Spring has sprung!

At last it looks like we've seen the last of the snow and it's a relief. Now the switch has been flipped on spring. Suddenly the dormant garden has sprung to life: manic chipmunks scurrying after one another, squirrels squirrelling, geese everywhere and we were even out in t-shirts at the weekend! Today it's got a bit "British" (grey, rainy) but I know better weather is just around the corner...

Definite seasons, that's what they say about Canada and it's great!

Beautiful nights...

Definitely one of the 'great Canadian things' for me - gorgeous, clear and peaceful starry nights on the porch, wine in hand - even when a blanket is a necessity!

Car culturama

I've always had a vague notion of Canada as a bit of a "greener" country than some others. I've got to say though that my experience is very different. For one thing, car culture is firmly embedded here on a massive scale.

The sheer space available and the fact the place is built around the car means it works (unlike our permanently gridlocked UK city) but it definitely ain't green.

Half the vehicles on the road are "trucks" and a there's a good scattering of Hummers too. For the last few weeks I've been bombarded by the ads for the latest (and apparently greatest) truck - the Toyota Tundra. Sadly the strength, size, power they keep pushing seems to be used by most people just to drive the mile or two to work each day or make it through the challenging terrain of the highway to the drive-through.

The amazing thing is that most people genuinely don't think about it for the most part. While the UK gripes at, moans about and punishes people driving the kind of small 4x4 you mostly see, people here think nothing of snapping up a truck twice the size, it's 5.7 litre engine probably double what most UK SUVs have. I really feel the bigger problems and the place to start is this side of the atlantic.

Reasons to like Canada - Space

No, not the big black thing out there, the stuff all around us. I think everyone likes space and you can get it here; you can have a decently sized house, a decent garden and not necessarily live in your neighbours' pocket, all for an affordable price. I've spent a lot of time looking at property and you easily (just outside Ottawa at least) get twice the house/space for your money compared to the North West of the UK. Nice for us as it got so frustrating seeing prices rocket, having a growing family and the only option being a bigger house in a worse area (or hiking up the family debt). Nice to escape the "boom".

Reasons to like Canada - Attitude

I think the main thing we notice pretty much every day is the attitude of people around us. It's for the most part overwhelmingly positive and friendly.

We keep being surprised just how much easier many many things are when people are pleasant and have a can-do attitude. I really found that a challenge in the UK - it just seems to get harder and harder to get anything done and so many people you have to deal with seem stressed out and even angry. Here, for the most part (I know huge generalisations aren't realistic) people help, are polite and just try to make things as stress-free as possible.

Canada fun in the depths of winter

We arrived in the midst of winter. Compared to the British winter it's a whole new ball game; the temperatures need serious respect and remembering to carry your hat and gloves becomes an absolutely vital "cancel the day otherwise" thing. Not what we're used to!

The Canadians certainly know how to enjoy the season though. Check out the picture - these are ice slides constructed especially for the huge "Winterlude" festival that's spread all over the city every winter. Tons of absolutely free fun stuff to do including of course the "largest skating rink on earth" - the Rideau Canal through Ottawa which freezes solid every year and means you can skate for miles. Assuming of course you can skate...

What's this all about?

I recently upped sticks from the UK and moved to Canada, taking two young kids, my wife and all our worldly possessions across the globe to a new life. There's a lot to learn in the process, a few challenges and a bit of fun. I'll see if I can relate some of it.