What is living in canada really like - reality check
Sep 12th 2003, 2:22 am
#46
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Re: It depends...
Originally posted by Daltrey
Also in Canada there are around 11 public holidays
which are all civic holidays,i.e you do not work them
(there is even a Victoria day)
Even in menial jobs almost no one works them so if you have 2 weeks vacation you really have closer to 4 plus weeks off if you consider 2 weeks to be 10 working days with week-ends
included.
In the US you have all kinds of civic holidays such as Columbus day,President's day,Martin Luther King day etc,but,most people actually work these and you end up with about Labour day,Thanksgiving,and Christmas off and that's about it
maybe Easter I forget as it's been a while.
Also in Canada there are around 11 public holidays
which are all civic holidays,i.e you do not work them
(there is even a Victoria day)
Even in menial jobs almost no one works them so if you have 2 weeks vacation you really have closer to 4 plus weeks off if you consider 2 weeks to be 10 working days with week-ends
included.
In the US you have all kinds of civic holidays such as Columbus day,President's day,Martin Luther King day etc,but,most people actually work these and you end up with about Labour day,Thanksgiving,and Christmas off and that's about it
maybe Easter I forget as it's been a while.
Sep 12th 2003, 2:44 am
#47
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 80
That's a tough one...
I've lived in different areas of the NorthEast,
and wouldn't really want to answer that question
as vaguely as that...but...
Off the top of my head higher taxes,it's colder,better
social services,people are friendlier and better educated,
more liberal,of course you are pretty close to the Bible belt
so anywhere would probably be more liberal than Tennessee
and while they may be somewhat insular they aren't
anywhere close to the average American.
3 other differences of note much more football available on the telly,and the beer is better.
Also crime in the US is a problem,crime in the Uk is more
of the yobbism ilk,although there is loads of it.
In Canada crime exists but seems to be on a much smaller scale.
For example, I feel more comfortable walking downtown
Toronto at 2 AM than I do at 10 PM in a 70,000 sized city in the US.
You can taste the tension in the air it's palatable or at least I could.But if you live in a nice suburb and don't go out at night
it's really not much of a deal.
and wouldn't really want to answer that question
as vaguely as that...but...
Off the top of my head higher taxes,it's colder,better
social services,people are friendlier and better educated,
more liberal,of course you are pretty close to the Bible belt
so anywhere would probably be more liberal than Tennessee
and while they may be somewhat insular they aren't
anywhere close to the average American.
3 other differences of note much more football available on the telly,and the beer is better.
Also crime in the US is a problem,crime in the Uk is more
of the yobbism ilk,although there is loads of it.
In Canada crime exists but seems to be on a much smaller scale.
For example, I feel more comfortable walking downtown
Toronto at 2 AM than I do at 10 PM in a 70,000 sized city in the US.
You can taste the tension in the air it's palatable or at least I could.But if you live in a nice suburb and don't go out at night
it's really not much of a deal.
Last edited by Daltrey; Sep 12th 2003 at 2:56 am.
Sep 12th 2003, 8:42 pm
#48
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Joined: Aug 2003
Location: England
Posts: 100
Originally posted by dingbat
Cosmopolitan lifestyle...ha ha ha..lmao .
Erm no. Remember England in the late seventies or early eighties? Add to that insular and badly educated people, who rarely step beyond the bounds of their backwards little towns, precocious kids, discrimination like you would not believe and red tape that Ken Livingstone would be proud of, and you have most of Canada. Oh, forgot the religious nutters, non-existent women's rights, sections of the population that choose to live scarily in the past and, I guess, there is always the spectacular scenery. Yup those mountains sure do make up for being tricked into moving here. Not.
Cosmopolitan lifestyle...ha ha ha..lmao .
Erm no. Remember England in the late seventies or early eighties? Add to that insular and badly educated people, who rarely step beyond the bounds of their backwards little towns, precocious kids, discrimination like you would not believe and red tape that Ken Livingstone would be proud of, and you have most of Canada. Oh, forgot the religious nutters, non-existent women's rights, sections of the population that choose to live scarily in the past and, I guess, there is always the spectacular scenery. Yup those mountains sure do make up for being tricked into moving here. Not.
This is such an inaccurate picture of Canada.
