Been in Canada 3 months now info inside

Frank Bullitt

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2013/12/b-c-change-liquor-laws-permit-happy-hour-kids-pubs/

Happy now?

Cream Bun

Howdy
So how are all the people who moved here a couple of months ago getting on now?
Is there anyone who reckons they would like to live here permanently? Or are most people thinking they want to go home?
I agree that the banter is nowhere near as good as at home! I havent been out half as much as I used to at home.

CBCB2

Cream Bun wrote: »

Howdy
So how are all the people who moved here a couple of months ago getting on now?
Is there anyone who reckons they would like to live here permanently? Or are most people thinking they want to go home?
I agree that the banter is nowhere near as good as at home! I havent been out half as much as I used to at home.

I'm definitely in the going home camp, to be honest I don't even know if I'll make the 2 years. I feel bad like I'm wasting it but I kinda wish they hadn't changed it, a year would have been enough for me.

I came here expecting to stay long term but I guess it's not really been what I expected.

I just find it very boring to be honest, there's no life about anyone. I was home for a week last week and I laughed more in that week than my whole six months here. We just have a very different outlook on life and are more upbeat about everything, I think, and we don't take ourselves too seriously.

I'm living in the Falls so I feel a bit like 'the only Irish in the village' so the Irish questions and telling people Haggis is not our national dish is becoming very tedious!!

I'm glad you asked the question I'm interested to hear what other people think now! So thanks Cream Bun!

Cream Bun

Your welcome! Nice to hear your experience, and hopefully will hear some more from others too.
I have to say I have no regrets and am living each day as it comes, and it has totally made me appreciate Ireland and Irish people. Good to hear you had a weeks holiday! Keep us posted on how the rest of your journey goes

robbieVan

I'm in the going home camp too, don't know when though.. I have a visa until april 2015, I like it here and all but just not long term, myself and the missus both have big families and lots of friends at home who we miss and that would be the main factor in not staying forever. I have become friends with Irish here who are never going back but when you look into their backgrounds etc nearly all of them have family problems.. e.g not getting on with family members, having had bad experiences in Ireland with work etc and just things like that.. I suppose it would be a lot easier to stay somewhere if you had those problems.

I like the way people are respectful here though and not many scumbags walking around, feeling safe enough walking home at all hours etc, public transport and everything actually works too which is a bonus.

However if the company I work for continues to expand and grow and I start to get big fat pay cheques i might hang around a bit longer and try to get sponsored because I would like to try save some money before I went home.

Frank Bullitt

I'll be in the staying here camp, at least for my 2 years anyway.

I find this places suits my style of living, it has more to offer than Dublin and the pay here for my area is much better than Ireland. Groups of friends to get into can be hard but I have be fortunate enough to meet some great people, one friend of mine who I meet here I would no consider a very close friend.

I can see why people don't like it here, there are aspects that just won't suit some, but at the same time I feel that a move like this to anywhere requires the ability to face change. Plenty of comparisons are made between here and Ireland (Dublin), and that is just insanity, you can't expect to leave a country and to land in a new one to live the same lifestyle, and then complain about it. It is up to the traveller to change, not the location.

For anyone who might be regretting it, I wouldn't regret it, and i'll leave you with this quote that shows that even if you didn't enjoy your time in Canada, it was not a waste. Life is about experiences, good and bad.

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -Mark Twain

Martyn1989

I'm in Calgary just over a year and now on a two year visa (three years on IEC total). I've had a great experience over there and will definatly be finishing out my visas and will probably be looking to stay on.

While I do think Dublin is a better city and miss my family and friends and the bars and atmosphere, Calgary still offers alot. Both the gf and myself have been given opportunities we wouldn't have gotten in Ireland and both of us have far more disposable income then we could have in Dublin. It took months but we've settled in quite well and have a decent group of mates, all nice people. Judging by others comments I've been lucky with the Canadians I work with, they're well up for a laugh and can give as good as they get with a smile on their face. I don't think I'll live there forever but its a nice, clean, safe city with plenty to do if your willing to put yourself out there.

