Evening all
 

Well I haven't posted on the forums in three years (gulp) and never formally introduced myself, soooooooo here I am in Red Deer, Alberta living with my Canadian wife, having left the UK in 2005.

Anyway just thought I'd say hello and rejoin the crowd having just surfaced after 7 months of winter hibernation to.......another 5 months of endless droning from those pesky gas mowers....help!

Regards,

Richard

Re: Evening all
 

Hello, Richard, and welcome back to the BE forum.

You may find, however, that you have jumped from the frying pan into the fire. :rofl:
x

Re: Evening all
 

Hello and welcome! :)

Re: Evening all
 

Hello big welcome from me too. :)

Re: Evening all
 

Hi Richard,

welcome to the site :)

So how is life in Alberta compared to the UK?:D

Re: Evening all
 

Hello Richard,

Welcome back!!
How are you finding Canadian life there since your move? do you feel your starting to get settled?

Paul

Re: Evening all
 

Hi everyone,

Well to be honest life really hasn't changed much for me, I perhaps made the mistake like many people in the forums of moving to Canada because of not being happy in the UK (job, noisy neighbours, too much Daily Mail etc), but as so many folk have said, especially in the Moving Back to the UK forum, those rose tinted specs can be a liability.

I've managed to get two jobs here, the first I got fired after 3 days, no reason given, the second after 3 months (the day before my benefits would have kicked in), again no real reason, apart from "you don't seem very happy here Richard." Felt like saying well if I wasn't happy before, I'm certainly not now,lol. So, after trying for a third, and knowing I hadn't got the job, as soon as I saw the look on his face as he heard my Lancashire accent, I've just thrown in the towel now on the job seeking front. I'm in my mid fifties which probably doesn't help, my OH is working so money isn't a problem, just gets a little boring at times.

Sorry to ramble on but there's my story. There is good and bad in both countries of course, but the what I do really miss is the English countryside (oh and Tesco's...never thought I'd say that as shopping was never my favourite pastime, but after after 3 years of so so Canadian supermarket offerings....ok ok , I'll stop moaning.)

It's certainly a more relaxing lifestyle in Canada, people are for the most part friendly, but for me only superficially so, as it is a different culture over here,
but I would urge people who want to come to Canada to really think about why you want to leave the UK, because ,OK, some aspects UK life are not as good as they used to be, but there is still plenty left to be enjoyed.

Remember, homesickess does not not affect you until you've actually left home!

Thanks for your patience,

Richard

Re: Evening all
 

You sound like you've had a bit of a tough time Richard and could do with some cheeering up:)

I can assure you my local tescos is a nightmare nowadays.......:lol:

Re: Evening all
 

Hello Richard, sounds like a tough time indeed you've been having. i'm just about to move to Calgary. I'm single and have no real ties to the UK and moving to Canada seems like a good adventure to me, but I do love my tesco. I realise it will be hard but my feeling these opportunities don't come up every day so you have to take them. Any advice for the newbies.

Re: Evening all
 

Hi Dave

Young, free and single? - just go for it, you've nothing to lose. I take it you've got a job lined up. Calgary's a nice city (if you can put up with the manic drivers.) If things don't work out, just go home again!

Richard

Re: Evening all
 

Hi Richard,

welcome back to BE

Sue:)

Re: Evening all
 

Hello again Richard,

Hmmm.... I read your post...and the things you have said is what started me off on my quest to move to Canada, ie not happy with my job, the attitude of a growing number of the general public, overcrowded roads...and too much Daily Mail!! I too wonder if at times...if the rose tinted specs towards Canada are taking over my judgement... However I know that if I dont make the move, for no good reason - its guarenteed to be one of my lifes biggest regrets, so I feel im in a no win situation sometimes! I feel that Ive just got to do it, and experience it for myself .....most of me is looking forward to the adventure, as I think Canada is an amazing country, with oppurtunites, a very good standard of living, and very friendly and polite people, :Dbut....you wouldnt believe the thoughts that run thro my mind sometimes, I spend far too much time thinking about the most trivial things! and homesickness is in there...but again I wont know until I try it...:thumbup:

There is the "well if you dont like it you just go home", the main thing that worries me is loss of a significant amount of money....the housing market here at present I think is about to bottom out, so not a good time to sell my house I fear, I could let, but at present the rent wouldnt cover the cost of the mortgage, letting fees maintenance costs etc....so I ideally I ned to get a job lined up or near to, before I even go out there, I really worry about it not working out - having to come back to the UK and be in a far worse finanacial postion than I started! having no choice but to live somewhere you would never entertain before leaving the UK.:(

Sorry for rambling! (again);) My trouble is I think far too much! and am one that tends to look at the glass as half empty (a realist tho I would like to say more than a pessimist!) A lot of the stuff I worry about may never happen! Its just really bad timing at the moment with a downturn in property prices....:unsure: life is a gamble I suppose...

Paul

Re: Evening all
 

Hello Dave,

Thought Id say a quick hello...it sounds like your in th exact same postion as me.. there doesnt seem to be many single people heading out to Canada (although Im sure there is - it seems mostly couples and families - which I admire greatly - Im having enough trouble looking after myself!)

Do you have any family at all in the UK? I used to have quite a close family, but it seemed to all drift apart (not through lack of trying on my part) after my parents passed away... I only have my sister now that I stay in touch with, but she is married and with her own family, I must say I will miss my nephew growing up. But I can still stay in touchwithn them, and I hope to have my own children, and as many people have said to me on here....who knows whats around the corner in Canada... im looking at it as an adventure...that may well be the start of the rest of my life...

When do you leave for Calgary?

Paul

Re: Evening all
 

Sorry for rambling! (again);) My trouble is I think far too much! and am one that tends to look at the glass as half empty (a realist tho I would like to say more than a pessimist!) A lot of the stuff I worry about may never happen! Its just really bad timing at the moment with a downturn in property prices....:unsure: life is a gamble I suppose...

Paul[/QUOTE]


Hi Paul

Yes, I have (and had) the same problem. I was never very happy in whatever situation I happened to be in somehow, probably because I'm a negative sort of person but I'm just learning to live with it really. Let's face it, some people are content to just live a routine life, same place, same shops, same dull job, no holidays but are happy with their lot, they are the lucky ones.

I'm thinking, hey, that lucky Paul, living in Kinver (lovely place, been through on the canal a few times), why does he want to move to Canada? The problem is now that Calgary property prices have risen so much over the last few years and that coupled with the poor exchange rate, moving to the land of blue skies is not maybe as attractive as it was. Depends on what you are looking for in life, and how big a gamble you are prepared to take on. Staying in the UK for another couple of years to see how the housing market pans out would be my advice, but I know what you're going through, once you've set your heart on emigrating, it's pretty hard to backtrack (been there, done that lol.)

I met my wife online and she did spend a few months with me in the UK before we married, but she wasn't happy with living permanently there, too much family in Canada etc, so we decided Canada would be the best place.
Life isn't easy sometimes and really you've just got to make a decision which you think is the best.

Whatever you decide...good luck!

Richard

Re: Evening all
 

Hello and welcome back :thumbup:

I was concerned with your comments on the job front. Are your skills so specialised that it is difficult to get a job, did you really feel discriminated against because of your British accent?