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Whew, thank goodness people in Ottawa are "talkative and funny". Cold Canadian, you had me scared there for a few minutes as I am thinking of moving there in the future from Montreal.
On the other hand, I have tasted life in places much friendlier than here, places where most people will make small talk with you simply because you are there. I love those areas so much, but all those areas I've been to like that have been in different countries.
The only way I can cope or adjust to this "reserved" attitude is by delibrately ignoring people. I used to resent the Toronto area culture, lately it doesn't upset me but instead, I don't often feel much at all, towards most people here.
In a way it's funny when buddies say to me "... Okay, tell me which girl you like..." when most of the time, most people here to me seem like robots, not real people, just some have a nicer physical appearance.
Montreal is a nice place to visit for me in the future. But I am so done with it! I hate crowds, festivals, noise, downtown and suburbs.
What's annoying about the festivals? I've seen Just For Laughs on TV and it looks fun... Maybe because I've always lived in quiet suburbs I haven't had any negative experiences...
Nothing wrong with the festivals. I just don't care about them. People are always touting the festivals and how great they are. I went to the Jazz festival and stood for hours on hot asphalt and people kept asking me if I had a cigarette. I was bored and didn't care for the too loud music that was playing that night. Then it's hard to get away from crowds whether by car or subway. I decided I just don't care for crowds. Maybe I am a bit claustophobic or should move to the country or a small town. If I am going to some venue I would prefer someplace where I would have a seat and an organized exit.
Cazelais, you perfectly summed up my problems with Montreal as well. Why is everyone blasting their music like that? Coupled with the paper thin walls in the apartments, you can hear everyone and smell their cigarettes to boot.
ColdCanadian, I had the same experience in the Southeast of the US, I'd politely call out the window from the car for directions, expecting a quick response and wanting to disturb them as little as possible and leave fast, and people there would stop what they're doing and walk right up to the car window and excuse themselves for not being able to hear me, and gently converse about where I was going and how to get there, and maybe a few other things as well. Neither loud like Montreal nor reserved like Ontario, and really, really pleasant.
BUT -- in the Southeast, they say nasty things about "illegals," yelled at my four year old to "Speak English!!," got angry at me for collecting bottles after a party for recycling, and throw garbage out the windows along the highway. And wow, nobody opens the windows in the springtime, it goes straight from overheating to over airconditioning.
It is hard to figure out a good place to live. Right now, I am putting climate first, because I have had some close calls with asthma. (And there seems to be a smog alert every day this summer in the Windsor/Quebec corridor, so even when it's warm it's bad for me.)
Cold Canadian, did you find nice places in the Southeast? Any suggestions would be appreciated.
The only thing I don't like about the southern U.S. is the widespread abuse of air-conditioning.
I dare say you haven't experienced a thing called "humidity". One good July or August in the "Dirty South"...you'll have that AC cranked up to full blast.
A good friend of mine visited me here in Nashville from Toronto. First time to the South. Had no clue to the type of heat down here. She loved it here though (to my amazement coming from the big city of Toronto), and really wants to move here but her husband doesn't want to leave his friends and family. Understandable.
I dare say you haven't experienced a thing called "humidity". One good July or August in the "Dirty South"...you'll have that AC cranked up to full blast.
A good friend of mine visited me here in Nashville from Toronto. First time to the South. Had no clue to the type of heat down here. She loved it here though (to my amazement coming from the big city of Toronto), and really wants to move here but her husband doesn't want to leave his friends and family. Understandable.
No, I know humidity. But people were using AC in the springtime, and I was COLD. So many people said that they never open their windows. I thought it was wasteful to turn the AC on to bring the temp from 72F to 70. And it is so noisy, too.
Honestly...it's just the way some people are. I personally prefer not to use my AC until it's REALLY hot. And it does get hot here. A lot of business keep the air on continually. And I think a lot of people's bodies have just adjusted to that.
But yeah...from 72 to 70, that is extreme.
Last edited by Cornerguy1; 06-16-2007 at 10:59 PM..
Reason: racial sterotype
It get's really hot with nearly 100% humidity here in Montreal. Not too refreshing to say the least. When I am Hemet, Callifornia I notice it gets humid now as well. They built a huge lake and all the trees are getting bigger and bigger and it all has created humidity in the desert. I think most of all the U.S. and Canada has lousy weather. I give up on weather!!! I look at other criteria for a great place to live now. In Hemet, in summertime it is sunny single day for months on end and I don't like it. I like rain now and again.
I thought that I would think air quality was my only priority, and then it would be simple to find a good place to live. But the only places with decent air quality are....uninhabited I am so shocked by how bad the air quality is in Montreal, and this satellite photo shows it:
Venice, Florida is a nice little town to live in. Not much to do there but if you're looking for peace and quiet, that is one of the places to go. Lots of "snow birds" resides in Venice Florida. I on the other hand, have lived in New York for many years and am now living in Orlando, Fl. I miss the change of weather, I miss the snow for christmas, the holidays just doesn't feel the same. Crime in Central florida is on a rapid rise, people are NOT as friendly as they used to be, and lack of tolerance for "immigrants" has grown significantly. Americans can be very arrogant and feel that they are the best in the world. Keep in mind, if you want quality of life and peace of mind, do your research before moving. Also, the econonmy has taken a hard hit and over 80% of WORKING Americans are living way above their paychecks, healthcare is quite expensive as well as the copayments and coinsurances you have to pay when you see the doctor, get prescriptions, get admitted..etc. Life is not all a bed of roses and there is a BIG difference between living here and visiting here. I am not trying to discourage anyone, but keep in mind, watch the economy, do your research on the economy, quality of life and cost of living. In the long run, it's not about living in the United States or Canada, it's all about which will provide the better quality of life for you now and in the future. Also, please keep in mind, once you are older and qualify for Medicare, the deductibles and out of pocket expenses for Medicare will become too pricey. Quite a few Americans right now are having a hard time with medical care EVEN with their insurances. I say look at what you will have available to you in the future, not today.
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I like the South and I like Canada, too
I am so shocked by how bad the air quality is in Montreal, and this satellite photo shows it:
