Close Reading

This video seems to really capture the reality of a typical America and the narration really crystalizes it. Even though it depicts a less urban setting, the same stillness can be found in cities and suburbs. It’s not what you see on Netflix or in Hollywood where there’s a story to be told and you do see a lot of human interaction from scene to scene. In real life America so many lead an isolated life indoors except for when one has to go to work or school. One explanation for this, however, is that community in America and many societies is not geographically determined. It’s structured around work, school, church, one’s immediate family if there is anyone and other kinds of civic associations. Loneliness really comes in when one does not belong to any of these “communities”. One’s geographical community (in a society like America’s) simply does not or cannot provide a sense of belonging. It provides physical and material comforts but not emotional or social sustenance, which has to come from those other types of associations. And I sense this is not just a Western world phenomenon. I think it’s happening everywhere and simply a fact of life wherever the vast majority of people living in any space have no family ties with one another. In a village or neighborhood setting in a place like India or Africa, you’ll have such liveliness on the streets and among neighbors because a lot of the people there are simply relatives of each other.

You're living in small town and people mind their own business, stay away from trouble even start from small kids bullying each other , if you're going outside looking for friends meaning you're lonely yourself, go live in big city like newyork, los angeles, find your friends from work, school but then expensive to have a nice comfortable live.

When I was a little girl growing up in Belize I ONLY wanted to come to America to be with my mother.. she brought me to America when I was 11 years old by the time I was 14 years old I had so much anger I ask my self, why would she bring me to America? I wanted to know why didn't she just leave me in Belize and take care of me from there. I hate it here, who would do this to their children? why would you take me from Paradise and bring me to hell... I know my mother wanted a better life for me but all I saw was loneliness anger family separated the food is not healthy the air is not healthy the education I care nothing for Meaning what I was being taught in school would not prepare me for the real world... with that being said I truly truly appreciate all the sacrifice that my mother did I love and appreciate America but I can't wait to move back home. ? Living in America is not living ? you are only surviving ?

This makes me laugh...., USA vs. African culture is 2 very different extremes. Especially when African's come and live in the most isolated depressing states in the USA.??USA culture is a little more vibrant and friendly in the Southern States that are always warm most of the year.. In certain areas. The midwest part of the USA and north states, less expensive to live. But our midwest areas are crumbling and are severely depressing. The USA is changing too, as kids us Americans grew up with a very different lifestyle and we played outside and knew our neighbors and cohabitated more...Even in the north. On the flip side I know any American trying to keep up with a African lifestyle, we would just drop dead of exhaustion?? If you are African, your phone rings every 5 minutes, relatives and friends call 24/7 Africans have dinners and celebrations for hours and hours until 4am in the morning (even on school work nights), and Africans just show up and walk into each others houses at any moment with no call all day??.. We don't have the energy plus we value privacy. I wish there was a happy medium!??

Another issue is that some white families have sold off or abandoned their family homes in once vibrant community's because they have refused to live with other people of color who happen to move in. Then black communities build up over say 50 to 75 years a great community, their own churches , schools, day cares, playground, crime watch and near jobs and easy transportation suddenly others with money wish to expand in those same areas. So taxes go up. Fire insurance goes up. Schools are closed down due to so called lack of budgets. Factory's move out farther. And or new higher technologies come in only looking for a few or certain type of trained skilled workers with higher educational degree's. All of these complex events cause the death of a functional great long standing community. By the time others come and say hey, where are the kids, where is the small local business and the great gardens, farmer markets or book clubs, libraries, community workshops, and black church's giving out food? Trust me its not such a simple answer. Many many other forces are at play. Entire sections of the city and rural areas have gone through displacement.

