Not that many people here actually know me, but I wanted to say a goodbye before I left.

i started reading this forum before we moved to canada two months ago, and in my spare time at home now, i continue to read it. yet all it does is bring me down. canada isnt better than the uk - nor is the uk better than canada. we both have racism, teen pregnancy, high taxes, crap national health service and drugs and crime (to name a few). i guess im just fed up of seeing constant negativity about bloody everything! thats one of the reasons i left the uk.

sure immigration isnt for everyone. and if you're stupid enough to come over here and think all your problems will be solved, then you deserve to make that costly mistake. immigration is about starting from scratch again. you wont have the same job as you did where you emigrated from, and it will take long for you to settle.

as for IT - its a dying market everywhere in the world except for asia. i worked for all the big firms in the uk and almost every single one has outsourced at least one functionality to india in the past two years. yeah - it sucks not to be able to work in a field i studied for and have over eight years experience in, but such is life. you can sit around looking for an IT job until the cows come home, or you can go out and get something else for the time being.

im sorry, but this whole 'immigrants are so hard done by' attitude is just getting to me, so i think this is where i will make my exit. im going to give this my best shot, and somehow i dont think i will be able to do that and still surf this forum.

i wish you guys all the best

Sad! I don't want you to leave. But whatever you decide, it's all up to you. If, and I say IF, you're not coming back here: Good luck with the rest of your life.

Sorry you took it that way - we are just trying to make sure none of it comes as a surprise to new immigrants. Its all much easier if you know whats coming - at least then you have a plan. Thats why we occasionally have a thread about 'why its wonderful in Canada' to lighten everything a bit - in fact I'm going to start one now.

Maybe I'm trying to be too helpful then.

It is hard for new immigrants - its a fact.

Hopefully Velouria you are still reading right now so here are some tips - dont read the Calgary Herald and buy some green stuff for your apartment now (because once it snows it will be a long time till spring).

Good luck Velouria.

Mrs G

Had I started reading this forum six years ago, I would never have moved to Canada and had a fantastic experience. You are right to bow out if it is getting you down.

Attention to the downsides is just the nature of the beast with forums; its an outlet for venting and a place for advice with problems. Not always, but that's the bread and butter of it.

A few years ago this forum was no where near as busy as it is now. I used to read the Oz board cos this one was slow.

There were always posts like this on that board! people saying that they are leaving because of the negativity! It just seems to be a recurring issue.

I would take everything you read here with a pinch of salt and not let it affect your moods!! It's just a message board and you shouldn't let it affect your life negatively.

Have fun!

Don't forget, some people post negatively to try and get supportand to help them feel better.

Others just do it for effect, and to cause trouble.

and some post because there's too much rose tinted glasses..

I get sick of the oh so wonderfull.... mainly from those yet to arrive....

This place needs balance and reality... not dreams and fantasies

To be fair very few of the regulars here are long term canadian residents. Most land here, and are too busy enjoying life here to come back and post about the positives. I try to, but as others have said, its the nature of the beast that many people posting are asking for advice and one way to help is by pointing out where we have gone wrong or had problems to try and avoid the same pitfalls. It can be a very negative cos of that, but statistically 90% of immigrants from the UK disappear into canada after landing, which is a pretty good satisfaction rating

Veloria can get out there, enjoy life and come back later on to tell us all the good things she has found Still waiting for Simonhouse to come back! Is it just a Calgary thing I wonder!

I want to thank you guys for posting. I think a big part of it is that I am taking these things too personally. I was born in Canada, to immigrants, and then emigrated to the UK, and now Im back (west instead of east and its a completely different world). I agree that people need more of a balanced view and the majority come crashing down after they remove the rose-tinted glasses. Like i said in an earlier post.. both the UK and Canada have their good and bad points. You just have to decide what's right for you (and your family)

So maybe i will take a break instead.. get some routine back in my life (i have been given full time hours now!) and try to get used to the dry climate (crocodile skin isnt really me, ive decided...) then come back and tell you how much i love freezing my a** off at a bus stop

sorry if it felt as though i was attacking anyone in anyway... i didnt mean it to come across that way. and thanks again for the posts

We've been here seven weeks and have just moved into our new house. It's all been a bit of a calculated gamble really but we knew that by moving to Canada we'd be able to buy a house outright and a house that we could never have afforded in the UK. It also meant that my wife could be near her family and a new start for all of us. It's too early to make much comment yet but we love our house, we love being mortgage free and we think we are very lucky. For us the move makes perfect sense but I haven't seen anything in Canada to make me believe it's superior in any way to the UK, it's all pros and cons and will suit some and not others. However I'm glad that I didn't give up a great house and a great job to come over here because then I think I might have had some regrets. This forum certainly helped me prepare for the negatives and for that I'm grateful because I've not had too many unpleasant surprises. Not even when my daughter went for a job at Walmart and the interviewer was concerned at her lack of "Canadian Experience"!