Meet Brits in Canada

Facebook is a funny thing as well as these fancy tracking and customizing advertisements. I'm simultaneously impressed and creeped out by how good they are at targeting ads that they think are relevant to you. For instance, when I was still in Durham and doing a lot of research on UofT, looking for apartments in Toronto, and getting ready to move, Facebook thought that I might be interested in 'Work Visas in Canada' or a service to help me 'Relocate to Canada' or even just 'Visit Canada'.

For the last week, I was still getting advertisements from UK companies, but it seems that Facebook's commercial team have finally clued in that I've moved. And look at what they think might be interesting to me! I am indeed looking for a new laptop, and yes, I did just get a huge winter coat to stave off the cold this winter, but the ad in the middle just cracks me up!

Firstly, I find it rather British for Brits to want to meet other Brits when they are abroad. Who else can they banter with, reminisce, and complain about how things in the rest of the world are so unlike the way they are back in Britain.

But what I find even funnier is that this ad speaks to my current situation (except that I'm not a Brit). I've actually not needed to use the services of InterNations to meet Brits in Canada. No, I somehow keep bumping into them.

Earlier this week I went downtown to get started in the lab. I started my time off with a meeting with my supervisor and two other guys whom I will be working with on the current project. As it turns out, the post-doc on the team just moved last month from...you guessed it, Britain. He's not just from Britain, but from Bath, where I just recently was!

But only last night did I find out how small this world really is. I went along to a social organised by Grace Toronto after work. I obviously didn't know anyone, and when I arrived there were only a few guys already there. The first person I met just so happened to British, but wait, there's more. Not only is he from the U.K., he happened to know some people who were at Durham, people I actually knew. Quite specifically, he's friends with the guy who moved into my old room on Roosy Road! Small world, eh?