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I lived in London for 20 years and I now live in Dubai. Both places are amazing, multi-cultural and offer you almost everything but there are some subtle differences.In London you don't need a car as the tube or bus take you anywhere, you can cycle anywhere in zone 1 usually in 30–40 mins as long as you know the way. There is an underground scene for almost everything from art, music, hobbies, restaurants, bars, sports…. With 10+ million people, there are groups of like minded people from every race, culture and passion in life. The weather has seasons, enjoy winter snow and the Dickensian feel of Christmas, then celebrate the signs of Spring and then enjoy pavement dining (and drinking) with the long summer nights before making the most of autumn with walks in the parks as the leaves change colour and fall. For the foodies there are amazing restaurants with Michelin stars to every cuisine you can think of at every budget, Brick Lane for the best South Asian food outside of Chennai, Karachi and Dakar. London has bags of history, museums, old churches and cathedrals, Palaces you can visit, a Castle or two (Windsor and Tower of London). There are so many theatres that every weekend you can see a different show from the West End right through to the boutique locations in Notting Hill, Marylebone, Brixton, Shoreditch, Shepherds Bush. Every weekend there will be sports from the football giants of Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Brentford, Charlton or Rugby with the Quinn's or Wasps, Tennis at Wimbledon, Racing at Ascot, Rowing on the Thames, plenty of Golf courses some secret hidden gems to the PGA courses within the M25, plus the Marathon, and plenty of Triathlons. You can shop modern in WestField, luxury on Bond Street and trend set in Carnaby Street, Shoreditch or Borough. In short - London has a scene and it's fun to get involved, whatever you want is a tube stop away.In Dubai you need a car and it needs air conditioning! Everywhere is just 20 mins as the infrastructure is great, with 7 lane motorways built for tomorrow not restricted by yesterday. As the global heart of travel, with so many travelers coming through the region, competition is fierce to be the best at whatever you do. Therefore the hotels are amazing, the shopping malls are a mind blowing experience offering just about everything ever made from every brand quite literally under the sun. Hotels compete with their restaurants, bars and brunches. WhatsOn Dubai is the source of new things to try every month from food, to fitness and fashion. Seasons take on a different slant with the Summer months celebrating what you can do inside, whilst Autumn, Winter and Spring can really be quite pleasant, ‘goldilocks’ not too hot, not too cold, just right for 8–9 months of the year. For every billionaire busting price tag headline grabbing extreme experience there are a dozen great things you can do for free including cycling, the beaches, the parks and the desert & mountains just an hour from your doorstep. You don't have to be a millionaire in Dubai, even those with modest incomes can enjoy the best life has to offer. Yes it's tax free but everything is eye wateringly expensive and at least x2 the London equivalent including Rent “£50k per year” for U.K. 20k equivalent, schools are £12k per child per year and water & electric are £1,000 a month and weekly food shopping £250. Net net, it's about the same after tax.Main differences people walk in London and the weather brings seasons, the scene balances old school tradition with edgy experimental, it feels like the past unfolding. Dubai offers excellence for everything under the sun, imagine a game of SIM city with a cheat so you have unlimited funds and a blank canvas. If you can dream it in Dubai, you can make it happen, it feels like the future unfolding.For me, people make a place special, not the buildings. As both London and Dubai are a cross-section of the world with every nationality and religion, the multi-cultural melting pot of love thy neighbor is amazing. Everyone should try to live in London or Dubai at least once in their life. I feel humbled and privileged I have been lucky enough to experience both.A favourite? It's like having two children. I love them both, very much for very different reasons. I could live in both, today I live in Dubai.

