snowqueen

It'll come soon enough, espcially with kids in school etc. You may find yourself longing for a bit of anonymity before long!!! (I always seem to bump into people when I'm having a bad hair day!)

Snowqueen

crazydaisy

You're right about the perpetual motion - it's sure hard to stay in one place for too long once the bug bites!

Batty

Hi Boardy

I'm a ping pong emigrant - left to go to London, back to Ireland; then to Holland, back to Ireland - now I'm in New Zealand. Is it the changed Ireland that makes you feel unsettled or do you think you'd want to leave anyway? I was a bit of both - was always going to come to NZ anyway as my hubby is a Kiwi but I returned the last time to Ireland in 1999 and couldn't believe how much it had changed in 6 years! It just didn't seem the same somehow and whether that was me or not I don't know. NZ is great - very like Ireland in many ways but before everything was about labels and what car registration you've got. If you're into sport or anything outdoorsy it's wonderful here - if you've got kids it's marvellous for them. Children are still children when they're 13 or 14! A young boy (16/17) got up from his seat at the back of the bus the other day and walked to the front to tell me there was a seat if I wanted to sit down :-) Brilliant! I do miss the sense of fun in Ireland but that's about it really.

Canada Bob

Hello Snow Queen...

It's an odd old world aint it...

We are originally from Wigan, but we emigrated to Canada in 1982, and like most immigrants found ouselves in Thorold, Ontario, not far from Toron'o :-)

Spent 6 years there, had a great time, except for one blip on the screen when I had 6 oz of C4 strapped to my car, managed to survive that though, mostly because the RCMP found it before it went off, anyway that's another story...

Here's the link to that little saga...

http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/sts/bmart...s/Norburn.html

We then did 2 years in Sorel, Quebec, again loved the place, then moved to Nova Scotia, a gem of a place that's for sure.

One good link to check out is www.mls.ca where almost every house for sale in Canada is listed... You'll find that the standard of living in Canada is very high BUT the cost of living is very low, gas/diesel is still around half of the price in the Untidy Kingdom...

"We picked Canada because of the outdoor life (we love winter sports, fishing etc)".

The Winters can be as much fun as any time of the year, but it's something else to walk the dog when it's -26C the dog don't seem to mind, but it sure as hell can chill you to the bone in no time at all, that and to see snow flakes as big as 50p pieces and 4 ft of snow in 12 hours :-( was fun for a while, and we enjoyed it, but I'm getting too old for shovelling snow now, so we are actually looking to head for Ireland {hope you guys can help out on that}.

The fishing is great all across Canada, first fish I ever caught in me life was a 35lb salmon in Lake Ontario !... can't eat them though... full of dioxins :-(
best "fish" I ever caught though was a 17ft blue shark 12 miles out of Halifax Harbour...

"We have been in ireland 15 years and have built up quite a bit of equity in the house too so plan to use that creatively in Canada"!

One thing about Canada is... you don't have to be a Millionaire to live like one, just about ALL the big ticket items {starting at house prices} are almost half the price they would be in the UK.

Canada is a great Country, there's no stratification of the people, no social demarkation that you'd notice, a bloke who's a CEO would be at ease playing a round of golf with the bloke who sweeps his factories floor... The Country is beautiful, the standard of living is great {for regular working folks}, but to me the thing that makes Canada as good as it is, is the people, they don't stand off, they welcome just about everyone, even this Wigin Lad in Quebec, I have never had a problem, nor have I ever noticed anyone else having a problem in Canada.

I've seen where a not so well off family has seen their home burned down, and when it turned out they weren't insured, the local community rallies round and builds them a new home ! I have no greater regard for folks than I have for Canadians...

"To be fair most people are very nice, and I tend to forget that I'm English half the time, (it's just the crap you hear on the radio etc can be quite nasty and certainly wouldn't be allowed if we were any other race!!)"

Hmmm, I didn't realise there were such attitudes, I've had enough hassle in my lifetime, and I don't need anymore, so would you think Ireland might be the place for us ?

I'd appreciate any comments any of you guys might have, I have a little short list of places under consideration, including Cork, Waterford, Wexford even Galway, been to all of them except Cork years ago and like them all, but didn't spend enough time to really know if they are places we can live our remaining years out {there's just me and the wife now}.

All the Best Snow Queen, let me know if you want any thought on Toron'o or other parts of Canada.