CBCB2

You hit the nail on the head there Robbie, that's what I find hardest the being away from family & friends. I'm really lucky to have such a good bunch at home and they've all been really good to me since I've moved.

I haven't met any other Irish since I've been here and all the Canadian's I've met are lovely but it's just not the same. I still don't have anyone I would call a friend here. It's made it a long 6 months. I'm sure it's a lot easier when you have people to relate to. The socialising is just so different here I've joined a few groups through meet up but people here seem to take them as they are, something they do for a few hours a week but don't think about outside of that. I've always had a very active social life at home and I've never had to think about making friends before so it's a lot harder than I anticipated.

Also for me it's been a pay cut, higher tax, higher living costs so I feel like I've gone back to living like a student again.

Ah I agree I don't believe in regrets, I've been brought here for some reason, everything happens for a reason and all that, I just can't figure out what the life lesson is yet!!

I'll keep at it for another while, I'm hoping for a new job in 2014 and you never know that might change it all!

Best of luck to everyone else though, glad to hear some positive stories!

dealhunter1985

Alot of us seem to be taking pay cuts over here. I know I took a big one.
I find that hard to accept.. It certainly isnt any cheaper over here

CBCB2 wrote: »

You hit the nail on the head there Robbie, that's what I find hardest the being away from family & friends. I'm really lucky to have such a good bunch at home and they've all been really good to me since I've moved.

I haven't met any other Irish since I've been here and all the Canadian's I've met are lovely but it's just not the same. I still don't have anyone I would call a friend here. It's made it a long 6 months. I'm sure it's a lot easier when you have people to relate to. The socialising is just so different here I've joined a few groups through meet up but people here seem to take them as they are, something they do for a few hours a week but don't think about outside of that. I've always had a very active social life at home and I've never had to think about making friends before so it's a lot harder than I anticipated.

Also for me it's been a pay cut, higher tax, higher living costs so I feel like I've gone back to living like a student again.

Ah I agree I don't believe in regrets, I've been brought here for some reason, everything happens for a reason and all that, I just can't figure out what the life lesson is yet!!

I'll keep at it for another while, I'm hoping for a new job in 2014 and you never know that might change it all!

Best of luck to everyone else though, glad to hear some positive stories!

robbieVan

I'll never regret coming here though that is for sure, as I said in other posts I never imagined I'd get a chance to go see places and do things that I have done so far and I'm not here even a full year yet. If I'm here for the remainder of my visa I'm sure I'll have a ball and probably be doing a lot more than what I would be doing in Ireland.

If I leave here before my visa runs out I'll probably be looking at moving to the UK tbh.

It is great here and you can't expect to like everything that goes with the life here just mainly because it's a different world here and you're not used to it.

To anyone figuring whether they should move or not please just go and do it because as I said even if you come home after 6 months it'll still be a great experience I'm sure. If you have no loans or kids at home etc etc then you have nothing really to lose coming over.

Vancouver is an amazing city and has a lot to offer but if you just wanna live for the weekend and nightlife then don't expect to love it here.

After 4 months I was missing home so much it was incredible, I would've jumped on a plane the next day if it wasn't for people telling me I'd be mad too, it was really just down to missing family and friends, the way of life here is better than Ireland imo but the craic and the people is what you miss.

Would stay here if all my family and friends were here for sure

retalivity

I moved home at the beginning of november after almost 3 years, and I don;t miss it at all. To what the earlier poster said:

I still don't have anyone I would call a friend here. It's made it a long 6 months. I'm sure it's a lot easier when you have people to relate to

This is exactly what I went through, albeit for a year or so. I was in a city (London) that didn't have many Irish either, working in a job where everyone was 15+ years older than me. I met some people through football, and had some good nights out, but they were few and far between and tbh, I didn't feel like I was leaving too much behind me. The highlights from my last 3 years were my trips back home and to Asia!!

CBCB2

retalivity wrote: »

I moved home at the beginning of november after almost 3 years, and I don;t miss it at all. To what the earlier poster said:



This is exactly what I went through, albeit for a year or so. I was in a city (London) that didn't have many Irish either, working in a job where everyone was 15+ years older than me. I met some people through football, and had some good nights out, but they were few and far between and tbh, I didn't feel like I was leaving too much behind me. The highlights from my last 3 years were my trips back home and to Asia!!

