Moving to Canada!
Friday, February 23rd, 2007 - 11:08am
It's been a while since I called on the collective wisdom of GWJ, but a situation has arisen which I believe many people here are qualified to address.
I am moving to Canada! My wife just accepted a tenure-track professor position at the University of Toronto and at the same time, I'm planning to go back to school for Library Science, also at UT.
So, coming this fall, it's going to be a big transition. Of course, once I got the news, this was the first place I thought of, since we have an above-average concentration of Canucks here.
So, how 'bout it? Advice for an aspiring Canadian? Experiences from the mistakes you've seen other people make? I am a babe in the woods here people.
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I think you're going to need a toque.
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baggachipz: Who cares about Japan, let them have their silly pointless dog games and countless re-hashes of anime-based dragon princess super lucky crapitty crap.
I'm a transplanted Florida boy, who's been here in Canada for 2 years...
1. Be open to the culture (try poutine once, learn the duck-walk for traveling on ice, accept that when Summer is only 2-months long you have to cram as much fun into it as you can, etc.)
2. Try to learn a little French (they take the whole bi-lingual thing too serious on the East Coast.)
3. Stay out of any discussion that involves the Quebecouis (the francaphone separatists/terrorists that want Quebec to secede from english-speaking Canada.)
4. For the love of all that's holy, don't start any sentence with "Back in the States we..."
ps - Canucks are very proud of the fact that their forces burned the white house in the early 1800s, and they haven't grown beyond it. Pretty sure that was their last victory.
That which does not kill you, still hurts like Hell. - Anonymous Soldier
None of us is as dumb as ALL of us. - Anonymous Staff Officer
Veni, Vici, Ridebam, Discedebam - "I came, I saw, I laughed, I left"
I could be wrong, but moving from Cali to Canada you'll probably have fewer cultural difficulties than you would if you moved to someplace like Alabama. The most important thing seems to be to pretend that they are pretty different from us. They like that. I understand they have a donut shop chain that we don't have here. I'd focus on that.
Don't be an asshole. Really, that's it. Robear can give tips from the American traveller point of view.
Complication: you must avoid being an asshole even when Canadians are being dicks to you or slagging your country.
Oh oh oh! And there's this wonderful website some woman did... an American's guide to Canada or somesuch (can't Web browse with abandon right now).
Just remember that a tenure-track position is a big deal, and Toronto is the big time in Canadia. Vent here and ask questions of Canuckistani Goodjers. And remember: you're a Leafs fan now.
RIP ChronicNecrosis
And also, I think they force you to marry another guy once you move up there.
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baggachipz: Who cares about Japan, let them have their silly pointless dog games and countless re-hashes of anime-based dragon princess super lucky crapitty crap.
"Whats up with this damn metric system eh? We use the real system back home in America."
That should be all you need to start a lovely conversations.
WOW: Bounce
Hmm. If you want a Canadian rock band's perspective on Toronto, I suggest you listen to the song "I don't want to go to Toronto" by the Vestibules.
http://www.leoslyrics.com/listlyrics.php?hid=AdTH4cExtFM%3D
There is only an up or down--up to a man's age-old dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order--or down to the ant heap totalitarianism,... those who would trade our freedom for security have embarked on this downward course.
Better make sure that UT lets students sleep with professors.
Your Quote Here!
No way, I am fully committed to the metric system! Actually, on an annoying related point, we are also looking for a new car (she will be commuting to Scarborough twice a week, so it's a necessary evil) and we have to make sure it has km/h on the dial. Most new ones do, but it's hard to read them!
I speak a little French already, and am not opposed to learning more. I should probably just Google this, but how scary IS the whole Quebecois separatist thing? Will the New Dion Youth beat me up in the streets?
Also, I am supposed to hate Ben Mulroney, right?
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They also don't like to admit they need the US as a neighbor (trade, protection, etc.)
They have several doughnut shops...but it's the coffee shop they're proud of. Their answer to Starbucks or Seattle's Best is Tim Horton Coffee (affectionately known as Timmy's).
That which does not kill you, still hurts like Hell. - Anonymous Soldier
None of us is as dumb as ALL of us. - Anonymous Staff Officer
Veni, Vici, Ridebam, Discedebam - "I came, I saw, I laughed, I left"
I have heard of this! I am so in the clear!
XBL: necrocinnabon
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I googled it and, damn, that site is really useful. It's here: http://emily.icomm.ca/
XBL: necrocinnabon
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Some tips:
Learn to love Tim Hortons. Tim Hortons is both your dealer and your best friend.