I'm a Canadian living in England and can't wait until next year as my English hubby and I will be moving back.
For the record, I come from a family of 8 children who all have a higher education. Most of the people I knew and grew up with were not "insular" and travelled extensively. I find British children to be far more precocious than Canadian children. Tony Blair invented the phrase "Red tape" and Ken Livingstone gives lectures on it to Jean Chretien. I could go on and on, but I won't. If you don't like it, come home!!
Sep 12th 2003, 9:28 pm
#49
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Originally posted by kathleen_cg
This is such an inaccurate picture of Canada.
I'm a Canadian living in England and can't wait until next year as my English hubby and I will be moving back.
For the record, I come from a family of 8 children who all have a higher education. Most of the people I knew and grew up with were not "insular" and travelled extensively. I find British children to be far more precocious than Canadian children. Tony Blair invented the phrase "Red tape" and Ken Livingstone gives lectures on it to Jean Chretien. I could go on and on, but I won't. If you don't like it, come home!!
This is such an inaccurate picture of Canada.
I'm a Canadian living in England and can't wait until next year as my English hubby and I will be moving back.
For the record, I come from a family of 8 children who all have a higher education. Most of the people I knew and grew up with were not "insular" and travelled extensively. I find British children to be far more precocious than Canadian children. Tony Blair invented the phrase "Red tape" and Ken Livingstone gives lectures on it to Jean Chretien. I could go on and on, but I won't. If you don't like it, come home!!
Sep 12th 2003, 10:48 pm
#50
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Posts: 3,015
Sorry "Interested" - you shouldn't generalize. In Saskatchewan we have a statutory (I think that is so) 3 weeks holidays in the first year that you work. It is the law - except for federal companies - my son worked in a grain elevator and they are covered by federal laws and only got two weeks.
This is from the Saskatchewan Labour Standards web page:
"a) Employees get a minimum of three weeks annual holidays after each year of employment.
b) Employees who complete 10 years of work with the same employer get a minimum of four weeks annual holiday."
As it says - you can get more than three weeks if your employer agrees - 3 weeks is the minimum. I don't know where in Canada you only get two weeks.
This is from the Saskatchewan Labour Standards web page:
"a) Employees get a minimum of three weeks annual holidays after each year of employment.
b) Employees who complete 10 years of work with the same employer get a minimum of four weeks annual holiday."
As it says - you can get more than three weeks if your employer agrees - 3 weeks is the minimum. I don't know where in Canada you only get two weeks.
Sep 12th 2003, 10:51 pm
#51
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Definitley in Ontario, does the three weeks in Sask include the public holidays ?
Int
Int
Last edited by Interested; Sep 12th 2003 at 10:53 pm.
Sep 12th 2003, 11:51 pm
#52
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 481
Originally posted by goatee
reading with interest the replies to the question what is it really like to live in canada?
i know if you are there and missing family in Uk it must be hard but if you left a few years ago you probably dont know how tough it is here!
unemployment is rising , expect to get fired every 18 months , salaries dont rise and inflation is low but we have lots of new taxes recently that make an average family about $5000 a year worse off
we all work long hours , 45 hours plus 10 hours commuting is common , more companies expect us in on saturdays as well
house prices are shooting up as land is so short , which means you have to commute further that eats into salary and time again
time has become a luxury here
our 3 bed bungalow cost us $700,000 , we have one bathroom , no basement
it costs us $90,000 dollars a year for a modest lifestyle, excluding foreign holidays
the reason for this is high tax , having pay for private schools, medical cover, dentists , huge mortgage repayments , pensions, local taxes
our tax bands seem to start lower than yours , even people on modest salaries get caught for high rate tax , inheritance tax , capital gains tax
stamp duty , which is 2.5% of your new home value payable to govt makes it hard to move , for new jobs imagine paying 2.5% of 700k for the privilige of moving ontop of estate agents fees and legal
it is hard to be entrepreneurial here because of red tape and the pound is so strong in europe exports are diving and we are losing work to cheaper neighbours
we live in constant fear of terrorist attack , mostly biological , we
have to be careful what the kids see on tv as theres so many warnings they have nightmares
many of us feel basic things like a roof over your head , education and health care are are struggle to provide , theres no security no matter how hard you work
we do believe if life gives you lemons make lemonade
but sometimes you have to cut and run
we know NO WHERE is perfect
looking forward to the wide open spaces of sask!
