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Vancouver vs Ireland - Pros and cons MOD WARNING IN FIRST POST!!!

Kev_2012

***Mod Note:****

This thread is for discussing what Pros Cons you have found in Vancouver.
It IS NOT a place for sniping each others opinion.
I've already had to intervene on this thread, and take action against a poster.
I don't want to see any more of that shyt in here.
You have all now been warned.
Please just keep it civil and respectful folks.
Thank you,
Panthro.

*********************************************************

I moved here to Vancouver 2 months ago from Limerick City. Just thought I'd post a list of pros and cons vs living at home. Hopefully this info will be useful for people looking to make the move!

Pros:
- Beautiful scenery
- Beaches are good fun and are very close!
- People are generally friendly
- Very good public transport (I live near Cambie, Richmond etc. wont be as good!)
- Not as expensive as some would have you believe. I found Dublin more expensive when I lived there.($720 rent here vs 560 euro in Dublin)
- Lots of good bars!
- Very outdoorsy type city. Everyone is active and there are loads of different sports to play.
- The girls are big into sport here!
- The girls are very easy on the eye

- Lots of shops and that we don't have back home!
- Lots of concerts etc. always on!
- Wreck Beach

- I generally would like to have more Canadian friends, but there is a lot of Irish here so theres a good outlet when you want to have a bit of banter!
- Close to the states, cheap flights to Vegas/Hawaii etc.
- The weather has been fantastic since landing, I'm sure that will change though!
- Got a good job in my field (software developer) after 6 weeks. All very nice people and it's a very interesting job.

Cons :
- Chinese food is nothing like back home. But then again I'm a picky eater.
- The people can be a little condescending about your tastes in food here. E.G. if I don't want lettuce or something they question it and look at me like I have 2 heads.
- My accent. Oh god this drives me nuts. I have a very strong Limerick accent but I've really calmed it down. Talking more slowly and clearly, but a lot of people still have trouble with it. Either they genuinely can't understand it or they are just being ignorant!
- Obviously missing friends and family but that's a given.
- Sense of humour. Canadians do have a sense of humour but it's very different. There's no slagging or banter which drives me nuts.
- Tipping and not including tax in the price, but that just their culture!
- Pints aren't as nice but sure outside Ireland in general is like that.
- I find that people can have very odd personalities, but it's probably just a culture clash.
- Rugby, soccer and GAA is on too early haha
- Getting set up initially with jobs and accommodation is a pain in the hole. Same anywhere really though.
- Lot of homeless people here.
- The flight over is too long. Dunno how people deal with flights to OZ/NZ!
- The time difference is 8 hours, so I can only call home at weekends.
- Only played touch rugby, but so far it's an awful standard! But hey, I'm making friends and keeping fit in the process!

Some advice for people coming over :
- Fly KLM if you can! Virgin are terrible (no legroom at all, I'm 6 foot, hardly a giant!)!
- Don't use Vancity or other credit unions. Transferring money is a pain. I went with TD.
- Get a BCID ASAP, save your passport for travelling!
- Once you have the BCID, you can get a phone very easily on bill. (Went with Fido and got a Neus 4 for 50 bucks or something)
- Buy loads of underwear, socks t shirts etc. in penneys before leaving!
- Get your SIN number the day after arriving.
- Get a transit pass at the beginning of the month. $91 for 1 zone, skytrain, bus and seabus.
- If you like rugby, bring a ball! $60 here for an adidas one!

I'll write more if I think of anything! Feel free to ad!

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Comments

ShooterSF

Heading to Calgary myself but just said I'd post to say thanks for doing such a detailed write up. I'm sure a lot of it is applicable. I bet we can get them Canadians trained into a bit of banter yet :pac:

Scruffy19

Good post Kev, everything you said was correct. cant think off anything else to add really!

fergusb

Good post, couple comments from my experience (been here about 6 months)

I didn't need a BCID to get a phone. Went to Fido as well and just showed my passport (and visa) and a proof of a bank account (which I set up a few hours earlier).

