Settling in...
 

I've read a few posts about how some workplaces have a different atmosphere than in the UK, and others with people saying that they still feel like the outsider.
I was just wondering how settled and accepted everyone feels in thier new home....do you feel you can call it home? I was also wondering what kind of humor people have, obviously both things depend on the person and the people they socialize with etc and there isnt a generic answer but I am 20 and will be starting at University in January and am pretty nervous about fitting in and being accepted as I will be thrown in at the deep end and shairing an apartment with two other strangers :scared: and am hoping a similar sense of humor will help get me through amongst other things. obviously I cant avoid them seeing me as different but I'm hoping it fades relatively fast. :confused:

Re: Settling in...
 

I reckon students are students whereever they are! You'll be fine. Your sense of humour will probably go right over their heads but I'm sure that once you get down the bar, everything will be fine!

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Yea, im keeping my fingers crossed, I'm not ashamed of being British, I just dont want to stand out too and want to feel accepted rather than some kind of novelty foreign guy heh.

Re: Settling in...
 

Change that to:

" ... some kind of novelty foreign guy, eh?"

You'll fit right in :cool:

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I really think it depends where you finally end up living and your personal lifestyle in contrast to theirs. For example if you are heading to Toronto like where I am then I doubt anyone in the world really needs to worry much about 'fitting in' it's a huge multicultural city and there are people from literally anywhere so in the end you have to wonder what you are fitting in with. Are you fitting in with a 1940's pre immigration Toronto that is reflected in certian more old fashioned parts of the city or are you fitting in with little italy or china town or greek town etc. At my work there are people from about 40 different countries so many people you meet will either be in the same 'newbie' situation as you or will have been though it and understand it. And even amongst the born in Canada people (can't use native here eh) you will find in toronto many of them have moved to the city from otherparts of cthe country and so are also fitting in with a different pace or style of life.

You have to remember that while Canada is bigger than the US it has only a tiny population and only 3 or 4 major cities which vary in character a lot. So someone who grew up in Calgary or Halifax moving to Toronto is still a pretty big adjustment.

So once you get in tune with common Canadian things like the money and grocery and consumer products and the way the general everyday life works you will be at the same point as most people.

Now if you were moving to a small town away from a major city you might have more work fitting in as you will find less diversity. So if you were say a Chinese Buddhist and for some reason were relocating to a small northern Albertan town with a population of 2000 white baptists who all know each other you might have more of a job settling down. Same if you are an anglophone who moves to rural or pretty much anywhere in Quebec that isn't Montreal or maybe Hull. Or you could move to Vancouver, live there for 3 years and feel at home then relocate to St John's on the East Coast and feel completely out of place and have to re settle.

I'd think if you are heading to University you have a large advantage in that there will be students from a) all over Canada and b) all over the world. Everyone is in a new place, most in a new city and all finding their bearings. Probbaly most living on their own for the first time (even if you are a grad student you will find lots of these either among the undergraduates or even grads from other cities) and so there will be a general atmosphere of people exploring and finding stuff out and you will make lots of contacts all perfect for when you graduate and need a job.

Drew

Re: Settling in...
 

Yea, you have some good points in that post Drew, thanks for the reply :)

I guess I have it easier in the long run because I will be thrown in the deep end and have no choice but to get to know people and get envolved in every day life, compared to some people that might move there and take while to get into things. Im just nervous but keeping my fingers crossed :)

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I reckon that, as a new student, being British might help, simply because you will have something to talk about. People will be interested in your 'story', probably.

What hisses me off slightly, though, is when people say that I sound like Hugh Grant or Prince Charles and ask me to say something in a British accent. :o

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They will love you and the fact that youve got an accent yes it will attract them to you but its not a bad thing. When I first moved here I was scared to open my mouth as everyone stopped and stared but after a while you get used to it and it wont bother you. You can actually use it to your advantage at times (dreaded credit card sign ups etc at the mall, just say you dont live here and youre on holiday!!!!) I actually just got 5 bucks off an antique book earlier today just because I was English!!!!lol

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You sure you got the 5 bucks off 'cause you're english and not 'cause the antique book matched so nice with your face? :D

Don't hit me, please!

