Re: reasons for going and reasons for returning
 

"Whichever country you decide on will be the right one "....this seems a little lacking in logic noting the number of people contributing to the Returning to the UK forum ?

No offense meant , but you can only hope your research and recon trips have been useful towards your decision. Whether it is the right country will bear fruit or not once you have spent some considerable time in your new abode, worked in a job you like or not for a while and made your new friends. All of these, though not exclusively, will tell you whether you have chsoen the right country, not forgetting whether you are happy there or not.

There is no telling you have made the right choice before you have experienced it for a number of years - whether thats Canada, Oz or Timbuktu.

My two cents.

Re: reasons for going and reasons for returning
 

i agree, what i mean't was that if you were weighing up the pro's and con's of any country then you will make the right decision because you have considered it carefully. wether or not it's for you in the long term is another matter but the initial decision will be the right one because (hopefully) you will have researched as much as possible and it's what you want to do at the time.

Re: reasons for going and reasons for returning
 

I think we both agree with each other's agreement !??!?!?!?!? LOL

Re: reasons for going and reasons for returning
 

Two years ago we visited Australia and stayed for a weekend at the beach house of a colleague. This was interesting to me as has about the same position as I and has been in Australia as long as I've been in Canada. No question, he had a lot more stuff, a beach house for a start. We didn't care for the endless Shiraz, bubbling Shiraz, flat Shiraz, cheap Shiraz for punch, expensive Shiraz for special occasions, but I suppose one could get some beer sent from America.

One serious snag with Australia is that it's a long way from English speaking centers of commerce. We deal with large companies, which in Canada means Toronto, there's not much in the rest of the country. There is however work in Detroit, Chicago, Boston, New York and so on. From Australia it's a long haul to the US for technical conferences and the like and the nearby centres of commerce are not in English speaking countries. I've flown a lot over the years but nothing like the long haul flights racked up by my colleague.

Re: reasons for going and reasons for returning
 

That is one of the funniest things I've ever read because it's so very true. Thank you, a good laugh to start my day!

nicanjoe

Re: reasons for going and reasons for returning
 

Hi dbd

This is very true. Australia is very isolated. This brings advantages as well though. I have considered the fact that I would have access to more work in North America, and this is one of the nice little things keeping me up at night.

I think with Australia I feel it's "in for a penny in for a pound" I mean, If we go there, then we go only there. We have access to their lifestyle and landscape, and whatever benefits you get there, but we are cut off.

But most importantly, how could you go to Australia and be thinking about Yankee beer??

Re: reasons for going and reasons for returning
 

There's much more good beer in America than one might think, but that was, of course, just a bit of stirring.

I've done some work in Singapore and Malaysia, both of which would be accessible from Australia, but it's not so easy going to the US is from here. There's a lot of red tape involved in dealing with Asia whereas the US and Canadian economies are tidily integrated and I can often drive to jobs in the US.

Then again, the view from the beach house is shown in the attached.

Note, btw, the strip of public land between the houses and the beach, that's common in the US as well as in Australia, it's even required by law in California. I wish there was easy beach access for us hoi polloi in Canada.

Re: reasons for going and reasons for returning
 

I wish there was any beach access in Alberta ...

Re: reasons for going and reasons for returning
 

hi, tableland and tstevens! here is my ha'penny's worth.....as some of the people on this forum might remember, we emigrated to canada last year and just about lasted 8 or 9 months, before it all got too much for us, and we are now settled in cosily back in streatham (we hadnt sold our house etc so we were lucky!).
i still keep hearing the same thing from everyone who wants to emigrate to canada, you know, how big the country is, how cheap it is, fresh clean air, cheap houses, better lifestyle etc etc....
well, sorry to disappoint you all, but while we were there, we found the same ills, and some more new ones too! there IS crime in canada (just look at the local news--people getting shot almost every night in toronto); there IS lawlessness there (witness the number of people going missing every year--the figure is truly disturbing), drugs, guns, knifings etc; there is a huge asylum problem there, just like there is here in the UK, with every tom, dick and harry being let in and scrounging the system; areas around the lake (lake ontario) are quite polluted and places like mississuaga, oakville, toronto downtown, scarborough etc get very smoggy in the stifling summer heat and humidity; cheap?--i worked an lived there, so i can tell you now, its not cheap at all! most people (non professionals) are doing at least 2 jobs, some even 3, to survive!!; yes, the country IS huge, but try telling that to yourself and your kids if you have to go somewhere by bus or foot, when it is -37C and the skin on your face is beginning to shrivel up in the dangerous cold!; better lifestyle?--i found working conditions there to be far far behind Europe--there is a workaholic attitude, with limited annual leave, and God help you if you fall ill--when you go back to work, you will get the most ugly stares from your colleagues, as if you had just committed a crime! and the kids study fees? cheap? think again--we were quoted $20 000 per year for a 9 year course--the same course here is £1500 per year for 5 years!! sorry folks, but we wont be back there for a long time........far as we're concerned, ol blighty is STILL better than usa or canada, even with all the probs here....! :)

Re: reasons for going and reasons for returning
 

I guess you don't like chinooks, then HWP? ;) :D

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Julius , you make some interesting points and people should note that nowhere is shangri-la. A good post. Can I ask, why in your info does it say you will be back there again soon if you found it so not to your liking ?

Not making any judgement, just very curious.

Cheers.

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It's not really the chinooks that bother me but my two left feet. :o :)

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LOL!! I hear you!! :D

Re: reasons for going and reasons for returning
 

Thanks Julius. Interesting post. As I said in another post somewhere, we are leaning towards Australia - one of the things that bothered us was the annual leave arrangement. I know some folks turn around and say "My job has four weeks paid, bla bla bla" but the point is that they are not entitled to this by law - it is an employer's favour, and therefore you are not guaranteed this leave unlike UK or Australia. You can't base going to another country on the fact that you might get lucky and get good leave. I want a better standard of life than in the UK, and halving my annual holidays is hardly going to do that - is it? Also the 3.5 year waiting list put me off. Why wait so long to have your holidays cut in half?

Why do you say you will be back in Canada soon?

Regards

T.

Re: reasons for going and reasons for returning
 

hey, tangram! yes, sure you make a valid point. that bit of a comment on the side of my info was done at a time when we didnt know if we were coming or going, basically!! on one side, we were sad at leaving canada and on the other we were a bit apprehensive at what we would find back here in the uk!! but now we are here, all in all, it's not so bad at all. you hit the nail on the head as they say--no place IS shangri-la. we learnt life is what you make it--rather than looking at all the negatives here, why not look at the positives! i mean, we have a fantastic nhs medical service (yes, i know, even though its not what it used to be), life is laid back, administration is excellent and all major facilities are available to one and all, jobs are a plenty, economy is stronger than canada..... what more can one want? it was good experience anyway, and at least we did it and no-one can say we did not try!