Best/Most in Canada and USA...

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone (Especially "hi" to all you Cannuckys!),

Here are some fun questions I was thinking about as I was reading VJ posts:

1) "What do you like the best and the worst about Canada?"

2) "What do you like the best and the worst about the USA?"

Just a fun question, feel free to add any comments, ideas, or thoughts in your responses.

Ant

[antda 13]

Oops...Topic/Message title should be "Best/Worst in Canada and USA". Sorry for the typo...

Hi Everyone (Especially "hi" to all you Cannuckys!),

Here are some fun questions I was thinking about as I was reading VJ posts:

1) "What do you like the best and the worst about Canada?"

2) "What do you like the best and the worst about the USA?"

Just a fun question, feel free to add any comments, ideas, or thoughts in your responses.

Ant

[MissStacey 1]

I do find the Southern US different from most US States- I love the people there. I find them very friendly and hospitable. Although I do dislike there is still so much predjudice between the blacks and whites. It is so deep rooted, it will probably always remain that way.

Canada:

BEST: Beautiful Country, lots of land, great healthcare, we are well liked world wide, Poutine, Leonard Cohen, great comedians, rebate cheques in Alberta, GST cheques, ketchup chips,

WORST: Bad TV shows, some are great, but you always tell a Canadian show from an American show, many things here are more expensive than in the US, You don't see much of our Prime Minister- I probably wouldn't know him if I tripped over him.

US:

BEST: Better selection of goods, merchandise and food products, cheaper prices for most goods,

WORST: I hate the money being all one colour- many times I have tipped the bartender a 10 thinking it was a 1. haha. It may be just me, I find Americans are very quick to take medications and drugs. If my stepson gets a little sniffle- Mel is pumping him full of stuff, I don't like that. I try to avoid taking antibiotics and things unless I really need it. Heathcare- unless you are lucky enough to pay for a good plan, George W.

More things will probably come to me, but that is all I can think of now.

[vanee 13]

I can't speak for the whole of Canada compared to the whole of the US, but here are my general observations.

Best about Canada:

- We have so much natural beauty.

- Our cultural identity is, well, us.

- More produce and other natural ingredients are available.

- We have health care for everyone.

- Personal/cultural differences are accepted more and often embraced.

- We're informed about what's happening in the rest of the world.

Worst about Canada:

- It's expensive to live here.

Best about the US:

- Prices are lower.

- There's more to see within the country.

- People are friendly and helpful, both on a small scale and a big scale.

- My SO lives in the US.

Worst about the US:

- It feels like there's less individuality both in people and in stores. Almost everything is WalMart, Taco Bell, or other chain stores or restaurants. Of course people are still individuals, but the individuality isn't as apparent to me as it is in Canada.

- "Go Green" isn't a way of life. I'm probably seen as weird because I think like a Canadian (well, a lot of Canadians) and try to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

- Food isn't expected to be natural. Even in health food stores, I'm shocked at how small the produce section is. Vegetables are often packaged in plastic, not allowing shoppers to choose what they want, and packaged food has unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients. Even canned tuna can't simply be tuna and water -- they add broth to it, which ruins the taste for me.

[Reba 2]

a lot of the same as above I'd say. I liked the fact that in most Canadian towns and cities there's more than just curbside garbage pick-up and also recycling and composting, and people actually use it. Here in the US, its not nearly as common, and people think I'm weird because I drive all my stuff to be recycled rather than just put it in the garbage. Same with gas guzzling trucks and SUVs. Here they're a status symbol, the bigger the truck, the bigger the man apparently. Or woman. Pull into the parking lot at work and there are 2 dozen SUVs and 2 small cars. I'm sad to say I'm in that group of SUVs, (Escape) but I haul around 2 giant dogs that won't fit in a Civic, so I rationalise and dream of the day I can afford a hybrid SUV. Or smaller dogs

Health care is a big bone to pick with me, the cost here is rediculous, and at least locally, the doctors mostly suck and my husband's doctor just throws pills at him all the time. His last visit discoverd a cracked sternum, what does his doctor do? Gave him a prescription for Nexium. I'd rather wait in Canada than just be given more drugs like the nutjobs around here do. And a woman at work has a 2 year old daughter who was dianosed with foot and mouth disease the other day fer crimeney! It progressed to something totally NOT foot and mouth, so what did they say? "take her home, we'll just wait to see what happens" The girl is 2 and couldn't drink or eat for 3 days! Let's just wait and see???? ugh!