reading with interest the replies to the question what is it really like to live in canada?
i know if you are there and missing family in Uk it must be hard but if you left a few years ago you probably dont know how tough it is here!
unemployment is rising , expect to get fired every 18 months , salaries dont rise and inflation is low but we have lots of new taxes recently that make an average family about $5000 a year worse off
we all work long hours , 45 hours plus 10 hours commuting is common , more companies expect us in on saturdays as well
house prices are shooting up as land is so short , which means you have to commute further that eats into salary and time again
time has become a luxury here
our 3 bed bungalow cost us $700,000 , we have one bathroom , no basement
it costs us $90,000 dollars a year for a modest lifestyle, excluding foreign holidays
the reason for this is high tax , having pay for private schools, medical cover, dentists , huge mortgage repayments , pensions, local taxes
our tax bands seem to start lower than yours , even people on modest salaries get caught for high rate tax , inheritance tax , capital gains tax
stamp duty , which is 2.5% of your new home value payable to govt makes it hard to move , for new jobs imagine paying 2.5% of 700k for the privilige of moving ontop of estate agents fees and legal
it is hard to be entrepreneurial here because of red tape and the pound is so strong in europe exports are diving and we are losing work to cheaper neighbours
we live in constant fear of terrorist attack , mostly biological , we
have to be careful what the kids see on tv as theres so many warnings they have nightmares
many of us feel basic things like a roof over your head , education and health care are are struggle to provide , theres no security no matter how hard you work
we do believe if life gives you lemons make lemonade
but sometimes you have to cut and run
we know NO WHERE is perfect
looking forward to the wide open spaces of sask!
You only see the bad coz thats what you want to see, thats what I was like last year.... It isn't all roses over here you know.
I'm sure a lot of what you say is exaggerated, there are many people in the Uk living great lifestyles, we were certainly better off in the UK. But your frame of mind at the moment is totally anti UK which I can understand as I have been there.
Sure the houses are bigger over here but at the end of the day its just bricks and mortar (or wood in our case), it doesn't make up for family, its just a superficial/material thing.
There are many open spaces and great places to go but there are still traffic jams. It takes longer for my husband to get to work here than it did in the UK and its the same distance.
My husbands company over here just made 10% of the workforce redundant and already seem to be replacing them. They only have to give two weeks notice over here and can basically make you redundant on a whim.
If you think they don't work long hours over here, think again. Saturdays and Sundays are the norm for many office workers as everyone fights to keep their jobs (in our experience). Maybe other Provinces are different, I don't know.
Also two weeks holiday are the norm here.
Just don't imagine that everything will be better, some things will be, some won't. It is good that you are leaving the UK as you might then appreciate some of the good things about it, which we just took for granted.
If I had grown up here I would probably love it here more than the Uk as they both have about the same amount of good and bad things. I have now realised though that the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence....but I am pleased that I tried it out for myself, (coz I would never have listened to anyone who told me so).
Last edited by daisymoll; Sep 13th 2003 at 12:04 am.
Sep 13th 2003, 12:16 am
#53
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 302
Originally posted by goatee
unemployment is rising
our tax bands seem to start lower than yours , even people on modest salaries get caught for high rate tax , inheritance tax , capital gains tax
unemployment is rising
our tax bands seem to start lower than yours , even people on modest salaries get caught for high rate tax , inheritance tax , capital gains tax
As to those higher tax bands...I would suggest you wait until you start paying taxes over here before you start making claims like those
Sep 13th 2003, 2:01 am
#54
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Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Burlington, Ontario
Posts: 70
I was really desperate to come to Canada after a holiday in 1996. By 2002, everything was ready and over we came. I had done all the internet research I could, bought all the books and even discussed good companies in my field (Environmental Consultancy) with a Canadian chap whom applied to my company in the UK.
I am glad I came out here to give it a go but I am also glad that I am going back. I wish that I had known some of the following though:
1. Expect you salary to go down a LOT and your taxes up a LOT. Even though I earn nearly twice as much in Canadian than pounds, I only take home a few hundred dollars more than I did in pounds. This includes my private healthcare fees, which are a necessity as Medicare (in NS anyway) is not as complete as the NHS and, for example, dental and prescription fees are horrendous - I still have to pay 20%. Look for a company that offers 100% cover.