Toronto is possibly the most culturally diverse city in Canada (Winnipeg tries to lay claims to that but it's a "per capita" stat so I think it's a bit bunk). Be prepared to hear about 2 to 3 different languages being spoken by people wherever you go.
Kingston Market, while a very great place for fresh produce, is very very "ripe" in the summers.
Please don't call our money "monopoly" money. We kinda hate that. Also, try not to giggle too much when calling a $1 coin a "loonie" and a $2 coin a "two-nie". We know it's silly but, well, we're just used to callin' 'em that now.
"Foyer" not a "foi ER" is a "foi-ai", you "por-tah-ge" a canoe, you don't "port age" a canoe. (Caveat: The main street in Winnipeg is actually pronounced "port age" like the rest of you Americans pronounce it. I haven't a clue why, but it just is.)
"Wool caps" are called "toques". Exclusively. Call it a wool cap or a knitted hat and we'll point at you and laugh
Torontonians, while having living in Canada all their lives (for the most part) still don't understand what "snow" is. Expect the city to shut down when more than a few centimeters of it fall
Living in Toronto you are now a 6 hour drive (?) from Ottawa and an 8 hour drive (?) from Montreal. Take advantage of this. Both cities, especially in the summers, are gorgeous.
Vinegar is an acceptable topping for french fries and potato chips. Protest all you want, but this is a delicious fact.
Lastly... WELCOME!
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Pipe Threader Manual wrote:
They have been somewhat dormant since the 1970s, when they kidnapped a British diplomat and killed him.
Since then, they pretty much just snark a lot, and enforce the francaphone quarters (where all signs must be in french.)
Once every couple years, they try to pass a bill through Parliment to ratify the separation.
On a tangent...as an example of how serious they take the bi-lingual thing, a year ago a lady was caught speeding (over 100 kph in a 40 kph zone), and was able to get the ticket torn up since the "official document" wasn't written in both languages.
That which does not kill you, still hurts like Hell. - Anonymous Soldier
None of us is as dumb as ALL of us. - Anonymous Staff Officer
Veni, Vici, Ridebam, Discedebam - "I came, I saw, I laughed, I left"
First off, it's spelled "Canadia".
Second, they put maple syrup on EVERYTHING they eat. Similar to in the movie Elf. Start practicing now so that when you get up there it's second nature.
Fedaykin98 wrote:
Well I've been hiding on GWJ for quite some time, however, I live in Toronto and can definitely help you out with any questions.
1) Don't worry about speaking French - unless you're going to visit Montreal or Quebec, the only time I see or hear the French language is when I'm on an airplane or reading the back and sides of a cereal box
2) Where are you thinking about living? Downtown Toronto, Burbs? - looking for an apartment/house/condo?
3) Toronto is huge and has many hidden gems that most people overlook when they come here. I suggest reading Blog TO. It is run by a good bunch of people, and you get a real good taste of what's going on in Toronto.
4) I'm not so much into politics - but i'm pretty sure Quebec is going to be with us for a while
5) Tim Hortons - I swear we have more of these than McDonalds. Absolutely addicted.
All said...living in Canada is like living in (a watered down version of) Europe, with the convenience of being a short plane-ride from home.
As a bonus...when most Canadians talk about Football...they mean our Football.
EDIT: Although, Canadian Football has some very unique rules.
That which does not kill you, still hurts like Hell. - Anonymous Soldier
None of us is as dumb as ALL of us. - Anonymous Staff Officer
Veni, Vici, Ridebam, Discedebam - "I came, I saw, I laughed, I left"
I was in a science museum in Toronto as a youth and saw a display comparing the bowel movement of a Canadian on a high fiber diet with the bowel movement of a guy from India. The Canadian b.m. was a tight compact log and the Indian b.m. looked like a cowpie.
Just so you have something extra to look forward to.
"All that time you waste dating and having sex could be better spent scouring the web for new game developer press releases." - Quintin_Stone
After a couple pots of Timmy's...there's nothing "tight" and/or "compact"...but maybe that's TMI.
That which does not kill you, still hurts like Hell. - Anonymous Soldier
None of us is as dumb as ALL of us. - Anonymous Staff Officer
Veni, Vici, Ridebam, Discedebam - "I came, I saw, I laughed, I left"
I suggest you memorize Weird Al's 'Canadian Idiot.' Assimilation is for weenies!
I'm going to see the Leafs play here in Philly on Saturday. Normally I'd boo them til I'm blue in the face, but I have Raycroft and Sundin on my fantasy team and I'm in first place. I hope I don't get killed by the natives...
Ikariam.org Iota Server Info Sheet
Toronto has pretty mild weather, comparitively.
