of kids together a lot of them are so loud (again I am generalising and not all ae like this) and have to have booze in order to enjoy themselves. Suppose this is why we are known as a race of larger louts. It was'nt always like that. I too have noticed more intermarriages as well, which is good sorry for rambling

PaulOK

I agree with this statement 100%

Good luck with your move back to the UK 'Squiddgelalert' and well done for at least trying. If I had your experiences with your multiple job losses, CIC and LMO refusals then I would feel very much like you.

When are you returning to the UK BTW?

dgjamison

too true, we have decided to move back ourselves, although our situation is different, we left it too late to return to canada, (we returned after 26 years)
and things have moved too much for us, we don't work and have found it hard to meet friends, but we needed to do this and my one regret is, we did'nt come back years ago while by kids were still young. Now i miss my kids and grandkids, and though I really don't relish the idea of returning to UK, after weighing the pros and cons, for us, family is too important to miss out spending any more time with them ,wish I could put the clock back, my husband had a great job here, we had a good life, so I would never rubbish Canada. We had a good life at home too, but loved the quality of life here better for the kids in those days. I agree good luck to you it is soul destroying to keep getting knocked back for work, hope all works out for you all

backhomeagain

Hy paul
Thanks for your words!

If I dont get recalled back to my last firm in Calgary before end of September, then the next step will be booking our flights out of here, back to the UK.

Real beer festivals, sunday lunches in your local without waitresses hovering over you every ten minutes, no more "awsomes", "or good job" or "does it work for you" comments which are slowly driving me scatty. And riding our motorbikes up the A1 to Norfolk on a Sunday afternoon to eat fresh lobster and giant prawns by the sea and washed down with real ale.

Have an evening tea and a wander through the Norfolk hills followed by a slow ride back to sanity

Steve

Suddenly life is so much better

DigitalGhost

You know, when you put it like that, Britain does sound 'awesome'.

sarah75

Just thought I would randomly join in, not really sure which quote to reply to, but just want to mention that I live in the South of England, and love the community, the people and schools. We have our visas through for Canada and shall be coming over some time this year, but will be renting our home out, just in case we need to come back. I am quite hopeful, But always believe its what you make it, (of course money always helps). If anyone is thinking of coming back to the UK have a trip first, it is terribly competitive in the job market at the moment, I should know, my back ground was until recently HR/Recruitment, (now at home with children). Houses are extremely expensive, and everything is taxed, and dont forget if you want to drive 15 miles along the motorway, it will take you an hour in the traffic on a good day. Saying that, I am very happy here, and also hoping to be happy in Canada too.

el_richo

The proceeds from selling/purchasing a second hand car privately does not involve tax

I also drove about 50 miles at the weekend along the M3, M25, and M1 in less than 1 hour.

Martian75

I am also from the South of England, Hampshire as well. We also have a great life where we live, great friends and family and on the whole the community is lovely. Your story sounds very similar to ours, we are coming to Canada in April and are going to rent our house in the UK as a back-up, we are not going with rose-tinted glasses but are also not going hoping to live as we do here in Canada, we understand that it is a different way of life and are prepared to embrace that.
Whereabouts are you from and going to?

As for people moving back to the UK then I agree with you,sarah, houses have gone ridiculous and jobs are hard to find although things do seem to be improving. As for the traffic, well I spend an hour most weeks travelling 4 miles up the road. Our choice to leave the UK is a variety of things, we have a good life here however, we have become very dis-illusioned with the way the UK is run, the latest madness is the new tax on our home telephone line!! We are fed up with some of our taxes paying for the 'can't be arsed, i'll sit at home all day and have more kids whilst someone else pays for me' or the 'I know I'll have a baby at 16 instead of getting a job/going to college so that I'll be given a place to live' culture that we seem to be be breeding on a daily basis! We see a great country being ruined more and more each day by the men in suits who call themselves our Government and with an election round the corner can only see yet another party getting in who promise the earth but cannot actually deliver. We need someone with some balls who will let Britain stay Britain, not give the can't be arsed such an easy ride and not be afraid to say that 'anyone is more than welcome in our country but you must live by our way of life and accept our rules and regs' exactly like other countries do and are respected for! Anyway thats another rant.
Our main reason for leaving is because of the opportunity being given and the major worry of looking back and thinking 'what if'. Opportunities don't come along everyday during a lifetime, we have been given one and are going to grab it with both hands. You only live once! We are looking forward to our move and hope it will work out for us and hope we are making a good decision for our children as well. Britain is letting our youth down badly.