How long?
 

This is a question for expats who have lived in Canada for more than a year.

How long does it take for that occasional nagging little voice at the back of your mind that asks "just how big a mistake was emigrating?" to go away?

I get the feeling it's there forever ....

Re: How long?
 

If you're going to have regrets then maybe you're not immigrant material. Many memories are Disneyland fantasies.

Changing locations and getting used to new surroundings is common in Canada since many employers relocate their people on a regular basis.

From my arrival in Canada in 68 to the 90's the U.K. was an economic basket case so there was nothing to regret.

Re: How long?
 

Not sure I ever actively regretted it, but there were times in the first three years when it was a bit overwhelming being away from family and old friends. After five years and the birth of a child here Canada definitley is now "home". Going back to the UK to visit after a couple of years was a big help in getting a reality check that the UK was not what I fondly remembered it as.

It takes time, thats for sure.

Iain

Hmmmm let me think. I have been in Canada since 1968 - that makes it 36 years. I guess I think of Canada as home, but things have changed so drastically in England over the past 36 years. When we first came to Canada things were much different in England but so far as I can tell, things have caught up and now things seem to be the same - England has caught up with us in lots of things.

However, I admit that when I go back to visit, I just stay with family and I assumed that everyone in England lives the way my sister and her family do. My sister and her husband have a car each. She has really never had a paying job. They have all the modern conveniences. Both her sons are married, neither of their wives works. They have two cars and their kids go to private school. They take their holidays in Florida or Australia.

I am afraid I thought that everyone lived like that. There was a long period during which I didn't go "home" for a holiday. When I went in 1999 I came back and said to my husband that everybody in England was rich now. There were no old cars - etc. etc. It wasn't until an English friend of my other Canadian sister said - don't judge the whole of England on your sister's family" that I realized that probably the majority do not live like that.

Re: How long?
 

That was constuctive!
I didnt say I had a problem with the location!
There is more to life than economics. Can we presume that this means you never wondered about any of it? Even in the rough patches?

The topic of where we want to live comes up almost every day. Stay put? Move to Eastern Canada? Move back to Cyprus? Move back to England? Try somewhere else?

We're looking at Calgary as a stop-gap until we've saved up enough funds to move on. My Calgarian wife absolutely hates it here, and I've not grown too fond of it myself - thats why we're constantly planning how to escape from this mess.

Not sure about regrets - it's all life experience isn't it!

Re: How long?
 

I meant that you have to be adventurous. If you're going to whinge about missing the pub culture, chocolate and other trivia then it ain't for you.

If your employer relocates you from Toronto to Vancouver or Calgary to Halifax it can be just as far and as disruptive as UK to Montreal so get used to moving and adjusting to a new location.

Sure. I wondered about the riots, IRA bombings, strikes, unrest etc. and decided I'm glad I wasn't there.

It's very dangerous to make broad generalizations. For instance I understand that there's a big economic gap between the North and the South of England with respect to income, job availability. (Average gross weekly earnings in Westminster is £716.40. In Blackburn, Lancashire it's £370.20 according to Upmystreet.com))

I know there's also a lifestyle gap if weather, housing, crowding are taken into account.

If I'm English and living in England, I would not immigrate at all to Canada or any where else. England is great and still the empire that the sun never sets down on.

Re: How long?
 

We have never whinged about missing the pub culture. We dont understand the chocolate issue - there are some very good chocolate suppliers here. The other trivia is not that big a deal.

In most cases there is a perfectly good Canadian substitue.

I do miss curry and good fish & chips - but its not the end of the world by any means. We just make our own!

None of this is exactly relevant to the question.

I guess i could respond to your post in many ways...and with many words...but other than 'take off the rose tinted specticles'...best i can come up with 'off the cuff' so to speak...is

"Bollocks"



:p

Re: How long?
 

Aren't these some of the "Nagging Issues" that someone may think that they have made a mistake?

Re: How long?
 

Could be true - but not for us!

In my opinion when someone is focusing on the fact that they miss Cadburys chocolate then they are just avoiding the real issue of why they are unhappy.

Let me be more specific.

In the workplace, is there a glass ceiling for immigrants? What percentage of immmigrants NEVER make it back to the same seniority they achieved before they moved?

Assuming equal ability, do the children of immigrants (ie those coming to Canada during elementary years) have a lower rate of entry to university? Do they get to go to the 'best' universities or the 'second' tier? Or not at all?

Do children born overseas have to declare that forever on a resume? If so, does it matter?

Assuming equal ability, do children born overseas have the same success rates when applying for a scholarship? Does the elementary school/high school attended carry any weight in these situations?

Is networking an issue for scholarship applications in the same way it is for employment?

As you can see, the things we are questioning are slightly bigger than 'where can I get chocolate?'

Over to you!

Re: How long?
 

I became National Logistics Manager and CIO for a computer company. I doubt if a similar opportunity would have existed in the UK.


Sorry can't provide a reference but it seems that a higher percentage of kids go to university in Canada.

Sorry can't answer. No experience or reference.

It seems like there's quite an ethic mix at the local university but I can't give a reference.


Sorry can't answer. No experience or reference.


Have to agree that the points that you raise are more substantial than the usual concerns.

Re: How long?
 

It would be nice to know if these are the children of the first generation or later generations.

Thank you for this.

I would doubt very much that there are statistics to answer these questions as it could be the equivalent of admitting that discrimination is taking place.