We like to consider ourselves culturally separate from the US. Play to this, and everyone will generally be happier. Point out how similar we are, and we will get grouchy and start bagging on the US.
Retaliating in kind would impress ME, since no one seems to care about our scandals and inadequacies.
Mystic Violet wrote:
I would recommend that you understand that you are not relocating to Northern Mongolia and expect this vast culture shock to occur. If you move up here expecting people to be walking around differently and speak with funny accents, then yes you will find it hard to fit in.
Good piece of advice there. Depending on what side of the Qubec/Ontario border you are on, bringing up this topic can yield interesting results.
You need us as much as we need you (not for protection of course). Our economies have pretty much become fused together at this point. If one was to die or falter, the other would suffer considerably.
We, like the rest of the civilized world, use the metric system which will take some time to get use to if you are coming from the gothic imperial system. There is a simple logic to it that you learn to appreciate, since values were not made up off the top of someone's head. Water freezes at 0 degrees C. Anything above that means it is warmer, anything below that (shown by the simple, yet convenient - sign) is colder. There are a thousand meters in a kilometer, and a thousand grams in a kilogram. Simple yet effective.
A Mind Without Purpose Will Walk In Dark Places
"I may be out of ammo but I ain't out of chainsaw B*TCHES!" - Sinister's warcry for Gears of War
See, this is an example of what this thread doesn't need. Let's stay focused, Podunk, and only bring up the possible downside of moving there.
wtf u think we all live in teh forest in igloos you dumb n00b! Your beer is teh suck!
The above is an example of more reactionary Cnajun rhetoric. Wargamer.com has several useful examples, I hear.
Would it be a good or bad thing for him to watch Canadian Bacon?
RIP ChronicNecrosis
BAH! all I could find..
http://www.theonion.com/content/node/27842
Aint nothing new about the world order..it's been playing since the day they put George Washington on a quarter
Down in the Park with a friend called Five.
http://wumusicgroup.com/
The Canadians also controlled Detroit for about a year, well into 1813. Yes, we were occupied by a foreign power on our soil. The attempted burning of Washington's federal buildings, stopped only by an actual hurricane and the associated rain and flooding, was in retaliation for the burning of Hull by Americans earlier in the war, and was not in that sense an atrocity or outrage. They almost caught the President, in fact. (The whole war didn't need to happen, and both sides showed a lot of incompetence, but we definitely did poorly in the Niagara theatre as well as in direct actions against the British Navy. Did great against their trading fleet, however.)
Don't forget Vimy Ridge, Juno Beach, Kapyong and Operation Medusa in Afghanistan. Pretty good record for a small country. If you get a chance, check out the 22nd Regiment HQ in Quebec City. Very interesting place.
Extremism in the defense of liberty *is* a vice. It has been since the first Crown Loyalist was tarred, feathered and set afire, and it's no better now. It corrupts first the individual, then ultimately the institution it defends.
So is taking over Detroit an accomplishment? Isn't that more or less the same as stealing a Yugo?
"All that time you waste dating and having sex could be better spent scouring the web for new game developer press releases." - Quintin_Stone
I'd say it's like living in a slightly bigger Minnesota. They even talk the same. Also, if Prince is as edgy as you can get, odds are you are lame.
Again like Minnesota. It's there, and it's part of the economy, but we don't really need it.
The democratization of the web ... has installed an illusion of a digital first amendment that protects speech no matter how poorly spelled or stupid. - Elysium
Wordsmythe is my hero. - rabbit
XBL: E Munnie
It's definitely harder than taking over, say, Vancouver.
Xbox Live: CrankyBaby
baggachipz: Who cares about Japan, let them have their silly pointless dog games and countless re-hashes of anime-based dragon princess super lucky crapitty crap.
Yeah, you can have it back again, if you want.
The democratization of the web ... has installed an illusion of a digital first amendment that protects speech no matter how poorly spelled or stupid. - Elysium
Wordsmythe is my hero. - rabbit
XBL: E Munnie
Here's my view on the difference between Canada and the US:
On my last trip to Victoria, my wife and I were looking for coffee at 6:30 am on a Sunday. We finally found a shop and as we approached the door we noted that they wouldn't open for another 30 minutes. Should we wait or...someone's coming to the door. We're greeted by a pleasant young man who offers assistance. We explain that we were simply looking for coffee and that we'll just walk around for a bit and come back when they open. He says that he just started brewing the morning's first batch and that we were more than welcome to come in *right now* for a cup.
In the US, a different young man would notice us, point to the hours posted on the door and shrug, "sorry, we're not open yet".