My impresssions of Canada after a 4-year absence !!!
Jump to Page:
< Previous [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ]
Posted on: 08-10-06 04:45:40
Quote:
Originally posted by starChaser
Its fashionable for desis to bash the north-american educational system , yet come here to pursue their post-secondary education and relish on all the luxuries of life , which ironically are often churned out from research in the so-called \"weak\" academias of North America !
So true! And what a joke! No offense, but I guess the inclination to judge kids by their ability to recite multiplication tables should officially be incorporated into the definition of the word "desi"!
[Sarcasm ON]
Besides, I guess one has to study rocket science to figure out what part of the world is STILL churning out most innovation. Cause common sense won't tell ya that its not Indonesia! Maybe, just maybe, somewhere along the line, the multiplication abilities don't matter as much? Hmm...can't tell though, I'd have to be a rocket scientist for that.
[Sarcasm OFF]
And I'm no psychology major either, Chris, but maybe (just maybe) you're looking to validate your decision to stay out of Canada subconsciously? I'm just going by the fact that some baggage handlers at Pearson seem to have triggered the sense of a Canadian apocalypse.
The Canada I know and live in is alive and well and kicking...please don't diss it and I'll return the favor when I visit Indonesia for 3 weeks...
(i.e. don't let your validation get in the way of mine 
)-----------------------------------------------------------------
Are you there?
I was discussing this matter with a UofT undergrad yesterday and was contemplating given the academics difference till secondary level b/w a developing country ie India and Canada- does an above average Indian Tech grad always hold a better chance of getting a job in the US as compared to an above average Canadian Tech grad ?
Population pressure may have to do a lot with the work pressure on students in India or Indonesia as in this case. But in the end due to the 'soft' education system here does that mean an Indian science / engineering graduate from a good college is better than his Canadian counterpart if the objective is to work and perform in the US.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fido.
Quote:
Originally posted by BlueLobster
And I'm no psychology major either, Chris, but maybe (just maybe) you're looking to validate your decision to stay out of Canada subconsciously? I'm just going by the fact that some baggage handlers at Pearson seem to have triggered the sense of a Canadian apocalypse.
The Canada I know and live in is alive and well and kicking...please don't diss it and I'll return the favor when I visit Indonesia for 3 weeks...
Right on BL.....in technical terms its called the confirmation bias....More info on this link...
http://atheism.about.com/od/logicalflawsinreasoning/a/confirmation.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I have only 2 cents to contribute, not a cent more, not a cent less ;-)
Quote:
Originally posted by BlueLobster
Quote:
Originally posted by starChaser
Its fashionable for desis to bash the north-american educational system , yet come here to pursue their post-secondary education and relish on all the luxuries of life , which ironically are often churned out from research in the so-called \"weak\" academias of North America !
So true! And what a joke! No offense, but I guess the inclination to judge kids by their ability to recite multiplication tables should officially be incorporated into the definition of the word "desi"!
[Sarcasm ON]
Besides, I guess one has to study rocket science to figure out what part of the world is STILL churning out most innovation. Cause common sense won't tell ya that its not Indonesia! Maybe, just maybe, somewhere along the line, the multiplication abilities don't matter as much? Hmm...can't tell though, I'd have to be a rocket scientist for that.
[Sarcasm OFF]
And I'm no psychology major either, Chris, but maybe (just maybe) you're looking to validate your decision to stay out of Canada subconsciously? I'm just going by the fact that some baggage handlers at Pearson seem to have triggered the sense of a Canadian apocalypse.
The Canada I know and live in is alive and well and kicking...please don't diss it and I'll return the favor when I visit Indonesia for 3 weeks...
I know what you mean and I have considered this possibility. But all in all (and not just because of the horrors of the baggage handlers), there are structural changes going in the NA economy.
Granted, I am NOT saying that Indonesia is superior to Canada as you and Jake seem to have concluded from my comments.
I think in economics they call this the 'low base effect'; because Indo is starting from the bottom, basically, it is making progress by leaps and bounds. Meanwhile, Canada has already attained a high level of progress, and thus any improvements will be more modest.
As for education, my daughter is at a private school because I want her to know English and not just Indonesian. This perhaps accounts for her math and language ability. The class sizes are small (8 kids in a class) compared to some 20 or so in a Canadian school.
Quote:
Originally posted by Big Vee
This is an interesting observation and one that is VERY common. As a young man I left city and went to another for University. Everytime I came home, I noticed it was getting worse. I immigrated to Canada and later went back for a visit, guess what? They totally ruined the place!
Education is actually a topic near and dear to me. I don't want to send this topic off into a tangent (but you know I will), but I have to educate people. Education is a process. It is not a race. In the end, my daughter and that kid in Indonesia may end up in the same university and get the same degree. Whoopdie doo dah.
BV
It is interesting you say this, my friend, because in fact I have read 19th century French texts in which the authors are convinced that everything is going to hell, children don't respect their elders any more, civilization itself is breaking down, etc. Indeed, there are texts from Ancient Greece in which elders lament that the youth of their day were 'riotous youths who respect nothing'.
I think it's a universal impression as one gets older to think that 'everything is falling apart'. However, being conscious of this phenomenon, I STILL think that North America is in decline and has been since the Vietnam War (if I had to give an exact time to the decline).
There's no cause to worry though: great empires take centuries to break apart and NA still has some steam.
The telling moment will be 50 years from now or so when the oil runs out and the Chinese and Indian ecomonies are the motors of the world... What shape NA will take then will be a problem for our children then, I guess.
Quote:
Originally posted by Chris
However, being conscious of this phenomenon, I STILL think that North America is in decline and has been since the Vietnam War (if I had to give an exact time to the decline).
Similarly, I could STILL think that NA can afford to make a couple of mistakes. Its not the same for India China Indonesia et all. One devastating and very likely war could easily change the dynamics of that area. The current crisis in the Korean peninsula being a good example. Pakistan-India, China-Taiwan, the Middle-east etc are other hotspots. You probably know that Indonesia itself is highly volatile owing to ethnic/religious strife, joblessness, consolidation of its democracy etc.
Apart from the geography NA has many other advantages in terms of resources, economic, military clout etc. When push comes to shove I'd rather be here than anywhere else. Every country does its darndest to preserve its self interest(e.g: socialist Chavez got a bit worried when oil began dipping recently) and NA's established system and advantages does offer it a higher chance of success.
This, ofcourse, is my reliance on the 'confirmation bias' my2cents spoke about earlier. Forecasting 50 yrs into the future is highly speculative.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Recommended Services- Servicedomino.com
http://www.servicedomino.com
One big plus that Canada has over Indonesia (and India?) is the environment. Jakarta is now a maze of traffic jams and there are almost no green areas at all in the city. In London the air is so fresh... you can drink the tap water... you wake up in the morning to pristine silence. In Jakarta you would have to stay at a 5-star hotel to enjoy such tranquil surroundings.
Stability is a big plus in Canada too. In Indo I have experienced floods, earthquakes, riots and a revolution. Near my wife's hometown an active volcano is still threatening to erupt.
But I've come to love the action
How is MTL now, jake? Are you tired of it? Or still discovering new stuff? I love the cinema and jazz related events there. But the cold is too much for me.... that is something I could never get used to!
Where I am now it is 28 degrees every single day...
Advertise Contact Us Privacy Policy and Terms of Usage FAQ Canadian Desi © 2001 Marg eSolutions Site designed, developed and maintained by Marg eSolutions Inc. |