Canadian considering move to England — are my impressions realistic?
Nov 12th 2011, 11:55 pm
#166
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
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Re: Canadian considering move to England — are my impressions realistic?
No one did. The statement was (roughly speaking) "If you appreciate history, architecture and culture, you'll be better off in Europe than in North America".
Nov 13th 2011, 1:24 am
#167
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Re: Canadian considering move to England — are my impressions realistic?
Nov 13th 2011, 5:25 am
#168
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Nov 13th 2011, 10:09 pm
#169
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Re: Canadian considering move to England — are my impressions realistic?
"the suburbs are better in England than in north america..."
"mind you, the cores of the cities in England are more interesting places historically, architecturally and culturally than the cities of north america..."
I was merely pointing out that there are many exceptions to those.
Last edited by MarylandNed; Nov 14th 2011 at 12:07 am.
Nov 14th 2011, 3:04 am
#170
Banned
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Posts: 1,088
Re: Canadian considering move to England — are my impressions realistic?
I'm with maryandned.....there are as many drab places as goog in the uk....there may be more culture in the uk, but sadly not a great deal in the Brits
Nov 14th 2011, 3:39 am
#171
Dive Bar Drunk
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Re: Canadian considering move to England — are my impressions realistic?
How many curries do you have in a typical month?
Nov 14th 2011, 3:39 am
#172
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Re: Canadian considering move to England — are my impressions realistic?
Nov 14th 2011, 11:58 am
#173
.........................
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Posts: 1,615
Re: Canadian considering move to England — are my impressions realistic?
True - but who said my analysis was based purely on opinion? Statistics exist on many things such as unemployment, healthcare, life expectancy, crime, median income, recreational opportunities, education, etc for those who want to do a more scientific analysis. However, in the real world, it's not always necessary to turn to statistical analysis to find out whether you live somewhere that's a shithole compared to somewhere else. Such places exist on both sides of the Atlantic.
I will add though that I have lived in what some people would call crappy areas & still had a great time. All depends what is most important to the individual at that time. Doesn't mean I would rush to go back there decades later.
What is important to me now is very different to what was important to me at 21. Then, what was most important was experiencing different things within a relatively short time & within a relatively convenient distance.
Last edited by Bali2010; Nov 14th 2011 at 12:54 pm. Reason: sp!
Nov 14th 2011, 12:11 pm
#174
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Re: Canadian considering move to England — are my impressions realistic?
As someone preparing to move in the opposite direction (London > Toronto), I find the original poster's complaints really interesting. Not least because, give or take the architecture, I don't think there sounds a whole lot of difference between how Canada and the UK are being described!
Much as I'm going into our move refusing to believe that Canada is some sort of nirvana, a utopia where we'll travel to work on unicorns and slide home down rainbows, I think anyone moving in the opposite direction really shouldn't look to the UK as being likely to solve too many of the issues you're talking about. There's as big a celebrity culture here as anywhere and it grows by the ever-increasing satellite channel. Brits, generally, are more likely to sit around in the pub discussing what they thought of Frankie on X Factor, than they are the merits of Chaucer. My 34 years' of experience is that they're also a damned site less friendly and articulate than the Canadians I've met!
All that said, I wouldn't discourage a move in either direction. No matter where you're from, I think the world is a big and interesting place and while countries across the western world will hold several similarities, there will be new and exciting differences to uncover wherever you go.
Strikes me that you often tend to get two camps, however; those who say 'I don't know why you want to move to Canada' and those who say 'I don't know why you want to move to the UK'. As if one NEEDS to be better or justified against the other?! My view is that each will have things that you like and each will have things you intensely dislike. It's the move itself, the exploration, the constant discovery...that's where I think most people can really benefit and develop as individuals.
I'd encourage the op to move to the UK, sure. But not because it will necessarily be 'better' than the things he doesn't like about the UK, but because there's a great big world that will offer you different perspectives on life. And that's what (for me) it's all about, really.
Much as I'm going into our move refusing to believe that Canada is some sort of nirvana, a utopia where we'll travel to work on unicorns and slide home down rainbows, I think anyone moving in the opposite direction really shouldn't look to the UK as being likely to solve too many of the issues you're talking about. There's as big a celebrity culture here as anywhere and it grows by the ever-increasing satellite channel. Brits, generally, are more likely to sit around in the pub discussing what they thought of Frankie on X Factor, than they are the merits of Chaucer. My 34 years' of experience is that they're also a damned site less friendly and articulate than the Canadians I've met!
