Biggest pitfalls for Irish people in Canada

astonaidan · 13-01-2016 10:00pm

alexsmith wrote: »

Don't get me wrong I like the Canadians but I just don't get them and they don't get us. It's just a reality. We are completely different from them and that's fine. Theres a reason why Irish people stick to each other abroad, because they can relate. The craic is an integral part of Irish people's personality and how canadians have fun is different or ****e as some Irish would say. The way Irish people talk to each other is different than if an Irish person was talking to a canadian. I can be myself a bit more when im around people from Ireland.The personalities are different and their attitudes are too and there's nothing wrong with that at all in my opinion.

One thing I have noticed in my two years in Alberta is this. A huge number of people here, I admit, are quite stupid. Lack of "cop on". Maybe I've just been on too many job sites. I hear its different outside Alberta. Rant over

Honestly if their is one word I hate from Ireland its craic, for me its just a cop out. Like off course you can be the same to Irish people and Canadians, I can understand if you say they dont get certain words you use, but some of the most fun/banter people Ive ever met were Canadians.

montreal2011 · 14-01-2016 5:58am

blackbird 49 wrote: »

Good news my son got a job in Web development, it only a 6month contract, but it's gaining experience and you never know what could come out of it

6 months is fairly normal for contract roles; I know my place offers six month contracts as standard. Contracting is very popular / common in the IT industry.

Permanent positions are over-rated and are anything but permanent. People go on about the job security of a permanent position versus short contracts but it's not so clear-cut.

Similarly the benefits that can come with a permanent position such as paid holidays, sick pay, pension, health insurance, share options etc. are often not worth as much as you might think when compared to the higher rate paid to contractors.

Everyone I know who went from 'permanent' to contracting say they would never go back. Also, in Quebec at least, it's pretty much standard that IT contractors create an incorporated company which enters into the contracts and they become their own employee and manager! There are many benefits to working this way such as splitting your salary between wages and dividends to reduce the amount of income tax you pay.

A tip for your son would be to create as many contacts as possible and with good work under his belt the contracts will come to him rather him having to go look for them. When going through agencies he should be wary of them taking a large slice of what the company is paying.

Long Gone · 23-01-2016 12:28pm

astonaidan wrote: »

Honestly if their is one word I hate from Ireland its craic, for me its just a cop out. Like off course you can be the same to Irish people and Canadians, I can understand if you say they dont get certain words you use, but some of the most fun/banter people Ive ever met were Canadians.

I fully agree with you - I hate that word as well. It's generally used only by idiots. It's taken by non-Irish people to have sexual connotations and as being disgusting, and invariably "having the craic" is a euphemism for people behaving like complete f***wits........

Long Gone · 23-01-2016 12:33pm

astonaidan wrote: »

Honestly I think the Irish think the Canadians arent fun cause we have a massive drinking culture that doesnt exist to them,

Drinking culture doesn't exist to them

- You obviously haven't been out drinking with some of the Canadians that l've drank with .......:D

astonaidan · 24-01-2016 2:52am

Long Gone wrote: »

Drinking culture doesn't exist to them - You obviously haven't been out drinking with some of the Canadians that l've drank with .......:D

Oh they have a drinking culture alright, but its different to us. Like even to someone like me, they seem light weights.
In Ireland Im considered a non drinker, in Canada I was considered the norm.

el diablo · 24-01-2016 4:20am

I must agree with you lads. That word "craic" makes me cringe.

Cupcake_Crisis · 10-02-2016 8:05pm

I have to say I've found settling in relatively easy. I came to Toronto on my own, but have a couple of friends who have been here over a year, so I could kinda slot myself into their circle of friends while I was building my own. Canadians can struggle with our sense of humour for a bit, but they're not a different species, they soon get used to us.

Work wise , being irish opened a lot of doors. I got my first job(in retail) purely because my boss loved my accent . I'm now settled in a salon (I'm a qualified beautician) and the Irish charm was a dab hand in getting that too.

