Help I hate it here!!!
#61
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Joined: Jan 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 58
There is a possibility if we went back now my husband can get his old job back and we can buy a house straight away in the same town and feel settled straight away - thats the dilema we feel rushed to make the decision. If we decide to stay his job will no longer be open and we would be effectively stuck here, which we may settle in and find an area we may not. Do we cut our losses and run back to what we know or give it a chance and risk not having a life to go back to?
#63
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Location: Near Kingston, Ontario
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Re: Help I hate it here!!!
There is a possibility if we went back now my husband can get his old job back and we can buy a house straight away in the same town and feel settled straight away - thats the dilema we feel rushed to make the decision. If we decide to stay his job will no longer be open and we would be effectively stuck here, which we may settle in and find an area we may not. Do we cut our losses and run back to what we know or give it a chance and risk not having a life to go back to?
Kingston is quite a nice area- have you looked at that? Its not far to do a recce from Ottawa?
#64
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Joined: Feb 2011
Location: Cochrane, Alberta
Posts: 300
Re: Help I hate it here!!!
Oh R hon,
After your FB msg the other day, I truly hoped things were going ok.
Will ping you another msg on there, but the spares room empty if you guys want to head west for a week or two?
Get some of that mountain air in your lungs, and see a bit more of the country before you give up altogether.
You have come this far, why not reassess what you really want out of Canada, and life, and see if you can find it.
Big hugs, its scary when you first move out, but my two cents is that you have to give it time, and a real go.....anything less and you will still live with the what ifs.
x
After your FB msg the other day, I truly hoped things were going ok.
Will ping you another msg on there, but the spares room empty if you guys want to head west for a week or two?
Get some of that mountain air in your lungs, and see a bit more of the country before you give up altogether.
You have come this far, why not reassess what you really want out of Canada, and life, and see if you can find it.
Big hugs, its scary when you first move out, but my two cents is that you have to give it time, and a real go.....anything less and you will still live with the what ifs.
x
#66
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Joined: Apr 2009
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 328
Re: Help I hate it here!!!
Has anyone looked at your resume. I applied for 2 jobs without a resume, sent a cover letter in my email explaining I was a recent arrival and didn't have one, but gave them a synopsis of my experience. I was offered both jobs, one took the piss with their offer, the other one asked what I wanted and agreed to it after some negotiating. The oh has loads of experience but hasn't got as far as an interview. She saw someone at the employment service yesterday, who told her she had the experience, but her resume was not written in a way that appeals to Canadians. They are now helping her with her resume and job applications, fingers crossed.
Whatever you decide, you will always wonder what would be different if you took the other course of action. Personally I would give it a bit longer, but that's my personality, I tend not to give up, but I am not in your shoes, only you can decide. There are plenty of people on here who will give you help and support if you want it. If you let people know what you jobs you are looking for, I am sure they will keep an ear open for you.
Whatever you decide, you will always wonder what would be different if you took the other course of action. Personally I would give it a bit longer, but that's my personality, I tend not to give up, but I am not in your shoes, only you can decide. There are plenty of people on here who will give you help and support if you want it. If you let people know what you jobs you are looking for, I am sure they will keep an ear open for you.
#67
Re: Help I hate it here!!!
There is a possibility if we went back now my husband can get his old job back and we can buy a house straight away in the same town and feel settled straight away - thats the dilema we feel rushed to make the decision. If we decide to stay his job will no longer be open and we would be effectively stuck here, which we may settle in and find an area we may not. Do we cut our losses and run back to what we know or give it a chance and risk not having a life to go back to?
If I were you I'd go home now before winter sets in.
#69
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Re: Help I hate it here!!!
Just me 2 pence worth:
If you really hate it then perhaps you should go back home, but only *you* can decide that. Before you do, make sure you've given it all the chance you can. You don't want to go back to the UK and regret it later.
I think it all depends on how long you can live without work.
It sounds like you have free accommodation at the moment, which is good, but do you have to live in Ottawa?
If you can afford it go see some other areas of Canada. I'm not saying you'll love it, but Alberta is where we like. I seem to remember from another thread that you love open space; well the Rocky Mountains are something else! You'll find plenty of places within commuting distance of Calgary, and close to the mountains for the weekends. Visit other cities, and spend time driving around nearby towns to see what they have to offer (I'm making the assumption that you need a city nearby for work).
