cheeky_monkey

I have just come back from 2 weeks in England..and i found that i didn't really enjoy it and found myself sin above sin looking forward to coming back to Canada..i put it down to the weather and the constant rain and wind and i had forgotten how i hate getting soaked when you dont have a brolly!

Or maybe i am going mental and my brain is slowing getting used to all the wrongness of Canada that some how it has become right?..anyone else had a similar experience?

FlyingDutchman6666

I believe it's called 'going native'

ninaDGBCA

you are not going mental. We've just come back from 2.5 weeks in Manchester and it was 2.5 weeks of solid rain
I still miss certain things, mainly family and friends and we did have a lovely time but the weather was utterly atrocious. And when my friend told me she was going to pay $ 130 for a family of 4 just to let the kids play a bit in the snow and go sledging (Chill factor-indoor snow hill ) I found myself thinking "I am lucky to live over here". Though it made me feel like I was going mental.
I'd say all the rain must have "brain-washed" me

ExKiwilass

I think Canada re-wires the brain. I came back from a month in NZ and decided I never want to live there again

iaink

Yes. For me, its nice to visit the UK, but its nice to come "home" after. I guess its almost a form of culture shock... its the assimilation process creeping up on you.

I too hate the rain, Id rather it was -10 and snowing than +5 and raining.

christmasoompa

Can't say I blame you at all, it's been crappy weather for the past month.

Come back in March when we've got lovely sunshine and spring flowers out everywhere whilst Calgary is still barren, and then maybe it'll be different.

ninaDGBCA

And then again in July when it'll rain again whilst the Ontarions sunbath and enjoy the beaches

The weather, especially the rain definitely did make it easier to return to Canada. Had it been lovely snowy winter wonderland and bright blue skies I might have stayed over there.

Steve_

Can't say I've had that experience, I loath going to the UK. It's nice to see some of my old friends again but that's about it. Too crowded, everything costs a fortune, traffic barely moves. It's easier to go to Vancouver for that.

What I hate is when someone says: "Oh let's go and visit X." And I think, oooh, that sounds like something I couldn't do at home, so get in the car, sat in traffic jam, get there, overcast and/or pissing with rain, get back in car, more traffic,

Last time I went I was almost at the point of clawing at the gate to let me on the plane, never been so relieved to leave somewhere.

iaink

I found traffic to move really well last time I was over. Average speed cameras in the roadworks kept everything moving smoothly.

It did seem expensive, attractions, and eating out as a family in particular, but there is no substitute for a few pints with old friends and family, and there is nothing at all like say Warwick Castle for the kids to experience here.... But it doesnt feel like home, people rush so much and seemed pretty rude and self involved as a rule.

Kind of like visiting Toronto in that respect

Steve_

They are more efficient though, I had to phone someone in the UK a few hours ago and I could barely keep up with her she was talking so fast. Everything in Alberta seems to move at half the speed of the UK. They're a bit more efficient in the US and Vancouver though. Perhaps this is the nature of more traffic, you have less time to do things so you have to do it faster.

Also the UK is too noisy, OMG. I can barely sleep when I'm there. Traffic, jets, sirens, loud music, etc.

Not hard to see why life expectancy is higher in Calgary. People weren't designed to rush about like they do in the UK.

ninaDGBCA

I found people a lot friendlier over there than here. That's one thing I love when going back that people take themselves less serious and not everyone pretends to be important, most say please and thank you. The traffic was not too bad and it's great to see some historical sites but I found that the prices went up dramatically from when we moved 3 years ago. Even from our visit in 2011. Also that North Manchester looked even more run down than before with even more closed shops, pawn shops, poundlands and chavs

Oink

The only thing that shocks me coming back here is that Vancouver doesn't have a congestion charge for vehicles. Its a wonder how it copes at times.

Former Lancastrian

Shhh if you ever elect an NDP Govt in BC it may become a reality

christmasoompa

Weird, I'd say the opposite! As a family of 4, we can regularly eat out for £20-25 in the UK (in a proper restaurant obviously, not somewhere like McDonalds!), but nowhere close to that amount in Canada.

You might want to try sleeping in that newfangled thing we call 'countryside'. Noisiest thing I get at night are the owls!

iaink

2 Medium pepperoni pizzas and 2 cans of pop = $13.50 With leftovers for dinner I can tell you dont live anywhere near the Bullfrogs we have in the reach near us! Cant leave the windows open in the summer, but then again with A-C why would you