Originally Posted by amideislas (Post 11682762)

That depends on your perspective.

Originally Posted by Lineabove (Post 11674516)

Why do I see more posts about NEGATIVE England.

I have not been in England for about 58 years and I look forward to going to England. Whatever you see as a negative I see as a positive.

I wish England.
100 %

Originally Posted by christmasoompa (Post 11682773)

I would say it depends on actually having lived in the US or Canada. You only have to look at the US/Canada forums (or indeed the MBTTUK forums) to see how many people experience huge culture shock when moving to Canada or the US.

It's often said on the US forums that the only similarity is the language - and even that's not the same! :lol:

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 11682779)

Go :thumbup:

Treat it as a whole new experience, which it is really, as you must have virtually no memories of the place.

Revel in the history, the old buildings, the narrow lanes, cobbled town streets, the castles, the variety of landscapes in different areas.

Its my home and I love it even though I am exiled to soulless Queensland. Its not perfect, but nor is any country, but its a pretty blinking gorgeous place and even though you will find some faults with it I am sure you'll find plenty to love.

Have fun :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 11682783)

Much like Australia. Many Brits come here thinking that because we all speak the same language it'll be much the same as the UK. However as this forum shows, the culture shock here is just as great as the US & Canada - and yes, the language here is different again once you get down to specifics! I work with a Canadian and several Aussies and we spend ages comparing languages and cultural differences.

Originally Posted by amideislas (Post 11682800)

Agree. Don't worry - it's not like moving somewhere all that different. It's a doddle. All the same stuff, really.

-- oh, and by the way, the NHS is NOT 'free' unless you are skint or on state pension. Otherwise you pay a tax that funds it. It only appears to be 'free' at point of delivery, but it does cost the UK economy upwards of £80 billion, and taxpayers pay for that.

Having said that, I am a believer that considering that it's 'free' and people therefore consume it like water, the NHS is probably the single most efficient and effective public healthcare system in the world - despite the many complaints.. But it probably should have a negligible 'cost' associated with it (like most public healthcare systems), so it isn't operating in full overload 24/7, which is its main problem.

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 11682818)

Don't put words in my mouth.

I didn't say it was a doddle. I don't think that emigrating anywhere would be a doddle. Every country is different, you just have to expect that and be ready for it.

And nowhere did I say the NHS is free. I didn't even mention the NHS. Ifs a darn sight freer than healthcare in Australia, Canada or the US, and is free at point of use, but obviously it is paid for 'behind the scenes' as it were.
I have actually been in the situation a few times in Aus where I have desperately needed some medical help, but due to the cost of even seeing my GP, to be paid on the day, I have put it off and off and off for many weeks, simply for lack of money. At home I would have been able to see the doctor a lot more quickly, and get the drugs and help I needed to stop a bad situation getting worse.

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 11682783)

Much like Australia. Many Brits come here thinking that because we all speak the same language it'll be much the same as the UK. However as this forum shows, the culture shock here is just as great as the US & Canada - and yes, the language here is different again once you get down to specifics! I work with a Canadian and several Aussies and we spend ages comparing languages and cultural differences.

Originally Posted by amideislas (Post 11682664)

Complicated question, worthy of a detailed reply, but you'll lose interest quickly, really, so I'll *try* to be brief:

> Language (obviously).

> Culture: Whew - where do I start?

Americans (and Brits to a large extent) are extremely consumer-ish (for lack of a better term). Shopping malls, chain restaurants, attentive customer service, extreme things... I probably can't explain it well enough without adequate frame of reference.

Here, the 'mindset' is much different, and pace is much slower. Most businesses are family-owned, you find precious few chain restaurants or fast food ... people are much more relaxed. Attentive customer service is rare. The economics are different - cost of living is cheap, but utilities and taxes are high, bureaucracy is jaw-dropping.

You find few modern buildings (except in the cities, and even then, it's not many). My home, for example is older than the USA, and that's not unusual...

But this isn't because it's economically 'poor'. Mallorca is quite a wealthy place - one of the wealthiest in Spain, it's just that people don't have the same inclination to show it, nor the same need to have every gadget or modern convenience.. it's just ...different... I know some incredibly wealthy families that live very conventionally.

People are extremely family-oriented. They spend their Sundays together - almost always... Family money is often pooled together. Many keep a lot of money in cash in hidden safes rather than in banks ('Banco de Familia'). Family houses can be very big and can accommodate 2 families. Kids often live with their parents well into their 20's and early 30's and will even raise their family in their parent's house.... it's a very different mentality.

Food: Heavily mediterranean, heavily veg and fish. Not meat and potatoes. It's difficult to find a decent cut of beef (but you can get it). Pork is pretty popular. Snails are a staple diet. But fish and chicken - wow. Superb. Fresh fruit and veg abundant.

Packaged food can be found, but limited selection. Most food is made fresh. Milk, on the other hand is 99% UHT (unrefrigerated) and fresh milk is very hard to find and expensive. Local cuisine is very oily (olive oil), too much IMO, but that's subjective. Nothing is spicy here. You need to get curry or Mexican stuff to get spicy food. or make your own.

Excellent wines are abundant and cheap and locally produced (and a staple with every meal). We buy a lot of our wine from the barrel - you bring your own bottles - Nice, round, pleasurable reds at about €1.50 per litre. For better wines you pay from €3 to €10. More than that, it must be exceptionally posh.

It takes a little getting used to for some. But in the context of this discussion, and with that frame of reference, Canada, the US, and the UK start to look pretty similar.

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 11682779)

Go :thumbup:

Treat it as a whole new experience, which it is really, as you must have virtually no memories of the place.

Revel in the history, the old buildings, the narrow lanes, cobbled town streets, the castles, the variety of landscapes in different areas.

Its my home and I love it even though I am exiled to soulless Queensland. Its not perfect, but nor is any country, but its a pretty blinking gorgeous place and even though you will find some faults with it I am sure you'll find plenty to love.

Have fun :thumbsup:

Originally Posted by Lineabove (Post 11682926)

I am so looking forward to it.
As it stands right now we will leaving in October.
Not my choice of date but that it the way life happens.
Thank you for your comments.

Originally Posted by aries (Post 11682900)

Back in the 1950s I remember a Canadian in England telling me that he felt colder here than in Canada, and he blamed it on the dampness. However I have no experience of living in Canada to comment.
!

Originally Posted by Editha (Post 11682906)

Sounds like France