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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be a teeny bit relieved that we left the UK!

98 replies

Cadpat · 20/10/2010 22:40

I have namechanged for this, as I know I am probably going to get flamed!

DH got a job in Canada and as a family we took a big income cut (from a dual income to single income) and moved over this year. Originally I didn't want to leave the UK, but I a beginning to feel really relieved that we left when we did, especially when I see and hear about the scale of the coalition cuts.

We have also managed to buy a really nice house which we would have never been able to afford where we lived in the UK, and even with the paycut life just feels a lot more stable here.

That said, I feel a bit like a rat leaving a ship though! AIBU?

OP posts:
proudnscary · 21/10/2010 07:31

Errrmmm, funnily enough us destitute muppets left over here in the apocalypse that is the UK (Hmm) don't actually expect you to stay and prop up the whole nation, OP, so save your hand wringing.

I am glad you are happy over there in your lovely big house - enjoy!

sarah293 · 21/10/2010 07:36

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Chil1234 · 21/10/2010 07:40

The Canadian government is currently going through its own deficit reduction process

sarah293 · 21/10/2010 07:42

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TheGhostlyPirate · 21/10/2010 07:45

YA only BU if it's warmer where you've gone. The YABU EnvyGrin

emy72 · 21/10/2010 08:04

YANBU.

I was just thinking about whether the UK still feels/is a good place to be last night.

Mind you I wouldn't want to emigrate anywhere else in Europe either.

I am from Italy and things are not very good there at the moment. And that's an understatement!

My DH fancies Canada but the cold weather puts me off!

Hmmmmm a desert island maybe???? ;o)))

Grizzlylou · 21/10/2010 08:07

YANBU
We almost emigrated a few years ago (not to Canada though), didn't work out for us, am really wishing our house had sold now.

Canada is lovely, my Mom lived in BC for a time, gorgeous place.

Olifin · 21/10/2010 08:39

Mmmm BC is beautiful. My parents lived in Vancouver for two years. If I could live anywhere else in the world, it would be Vancouver. Except it's quite expensive and it rains for most of the winter so not entirely unlike the UK in some ways.

Riven...are you sure? That is appalling :( OH's family moved to Canada and their son has a mild disability.

petelly · 21/10/2010 08:40

I lived in quite a few countries over the last 18 years and I'm happy to be back in the UK now.

And after having lived in the US, I'd say that the comment about snow shovels is quite right. The snow was great for the first few days. But after 3 months of snow on the ground, not being able to take dd's buggy out and being too freezing cold to really play outside with a toddler, I was sick of it! I actually quite like the weather in the UK Shock!!

I don't think YABU to say that you're happy you moved but I do think YABU to say it's like a rat deserting a sinking ship. I work with 2 Canadians who moved to the UK and are very happy here so it's not like it's all one way!

mummytime · 21/10/2010 08:50

Sorry OP but you are in one of the stages of expat life. Canada is great and beautiful, but it has problems just like other places.
What you read about the UK from overseas is not the whole picture. We are not all starving on our rat infested streets, its not that bad.

I've never had a lock on a gate, and our back one is broken. Occasionally we forget to lock the doors at night, but have never been burgled. In fact the only time this house has been burgled it was professionals, after the guns a previous occupant kept here as he was a game keeper.

I have lived overseas, and would willingly do so again. But lets be honest nowhere is perfect (and if it is don't move there you will only spoil it :) ).

crazycanuck · 21/10/2010 09:00

Are you sure about that Riven? I am an expat Canadian living in the Channel Islands right now (so jealous of all you living 'back home'!) and have looked extensively into the process for getting dh back to Canada and I have never seen anything like that stipulated.

crazycanuck · 21/10/2010 09:02

Oh yes, OP, get your snow shovel at the ready! And your warmest winter clothing and your glacier boots - Edmonton is amongst the coldest wintriest places in Canada! [hgrin]

headexplodes · 21/10/2010 09:11

YANBU. We always thought we would move back to UK sometime soon but tbh the longer we are away the less reason there seems to be to come "home". The recent child benefit crap has made this even clearer.

If we moved back I would have to go back to work full-time, no question, and we would only be able to afford a small house and very few extras like meals out and holidays.

There are downsides as in the city we live in at the moment is pretty shitty and we can't really find anything to buy for Christmas presents for our dcs etc, but it's all practical stuff you get used to. I think our family is closer because of the moving around (have moved every 2 yrs approx) and our dcs are getting lots of experiences.

brimfull · 21/10/2010 09:24

YABU
I lived in Canada for years and prefer the UK
Canada is dullsville.
Am going over next month to visit my family who all still live there.
Bigger houses but that's about it.

sarah293 · 21/10/2010 09:28

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sarah293 · 21/10/2010 09:30

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brimfull · 21/10/2010 09:34

healthcare in Canada isn't all that it's cracked up to be
my father has a 10 week wait for a carotid scan after a tia

Nice guidelines here are a week.

manchestermummy · 21/10/2010 09:34

YANBU!!! I have dual British/Canadian citizenship and I love Canada. DH loved it too when I took hom for the first time last year. Things were clean, felt safe, organised, people are polite, friendly. Winters are harsh, but they are prepared for this and there's no bringing the country to a standstill because of a bit of snow (my uncle was appalled by what happened at the start of this year. Appalled and then decided it was "typically British").

I have family in Calgary and yes, the zoo is fab!

crazycanuck · 21/10/2010 09:44

That is truly appalling Riven! Though reading the story through it sounds like there is more to it but you never know what the full media spin is. I have witnessed some truly disgusting behaviour from immigration officers at Canadian airports so what they said about what happened at the airport doesn't surprise me as much as it should, though I hope it has been selectively edited for maximum shock. Sad

The vast majority of Canadians are not like this! And the article does state that whatever law prevented them entering has been appealed.

Gah, makes me embarrassed to be Canadian. Blush

crazycanuck · 21/10/2010 09:45

ggirl where did you live when you were there? I've been to many places outside of Canada and Vancouver always comes out tops for me. I adore the west coast of BC.

brimfull · 21/10/2010 09:47

Dundas , Ontario

Francagoestohollywood · 21/10/2010 09:51

I'm glad you are having a good time. Canada sounds like a great place to live.

I'm Italian. I lived in the UK for quite a long time. We moved to Italy 3 yrs ago (where, trust me, the political and economic situation is 1000% more depressing than the UK). I still think that the UK (despite the wind) is a great place to live.

NigellaPleaseComeDineWithMe · 21/10/2010 09:53

Didn't Canada recently go through a big set of budget / spending alignment too as it aslo had to big a defecit - seemd that it worked Ok for them??

crazycanuck · 21/10/2010 09:56

ah that explains it ggirl [hgrin]

warthog · 21/10/2010 09:56

schadenfreude.

doesn't make the rest of us feel any better though. so thanks for that.