Feeling homesick - 6 months in Calgary
Nov 27th 2015, 2:27 pm
#31
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,827
Nov 27th 2015, 7:46 pm
#32
Recruiter Extraordinaire
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 383
Re: Feeling homesick - 6 months in Calgary
Yes you have suggested this before and I may do this if this meet up goes t*ts up. yes I have noticed this among the male population of Vancouver. One of the worst 'dates' I ever went on was a guy originally from Winnipeg. He turned up late in a location in Kits, in a white stained sweater (maybe from coffee), we went to a coffee shop, I had my gym stuff with me (as I had been that morning) he grabbed his food and cutlery/condiments but did not offer to get any of that stuff for me for me and just sat down- where as I struggled with my back and just expected him to offer to grab the cutlery and stuff. We then sat there for nearly an hour with nothing to say. He then made an a excuse to leave saying his female friend (girlfriend maybe?) was waiting for him and he had to go. Never heard from him again. Was it because I wasn't a supermodel or because I wouldnt sleep with him - who knows? The guy was an accountant who lived in Burnaby - pretty messed up I have so many of these stories that I should just write a book 
Nov 28th 2015, 3:49 am
#33
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2012
Location: Qc, Canada
Posts: 3,787
Re: Feeling homesick - 6 months in Calgary
I have wondered how people managed before the age of easy communications before the internet/social network/Skype age- phoning isn't quite the phone and probably costed a fortune. Maybe they just got on with it... they didnt have expats which must have been a massive void in their new lives too!
When I first moved abroad to live in Hong Kong back in the late 70's it was an eye opening experience. I still recall landing at Kai Tak airport, smelling the 'fragrant harbour' (which wasn't too fragrant in a good way) and walking through to arrivals and being totally overwhelmed by the crowds, the heat and the noise.
I digress..
Communication with our families was by airmail, a letter would take 2-3 weeks to get to the UK and then 2-3 weeks for a reply (if they wrote back straight away) so there was no communication for 4-6+ weeks at a time. I phoned my Dad twice a year - once on his birthday and once at Christmas, it cost a £1 a minute and at that time our annual income was around £4200 gross so calls were short and sweet!
We were on 2 year contracts and there was no option, financially, to return to the UK to see family until the end of each one.
Did we miss our families? Of course! Did we just get on with it? Pretty much.
I digress..
Communication with our families was by airmail, a letter would take 2-3 weeks to get to the UK and then 2-3 weeks for a reply (if they wrote back straight away) so there was no communication for 4-6+ weeks at a time. I phoned my Dad twice a year - once on his birthday and once at Christmas, it cost a £1 a minute and at that time our annual income was around £4200 gross so calls were short and sweet!
We were on 2 year contracts and there was no option, financially, to return to the UK to see family until the end of each one.
Did we miss our families? Of course! Did we just get on with it? Pretty much.
, & +1.I sometimes think it may be harder today with Facebook, & all the other instant communication/social media we've become used to.
Back in the dark ages, James' advice (toddle down to the pub/bar, pull up a stool) worked well, in more than one country.
Canada was one of the harder countries I've moved to: I think there may have been a subconscious (and very unrealistic) expectation that common language(s) would = common/similar "culture".
Nov 28th 2015, 5:45 am
#34
Bex in the city
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 3,899
Re: Feeling homesick - 6 months in Calgary
That is crazy but like you said, it is Vancouver.
Nov 28th 2015, 5:01 pm
#35
Beep
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: Here
Posts: 8,311
Re: Feeling homesick - 6 months in Calgary
Posted this in another thread but...
We all chase a dream, but often we must realise accepting reality is the better path.
A Canadian acquaintance who wants to move to Europe for a "better" lifestyle for him and his family asked me what i loved about Canada that you can't get in the UK. Other than access to mountains and related activities, i couldn't think of a single thing. He then asked me, is it worth leaving your longtime friends and close family for that?
I told him it may be different if you're moving from a not so nice area to a nicer environment, but he countered with "surely you can do that within the UK anyway and not lose touch with those who matter in your life".
Genuine questions and i didn't have many answers.
We all chase a dream, but often we must realise accepting reality is the better path.
A Canadian acquaintance who wants to move to Europe for a "better" lifestyle for him and his family asked me what i loved about Canada that you can't get in the UK. Other than access to mountains and related activities, i couldn't think of a single thing. He then asked me, is it worth leaving your longtime friends and close family for that?
I told him it may be different if you're moving from a not so nice area to a nicer environment, but he countered with "surely you can do that within the UK anyway and not lose touch with those who matter in your life".
Genuine questions and i didn't have many answers.
Nov 28th 2015, 6:18 pm
#36
Yo
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 24,474
Re: Feeling homesick - 6 months in Calgary
That is the irony. I think many just want a sense of adventure and challenge. To be an international person rather than a domestic person.
Nov 28th 2015, 7:19 pm
#37
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,827
Re: Feeling homesick - 6 months in Calgary
I was just looking over unemployment rates in Canadian and UK cities. The Canadian cities are overwhelmingly 5%, 6% and 7%. There was one over 8%. The UK cities had rates at under 2% right up to 11% with many at the lower and higher rates.
If you live in a "not so nice area" in the UK, you probably can't afford a nicer area in the same city. If you can find a nice area in a different city that you can afford there may be far fewer work opportunities. And even if everyone could afford it, The Cotswolds wouldn't have properties for everyone who wanted to move.
If you're in one of those areas of Toronto that dbd writes about with the shootings every five minutes and drug deals and all the rest, you probably can't afford Richmond Hill (I assume that's posh
) but you might afford a nicer area in any number of the surrounding cities, with little change on the job front (or even commute to the same job) and still be in the centre(ish) of the universe. 
Dec 1st 2015, 10:45 pm
#38
Grumpy Know-it-all
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 8,928
Re: Feeling homesick - 6 months in Calgary
I had very specific reasons for moving to Canada so I rarely miss the UK. On the rare occasions that I do, I visit Vancouver or Victoria because they're very British-like.
Dec 3rd 2015, 4:09 pm
#39
Beep
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: Here
Posts: 8,311
Re: Feeling homesick - 6 months in Calgary
That said, if i wanted adventure and a challenge, i'd most likely not choose Canada. It'd be like playing video games on the easy setting only.
