Tell me, what is it like to live in USA or Canada (yes I’m planning on moving)

[Cassi&Charlie]

I’m currently in an argument with my boyfriend who believes in the power of Taco Bell is stong enough to draw us to the USA, whereas I think that Canada sounds quite nice

What is it like living in each place? I’ve only ever lived in Australia and everything I know of USA & Canada is from movies & books. Give me the down & dirty on where you have lived. Have you lived in both Canada & USA? Tell me everything!

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Well there is taco bell in Canada too!!

TBH I would stay in Australia-from what I’ve heard its an amazing place to live. I was born in the US but didn’t live there long, and have only visited. My parents are retired and spend alot of time in the south. They say people are awesomely polite there, if only a bit shocking seeing all the guns on trucks!! They particularly love texas.

I do like Canada but I don’t favour the climate, it’s very cool in Northern Alberta, although waaaay more friendly then the east coast of Canada. I really really enjoy BC, it’s gorgeous and the climate is much milder. VERY beautiful actually.

[RabbitPam]

Hi, Cassie,

A few questions first: are you both working in Australia right now? Do you have professions that work anywhere, or experience that transfers well? The reason I ask is that we have just hit a very, very bad economic downturn that has caused unemployment to rise. If you don’t already have a job lined up to go to, I’d really hate to see you come to either country and have to wait to be eligible for services while competing for jobs here. When were you thinking of coming? It may be that 6 months from now it’s a completely different situation. If you can land a job from Australia, and have them help move you, that’s the ideal scenario.

I understand that Taco Bell is an important criteria and am relieved to learn it’s in Canada too. As someone who moved from Massachusetts, where the winters were pretty snowy/icy and long, to Florida where there is only warm and warmer, I’d say it depends a lot on what kind of climate you prefer. I have friends who LOVE the cold, and if that’s you, then Canada sounds beautiful and friendly.

[ScooterandAnnette]

Yep, North America is pretty varied when it comes to climate, and economy! Some areas are harder hit than others. In the US the more Southern areas are definitely warmer. In Canada the coastal areas are definitely warmer in the winter, but the prairies can surprise you in the summer! It’s not at all unusual here in Winnipeg to get a winter low of -35C, and a summer high of +35C. And yes we have Taco Bell here in Winnipeg too.

A lot really does depend on what kind of jobs you’re going to be getting when you move, what kind of climate you think you can live in, and what kind of economic climate you can handle. Earlier this year we lived in Edmonton, and now we live in Winnipeg. While there’s definitely a surplus of jobs in Edmonton, and there’s no provincial sales tax in Alberta (it’s 7% here in Manitoba), housing and rental prices are much, much higher in Edmonton than in Winnipeg.
– Annette

[rabbitsmba]

Well, if Taco Bell is a deciding factor, it is imperative that you know that Fries Supreme can ONLY be found in Canada!  That’s right, Taco Bells in the States don’t have this wonderful item on their menu – I have no idea why not.  Crisp golden fries smothered in cheese and topped with beef, onions, tomatoes and sour cream.  For this very reason, Taco Bell Canada  RULES over Taco Bell America – sorry my American friends!

Ahem, anyway….

I live in Mississauga, which is right next door to Toronto.  I LOVE living in Canada mainly because of our wonderful history, our freedoms and rights and all of the other cultures that share our country.  The food is amazing!  Italian, Mexican, Indian, French, Morracan, Greek, you name it, we have authentic restaurants full of delicious food!  IMO, we have a much more cultural or European feel.

While our health care system isn’t perfect, IMO, it is superior to the US, with health care being free!

And climate-wise, did you know that the southern tip of Ontario is geographically located at the same latitude as the northern tip of California?

And we are also home to things like Smarties and ketchup flavoured chips.  And our poutine RULES!  People often ask why our money is so colourful and our answer is “because our beer really works!”

And lastly, I think this sums it up nicely….