Born and raised in CH (Geneva) and now living in Canada (Montreal) for the last 8 yearsDepends on many things… But mostly on personality and the stage of your life you are in.Canada is more fun! A summer in Montreal will probably make you want to stay if you are in your 20s. There is fun everywhere, festivals, bars, restaurants, clubs. That s without talking about the great city of Toronto. Fun there is just the first name. Even second tier cities are fun due to their amount of university students.Culturally, Canada has more museums, operas, Broadway shows, etc. Switzerland is in Europe, so you feel the weight of history whenever you set foot there.I would root for Switzerland sports wise . In Europe we have federations of sports that run official leagues with sometimes more than 10 divisions. In Canada leagues are private so it s sometime more difficult to meet people regularly. Specifically for individual sports.PeopleThis one is a tough one. Swiss people are definitely more difficult to penetrate and group of friends are formed in their youth. This is the reason why many expats stick together.In Canada everyone is welcomed but people live in communities. Everyone will be nice to you but it doesn t mean they will be your friends. I often hear that life is lonely in Canada for new comers.HealthcareI can t speak for the rest of Canada but the Quebec system is a an operational disaster. Could take months to get treated. In the rest of Canada from what I heard, the system runs more smoothly and patients do not need to wait long to get treated. Costs are acceptable. At the end of the day everyone is insured by the government.In Switzerland, insurance is private and you decide on franchises. E.g. You pay 400 CHF per month and the first 2000 CHF are yours to cover. Beyond this you don’t pay. Basically you choose the risk. You can pay a lot per month and have nothing to pay if you visit a doctor or the other way around. I hear people complaining a lot in QC about the system and the critics in Switzerland are conscientious since the insurance “primes” increase year on year. Overall the Swiss system is ranked top 3 in the planet and and Canada in the top 20. You chose.SchoolsThis one probably goes to Switzerland because I see way more social mobility in Switzerland than I see in Canada. The primary reason is that in Canada we have “school taxes” based on property value (same as the UK and the US) meaning that schools in wealthy neighbourhoods have more funding. I cant believe this isn’t a provincial election debate in Quebec which is a social democratic society. Also private schools are well ranked, popular among Canadians.In Switzerland private schools are frequented by wealthy foreigners and are not seen positively among Swiss people since the level is considered lower (specifically Universities. Boarding schools have good levels but are crazy expensive). Most Swiss kids go to public primary school that receive equal funding in their respecting Cantons meaning every class has wealthy and not so wealthy kids. The catch is that there is competition between cantons keeping schools on alert to perform better than their canton neighbours (provinces).Daycare is expensive everywhere unless you are a low income family. In Quebec, families receive more subsidies in order to make daycare relatively inexpensive in comparison with the rest of Canada. A low income family in QC might be paying $8 per day per child. In Switzerland costs are on the roof (private) and families have to juggle with their family members to help them with there weekly routine.University level is on par I would say but university in Canada is way more fun. The complicated part is to get in. In CH, everyone gets in but a few people get out. University in CH is very stressful since you have high chances of being kicked out.Universities are VERY cheap in CH and Quebec and expensive in English Canada.Professional schools are miles in advance in Switzerland. Selection to high school or professional school happen at 14 years old. So, many kids do not go to high school but are incentivise to start apprenticeships in fields that the economy needs. They than have the chance to attend professional universities. Great system that Germany also applies and that could explain the economic success of these two countries. In comparison, Canada has a shortage of workers in many professions.Maternity LeaveAround 12 weeks in CH and one year in Canada that can be taken by both parents. Go Canada go!Work OpportunitiesFunny how Canada is seen as an El Dorado of jobs. If you studied in Canada I would say yes it is but as an immigrant unless you studied IT or you are ready to work in sales… (unregulated professions) it s going to be hard and even more in Quebec where French is required. The reason is called “professional associations” that decide who can work and who can’t - basically it’s tough if you dont have a Canadian