Block parties, cook outs, neighborhood meetings, bus trips to the beaches, weddings and Saturday clean ups were all apart of our past community's. Yes some still exist. However, anytime Blacks in America have demanded equity, justice, education, health rights, human rights, and fair housing, we are met often with a back lash. Suddenly, rents go up. Houses have doubled or tripled in increase. Crime waves have made it almost impossible for people to come out and relax freely. Political changes have also played a major roll. Neighborhoods have been redlined. Even where one goes to vote has been moved. White racism and fear, entire industry's have moved put of key areas. So thete is a natural break down. Neighborhood meets come to a end and different organizations from schools, to planting trees to parking all get affected due to such changes. Local small businesses that knew each family members also close up and leave. Its not a question of oh you have everything you need in your American house. That is not it! Its more complex. The lack of kids playing out front or the older ladies keeping watch have disappeared also due to no rent control policies.

Appreciated for the video. In India in most of the houses, a child going to live abroad is considered to be something very privileged. I can bet that most of the parents in India send the children to school anticipating that my child will settle abroad once grown up ?\n\nI cannot think of leaving India and settle somewhere else. It will be a nightmare for me ?

Trying and working out a way to travel to the US as am watching this. Truth be told we as Africans(From Ghana) purely travel for economic reasons. Am a graduate with a Bachelor for 7years with great IT SKILLS but system doesn’t help entrepreneurs to grow here. We love family but as our proverb goes, “you leave home to take care of home”. Trying to get an MFA Schooling and get a job to support ….

Great video. I am a Canadian that works with newcomers. I have lived abroad and back again. We recently did a trip to the U.S. A great trip overall but I agree with a lot of your comments about the suburbs. We saw some beautiful neighbourhoods in the US (and here in Canada) but there are almost no signs of life. I grew up in the suburbs and it was nice as a kid because we were always outside but as soon as I finished school, I couldn't wait to get out. My old neighbourhood is now a bedroom community built for the car. Now, I live downtown in a major Canadian city. My house is very small and old but I wouldn't trade it for the world. I always see people, rain or shine, snow or hail. I see families, dogs, dogwalkers, children, seniors with canes. I love it because I see life. Living in a neighbourhood like the one in this video would indeed feel lonely and isolating.

What does building new homes have to do with the price of a home? The bar has been set, nobody is going to go back to selling houses for 150,000 - 200,000 doesn't matter how many homes you build. Also how long will it be before we actually see results from this 4 billion investment, by the time it does anything to help there will be even more Canadians and more immigrants. So there will be an entire generation missing out. \nMaybe you need to go back to school and learn better math skills.

He doesn't have a clue what Canadians are going through.....! His daddy's trust fund and Canadian taxpayers dollars gets Trudop everything he needs, including, nanny's, house cleaners, private schooling for his kids etc etc..?

This guy is something else. Rent to own? I have nothing against immigration but housing can’t keep up with new Canadians? I forgot drama class was a free credit in high school ☹️

my childhood was in a city with 100k population. my school was 5-7 minutes of walk. my music school was 20 minutes away. I had no any issue walking myself to where I need. without any supervision. It was super safe. Just imagine you are living in a world, - where no criminals, no guns, no violence, no pedophile alerts and databases where they are registered. Imagine a kid 6-8yo is walking alone from home to school and back. That was there. Not anymore much. Soviet union was not the best place to live in, but it was damn safe there. And now what? Fertilization and cancer clinics are everywhere. Obesity. You cannot let your kid go to school without a bus cause it's illegal to do so. You cannot even leave them alone at home for 1h. It's also illegal.

Thank you for speaking about this topic!!! After staying there for 25 years, I can totally relate to it. Your life is in auto-pilot and you don’t even think. Life is good, you keep watching even the awful movies from your country, connect with the friends back home and read every news bit longing and comparing the life at home…that is the life we lived\n\nSuddenly, after my husband’s death, the light bulb finally turned on and moved to India to raise my son 6 years back. The impromptu play dates, relatives and friends dropping in, the casual conversations with the milkman, newspaper guy, the screaming noise when the kids are getting out of school, friends volunteering to take your kids for a weekend getaway… these little people connections are so important. \n\nWestern countries economically developed. But hungry for love and connection..

