Life over here so far.....

Well, some things are the same, and a lot of things are very different.  Far more different than I imagined they would be.  Having visited Canada many times before - and even spending some extended periods of time here - I underestimated how difficult it can be to move your whole life to another country.  Another western, English speaking country even.  So here is my list of the pros and cons of life here so far....

PROS

• Toronto is an amazing city, with lots of events and activities on all the time for every kind of person
• We live in an amazing apartment right next to Toronto's version of NY's Central Park
• As a tenant, you can rent 'all inclusive', meaning no extra bills on top.  Makes budgeting your money much easier - and means you can have your heating on whenever you please.  Handy during a long, cold winter...
• Our kids - and us - are getting a 'now-or-never' opportunity to experience life in another country/culture
• I've made some wonderful new friends
• 4 distinct seasons - instead of one long rainy one with a few weeks of sun here and there
• I get to stay at home with my baby

CONS

• The cost of living in the city is higher than what we were expecting
• we have no car, which means multiple trips to buy food and stuff, as I can only carry so much at one time
• the impending long, cold, dark winter
• the cost of certain staples like bread and milk (read 'extortionate')
• Our building is next in line for some major refurbishment, which means we may have to transfer to another one
• Missing family and all things English - funny, I have become rather patriotic in a way I never was before
• The price of Cable/mobile phones/internet - expensive, rubbish programs, they charge you for incoming calls too!!!  UNBELIEVABLE and caller ID is seen as a perk that you PAY for!
• Banking.  It is at least 20 years behind the UK.  You pay for use of your account - very few free accounts are available and they limit the number of transactions you can do each month (to like, 25!).  So we pay :-(  Oh, and only one bank here offers a visa debit card.  Not ours!  So no more online shopping for me until we get a credit card. Double :-(  You pay for every time you withdraw money from a cash machine that doesn't belong to your bank.  Twice.  You pay your bank and the bank whose ATM you use.
• And perhaps my biggest bugbear, tax is not included in the price you see on the item you want to buy.  You have to mentally calculate 13% on top of the item you want to see if it still comes in on budget.  Imagine having to add 20% VAT on to every item you purchase AT THE TILL!   At least it's 13% and not 20, but I would so much rather the tax was included in the price you see. Annoying much?!

So, that's our new life in a nutshell!  A steeper learning curve than I'd have thought.  But overall I am enjoying - and rising - to the challenge.

Meanwhile, here are some photos of a few of the Autumn activities we've taken part in.....

pumpkin carving.....

Jasmine and her new friend Ami

face painting