Gremmie

yeah you need to be 6'8" and built like a brickshit house to get away with that one, but still bloody good

Souvy

I'm inclined to doubt that. Francos seem to like listening to the Brit accent (not that they can tell it apart from Aussie, Kiwi or South African).

CANADIAN CARPERS

I like this response..... I can see now why they call Canadians America's dumb cousins..... upsets them every time

Souvy

I got it of a Brit comedian years ago. I cannot for the life of me remember who it was.

I used it for the first time about eight years ago, outside a bar in the GTA. I think I was very close to being hit. The two cradles were not amused.

Boy d

Perhaps you should develop a sense of humor....been here two decades, no one has ever teased me and I'm a Mancunian.

Tangram

It may have been Jimmy Carr but I'm not 100% sure.

canabrit

Thanks for the comments! Those of you positive about Canada and basically saying it's all in my attitude and I should quit moaning are absolutely right... but it's also good to know that there are a few of you in the same boat. I think the very fact of being a critical (some might say moany) person means I fit in less well in Canada - people are pretty positive here, and even the media doesn't criticize much (unlike in Britain!). It can come across as very arrogant - the British Columbia "Greatest Place on Earth" slogan really rubs me the wrong way, for example. And doesn't it seem ironic in a country that goes on and on about how humble and polite they are...?

No, we're not living in 'the Frenchy part' of Canada - we're in the North (i.e. one of the territories... it's small and insulated up here so I don't want to say where - it's very easy to be blacklisted for employment/social life up here if you express anything negative about the place! ... this may seem paranoid to those of you in larger cities, but as Woody Allen said, "I may be paranoid but that doesn't mean they're not out to get me"). We would definitely like to relocate somewhere else within Canada, because we do realize that this part is a lot more 'frontier' and has a lot less to do. So we're sending out lots of resumes, and keeping our fingers crossed. I think if we could base ourselves in a bigger city, we might enjoy ourselves and fit in a lot better.

canabrit

The accent mocking thing is of course not exactly heartbreaking stuff. But there are ways of mocking in a funny way and ways of mocking in an aggressive, 'we hate foreigners' way. As several people have said, people seem to think it's acceptable to be pretty openly bigoted about Brits when they wouldn't about other cultures. We've also come across a fair few Canadians who will take the piss out of other places, but won't hear a bad word said about Canada....

Souvy

Bingo. Not the exact words but close enough.

helcat12

I think it is nice that they think they live in the greatest place on earth! You can see it as arrogance but I see it as loving where you live and cherishing what you have. Canada and B.C especially is often near the top of the tables for people's satisfaction with where they live and there is a lot to be said for living in a community where people are content. Misery loves company and the UK is full of people who denigrate their own country and community but strangely do nothing to make it any better.
Some people, like us, like small towns for the community but also for the isolation from the masses. Others like larger places for the anonymity and do not mind the claustrophobic proximity of strangers.
You sound like people who need to be living in a more diverse, larger community to me. Try that before returning to the UK - there may be culture here, but passion for it is very much not respected or cherished by the majority of the populace.

Zoe Bell

TBH 90% of the time I find the accent thing amusing. I used to get the piss ripped out of me for my Brummie accent in the UK, same shit here really , except that people actually like the accent

the 10% of the time when I get annoyed , I'm usually choosing to be annoyed because the other person winds me up for other reasons

No1_mom

We have Glaswegian accents and these seem to be loved by the Canadians and the Americans. I am forever getting compliments for the way I speak and people saying "what a lovely accent you have” My hubbie on the other hand does as per the previous postings - "I don't have an accent, I'm British, it is you who has an accent", I don't know how the Canadians feel about this but it pisses me off, first of all I hate the term British, I'm Scottish as is he!.
In relation to Canada, I have read similar posts and have responded with my views. I love Canada, but I also loved parts of Scotland. I just felt that in Scotland we were losing our identity as other cultures were taking over, so rather than complain about other immigrants, I became one and have worked at fitting in with the Canadian way of life. I did not come here expecting them to fit in with me. I have been able to do many of the cultural things, taken the kids skating, some sports, barbecue etc, but unfortunately I am not the outdoors type other than beaches and pools so the idea of forests and cabins that is not for me. There is more I want to do, more I want to see and maybe it is not all in Canada. That is the good thing about the world today we are not limited other than by bureaucracy and paperwork. Why does it have to be about Canada v's UK? I certainly would not consider ever going back to the UK, just reading the news about Europe depresses me. I have never had anyone be rude to me in Canada particularly knowing I am an immigrant, but I certainly had people rude to me back in Scotland and even more so in England. You take the good with the bad, but it is how I am living my life that is important. I feel more relaxed here, under less work and family pressures. I certainly am earning way less than I did in 2007 back in the UK but money is not everything. We tried NB prior to coming to Ontario and although I made many friends there I felt more discriminated upon as I did not speak French. I do understand the networking thing about jobs but even that is limited in the present economic climate – many have read my posts moaning about not getting a real job (mine is okay but not rewarding) but hubbie is in a low paid, low level job when he could and should be able to do something better. Now we have our Canadian citizenship I am hoping this will eventually happen. He knocked on doors, had contacts, but it all came down to having the Canadian experience, whatever he did in the UK was not relevant – this though is not the case for everyone, others have found it easy to get jobs based on their experience – it is the luck of the draw.
Don’t go back to the UK because of some ignorant people, basis it on what you want out of life and what you now have. I’d say the usual, try joining some clubs – I have just joined the YMCA and not that I have made any friends but I do get to talk to other people and be amongst the community. I am a TV holic so actually getting up of the sofa and miss one of my fave shows is hard but I am doing it.
And yes, the price of cheese here along with dairy products, bread and chicken is extortionate.

AlexInBC

Or really piss them off by stating that you would mimic them but you've never been able to do a very good American accent

Alan2005

Don't you live in abbotsford? - You know this counts as a fairly sizable town by BC standards.

Personally, I don't think any of you should judge the OP's view of cultural boredom given where they actually do live. I don't recall any posters wanting wanting to live in the territories; they may well exist, but there aren't many of them.

helcat12

No, I don't live in BC at all yet - my husband lives on an acreage (which I have visited) of which the nearest town is Abbotsford but our property is rural, as is our home in the UK, not that any of that is relevant or of any interest to the OP.
I did not judge the OPs view of cultural boredom, I just gave my input to try to be helpful, just as others did.
I don't know why you have singled me out but my personal circumstances are not important to the debate.