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=BRI-A3vakVg

[Colin]

I grew up just outside of Melbourne, Vic., but we moved to the northeastern US when I was 10. I’m sure I would have noticed more changes if I had moved as an adult, but as Vincent Vega said in Pulp Fiction, “it’s the little differences.” You’ll probably be surprised how much you miss food that you grew up with that you can’t find over here. There are lots of words that have different meanings. There’s some tolerance for going over the speed limit (in most places).

Thanks to the internet, the social and cultural gaps between Australia and the US are much smaller than when I moved. You’ll find more of a difference between two different regions in the US than you’ll find between the US and Australia.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to ask, although I feel like I’ve grown a little out of touch with how things were in Australia.

[Balefulregards]

I am an American, living in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

The immigration laws are different for Quebec, so unless you are prepared to deal with an additional layer of Quebecois bureaucracy I may consider B.C.

That being said – I adore Montreal. I lived in Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio….and this is my spiritual home.

Yes. Winters are rugged and long. Summers are glorious.

As far as economy – Montreal is all right, if you are in the “right” sectors. Also, speaking French is a pre-requite for Most jobs. I have an exemption because I am working at an English speaking university – McGill. If I were not affiliated with McGill, I am not sure how I would be employed as my French skills are minimal.

Taxes here are High. Higher than in other provinces.

But I am not planning on ever moving back to the states. Next year I am applying for permanent residency, and while I plan on keeping my US citizenship – I will happily plan to be a dual citizen.

[Beka27]

Pam (as usual) makes a great point. in the US, the economy is bad. jobs are gone. i’m not sure how this affects Canada (if it does at all?) seeing as the global economy is something i don’t fully understand…

i do think more info is needed on your part, what are you looking for, what is your profession, are you interesting in purchasing a home or renting, what kind of climate and city structure are you looking for?

i live in Cleveland Ohio. it’s the onyl place i’ve ever lived and i like it. we have the city, we have the suburbs (where i live) and everything is within 3 minutes of the house. to the east, west and south there is “farm country”, so i guess you can have the best of both worlds…

[hooty22]

Rabbitsmba… I’m going to have to disagree. My boyfriend is from Ontario, and I’m from the States, so I’ve spent a lot of time up there visiting him… Canadian Taco Bell most certainly does not rule over Taco Bells in the States. Granted, Fries Supreme is pretty tasty, but our menu is so much bigger and waaaaaay better. And the last Canadian Taco Bell I was in did not have the 79, 89 or 99 cent menus… How do you people live?

Haha, anyway, I love the States and I love Canada. I don’t think they are really all that different, except my boyf did take me into a Newfie Restuarant…. That was a little different.

I’ve told all my friends that I’m sorry they have no backup plan if the economy completely bottoms out because I’m going to Canada.

[Sage Cat]

Wow, moving across the world – not at all scarry. Why are y’all thinking of moving?

There is a web site called “Find your spot” that has a fun quiz you can take about the type of place you would like to live. It then tells you what US cities might be a good fit for you – and gives you some propagand about thoes places.

I have only lived in the US. But, I have lived all over it: Pennsilvania, Ohio, Florida, Texas, NYC, Arizona, Massachutess and Colorado – they are all so very differant.

I have no desire to ever live on the east cost again – to me, it is very crowded and they tax everything little thing.
Texas was an awesone place to grow up – but, it is so big and spread out it, takes forever to get any where.
Colorado – well, I just can’t say enough good things about Colorado – the economy, the people, the food, the climate – it’s perfect for me.

[rabbitsmba]

Posted By hooty22 on 10/08/2008 7:16 AM
Rabbitsmba… I’m going to have to disagree. My boyfriend is from Ontario, and I’m from the States, so I’ve spent a lot of time up there visiting him… Canadian Taco Bell most certainly does not rule over Taco Bells in the States. Granted, Fries Supreme is pretty tasty, but our menu is so much bigger and waaaaaay better. And the last Canadian Taco Bell I was in did not have the 79, 89 or 99 cent menus… How do you people live?

