Expats - what surprised you about Canada?
Feb 4th 2009, 10:35 pm
#31
BE Enthusiast
Joined: May 2006
Location: Washington, the original one, for now. The future - who knows?
Posts: 468
Feb 4th 2009, 10:56 pm
#33
Settled.
Joined: Jul 2006
Location: St. Albert. AB.
Posts: 3,286
Re: Expats - what surprised you about Canada?
I've read through numerous posts about the good things and bad things about Canada and it got me thinking. I've only been to Canada once and only for a few days, but I have an idea in my head of what it will be like when we move over there. After reading other people's comments I've learnt things that I would never have thought about Canada, as well as confirming what I already expected.
So for all of those who have made the move to Canada, how did it measure up to your expectations and pre-conceptions and what things really took you by surprise (both good and bad)?
So for all of those who have made the move to Canada, how did it measure up to your expectations and pre-conceptions and what things really took you by surprise (both good and bad)?
Feb 4th 2009, 11:03 pm
#34
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Location: Near Kingston, Ontario
Posts: 1,318
Feb 4th 2009, 11:06 pm
#36
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Near Kingston, Ontario
Posts: 1,318
Re: Expats - what surprised you about Canada?
Milk in plastic bags!
Nose hair freezing!
Dog turds freezing the minute they are deposited in winter, easier to clean up though!!
Negatively- how backward it is, its like going back to the 60's.
Being charged for incoming calls and no rollover minutes on cell phone.
No luminous paint on the road or cats eyes.
Having to press 1 for English- why can't the French press 1 for French!!!
Nose hair freezing!
Dog turds freezing the minute they are deposited in winter, easier to clean up though!!
Negatively- how backward it is, its like going back to the 60's.
Being charged for incoming calls and no rollover minutes on cell phone.
No luminous paint on the road or cats eyes.
Having to press 1 for English- why can't the French press 1 for French!!!
Feb 4th 2009, 11:13 pm
#37
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 15,883
Re: Expats - what surprised you about Canada?
Negatively- how backward it is, its like going back to the 60's.
Some view this as a positive.
Being charged for incoming calls and no rollover minutes on cell phone.
Mrs_P's pay as you go phone has roll over minutes, provided you top up before your time expires.
No luminous paint on the road or cats eyes.
Luminous paint is used in some places, unfortunately cats eyes are totally impractical except around Vancouver or the south end of Vancouver Island. Unfortunately in most other places in Canada both get scraped off in winter by the snowploughs.
Having to press 1 for English- why can't the French press 1 for French!!!
Would you rather press 2 for English. It's one or the other.
Last edited by Steve_P; Feb 4th 2009 at 11:16 pm.
Feb 5th 2009, 12:31 am
#39
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 411
Re: Expats - what surprised you about Canada?
Having to pay $80 each for kids to learn soccer. All sports and activities are charged for to the nth degree.
The number of soccer teams - there are hundreds just in our area, girls and boys.
Full time school starts at the age of six
Going to a party (rare event) dressing up to the nines than having to take off my lovely shoes and plod around in my nylons all night feeling like a midget.
Not wearing skirts - it's all pants here.
Not dressing up even a bit to eat out - too casual for me
No-one acknowledges politeness on the road - you stop to let a car in and they just drive by. Don't take it personally anymore.
Pedestrians assuming they have right of way ANYWHERE... they just walk straight in front of your car expecting you to stop.
Lack of driving skills by female orientals - just amazing what you see them do!
The small city feel of Vancouver - just love going down there..it's nothing like any other city I've been to.
Swimming in lakes which are warm because they aren't snow melt - wonderful...
No lottery money seems to be spent on community projects - but if it is there's nothing in the papers about it.
Indian reservations everywhere on the outskirts of towns- but the surprise is the lack of equal rights afforded to them e.g. decent drinking water.
Lots more to come probably.
The number of soccer teams - there are hundreds just in our area, girls and boys.
Full time school starts at the age of six
Going to a party (rare event) dressing up to the nines than having to take off my lovely shoes and plod around in my nylons all night feeling like a midget.
Not wearing skirts - it's all pants here.
Not dressing up even a bit to eat out - too casual for me
No-one acknowledges politeness on the road - you stop to let a car in and they just drive by. Don't take it personally anymore.
