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| Subject: Landing in NS and Reasons, Pt. 2 |
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Wannabe,
(ran out of room in Bob´s post, it was so poular!)
Thanks for your response. About as thoughtful and eloquent as I´ve ever seen on these boards discussing this subject - very moving for me. I´m glad to have found such colleagues of the heart here.
We too have always felt at home whenever we visited there. For us it´s a combination of social, political, and geography.
Th unspoiled vastness and beautiful scenery grabbed us. We love nature and the outdoors and what we found was incredible on our visits. We look forward to becoming part of these natural surroundings.
It also has a lot do to with the sense of community that´s missing in the States. We always felt that everyone belongs to a common social fabric, not just every one for themselves. This is where the social programs are important. We´re happy to pay higher taxes to be part of a social system where health care is a human right, not a profit-making commodity. Personally, it frees us from the terror of job loss, with associated threat of finacial ruin in medical emergency. It also let´s us try our hand at starting a small business
without the huge financial burden of self-insured medical coverage.
Politically, we are escaping the right-wing takeover. The war in Iraq, planned invasions of other countries, foreign aggressiveness, evangelical conservative structuring of our personal lives, mindless radio and TV, lack of intelligent public discussion - all has made us refugees. We almost feel ashamed to show our passports overseas.
Canada, as you said, is open, tolerant, and it´s peaceful approach to the world fits our thinking.
Finally, it´s sort of European. We love Europe, and it seems to have the best of both worlds. Social cohesion and programs yet with vast natural, uncrowded open spaces and wilderness. Perfect in our view.
And no matter how much money we´d make in America, we´d feel uneasy. It´s just not right for us. I think we´re on the same page. I suspect Bob and Brain may be in agreement with some of our shared thoughts here.
[17-10-2006,22:36]
[**.53.231.75]
Richard |
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(in reply to: Landing in NS and Reasons, Pt. 2)
I´m sitting here nodding my head in agreement over your every word, Richard.
I was amazed at the statistic that you mentioned that only 3,000+ Americans moved north last year, that we are part of such a miroscopic community. Again, I´m very glad to have found a few folks here to share this experience with.
We got our visas in the mail today, so I guess we are finally official! It´s been a dream for so long, and now it has become a reality. To quote the Molson commercial: "I AM Canadian!". Yep, I like the sound of that! :)
[18-10-2006,15:12]
[**.24.116.116]
wannabecanadian |
(in reply to: Landing in NS and Reasons, Pt. 2)
Congratulations on the visas, wannabecanadian. That´s how we felt after we were official - "We´re Canadians!" Both of you, Richard and wannabecanadian, so beautifully expressed most or all of the reasons we are scooting up to Canada. Both of us had grown up in New York City and reclocated to suburban Ohio because of a job offer, experiencing great cultural shock in the process. Having lived for many years before this in a sophisticated, cosmopolitan metropolis, we were now at the stage where we felt we had done our "time" and were ready to return to a city environment, albeit one smaller than Manhattan. I heard some locker room buddies talk about Victoria, the capital of British Columbia,as having a very mild climate for Canada, one of them warning that I´d better not visit there during the sunny summer season because I´d never want to leave. That led to a trip to Victoria, the discovery that though beautiful, the homes there were too rich for our blood, and the eventual purchasing of property in another, more affordable city. We had seen a physician at the Cleveland Clinic who after we mentioned that we were moving to Canada shared that he was Canadian, as was his wife, and that he very much envied our decision to relocate, and was here because of their employment at the Clinic. He remarked that he had little to talk about with his neighbors in suburban Ohio, and I think that is precisely how we have felt living in Ohio - estranged in terms of our most basic values. I think that we live in a dumbing down culture, a cultural abyss -- even our public radio station -- NPR -- conveys little of substance, scant news that is even remotely worthy of being called national or international. Compare this with BBC or CBC or with the cultural climate of Canada or Europe, for example. It´s no wonder, then, that we´re become a culture of idiots geneflecting to a bunch of mass murderers signifying only a naked abyss. You can see and hear it in the news. The villainous North Korea explods a bomb (or two) and the world shudders, but the fact that an insane, psychopathic administration more fit to occupy rooms at Bellevue than to run a government is in control of 100,000 nuclear weapons (and growing) causes the world no alarm whatsoever.