This is very true . I am currently in Tanzania waiting to go back to the UK. My daughter and grandkids left on the 27thMarch the peace and the sun here in Tanzania is unmatched. We have been conditioned to think.Africa is poor blah blah it is a lie. I am.Zambian born by the way but I love Tanzania and always come to Africa via Dar then train to Zambia in first class and enjoy the adventure sleep and.eat on the train.amazing. I have lived in the UK 18years right now I am contemplating if I should even go.back. Tanzania was like C never existed left the UK in Jan 2021 am now even used to the weather going back is now a struggle to join the loneliness and kids being locked in the house. My granddaughter was very happy here now she is Just in indoors doing nothing the only time they enjoy is being at school and summer . I don't know I just need to start something small and make money here the Western life is not for us. Currently alone in Dar but there are people around me calling talking to.Mr plus the sun is shinning everyday. We have been lied to that being out there was the best when people we left behind have achieved so much . What is life if you are miserable?

This is living culture of background in western life style.\nNo one can change it !so sad so bad from peoples views of immigration! \nMay be they don’t feel lonely, they don’t feel strange at all. \nThis is called the value of western living style ever since young kids graduated from high school whom being told : \nJust be independent ( survival), being ur self , being self conscious, having American dreams yourself,being self motivated, being focus on your self ,,,,,\nSo no one cares others , real help each other ,shame to ask money from parents whatever situations of life! Everything has to separate instead cooperate it,\n……. \nEveryone knows it’s bad , but everyone thinks it’s right!\nHahaha \nIf u moved to USA over 35 or 40 years old from Asia, Africa,even center of America,or south ,\nYou always have options to avoid being alone just ur self or couple when old , nursing home,stuff like that. Plus dollars are so cool in most of countries.\nYou can’t change the culture whatever it’s sad ,hurt ,but it’s right in USA.\nIt’s a continental to have American dreams only —- making dollars

Brother, You are so right! But, I am a african American who grew up in the 70’s. It wasn’t like this until blacks integrated with whites. We had fun in our neighborhoods just like you described. Any neighbor could correct us. We could just go to the neighbors house to play. I grew up in Chicago and we had block parties with dancing, games, food sand talent shows. We played games in the street after school. When we left our black communities we had to behave like whites who don’t want to socialize with us. That’s what you see where you live. So they suffer and stay inside their houses. I left Chicago for university and moved to Newark, New Jersey and it was life there too! So many cultures, people walking, languages, music, vendors on the street. Puerto Rican’s, Haitians, Dominicans, and Africans. You should be some place like that. But many places in America “now” are boring like where you showed. Move!!!

I am an African, born and raised in Angola, I ve already experienced western life style. I' vê rather stand the biter cold and live a decent life...schools, food and a good house.\nI am sick and tired of living with corrupt people, greedy, selfish that only think of themselves.\nWhy African football players...basketball players dream of playing in western countries and not in África, if This is the credly of happiness?\nSorry,but This is my opinion!

Here in the US ?? I live here from 2019 I grew up in Africa you can’t compare here with Africa \nAfrica is backwards here is developed and far better in life style if you talkiabout neighboring or greeting or playing together africa is better and social \nBut let me tell you \nIn the US if you have good job you have a good car a lovely wife you go to work you come back you can play with your wife \nOr take your car go to the town enjoy \nTake your kids on weekends to parks malls beaches and play \nLot things to do cause here public places are well taken care of different from Africa \nAfrican cities public places even hospitals or local schools are not taken care of \nIn the US you just need a good paying job a car a lovely wife I swear you gonna live a beautiful life \nYou can travel summer time to Florida with your family everything here is with good job ?

Hi... Great video and explanation about Canadian System... I'm planning to migrate to Toronto considering a Software Engineer Position (15 years experience), with a Big Family (4 childrens) and spouse of course. But what about a salary150K yearly? These numbers are flexible? What is your opinion about Public School Programs?\n\nRegards

So... if 1/3 leave, why do 2/3 stay? And some arguments, like having to go back to school is often normal because professional norms are not universal....

