Canadian vs British Lifestyle ⛺ | Culture Differences Between North America and the UK
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- čas přidán 25. 06. 2021
- Today's video is all about the cultural differences between Canada and England. From pub culture to mountain hikes, graduations to the way we answer the phone, there are so many little differences I've discovered.
Thank you for being here, I really appreciate it!
Love + light,
♡ Emily
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I would love Victoria for the Junior Hockey Team, and some skiing. I believe they play at the Save On Arena.
You are the kind of channels where I put the like first and then watch the video ... Keep the good work up 👍
That's so kind to say!! Wow, thank you!! I'm so happy to hear you enjoy the videos! :)
If you are feeling that gap, where you’d normally greet someone with an "Alright?" You can replace it with ‘how’s it going', which is quite normal
When I grew up in England there was definitely no hugging, it was hand shakes all around, it was a long time ago though. As to the banter thing, yeah, I had the very same problem when I moved here, I found Canadians to be very thin-skinned and humourless 🤣 Got myself into quite a bit of trouble 🤣🤣 Greetings from a very warm Edmonton, 31C, going to 37C by Wednesday, they tell us 🥵🥵
I think it might be a generational thing--my dad's generation definitely didn't grow up with hugs/much affection. Haha, I can imagine that (and I've done the same thing!) Oh gosh--stay cool and hydrated! Some parts of the island went up to over 40 degrees celsius this weekend, it's been crazy!
Another lovely Video, good fun.
Thank you so much! :)
Loved the video! I am planning to move to Canada next year (from the UK) so this is very helpful! Would love to see a video on how much it costs to live in Canada, rent, groceries, bills etc! Sending Love from London xx
Thank you so much! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it :) Wow, that's so exciting! I actually have that on my to-do list of videos, so it will definitely be coming soon!! :)
Re "banter", with my circle of family / friends, it occurs big time. Chirping, taking the mick and use of sarcasm is huge. But the UK's use of the term "you alright" does take me aback when I visit my UK relatives.
Interesting, if you go to the older parts of Canada (such as Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia) you will see lots more older Victorian style in both residential and commercial buildings. Also they mostly use boiler heating.
Cancelling plans - including hikes for bad weather isn’t just a comfort thing. The majority of walks/hikes here are chosen for the spectacular views - they’ve recently opened that tower on the Malahat. Nobodies going to drive to it or pay to go up it if it’s rainy. Same with places like Ogden Point, if they are socked in with fog and low cloud, theirs no view
People eat earlier in Canada, so I think it’s quite normal to eat at six, and then head on to do something else, therefore having the bill promptly means you don’t have to wait around, some people will ask for the bill pretty much when their order arrives, it means you can just head out as soon as you are done
So true on all accounts!!
Thanks! :)
What is so funny with myself growing up in Victoria it has a huge British influence with the fact that a lot of people have British backgrounds heritage that you find differences With how people interact , But yes I can see it when my cousins come from Somerset , I was born in Victoria and when I went to Somerset I noticed lots of different ways people see things , It seemed more liberal , going to a beach a lot of the local females just wore there panties and bras a5 a local beach instead of swim suits , But if you went to a more popular well known beach it was not as relaxed ,
I enjoyed your latest video while eating ice cream and with three fans going (I’m also in balmy Victoria). I’ve spent a lot of time in the UK, often walking and often in Yorkshire. Sometimes when I was out walking in the Dales or Moors I’d be passed by a farmer driving his vehicle, who after looking me over, would slowly raise his index finger from the steering wheel in what I believe was the equivalent of sign language for “You all right?”. Two other cultural differences I noticed: the ritual of Sunday papers (spending hours reading a stack of newspapers), and how dogs are permitted just about everywhere. I think a pub with a dog sitting by the fire is very civilized. Well, time for a walk ... now where is my knotted handkerchief?
Love this! This weekend has been a struggle with the heat, eh? Thank goodness we live by the ocean! Yes, dogs in pubs are so common, especially as most walks in the country are usually accompanied by a dog or two :) Oh yes, the Sunday paper! I forgot about that one--I remember my family getting multiple and then swapping them with each other. They were always so thick and came with multiple magazines (plus the TV guide)!