It is a culture shock at first when you see people just not wanting to go out on the lash every weekend, but I've actually learned to enjoy that side of it. And I'm not spending nearly as much going out! I have found that it's harder to get yourself into social groups over here than back home.

Money wise I also find it better. It's more expensive in a lot of ways and you'd miss the likes of Penneys and lidl. But I've found rent a lot cheaper. I was working full time in Dublin and couldn't afford to live away from the mammy. Now I'm renting a 3 bedroom house with 2 other girls in a pretty nice area.

When you weigh it all up it was definitely the right move for me. I have bouts of homesickness but they don't be long about going.

Kanney · 14-02-2016 9:39pm

Cupcake_Crisis wrote: »

I have to say I've found settling in relatively easy. I came to Toronto on my own, but have a couple of friends who have been here over a year, so I could kinda slot myself into their circle of friends while I was building my own. Canadians can struggle with our sense of humour for a bit, but they're not a different species, they soon get used to us.

Work wise , being irish opened a lot of doors. I got my first job(in retail) purely because my boss loved my accent . I'm now settled in a salon (I'm a qualified beautician) and the Irish charm was a dab hand in getting that too.

It is a culture shock at first when you see people just not wanting to go out on the lash every weekend, but I've actually learned to enjoy that side of it. And I'm not spending nearly as much going out! I have found that it's harder to get yourself into social groups over here than back home.

Money wise I also find it better. It's more expensive in a lot of ways and you'd miss the likes of Penneys and lidl. But I've found rent a lot cheaper. I was working full time in Dublin and couldn't afford to live away from the mammy. Now I'm renting a 3 bedroom house with 2 other girls in a pretty nice area.

When you weigh it all up it was definitely the right move for me. I have bouts of homesickness but they don't be long about going.

Sounds pretty good. I'm currently debating trying Toronto, I've a few friends there , from the States who work in a bar so I could get a part time job. I probably wouldn't go until September at the earliest. Could I ask you , maybe in PM if ya don't want to post here, how much you reckoned you spent going over?
Or could I ask you a few other questions? Much thanks!

DsJewel · 15-02-2016 9:24pm

Kanney wrote: »

Sounds pretty good. I'm currently debating trying Toronto, I've a few friends there , from the States who work in a bar so I could get a part time job. I probably wouldn't go until September at the earliest. Could I ask you , maybe in PM if ya don't want to post here, how much you reckoned you spent going over?
Or could I ask you a few other questions? Much thanks!

I'll be heading over on my own too, in October, so any help/info anyone is willing to share would be great for me too.
Just trying to prepare as much as I can but I suppose you never really know what way things will go til you just jump in and go.

Cupcake_Crisis · 17-02-2016 2:10pm

Kanney wrote: »

Sounds pretty good. I'm currently debating trying Toronto, I've a few friends there , from the States who work in a bar so I could get a part time job. I probably wouldn't go until September at the earliest. Could I ask you , maybe in PM if ya don't want to post here, how much you reckoned you spent going over?
Or could I ask you a few other questions? Much thanks!

Feel free!!

Durag · 18-02-2016 12:09am

People here in Calgary drink almost as much at home. I work with a bunch of guys who are older, late 30's early 40's some marries and they go out on the piss at least once a week. Drinking during work hours isnt a big deal as we have a few bottles of beer some afternoons here, and I know a lot of the oil and gas companies have fridges just dedicated to alcohol.

Wanderer78 · 18-02-2016 6:19am

Durag wrote:

People here in Calgary drink almost as much at home. I work with a bunch of guys who are older, late 30's early 40's some marries and they go out on the piss at least once a week. Drinking during work hours isnt a big deal as we have a few bottles of beer some afternoons here, and I know a lot of the oil and gas companies have fridges just dedicated to alcohol.

Any interest in checking out the outdoors or other cultural activities? Plenty of time to be drinking when you get home

Durag · 18-02-2016 7:25pm

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Any interest in checking out the outdoors or other cultural activities? Plenty of time to be drinking when you get home

What?