Loads of other people rave about BC, but I've never been there so can't comment, but I have cousins who used to live there and they loved it.
Winter will be here soon, so if you are going to look around, I'd do it soon.
It's all down to cost I suppose as doing the above will cost money, but you may find it worthwhile. Canada is a big place, and Ottawa is a tiny part.
Good luck and I hope you do what's best for you.
All the best.
Chris
If you really hate it then perhaps you should go back home, but only *you* can decide that. Before you do, make sure you've given it all the chance you can. You don't want to go back to the UK and regret it later.
I think it all depends on how long you can live without work.
It sounds like you have free accommodation at the moment, which is good, but do you have to live in Ottawa?
If you can afford it go see some other areas of Canada. I'm not saying you'll love it, but Alberta is where we like. I seem to remember from another thread that you love open space; well the Rocky Mountains are something else! You'll find plenty of places within commuting distance of Calgary, and close to the mountains for the weekends. Visit other cities, and spend time driving around nearby towns to see what they have to offer (I'm making the assumption that you need a city nearby for work).
Loads of other people rave about BC, but I've never been there so can't comment, but I have cousins who used to live there and they loved it.
Winter will be here soon, so if you are going to look around, I'd do it soon.
It's all down to cost I suppose as doing the above will cost money, but you may find it worthwhile. Canada is a big place, and Ottawa is a tiny part.
Good luck and I hope you do what's best for you.
All the best.
Chris
#70
Re: Help I hate it here!!!
There is a possibility if we went back now my husband can get his old job back and we can buy a house straight away in the same town and feel settled straight away - thats the dilema we feel rushed to make the decision. If we decide to stay his job will no longer be open and we would be effectively stuck here, which we may settle in and find an area we may not. Do we cut our losses and run back to what we know or give it a chance and risk not having a life to go back to?
#74
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 889
Re: Help I hate it here!!!
Supply/demand?
If its expensive, there's probably a reason. I.e. people want to live there more than they want to live in other places. Westboro is another good example of that; great neighbourhood, expensive prices.
I'm a bit surprised by claustrophobic though? Its in the downtown of a 1m person city; and its leafy compared to lots of places. Guess you've never lived in Peckham!
If its expensive, there's probably a reason. I.e. people want to live there more than they want to live in other places. Westboro is another good example of that; great neighbourhood, expensive prices.
I'm a bit surprised by claustrophobic though? Its in the downtown of a 1m person city; and its leafy compared to lots of places. Guess you've never lived in Peckham!
Also, the 'leafy' aspect. Just because there's a few trees on the street and the odd park dotted around doesn't justify the cost of housing, especially when compared to much newer subdivisions, containing tons of, and in close proxmity to green space.
Last edited by wolstie; Oct 21st 2011 at 12:44 pm.
#75
Re: Help I hate it here!!!
Exactly, it's dense. I didn't move to Canada to be restricted on space! Everyone's living on top of each other in big houses, usually that are falling apart because they've paid so much for it, they can't afford the upkeep. To make it worse, it's a grid pattern neighbourhood so everyone is overlooking everyone else. On street parking is a constant issue too as residents battle with visitors (shoppers, restaurant goers etc) for spaces.
interspersed by parks and on streets with a large number of trees. Guelph looks like that, as does part the better part of Hamilton. The less affluent areas, Toronto's Parkdale would be a good example, also have large attractive houses but they've been divided into flats and then into rooming houses.
The advantage of the subdivisions is that one can buy more internal space for the money, the houses, or rather the garages with accomodation behind, are built as close to the lot lines as planning regulations allow, meaning bathrooms bigger than the lawn. To gain this space one must sacrifice build quality, settle for drywall rather than plaster, vinyl rather than brick. One typically must live with a busybodying commitee of residents demanding that the front doors all match and that cars not be washed in the driveway. Some even try to corral cats and conceal laundry.
One must also live with motorways, the raison d'etre of the subdivisions. The motorways may not be horrific in themselves but the walls built to conceal them certainly are, I didn't understand a remark about Brampton "it's so cruel to build a balcony that only looks out at a peace wall". Didn't understand it until I went to Belfast.
It is, of course, a matter of horses for course, the subdivisions are the sort of places that appeal to SUV owners, the older neighbourhoods, to walkers and the owners of Citroens and Smart cars. I didn't move to Canada to live in a facsimile of Milton Keynes.