I think the handshake is an age thing? I don’t know too many people under 40 who shake hands except in a business setting (I’m from Victoria) - it’s pretty much all hugs from the ladies and the guys doing the man hug thing or just saying ‘hey bro’. I think in Ontario they’re more formal, and since the pandemic, well, I hadn’t hugged my mom for months, so that could be another factor. I assume you came during the pandemic, so Victoria must seem pretty quiet without all the tourists and office workers downtown!
I totally get the save heat and hot water in the UK/Ireland. When I first visited in-laws in Dublin I think I nearly got kicked out the family when I said I’d have a quick shower, and for me it was, but ten minutes emptied the tank.. And my mother-in-law’s whole day seemed to be a state of anxiety over the weather, not wanting to go too far or to the shops for too long in case it was raining and she had to rush home and take the laundry off the line because she never used their clothes dryer. Last point (sorry, it was an interesting video!), several decade back the British were thought of as very formal, serious, not relaxed, a very structured class based society, but I think that perception and reality has really changed, and significantly if the British now think we’re the formal serious ones, lol! Thanks for sharing, and please never wish for Ontario heat again! ;)
Hhmm, perhaps! I just noticed that whenever I met people in Ontario for the first time it was always a handshake, so perhaps it's because they're more formal or from a certain generation! Yes, Victoria has been very quiet! It's starting to pick up a little now, though. I imagine it will be much busier by mid summer :) Hahaha--that's so funny about the "quick shower" and the washing on the line! (Both I'm very familiar with!) And I promise to never wish for Ontario heat ever again!!
Thank you share video.i very like your video
You're so welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
I'm English and barely ever give anyone but my friends hugs, but maybe that's just me. Although I wouldn't say it's COMMON to give people you hardly know a hug anywhre? Maybe you're just a huggy person. That being said, you're right that nobody does handshakes here any more. I would associate that only with 2 guys in suits in a business meeting. Couldn't believe when I went on an exchange to the Netherlands as a 14 year old with my friend and a Dutch guy of our age wanted to shake our hands 😂 I found that so old fashioned and quaint! But I loved it tbh!
I rarely if ever give handshakes unless it’s a business setting. Even then. Hugs - no I’m not a hugger of friends unless it’s someone A) I know really well & B) they are a hugger too. Because lots of ppl aren’t. Canadian, 45, North Van.
As for heating Canada has electric baseboard, boiler systems & forced air heating/cooling. The difference is we have higher standards for insulation of homes and higher standards for efficiency of heating/cooling systems.
Thanks so much for your comment! Very interesting info :) Yes, the insulation of buildings here is so much better than the UK!
Here’s why BC Hydro is cheap -we own it. - and if you have your residency papers, then you own it too.
It was built over the years, initially on tax payers money. But rather than the government running it, it is run as a private company.
It makes money from selling electricity here - at prices that must be agreed by the government. They also sell electricity as far south as Texas to American companies, no restrictions there, Americans pay the market price. I’m not sure if global warming will effect this, but previously it was a perfect arrangement, as when summer hit, the power saved on heating and lighting in Canada could be sold south, where they need it for air conditioning.
From there profits, they must invest in maintaining and upgrading their system. Then another slice of their profits goes into investments. I think they own shopping malls and things as well as stocks and shares in others businesses. - if electricity prices take a hit in the US, they have other revenue streams to prop them up.
The final slice of the profits must be given back to the province - we are the shareholders. And that money goes back into other provincial projects or schemes.
The way it is structured, there is no benefit to Hydro to charge customers unreasonably.when Covid very first hit and was announced, all BC Hydro customers got an email from them, nobody knew how long Covid would last, their initial offer was if you contacted them because you had lost income, they would waive your bills for the next three months. Not defer them, simply waive them.
You ent be old enough to remember, but before Margaret Thatcher, the UK enjoyed state owned corporations too. Electricity/gas was affordable, trains were very cheap to ride on. Water companies treated their sewage etc.
