Originally Posted by Lorry1

I don't go there! and I don't recall saying I'm leaving Canada because Timmies are crap.
I am leaving Canada to return home to my family and friends. I was just told yesterday I'm going to be an auntie again unfortunately I won't meet my new nephew/niece until he/she is 10 months old!

Originally Posted by MarylandNed

Sorry - my misunderstanding. Congrats on the new nephew/niece. Hope the move back works out for you. I moved back to the UK in 1996 and only lasted 2 years before I had to get out again.

Originally Posted by MarylandNed

Yes, I've spent some time in Hamilton recently and there are some nice parts to it. I never thought to go near the place when I lived in Toronto but have been there a few times now e.g. touring McMaster University which is a really nice campus. However, you must admit that the view of Hamilton from the highway isn't exactly picture postcard material.

Originally Posted by teacher1000

You know what? I think you're absolutely right. I think the culture shock of leaving your hometown/city had a HUGE impact on me. I like you, have lifelong friends in Canada, and to be honest, I never REALLY wanted to move to England. I was getting married to a british man, and we decided because he had the better job, it was in my best interest to move to London. We also thought at that time, that it would be temporary, for a year or two until we could come back to Canada! Fast forward 4 years later, and we are finally in the end stages of filling out the paperwork/sending it off.

London has given me a very poor impression of England. I know I shouldn't stereotype british people, but living here has made me very very unhappy. For me, the idea of space, and the freedom that space provides, is what I ultimately want to have. I want to have a nice house, with a gargage, backyard and car. Coming from Canada, I was used to driving everywhere, not being sat on the underground where people are crushed like sardines together. I guess I'm a bit spoiled having come from a place like Canada to England, where I was forced to take public transportation (VERY EXPENSIVE AS WELL) everywhere. I just find London to be sufficating. Smaller towns here are lovely, but from my initial impression of places like buckingham and just outside oxfordshire (im sure not all) theres not a whole lot going on.

I was told that if you want to be social in london, you go to the pub. For me, this used to be, you go to tim hortons, go for a walk with your friends, go to a bbq etc etc...I was not used to this culture of socialising via drink. Or atleast, not to the levels that I have witnessed myself.

Anyways, I think we will eventually both have what we want, and that is to be close to the people we care about, in a place that we feel comfortable living in. For me that is Canada, for you it is UK. Best of luck to you

Originally Posted by Oink

And my guess he'll be as miserable as you are now.


English people aren't rude, its just an honest and frank opinion is somewhat alien to Canadians. HID was completely bemused the first time we visited the UK, I had to explain to her that when someone shouts you "oi you yank, **** off back to America," they're just being straightforward.

Originally Posted by Oink

English people aren't rude, its just an honest and frank opinion is somewhat alien to Canadians.

Originally Posted by Oink

And my guess he'll be as miserable as you are now.


English people aren't rude, its just an honest and frank opinion is somewhat alien to Canadians. HID was completely bemused the first time we visited the UK, I had to explain to her that when someone shouts you "oi you yank, **** off back to America," they're just being straightforward.

Originally Posted by teacher1000

Well yes, I have been a member for over a year, but I think I have only posted maybe 3 times, and def do not read the forum on a regular basis.
I guess I should elaborate and say, that I live in London and have found the people here to be very rude etc. That isn't to say all British people are rude etc, just in my experience, I 've not met very many pleasant people here.
Okay, that's a bit much, considering the circumstances, it was anything but acceptable. What people do on their OWN time, is a different story. It is not acceptable no matter where you live to bring your drugs with you to work. I was mearly adding that because of how shocking it was.
Well if I took my 300,000£ and bought a house in lets say, Ontario, I know from actually looking at properties there the last time I visited, that I could have a newly built house, with about 2000 sq foot, a front and backyard, and garage. My point was just that England is overpriced for what you actually get for your money.
Apologies, that wasn't meant to be a sweeping statement, just basically saying that the culture here seems to be that most people drop by the pub for at least one after each work day.
And finally, to each their own. I'm not bothered if i'm not missed by england at all, I've not had fantastic experience here, and it's mainly to do with the country and not the people (although I have found people in London to be ridiculously rude, It's not ALL BRITISH people)

Originally Posted by Cyan

Been following this thread with interest.