Aye that's exactly it, they're all 25+ years older than me in here. They're lovely people, they just Mammy me a bit too much!

It's not that I'm not trying to make friends I just haven't 'clicked' with anyone the way I would do at home. Also I find everyone very serious. I definitely laughed more in my week at home last week than my entire 6 months here!

That's why next step is a new job even if it involves commuting. I'll see where that takes me. I plan to do up my bucket list for while I'm here and as you say grin & get through it, but do what I can while I'm here!

Kev_2012

Cream Bun wrote: »

Howdy
So how are all the people who moved here a couple of months ago getting on now?
Is there anyone who reckons they would like to live here permanently? Or are most people thinking they want to go home?
I agree that the banter is nowhere near as good as at home! I havent been out half as much as I used to at home.

I'm here 6 months now and I like it, but I will be moving either home or closer to home maybe in the 3rd quarter 2014. There are lots of pros to here, no knackers, beautiful city, better summer, people are genuinely nice and the women are class and keep fit!

But on the other hand, I can't really watch rugby live here, the soccer and rugby games are on at stupid hours in the morning, you have to pay/line up for ages to have a "pint" and even then it can cost a lot. Wages are much lower for me, it's expensive to have a car, doing most activities is expensive (dropped $170 for a lift pass and rentals for whistler, don't regret it though!), people have trouble with my accent no matter how much I change it, it's actually really irritating, they don't seem to be able to use the context of a sentence to understand me at times.

There is a severe lack of common sense here! I'll walk on one side of the street, another coming towards me so I'll move in anticipation, maybe 10 seconds later they move out in front of you! Although that is a certain Vancouver "demographic" rather than all Canadians.

Internal flights are insanely expensive too.

To be honest when I'm done here, I'll look forward to seeing my family most of the time, having more disposable income, being able to fly away for a weekend for half nothing, being able to enjoy a quiet pint of 2 without adding 16$ for entry and coatcheck downtown, meeting with my friends who are up for a real laugh rather than talk sh!te all night, and people who are far less judgemental about your food/drink habits.

robbieVan

Kev_2012 wrote: »

people have trouble with my accent no matter how much I change it, it's actually really irritating, they don't seem to be able to use the context of a sentence to understand me at times.

There is a severe lack of common sense here! I'll walk on one side of the street, another coming towards me so I'll move in anticipation, maybe 10 seconds later they move out in front of you! Although that is a certain Vancouver "demographic" rather than all Canadians.

Internal flights are insanely expensive too.

To be honest when I'm done here, I'll look forward to seeing my family most of the time, having more disposable income, being able to fly away for a weekend for half nothing, being able to enjoy a quiet pint of 2 without adding 16$ for entry and coatcheck downtown, meeting with my friends who are up for a real laugh rather than talk sh!te all night, and people who are far less judgemental about your food/drink habits.

I agree, especially on the accent , have no problem in America but people here have a real asshole sense about themselves when it comes to the English language, like it's very easy if you just use common sense to figure what I am saying but they nearly laugh at you and ask what do I mean as if they wrote the bloody thing

Lawlesz

I lived in Kananaskis Country, AB in 2011 and it was the best experience of my life. I made some great friends there, 4 of which have visited me on this side of the pond already. I think a lot depends on your outlook. In my opinion, the Irish are some of the worst travellers you will meet. A lot of Irish people I have met on my travels seem to want to spend time with Irish people and are just interested in getting drunk. Thats all well and good, but integrating with the locals and embracing the lifestyle makes a huge difference.

Before I went to Canada, I was fond of the drink and would spend 3 or 4 nights down the local watching the football etc. Once I got to Canada, I tried skiing, hiking, mountain climbing and a host of other things. There is so much more to do there.

The poster who said you cant compare Calgary to Dublin is 100% correct. its impossible. Its a whole other world and should be treated as such. I understand why people miss home and miss the pints in the pub, but I would urge those who are missing this not to waste their visas and come home after 6 or 7 months The pub will always be at home. And so will your mates.

