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bacontoaster said:
I don't get why the security guys are so serious. They're crabby in Canada too. I got randomly selected for a pat down at Pearson when I flew out to see mr. bacontoaster two weeks ago. The lady feeling me up did not appreciate my "Lucky me! I get the bonus round!" jokes.

On the other hand I always get pat downs at San Francisco International and they're usually pretty chill.

They're probably so sick of hearing jokes like that, it's like nails on a chalkboard.

Customers used to think they were soooo cute and funny with their "If it doesn't scan, it's free!" jokes. No &*^*$$&^$ everyone makes that joke. You're lame, trite, and annoying.
 
Received COPR in mail Saturday. (Live in the USA) The journey is almost done, it has been painless and smooth thank God. Updated my timeline.
 
CanadaShawn said:
Received COPR in mail Saturday. (Live in the USA) The journey is almost done, it has been painless and smooth thank God. Updated my timeline.

Congrats 8)
 
shanmba1174 said:
Wow! Too many US haters :) But I have different opinion . It's the best place to live , work and ofcourse for higher studies . No country in the world will give free money in scholarships. I am enjoying my stay here in Hollywood.
I will be moving to cold Toronto once my spousal sponsorship gets approved. Not a big fan of snow:(
I will search for a job ~~ 60 days !! If I didn't land any job , I am back to the great country "USA" !

Since this was directed at me: Not quite sure when complaining about USCIS and US border control became equivalent to hating the USA.... I love my country. I wasn't born there -- I CHOSE to naturalize as an adult after getting my greencard when I was a minor. That said, I'm certainly not going to put down the country that I've moved to (uh, am "visiting" ;)) and are raising my children in. (BTW the reason "No country in the world will give free money in scholarships" is because I don't know of any place in world where post-secondary education is as crazy expensive as the US. My kids will be going to university in Canada. They can go to grad school in the US on their own dime/grant money.) I know it's de rigueur to complain about the snow in Canada, but I grew up in Buffalo. I miss the snow living in Vancouver :o. Personally, I complain about BC drivers (weirdly aggressive) and human rights (how everything is a human rights violation here -- not having women's ski jumping is a human rights violation? really?).
 
margobear96 said:
Since this was directed at me: Not quite sure when complaining about USCIS and US border control became equivalent to hating the USA.... I love my country. I wasn't born there -- I CHOSE to naturalize as an adult after getting my greencard when I was a minor. That said, I'm certainly not going to put down the country that I've moved to (uh, am "visiting" ;)) and are raising my children in. (BTW the reason "No country in the world will give free money in scholarships" is because I don't know of any place in world where post-secondary education is as crazy expensive as the US. My kids will be going to university in Canada. They can go to grad school in the US on their own dime/grant money.) I know it's de rigueur to complain about the snow in Canada, but I grew up in Buffalo. I miss the snow living in Vancouver :o. Personally, I complain about BC drivers (weirdly aggressive) and human rights (how everything is a human rights violation here -- not having women's ski jumping is a human rights violation? really?).

BC drivers? Been to Montreal lately? My wife talked about how polite Los Angeles drivers are when she came here. I thought she was joking at first since LA invented the drive-by shooting, but I learned first hand that Montreal drivers haven't learned the concept of a crosswalk being a "zone of pedestrian safety". I sweat crossing the street there...at least LA drivers will stop at the crosswalk and then use a turn signal to pull over before they open fire on you! ;D
 
BC (or at least Vancouver) drivers are crazy aggressive! And does no one know what all weather tires are here or something? haha I'm joking of course, drivers at home in Pittsburgh are equally as bad, at least not as many people here put lawn chairs on the street to save their parking spots.
 
