scrubbedexpat091

East Vancouver. Apartment window faces north.

Shard

You do get around.

scrubbedexpat133

This sums up my experience of living here very well. I was back in the UK in June. I had twinges of homesickness before but not like this time. I am moving to Windsor next week and I am very much looking forward to that and to the new start. I had to think long and hard about if i wanted to move there or to the UK. I concluded that I am fed up with NB not so much Canada. The people are a big part of that - I dont fit in here. I feel like a fish out of water. I really dont understand the friendly but dont want to be friends thing. It just seems disingenuous. I dont think that its intentional as such but just a way of being.

Its the same 3 questions....Where are you from? How long have you been here? Do you like it? Occasionally I am asked Why did you come here? (standard response is that it was prison or here ) and Have actually been asked When are you leaving? (up yours too lol) My GF read me an article from Acadie Nouvelle a while ago about a French couple who had settled in the North of NB. They described the people in much the same way that we both are but surmised that people here are not really friendly but are just curious in regards to the questions above. Once you have answered those that is the end of it.

The last part of the quote really sums up my social life here.

MelVan

That's the same for me. I only lived in London full time for two years, but since then work has taken me back every year and often for extended periods. It feels like home whenever I am there - I feel confident about how to get around, how to get to work, the places to go, seeing my friends etc. I just slip right back in as though I've never left. I have the same sense in Vancouver now, even though I've not lived there (but will be soon enough). Sydney, however, where I grew up, doesn't feel like home to me anymore. I know it well and still have family there, but it just doesn't feel like "home" in the way Melbourne, London and Vancouver do.

Which is in contrast to New York, where again I've spent a lot of time for work, particularly in the last three years, and leisure, over the past 30 years. While the city feels familiar to me, it doesn't have anything more for me than that. Maybe if I lived there for an extended period I'd feel differently.

scrubbedexpat133

Its a reasonable point but the reality of living here is that no matter how well you assimilate yourself to the locals you will always be 'from away'. I have tried to fit in, get along with and go along with them for 8 1/2 years. I have exactly 1 friend here who is a local.

scrubbedexpat133

Lack of Greggs or Pound Bakery really puts a crimp in it

Shard

What would be the difference in the way your one local friend treats you and the many others that treat you as from away? Curious?

scrubbedexpat091

I suppose I am fortunate in the fact I sound like a west coast Canadian since the accent out west and the US west coast is pretty close to the same, but when someone does figure out I am not from Canada, those are the same basic 3 questions I am asked too...And almost always once I say San Diego as my hometown, there will usually be a variation of why did you move here or a comment about winter being colder here.

BristolUK

If one is "not from here" surely asking where one comes from and how one ended up here is entirely reasonable isn't it?

Obviously it depends on the context. If it's a coworker and a conversation never gets beyond that then there's a problem. If it's a taxi driver, waitress, nurse, someone on the bus, checkout operator etc that's all there's time for and it's better than "find everything you were looking for?"
Loads of BE people say this about everywhere in Canada.
It's not something I experience either way as I'm not naturally a mixer anyway.

scrubbedexpat091

I get annoyed about living here mostly due to high cost of living, wages not a whole lot higher anymore when compared to the west coast of the US, but basics like food just costing so much these days.

More difficult to survive in Canada in general in our income level.

scrubbedexpat091

Joys of renting, lack of stability.....We have been in our current building for a year and a half now, maybe closer to 2 years, I forget exactly...

We are pretty much stuck here now, moving costs money and well those with little money cannot exactly move.

caretaker

Of course, millions manage to get by on the same income, so every case isn't the same. Millions like living in Vancouver too, and wouldn't move even for a lower cost of living. I have friends in Vancouver in their 60's who will never own their own house and both will probably have to work until they die but they aren't interested in living anywhere else. They both have degrees but not anything that helps him create jewellery or her to work in an office. The one constant is their work ethic; bills don't pay themselves. A lot of his jewellery goes overseas with returning tourists via the airport gift shops but it took decades to get to that point. He complains from time to time (me too, I'm pretty broke right now), but you can't let it define you. I like to think of myself as a potential lottery winner.

bats

scrubbedexpat091

Everyone wants different things in life.

A couple million may live in Metro Vancouver, but Vancouver proper doesn't even have a million people, not even 700,000 yet........

I have ideas I could possibly make money from, but zoning, rental leases, and other hurdles prevent such ideas from becoming a reality.

shelley748

It is definitely the feeling of not belonging to me- because of course never grew up and went to school over here in Canada. Then as you say the humour, we always have a great belly laugh at UK comedy and jokes....over here its like a deer in headlights look from our canadian friends. For me I really miss the food....cant beat a Aunt Bessies Roastie etc...THat said I do enjoy living in the countryside and having lots of space for my doggies and my hubby! Its a question of quality of life versus the UK and being able to afford to live the same way for us.