Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

Canadians not noticing my accent would be progress. The Americans listen to it and think I'm bloody Australian :blink:

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

and there goes a whole new sticking point, that, unfortunately my dear fellow will not change with you being north of the border ;)

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

It is shared experiences that bind people in my experience.

In the UK all our long-term friends were people in mixed relationships. It wasn't a deliberate thing, and we knew many very nice people who were in mono-coloured relationships (all white or all something else) but it happened. The mono-coloured people simply don't "get" what it is like to be in a mixed relationship however intelligent, sensitive and well meaning they are otherwise. It is so much easier to make friends with people who understand such a big part of your life, and with whom you can relax without the need to constantly explain.

I think this is the same thing that mandymoochops is talking about, all be it in a slightly different way.

Once in Canada I did consciously avoid Brits at first. As I said on another thread recently, pushing myself out of my comfort zone was part of the emigration experience for me - I wanted to find new ways to relate to people. However, despite all my efforts, I have never managed to make friends with non-hyphenated ((c) dbd33) Canadians. That is not because we have not met many very nice people, it is just our life experiences are too different, and it is too big a gulf to bridge. Happily, in the meantime, we have made some great friends with fellow immigrants for all around the world.

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

I watch BBC Canada and drink a lot. Seems to do the trick. :thumbup:

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

What trick?

Numb the brain.:confused:

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

duh?

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

Bazzz...is that you? :p

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

holy crap it could well be - the bacon reference in the name :confused:

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

You're not Pete Tong there.

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

I don't actually harbor this view entirely, while I do maintain my British connections, I now have more friends who are non brits. And since I've spent exactly half my 40 years out of the uk, I have a whole new set of experiences.

While I can easily banter about the best of British from Only Fools and Horses to Peter Kay I can also banter about Corner Gas, The Office (the american one)or the King of Queens, chat about local politics, and the way vancouver was 16 years ago. Although, having said that I have a number of Canadian friends who know more about Red Dwarf, Faulty Towers and Dr Who than I could ever have hoped to.

Invest enough time getting to know others and adjusting and new experiences will enrich you. If you are intent on seeking out british only friends and keeping your head in the past, you will be selling yourself short. I find in my experience that my Canadian friends have their own sense of humor and value systems that are not that far removed from ours.

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

My son's girlfriend might ..... he's trying very hard to "educate" her! :p:rofl:

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

I understand what you are saying wholeheartedly - I do not like I say in my original thread "hanker" after British friends etc etc etc - was just making the point about being new here - and seeking comfort in familiarity at times. That comfort that you have comes after being here a while - which is what I will gain in time too.

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

Yes you are right. There is nothing wrong in holding on to one's roots, its trying to replicate the UK away that is the problem. We have to embrace our new surroundings and accept that somethings will be better than what we are used to and others not so much.

I've traveled a lot, lived in many places, served in the RN, worked the cruise lines, lived in the US, Moscow, Turkey and now finally put down roots in Vancouver - life is certainly a journey - get a window seat and enjoy the ride.

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

Gibsons landing got asked by an ozzie girl the other day if she was Ozzie?? I can understand the Canadians getting confuddled - but an Ozzie??

Re: Why birds of a feather flock together.
 

As a Canadian living in Britain, I can totally relate to this thread! I'm happy to participate in British culture, but there are certain things I can never fully understand since I didn't grow up with them - like although I've learned about Rainbow and the Milky Bar kid and can appreciate their cultural significance (!), I don't get that wave of nostalgia about them. And I can't tell you the number of training courses I've gone on, where they use football as an analogy! You should try taking part in a pub quiz, when you don't know any of this stuff - but I do go, and I learn - but as I say, although you can learn all about it, it will never have the same nostaligic meaning.

But ask me about today's British culture - and I can easily relate to it!