The town I'm in must be a Southern Anomaly. I haven't exprienced too much of all that Southern Hospitality everyone else here seems to have. I'm an outsider, worse a foreigner. And I don't go to church. And I recycle and sleep with my dogs. A very strange beastie indeed!

Not saying the entire US of A is like this, just this and a couple of neighbouring towns are. After a couple of years I'm used to it, but I still don't have to like it

Plus, believe it or not, I miss snow. I want winter back.

What do I like? Well, my husband is here of course. Its nice to have fresh fruit for more of the year than up home, but the cost doesn't seem to be all that different really. We finally got a donut shop in town too, that was nice. Its an indie, not a KK Its not so dark in winter time down here, so I haven't suffered from SAD since I moved here. *shrug* Other than that, I'll have to get back to ya.

Edited January 28, 2007 by Reba

[Caladan 19]

The type of car totally depends on the area. Spruce Grove, Alberta? Land of gigantic pick-up trucks, probably because you'll be needed presently to pull your neighbor out of the ditch. Connecticut? C. wonders where all the trucks are when he visits. It's the land of Honda variants.

He wants to get a truck; I told him only if I can get a Mini Cooper and then I could park it in the back of the truck.

[azcactus 0]

BEST It is not part of the USA

Worst Cold air from there aka Winter Blast

[Autumnchik 6]

The type of car totally depends on the area. Spruce Grove, Alberta? Land of gigantic pick-up trucks, probably because you'll be needed presently to pull your neighbor out of the ditch. Connecticut? C. wonders where all the trucks are when he visits. It's the land of Honda variants.

He wants to get a truck; I told him only if I can get a Mini Cooper and then I could park it in the back of the truck.

Yup, totally true about CT and lack of trucks .... as a matter of fact, when I moved to NH, I gave my Honda to my dad in CT .... and I got, well, a truck

[no one 0]

Canada:

Best - multiculturalism, healthcare system, natural beauty, generally well-liked by other countries, cheaper groceries (could be a regional thing), colourful dollar bills!

Worst - mostly in the US's shadows, crappy internet shopping, more expensive electronics

USA:

Best - variety and ease of internet shopping, USPS, cheaper quality electronics, natural beauty (there seems to be many wonderful state and national parks here too)

Worst - healthcare system, groceries are more expensive here than in Canada (could be a regional thing), ugly dollar bills

[no one 0]

The type of car totally depends on the area. Spruce Grove, Alberta? Land of gigantic pick-up trucks, probably because you'll be needed presently to pull your neighbor out of the ditch. Connecticut? C. wonders where all the trucks are when he visits. It's the land of Honda variants.

He wants to get a truck; I told him only if I can get a Mini Cooper and then I could park it in the back of the truck.

Yeah, I agree. Here in small town California, SUVs and trucks are EVERYWHERE. Heck, I'm getting used to driving my husband's truck too (but I'll need to use a smaller car for my CA driving exam... I can hardly reach the gas pedal on the truck )

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for all your replies! Wow, I'm surprised to see how quickly this message thread grew! What interesting ideas you all have! I'll post my response too, sometime this week, as I still have to think about my answers a bit more. Hmmmm.....

Anyways, good luck to everyone on their immigration journeys! Have a good week!

Ant

[antda 13]

Hi Em!