HA HA!  Yeah, we don’t have the super-cheap menus that the States have, but they’re not that bad! 

I once participated in an undercover cross-border shopping documentary – basically me and a few friends crossed over to Buffalo to go shop.  I did this one hidden-camera schtick at the food court of an outlet mall where I went to Taco Bell and ordered Fries Supreme, knowing very well they didn’t have them.  Of course they broke the news to me that it was only in Canada.  Then I tried to conspire with them…”Hey, what if I go over to Burger King and get some fries – if I brought them over to you, would you smother them with cheese and beef and sour cream for me?” and they were all like “Oh no we can’t do that!  That would be cross contamination!  Althought I think Suzie did that once or twice…”  It was so funny!

[PeppersMama]

Seattle Washington is the most amazing city in the US i have ever visited. You should look it up. Simply amazing.

Yes the economy sucks. Gas prices suck. We are changing presidents soon, so everything could be very different very soon.

[hooty22]

Also, it would most likely be easier for you to immigrate to Canada. Since you are both still attached to the crown (kind of) it seems to be easier. I know my boyfriends knows many people in Canada that have either moved to Australia or from there… As for the States… We treat everyone like Mexicans and don’t let anyone in without first an offering of your first born and soul.

and they should merge McDonalds and Taco Bell in Canada just so the Fries Supreme could feature the deliciously greasy McDonald’s fries…..

[Cassi&Charlie]

Rabbitsmba, that video was soo funny! I almost died laughing.

Thanks everyone for your replies, everyone has a favourite but a lot of people like Canada. The reason we want to move is that either way one of us (me or my bf) will have to be displaced and so we’d prefer it if we were both out of our comfort zone.

Me, I’ve lived everywhere in Australia and everywhere I havn’t lived, I’ve been. Australia is a beautfil place, and we both love it to itsy bitsy pieces but you can’t get ahead here anymore. We can’t afford housing, hell we can’t even afford to rent any more. Buying a place where we live is ten times our combined annual income and it actually gets worse when you look at bigger cities.

Also – we only live once and I want to see the world! We have to finish schooling first and I’m a big planner so we will have jobs before we leave and this global crisis cant last forever

[ScooterandAnnette]

Scooter here. I know my better half Annette has answered, but this may be worth two cents.

Some background: I’m American and grew up stateside in Los Angeles. Went to school in Boston and graduate school in Minneapolis, worked in Athens Georgia, 1.5 hours east of Atlanta. I emigrated in 1999 to Canada, in part because of Annette, and in part because I was recruited to Canada for my (then) job, which was in Toronto. Moved to Edmonton (new job) in 2002. We moved to Winnipeg in July of this year, again for job reasons.

My brother immigrated to Australia around 2000 also, and met his wife there. They now live in Sydney.

Culturally, Canada and the US are very similar. It’s a lot of small things. I often forget that I’m technically an expatriate living in a foreign land.

Also, parts of Canada and the US that are geographically close to each other are often much more similar culturally than even parts of the US. For example, Manitoba (Winnipeg is the capital city) and Saskatchewan are quite similar to the upper midwestern states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota). Likewise, British Columbia has a lot in common with Washington State and Oregon. That area is quite different than the area we’re in, which is very different than say, the Deep South, which is worlds different than southern California where I grew up and from New England where I went to school.

Second, North American popular culture from TV and movies is spread worldwide, and most of that culture is US culture. While some things really are like that, a lot of what you see in TV and movies isn’t how things really are. Do keep that in mind.

Third, North America is physically very large. The contiguous US (not including Alaska and Hawaii) is about the size of Australia, and also about the size of Europe. There’s a saying that in Europe, a hundred years isn’t a long time, and in America, a hundred miles isn’t a long ways. Americans are often ridiculed by outsiders as never having visited other countries or even owning a passport. True, but part of the reason why is that there is so much geographic and cultural diversity within the US itself that one can spend a lifetime just exploring that. When I went to school in Boston, I really felt like I was in another country. I enjoyed it, but it was very different than was I was used to. Ditto when I moved to Georgia, and it really was part of a different country at one point.

