Best/Most in Canada and USA...

[Reba 2]

Yep, its crazy, but I miss the driving too. I had a Honda Civic 5 speed back home, and I loved it! I now have a Ford Escape 4x4 and I hate it. Its big and clunky and apparently they're prone to tipping over. My front wheel drive Civic would probably be better in the snow than this tank. Though my dogs wouldn't fit in the Honda I don't think.

I've often considered opening a winter driving school down here, if it were ever to snow! Teach these rednecks how to drive!

[misa 2]

I have to post this as one of the best parts about Canada. Their new "Hire Immigrants" campaign:

http://www.hireimmigrants.ca/

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Good luck on your immigration journeys! I started this message thread “Best/Worst in Canada and USA”, so I should reply to the questions that I asked. So, listed below are my answers (in no particular order):

Best about Canada

+Food: 1) Smarties (I wish I had brought more over! Maybe I'll stock up next time I go to Canada? Way better and more colourful than M and Ms too. They make good Holiday presents too for the Americans here. The "smarties" here in the US are what Canadians call "rockets", and it's just not the same thing!). 2) Bagged Milk (It takes quite a bit of strength to lift those jugs) 3) Shreddies (Although I have found the shredded wheat squares here to temporarily substitute, but it's not the same)

+ Free Healthcare

+"Canadian English". Sorry, words just look better when they are spelt with "-our", "-re", "grey", “cheque” not "-or", "-er", "gray", “check”. One more word: "Eh?" Also, the date is written day/month/year, not month/day/year.

+Hearing/seeing our temperatures said in "degrees C" instead of "degrees F" (I still can't figure out the conversions!)

+Multi-coloured paper money (It’s so much easier to differentiate, especially when one is in a hurry)

+Canadian TV Shows: Mr. Dressup and The Royal Canadian Air Farce (Though if I drive a couple towns over to a friends' house that is closer to the Canadian border, I can watch some Canadian television shows too). Also, Canadian sports such as 5-pin bowling (10 pin just isn’t the same) and curling

+Canadian laid-back and passive attitudes. Simpler Canadian history and Canadian politics too.

+Beautiful Canadian scenery (Although there is beautiful scenery here in the USA too).

+Most important of all (to me): My cat (which I sadly had to leave behind in Canada

Worst about Canada

-Higher Taxes (15% is definitely too high!)

-Waiting for free healthcare (The words “sorry we are not accepting new patients”, and waiting for what seems like forever for treatment are quite familiar to many)

-Lack of patriotism. I mean, who really says “I am Canadian”, and people believe it? Too many immigrants (ironically, I was/am an immigrant too) and the assumption that one has to stick to their own culture group, other than being Canadian. For goodness sakes people, it’s Canada, not (insert name of other country here)!

-Heavy loonies and twoonies (I’ve broken a few wallets carrying those heavy things around. Why did they ever get rid of the dollar and two dollar bills?)

-Ugly city snow (that’s just a regional/area thing though)

Best about the USA

+Moist important of all (to me): My husband and family are here

+The friendlier attitudes that Americans have (from my experience anyways)

+Lower taxes and standard of living costs

+American patriotism. “The American Melting Pot” concept where we are all “Americans”, regardless of where we came from. One can say, “I am proud to be an American”, and there wouldn’t be any objection.

+The American Flag (Stars and Stripes Forever!) and The American Anthem (and the rockets…lalala…)

+Beautiful American scenery (Ahhh…I can see the natural wonders around me….)

+Beautiful lake effect countryside snow in the winter (that’s just a regional/area thing though)

+The greater selection for food and other products (where the heck do I find Oreo cereal in Canada?)

+Convenient Drive-Throughs: Fast food, Banking, Pharmacy needs, all in the comfort of being inside a car

+Abundant amount of Government programs to help the poor and disadvantaged in society

+Paper dollar bills (sure is better than carrying all those loonies and twoonies around)

Worst about the USA

-Having to pay for healthcare and being asked about health insurance, when being treated .

-American politics and the American obsession with politics. (and what’s the deal with Bush anyways?)

-How challenging the US immigration process and really is (I'm sure many of you can relate)

Ant (Living the best and worst in both Canadian and American worlds…)

[warlord 73]

Hmm this might be very one sided but here goes:

Canada

Best: - I can for the next few weeks still claim I'm a citizen of another nation

- Restraunts like Harveys and Swiss Chalet

- Ketcup chips and Wine Gums (that's it)

- Cabs come fast to your place

- Wild rice and black olives with the pits in them

- Better seafood selection it seems

- More ethnic diversity it seems

Worst - The people seem so cold and less fun

- TV programming is a joke

- Spelling of things

- Accents (though it is funny to hear now)

- Weather

- Everything else

- Prices on things

USA

Best:

- Restraunts like Texas Roadhouse, In and Out Burger, Boston Market

- People are generally a lot more friendly and nicer and warmer

- TV is good

- Spelling (US) way makes more sence

- Weather

- So much more to do

- Amazing scenery and landscape, such great geographical diversity

- Prices are cheaper

- Everything else

Worst:

- Can be a little too crowed going places

- Grocery shopping isn't as fun as there seems to be less variety (especially in seafood)

- Can be a little more ghetto in larger cities

- You can have a great time hanging out in downtown Toronto, but wouldn't ever want to visit in downtown Phoenix or LA

- Much more scam artists and telemarketers

[antda 13]

Hi Everyone,

Oh, there is one more thing I forgot to add on my list(s):

Best about the USA

+USPS Postal Service: Delivery on Saturdays, The red flags on the mailboxes for the postal workers to pick up the mail for you (saves on unnecessary trips to the post office), Less expensive postage, Nicer postal workers (come rain, snow, shine, or sleet....)