2. Houses are generally bigger but your electric and heating (oil in my case) bills will probably be a lot higher - long winters, AC in summer in some places.
3. When looking at houses, I'd recommend the same multiples on a mortgage as in the UK. Remember property tax (council tax) is ususally 1.5% of the value of the property.
4. There are a lot of open spaces but the population is generally very urbanised (ie concentrated) which means very long drives between places (although the Canadians are used to this and it means nothing to them). Sounds good but it gets boring!
5. The towns/cities are like many others - still crammed in with congestion like the UK. Granted, between towns its not usually a problem.
6. Ignore the weather statistics- its bloody cold for a good 4-6 months, summer is generally about 3 months of good weather.
7. There are many malls (in Nova Scotia anyway) and their main reason for being is to keep you warm in the winter, cool in the summer, not for the convenience of shopping - expect many stores of few chains.
8. To really enjoy Canada, I believe you need to really be into camping and the outdoors. No poppoing down to the continent for a cheap holiday. A holiday to many of my friends is a weekend camping nearby.
9. Travel (air) is VERY expensive, although some cheaper carriers are coming out. Still, its a BIG country and costs a lot to get about.
10. Even though they are desperate for skilled immigrants, expect to start at the bottom and to have your qualifications frowned upon. I constantly hear about how Dalhousie is one of the most famous universities in the world. Dalhousie who???
Having said that, some people will love it, I haven't and found it a battle both personally and professionally, a battle which has made me realise the good in the UK.
I have seen a lot of comments from people who came over in the 60's, 70's etc when it probably was the land of opportunity. Now, it seems a lot harder for people to become established and achieve that higher standard of living that I for one was looking for.
I am glad I came out here to give it a go but I am also glad that I am going back. I wish that I had known some of the following though:
1. Expect you salary to go down a LOT and your taxes up a LOT. Even though I earn nearly twice as much in Canadian than pounds, I only take home a few hundred dollars more than I did in pounds. This includes my private healthcare fees, which are a necessity as Medicare (in NS anyway) is not as complete as the NHS and, for example, dental and prescription fees are horrendous - I still have to pay 20%. Look for a company that offers 100% cover.
2. Houses are generally bigger but your electric and heating (oil in my case) bills will probably be a lot higher - long winters, AC in summer in some places.
3. When looking at houses, I'd recommend the same multiples on a mortgage as in the UK. Remember property tax (council tax) is ususally 1.5% of the value of the property.
4. There are a lot of open spaces but the population is generally very urbanised (ie concentrated) which means very long drives between places (although the Canadians are used to this and it means nothing to them). Sounds good but it gets boring!
5. The towns/cities are like many others - still crammed in with congestion like the UK. Granted, between towns its not usually a problem.
6. Ignore the weather statistics- its bloody cold for a good 4-6 months, summer is generally about 3 months of good weather.
7. There are many malls (in Nova Scotia anyway) and their main reason for being is to keep you warm in the winter, cool in the summer, not for the convenience of shopping - expect many stores of few chains.
8. To really enjoy Canada, I believe you need to really be into camping and the outdoors. No poppoing down to the continent for a cheap holiday. A holiday to many of my friends is a weekend camping nearby.
9. Travel (air) is VERY expensive, although some cheaper carriers are coming out. Still, its a BIG country and costs a lot to get about.
10. Even though they are desperate for skilled immigrants, expect to start at the bottom and to have your qualifications frowned upon. I constantly hear about how Dalhousie is one of the most famous universities in the world. Dalhousie who???
Having said that, some people will love it, I haven't and found it a battle both personally and professionally, a battle which has made me realise the good in the UK.
I have seen a lot of comments from people who came over in the 60's, 70's etc when it probably was the land of opportunity. Now, it seems a lot harder for people to become established and achieve that higher standard of living that I for one was looking for.
Sep 13th 2003, 2:10 am
#55
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Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Burlington, Ontario
Posts: 70
HAve you worked with Canadians in the UK or in Canada?
The Canadians I work with other here (although NS is probably not the best example) may have travelled to the US occaisionally but in general they seem to say little about the world and shame on you if you say anything against NS or Canada.