Fourth, weather varies a LOT. I’ve never been to Canberra, but the climate in Sydney is very similar to that in Los Angeles where I grew up. I love having more than one obvious season, but I also acknowledge that gets very old in the wintertime when I’m shoveling the driveway in -20 weather or colder.

Fifth: Economically, Canada and the US are interdependent. Approximately 85% of Canadian exports go stateside, so when one economy tanks, the other will eventually, and vice versa. The current economic crisis is worldwide, so there’s not too many places you can go to escape it.

And as pointed out earlier, job prospects and costs of living vary wildly.  I’ve lived in several cities in North America that are very expensive for any place in the world:  Los Angeles, Boston, Toronto.  You may make more there, but you also shell out more.  Taxes can vary wildly.  We moved from Alberta, which is the lowest tax jurisdiction in Canada, to Manitoba, where taxes are considerably higher.  This has a noticeable impact on our finances.  Taxes in general are higher in Canada than the US.  While it’s true that Canada has public health insurance that’s “free”, it’s paid for in the form of higher taxes, and it only covers the basics.  For other things you either shell out flor supplementary insurance (or your job does in the form of benefits), or you wait for services, or both.  It is high quality care, but I have also had equally high quality care when I was stateside, mostly paid for by my employer in the form of health insurance benefits, without the wait and hassle, with lower taxes.

There are weird quirks.  For example, auto insurance is a state-run monopoly in Manitoba, where we now live.  I’ve grown to hate it.  Costs more, more hassle, fewer services.  On the other hand, the cost of living in Manitoba is much less than Edmonton.  Our house would have cost double there, which would have put it out of reach.

I’m not saying that any place is inherently better or worse, but that there are a lot of factors to consider economically when choosing a place to live.

Sixth:  Safety and neighborhoods and such.  The stereotype is that American cities are not as safe than Canadian ones, schools are worse, etc.  Not necessarily.  Any large city will have places that you do not want to be.  I work in downtown WInnipeg, in a part of town that, well, needs urban renewal for lack of a better term.  (Actually, my employer is doing stuff that’s theoretically supposed to do just that as a side benefit.  One of the reasons we’re here now.)  Violent crime is rare, at least here, but car theft is quite common. 

School districts, at least in the US, really vary a LOT even within the same metropolitan area.  You can have really good schools in one district, while in the district one over, the schools could suck.  (I kind of went to one of the latter…) Depends a lot on individual cities and suburbs.  It’s a common stereotype that in order to get a good education for your kids in the US, you have to send them to private schools but that isn’t necessarily true.  This may not matter now, but if you ever decide to settle down and have kids, it’s something to keep in mind.

Seventh: Immigration issues. What do you want to do? Will you be able to find a job? Will you be able to get a visa? It was relatively easy for me to get a work visa when I moved to Canada, because I was doing a NAFTA related job. It is much harder to emigrate to Canada without a NAFTA related job, and NAFTA doesn’t apply to Australia. This does not include immigration as a refugee or sponsorship by a family.

That is for a temporary visa. Getting permanent residency is another matter. I was comparatively lucky in that I got my permanent residency status only 7 months after applying. It’s quite typical to wait years. At any rate, I spent about $2000 of my own money in fees and other expenses to get permanent resident status in Canada. Immigration offices can be a nightmare of bureaucracy. For instance, they can cite privacy legislation and not give you any information about any mistakes you make in your application. So you don’t know, and they won’t tell you. And you wait. And wait. And wait.

Immigration to the US is similar. I’ve written more than one letter for colleagues applying for their Green Cards (permanent residency) in the US, where they’re trying to convince immigration officials that they are the ONLY suitable candidate to do a job of vital strategic importance to the country, and this requires letters from international experts. Actually, I need to finish another one in the next few days.