Canada Bob.

chris_qc80

I've had a totally different experience to that. At least in Dublin, being English can be a very difficult thing, you constantly face bitching and arrogant comments, I've been shouted at on the street several times just because they can hear my accent as I talk on the phone. From my experience, Irish people have quite a deep dislike of the Brits, and I have found it very difficult to gain any kind of friendship with Irish people.

However, in Galway and Kerry it was a bit different, the people seemed much nicer - I would never recommend any Brit to choose Dublin to live though.

snowqueen

I'm sorry to hear that you've had such a bad experience, Chris. I think so many people think of the Brits as 'fair game' and forget that you have feelings like anyone else. The hatred can be quite alarming at times.

But you are not alone. A lot of our newcomers from distant lands are also experiencing racism, for that is what it is, no matter what our past history.

There was another thread on here just recently about how the Irish 'gals' loved the English accents...so obviously everyone has different experiences!!

My personal feeling is that although Dublin is changing into a multicultural, cosmopolitan city (it was much more provincial and backward when I first came to live here, but ironically I liked it better then) a lot of peoples attitudes have not moved with the times. Change is coming too fast for them and they retreat into bigotry. HOWEVER, I still feel that the majority of people are decent, open, and fun to be with, and while they might not end up being life long friends, I hope you meet some of the nice ones soon!
Snowqueen

tucs

I am from London living in Ireland. Yes there is a thing about the Irish slagging the English, possibly they have good cause. But i have never had the slagging go too far. I have also travelled a lot since arring here in 1992 and have seen the same slagging against England all over the world. India, Australia, USA, Spain, in fact most of europe. Maybe they get into you more if they see it is affecting you. After all the Irish sense of humour is generally being able to take the pee out of someone. Where i work now there is a lot of South Africans and they cannot handle this at all.

Maybe you have just had bad luck, maybe you take it too seriously. Like i said i have been here since 92 and have never had a problem. Most are genuinly interested in where you are from and most have either lived in England or have family that live there.

snowqueen

Bob

The fact that you still have so many god things to say about Canada despite what happened to you is testament indeed...!

Thanks for your advice on Canada. We are heading over to Toronto early July, although my husband starts his new job (got a transfer!!) mid June. It's great as we know where we are hoping to live and have great freinds there. We have been researching it for years and feel more than ready for what's in store (I hope!)

All you say about living like a millionaire in Canada despite your funds is true, and partly explains our decision to move there. The flip side of that is that you will, I fear find that Ireland is expensive to live in. Houses are very pricey, even outside the capital, for what you get(more than UK) and the cost of living is higher. If however, you can buy a house in any of the places you mention with ease, then you should really enjoy life here, especially in the more rural areas. It is a beautiful country, and the softer climate (with no snow shovelling!) is preferred by many (Though walking headlong into a gale and trying to stay upright can be quite exhausting!!)

Don't worry too much about the anti-British thing. It does exist but you might never experience it. I find it in subtle ways, the poster Chris obviously had a worse experience, others don't find it at all. And as has been said on here, away from the big cities, it's likely to be less of a problem, if at all. Don't let it influence your decision, I would say.

I would recommend that you pay a visit here before you make any decision though. Tour around and get acquainted with the country again. A lot has changed in recent years, not all of it for the best, but I am sure you will find what you are looking for in the end.

All the best
Snowqueen

BlueScottyGirl

Such a shame about Dublin, I couldn't comment 'cos I don't have much experience but in the year or so that I've been here I've never encountered any racism..then again..I'm Scottish not English and as soon as I hear that Dublin 4 accent, I melt. Maybe there's a mutual appreciation thing going on cos all I ever get is gentle ribbing "I couldn't remember if you were Scottish or Welsh".....or "all celts together" comments....and the occassional comment about my lovely accent.

I agree with Snowqueen in that just about all the Irish people I've encountered have been fun and decent. Hope you get to bump into more like that...I guess every nation has citizens that can't or wont move with the times.

BSG

BlueScottyGirl

Was replying to the above and I just saw this in reply to my comment that I miss having a support network...I think I might have spoken too soon. I got some bad news at the weekend and my irish friends...albiet a very small number...rallied round me.....and by Monday I WAS having a bad hair day and no one minded!

Canada Bob

Hmmm, lots to consider... I don't think that Dublin would be the place for us to head to, we are both retired so no need for employment these days.

I think the larger towns would be better as folks tend to be less parochial, but I wouldn't have Limerick on my list for more reasons than one...

What about Cork ? what's the attitude down there ? I've heard that Cork used to have a bad attitude towards the Brits ?

Galway, Wexford and Waterford areas make the most appeal right now...