Our friends recently got married (28 years old) and it was their first time out of the country. For most its just too damn expensive to travel I suppose.
The Canadians I work with other here (although NS is probably not the best example) may have travelled to the US occaisionally but in general they seem to say little about the world and shame on you if you say anything against NS or Canada.
Our friends recently got married (28 years old) and it was their first time out of the country. For most its just too damn expensive to travel I suppose.
Sep 13th 2003, 2:57 am
#56
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 80
Hmmm...
Well,
I've lived in the UK,US and Canada
and I have visted Halifax,NS. on 2 occasions
once for 2 weeks on a training course and once on Holidays
and I have a hard time imagining anyone prefering much
of the the UK over Halifax.
First off it is on the ocean,ok no big deal,
secondly it has trees everywhere,it's a very green
city,it has little crime,the people are mostly
ancestors of English and Scots and thus are very friendly
and it's clean and uncongested and the office workers do not work Saturday and Sunday,that it bogus.
It is more diverse than it appears at first glance I have driven by
Dalhousie University to find Indian students playing cricket
on the football field and it has a number of ethnic restaurants
including at least 8 Japanese resaurants.I know I had to find them my wife grew up in Japan and loves Japanese food.
And that comment about the NHS is a crock as well,Canada
is usually the model of which countries mention health care,
I will state that it has gone downhill loads in the last decade,but,still the NHS?The NHS has been severely
underfunded for decades and everyone knows it.
Tony Blair has even admitted it.
Come one the NHS is probably the poorest and I mean that figuratively as well as literally of all the G8 countries.
Ever been hospitilized in London and been hooked up to a rusting oxygen tank left over from world war II?
My grandfather was recently,unbelievable really.
If you are from London I can see where it may be a whole lot slower for you but,on the other hand the whole East Coast of the US,New Jersey,New York,Boston all these people are buying up coastal properties like crazy because of the value.
So while you may not like it, personally I wouldn't mind moving there,if I could get transfered.
I've lived in the UK,US and Canada
and I have visted Halifax,NS. on 2 occasions
once for 2 weeks on a training course and once on Holidays
and I have a hard time imagining anyone prefering much
of the the UK over Halifax.
First off it is on the ocean,ok no big deal,
secondly it has trees everywhere,it's a very green
city,it has little crime,the people are mostly
ancestors of English and Scots and thus are very friendly
and it's clean and uncongested and the office workers do not work Saturday and Sunday,that it bogus.
It is more diverse than it appears at first glance I have driven by
Dalhousie University to find Indian students playing cricket
on the football field and it has a number of ethnic restaurants
including at least 8 Japanese resaurants.I know I had to find them my wife grew up in Japan and loves Japanese food.
And that comment about the NHS is a crock as well,Canada
is usually the model of which countries mention health care,
I will state that it has gone downhill loads in the last decade,but,still the NHS?The NHS has been severely
underfunded for decades and everyone knows it.
Tony Blair has even admitted it.
Come one the NHS is probably the poorest and I mean that figuratively as well as literally of all the G8 countries.
Ever been hospitilized in London and been hooked up to a rusting oxygen tank left over from world war II?
My grandfather was recently,unbelievable really.
If you are from London I can see where it may be a whole lot slower for you but,on the other hand the whole East Coast of the US,New Jersey,New York,Boston all these people are buying up coastal properties like crazy because of the value.
So while you may not like it, personally I wouldn't mind moving there,if I could get transfered.
Last edited by Daltrey; Sep 13th 2003 at 4:51 am.
Sep 13th 2003, 4:21 am
#57
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 80
Oh Yeah...
I missed that comment about not saying anything againt NS or Canada having lived in Canada for 8 years the reason why is
that Canadians aren't inclined to self-loathing.
That is a British thing.
Also the overall tax burden of both the UK and Canada is around 37%,in fact Canada is marginally lower.
The UK has lower income taxes,but,Canada has lower
federal taxes.
A recent BBC poll states approximately 53%
of Brits want to emigrate,how many Canucks do you figure want to emigrate?
No idea,but,I've never heard anyone mention it,not like they do in the UK,perhaps 3-5% maybe?
I can't really call not whinging
about the country you live in a character fault.
I have absolutely no problem slagging Canucks
as I do it myself on a daily basis but,you have to
slag them where it's due.