Re: Settling in...
 

haha yea, thats one thing im worried about, speaking in class. i always feel very conscious that I sound different when i go abroad.
but like Rhodes said, I guess it will be a conversation starter and who knows, maybe my young 20 year old accent will catch up a slight canadian twang to it after a few years heh.

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The sound does, the writing not yet, eh?

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haha my bad, eh?

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No doot, eh?

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I suppose you finally got it, eh? :D

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At least you speak English though, there may be people in your classes for whom English is a 2nd language and so will be feeling even more nervous about public speaking. Where are you studying?

I dunno about the accent. I'm 25 and have been visiting Canada since I was 19 to visit my (now) wife and have lived here for a year and a half and I don't really notice much change in my accent. Perhaps I will notice something when I go back to visit my family in England at Christmas.

Drew

Re: Settling in...
 

I'm going to the University of Regina, I'm aware its probably not the most multicultral University in Canada though...eh?

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I still have a very strong South London accent after nearly nine years here and have been through University here too. Got used to public speaking...by speaking slower than I ever thought possible and not bristling every time someone says "Pardon me?" when they know perfectly well what I said. Every time I get corrected, I correct back because language is there to evolve. If I want to "ring" someone instead of "call" them, I will. People soon shut up. :p

Seriously, my accent only becomes an issue occasionally. It is usually because I speak too fast or use a word or saying they have never heard of here. I have had to modify my written style to make it less formal at work, but knowing how to read and write properly was a gift at University. All my assignments were one shot wonders. You will be just fine.

Re: Settling in...
 

Whit aboot us Scots !!!!!!!

They may think that our relatives over Hadrians wall speak fast, wait till you hear a Glaswegian in full flow. They have no chance !!!!

Obviously coming from Glasgow, my accent is, MMMMMMM Glaswegian of course.

Have any of you came across a broad Glaswegian accent in Canada. Are people from Glasgow generally liked, and how do the Canadians favour us hairy arsed, spear chucking, kilt wearing, beat the English back over the wall Scots ( Do not take offence guys, its meant as a joke ).

Glaswegian I expect a good reply from you, coming from the same motherland.


Eddie :)

Re: Settling in...
 

They love the Scots here...really! I live with one and my Dad was born in Easterhouse (yeah OK, know all the jokes).

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Well, speaking as a non hairy arsed Glaswegian ( ;) , I have had no problem being understood etc. although my accent isn't as broad as it used to be. I have met quite a few scots over here who have lived here for the last twenty odd years etc. and have settled in well.

Some folks don't distinguish the difference between a Scottish or an English accent or Scotland and England. My mum was introduced to a group of people as someone from Scotland in England!!! That wouldn't have gone down too well with some of my Scottish friends! I don't mind - I lived in Southern England for quite a while and my kids are English so don't have a problem with the Scottish/English mix up but I know some of my friends would get really uptight about it :D .

Alot of people are really fascinated with the different accent and seem to love the fact that I'm from Scotland as quite a few of them have Scottish ancestors etc.

With Tom being Irish, myself Scottish and the kids English, they end up looking a bit :eek: once we've explained it!



Brodel: I'm sure it will work out really well for you. As others have said, I think University is a bit of a melting pot and will be a great place to fit in and be accepted for who you are no matter where you're from.

Chris

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We met someone who said his father was from "Wales in England". There is a basic lack of understanding of the UK, GB, Scotland, England, Ireland (any bit) and Wales. The UK, GB and England are used interchangably.

Mrs G

Re: Settling in...
 

lol yes. I was in Tim Hortons, talking with my friend who I'd met at college in Cardiff, (she was from West Wales), when an elderly gentleman inquired excitedly if those were "English" accents he could hear. I had to stifle a laugh at Sian's outraged expression as I explained that yes, well, ONE was.....

It seemed to go fairly well over his head however.......he just wanted to know our opinion about whether Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein were really jointly responsible for Sept 11 as the Americans claimed !!

Morw :)

Re: Settling in...
 

