Novocastrian

Mortified.

christmasoompa

Forgiven.

Tangram

Burn him he's a witch.

jimmydean

Great post Dave

Speaking for myself I am not leaving England because of anything that I dislike about it.....just leaving for a bit of an adventure and a change of scenery.

Maybe for some of us, leaving England will be the only way we can truly appreciate how great it is.

Hope you have a great time when you get back to UK (PS want to buy any Olympic Tkts?)

dave2003

It was just an adventure for me too, a lark, all those years ago.

One thing that surprises me is the incredible amount of time and paperwork that is consumed in getting here nowadays, judging by all the immigration status updates people add to their comments. Back in the day I just walked from my office in London one June day to Grosvenor Square and picked up immigration application kits from the U.S. embassy and MacDonald House, intending to go the first country that gave me a visa. By September I had both visas-about ten weeks from start to finish! It seems to take forever now.

Anyway, good luck to you when you arrive here in Canada. And to all those others about to make the move.

cheeky_monkey

For me this is true

bop53

Dave 2003...I just want to say thank you.

I am a forum newbie who only started thinking about Canada today. I emigrated to NZ from Scotland just over 2 years ago, (it was the last thing on our bucket list) and most of your post could have been written about how I find it here.

I am outta here just as soon as I can sell the house I bought in an attempt to help me feel 'settled'. I can now appreciate what I left behind in the UK, better housing, valued in my job, freedom to walk my dogs, better wages, a higher standard of living, holidays, sick leave, art, culture, choices in supermarkets, the list is endless. Yes, the UK has horrendous problems, but at least they are honest about most of them, they don't hide them.

However, due to its current economic and employment climate, we are keen to explore a bit before returning. Oz does not really appeal to us due to bugs and temperature. So we are thinking about a work visa for Canada.

Your post has not put me off pursuing this, but once again thank you for your honesty. To arrive in a new country based on the information given at immigration pimp roadshows is nothing short of soul destroying when reality strikes. Potential immigrants do need to hear the truth about other countries to help them make an informed choice, or at least to arrive without the rose tinted spectacles.

You made a good point - 'if all you want in life is stuff, big roads, big houses, big cars-sic, come on over'. The same could be said for here, although you cannot afford to buy 'stuff' on our wages

If all Canadian people are as open and honest as you are, it can only be a step up for us.

But one last question. NZ has been the most expensive 'adventure' of my life and has wiped out a vast amount of our hard earned life savings. . Am I likely to find Canada will suck the last of them from me? I just don't want to make another horrendous mistake at my advanced age in life.

Tangram

It isn't cheap.

bop53

I am not looking for cheap. Nor big bucks either. Just a decent standard of living.

What I would like is to be able to have even a little money left over from my wage each week so I can save a bit to travel around your country. My standard of living has gone back 20years in time since arriving here and no amount of sunshine can make up for that.

I just can't afford to be ripped off a second time.

airbornesapper

Do you have a job lined up..and all immigration boxes ticked? Have you spent any time in Canada?

Personally, if cash was tight....depleted by my last move...I would think long and hard about returning to the UK directly vice gambling on a another relocation...to Canada or any place else that would let me in.

Age, comes into it as another major factor....and if you only have a finite amount of time to build up that financial cushion again, so is wisely spending the cash you have left.

Not all of us see Canada as negatively as some here or speak about it using blanket statements (as many do here on BE); even when considering the size and diversity of Canada, it's not for everyone, but then neither is the UK or any place else for that matter. I have lived in BC, Ontario and NB, and visited all provinces and territories with the exception of Nunavut - it goes without saying each place offers something different.

Maybe in 15 years when I have 40 here I will think differently, but right now I have zero thoughts of returning to live in the UK...and don't see that changing...but who knows....

Have a good one...AS

Steve_P

Oh my.

dave2003

[QUOTE=airbornesapper;9259048]

Not all of us see Canada as negatively as some here or speak about it using blanket statements (as many do here on BE);

My original post on this heading was I thought an opportune moment to defend not only what Oink had to say but to point out the obvious-that those wishing to immigrate to Canada frequently negate life in the U.K. as their reason for wanting to leave, yet in the short time I have subscribed to B.E. I have never seen any rebuttal, so I made one, by pointing out my experience of living here and comparing it to those of my compatriots in England.

Comparing life in the U.K. to that in Canada is not an attack on the experiences of others here, or in anyway denigrates their decision to live here.

My life here has not been dull, or unrewarding, but for anybody who read between the lines of what I had to say about my experience of Canada it should be clear that life in Canada, at least for me, is not something that can any longer be assuaged by what my nephew describes as stuff.

dbd33

That's a fine idea and, given the proximity of the US, you might want to explore that too. Alas, everything is far away and holidays are in short supply, it might be the case that it's easier to explore North America while living in the UK.

airbornesapper

"My life here has not been dull, or unrewarding, but for anybody who read between the lines of what I had to say about my experience of Canada it should be clear that life in Canada, at least for me, is not something that can any longer be assuaged by what my nephew describes as stuff."

I was lucky to to spend 4 years back in the UK (02-06)...to say that I have been assuaged by the experience would be an understatement....for the foreseeable future, I know where I want to hang my hat and I am thankful for it...stuff is nice, but its just that...

As I have stated a few times, I miss aspects of UK life....but I am a realist and living there is no longer my cup of tea.....the rest of the UK oriented stuff, I can obtain in bite size chunks when/if I feel the need.

Anyone can post as they see fit...but after spending a while on here and you will see a pattern form...same old crap from the same quarters....and not worth rebutting....not that your special...my post was not aimed at anyone in particular.

Of course, I am sure that "self licking ice cream crowd' think the same about my posts...I sure hope so.....

dave2003

And one of the other things I had hoped was that my original post would spark some debate about the arts, letters, broadcasting, the media, and the pursuit of a cerebral life in Canada.