I’m not trying to discourage you at all. What I am saying, though, is that there’s a LOT of considerations to bear in mind, and a decision like this needs to be thought through carefully.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I’m going to jump in on the economy thing…I keep hearing about the american economy failing and it’s upsetting…

Alberta, Canada is the opposite. I’ve been trying to get things changed here so places can hang a ‘not hiring’ sign instead because seeing all these ‘hiring’ signs is annoying and tacky. Literally every single place is hiring. I know of no where that has full staff or anywhere near that.

They have signing bonuses (work here for six months get 1000$ extra) living incentives (on top of salary, you get this too for your living expenses) and are importing employees, paying for their homes etc. and school!! Even fast food joints and grocery stores are doing this -ITS CRAZY!!

Honestly expect bad service no matter where you go-because ‘they’re under staffed’ its quite ridiculous.

My bf’s friend works in Norhtern Alberta a couple months a year and makes a six figure salary, in only a quarter of a year-they’re paying that much just to have someone….
Sooo if anyone is considering leaving their bad economy behind-come to Alberta-well Edmonton hehehe And I’ll show you around and you can have a job the second you indicate you’re coming…Staying for six months-here’s some extra cash! LOL

[bunnytowne]

To me on dissability florida is tough   I alone cannot afford my own place.  Anyhoo….  Florida is hot humid muggy. I have been here 20 years and am ready to move to a cooler climate.  Hubby likes it here.  So here we stay.

Louisiana is hot humid but not so bad as florida .   Thats where i am from.    They are very hickish there and I dont’ want to move back there.  However with your cute accents they will love you if you move there.  Things in Louisiana are high priced due to the hurricanes they had.  My Mom still lives there she tells me these things.

Louisiana has a rich cajun culture and great food. Their squirrels are way big too. In Florida ours are small. Lots of fishing in flordia and louisiana too. I love the bayous in louisiana cypress stumps in the swamps  moss hanging from the trees. My Dad lived on the river very rural no trash pickup dirt roads.  I loved it. My Mom liked the city better. I do to. To live in anyways but I always loved visiting Dad. Lots of woods and fun stuff to do.  NO video games then so we absolutely loved the woods the river the swamps. So much to do.

Gas is 4.79  food is going up up up.  JObs hard to find.  I know a lady who has been looking for 2 years and nothing.  The food banks are drying up. 

Right now canada sounds better economy wise.   In U.S. so many homes in foreclosure rents high everything seems to have gone up here.

It is wasn’t for my medication needs I would move to Egypt with hubby.  He has some relatives there.  It is tough in Egypt too.  A family went couldn’t make a go of it and came back to U.S. 

Yeah meds being bipolar you would not want to meet me off my meds. I wouldnt’ want to meet me. ahahahe. I would love to go. However hubby says I can’t take my buns.  I won’t leave cotton He was my 2nd after Laith and I have had him a year and 8 months. Ruby would would have to come too.  HB would get a good home with Christine. I can only take 2 buns on a plane. Inthe cabin with me too. Delta lets them in.

I won’t lose another pet cause of hubby.  He was allergic to Feda my cat really allergic. It was him or the cat. He would start wheezing like asthma attack .

Ooops I am rambling.   I say go with Canada sounds safer with the economy.  Hey we Americans ought to move to Canada too. All those jobs. The secret is out. Canada is the place to be.

[Lightchick]

I’m sure Canada is beautiful in the summer.

I’m from Los Angeles. I’ve only seen snow fall twice in my life. I consider that QUITE enough! Canada wouldn’t even be an option for me!

Scooter makes LOTS of good points. The only one I can directly comment on is that the US is HUGE–geographically, culturally, environmentally, etc, etc. What kind of place are you thinking of moving to? Maybe if you narrowed it down a little, people in specific locales could give you more specifics…

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Vancouver Island (Canada) hardly has snow!! (but it’s tres expen$ive to live there )

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