Things To Know Before You Go To Canada...really?

[rjessome]

@Bangkokcanuck - LMAO! Excellent post.

Variety is the spice of life people. It's our differences that make us interesting.

 

[curt0227]

i gotta say that made me laugh, being a canadian born male, that currently lives in the united kingdom and has lived in the usa as well, i have experienced a lot of unnerving things in many places i have lived, no one is perfect, and it would be a very boring world if we were!

however i have to say and the reason we are moving back there is that from the three countries i have lived canada has been the most helpful and welcoming.

i have lived there and moved to england with a canadian accent and was harshly judged by it, moved to america from canada and again was harshly judged, from england to canada had different times, to alberta i had a hard time, felt i had to prove myself etc, but moving to ontario was like a homecoming, treated well and so was my family, regardless of if people are nice to your face and may not be behind your back, i think most countries have people like that, it does have some bearing on the person also, who you may hang out with and talk to, who you choose to associate with is always a good one, i look at everyone in the same light, be they black, white, pink, or blue, lol.

i judge people how i want to be judge and if i turn my nose up at someone and sure i have in the past then i dont blame them for doing it to me, i think people forget sometimes how they are, they think they themselves are perfect and it is everyone else that is being funny to them but maybe, just maybe it is us being funny, and giving off the aura that we arent very approachable? just a thought and my 5 cents on that piece.

lived lots of places and with lots of different races and types of people and the place myself, my wife and my family as a whole felt most welcome was in canada, ontario.

thanks for reading my jibberish. lol

 

[curt0227]

ooops, one thing i forgot to add, and being with my wife for ten years married and 15 together, i dont think she has ever had to pay for a meal, drink or trip out, that part is nothing to do with being canadian, that bit is how you are raised and what you feel you should do.

and ya can ask her lol, as she is on this forum...hehe

 

[Canooknic]

i look at everyone in the same light, be they black, white, pink, or blue, lol.

You've met a smurf?? That's awesome! (sorry, I just couldn't resist!!)

Good post, I grew up in Alberta and moved back from the UK a few months ago after 20+ years. I thought a few people were quite stand-offish, but when I met them again for a second or third time they were amazing and have quickly become very good friends, I personally think that they are generally just shy and need to get to know someone before they completely open up to them

 

[canuck0469]

Excellent post bankok, we appreciate you taking the time to address some of the crap that spewed out of some of the posts

 

[Ironboy]

Found this during my surfing escapades:

Yet, I believe it cant be all bad and that Canada has a lot to offer!

I have lived in Canada for over 35 years, this link you post is ridiculous. "Canadian banks don't have Visa, Mastercard" of course they do. "Canadians are not honest", this is
foolish talk. Canadians are kind hearted people, but of course every society has some percentage of dishonest people. Whoever wrote that article either is being not serious, does not
want other people to coe to Canada, or is just a person who complains where ever they go. It is 90% nonsense.

 

[pegasusyt]

dude, there's a lot of hate in this thread! Am I the only one who's still thinking whoever wrote the article was probably kidding? trying to be funny? No?

Let's drop it, really! You can't generalize, there's good and bad people everywhere and that's that.

PS: When, in my post, I said that social interactions in Canada are different from where I come from, I didn't mean to "whine" and expect for Canada to change to accomodate my needs. I know that won't happen and that I, as a new immigrant, am the one who needs to adapt. When I say stuff like that it's just me verbalizing the frustration and loneliness that comes with being in a new country. Not criticizing Canadian's way of doing things. That's all!

 

[toby]

I can't believe I'm replying to this utter nonsense thread yet again but goodness it's amazing that people continue to give this moron more than his 15 minutes and even that is likely 14:55 too long....

Now I think there is only ONE way to end this rant....... I............. AM..................... CANADIAN...

http://youtu.be/BRI-A3vakVg

This has to be one of the most clever posts I've ever read. Well done, Bangkok. +1 for eloquence and humour. (Yes, that's "humor" but spelled with a "u", the RIGHT WAY!!!)

 

[Bangkokcanuck]

WOW, thanks every one for the kind words... I didn't realize how long that thing got while I was writing it but there was just so many pieces of low hanging fruit I couldn't pass them up....I feel like I've reached the peak of my posting career... guess it's time to just post links and one liners hehehe....

Thanks again.. and Canada does rock.

 

[Kaycee1]

I can't believe I'm replying to this utter nonsense thread yet again but goodness it's amazing that people continue to give this moron more than his 15 minutes and even that is likely 14:55 too long...