I left Ireland in 2010, and have lived in Canada, Scotland, Norway and Cyprus and Canada was by far the best. Its a different culture and all that, but I'd urge people to embrace it, enjoy it and dont waste a minute of it.

The poster who said that Irish people are more upbeat about things, well my experience has been the opposite. I found Canadians to be warm, friendly and welcoming. In my travels, I have found the Irish people some of the most pessimistic people you can meet (and I include myself in that). One of the things I loved about Canada is the positive 'can do' attitude. The Irish are only pipped in the pessimism stakes by the Scots (now they are a miserable lot).

Somebody else made the point that most of the people who want to stay out there have had family troubles, or problems in Ireland that made them want to stay away. That has not been my experience. I initially left Ireland to get work, and then I realised how big a world is out there to explore. I love my family to bits and have a gang of mates who I miss terribliy, but I know at this moment in time, there is more outside of Ireland for me than there is in Ireland. Some people suffer more than others with homesickness and I have been lucky in that sense that it has not hit me too hard yet. But people need to be realistic - you are moving to the other side of the world, its going to be different and you cant expect your mates to be round the corner

So thats my take on the Canadian experience, but for me there was a lot more positives than negatives and its my plan to get back out there in 2014. Since moving home, myself and my OH have had a child and our plan is to get back out there and hopefully get Permanent Residency and spend a few years out there. I know its a matter of opinion, but for me, its a cracking country with a great lifestyle.

Cream Bun

Great to read all your experiences...
I agree with a bit of what everyone has said. RobbieVan I agree with the fact that some people are more homesick who are closer to their families. My bf and I are very close to our families, so thats the hardest part, and I think if all my family were here then I wouldnt be as homesick. Im not that bad though, cause I know i have all that to look forward to when I go home.. I think some friends seem to appreciate you more when your gone too, its funny, I hear from certain friends more now than I did when I was at home!
I totally agree with the post about not having any regrets and live for the experience.. Thats my favourite quote from Mark Twain..20 years from now you will be more dissappointed by the things you didnt do rather than the things you did do.. great quote.
A big thing for me is the money, and lack of it! I worked for 6 years straight at home and always had a good enough income, and here im working for mimimum wage in 2 different jobs! We travelled a lot when we first arrived so I suppose we have to earn some money now!

wittyusername

Been in Toronto for the past 6+ months I can only echo what's seen said above - there are a lot of great things about Canada (for me the lack of knackbags is #1) but ultimately I want to go home.

Personally I think everyone that's come to Canada is going to pick up on a couple of things that make Canada work well and hopefully bring them home and make Ireland better - even if it's something as simple as being more polite in shops or drinking less.

So far we're mostly relating the urban experience but we've seen loads of posts from tradespeople heading to the prairie - I'd love to hear more stories of what happened next!

CBCB2

robbieVan wrote: »

I agree, especially on the accent , have no problem in America but people here have a real asshole sense about themselves when it comes to the English language, like it's very easy if you just use common sense to figure what I am saying but they nearly laugh at you and ask what do I mean as if they wrote the bloody thing

Totally agree on the language thing it drives me crazy!! If a tourist was in Ireland talking about a sidewalk I wouldn't inist that they say footpath before I would acknowledge what they were talking about, a little bit of common sense goes a long way!! This did happen to me but the reverse by saying footpath obviously I was talking about some sort of alien object that they'd never heard of before!!

Or I took my snow brush out of the boot; you took it out of where? where? and so on until I say trunk.

It's like give me a break!! haha!

Sam Swarek

wittyusername wrote: »

Been in Toronto for the past 6+ months I can only echo what's seen said above - there are a lot of great things about Canada (for me the lack of knackbags is #1) but ultimately I want to go home.

Personally I think everyone that's come to Canada is going to pick up on a couple of things that make Canada work well and hopefully bring them home and make Ireland better - even if it's something as simple as being more polite in shops or drinking less.