degree. If you are accepted to come to Canada, my advice is check your profession laws in Canada and if you can work. If you can, do not decide on a city, keep your eyes open and apply throughout the country before settling in. I also would invite you to read about a non sense thing that happen here: “the Canadian experience” were you experience outside of Canada is many times not taken into account.On the other hand Switzerland is more open mostly due to EU laws and great jobs are everywhere. Some industries are currently taking a hit (finance) but overall the job market is very dynamic. You will have to learn a local language to get a job unless you work in a multinational or a multilateral.Creating a CompanyGood in both places, although in Switzerland you compete with very high tech companies (pharma, fintech, bio tech, etc) which get most of the institutions money. If you have a “simpler” idea in IT per example you have a wide network of wealthy individuals that are ready to invest but you need to be connected. In Canada access to money is growing YoY and successful Canadian startups are popping up everywhere.Access to PropertyIn CH you need 20% cash down in Canada from 5% to 20%. Property access in CH is very hard but if you get there you wont have to pay the principal.. yes you read that right. Banks are quite confident in CH and allow you to only pay for the interest which is on the floor right now.Salary25% higher in CHRent25% higher in CHCost of LivingHigher in CH but people save more than they do in Canada. Easier to travel and invest abroad thanks to a very strong currency.TaxesOn average 12% to 15% (without insurance) in CH and 35 to 40% in CA, obviously depends on income. Neuvoo has a great online income salary calculator tool in which you can compare. Overall despite paying less, CH has better public services than Canada. I believe this is due to the the amount of employees provinces and federal government employ (a lot)Corporate taxes are notoriously lower in CH. CH has a 1% wealth tax which Canada does not have. Canada has around 23% capital gain taxes which CH does not have (yet)RestaurantsCanada is the most underated country in the world food wise. Cuisine here is exquisite. Montreal and Toronto are an absolute treat. But hey it s not cheap specially when you ad tip and taxes. In Switzerland you have less variety but the very good restaurants are amazing and amazingly expensive too.Retirement PlansYou better off in Switzerland.Canada and Switzerland have both deductibles for retirement on their pay slip but in CH a second retirement deductible is taken out of your pay paid evenly by you and the employer(mandatory). You also have an optional third tear equivalent to RSPs in Canada. In both countries you can use the money for your home without receiving a tax penalty.PoliticsMore fun in Canada but I would say the Swiss are more aware of their local politics.In any case I root for Switzerland because of direct democracy where people decide laws and not only the elected parliament as it works in CA. The downside of direct democracy is that new laws take ages to be implemented.CarsLeasing a car in CH is more expensive than in Canada since residual values at the end of your lease are higher in Canada. Gas is cheaper in Canada but distances a longerTravelCH by far. Easy to travel everywhere around Europe for very cheap. Not so easy in Canada where you are more isolated and air fares are expensive.WeatherCH winters are way warmer and summers are hotter in Canada. Vancouver would a different statement.Winters in Eastern Canada and Central Canada never end. If you don’t like winter sports… good luck!Social ValuesCanada wins on this front. Probably wins against any country in the world. Switzerland is a more conservative country.Your HouseMiddle class in Canada can afford living in large houses and have pools. In urban Switzerland, this is mostly reserved to the elite. Swiss people live in apartments.NeighboursNeighbours in CH are a pain in the ass. You can’t make any noise whatsover or they’ll harrass you :) Way more chill in CA.FamiliesCanada has the upper hand on this one. The amount of fun activities for kids are insane! Every week end can be dedicated to a new activity. This is due to pro-family and pro-immigration policies with results in different demographics than CH and Europe in general.Immigration and CitizenshipWay easier to immigrate in Canada (for non-EU countries) and easier to obtain the citizenship. Two or three years with the PR and 7 years of The C permit in CH.IdentityUnless you were born and raised in CH you will never feel Swiss where as in Canada whenever you step foot in the country you will be a new Canadian and will have a strong attachment to Canada and therefore feel Canadian! I love this feeling!HockeyCANADATo whoever reads this, I tried to be as objective as possible but some people might disagree with my statements!