I will ask you just as I would have asked the person that vomited forth the original rant, How do you know? How is it that you or anyone else knows what someone is telling them is what they think YOU want to hear? Do they come tell you later that what they just said was to make you feel better and really they think something else? Well in that case you got what you wanted anyway right, the truth? Not trying to make like of this but seriously how in the world can you know what belief system someone else has behind any given comment they make.

Secondly its a lovely little ideal to say I wish people would tell me the truth, but face it, if you put on a few pounds and every person you saw every day said "hey you're really packing them on eh" I imagine you would appreciate that for the first five seconds... there is a nice way and a direct tactless way to say anything.. not sure it's possible for anyone to know how another person will respond to any given comment so I would much rather err on the side of being tactful and polite when someone asks me a question which is obviously loaded... "honey do these pants my ass look big" yeah go right ahead answer that one honestly see how far that gets you.

As stated by others I have no idea who these people are but I've lived in Canada for 45 years and I've worked in some pretty crummy jobs over the years, stock boy in a Macs Milk, night sweeper in a greeting card factory and oddly enough those low class people never burped or farted around me, just lucky I guess.

Really, so ummm how is it you know they farted quietly?? Silent but deadly? Seriously you don't see the silliness in this comment? So if you are walking in a grocery store and heaven forbid you happen to have a natural bodily function like passing gas for the next five minutes you need to stand there and anyone that walks past you should stop them and say "excuse me I know you might not even be aware but a few moments ago I farted I hope that doesn't offend you"

Your solution?

Very glad and excited to hear that Europeans have such great fart detection built in... :

I am pretty sure that even Bill Gates and Queen Elizabeth fart sometimes.. and I bet they even do it sometimes in less than ideal conditions but such is life.. good god... it's not like people are walking around grocery stores chasing you and saying "pull on my finger"

Sounds like somebody (YOU) is a bit of an elitist huh? Sure comes across that way, so we should assume that you are and that anybody from where you come from is one as well?

Maybe we need to talk to the conservatives about creating a commission on public farting and burping it sounds like it's very wide spread and needs to be addressed.. I just consider myself lucky in my 45 years in Canada I've never come in contact with these low life poorly educated slugs that stalk the good middle class folks with the sole attempt of gassing them.. :-[

Amazing? So now that you are dealing with the middle and upper class that no longer have the farting issue, instead they prefer to screw you on business deals.. maybe it would be better if they just farted a bit more huh?

I don't know who you are dealing with but I owned a business in Canada for the last 15 years before I left and I never had ONE person in all that time go back on a deal made verbally. Nor would I ever back out of a deal I made with someone with a handshake or in principal verbally. Me thinks you are once again dealing with an interesting group of people, immigrants perhaps?? See how nice that broad brush feels?

Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee it's just a question... what do you ask the women when you first meet them? Please explain Einstein's theory of relativity I'm stuck on a couple of the lessor known bits.. what do you do is a legit and worthwhile question.. if you are a Bay street broker you are likely to have a different set of interests, goals, experiences, than if you are a FOB drywaller.. not to mention if you are in the lower working class you will likely have that public farting issues as well... and yes I am sure some women ask such questions to gauge your ability to provide as a husband etc..etc.. but so what as if you don't want to know things like that about them too...

The whole sweatpants, PJs thing I don't know I'm just trying to think if there is any bigger a non issue in the world.. really... this matters to somebody?

To be honest I am not even sure what your point is here... women are equal hence they have stopped wearing make up and dresses? Taking care of oneself is a personal thing and YOU do not get to choose what someone else thinks is taking care of themselves. In the 6 years I've known my wife I have seen her wear two dresses, once to our wedding and once to our reception that's it.. I can't remember the last time she wore make up.. but I can assure you if you met her would you never complain that she does not look after her self. Just because you appear to be stuck in some time warp where men and women are supposed to look and act to a particular ideal that thankfully does not exist in Canada you don't have the right to impose those views on other people.

Or better yet next time you are in a big airport in Asia have a look at the flights going to Europe compared to other parts in Asia.. the Europeans look like bums...I don't suppose that would have anything to do with the length of the flights, or what their purposes are or a million other things.. if my only opinion of people from Europe were the people I meet in Thailand that come here for vacation well let me tell you it would be a very nasty opinion for the most part, but that would be wrong to judge entire nations on such a small sampling.. wouldn't you think?