So far we're mostly relating the urban experience but we've seen loads of posts from tradespeople heading to the prairie - I'd love to hear more stories of what happened next!

Im in the prairies and I'm not a trades person! I'm educated and have a degree. You shouldn't assume that everybody here is just a grunt, construction and mining are flying here but your obviously going to have spin off employment as a result. The Irish community here is small but it is growing, I've met Irish doctors, physiotherapists, social workers, hairdressers, beauticians, teachers, engineers, clerical workers and the thing about it, people like yourself don't research and just presume that there is no other work here than for that of a tradesman.

Sam Swarek

And the accent thing is a pain in the ass, you'd think with such a diverse population that they would have some toleration or understanding of accents, not here though, they don't understand what the word "fortnight" is for example...they use the word "super" instead of "very", it bigs the sh.it out of me, "I'm super cold" " I'm super angry" "I'm super hungover" "that's super funny" etc etc etc
They are very like Americans in a sense that they live in a bit of a bubble and havnt a clue what goes on outside of Canada and like the Americans they think that Canada is the greatest country in the world bar none - you'd have to admire their patriotism "for sure".
Another worrying aspect I see here in Saskatchewan, with the economy booming at the moment is that they are gone property bonkers, buying up houses, land etc etc just like what was happening back home, I've warned a few people and they've just said that they gave so many natural resources that the province will continue booming, they don't realize it will have to stop at some point or the fact that it's grand having all these resources but if the Americans stop buying from them then they are in trouble!

wittyusername

Sam Swarek wrote: »

Im in the prairies and I'm not a trades person! I'm educated and have a degree. You shouldn't assume that everybody here is just a grunt.

I never said anything of the kind.

But as for those that *have* gone to work out in oil & gas? I'd love to hear how that is going. If you haven't then the question obviously doesn't apply to you.

I'll agree with you on property - the same thing is happening in TO. It looks a lot like Dublin c2007 with cranes going up all the time to build overpriced apartments.

robbieVan

wittyusername wrote: »

I'll agree with you on property - the same thing is happening in TO. It looks a lot like Dublin c2007 with cranes going up all the time to build overpriced apartments.

Same in Vancouver, towers going up everywhere they can put one it would seem. A new 54 storey apartment block has just been giving the go ahead yesterday too.

I was talking to a guy I know on a night out and he offered me a Plumbing apprenticeship straight up, he's very high up in a company that works on the towers, this was a saturday and he said I could start on the monday, no experience required, start on 14 bucks and increases very well every 6 months. I already have a job but thought it was crazy that jobs like that are being offered straight up. Hopefully it doesn't crash and fall on its arse like Ireland did. Government here seem to have their heads screwed on a little bit better though.

Sam Swarek

wittyusername wrote: »

I never said anything of the kind.

But as for those that *have* gone to work out in oil & gas? I'd love to hear how that is going. If you haven't then the question obviously doesn't apply to you.

I'll agree with you on property - the same thing is happening in TO. It looks a lot like Dublin c2007 with cranes going up all the time to build overpriced apartments.

Well I know a good few guys here who work in the mines as they base themselves in regina during their rotation. I know of one guy who was recruited at one of these work fairs at home, he came over with approx 30 other guys, all varying trades to work in a potash mine. They were promised the earth moon and stars before they came over but it was a very different situation when they arrived, after 6 weeks there was about 5 of the original 30 left in Canada, the rest got out and of that 5 they all found work with different companies in different mines.
I'd be wary of people back home at these recruitment fairs as I've heard of a couple of bad stories.
The chap I know is now working for a good company he works a funny kind of rotation like 16 on and 8 off, he has his accommodation, meals etc all included and the pay is very good but he says it's basically bed-work-bed and he does have a blow out on his time off and he does pay for rent on a place that he's only in every 3rd week or so, but he seems happy enough.

Sam Swarek

robbieVan wrote: »

Same in Vancouver, towers going up everywhere they can put one it would seem. A new 54 storey apartment block has just been giving the go ahead yesterday too.