Good luck on your CA driving test, whenever you decide to take it soon. Yeah, I know what you mean about shorter people driving bigger cars, it's harder, I agree. Likewise, around here too (in small town NYS), I see big vehicles such as trucks, (though no SUVs), vans, and even farm tractors and snow plows on the streets and highways too. Oh and then there are the animals along the highway (deer, rabbits, racoons, birds, cows, cats, dogs, roadkill, etc.)

By the way, doesn't California have a recripical agreement with Canada, where you can exchange your license without taking another test? You should inquire about that, as that would definately save you time and money with another driving test. They have one here in New York State, so it was easy for me to exchange my Canadian license for a US one, without taking any road tests or written tests. Funny, how it's easier to deal with the DMV here in the USA (no G1, G2, G graduated licencing ####### with the MTO in Canada!).

Ant

Yeah, I agree. Here in small town California, SUVs and trucks are EVERYWHERE. Heck, I'm getting used to driving my husband's truck too (but I'll need to use a smaller car for my CA driving exam... I can hardly reach the gas pedal on the truck )

[Buttons 0]

Canada:

Best - multiculturalism, healthcare system, natural beauty, generally well-liked by other countries, cheaper groceries (could be a regional thing), colourful dollar bills!

Worst - mostly in the US's shadows, crappy internet shopping, more expensive electronics

USA:

Best - variety and ease of internet shopping, USPS, cheaper quality electronics, natural beauty (there seems to be many wonderful state and national parks here too)

Worst - healthcare system, groceries are more expensive here than in Canada (could be a regional thing), ugly dollar bills

I second the grocery thing. I find fruit a ridiculous price ............. LOL, I lived in the fruit belt in Canada so I miss that most. The Healthcare system here sucks unless you have money and the RN's are not as good as our Canadian ones but the Doctors are better in the US.

Edited February 1, 2007 by Buttons

[no one 0]

Hi Em!

Good luck on your CA driving test, whenever you decide to take it soon. Yeah, I know what you mean about shorter people driving bigger cars, it's harder, I agree. Likewise, around here too (in small town NYS), I see big vehicles such as trucks, (though no SUVs), vans, and even farm tractors and snow plows on the streets and highways too. Oh and then there are the animals along the highway (deer, rabbits, racoons, birds, cows, cats, dogs, roadkill, etc.)

By the way, doesn't California have a recripical agreement with Canada, where you can exchange your license without taking another test? You should inquire about that, as that would definately save you time and money with another driving test. They have one here in New York State, so it was easy for me to exchange my Canadian license for a US one, without taking any road tests or written tests. Funny, how it's easier to deal with the DMV here in the USA (no G1, G2, G graduated licencing ####### with the MTO in Canada!).

Ant

Thanks! I'll have to take it soon since I've just been approved for my green card Nope, no reciprocal agreements with Canada... I have to retake my tests. And yeah, Ontario's driving exams are A LOT HARDER than the ones here. According to Jas (and my nieces who have just taken their written/road tests)... they don't do the freeway exam here, and they don't even test you on parallel parking!!! I'm kind of angry that they won't accept my Ontario licence just because the G1/G2/G system is more rigorous. But then again, my dad had a Hong Kong licence which Ontario didn't accept... and driving in Hong Kong is a LOT more complicated than even downtown T.O.

[no one 0]

I second the grocery thing. I find fruit a ridiculous price ............. LOL, I lived in the fruit belt in Canada so I miss that most. The Healthcare system here sucks unless you have money and the RN's are not as good as our Canadian ones but the Doctors are better in the US.

The only fruit that's not lacking here in NorCal is lemons! Pretty much everyone who owns a house with a yard has a lemon tree

I have yet to meet a doctor here BUT the funny thing is, the one time I needed to get a prescription medication, I just had to phone in and talk with... someone (I don't even know what that person's qualifications are) at Kaiser... and they just sent my info down to the pharmacy for me to pick up! They also offer you options to get your prescription drugs mailed to you, at a lower cost than if you go in person to pick them up. Weird!