Ant

Hi Everyone,

Good luck on your immigration journeys! I started this message thread “Best/Worst in Canada and USA”, so I should reply to the questions that I asked. So, listed below are my answers (in no particular order):

Best about Canada

+Food: 1) Smarties (I wish I had brought more over! Maybe I'll stock up next time I go to Canada? Way better and more colourful than M and Ms too. They make good Holiday presents too for the Americans here. The "smarties" here in the US are what Canadians call "rockets", and it's just not the same thing!). 2) Bagged Milk (It takes quite a bit of strength to lift those jugs) 3) Shreddies (Although I have found the shredded wheat squares here to temporarily substitute, but it's not the same)

+ Free Healthcare

+"Canadian English". Sorry, words just look better when they are spelt with "-our", "-re", "grey", “cheque” not "-or", "-er", "gray", “check”. One more word: "Eh?" Also, the date is written day/month/year, not month/day/year.

+Hearing/seeing our temperatures said in "degrees C" instead of "degrees F" (I still can't figure out the conversions!)

+Multi-coloured paper money (It’s so much easier to differentiate, especially when one is in a hurry)

+Canadian TV Shows: Mr. Dressup and The Royal Canadian Air Farce (Though if I drive a couple towns over to a friends' house that is closer to the Canadian border, I can watch some Canadian television shows too). Also, Canadian sports such as 5-pin bowling (10 pin just isn’t the same) and curling

+Canadian laid-back and passive attitudes. Simpler Canadian history and Canadian politics too.

+Beautiful Canadian scenery (Although there is beautiful scenery here in the USA too).

+Most important of all (to me): My cat (which I sadly had to leave behind in Canada

Worst about Canada

-Higher Taxes (15% is definitely too high!)

-Waiting for free healthcare (The words “sorry we are not accepting new patients”, and waiting for what seems like forever for treatment are quite familiar to many)

-Lack of patriotism. I mean, who really says “I am Canadian”, and people believe it? Too many immigrants (ironically, I was/am an immigrant too) and the assumption that one has to stick to their own culture group, other than being Canadian. For goodness sakes people, it’s Canada, not (insert name of other country here)!

-Heavy loonies and twoonies (I’ve broken a few wallets carrying those heavy things around. Why did they ever get rid of the dollar and two dollar bills?)

-Ugly city snow (that’s just a regional/area thing though)

Best about the USA

+Moist important of all (to me): My husband and family are here

+The friendlier attitudes that Americans have (from my experience anyways)

+Lower taxes and standard of living costs

+American patriotism. “The American Melting Pot” concept where we are all “Americans”, regardless of where we came from. One can say, “I am proud to be an American”, and there wouldn’t be any objection.

+The American Flag (Stars and Stripes Forever!) and The American Anthem (and the rockets…lalala…)

+Beautiful American scenery (Ahhh…I can see the natural wonders around me….)

+Beautiful lake effect countryside snow in the winter (that’s just a regional/area thing though)

+The greater selection for food and other products (where the heck do I find Oreo cereal in Canada?)

+Convenient Drive-Throughs: Fast food, Banking, Pharmacy needs, all in the comfort of being inside a car

+Abundant amount of Government programs to help the poor and disadvantaged in society

+Paper dollar bills (sure is better than carrying all those loonies and twoonies around)

Worst about the USA

-Having to pay for healthcare and being asked about health insurance, when being treated .

-American politics and the American obsession with politics. (and what’s the deal with Bush anyways?)

-How challenging the US immigration process and really is (I'm sure many of you can relate)

Ant (Living the best and worst in both Canadian and American worlds…)

[Flames9_RN 358]

For the most part,people are people. Hard to comapre USA VS Canada as I'm now residing in a much bigger city here in the USA, than Iever did in Canada, so of course there are more jerks here,lol. I do find people a little bit more rude here in the USA. I do not know how many times I have been standing perfectly still in a line, and some one wants to cut through, and they just barge through without saying excuse me!! I just shake my head in udder disbelief! And today driving I had to shake my head again. Going down a 2 lane street, I'm following fairly close behind a car and there was no one behind me for quite aways. So a car passes me on the second lane, he cuts inbetween me and the other car, and eventually makes a right turn!! I have no clue why he had to pass me, then cut me off, when there wasn't anybody behind me!!

Can't really comment on healthcare, as being military was almost like having private healthcare, one got seen by a DR pretty quick for the most part. My dad has had 3 heart operations (last one was over 10 yrs ago ) and he has never had a problem getting in to see the DR. I'm glad we have medical insurance here in the USA, as this past Spring my wife badly sprained her ankle. After about a 3.5 hr wait in the emergency room she fianlly got to see a DR. her 10 minutes and an xray came to about $1400.00, luckily our insurance covers all of it.

Big plus here in the USA is able to deduct ur interest paid on your mortage.

Yes I agree the US postal system is very efficient. love Saturday delivery and able to leave mail to be processed at ur box, and they seem much faster. Life is good here, can't really complain, but would move back to Canada in a heartbeat,preferably Saskatoon and west.

Edited February 9, 2007 by flames9