Yes I have been to all the gorgeous outdoor places here. What someone decides to do with their own time is their business, no need for condescending remarks.

Cupcake_Crisis · 19-02-2016 4:49am

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Any interest in checking out the outdoors or other cultural activities? Plenty of time to be drinking when you get home

Would you be running off to Dublin castle of a Tuesday after a long days work? We're not here as tourists tbf

RichFTW · 19-02-2016 5:37am

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Any interest in checking out the outdoors or other cultural activities? Plenty of time to be drinking when you get home

Is that you Dave?!

SomethingElse · 19-02-2016 9:57am

Wanderer78 wrote: »

Any interest in checking out the outdoors or other cultural activities? Plenty of time to be drinking when you get home

Mom?!

stevie1122 · 29-02-2016 8:36pm

astonaidan wrote: »

After a few months at home, its really driven home why Irish people fail in Canada, we really fail to adapt to something different, like how much people over their do you know that is only friends with other irish people, a group of 30 people I know would be like this, I stopped hanging around with them as they only wanted to do the same thing every weekend, get drunk saturday then talk all about how much they drunk on sunday morning.
It really was like living in a parish away from the parish and once I left them I started having a lot more fun and found Toronto quiet a easy enjoyable experience

In fairness while the Canadians are "nice" and polite they are some of the drollest people I have ever met back home when your in the pub everyone has a laugh sneering each other but over here they seem to take everything far too seriously and they are way too PC for my liking as well to the point where you have to watch almost every word that comes out of your mouth because no matter what you say you will be offending someone. But in saying that I have met some Canadians that are a good laugh but the majority I have met are like I described above.

astonaidan · 06-03-2016 4:23pm

stevie1122 wrote: »

In fairness while the Canadians are "nice" and polite they are some of the drollest people I have ever met back home when your in the pub everyone has a laugh sneering each other but over here they seem to take everything far too seriously and they are way too PC for my liking as well to the point where you have to watch almost every word that comes out of your mouth because no matter what you say you will be offending someone. But in saying that I have met some Canadians that are a good laugh but the majority I have met are like I described above.

I didnt find that at all, I find they really enjoyed the way I spoke with no restrictions in comparison to my co workers. I did none of the friendly sir/mam nonsense and these people liked me cause I acted just like I do at home.
Honestly they are more relaxed once you get to know them, I rathered drinking with the Canadians than with the Irish where ever move you made got judged

Cupcake_Crisis · 07-03-2016 9:01am

astonaidan wrote: »

I didnt find that at all, I find they really enjoyed the way I spoke with no restrictions in comparison to my co workers. I did none of the friendly sir/mam nonsense and these people liked me cause I acted just like I do at home.
Honestly they are more relaxed once you get to know them, I rathered drinking with the Canadians than with the Irish where ever move you made got judged

I have to agree. I've had 2 jobs since I got here, one in retail for christmas and the salon I'm in atm and both have pretty much told me my accent and "irish" sense of humour got me the job. I have clients that book in with me just because they want to listen to my accent for a few minutes. It's a definite edge!

Crann na Beatha · 09-03-2016 6:11am

This post has been deleted.

Cupcake_Crisis · 09-03-2016 9:55pm

Toronto !

Durag · 10-03-2016 6:37pm

Cupcake_Crisis wrote: »

I have to agree. I've had 2 jobs since I got here, one in retail for christmas and the salon I'm in atm and both have pretty much told me my accent and "irish" sense of humour got me the job. I have clients that book in with me just because they want to listen to my accent for a few minutes. It's a definite edge!

I know I got the job coz they liked me over my actual skills. A guy started a week after me who was way more qualified and knew his **** way more than me but he didnt get on with everyone else so he was let go after 2 weeks and im still here

alexsmith · 11-03-2016 5:37am

Im in toronto folks.PM me

Biggest pitfalls for Irish people in Canada

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