All that said, I wouldn't discourage a move in either direction. No matter where you're from, I think the world is a big and interesting place and while countries across the western world will hold several similarities, there will be new and exciting differences to uncover wherever you go.
Strikes me that you often tend to get two camps, however; those who say 'I don't know why you want to move to Canada' and those who say 'I don't know why you want to move to the UK'. As if one NEEDS to be better or justified against the other?! My view is that each will have things that you like and each will have things you intensely dislike. It's the move itself, the exploration, the constant discovery...that's where I think most people can really benefit and develop as individuals.
I'd encourage the op to move to the UK, sure. But not because it will necessarily be 'better' than the things he doesn't like about the UK, but because there's a great big world that will offer you different perspectives on life. And that's what (for me) it's all about, really.
Nov 14th 2011, 1:33 pm
#175
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Re: Canadian considering move to England — are my impressions realistic?
As someone preparing to move in the opposite direction (London > Toronto), I find the original poster's complaints really interesting. Not least because, give or take the architecture, I don't think there sounds a whole lot of difference between how Canada and the UK are being described!
Much as I'm going into our move refusing to believe that Canada is some sort of nirvana, a utopia where we'll travel to work on unicorns and slide home down rainbows, I think anyone moving in the opposite direction really shouldn't look to the UK as being likely to solve too many of the issues you're talking about. There's as big a celebrity culture here as anywhere and it grows by the ever-increasing satellite channel. Brits, generally, are more likely to sit around in the pub discussing what they thought of Frankie on X Factor, than they are the merits of Chaucer. My 34 years' of experience is that they're also a damned site less friendly and articulate than the Canadians I've met!
All that said, I wouldn't discourage a move in either direction. No matter where you're from, I think the world is a big and interesting place and while countries across the western world will hold several similarities, there will be new and exciting differences to uncover wherever you go.
Strikes me that you often tend to get two camps, however; those who say 'I don't know why you want to move to Canada' and those who say 'I don't know why you want to move to the UK'. As if one NEEDS to be better or justified against the other?! My view is that each will have things that you like and each will have things you intensely dislike. It's the move itself, the exploration, the constant discovery...that's where I think most people can really benefit and develop as individuals.
I'd encourage the op to move to the UK, sure. But not because it will necessarily be 'better' than the things he doesn't like about the UK, but because there's a great big world that will offer you different perspectives on life. And that's what (for me) it's all about, really.
Much as I'm going into our move refusing to believe that Canada is some sort of nirvana, a utopia where we'll travel to work on unicorns and slide home down rainbows, I think anyone moving in the opposite direction really shouldn't look to the UK as being likely to solve too many of the issues you're talking about. There's as big a celebrity culture here as anywhere and it grows by the ever-increasing satellite channel. Brits, generally, are more likely to sit around in the pub discussing what they thought of Frankie on X Factor, than they are the merits of Chaucer. My 34 years' of experience is that they're also a damned site less friendly and articulate than the Canadians I've met!
All that said, I wouldn't discourage a move in either direction. No matter where you're from, I think the world is a big and interesting place and while countries across the western world will hold several similarities, there will be new and exciting differences to uncover wherever you go.
Strikes me that you often tend to get two camps, however; those who say 'I don't know why you want to move to Canada' and those who say 'I don't know why you want to move to the UK'. As if one NEEDS to be better or justified against the other?! My view is that each will have things that you like and each will have things you intensely dislike. It's the move itself, the exploration, the constant discovery...that's where I think most people can really benefit and develop as individuals.
I'd encourage the op to move to the UK, sure. But not because it will necessarily be 'better' than the things he doesn't like about the UK, but because there's a great big world that will offer you different perspectives on life. And that's what (for me) it's all about, really.
IMO, one of the biggest advantages of living in the UK is the relatively easy access to continental Europe where there is much more variety in terms of culture (e.g. language, food, music, etc).
Nov 14th 2011, 1:44 pm
#176
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2011
Location: Epsom, er no, Toronto...
Posts: 141
Re: Canadian considering move to England — are my impressions realistic?
I'd encourage the op to move to the UK, sure. But not because it will necessarily be 'better' than the things he doesn't like about the UK, but because there's a great big world that will offer you different perspectives on life. And that's what (for me) it's all about, really.
Nov 15th 2011, 2:27 pm
#177
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 250
Re: Canadian considering move to England — are my impressions realistic?
I would say: go ahead. Follow your heart as Steve Jobs said. The dot will be connected in your future.
