JamesM

The bucket might be a different colour. The stuff in it is the same.

jock_mcbile

Look, Canadians are the most introverted in the English-speaking. The UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa...all are extroverted by nature. Canada is the outlier. It isn't surprising this creates quite a bit of culture shock. In temperament, Canadians are more similar to the Swiss or the Swedes, and doubtless you probably find those countries boring as well.

The introversion also means it is more difficult to connect with people, so newcomers need to make a bit more of an effort. Not everyone is up to going that extra mile, which is fine. But it's not necessary to slag off a more reserved culture just because it is different from your own.

Oink

I lived in NYC but I found it too hot, too cold and too noisy. DC is not a bad place to live apart from the obvious scar of racial divide and the naffing tourists. The best thing about the US is being able to sit on a warm and sunny beach in the winter fairly cheaply and being able to buy beer and wine at a petrol station.

Novocastrian

That's it in a nutshell. You can of course affordably go to a "resort" in Cuba, Mexico or even Costa Rica where the cultures are rather different, but you'll likely not experience them if you're a Canadian.

Nah, I'm here for the pool and the rum.

Alan2005

You don't come to Vancouver for the culture. That's crazy.

You come for the scenery which is actually really quite nice.

Novocastrian

I found it to be rather oppressive.

jock_mcbile

By accident of birth, you were born in a country a stone's throw away from about 30 other countries. By accident of birth, Canadians weren't. And I don't know who you've been meeting but nearly every youngish, educated Canadian I've ever met has done at least one Europe trip, and quite a few to the Far East and/or South America. No gap years in Canada so major travelling tends to occur more in late-20s and 30s as opposed to early-20s like Brits.

Siouxie

If you liked the US so much, why did you come to Canada? Could you not get a work permit for the US instead?

I personally know of more than half a dozen people, in their 20's to early 30's, who have travelled extensively outside of Canada. Two went to live in Australia for a year; one continued on and travelled around the Far East on the way back, the other one went onto New Zealand for a few weeks. Another has just come back from backpacking around Europe - for the 3rd time. My Canadian step-daughter toured the UK and Europe staying at hostels and catching trains; 3 years ago she went to Costa Rica and worked volunteering at a rain forest reserve. My step-son also went to Australia, Hong Kong, then on a separate trip took in Europe including the Greek Isles. None of them consider going on weekend trips to the US as 'travelling' - more a weekend jaunt.

I have to wonder what's behind you wanting to join a forum about Canada just to complain at how much you dislike the people, the country and to denigrate just about every aspect.

Former Lancastrian

I just did a quick bit of Googling and this might surprise some.
I think we can all agree that Winnipeg is the geographical centre of Canada.
If we just use England most would say Birmingham is the centre.
I decided to use a flight time of 4 hours non stop from each airport.
So how many countries do you think you could fly to from each airport on the assumption that those airports flew there?

Have a guess first then use the links to see how close you were

Distance and Flight Duration Time from Winnipeg, Canada

Distance and Flight Duration Time from Birmingham (UK), UK

Don't even ask what flights cost from each respective country

jock_mcbile

Not to be pedantic but the geographical centre of Canada would actually somewhere in Nunavut

Siouxie

Indeed - apparently..The centre of controversy: Where is Canada's middle? - Macleans.ca

Christopher Storie, president of the Canadian Cartographic Association, uses Atlas of Canada coordinates to find the extreme tips of the country, enters them in an algorithm that creates an elipse, then finds the cross point of its axes

"... He determines the centre of the country is actually about 275 km southwest of Baker Lake, on the barren shores of a water body called Yathkyed Lake... "



Distance and Flight Duration Time from Baker Lake, Canada

scrubbedexpat091

My wife traveled quite often in her younger days. Spent most of her summers in her first 14 years in Europe visiting the grandparents, when they died, the summer visits stopped.

But she also spent 1 year in Brazil on an educational exchange in 11th grade, has been to the UK 4 or 5 times, most recent was in 2010.

She also lived and went to school in NY for a year.

I think that is most of her travels, will ask her when she gets home.

Her brother extensively traveled as well, but instead of Brazil and UK he did most travels in Asia.

But then I also Canadian's who have never gone any further then whatever state happens to border their province, and one girl my wife works with is 26 and hasn't even ever crossed into the US let alone any other country, and finds Vancouver too scary, so doubt she will even leave this small town for much in her life.


Some Canadians travel, and some don't, just like any other country will have some people who do and some who don't.

Biggest thing is people from UK and Europe who say North American's don't travel outside of the continent enough need to realize is North America is not close to the rest of the world, we can't hop on a cheap flight for 2 hours and end up in a country with far different culture and sights, 2 hours from Vancouver and you can get about as far as San Francisco if even that far.

If you wan't to stay in Canada, 2 hours gets you to where, Regina?

And it's not nearly as cheap to fly within North America as it is in Europe, and especially so in Canada where airfares tend to be insanely high.


Now think of the general lack of time off Canadian's tend to have, and the only way a European trip is possible really is to take your entire 10 days off (assuming the employer is only giving what they are required to give.) at once, but people have other commitments in the year they need time off for, so may not be able to take the entire 10 days off, add in the travel days, and reality those 10 days are really only a 5-6 day visit.

Former Lancastrian

True but the answer remains the same or adds one country from that location.

jock_mcbile

Canada's minimum 2-week paid leave (minimum 3 weeks in Saskatchewan) is a disgrace and completely out of step with every other advanced country except the US, where, believe it or not, there is ZERO legal minimum - a US employer can technically offer its employees no paid vacation. Apparently this is one of the issues Obama is said to want to tackle now in his final year.

Haylee32

Seattle, New York, San Fran, LA, Boston, Chicago, NY, New Orleans, these cities are all different, they represent different mentalities and each one of them has something very unique to offer.
Yes they are all cities but that's like saying it's not worth going to Paris when you live in London cos "it's all the same"