There’s an odd juxtaposition going on in America today…By most estimates, illegals cost the US taxpayer $50–150 billion a year. They commit crime, import drugs and disease, depress wages among the low-skilled and otherwise disrupt our civil society and depress our economy. And yet, one of the major political parties in the US would have us believe that the illegal is somehow noble - more noble than the average American, and entitled to special benefits and protections from our laws.In this Alice-in-Wonderland depravity, Democrats act with righteousness and defiance as they trample the Constitution they swore to uphold, and watch America’s rape by foreign invaders that refuse to follow our laws. The progressive media support them, and crowds of progressives cheer. You see, championing the cause is essential - no matter what it means to the country, to their own children or to fellow Americans. Power, the party and progressive ideals come first, no matter what the cost.Of course, we didn’t get here overnight.Decades ago, a person illegally entering the US was entitled to relatively little - if he was caught, he could be rounded up and deported, and there wasn’t a lot of fuss about it. But over time, largely thanks to the litigation strategy of the left, this has been changing in favor of the illegal and against the average American.1982’s Supreme Court decision Plyler vs. Doe, for example, was a huge victory for the illegal. In an attempt to improve education quality for citizens, Texas wrote a 1975 law saying illegal children could be excluded from Texas public schools. In its decision, an activist and left-leaning Court ruled that States don’t have this right. States can’t deny free public education to illegals, and thus the US taxpayer became responsible for funding the K-12 education of any illegal that manages to set foot on US soil.This ruling, perhaps more than any other, set the stage. Now, almost 40 years later, what has this one decision brought?It varies depending on where you live, but in places like NY and California, the cost of providing a K-12 education can be $150,000 per child. That’s billions of dollars that have been stolen from the American taxpayer and given to illegals by a group of unelected, unaccountable judges. The cost is bad enough, but it also diminishes the education experience for the American children that deserve better.Just as a small example, in the Hamptons (yes, that Hamptons), fully 60% of all students are not native English speakers. They are enrolled in ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, forcing the school to divert money away from sports and programs for the talented and gifted in order to hire ESL teachers.Illegals often arrive in the US in their teens and are illiterate even in their home language. What does a school district do with a student that’s 15 years old, but operates at a 2nd grade level? He can’t be put in with peers his own age - he won’t learn a thing - and you can’t exactly put him in with six or seven year old 2nd graders. The answer is that they tend to get personalized one-on-one teaching at great cost to the school and at the expense of the needs of American children. Then, students like this tend to remain in the public school system till they are 21 (since that’s what the law provides for), further diluting educational quality for American students.Other court rulings and Democrat legislation extended the benefits that illegals are entitled to in the US, granting them access to our legal system (and court appointed lawyers), various welfare programs, healthcare, driver’s licenses, banking and finance, and so on. In many ways, illegals enjoy rights many Americans do not, and according to Democrat politicians, this is exactly how it should be.If you step back, what Democrats have done is truly amazing. They’ve embraced lawlessness over the rule of law, and the rights of foreigners above the rights of American citizens. An 18 year old from Kansas isn’t entitled to subsidized in-state tuition in a California state university, but an 18 year old from Mexico or Guatemala is. You have to produce credentials to open a bank account, fly on an airplane or enter a government building, but the illegal doesn’t. And somehow, they’ve succeeded in getting a significant portion of America to sign on to their national suicide pact.If JFK, Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton campaigned on open borders and handing illegals $150 billion a year in taxpayer-funded benefits, I suspect not one of these folks would have been elected. Yet today, virtually all of the Democrat pack demands open borders, greater rights for the illegal and so on - and they find lots of support among a growing pool of hard-left constituents.Indeed, even with all these “victories” for the illegal (and losses for Americans), insatiable Democrats want more. Their thirst for power leads them to declare that certain cities and states have the special right to nullify Federal laws so as to go even further when protecting illegals. Even though historians would tell you nullification was settled by the Civil War, the progressive left doesn’t respect history it doesn’t like and is more than willing to go down this path again.Of course, the backlash against the progressive agenda on illegal immigration is Donald Trump. His “America First” strategy is all about immigration reform and getting America a little closer to its historic values. Still, thanks to the Courts, uncooperative Democrats and even members of the President’s own party, he has actually made very little concrete progress, and illegals continue to pour into the country to the detriment of Americans and taxpayers.There are no easy answers, but I believe the path forward requires us to fully leverage existing laws in order to solve this existential threat to the United States.First and foremost, we need a zero-tolerance attitude towards any that would break our laws in order to aid and abet illegals. I’m encouraged by the prosecution of Judge Shelley Richmond Joseph (Judge charged with helping illegal immigrant escape ICE officer in courtroom), but it needs to go much further.Every official in every jurisdiction that undermines Federal laws to help illegals stay in the US is guilty of aiding and abetting, and it’s high time to make examples out of some of them.Democrats have the contempt they do for our laws because they have rarely been made to pay a price for their lawless behavior. It’s well past time for that to change, and we already have all the tools we need in the current laws. If you can drive General Flynn into bankruptcy for making a false statement to the FBI on an immaterial matter, you can certainly do the same to folks like Chicago’s mayor, the town council of San Francisco, the Governor of NY, and so on.Start there, and after the first few of these folks are given justice, I suspect the rest will be much more eager to uphold our laws and protect our system. If we do nothing, then it’s likely that the trend will continue, and the Democrat-led national suicide pact will be complete.