dear crenshew,
no , i am not on this site to validate my decision to leave canada.i am just sharing my experiences. you will see lot of my posts sounding positive. Chandresh even felt that i am feeling canada is bed of roses.

crenshew,
i am a not canada baiter.

originally posted by chandresh:

I think he wants to convey that Canada is a bed of roses, but I might be wrong, so he will have to direct me)

gloabal moderator is having this view about me.

though i have left canada , i have no ill feeling about canada.

ptm

Try moving with a job. That's the best thing to do.

Without a job, you might have to start working as a security guard, store clerk, etc. If you are lucky & extremely well-qualified, you can definitely get a job in your field. The percentage of people who get jobs immediately in their field & at their level is very less.

You would also have to get engineering qualifications in Canada. There is no guarantee that prospects would be better after 2-3 years. Obviously with time, you will start earning more & if both husband & wife work then you will save money. Health care is not free, you do have to pay premium every month depending on the province & income. Taxes are high & goes up depeding on the income, which would be the case in any country.

Quality of education would be better in Gulf for your kids. Education is not completely free. There are lunch room fees, etc. which are around 25 dollars per month. This ofcourse would differ from place to place & school to school. Day-care costs are around $600 per month if you need to keep your younger one in day-care.

Alberta is not all pork & meat. You get food of all kinds. There are Indian stores also & even stores like Walmart, Superstore, etc. carry Indian grocery, vegetables. So no need to worry on the food front. You might not have as many stores as what Toronto or Vancouver has. You have temples, gurudwaras, church, masjids, etc.

Weather is cold but people manage. Just as people manage with the heat in the Gulf.

Higher education is definitely better.

Regarding healthcare benefits, there is a major debate going on in Canada right now regarding the state of healthcare. For a knee replacement surgery, there are wait-lists of 18 months. For a minor tonsilitis operation on my friend's daughter, they had to wait for about 2-3 months. Articles in the press state that people who can afford it, go abroad & get their knee-replacement or other surgeries done rather than suffer the pain. Things might change in future but you might have to get private insurance for that.

Positives are :-
1. Less hassles with government matters.
2. Less pollution
3. If you have a good job or business, then definitely Canada is a good place.
4. Canada is blessed with natural beauty.
5. Massage parlours, etc. (just joking, never been to one myself - can't afford it)

Hope for the best & prepare for the worst. It is tough settling down.

Thanks & regards.

Rajan.

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Let's make India a better place !

hi Rajan,
belive me i was just thinking about you and i just saw your post.
Actually one Mr. Atee is confused as he is doing good in Pakistan and got canadian immigration . He is confused and seems very tense like i was during last month . i was just thinking to advice him to go through your posts to make him more familiar with reality of canadian dream.


ptm

Thanks, PTM.

Would like to add to the positives :-

1. Good roads.

2. Overall cleanliness (lack of dust makes things easier, in India due to the mud & dusty winds it becomes more difficult. Ofcourse lack of law enforcement).

3. In the workplace, even a manager would scrub the floor or lift things if required. So you do not feel like you are the only one doing it. No peons here for you.

4. Once you start making money or if both husband & wife work, it does make things more affordable. However, if you are working different times & weekends too, you might not get the time to enjoy them.

Thanks.

Rajan.

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Let's make India a better place !

Hi rajand

Very nice posting.....

I think """""ptm""""" should post his advices inthis way rather than very negitive way.


cheers
cmanyam
Abu dhabi

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Hi to all...

Rajan,

Thanks for a very comprehensive reply to my post.

Yes, I had heard that my Indian BE Degree would have to have some local accreditation - is this very tough to get in Canada or do I have to study all over again?

Thanks for the advise on food. Being a meat eater, that is not a major hassle for me, but its good to know you have Indian stuff around too. In that sense, the weather too is not a major negative.

I guess the part I would have difficulty adjusting to would be on the job front if I have to start off as a store cleark, etc at the age of say 40, without knowing how long it would be till I get a job in my line of work. So trying to line up a job beforehand is the main criteria for me, although I know that that would be tough, but not impossible.

Thanks again

Gulfboy.