liftman

To those of you already in Canada:

Do you go back to the UK for visits to friends, relatives etc?

Is this seen by the "locals" as you not being able to let go of the UK, or is it viewed as you still having time for family?

Having read about the percieved poor quality of clothes/furnishings/curtains, do any of you use a trip to the UK to get the things not available in Canada? (My wife and Marks and Spencer spings to mind )

Any thoughts welcomed.

iaink

Been back once, will go again soon. It was EXPENSIVE. CDN dollar exchange and general expense of everything in UK puts me off going back too often, plus two weeks holiday doesnt allow much time to relax. Mostly family and friends come here.

In my experience Canadians dont think much about it either way, they dont really care. Pesonally I have no problem with Canadian quality of things, so not much of an issue.

Iain

Glaswegian

A lot of the people I work with are immigrants from all over the globe - it's considered perfectly normal to go back home and visit family.

You can hardly be expected to let go of family, can you?

Personally, I got on better when I stopped comparing all things Canadian with all things British (sorry, chocolate is just chocolate when it comes down to it).

Coming to work draped in a union jack would probably be considered not letting go

Interested

I don't think "the locals" really think anything about someone going back to visit their family...like Iank said, I don't think they really care.

The quality of items in Canada has never been an issue for me, everything seems just as well made as it is in the U.K. Maybe it depends where you shop?

The only things I bring back, or get people to bring me are, tea, chocolate, Red Bull and Nurofen Plus.

Saying to the "locals" that everything is better in the U.K might get their backs up though and be seen as not letting go.

Int

Glaswegian

Hmmmm .... I'm very reluctant about making comparisons even when people ask me .... "Nothing in particular, just different" works as a stock answer when I'm asked to compare things.

When asked "Will you ever go home?", answering "Yes, most nights, I live in Calgary" usually changes the subject. After 15 years in Leicester, people were still asking me the same question, so I expect it to pop up occasionally in Canada.

simonhouse

I try to get back at least once per year, twice if possible. After all, Nana should get to see her granddaughter as much as possible right?

That's not the only reason - I love England, and will always consider myself an Englishman no matter where I live. I'm still young, and nothing comes close to the nightlife in UK by a long shot (except perhaps Ibiza, but that is just Brits abroad!). I also don't give up friends that easily - I can speak to them over the net, but nothing beats a good knees up in a proper pub.

We're planning to go back to London over Xmas and it couldn't come soon enough, then I'll be back alone next August for my best mates stag party in Blackpool.

ukjo

Hi Lifty

As you know I have no choice but to go back to the Uk twice a year but nobody here sees it as not letting go (beleive me I let go of the ex years ago but the kids can't can they!!!lol) To be honest a lot of them have asked if I can sneak them into my suitcases as they have never been out of their province. My closest Canadian friend here doesn't even own her own passport!!!

By the way Lifty, we are here in Ontario now in one peice. Driving down here was fab and only took 20 hours (expected it to be a lot worse and a lot longer) Not looking forward to the drive home though on Saturday

Corky

Hey Lifty.....clothes in this country aren't that bad you know. Maybe different styles but still the same stuff. As for going to the UK on holidays all the time, well with the exchange rate it isn't really very practical. You will most likely find your friends and family wanting to come visit you....so be prepared for that. Canada is a very large country and you will find you may want to travel around it when you have holidays or even have a trip to the USA. Lots of things to see I guess it depends on what you are interested in.

Ed_and_Karen

So, has anyone ever experienced any problems returning from the UK back to Canada?

We are here at the moment as 'temporary residents' on a 1 year work visa (PR application has been in process since Oct 2003). Our visa's have been stamped 'Does not authorize re-entry'. This is a tad concerning since our house and life is now here, not in the UK.

I don't imagine we would hit any problems at this end, but could trying to fly out of the UK with a one-way ticket cause us grief? My wife found the officials at London very unhelpful, 'aggressive' and rude when she flew out to join me a month or so back.


Anyone been in a similar situation?
Thanks,
Ed.

Oh - and the 'locals' here find it perfectly understandable that we should want to go back to visit family and friends. They are very sociable people here after all!!

My big concern is the 'pain' we will go through all over again leaving certain family members when we fly out again. I suspect this will stop us from making trips back too frequently!!

iaink

My trip back was in my work permit period, and reentry was no problem, it was a few years ago (Pre 9/11). UK is a visa waiver country so you can board the plane from the UK to Canada without any visa (as long as you have a UK PP), and once back in Canada its relatively simple for immigration to check your work permit for authenticity if they really want to. I wouldnt worry about it.

Iain

Ed_and_Karen

Hi IainK.

I thought the same thing when my wife was flying over to join me. I didn't expect any problems because the UK is a visa waiver country and I had a work permit. My wife had all the numbers (client number, visa number etc). However; she was given a really hard time by UK officials (ICIS?) who, apparently, were not just unhelpful but quite rude (to a number of people, not just her). It seemed like anyone flying out with a one-way ticket was subjected to a 'documentation check'. They didn't seem to know what documentation they were looking for - just that whatever they were given was not adequate. This was only a month ago, so maybe things have been tightened up since 9/11?

Anyone else flown over from UK to Canada on a one-way ticket recently? Any problems?

Ed.

flashman

I would suggest that it's the other way round. I suggest that in Canada you get better value for money. When you buy a car you get something other than a glorified golf cart, a house normally has some land with a place to park your car, hotel rooms tend to be bigger than clothes closets.

simonhouse

This is true - in North America, you're more likely to get a monolithic barge that handles about as well as a shopping trolley.

Glaswegian

We came on a one-way ticket just weeks after 9/11. We had a documentation check but the official was polite enough.

Having experienced the staff at the Avis desk at Glasgow airport I can honestly say that no airport/immigration official could be worse! The member of staff was so rude, unhelpful and agressive that she reduced me to tears.

Mrs G

willmore

Chocolate is JUST chocolate????? spoken like a "true computer engineer" (logical and sensible to a fault) (just kidding)!!!! - well, chocolate may only be chocolate but to a true connoisseur of chocolate I can't begin to explain the ecstasy I felt when I arrived in the UK and "tasted REAL chocolate"!!! Makes the chocolate from NA expensive and garbage. Your chocolate was SO good, I brought home to Victoria 8 of the HUGE Cadbury Hazelnut chocolate bars - (the size we can't even get in Canada!!!!! The fellow at customs asked me "why I was bringing back so many"????