As in Medaw Lake Saskatchewan?!?! I never thought in a million years Sask. would make the list of travel destinations, although if you like fishing, we have some of the best in the world. And you won't die from mercury poisoning eating them lol.

Anyway back to holidays. In Canada you get 15 work days off a year. So inclding weekends it equals 3 weeks. Not nearly enough. I've read in many European countries and now I see Australia as well, you get way more time off. It's just not in the mindset over here. It's like, if you take a lot of holidays you are lazy and would be better off working. I think if people had more time off though, they would work harder when they were at work. But whatever.

I think the reason a lot of N. Americans don't travel to other countries as much as say Europeans is because the countries are so big and diverse. I have a friend living in Poland and he travels to Czech Repuplic, Germany, Slovakia all the time. Well it's easy when you can just hop on a train and do it. Here it is a little more involved. In Canada, some of our provinces are as big as some countries. So just by staying within the boarders of my own country I have a lot of cool places to visit and it would take weeks just to travel from one side of Canada to the other. I don't get as much cultural diversity as going to different countries, but I generally don't like people lol, and would rather visit some lake in the middle of nowhere and camp and canoe.

But aside from Canada I have been to Mexico and Hawaii and those are fun to go to as a break during the winter. I also go down to the US every once in a while to stock up on cheap American alcohol as the border in only an hour away. But mostly I am too broke to go anywhere good even if I did have more time off. My wife is a travel agent but that doesn't much matter, cuz we can get cheap airfare but once we get there we'd have no mney to spend anyway lol. But such is life.

That is all.

Why not Europe??

And you guys have my sympathy....I get 30 days a year paid holiday

And like juicy, I LOVE my holidays! Thinking of Lake Louise next year for skiing...any reports, good or bad?

Not me, I hate time off from work, I wish I could never leave lol

Lake Louise kicks ass for skiing and snowboarding plus you get some of the nicest scenery in all of Canada. But beware if you head up to Banff, I've heard it called the STD tourist capital of the world, but it's beautiful otherwise, watch for bears!

Plus I'm only a days drive away, wanna hookup? (Don't worry, I'm healthy as a horse.....not a drip.)

damn thats 6 weeks.... so thats why there are brits in Bondi all year round!

I thought it would be bondi in the brits, but to each his own. not that there's anything wrong with that

*hangs his head in shame*

BAM!

Boys, boys!! I'd accommodate you both anytime!!

Trust you are looking after the Queen, bondi? And looks like Australia are planning to simply outnumber the other teams at the Games!!

Apart from Gnappy no one would know what we are talking about!

I guess the host nation gets to throw in some extra athletes!

The Queen is doing fine although she has mainly been in melbourne. Did you see the ceremony???

I was dissapointed the whole rendition of "god save the queen" wasnt belted out because I love that anhtem... its so rousing!

Did you see the final singer, Delta Goodrem? Isn't she just the most beautiful thing?

I DO know what you're talking about but I didn't watch the opening ceremonies. I have got to get into the spirit of summer games since I just finished watching the winter olympics and am still shovelling snow off my walk!

Here's to Canada kicking some Commonwealth ass!

O.K. our vacation time officially sucks and I wish I had never read how much time you people are given because it's making me depressed. With only having two weeks off it's hard not to feel obligated to go see family because it's the only time we can. Having kids complicates things too because we only see family once a year and I think it's important for kids to grow up surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. Plus we don't have the money to go anywhere. Growing up I was fortunate to have been to New York (twice), Florida, Detroit Michigan, Minnesota and Washington but that's about the extent of my travels. Maybe that will change one day. I have a lot of family in Poland, France and other parts but doubt I'll ever meet them which is sad because i never grew up knowing my Polish heritage, seeing pictures or being taught the language even though my dad lived in Poland until he was 18! How weird is that? I'm half Polish and I know five words.

Are any of them swear words?

Are any of them swear words?

Well one is sort-of like calling someone a dipshit according to my father. Too bad he called my mother it all the time. Now he's a true dipshit....motherfucker...asshole...bastard.....I could go on.

I get the picture...

It amazes me that in supposedly the country with the highest standard of living in the world (the USA), Americans put up with such piddly ass vacation benefits.

Most American workers get no more than 2 weeks paid vacation -- many workers get none. Certainly most of the 5% of the workforce that are undocumented Mexican workers get none. On the other hand, it is not uncommon for high income
Americans to take unpaid leave to travel, if they do not get paid leave.

Americans have often settled for more toys to play with on their non-vacations rather than more time to spend with family and friends. In the US there is a lot of bullshit about family values -- but those values do not include getting time off work for maternity leave, family emergencies or recreation.

The situation is unlikely to improve any time soon, because of global economic pressures and the decline of organized labor in the US.

In egalitarian societies like Australia and Scandinavia with their strong unions and love of outdoor recreation, time off work is strongly valued.

I'll get off my soap box here. BTW, I've traveled quite a lot - Australia, Southeast Asia, all over Europe numerous times including Russia. I particularly like the American West though. I'm a native of Montana and like the wide open spaces. But Saturday I'm off for 10 days in Hawaii.

Dude that has less chance of happening than evade discovering the cure for cancer!



I hear what u are saying. Aussies get angry that we get 4 weeks paid leave per year.... we want more! I couldnt believe that most yanks only get 2 weeks

Hope u enjoed Australia.... where'd ya go?

I agree with a lot of that. I live in Canada and it is slightly better depending on what province you're from. But I just fouund out recently that mothers only get 6 weeks maternity leave in the US?!?! SIX WEEKS!?! In Canada you get one year paid off and they are thinking of making it 2.

6 weeks?!?! That´s terrible!! Here you will have 9 months maternity leave and after that you can have few months more if you want and after that you can be home with little money to that year when you younges kid turns three I was home "only" 1,5 year and then went to school..

They work us to death in america. I think I am gonna move.

Like in 10 years when the boys are a lot older I think I will move to another country. Why live life if you are worked to death and never have time to afford to or enjoy anything. Being in the medical profession I can find work anywhere around the world.

I wanted to retire to a nice area of Mexico but now I am considering Austrailia.