Representing Nairobi Kenya. I believe in travelling and experiencing different cultures around the world. But as for settling, these Western countries seem too cold and lonely for us and our way of life. We are very communal, we sit and walk outside a lot. Common Market places are an integral part. Our kids always come out to play with neighbors kids when not in school. I have lots of friends everywhere, our shopkeepers are our friends, gas station attendants, security guards, technicians, our workmates are all friends. I'd hate for my daughter to have no friends to play with and to just sit watching TV or on a computer all day every day. We find this very antisocial and bad for a child's development. Its is so sad and unfair but I guess its just the way life is there.

You plan your time. School, Work and work from home. I also make an hour daily save for bad weather days for outdoors, walking, jogging or workouts at the gym. Summer i do projects in my compound. I miss my parents in africa but i love my life in abroad.

This is not the case in busy places like Chicago, New York though, mix with people in church, school, go to the parks, hang with friends after work, get a drink etc. Life is what you make it

One error ladies: “Canadian experience” does not mean just take a low skilled job to “get your foot in the door”. Its a catch 22. You need Canadian experience in your desired profession to get a good job. So once you take that low skilled job you are stuck there unless you go back to school and study again. Its a dead end cycle.

Was this video done during work and school hours? If so, that might be the reason no one is outside.

Hey!!...your video provide a lot of good information for moving abroad....\nI want to ask that i tecahes in school in India so is there any programme for teachers to move to canada ?...\nOr suggest me the another way to move?

Lived in Alberta for 3 years. I think something must have happened\n Pretty sure it wouldn't rank anywhere nears as high now. Nor would the school ranking.

I currently live in Quebec city area and have been for six years, HOWEVER, I have lived in NB and Ontario for a while and as far as Quebec being one of the best province in your video, I respectfully disagree! I hate this province so much and rather live in NB, Ontario, Alberta, BC or NS before living here. This province has horrible health care, they are also the most TAXED ppl in the country by far!! They also do not allow you to put your children in the school you want, they dictate that they must go to a french school unless you did most of your education in english, in another province yourself as a parent. Lastly, it probably ranked first because the ppl here think it's the greatest province in the world and have never left it, therefore nothing to compare it to....kind of like an american who will yell out USA is the best country in the world without even travelling outside his country to compare it to lol

I spent 8 yrs in Toronto. I left Canada in 2005 after I got the degree and never been back here once. I hate this place so much because \nToo cold \nToo much tax \nStupid beverage culture paying extra 10% tips for meal without reason \nSlow \nteachers. does not teach. They make love with girls student . Smoke with them, racist etc in high school \nExpensive. \nBoring \nDrug every where \nCar racing every night \nPeople are fake \nCannot make money easily. Even u work hard. U pay more tax for those lazy people. \nEtc. \n\nI enjoy my home town very much

I love Quebec also but like any province it has its flaws, we are governed by 2 gouvernements who hate each other so both fight about everything,we pay taxes to both these governments, the only way you can attend or send your children to English school is if you were born here(canada) and someone in your family went to english school, so if you are french or an immigrant you have no choice in the matter you are going to french school, we were voted the most corrupt province a few years back, you can do anything you want though….as long as you paid for your permit to do it, wanna ride the trails on your atv 300$, wanna ride a motorcycle anywhere between 600$(for a cruiser) to 1700$(sportbike), growing cannabis is illegal unless you buy a 600$ permit then its ok. But even with all its flaws its still an amazing place AND we have maple syrup ? oh but if you make some don’t forget permission from the Federation to sell it cause they can impose massive fines all the way up to seizing you farm. But really its not all that bad…. Crap gotta go it’s curfew time don’t wanna get a 1600$ fine for being out past 8. \n\np.s our Poutine isn’t the one starting a war

Alberta does not have the best public school in Canada

Are Elementary Schools Peanut Free in the United States?

Dude, Alberta has the best school? Seriously?

Sir there is any hope for a student who are from commerece background and does the schooling just now

Are you kidding? I live in Montreal, quebec and oh boy you are wrong about the rent. Its not affordable at all .. montreal is really expensive and many people are getting out of montreal , especially quebecor and they go in regions where its less expensive. But i don't really like montreal , but quebec in general is really amazing to live in. Great jobs opportunities, great school system, great food, healthcare however should improve more, but its fine for the most part. Quebec is an amazing province. Come and live here!!

