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Am I over-judging Canada?

Am I over-judging Canada?

Old Jan 25th 2018, 6:18 pm
  #76  
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

Originally Posted by christmasoompa
Oh, I know all that, it was only a joke and you are a very pleasant chap indeed.
Cheers guys, glad we cleared that up.
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Old Jan 25th 2018, 8:36 pm
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

Phew.... Where's that teacup?
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Old Jan 26th 2018, 12:43 am
  #78  
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

Originally Posted by BristolUK
@ gaz_c2c

So you're housed, heated, fed and connected, no significant transport costs and have at least $1200 a month left.

Sounds pretty good...and going to get better.

(Maybe the pharmacist can have your studio when you leave )
Absolutely BristolUK, what more could a man want, eh?
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Old Jan 27th 2018, 2:12 am
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

OP, when I read your post a few things stood out at me, and that hasn't changed in reading now, what, seven pages of replies to this.

First, it seems many people on here are using rose-coloured glasses to look at the UK, not Canada.

Aside from that, and now focusing on your situation - it is normal for some people to, at some point, simply get sick of university life. Especially if you're on a low post-doc salary and therefore, for the most part, still having to live like a student. Burnout also has a tendency to hit when we don't see it coming. So I would encourage you to examine all sectors of your life and see if it's just teething pains in Canada that's bothering you. That also comes through a bit in your post - fretting over things like overdraft facilities and public transport costs. What fun is migrating, without the cash to enjoy it?

As well - you are in Toronto, which is basically an American rust-belt city supercharged from the corporate/banking flight out of Montreal over the past 50 years. I used to say to my friends - only dull staid Canada could have two of the world's great cities in Vancouver and Montreal, and yet still crown Toronto as Centre of the Universe. Someone said earlier, it wasn't good to compare Manchester to Toronto, and I strongly agree with that; but it's even worse to compare Toronto to New York, London, or Hong Kong, because Toronto isn't those places either, or even close, and will never live up to that as it is far far smaller. Toronto's peer cities are Atlanta, Houston, Dortmund, places like that - not New York and London. So you will have to accept it for what it is and what it is not.

I also think it makes a difference that you have arrived in the dead of winter, and your first trip, when you fell in love with the country, was in summer. The winters aren't going to change very much.

Post-docs aren't forever, so if things don't change, at least that's your light at the end of the tunnel. But I think you are probably going to need to examine your financial options and location for things to improve, and those examinations may lead to some hard choices. Good luck.
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Old Jan 27th 2018, 10:05 am
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

Or, take a post-doc in a country that matters.
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Old Jan 27th 2018, 10:14 pm
  #81  
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

Originally Posted by Oink
Or, take a post-doc in a country that matters.
You're up early, did you wet the bed?
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Old Jan 27th 2018, 10:21 pm
  #82  
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

Originally Posted by Danny B
You're up early, did you wet the bed?
🤣🤣🤣
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Old Jan 29th 2018, 9:15 pm
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

Originally Posted by carcajou

As well - you are in Toronto, which is basically an American rust-belt city supercharged from the corporate/banking flight out of Montreal over the past 50 years. I used to say to my friends - only dull staid Canada could have two of the world's great cities in Vancouver and Montreal, and yet still crown Toronto as Centre of the Universe. Someone said earlier, it wasn't good to compare Manchester to Toronto, and I strongly agree with that; but it's even worse to compare Toronto to New York, London, or Hong Kong, because Toronto isn't those places either, or even close, and will never live up to that as it is far far smaller. Toronto's peer cities are Atlanta, Houston, Dortmund, places like that - not New York and London. So you will have to accept it for what it is and what it is not.
I've always described Toronto to people as being like Manchester but it has several large banks headquartering here.

Even on my last visit to Manchester some years ago (2008ish) my old University building had been knocked down for condo's or apartments as they call them in that part of the world.

I believe Manchester bore the brunt of the last housing market crash when apartments were left empty from overbuilding.

All that being said I really like your post and think that the context is largely accurate when you compare Toronto to those US cities. I think the economic alignment is close.

Toronto does offer a multiculturalism that I think may be beyond Houston, Atalanta and Dortmund although this is not reflected in the ugly architecture.
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Old Feb 2nd 2018, 2:49 pm
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

Originally Posted by Engineer_abroad
god I hate crown corporations
From someone still in the UK, what are they and what's wrong with them?
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Old Feb 2nd 2018, 3:27 pm
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

Originally Posted by OtherDave
From someone still in the UK, what are they and what's wrong with them?
They're quasi-independent, but government owned corporations that often operate as a monopoly. You can probably imagine the issues this can create.

A similar example in the UK would be the Forestry Commission, which is charged with being self funding, so competes with private landowners in the sale of timber, but is largely free from government involvment in day-to-day decision making.

Last edited by Pulaski; Feb 2nd 2018 at 3:31 pm.
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Old Feb 2nd 2018, 3:28 pm
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

They are
DEFINITION of 'Crown Corporation' Any corporation that is established and regulated by a country's state or government. This is the opposite of private companies, which are privately owned, structured and operated to serve the owners of the company. A crown company is commercially owned by the government.
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Old Feb 2nd 2018, 3:55 pm
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

Originally Posted by OtherDave
From someone still in the UK, what are they and what's wrong with them?
Brighton to Montreal?

You might notice a slight difference..............
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Old Feb 2nd 2018, 4:43 pm
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

Originally Posted by Souvy
Brighton to Montreal?

You might notice a slight difference..............
Ya think. I don't think Brighton has the Mafia running the construction business but I could be wrong. No language police in Brighton checking that store signs meet the bilingual provisions. I don't think Brighton has a Rue Ste.-Catherine nor poutine. One wonders if Brighton has kamikaze type taxi drivers and less aggressive drivers than Montreal.

Definitely gonna be a culture shock and the way different things are done thats for sure.

Shall we have a pool how long before Moving Back To The UK Thread
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Old Feb 2nd 2018, 4:48 pm
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

Originally Posted by OtherDave
From someone still in the UK, what are they and what's wrong with them?
Government owned companies. Think Network rail/Post Office/Ordnance Survey. In Canada's case it's most obvious in things like the Provincial owned vehicle insurance monopolies (where applicable), CBC (BBC equivalent), Via Rail, etc.

Some people might have a philosophical problem with government owning anything, but most objections are to the specific service (like Canada Post. If I'm sitting at home, and watch through the window as the mailman walks up the path, and drops into my letterbox a pre-filled 'sorry you weren't in, here's where to get your parcel' card, that does NOT count as a 'failed delivery attempt'!).
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Old Feb 2nd 2018, 4:54 pm
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Default Re: Am I over-judging Canada?

Originally Posted by Vulcanoid
Government owned companies. Think Network rail/Post Office/Ordnance Survey. In Canada's case it's most obvious in things like the Provincial owned vehicle insurance monopolies (where applicable), CBC (BBC equivalent), Via Rail, etc.

Some people might have a philosophical problem with government owning anything, most objections are to the specific service (like Canada Post. If I'm sitting at home, and watch through the window as the mailman walks up the path, and drops into my letterbox a pre-filled 'sorry you weren't in, here's where to get your parcel' card, that does NOT count as a 'failed delivery attempt'!).
That still happens a great deal here, despite Royal Mail being a privately owned company now. I use to have to open the door when I saw the postie so he wouldnt just fob me off with one of those cards!!! It was infuriating.
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