British Expats

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-   -   So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?..... (https://britishexpats.com/forum/maple-leaf-98/so-what-homesickness-feels-like-933054/)

scrubbedexpat091 Jun 13th 2020 5:04 am

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by Siouxie (Post 12866021)
The hammer isn't a bad place :) I've lived here for 20 years .... and what about Burlington, Dundas, Stoney Creek... Paris... Guelph / Georgetown / Kitchener.. or one of the 'beach towns' on Lake Erie or one of the others :) Or you could go the 'other side' of Toronto.. out towards Kingston, Cobourg.. is only an hour and a bit away from Toronto :) What do your kids like to do? Perhaps if you could find somewhere that your kids would love your wife might too :D What did you like about the town you lived in before coming to Canada - specifically... i.e. what did the town/area hold that you can't get here... (apart from the accent and pubs ;) )

Granted I was only in Ontario from September 2012 to January 2013 but in that short time lived in Whitby and Port Hope and Whitby was okay, typical suburb but I quite liked the charm of Port Hope, but then I never lived anywhere with the old brick buildings and the charm they bring, and the river through town was nice, and I like trains so it was a good town for train watching, not sure I would want to commute to Toronto, also spent time in Coburg since that is where many of the closest amenities were, and hospital there was decent, and fairly modern looking and new too.

I didn't care for Trenton though or some city out that way that started with a B, but can't remember the name now.

And apparently Sobey's in ON is expensive and I was shopping there because it was cheaper than Super Store was in BC...ha ha, I thought it was the discount type grocery store because the prices were lower vs what I was used to.

Shard Jun 13th 2020 10:33 am

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by scilly (Post 12866026)
Some times I really do wonder if we live in the same country!

I honestly do not know a Brit who emigrated out here, and ultimately went elsewhere, unless it was for a better job, and then they usually have come back here to retire.

All the rest are still happily living here, at various stages of their working lives, ages ranging from late 20s to over 80s, or have died here!

This does seem to be the more usual experience.

Partially discharged Jun 13th 2020 5:17 pm

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by scilly (Post 12866026)
Some times I really do wonder if we live in the same country!

I honestly do not know a Brit who emigrated out here, and ultimately went elsewhere, unless it was for a better job, and then they usually have come back here to retire.

All the rest are still happily living here, at various stages of their working lives, ages ranging from late 20s to over 80s, or have died here!

One couple who lived near St Catherine's did plan on retiring back to "their" part of the UK, but fortunately were able to negotiate a several month break to go and stay over there about 2 years before retirement. They enjoyed the fact that they were close to their 2 children, but realised that everything else was back here. So plans changed, they stayed in their home near St Catherine's, she died a few years ago, and he has found a new "friend" to go on holidays and trips with ;)

I sometimes wonder about the Canada that dbd lives in as I haven't found it like he has :thumbsup:

I moved her when I was 17 with family but prior to that we had lived in the UK, Canada , UK, USA, and then the UK...and then Canada. The accent is pretty much gone as the first Canada part from age 6-11 was key for accent development. Thankfully no North Carolina twang got implanted.

When I moved at 17 here for good, I quickly became friends with a guy who was from Italy (moved when he was 8 I think) and his parents always talked about moving back to the hilltop town that they came from in Italy etc. They eventually retired at about age 75 about 7 years ago and headed back to the little village they had come from that they hadn't lived in for over 40 years. I'm sure you can figure out what happened. Within 3 years they were back...everybody they knew had died, moved away or they had lost contact with them and the Italy they knew they viewed through sepia toned vision and the old town they knew was no longer. Now they are back in Canada and glad they are back..needless to say I think 7 out of 9 of their siblings moved to Canada and mainly to the Toronto area where they are

Shard Jun 13th 2020 6:12 pm

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by Partially discharged (Post 12866395)
I sometimes wonder about the Canada that dbd lives in as I haven't found it like he has :thumbsup:

I moved her when I was 17 with family but prior to that we had lived in the UK, Canada , UK, USA, and then the UK...and then Canada. The accent is pretty much gone as the first Canada part from age 6-11 was key for accent development. Thankfully no North Carolina twang got implanted.