Yes… and it was one of the funniest moments I’ve had in Canada..

To put this in perspective I used to do a lot of work in the Tenents brewery in Glasgow so I understand the dialect well…

We were in a rural part of Nova Scotia in a hotel lobby with a sign on the wall saying “Traditional Scottish hospitality�.. and the lady behind that desk had what could loosely be called a mild Scottish accents of sorts with a few other members of staff… standing in front of her asking directions is a little lady from Glasgow with a really strong accent..
and they couldn’t understand a single word she was saying.. I know I should of helped but I had to go outside and then I just rolled with laughter…
so much for “authentic Scottishness� in Nova Scotia…

Re: Settling in...
 

Will people from, let's say Aberdeen understand the glaswegian accent/dialect?

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I doubt it ... people in Edinburgh don't.

UK accents are funny ... different parts of the same city can have a different accent.

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So, what you're saying is that you really don't understand each other, like the other one was speaking chinese?

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Pretty much ... I lived in Leicester for 15 years ... people a whole 40 miles away in Birmingham spoke Brummie, which coule be almost incomprehensible ... Nottingham and Derby which were slightly closer had their own accents too ... even some of their own words.

Anyone out there from the midlands who knows what a twitchel is?

Re: Settling in...
 

Midlands.....Lowlands......Netherlands......
I know, I know, I know!
Twitchel = Northern English term for a short footpath or side entrance

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The midlands isn't quite northern, but you got the right answer ... it's a term I've only heard used in Loughborough in Leicestershire.

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I used to live in nottingham and the term "Twitchel" was used to refer to a short footpath that had often had high sided fences or hedges

often a path that ran down at the bottom of gardens that allowed peopel to get form one row of houses to the other row which backed on to them.

Re: Settling in...
 

Makes sense why they would use it in Loughborough ... I always got the impression they'd rather be part of Notts ;)

Anyway ... it illustrated the point that communities that are within spitting distance in Canadian terms can have a different dialect in the UK.

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Toontje

The Eberdeen accent is a dialect all of its own. I do not understand the way they speak. The Glaswegian accent is a unique language of its own.

I lived in Birmingham for 5 years, before the days of kids, and even though I had to slow my accent down for the brummies to have any hope of understanding me, it only took a short trip home to Glasgow and I was back to square one. No one could understand anything I was saying, it was brill when you were speaking to your gaffers, they did not have a clue, calling them all the w**ks of the day and some more choice words.

My wifes aunt and uncle have been in Vancouver for around 50 years now. they still have a good twang of Scottishness in their accent. They have lost a good amount of it but you can still tell where they originally came from.

I am very broad Glaswegian, coming from the ghettos of the south side ( Only kidding about the ghettos ). I have travelled all over the UK and lived in a number of areas around the UK, but my accent is still as broad as it ever was. I always worry that the language difference may be a negative barrier when we all get the chance to finally get to Canada. :eek:

Eddie

Re: Settling in...
 

I get made fun of for the way I say certain words - like route and can't. I stand my ground and have found plenty of reasons why I'm pronouncing them correctly. It's all in good humour.

My dry sense of humour is greatly appreciated too...

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Yes I know what a twitchel is...


More importantly, does anyone know what a guinnell is???

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MikeUk, your description of a twitchel, is what I'd call a 'snicket'.


My family spent some time in Norfolk, where they have great local words, like Hodneydod! :)

Simon

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Much like a snicket or a twitchel :)

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In Yorkshire, a snicket is wooded overgrown land...

Re: Settling in...
 

[QUOTE=Voyager970]Toontje

The Eberdeen accent is a dialect all of its own. I do not understand the way they speak. The Glaswegian accent is a unique language of its own.


here is a link to a local Glasgow and Edinburgh radio station. They do wind up phone calls as pranks on people. On it you can here various accents that the presenter does, one being an Aberdeen lorry (truck) driver. They are soooo funny sometimes. Sometimes not lol. Have a listen :)

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be better if i put the flippin link on wouldnt it !!!


http://www.realradiofm.com/real_taster.asp



[QUOTE=Higgy]

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also look under the more shows drop down :)