I'd recommend ScotiaBank as they offer (or did offer anyway) free banking for a year. Be aware that most banks charge monthly fees of around $10.

I do find Vancouver expensive, for grocery shopping and eating/drinking out. 2l of milk is around $4 and cheese is a complete rip off.

In terms of work, I'm also a Software Developer and there are tonnes of jobs. But I know a few friends who have had more difficulty in other areas like accounting.

If you want to watch rugby, you can subscribe to a channel "Sports Net World" which showed all the Lions live, Magners League (possibly delayed which isn't a bad thing instead of getting up at 6am!) and I think 6 Nations. As well as a load of NRL/superXV games, I think some GAA (but haven't found it)

All in all a great city like Kev_2012 said. And if your into the outdoors its perfect.

ciaran67

Chinese food isnt as good as Ireland's is an absolute classic.

You mean it doesnt come in boxes frozen in Superquinn?

Kev_2012

fergusb wrote: »

Good post, couple comments from my experience (been here about 6 months)

I didn't need a BCID to get a phone. Went to Fido as well and just showed my passport (and visa) and a proof of a bank account (which I set up a few hours earlier).

I'd recommend ScotiaBank as they offer (or did offer anyway) free banking for a year. Be aware that most banks charge monthly fees of around $10.

I do find Vancouver expensive, for grocery shopping and eating/drinking out. 2l of milk is around $4 and cheese is a complete rip off.

In terms of work, I'm also a Software Developer and there are tonnes of jobs. But I know a few friends who have had more difficulty in other areas like accounting.

If you want to watch rugby, you can subscribe to a channel "Sports Net World" which showed all the Lions live, Magners League (possibly delayed which isn't a bad thing instead of getting up at 6am!) and I think 6 Nations. As well as a load of NRL/superXV games, I think some GAA (but haven't found it)

All in all a great city like Kev_2012 said. And if your into the outdoors its perfect.

I was told I needed a Canadian ID, but the BCID comes in handy for pubs/liquor stores etc. so probably worth getting it anyway!
Yeah Scotiabank was suggested to me because of the free banking for the year, but TD have the offer of a free Samsung tablet, much of a muchness really, I guess it's what ever suits you.

I found eating out a little cheaper, I tend to do so a lot more here, but you are right, cheese, milk, chicken cereal, pasta, all very expensive! But red meat seems to be cheaper. No Frills is a good supermarket to go to for some bargains.

Yeah lot of software work around, but others have had trouble with jobs, but theres a lot of menial work around (not great pay but good to get started!)

Cool thanks for the info on that. I'm dreading missing the sport so might check that out!

All in all it's a great city!

ciaran67 wrote: »

Chinese food isnt as good as Ireland's is an absolute classic.

You mean it doesnt come in boxes frozen in Superquinn?

haha! I wouldn't normally eat chinese food too often, but back home, a greasy curry is a great hangover cure!
Then again, Chinese food in Ireland is not really traditional Chinese cuisine

ciaran67

Kev_2012 wrote: »

haha! I wouldn't normally eat chinese food too often, but back home, a greasy curry is a great hangover cure!
Then again, Chinese food in Ireland is not really traditional Chinese cuisine

Quite. Go try some Dim Sum.

Stick to Barry's Tea for dinner

wendydoll

Regarding banking, how easy is to get a credit card over there?

I like to have a debit card plus a credit card in case of emergencies. Would I need to bring my credit report from here to help get a credit card there. Or is simply, have X amount in the bank and just apply for one??

fergusb

wendydoll wrote: »

Regarding banking, how easy is to get a credit card over there?

Scotiabank told me that I need to have a regular wage before I could get a credit card..... I didn't push them since still have my Irish CC for emergencies.

wendydoll

fergusb wrote: »

Scotiabank told me that I need to have a regular wage before I could get a credit card..... I didn't push them since still have my Irish CC for emergencies.

Hmm I wonder how long you'd need to have a regular wage coming in before they'd entertain an application.

