Canada is my primary home, although I have lived, worked  and traveled in Asia for six of the past seven years.  I was born in Nanaimo,  on Vancouver Island, in British Columbia. It is difficult to improve on the peace and beauty of Canada.  One needs only to travel for a time to other places and very soon appreciates all that Canada has to offer.

This shall be my Canada page (partner to my Thai page) where will accumulate my praises and complaints about  the 'Great White North'.

For a number of years now, the United Nations has rated Canada as the number one country in the world according to its annual Quality of Life Index survey. The best place in the world to live?! The highest quality of living?! Many Americans would beg to differ as well as a number of disgruntled Canadians. By and large, though, I do agree and the long line of people wanting to immigrate to Canada does indicate something about its desirability. After, seven years living and working in Asia, I am planning to return because I do believe that Canada offers 'one of the highest potential qualities of life for the middle class'.

In my travels I have had the opportunity to meet Asians from all different socioeconomic levels and have concluded that life is a hard grind for the majority who are not rich, both in the underdeveloped, developing and developed nations. Middle class working Thais in Bangkok will often wake up at 4:30 A.M. and leave their home at 5 o'clock in order to beat the rush hours traffic. They will usually return home between 8 and 9 at night. Many endure this schedule six days a week.

An important caveat to all this: remember when considering Canadian or any lifestyle, that the world is a mirror of our mind. People can create their own paradise under the most hellish conditions. And people can suffer miserable existences amidst comfort and plenty. However, underlying conditions are helpful: a clean and pleasant environment, efficient transportation, fair wages, safe streets, good schools and honest government, for example.

In Canada, unfortunately, too many people have become attached to things (often beyond their financial capacity) and mired in debt. Consequently, they work too long and hard for such luxuries as two cars, a big house, fancy dinners out. In places like Thailand, Japan or Korea, people work extremely long hours to pay for basic luxuries such as just one car or an average home. These things can be had in Canada without such sacrifice.

You make the life you want to live in Canada. It is not forced upon you by your family or the society (as so often happens from Korea to India). Getting rich is not the chief goal of Canadians. Showing off is frowned upon as status amongst the non-rich is a relatively minor value.

The chief values in Canada are: 1) comfort 2) survival 3) fairness and 4) peace. In fact, the Canadian constitution refers in it's introduction to the necessity for 'peace, order and good government'.
 

A good map of Canada

Some Important Facts and Information

More maps and information about Canada

A Brief History of Canada

The Canadian Anthem Lyrics    (O 'Canada)
The Top Ten Reasons to be Canadian