Eyup, yorite? 🤣📞
Enjoyed this 👍🏻 interesting to hear! We are hoping to visit Canada (if and when restrictions lift)
Oh gosh, I miss hearing "ey 'up"!! Thank you :) Hopefully you can visit, it's an amazing country to see!
Just my opinion.
You will do well and it will take time.
Viewing property in your own way, naturally viewing it without pretentious or put on actions and at high end houses will get big views.
Your a attractive woman with a lovely smile...use it.
Your greater than you realise, believe in what you want and yourself....goes for everyone.
All the best
Definitely depends on where you live in Canada. Where I live in Canada has a lot of radiators in old houses, same with out East
Definitely not here in Victoria. Never saw them.when I lived in Ottawa either.
Bang on about bringing the bill at a restaurant. I worked in the UK one year and made that gaffe. I had to apologize profusely. Sports is another big difference. In the UK it's soccer, rugby, cricket, and netball. In Canada, it's hockey, gridiron, baseball, and basketball. Surprisingly, all 4 of them trace their origins to Canada. The big shock for me was finding out that 'American' football comes from Canada and that the 1st baseball game was one played in Canada. I knew basketball and hockey were Canadian.
Oh no!! It's funny how one thing can be totally normal in one country and rude in another! Oh yes, that's a great point (and very interesting), the sports are very different! When I first went to a sports game here I couldn't believe that the opposing fans were allowed to sit with each other--back in the UK you would never see that!
@@EmmeSait Yes, in England soccer borders on tribal warfare some times. Here, it's just entertainment. Sitting next to fans of the other team is normal. I even say 'hello' to them.
In Canada, the hugging etiquette is that two women may hug when meeting, but if it's a man and a woman, the onus is on the female to initiate a hug. For a man to do it, unless he already knows the woman very well, it's interpreted a sexually suggestive move. As for the energy conservation aspect, I suspect the reason why Canadians are more wasteful in their usage is because the supply of natural resources (hydro, heat, etc...) has always been so plentiful, but in the UK, resources are quite scarce. If I answered your phone call and you initiated the conversation with "Hey, you alright?", my response would likely be, "why? What did you hear?"
A lot of fun observations!
I hope you are staying cool!
Down here in Bremerton (Seattle) and environs, we are looking at setting historic heat records in the next few days.
You make a number of interesting points...
The Meal Check/Bill - absolutely spot on.
North Americans get frustrated everywhere else in the world, because they have to "Chase the waiter down" to get the check!
In the US, it's usually attributed to our habit of rushing through a meal - so we can then go somewhere else.
The idea of sitting at a dining table for hours is just not very common.
Some of the bill splitting things have been evolving in the last 30 years or so.
Some is due to attitudes on dating... or any type of socializing.
But the thing about alcohol -
at least here in the US, there has been a progressive tightening of enforcement as regards drinking laws.
So, in many places the bartender cannot serve you more than 2 drinks at a time., and he has to verify the IDs of everyone drinking.
This is part of the difference with "table servers" being more common (I've been told) in the US and Canada vs the UK.
Thanks! It's been very hot here--some parts of the island hot above 40 degrees Celcius today which is unheard of! That's a great point about rushing through a meal--back in the UK (and much of Europe) having a meal is much more of an event, and usually the focus of an evening, so perhaps that's why waiters bring bills at different times across the different continents :) Yes, I think alcohol laws are much stricter here (and fewer people drink), there is a bigger "binge drinking" culture in the UK.
@@EmmeSait Attitudes have definitely changed in the US and Canada in the last 50 years.
I think that you would find it interesting to watch some of the Variety TV shows from the late 60's early 70's. There was a lot of humor around drinking - and drinking too much. Stuff that just isn't looked at they same way anymore.
I do know that if you are a US citizen with a DUI conviction, that Canada will stop you at the border. Some parts of the US still drink pretty heavily, but it's not near as common as it once was.
Setting records for highest temperatures ever around here. So stay as cool as you can. I expect Victoria is still getting a breeze off of the strait.
