Home sweet Home

[Margaret Pilkington]

I don't think anyone ever looks at their home town the way a tourist looks at it.......it must be a case of familiarity breeding contempt.

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I don't think anyone ever looks at their home town the way a tourist looks at it.......it must be a case of familiarity breeding contempt.

Not really contempt ... indifference, maybe. I've been in Kingston for 27 years, and I have yet to visit Fort Henry, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In winter, I have been up on the glacis with bags of apples to feed the deer, but I've never been inside; never seen the Sunset Ceremony. Maybe sitting on a snowbank at -25, surrounded by friendly wild deer, is better than wandering around the old pile with a tour guide

[Margaret Pilkington]

When I retired I spent 6 months touring Oz...doing the real touristy things.
My brother had lived in Sydney for 20 odd years and never been inside the QVB......never been to Luna Park(which was not all it was cracked up to be)....never seen Mrs MacQuarries Chair.....never been through the Chinese gardens. He said I put him to shame.

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Restless

Never been abroad myself

To me its not just about going abroad Restless, I worked all of the Country England Scotland and Wales, but always looked forward to coming home, loved it while I was away, once worked in Carlisle for 3 months without a home visit, but it sure felt good when I saw junction 31 on the M6 I knew I was about 14 miles from home

[yerself]

Originally Posted by Eric

And if I leave Kingston, well, Canada's a fairly big country.

I've always fancied a trip to Canada but after reading this article on the Beeb website the other day, there's no way I could afford.

BBC News - Who, What, Why: Why does a cabbage cost $28 in Canada?

Would you pay C$28 (US$27; £18) for a cabbage? $65 for a bag of chicken? $100 for 12 litres of water? That's not the cost of a meal at a world-class restaurant, but the price of basic foodstuffs at supermarkets in the territory of Nunavut, in northern Canada.

[MargaretR]

In 1980 I was on a 3 week holiday by car, going to Italy and back, making several overnight stops en route. In the 3rd week I ended up in a french hospital with C-difficile and had to be medically evacuated back by plane.

After that I only ever ventured abroad for a week, and always flew - fear of being ill away from home has never left me.

[susie123]

Originally Posted by yerself

I've always fancied a trip to Canada but after reading this article on the Beeb website the other day, there's no way I could afford.

BBC News - Who, What, Why: Why does a cabbage cost $28 in Canada?

Would you pay C$28 (US$27; £18) for a cabbage? $65 for a bag of chicken? $100 for 12 litres of water? That's not the cost of a meal at a world-class restaurant, but the price of basic foodstuffs at supermarkets in the territory of Nunavut, in northern Canada.

But then it's unlikely that you would be travelling to Nunavut if you went to Canada.

If you live in a remote community you end up paying more for certain things - it was the same when we were in Greenland a few years ago. It's OK if yu stick to basic traditional foods but if you want something like a red pepper...

And I remember travelling in the Scottish islands in the early seventies and finding that bread and milk etc were far more expensive. It's still the case with some things today - fuel for instance costs more in remote parts of Scotland than elsewhere.

[DaveinGermany]

Originally Posted by yerself

the price of basic foodstuffs at supermarkets in the territory of Nunavut, in northern Canada.

Exactly, a rather remote outpost so hence the prices. Who wrote this article ? C'mon Stanley ? Sounds like one of his.

No doubt our resident "Trapper" Eric from the frozen North, will be along presently to quell your fears & reassure you of Canada's hospitality & affordability.

[DaveinGermany]

I left home (liverpool) at 18 to join the Army, pretty much since then I've lived "elsewhere" but the majority of my life has been over here in Germany. It's good to "come home" & see family & friends even some of you lot.

The term home is very emotive & I'd say a matter of perspective. As it is, this is my home here but my homeland is England & as stated when I come back to England that's also me coming home, but my home (England) has changed way past what I knew when I left so it doesn't feel quite like home.

Convoluted I know but I suppose you'd have had to live away for a while to see what I mean & I think quite a lot of ex-pats feel the same, but when asked where's home we say England.

[yerself]

Originally Posted by susie123

But then it's unlikely that you would be travelling to Nunavut if you went to Canada.

What makes you think that? International jet-setter me, I'm braving the wastelands of Ossy shortly.

[susie123]

Originally Posted by yerself

What makes you think that? International jet-setter me, I'm braving the wastelands of Ossy shortly.

Oh well, if you're determined...

Nunavut - Canada's Arctic

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by yerself

What makes you think that? International jet-setter me, I'm braving the wastelands of Ossy shortly.

Hope you've applied for a Visa and got two endorsements, before you even try and cross the Church line

[cashman]

Originally Posted by jaysay

Hope you've applied for a Visa and got two endorsements, before you even try and cross the Church line

By endorsements i think he meant convictions.

[Eric]

Originally Posted by yerself

I've always fancied a trip to Canada but after reading this article on the Beeb website the other day, there's no way I could afford.

BBC News - Who, What, Why: Why does a cabbage cost $28 in Canada?

Would you pay C$28 (US$27; £18) for a cabbage? $65 for a bag of chicken? $100 for 12 litres of water? That's not the cost of a meal at a world-class restaurant, but the price of basic foodstuffs at supermarkets in the territory of Nunavut, in northern Canada.

Well, in Nunavut, with an area about eight times that of the UK and a population less than that of Hyndburn, you don't don't find a discount convenience store on every street corner. Well, maybe you do 'cause there are only a couple of dozen streets in the territory.

All those foodstuffs that you consider to be part of a normal diet have to be flown in, in hazardous conditions. This is value added on steroids. Many of the Inuit people follow the traditional life style, which does't include a full English breakfast or pizza.

And if workers from the south are sent in, govt. workers included, they receive a more than generous "northern allowance" which allows them to splurge on luxuries such as cabbage

[keith higson]

I believ that you have to experience life in another country before you can compare life styles - but basically if your happy with "your lot" stick to it, but remember happiness is where the heart is. As long as you can see the ceiling when you wake up or do not find your name in the orbit column you are still winning.