Damn... another keyboard ruined by vomit.. seriously, makeup and short skirts and you are a hooker? Hello the 1930's are calling they want their prejudices back...

Guess what your wife dressing up or not dressing up getting compliments or not getting them, does not make her any more or less equal the equality we are talking about is not about clothes or make up.. its about being treated equally under the law its about having access to the maths and sciences and not just home economics, it's about having motherhood recognized as important and not something done because they are too lazy or unskilled to "work" (anyone with kids laughs at people thinking raising a child is easy) outside the home, a very minor group of examples but you get the point.

I disagree completely and if your examples are ones on the points you agree with being true I disagree even more.. simply put you can't come to Canada and impose your previous life experiences or culture.

Yes it is, and you are likely right you made a great choice.. and we as a country are happy for all the help that Immigrants have provided over the years to help build Canada into one of the very best countries in the world.. an although we don't like to tout it often enough we really are.. the facts bear that out in all ways that are used to measure such things...

So we should spend all our lives running around trying to change every iota of beings every time someone levels a half baked criticism about us?

Brits are pompous asses that look down on anyone not born in the UK and mock people all the time about not being able to speak "the Queen's English" correctly.

Germans are overbearing humorless robots that care more about machines than people

Jamaicans are all pot smoking dread wearing criminals

Aussies are all drunk good time party animals with no sense of personal responsibility

Thais are all whores that care only about money and power

Cambodians are all poverty stricken dog eating sub humans

Chinese people are all nerdy socially inept math geniuses

Americans are self important gun toting rednecks with self esteem issues masked by yelling "We're number 1" constantly.

The list could go on and on and on... and I am very aware that SOME of the people in each of the countries mentioned do in fact have the stated "qualities" but do we then assume that every one in the country does, and expect all to then start working on themselves to be better judged by some standard created by whom?

Canada is a great country its not without it's faults like any country or any race in the world. I think in fact Canada has bent over TOO far in some cases giving up OUR Canadian heritage to make newcomers feel at home or to not offend people, Happy Holidays, instead of Merry Christmas? Give me a break.. and yes we are a bit of a nanny state and lean socialist for sure..and that too offends some people.

We (Canadians or Canada) are never going to make everyone happy that comes here, but believe it or not it is up to YOU the Immigrant to try and fit into our culture and for us to make you welcome. If the new Canadians spend all their time complaining about it's not like home, then I am not sure what you want us to do.. make it like home? You know the home you left? We are what we are and I like it.. and I think most people do and I think the number of people lining up to Immigrate bears that out.. the more you try to understand us and our ways the more we try to make you feel at home and understand why you think things we do are "different" NOTE I said different NOT wrong...

Now I think there is only ONE way to end this rant....... I............. AM..................... CANADIAN...

http://youtu.be/BRI-A3vakVg

Fantastic post, thanks for taking the time to write it!! I agree with you totally, and I AM CANADIAN too - 7th generation!!!!

 

[Latvian]

not all of it but a lot of stuff is true some is really funny... thanks for the post!

 

[GetUsHome]

Bangkokcanuck's post lead to 45 minutes of looking at Molson Canadian Beer Commercials on YouTube. Most excellent time waster.

Best Line: "You know you are Canadian when you have taken a road trip in a car that has no business being on a road trip."

 

[Isometry]

This is hilarious. Posting it to facebook, thanks for the laugh!

 

[BeShoo]

"Canadian banks don't have Visa, Mastercard" of course they do.

You're taking it out of context. I know it's not clear but he's trying to say that Canadians don't have Visa and Mastercard debit cards. This is changing now in all the major banks. See my post http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/things-to-know-before-you-go-to-canadareally-t80010.0.html;msg950772#msg950772 for more

 

[toby]

You're taking it out of context. I know it's not clear but he's trying to say that Canadians don't have Visa and Mastercard debit cards. This is changing now in all the major banks. See my post http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/things-to-know-before-you-go-to-canadareally-t80010.0.html;msg950772#msg950772 for more

Than why didn't he say so? How much slack do we have to give someone who cites a ridiculously-biased article that ... but enough time spent on the article.

My debit cards from two Canadian banks are not labelled VISA or Master card, but have worked in ATMs and stores in 10 different countries. So what's his point? He seemed to be trying to say that Canadian banks (like many aspects of Canada) are backward, difficult to adjust to. The trouble is he got the facts so wrong that his credibility (or the credibility of the article) is in tatters.