Hey -- I need a big glass of dark Vancouver Island beer after that outburst!
wannabecanadian - when we landed I gave the immigration officer a sheet of paper on which I typed:
my name
c/o friend´s name
friend´s address
My contact in Canada received two envelopes, one containing the PR card for my spouse, the other for myself. I had instructed her to put both unsealed envelopes in the FEDEX envelope and ship to me. You´ll dig the multicolored PR cards!
[18-10-2006,19:11]
[***.123.98.203]
Bob |
(in reply to: Landing in NS and Reasons, Pt. 2)
Ditto the political rant, Bob. I´m from the west coast (near San Francisco) originally, and felt the same way when I moved to Ohio. Since then, I´ve lived in several states and unintentially ended back up here for the past several years. My community is actually one of the most liberal in the state, however, so at least I´m not totally alone in my political views here.
Thanks for the info about what to give the immigration officer. Right now we´re scrambling to find someone who lives up there that we can trust enough to help us out. Tonight I´m still reeling over the fact that we have visas in hand; I think they are beautiful as well! :)
[18-10-2006,20:39]
[**.24.116.116]
wannabecanadian |
(in reply to: Landing in NS and Reasons, Pt. 2)
wannabecanadian... I have sent you an email over at RTC.
I am really enjoying this thread. It is nice to hear someone talk about things I value rather than the constant bickering I always read about jobs.
[18-10-2006,21:15]
[***.121.220.199]
Sharon |
(in reply to: Landing in NS and Reasons, Pt. 2)
Am in complete agreement with Bob´s comments, especially the political. Actually, couldn´t agree more. Also looking forward to complete and balanced news about the world.
Also, brief fyi on adminstrative stuff for new PRs from U.S. Although new PRs must exchange driver´s licences with 60 days of landing (Ontario), there is no requirement to re-register and re-plate your vehicle in Canada right away, if not yet imported. The 2 are unrelated. This from Ontario Ministry of Transportation per phone inquiry.
Additionally, not an issue to hold Canadian driver´s licence while holding U.S. auto insurance (not mine anyways) as long as the vehicle is "garaged" in U.S. The issue here is once you register the vehicle in Canada, you must re-insure with a Canadian company and start a new policy. This therefore could be saved for last as part of final move.
[18-10-2006,23:55]
[**.53.231.75]
Richard |
(in reply to: Landing in NS and Reasons, Pt. 2)
wannabe,
Meant to congratulate you on your visas! They are beautiful, especially after such a long, time-consuming effort. Per Bob, now also waiting for those colorful PR cards.
[19-10-2006,00:07]
[**.53.231.75]
Richard |
(in reply to: Landing in NS and Reasons, Pt. 2)
Actually, I am not moving to Canada for any political reason. It is simply where my wife and I want to be. I wonder if the folks here are just going to abandon Canada if it does not think the way they do? Community and government is something everyone needs to participate in. I think blaming the folks you are leaving behind for your flight is ungrateful, ungracious, and unkind. Bashing the group your are leaving to flatter your new hosts is a nasty form of snobbery.
[19-10-2006,06:25]
[***.3.76.29]
Anonymous |
(in reply to: Landing in NS and Reasons, Pt. 2)
I am so getting so weary of this lack of understanding, Anonymous, not just at you, but at everyone who refuses to see that loving one country does not equate dislike for another, and that disagreeing with an administration does not equate blaming, bashing, or snobbery. Furthermore, we have all clearly stated our reasons for making this life decision and that most of those reasons are not political at all. I´m pretty certain I can speak for my newfound friends here that no one thus far in our conversation is wearing rose colored glasses; we are all adults who happen to love Canada and feel more comfortable there than we do here. For myself, I am so beyond feeling that I need to justify my beliefs, my values, and my dreams, and I won´t be responding to any more intentional misunderstanding.
[19-10-2006,08:48]
[**.24.116.116]
wannabecanadian |
(in reply to: Landing in NS and Reasons, Pt. 2)
Richard: Re: Ontario drivers licences: are you saying that if we land in Ontario, even without importing our car at the time, and with the intent of returning to the States, we have to get Ontario licences within 60 days? I´m pretty sure I simply re-stated your post, but I wanted to absolutely verify. Thank you!
[19-10-2006,08:53]
[**.24.116.116]
wannabecanadian |
(in reply to: Landing in NS and Reasons, Pt. 2)
Yes, this is what the Transportation Ministry told me over the phone. And their website also seems to indicate 60 days. They don´t want permanent residents driving on out-of-province licences after 60 days.
[19-10-2006,12:07]
[**.53.231.75]
Richard |
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