For example,hockey what kind of a sport is that?
Football should be the national sport,it is the only
really international sport.
Canada sucks at football,
so support England I say,we helped build this country !
that Canadians aren't inclined to self-loathing.
That is a British thing.
Also the overall tax burden of both the UK and Canada is around 37%,in fact Canada is marginally lower.
The UK has lower income taxes,but,Canada has lower
federal taxes.
A recent BBC poll states approximately 53%
of Brits want to emigrate,how many Canucks do you figure want to emigrate?
No idea,but,I've never heard anyone mention it,not like they do in the UK,perhaps 3-5% maybe?
I can't really call not whinging
about the country you live in a character fault.
I have absolutely no problem slagging Canucks
as I do it myself on a daily basis but,you have to
slag them where it's due.
For example,hockey what kind of a sport is that?
Football should be the national sport,it is the only
really international sport.
Canada sucks at football,
so support England I say,we helped build this country !
Last edited by Daltrey; Sep 13th 2003 at 5:48 am.
Sep 13th 2003, 6:33 am
#58
Banned
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Hades (yorkshire)
Posts: 114
Originally posted by kathleen_cg
This is such an inaccurate picture of Canada.
I'm a Canadian living in England and can't wait until next year as my English hubby and I will be moving back.
For the record, I come from a family of 8 children who all have a higher education. Most of the people I knew and grew up with were not "insular" and travelled extensively. I find British children to be far more precocious than Canadian children. Tony Blair invented the phrase "Red tape" and Ken Livingstone gives lectures on it to Jean Chretien. I could go on and on, but I won't. If you don't like it, come home!!
This is such an inaccurate picture of Canada.
I'm a Canadian living in England and can't wait until next year as my English hubby and I will be moving back.
For the record, I come from a family of 8 children who all have a higher education. Most of the people I knew and grew up with were not "insular" and travelled extensively. I find British children to be far more precocious than Canadian children. Tony Blair invented the phrase "Red tape" and Ken Livingstone gives lectures on it to Jean Chretien. I could go on and on, but I won't. If you don't like it, come home!!
My hubby is Canadian and even though I was born in the UK, I grew up in Canada. I take pride in saying I am a Canadian. I have tried to be nice and fair about what I have said about Britain in my posts. I'm living in Yorkshire now and I am hoping to move back to Canada, when the time is right for my hubby and I.
I'd like to say maybe it's just the area I move to, but it's the TV as well. Even the commercials are full of sex and nastiness. I hate the tweenies. What kind of children's programming is that???? It teaches the child that being a brat like Bella is ok!!!
I miss good old Canadian programming. All we see here is mostly 70's and 80's American programmes. Some new stuff!
Wall's Ice creams have used the 7 deadly sins to sell their product. They run a series of commercials for every sin, and a detailed web page even telling you how to use each sin to eat them. Then they put them on the childrens channels during the day.
There is another series of commercials that mke my 18 month old cry. It is for fruit winders - the bully fruits torture the little fruits until they are squised into fruit winders. My little gets scared and cries everytime it comes on.
PS
Where in the uk are you?
Fried
Sep 13th 2003, 8:37 am
#59
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: England
Posts: 100
Originally posted by fried_emu
Thank you for that!!!!
My hubby is Canadian and even though I was born in the UK, I grew up in Canada. I take pride in saying I am a Canadian. I have tried to be nice and fair about what I have said about Britain in my posts. I'm living in Yorkshire now and I am hoping to move back to Canada, when the time is right for my hubby and I.
I'd like to say maybe it's just the area I move to, but it's the TV as well. Even the commercials are full of sex and nastiness. I hate the tweenies. What kind of children's programming is that???? It teaches the child that being a brat like Bella is ok!!!
I miss good old Canadian programming. All we see here is mostly 70's and 80's American programmes. Some new stuff!
Wall's Ice creams have used the 7 deadly sins to sell their product. They run a series of commercials for every sin, and a detailed web page even telling you how to use each sin to eat them. Then they put them on the childrens channels during the day.
There is another series of commercials that mke my 18 month old cry. It is for fruit winders - the bully fruits torture the little fruits until they are squised into fruit winders. My little gets scared and cries everytime it comes on.