JasonLee said:
BC drivers? Been to Montreal lately? My wife talked about how polite Los Angeles drivers are when she came here. I thought she was joking at first since LA invented the drive-by shooting, but I learned first hand that Montreal drivers haven't learned the concept of a crosswalk being a "zone of pedestrian safety". I sweat crossing the street there...at least LA drivers will stop at the crosswalk and then use a turn signal to pull over before they open fire on you! ;D

Trying crossing the street in Philadelphia as a pedestrian. We call the stop signs "stoptional." Montreal is a pedestrian's paradise compared with Philadelphia.
 
wow, ecas updated this morning to Decision Made. Of course, just when I'm going to be visiting my hubby for two weeks. That means no mail! oh well, lol
 
bacontoaster said:
I don't get why the security guys are so serious. They're crabby in Canada too. I got randomly selected for a pat down at Pearson when I flew out to see mr. bacontoaster two weeks ago. The lady feeling me up did not appreciate my "Lucky me! I get the bonus round!" jokes.

On the other hand I always get pat downs at San Francisco International and they're usually pretty chill.

I almost ALWAYS have problems in Pearson! I have been patted down due to my bra setting off the metal detector twice, and they have pulled out my bag and searched it twice. They they are like "oh let me put your bag back together" and I'm like "no. Give it to me"
 
lalune117 said:
I almost ALWAYS have problems in Pearson! I have been patted down due to my bra setting off the metal detector twice, and they have pulled out my bag and searched it twice. They they are like "oh let me put your bag back together" and I'm like "no. Give it to me"

I've had to be patted down once due to my bracelet and the way I had done my hair in a ponytail :o Seriously? what did they expect to find in my ponytail...a bird, a monkey? or what about my bracelet, a super intelligent gun?
 
lunas said:
I've had to be patted down once due to my bracelet and the way I had done my hair in a ponytail :o Seriously? what did they expect to find in my ponytail...a bird, a monkey? or what about my bracelet, a super intelligent gun?

Mr Lunas?
 
I immigrated to the US to be with my husband back in 2006. My husband is from Jersey. (ie. the armpit of America) There are a lot of cool things and great things about New Jersey, however, I found it to be the most stressful time of my life. The traffic, the social environment (race and politics), everyone on top of eachother...(and I was a city girl!) It just wasn't for me and my personal view on the US is just that: "it's not for me". I worked myself into a person who worked 12 hours a day, my husband was working 14 hours a day...so we could keep up with the Jones'. I hated that.

By the way, just as an additional piece of info, it only took me 3.5 months to become a PR in the US back in 2007. USCIS was incredibly efficient for me and I found their communication throughout all my processes was very good.

Six years later, my husband is now on the reverse track to become a PR in Canada. I'm so happy to be back. Canada feels good to me. Luckily for me, my husband has expanded his mind and appreciates the non-competitiveness of the Canadian lifestyle. I think he's going to come to love it too.
 
thetreble said:
I immigrated to the US to be with my husband back in 2006. My husband is from Jersey. (ie. the armpit of America) There are a lot of cool things and great things about New Jersey, however, I found it to be the most stressful time of my life. The traffic, the social environment (race and politics), everyone on top of eachother...(and I was a city girl!) It just wasn't for me and my personal view on the US is just that: "it's not for me". I worked myself into a person who worked 12 hours a day, my husband was working 14 hours a day...so we could keep up with the Jones'. I hated that.

By the way, just as an additional piece of info, it only took me 3.5 months to become a PR in the US back in 2007. USCIS was incredibly efficient for me and I found their communication throughout all my processes was very good.

Six years later, my husband is now on the reverse track to become a PR in Canada. I'm so happy to be back. Canada feels good to me. Luckily for me, my husband has expanded his mind and appreciates the non-competitiveness of the Canadian lifestyle. I think he's going to come to love it too.

All the professionals I know work 37.5 hours for a full time week. They get half days on Fridays every other week and paid for it! There's flexible time off and guaranteed vacation time. This is a big change from the US. (Required vacation time? Hahahaha!) Pretty awesome if you ask me.
 
haha yeah it's pretty great. I'm 30 and thinking about having a baby soon. The 12 months of mat leave also helps the situation be less stressful. In NJ I would have only qualified for a max 12 weeks and having one income in a place like NJ just doesn't work. It's far too expensive.

In the US, the vacation time that I received...I rarely ever got to take it! I never went on a single summer holiday in the 5 years I worked and I was a public servant! Due to summer being our busiest time of the year (It was a University so we had registration for fall) we were literally not allowed to take off in the summer. It was awful.