The problem with Canada is that it is a giant, socialized mafia-ran ponzi scheme. There is so much red tape around EVERYTHING, all by design in order to expand bureaucracy. The immigrants that are allowed here are just tax slaves harvested as Canada has some of the highest taxes in the world. Want to get a job? 3 references, so much years experience blah blah. Want to become a trades person? 5 years with poor pay and schooling. Want to build a house? Good luck. 10 years for zoning. The list goes on and on. Born and raised here, and someone said it the best in the comments that Canada is basically a tax haven for real estate. It's a money laundering paradise. Stay as far away as you can from this country, it is a welfare deathtrap.

It is unfortunate that Canada thinks that their schools are so good that they cannot except people with schooling from another country. Canadian kids overpay for what they get. Public school is also a joke. Imo they do not except other counties diplomas because they are probably trying to protect their professors and their schooling system. If you tell them that their schools are the best then they will believe you over time. It is a shame.

moved back to eastern Europe after 27 years of Canada... my best friends are Quebecois and my wife (Quebecois again) convinced me to move. The best thing I have done, especially for my kids... no waiting on family doctors, in 20 min you drop your kids to school and are at work, no over taxation, weather you can actually enjoy 365 days a year and very apparent after a while, no press/media dictatorship like the one in Canada.

Thank you very much for take the time to do this very interesting video, clear English and clear ideas, you girls really made me think !!, I want to move to Canada with my family, one kid 11 years old. We want him taking college in Vancouver, we both have a job here in Chile, and it would be a real challenge, I think as you said, the key is to be flexible and open-mind. I want to take a degree while my kids take the college or even high school, I have a lot to think about yet, difficult decision.

My experience about Canada after living here for a few years now: \n1): Healthcare: There are two sides of it. If you need a specialist, forget about it, just live with your disease or problems and hope it will cure itself and won’t get worse. If you are in a life threatening condition and need a surgery, you’ll get it and the medical bill won’t scare you. I needed a dermatologist, never got one, eventually had to fly to the US for a simple treatment. \n2): Taxes: You’ll pay extra to take care of the large aging population of Canada and to maintain the infrastructure in the extreme cold weather. But, you can make a good use of your RRSP and TFSA accounts, and you can also buy American stocks without paying taxes. \n3): Travel and transportation: Forget about public transportation methods like buses and trains. You’re on your own. But a vehicle ownership isn’t very hard here. \n4): Social networking: Good luck with that. Good luck finding friends here or being a part of a friends group. Canadians are polite but not outgoing and extrovert. Most people make a few friends in Schools and College. You’re not going to see people of different races and origin hanging out with each other. \n5): Real estate: Population is growing, population is aging, it’s all happening but what’s not many houses are getting built. Buying your own house isn’t easy. If you’ve bought one, good luck with the energy prices. \n5): Landscape: It’s gorgeous out here, if you want to be happy in Canada, go out for sightseeing.\n6): Jobs: Totally depends in which jobs you can fit in and what previous experience you have. If you have previously done exactly what the job profile is asking for, for sure you can find a job.\n\nIn the end I would say, I have lived in many places, each come with their downsides, you have to see what works for you. There’s isn’t a perfect world really there isn’t. You have to take the bad with the good.

2:27 yes but nearly no violent crime. 5x the crime per person then the country but your more likely to get murdered in Toronto. And the territories has the benefit of being absolutely gorgeous in the summer and a lake everywhere you look. The city of Yellowknife alone touches 8 lakes. Additionally -40 isn’t bad, just stay inside. And if you go to high school in the NWT and then move back you get student loans payed off, I believe there are similar things in Yukon and Nunavut. Anyways the territories beat living down in Ontario or Quebec any day