I'm more worried about you saying cheese is a rip off

Fergus-what phone company did you go with? I would be a massive data user and was looking at mobilicity and wind, until discovering they don't work with my iphone 5. (well wind does but my phone is older than the ones required to use the network)

fergusb

I'm with Fido, so unlimited text's, voice, and 2gb data per month and canada wide roaming included (many packages count roaming as outside your city) and think is around $60 per month. In general mobile costs are more than home.

I'm pretty sure they work with iPhone5 as well. I've heard wind aren't great. Cheap but not great coverage or service.

For the credit card I reckon if you show 1 payslip and some form of contract they'd be happy. I've just become self-employed under my own business so meeting my bank manager on Friday to convince them that they should give me a credit card.

montreal2011

BMO require a deposit of $1250 for a $1k limit credit card if you are not a permanent resident.

I know a friend in Toronto who got one from TD without any deposit; they wanted one, but he said some other bank was going to give him one without; so TD gave him one without any deposit.

It's useful to get one as it helps build credit, which will be useful for those who may stay long-term and might want a mortgage in the future.

It helps not to zero the balance every month; pay at least the minimum for sure, but leaving a balance on which they can charge you interest actually improves your credit rating.

Scruffy19

wendydoll wrote: »

Regarding banking, how easy is to get a credit card over there?

fergusb wrote: »

Scotiabank told me that I need to have a regular wage before I could get a credit card..... I didn't push them since still have my Irish CC for emergencies.

TD gave signed us up for a credit card when we opened our accounts! Didnt ask for anything. The manager in our branch over rid the system

kitchenchair

Kev its very worrying that the last thing you mentioned in your pros after the beaches and bars was your job. Shouldn't that be the number 1 pro? Getting work in your field of work. Which is why most people emmigrate in the first place.

Other pros would be a well run country, good banking system (bank charges we pay aid the lack of bankruptcy), optimistic open-minded people, access to a variety of cultures and not just predominantly white and catholic . Just some things I have noticed over here.

Couldnt agree with you more regarding getting BCID and SIN no. asap.

Kev_2012

kitchenchair wrote: »

Kev its very worrying that the last thing you mentioned in your pros after the beaches and bars was your job. Shouldn't that be the number 1 pro? Getting work in your field of work. Which is why most people emmigrate in the first place.

Other pros would be a well run country, good banking system (bank charges we pay aid the lack of bankruptcy), optimistic open-minded people, access to a variety of cultures and not just predominantly white and catholic . Just some things I have noticed over here.

Couldnt agree with you more regarding getting BCID and SIN no. asap.

Well no, I'll have to disagree with you there. Many people have been forced abroad looking for work, but I have been fortunate that the software sector is actually very strong in Ireland at the minute.

My main reason for coming here was experience a different country for a while and to be able to experience things I couldn't do back home (visit the States, go skiing/snowboarding, experience a different way of life effectively!).

But having said that, I am gaining invaluable experience which will help me vastly in the future, I appreciate your concerns, but everything is going well!

Yeah, it is a well run country and the banks are strong (and open at convenient times!), but there are some major cons here too. I really do like it here, but I think I will eventually head home! I prefer Irish people to be honest, as a familiarity thing, but there are a lot of very nice people here.

But the open minded thing you mention, in a way yes, but they can be very critical of what others do, the food thing drives me insane!!!
Also many of them are a little ignorant when it comes to the accent thing and also the geography of the world outside North America.

A friend of mine was refused from Ceilis before because he said he was Irish, i.e. from Ireland and the bouncer thought he was making it up because he thought that Irish was a way of living like Amish people!

Overall though, it is a pretty cool country, just don't knock ours as much because after seeing both sides, they weight up pretty evenly for me

ciaran67

Tell you a pro... or maybe a con.

Turned the corner in my Handy Dart bus today off the very busy St Johns Street onto Moray St in Port Moody. Subconsciously thought wow what a big dog as it galloped along my right side, when I noticed it was in fact a large black bear. It suddenly slowed and I thought, i hope it doesnt cut across me when it turned the other way and shot up a tree.