Odd aint it, we {the workers} get it in the neck because folks think "we" exploited {or repressed} them, I've no doubt that 60-80 years ago many a dark deed was done against the Irish, but at the same time my granddad was condemned to work down a mine for next to nowt for 40 years until he was dieing on his feet from coal dust in his lungs.

Generations later the Establishment is free of any come backs, but folks like us continue to pay for their "crimes", even though we were under the same rod, sigh...

Canada Bob.

crazydaisy

Hi - We are heading to midway between Galway and Limerick ourselves this June and my feelings have been more favourable to Galway too mainly due to the larger available job pool. I will certainly let you know about how English accents go down over on the West. We have visited a number of times in the past with no problems. Of course visiting never reflects real life but I never felt out of place there. Don't forget that even in Britain you can be picked on for having a different accent. We moved from South of England to the North when I was 13 and I VERY quickly picked up the new accent just so I wouldn't stand out in the crowd! I would go with the suggestion of visiting first as Ireland as changed hugely in the last few years. Cork does seem to do fairly well jobs wise when you look at online job agencies. If you need any advice on moving from Canada to Ireland let me know as we're just in the build up to it now...

snowqueen

If you don't have to work, then the world is your oyster...

If I had my choice, I would head for West Cork. It's so beautiful and the towns there have enough of an influx of city folk in the summer to make it feel quite cosmoplitan...! Stunning scenery, lovely people, just no jobs, so if jobs ain't a problem, it's heaven IMO. You'd need to check out the various parts though, as its a huge area and four of the 'fingers' (one is stumpy!) at the bottom left of Ireland as you look at the map are in Cork!!

My personal favourite is the Beara penninsular, I worked down there for 5 weeks one summer and adored it and still keep up withe friends I made down there. But it is more remote and doesn't get so many tourists, though thanks to the book McCarthy's Bar it's getting a few more these days. (incidentally the bar on the cover of the book is in the square in Castletownbere and is owned by one of my aforementioned friends, who is mentioned in the book. It's a fantastic spot)

It really depends on what you want - remote beauty or a bustling town. You should also consider the health services (or lack of them!) in the further out places. You don't find hospitals except in the bigger towns/cities and even then resources are stretched pretty thin. It's an ongoing scandal in this country that we have third world health services, despite the country's wealth.

I can't help you too much with Cork city, although I know it has some nice parts. It is still a big city though. Waterford is smaller and I have always quite liked it, and it has put a lot of money in to smartening up its act in recent years. There is some beautiful countryside on the Cork/Waterford border too with little villages like Lismore - gorgeous. Wexford is a bustling town, so smaller again, and it too has a lot of visitors in the summer months as people from Dublin spend the summer down on the coast there in holiday homes/mobile homes.

Each county has its own charms. Looks like you have a lot of exploring to do!
Good luck

Snowqueen

BlueScottyGirl

My favourite book of last year!! A FANTASTIC read that I'd recommend to anyone. A very funny guy...but sadly no longer with us...I found out he had passed away when I was about half way through reading the book...it made the rest of it take on a whole new meaning.....

Hmm..maybe I should go and find a book club somewhere!!

BSG

Canada Bob

Thanks SnowQueen {et-al} for the feedback, valued and appreciated.

Regarding Cork I had been told that it was a bit of a hot bed of anti English feeling ? maybe that was long ago, but I was told {by a lad I know from Meath} to avoid both Limerick and Cork like the plague if you have an English accent ?

We are both retired now, so the availability of jobs isn't a problem, yet I think we'd be better off in a reasonably sized town, at our age is nice to be near a hospital, but I don't want to be "put in one" just because I was born in Wigin :-(

The oddest thing is for years some of the best mates I've ever had have been Irish lads, maybe their liking of a pint, a laugh and a bet on the 'orses helped us have fun, odd to think that if I'm the minority that I'd have to be careful sort of thing, it's not in my nature to pass the day quietly, I like to get involved, have fun, have a laugh, but in the wrong environment that don't always go down well, sigh.

In the visits that I've had to the Republic I've never experienced any problem, none at all, and I've never been shy at joining in, but the concern now is... If things went wrong on a holiday, well your back home a week later and you can forget it... but if you're starting a new life there and you live in the wrong street, with the wrong neighbour then it could be really bleedin miserable, it's a bit of a gamble, that's for sure...

Why the hell can't we all get on together ? mind you, having said and thought that, I could get mugged in Wigin any night of the week these days, sad to say...

Canada Bob.