When I moved at 17 here for good, I quickly became friends with a guy who was from Italy (moved when he was 8 I think) and his parents always talked about moving back to the hilltop town that they came from in Italy etc. They eventually retired at about age 75 about 7 years ago and headed back to the little village they had come from that they hadn't lived in for over 40 years. I'm sure you can figure out what happened. Within 3 years they were back...everybody they knew had died, moved away or they had lost contact with them and the Italy they knew they viewed through sepia toned vision and the old town they knew was no longer. Now they are back in Canada and glad they are back..needless to say I think 7 out of 9 of their siblings moved to Canada and mainly to the Toronto area where they are

I dunno, I think a bit of NC twang would be quite cool ! Good story. Stories !

Former Lancastrian Jun 13th 2020 7:15 pm

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by Partially discharged (Post 12866395)
I sometimes wonder about the Canada that dbd lives in as I haven't found it like he has :thumbsup:

So do others. I just think it is him doing his thing now that his sidekick/partner in crime or whatever has left Canada and splitting their time between France and the UK. He is entitled to his opinion about Canada and I think has been told at least on one occasion several years ago by more than one poster that he is free to leave at any time but yet he remains. Is it the country or is it dbd himself. Who am I to judge.

scrubbedexpat133 Jun 13th 2020 8:37 pm

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian (Post 12866442)
Who am I to judge.

I thought you were in charge? 😛😛😛

Former Lancastrian Jun 13th 2020 8:44 pm

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by Alex2201 (Post 12866477)
I thought you were in charge? 😛😛😛

You wouldn't like it if I was in charge. Hell I cant even keep charge of my cat let alone a bloody country.;)

spouse of scouse Jun 13th 2020 8:46 pm

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian (Post 12866479)
You wouldn't like it if I was in charge. Hell I cant even keep charge of my cat let alone a bloody country.;)

No one can be in charge of a cat, cats are in charge of us.

Former Lancastrian Jun 13th 2020 8:49 pm

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by spouse of scouse (Post 12866480)
No one can be in charge of a cat, cats are in charge of us.

So why aren't they running the country and making everything in the world all rainbows and unicorns for everyone? I know they are bloody asleep again or off pissing in your flower garden.

christmasoompa Jun 13th 2020 8:54 pm

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by scilly (Post 12866026)
I honestly do not know a Brit who emigrated out here, and ultimately went elsewhere

Maybe not in person, but you know lots on the forum.



spouse of scouse Jun 13th 2020 8:56 pm

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian (Post 12866482)
So why aren't they running the country and making everything in the world all rainbows and unicorns for everyone? I know they are bloody asleep again or off pissing in your flower garden.

At least they bring us the odd present. Dead mice, grasshoppers, nice presents like that.

scrubbedexpat133 Jun 13th 2020 9:11 pm

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian (Post 12866479)
You wouldn't like it if I was in charge. Hell I cant even keep charge of my cat let alone a bloody country.;)

I don't like anyone being in charge... Don't tell the Mrs I said that 😁

scilly Jun 13th 2020 9:50 pm

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by christmasoompa (Post 12866486)
Maybe not in person, but you know lots on the forum.

I know, and I find it terribly depressing, all but drives me away sometimes.

scrubbedexpat133 Jun 13th 2020 10:24 pm

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by spouse of scouse (Post 12866489)
At least they bring us the odd present. Dead mice, grasshoppers, nice presents like that.

I am not a cat lover but I am sure that I read somewhere that they do this because they think that you are a poor hunter and they are concerned you might starve.

dbd33 Jun 13th 2020 10:39 pm

Re: So is this what 'homesickness' feels like?.....
 

Originally Posted by scilly (Post 12866026)
Some times I really do wonder if we live in the same country!

I honestly do not know a Brit who emigrated out here, and ultimately went elsewhere, unless it was for a better job, and then they usually have come back here to retire.


I didn't say "Brit". I said something to the effect most people I have known in Canada ultimately went home. Some were British, they tend to leave in the first year or stay until retirement and then leave. Others are. or were. Lebanese, Chinese, nationals of Macao (dunno how to conjugate that), Hong Kong nationals, Indians, Turks, Ukrainians, all sorts. Some come, make enough to be affluent at home and go, so less than a decade but probably long enough to be citizens. Indians seem always to have one eye on the US and many go there.

I don't think even cradle Canadians retire here, unless things have gone badly wrong. They go to Florida or Arizona for half the year minus a day.


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