It takes me 3 months to get a doctor appointment in the US here in Seattle and I was just told several months to see my eye doctor. Depending on medical plan the insurance means you do not go to the specialist without a referral. So Canadians may not have as much to complain about. My parents were immigrants to Canada because it was easier (my father was in Danish Merchant Marine and was in China Sea when his appointment would come up in New York). They did not have it easy because they did not speak the language and worked hard to learn. Working as a housekeeper was the norm for females and my mother's education meant nothing when she expected to work in a bank. Danes stuck together and helped each other to get jobs, with carpentry (most had apprenticeships like brick laying), to socialize, etc. and this is normal for immigrants. Working multiple jobs was normal and having a great home was their American dream instead of a government apartment. It is true for all immigrants that their kids will do better than the parents. The kids will have no accent if they learn English by age 12. There are age cutoffs on learning a language in child development. During the hiring process the jobs are given to people the interviewer perceives as being like themselves. This is proven by psychologists (I am one). This puts immigrants at a disadvantage unless they have a rare skill without competition. Dad got his house and Mom took my sister and went back to Denmark because of health issues and the US has garbage medical care and social services for the elderly (poor sister didn't speak Danish because it wasn't allowed in case it impacted our English skill). As a daughter of immigrants I worked 20 hours days and weekends almost all my life. I put myself through school and have been successful despite being female and making much less than men. Immigrants need to realize that it will be their kids who make the big bucks and succeed while the parents who immigrated will struggle. As a cultural mix (US, Canadian and Danish citizen because of wacky sexist rules) I have had a lot of confusion over the years trying to fit in and figure out what my values are. I have had to ask my US husband is that behavior normal? Of course different states in the US or going 200 miles north to Canada means a different language to speak (Canadian or Spanish in the South) and different values, ways of dress, etc. so being an immigrant can mean just traveling 200 miles north or to an insane state like Texas or New York. Culture shock is everywhere but most of us move for the money. I am thinking of going back to Canada but my home was Vancouver and that now looks like a hell hole. My husband had over a million dollars in medical care and I really do not wish to lose all my assets to medical costs in the US. So now I am trying to choose between death by earthquake in BC somewhere or death by tornado or perhaps fire storm in Calgary due to climate change.

Hello sir can you help me fine a job as a excavator operator I have no education not even go to school and I learned my English language on cyber cafe and some friends who teach me and I have a sick mother mayasimya cravis and I would like to work on Canada soo that when I have enough money I want to get my mother operations please sir hope you notice this comment I'm from malaysia by the way

If don’t have solid experience in your country, study master’s degree or go to school who offers co-op or interns

I think some guys here are looking the glass half-empty, look at it half-full. Learn the language, accept the culture, be positive, be humble, don't compare your country of origin, this is Canada, if you have time and resources go back to school and be grateful you got here in CA. Canada doesn't owe you anything, remember you moved here freely. Think positive and be positive. Enjoy being here and besides Canada is still one of the best places in the world to live, work and play. ✌??

No crimes and good schools in Nova Scotia ?!? This fool obviously never set foot in Nova Scotia

This is basically a commercial for anyone who lives in Quebec who isn’t French to learn French.\nI Will (but the Gouvernement de Québec Won’t) leave that up to you.\nThe producers left out the following:\n- Current and Coming Major Increases in Language Strife (FRENCH Vs English) lead by the Provincial Gouvernement. -Bill 96\n- Current unwelcoming or tolerance of religiously oriented communities -Bill 21\n- Oddly the French Public School system has a terribly high drop out rate for boys compared to the English System (which is under attack from Bills - 101 & 96).\n- The Healthcare System is in Shambles as increasingly demonstrated by its inability to deal with Covid. It is so bad (in terms of available resources) that the Gouvernement has been forced to have some of the most repressive and restrictive measures (including curfews) in the entire world in order to keep its medical system and hospitals from collapse.\n\nI don’t know what to do with the ranking but making Quebec # 1 very much diminishes the validity of the rest of this video and that’s ashame.

I am also an immigrant but can tell you that Medical school in Canada is extremely competitive. Foreigners don’t have a clue the extremely amount of work (top marks, volunteering, MCAT, Casper, interviews, etc) it takes to at least be called for an interview. In some countries you leave high school and can go straight to a private medical school and pay for your medical license. So, I hope Canada keep appreciating people from here.

For schooling it's the same if I go some where else to to live we have same issues. Really its same issues any where you go not just Canada.