It's hard to be objective about something as personal as this - it's like saying my childhood was better than yours. That said, most of the posters who are either for and against the OP's stated views moved from the UK to Canada for whatever reason.

As one of the earlier posters alluded to, I think it is an age thing. The UK is/was definitely a place for young adults, whereas Canada is suited to an older settled crowd. I have fond memories of uni life, and the optimism of living in the UK back in the 90s, be it Italia 90 WC, rise of new Labour, the music scene, the rising economy, Gazza's goal against Scotland in Euro 96, hopping on EasyJet flights to Europe etc - just a collage of happy memories. But Canada now is where I feel comfortable - be it schooling, the natural scenery, Scandinavian style liberal values(pre-Harper) and laid back life etc.

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian

Dont need to be a foreigner for them to be straightforward an example would be a scouser walking around Manchester and they only live 30 miles apart

Originally Posted by dbd33

I'm afraid your posts have become baffling.

"Spend enough time here and the shared history comes and before you know it those u mingle with in the uk don't know what you are banging on about....a u gt blank stares talking about Mary mungo and..."

Novo posted the comment but I too wondered what you were on when you typed that. What's a Mary mungo?

"not sure what your idea of bif is but come on now"

I suppose bif is big. If you haven't been drinking are you typing in gloves?

Anyway, Toronto, not huge, not as big as London, NYC, Mexico City etc. but still too big and too formal for a feeling of space and the opportunity to arrive at work ponging a bit. I note that the cradle poster didn't come back and explain which place she had in mind. Somewhere with animal processing, I suppose.

Originally Posted by Boy d

Goggle is your friend....the poster referenced the importance of shared history and mentioned vision on to illustrate.....I noted new shared experiences ar made and the ones you have may become obscure.....thx for proving my point....Mary mungo and midge was a popular kids show on the bbc in the 60s.....

And oh, see u are still clever twit

A s for typos, got an iPad.....brutal to type in

Originally Posted by huddm

teacher1000

I lived 6 years in Ontario, then returned to live in Oxfordshire to work in Berkshire. I also have lived and worked in London. I currently live in SE Kent with my family. I did not like London, as you said people are rude, which I find totally different to those who I come across living and working in Kent.

My friend Canadian daughter teachers in Kent(English teacher) who really likes the social seen, lifestyle i.e long weekend trips to other European countries.

As for drug taking, I understand Canada leads the developed world in use of drugs. It was very common and accepted where we lived in Ontario.

I paid £180K for a 1500 sqft house an a quarter acre plot in Kent in 2008. I have friends visit from Ottawa this year who said that you could not get a house like mine in a similar location in Ontario taking account of the amenities and infrastructure. The Canadian families who visited us in the last year said they could see what attracted us to move back to England.
You can own a decent size house outside London, as some of my family have houses 2000-3000 sqft with double garages etc(none live in London).

You can get wooden/vinyl house built in the UK. I looked at an 1800 sqft kit house for £80K in 2007, when I considered moving to NW England.

Hudd

Originally Posted by teacher1000

Yeah, I know there are options out there for home buying if you move outside of London. However, from living here, and driving around "potential" areas to move to, I have noticed that there isn't that much going on outside of large cities. I know there are big towns, one of the towns city centers that I really liked was actually haha hereford. It had a BIG and nice city center and it seemed like a nice place, but it's soooo incredibly far away from anything. I've not ever been to Kent to be honest, and I'm sure that it's lovely (I knew a work collegue who lived there) but my heart is set on Canada.
The drug thing, I still don't get. My boss brought her dope to WORK with her. That to me, is ridiculous. In the 25 years that I had lived in Canada prior, I had never come across anyone bringing their drugs with them to work, no matter how "acceptable" smoking pot seems to be.
It sucks to be teaching in England right now. Especially in London. My husband works from 7am till about 930 at night, every night. He works in an outstanding school, and is basically forced to live up to those standards. It's terrible. Not only that, but the government(s) will eventually get their way, and public sector pensions will in the next 10 years be erradicated. I'm pretty sure he's ready for a change.
Like I said, I have no personal interest in staying in England. After 4 years of living here, I can say, i've given it a fair chance, but it's just not for me.