@@theblackbear211 I’ll definitely have to check those out! Thanks :) Unfortunately we don’t even have the luxury of an ocean breeze today, it was hot even out on the water (15 degrees C above the seasonal average)!
@@EmmeSait My sympathies.
You two seem to be into boats - are either of you familiar with the Port Townsend Wooden Boat festival? If All goes well with Covid, it will be on in September.
If you haven't noticed, there are a lot of active wooden boats on both sides of the border. Many folks come down - Port Townsend is quite the place -especially for wooden boat fans.
@@theblackbear211 I’m not, but will definitely have to check that out! I’m no boat expert, but I do enjoy being out on the water :) Thanks for the info!
I'm romantic Victoria, BC. I'm 52. Handshakes are normally just in business settings? We do hug when we greet friends (unless they are not comfortable with physical contact - as some people aren't).
Thank you so much for your channel, it is super helpful!!! How do you find the quality of food in Canada, are the ingredients as regulated/quality as the UK? Just a bit concerned because I went to Toronto for a week and blew up and as soon as I got back to London, I went back to normal size lol!
I’m so glad to hear it! Canada is definitely better than the US food quality wise, but I think generic grocery stores/chain restaurants can be worse than in Europe. It depends what you want and where you go-I’m extremely picky about what I put in my body but can always find what I need here.
fwiw British humor (humour) I've noticed is very very deadpan. Much more so than Canada and the U.S. which can be very in your face.
Brits also seem to love to keep a stiff upper lip and maintain control and stoicism in difficult situations.
I lived in Japan for 2 years and I still answer the phone moshii moshii
This is just so you can understand some of your viewers....
I'm looking to move to canada so I'm looking on youtube to find...
Waterfront Houses/mansions.
Best area for living, Entertainment, nightlife, food, how good are the travel links.
What areas are there for recreation.
Universities and schools.
All the things you would want to know to find the best area to suit your life style.
However I want to see them as well as someone telling me about them.
I truly wish you well in your endevours and hope you find this useful.
Good luck and god bless.
Interesting about the Hugs - my mother's side of the family, Ukrainians from Saskatchewan, were all big huggers.
These days, however, at least here in the US, particularly if you are a man, hugging a woman that you do not personally know...
unless they initiate it... is no longer considered appropriate.
Once you know each other, and are clear on boundaries - hugs are very common.
I have to say that if you are a hugger, and ran into handshakes, that these people might just generally be shy.
Also - I am assuming we are talking on a social level.
Generally speaking, hugs in the workplace, are not (in my experience) common.
You may also find the occasional person who, for whatever reasons, will use the formal bow.
Admittedly this is rare, but I know one or two folks that this applies to.
These are great points! It's not common to hug in the workplace in the UK, but hugging in social situations is definitely the norm!
@@EmmeSait Still here too, but with a little more reticence with strangers than there once was.
How’s it goin’ flows a lil smoother
I don’t drink much (maybe might have one) so I think that would bother me to buy five rounds for five people. Hope that doesn’t make me rude but wow that would be an expensive night out for one drink. Lol
For me, even greeting someone with a handshake is way too personal.
😬
In Toronto unless you are close friends, you don't banter at all. People are extremely thin skinned, and take offense at everything. You risk your job., even if you aren't in the workplace.
Buying rounds is ridiculous if you only drink one or two
That's true, but that's the culture! Usually I've found rounds are bought in smaller groups :)
People must drink more in the UK. If I drank more than 2 pints I wouldn't be able to drive for at least 5 hours or more. Can't imagine buying 3 or 4 rounds. I'd be lost.
Hey Emma you alright ! Lol
do u like Canada or Uk more
I like them both for different reasons, but I prefer living on the west coast of Canada for now :)
No banter in Canada? Say what? Maybe it's mostly a guy thing here (?). "Yankin' yer chain" is probably 75% of the conversations I have with my buddies.
I think there's a kind of "banter" here, it's perhaps just not the same as the UK. (A lot more sarcasm and poking fun!) :)
I hope you and your boyfriend are doing well under the heat dome.
I think we’re through the worst of it-fingers crossed! Thanks for your comment :)