PS
Where in the uk are you?
Fried
Thank you for that!!!!
My hubby is Canadian and even though I was born in the UK, I grew up in Canada. I take pride in saying I am a Canadian. I have tried to be nice and fair about what I have said about Britain in my posts. I'm living in Yorkshire now and I am hoping to move back to Canada, when the time is right for my hubby and I.
I'd like to say maybe it's just the area I move to, but it's the TV as well. Even the commercials are full of sex and nastiness. I hate the tweenies. What kind of children's programming is that???? It teaches the child that being a brat like Bella is ok!!!
I miss good old Canadian programming. All we see here is mostly 70's and 80's American programmes. Some new stuff!
Wall's Ice creams have used the 7 deadly sins to sell their product. They run a series of commercials for every sin, and a detailed web page even telling you how to use each sin to eat them. Then they put them on the childrens channels during the day.
There is another series of commercials that mke my 18 month old cry. It is for fruit winders - the bully fruits torture the little fruits until they are squised into fruit winders. My little gets scared and cries everytime it comes on.
PS
Where in the uk are you?
Fried
I'm living in South East London. It's been a real eye opener living here for the past 3 years. England is not at all what I expected and completely the opposite of what it is portrayed to be in the media. I think it's worse here in the South East as we're so close to London. The one thing I don't think I will ever get used to is the litter. It's everywhere you look! It's really sick to see adults and children alike throw their litter on the ground. On several occassions when I come home, I find sweets wrappers on my front step where children have been sitting. I think national pride is part of the problem here and littering is only the tip of the iceberg demonstrating this problem. It's sad really because this could be a great country.
About the NHS from postings earlier. I work in the NHS and it's truly scary the things that go on. I've heard and seen things that really put me off wanting to have to go into hospital. I will not be having a child until we go back home. I know too much.
Where are you located Fried?
Take care my fellow Canadian.
Kathleen
Sep 13th 2003, 8:57 am
#60
Banned
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Hades (yorkshire)
Posts: 114
Originally posted by kathleen_cg
Hi Fried,
I'm living in South East London. It's been a real eye opener living here for the past 3 years. England is not at all what I expected and completely the opposite of what it is portrayed to be in the media. I think it's worse here in the South East as we're so close to London. The one thing I don't think I will ever get used to is the litter. It's everywhere you look! It's really sick to see adults and children alike throw their litter on the ground. On several occassions when I come home, I find sweets wrappers on my front step where children have been sitting. I think national pride is part of the problem here and littering is only the tip of the iceberg demonstrating this problem. It's sad really because this could be a great country.
About the NHS from postings earlier. I work in the NHS and it's truly scary the things that go on. I've heard and seen things that really put me off wanting to have to go into hospital. I will not be having a child until we go back home. I know too much.
Where are you located Fried?
Take care my fellow Canadian.
Kathleen
Hi Fried,
I'm living in South East London. It's been a real eye opener living here for the past 3 years. England is not at all what I expected and completely the opposite of what it is portrayed to be in the media. I think it's worse here in the South East as we're so close to London. The one thing I don't think I will ever get used to is the litter. It's everywhere you look! It's really sick to see adults and children alike throw their litter on the ground. On several occassions when I come home, I find sweets wrappers on my front step where children have been sitting. I think national pride is part of the problem here and littering is only the tip of the iceberg demonstrating this problem. It's sad really because this could be a great country.
About the NHS from postings earlier. I work in the NHS and it's truly scary the things that go on. I've heard and seen things that really put me off wanting to have to go into hospital. I will not be having a child until we go back home. I know too much.
Where are you located Fried?
Take care my fellow Canadian.
Kathleen
When we first moved here I was in shock, I had visited many times. But living in a country is different.
Everything was filthy and these underground walkways had vagrants and smelled of urine.
It seemed like there was cement everywhere and grass was only to be had in the countryside.
People still smoked in shopping malls and on buses.
The computer market was arachic.
The grocery shops were the worst though!!!! - they have no idea how to store food. The eggs are not refridgerated :scared: :scared: :scared: :scared: !!!! Have they not heard of salmonella???
So, what part of Canada did you mistakenly move from?
Me, Ontario. I've lived in Bradford ON, Aurora ON, Keswick ON, and Hamilton ON.
Fried