I was talking to a guy I know on a night out and he offered me a Plumbing apprenticeship straight up, he's very high up in a company that works on the towers, this was a saturday and he said I could start on the monday, no experience required, start on 14 bucks and increases very well every 6 months. I already have a job but thought it was crazy that jobs like that are being offered straight up. Hopefully it doesn't crash and fall on its arse like Ireland did. Government here seem to have their heads screwed on a little bit better though.

I know but the cost of living and property can't keep surging at the rate it has been, there may not be a crash as we know it but it will come to an abrupt halt at some point in the next couple of years I'd imagine. There's way too much easy money floating about the place, guys won't get out of bed for less than $200 a day, that can't last imo!

jiminho

Thing is with the government, there all either lawyers or businessmen. Obviously not the perceived most honest professions but I think I'd prefer that then primary school teachers. As for the oil workers, I just think its all good in theory. The Irish lads come over here thinking the rotation work, low expense, and high income work is great but then they actually get into realising that it's not that great. 12 hour shift 14 days in a row in -40 degree temperature will take its toll on you. In hindsight I have learned to appreciate Ireland more and it's all an experience, none of us are tied down here and we should enjoy the different culture while we're here.

robbieVan

Sam Swarek wrote: »

I know but the cost of living and property can't keep surging at the rate it has been, there may not be a crash as we know it but it will come to an abrupt halt at some point in the next couple of years I'd imagine. There's way too much easy money floating about the place, guys won't get out of bed for less than $200 a day, that can't last imo!

jaysus I'd love 200 a day !

Sam Swarek

jiminho wrote: »

Thing is with the government, there all either lawyers or businessmen. Obviously not the perceived most honest professions but I think I'd prefer that then primary school teachers. As for the oil workers, I just think its all good in theory. The Irish lads come over here thinking the rotation work, low expense, and high income work is great but then they actually get into realising that it's not that great. 12 hour shift 14 days in a row in -40 degree temperature will take its toll on you. In hindsight I have learned to appreciate Ireland more and it's all an experience, none of us are tied down here and we should enjoy the different culture while we're here.

Bernie Ahern was supposedly an accountant was he not?
Well a lot of the guys that I know work indoors on the processing plants in the mines as electricians, plumbers, welders, fitters etc so the weather isn't the issue I think the pay and rotation and accommodation was not what they had been promised. I think that the rotation work has a shelf life of a year or 2 anyway, it's a tough slog and guys only do it because of the money but the money is great and no expenses as such, the problem is the boys going bananas on their time off and blowing their money which defeats the purpose of being up in the mines in the first place! I couldn't live or work in a rotation system for a month never mind a year!

Sam Swarek

robbieVan wrote: »

jaysus I'd love 200 a day !

Get your ass to Saskatchewan so!

robbieVan

Sam Swarek wrote: »

Get your ass to Saskatchewan so!

Sorry, "I'd love 200 a day in Vancouver"



Cant have it both ways at the moment though.. maybe i'll get a pay raise next year

NewsMeQuick

CAD Economy - I'm not worried at least on the financial side, their financial and bank regulation has been hailed as very prudent. The depdendance on trade with the US does seem unstrategic though, I agree. It reminds me of Australia/China. I'm sure you all noticed the tens of thousands of jobs cut in mining in Aussieland when the Chinese economy dipped. The Aussies were stunned, they didn't see it coming. Then imigrants lost favour, waves of legislation passed in July this year making hiring foreign workers prohibitive. It's the simple and very old idea of 'putting all eggs in one basket'.

As for for the CA dollar:

Bets against the Canadian dollar surge, 16 Dec
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/top-business-stories/bets-against-the-canadian-dollar-surge/article15981404/

Why Goldman Sachs recommends shorting the CAD, 28 Nov
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/top-business-stories/why-goldman-sachs-recommends-shorting-the-canadian-dollar/article15648571/#

On a side note, the plummeting CAD is great for us about to head out now. The EUR/CAD rate is at it's best in four years, it was at it's worst in five years just one year ago.

5 year view on the EUR/CAD rate to 20 Dec 2013
http://ca.finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=EURCAD=X&t=5y&l=on&z=m&q=l&c=