Pedestrians assuming they have right of way ANYWHERE... they just walk straight in front of your car expecting you to stop.
Lack of driving skills by female orientals - just amazing what you see them do!
The small city feel of Vancouver - just love going down there..it's nothing like any other city I've been to.
Swimming in lakes which are warm because they aren't snow melt - wonderful...
No lottery money seems to be spent on community projects - but if it is there's nothing in the papers about it.
Indian reservations everywhere on the outskirts of towns- but the surprise is the lack of equal rights afforded to them e.g. decent drinking water.
Lots more to come probably.
Feb 5th 2009, 1:18 am
#40
Fluffy Dippindoodle
Joined: Dec 2007
Location: Newfoundland at last!
Posts: 908
Re: Expats - what surprised you about Canada?
Everything. Cinnamon. Tastes off. Can you get apple pie without cinnamon, heck as like. Is it called apple and cinnamon pie? No, they sneak the stuff in. I think after a while you can't taste the damn stuff. U-bleeding-biqutous.
Or vanilla, and the vanilla's not right. That Mexican stuff isn't as good as the Madagascar stuff.
But, good stuff, beaches by rivers, swimming from a sandy beach in a city.
Or vanilla, and the vanilla's not right. That Mexican stuff isn't as good as the Madagascar stuff.
But, good stuff, beaches by rivers, swimming from a sandy beach in a city.
You can also buy jarred rabbit, moose pie, seal flipper pie, frozen rhubarb, salt cod and moose burgers. I kid you not.
Feb 5th 2009, 2:14 am
#41
Tea Drinker
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 5,387
Re: Expats - what surprised you about Canada?
Expats - what surprised you about Canada?
Feb 5th 2009, 2:37 am
#42
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 11,272
Re: Expats - what surprised you about Canada?
Just when your getting in to the swing of a party, they all start to go home! Early.................
No packets of choccy biccies like club, breakaways, penguins etc.
People not always as friendly and genuine as they first appear.........
The size of new build houses (large in comparison to UK)
Bacon not nearly as good as UK - pigs are pigs right? why so different?
No packets of choccy biccies like club, breakaways, penguins etc.
People not always as friendly and genuine as they first appear.........
The size of new build houses (large in comparison to UK)
Bacon not nearly as good as UK - pigs are pigs right? why so different?
Feb 5th 2009, 2:49 am
#43
Banned
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Beautiful BC
Posts: 1,106
Re: Expats - what surprised you about Canada?
Just when your getting in to the swing of a party, they all start to go home! Early.................
No packets of choccy biccies like club, breakaways, penguins etc.
People not always as friendly and genuine as they first appear.........
The size of new build houses (large in comparison to UK)
Bacon not nearly as good as UK - pigs are pigs right? why so different?
No packets of choccy biccies like club, breakaways, penguins etc.
People not always as friendly and genuine as they first appear.........
The size of new build houses (large in comparison to UK)
Bacon not nearly as good as UK - pigs are pigs right? why so different?
You can get penguins, by the way, and I've seen packs of Club biscuits too. But maybe not where you are. No idea where that is........ that's another topic in another thread.
Feb 5th 2009, 3:08 am
#44
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Joined: Nov 2003
Location: Formally Scotland. Now Bay of Quinte...Ontario
Posts: 2,466
Re: Expats - what surprised you about Canada?
Shop bought bakery products....yuk!!...dripping with sugar (many with lashings of cinnamon too...surprise surprise) and designed to sit in the pit of your stomach like a lead weight once consumed.
Oh for good old fashioned english/scottish bakery products......like scones, crumpets and pastries...
Oh for good old fashioned english/scottish bakery products...
...like scones, crumpets and pastries...
Feb 5th 2009, 3:11 am
#45
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 11,272
Re: Expats - what surprised you about Canada?
Shop bought bakery products....yuk!!...dripping with sugar (many with lashings of cinnamon too...surprise surprise) and designed to sit in the pit of your stomach like a lead weight once consumed.
Oh for good old fashioned english/scottish bakery products......like scones, crumpets and pastries...
Oh for good old fashioned english/scottish bakery products...
...like scones, crumpets and pastries...Oh to have a Greggs on the street corner - ah the good old days of living in Edinburgh.....................