Only in British Columbia.

ciaran67

Kev_2012 wrote: »

Also many of them are a little ignorant when it comes to the accent thing and also the geography of the world outside North America.

I think a lot of people are quite hard on anyone with an 'American' accent. I've been guilty so many times. It's like we wait for them to say something a bit ignorant or annoy us and it fits with stereotype. Every country has a large proportion who are bit thick, blimey the British Isles is full of 'em.

Having said that, I do laugh when you tell them you lived in Ireland and they say, Man i love Vancouver Island.

Have good year Kev mate.

Shlippery

Took a bus downtown tonight..got to pass through East Hastings. That was an experience. It's like something out of The Walking Dead..rough stuff...so that would be a con.

On the other hand...once you get downtown near the Waterfront, the views are unreal. Feckin Chevron petrol station in middle of the sea for the sky planes! Surreal stuff!

Theresalwaysone

But where do the ground planes fuel up?

ciaran67

Shlippery wrote: »

Took a bus downtown tonight..got to pass through East Hastings. That was an experience. It's like something out of The Walking Dead..rough stuff...so that would be a con.

On the other hand...once you get downtown near the Waterfront, the views are unreal. Feckin Chevron petrol station in middle of the sea for the sky planes! Surreal stuff!

I pick up and drop along there all the time, Its like a war zone. Prostitutes trying to get the truck drivers coming over from the docks and in the alleys people wacked out or shooting up. But, its also not that menacing, you wouldn't get mugged/robbed. Would rather wander down there than up Peckham High Street of a saturday evening!

Shlippery

ciaran67 wrote: »

I pick up and drop along there all the time, Its like a war zone. Prostitutes trying to get the truck drivers coming over from the docks and in the alleys people wacked out or shooting up. But, its also not that menacing, you wouldn't get mugged/robbed. Would rather wander down there than up Peckham High Street of a saturday evening!

Ah ya, I'd say they keep to themselves, just a bit crazy, it's like their own little mini world bartering with their trolleys of stuff!

Gotta recommend Hillcrest aquatic centre to anyone who likes swimming, if you sign up for this new onecard thing, you get 3 three free trips ( to any pool in van I believe)..the pool was used in the paralympics, diving boards (insane.) sauna, streamrom, the whole lot for $6.30 normally...it's right beside the nat bailey stadium!

ciaran67

Shlippery wrote: »

Ah ya, I'd say they keep to themselves, just a bit crazy, it's like their own little mini world bartering with their trolleys of stuff!

Gotta recommend Hillcrest aquatic centre to anyone who likes swimming, if you sign up for this new onecard thing, you get 3 three free trips ( to any pool in van I believe)..the pool was used in the paralympics, diving boards (insane.) sauna, streamrom, the whole lot for $6.30 normally...it's right beside the nat bailey stadium!

Hillcrest is a great centre. Sometimes sit and watch the hockey players if im on a break. Drove past a park the other day somewhere down around Joyce and Kingsway that has free cycle and cross trainers permanently fixed there.

JONJO THE MISER

Are you a taxi or courier driver in van if you dont mind me asking?

ciaran67

JONJO THE MISER wrote: »

Are you a taxi or courier driver in van if you dont mind me asking?

Handy Dart. We drive door to door for disabled, working for Translink. Its more like a taxi cos like i said its door to door.

Jamsiek

Kev_2012 wrote: »

Pints aren't as nice but sure outside Ireland in general is like that

I think the standard and range of beers here is fantastic. I love the craft beers here.

I think Ireland has a poor range of beers in comparison and mostly foreign.
Next time I go home I'll just drink Guinness, good home grown stuff.

ciaran67

Jamsiek wrote: »

I think the standard and range of beers here is fantastic. I love the craft beers here.

I think Ireland has a poor range of beers in comparison and mostly foreign.
Next time I go home I'll just drink Guinness, good home grown stuff.

Its the same in every single pub in Ireland, Bud, Coors Lite, Heineken, Bulmars and Guinness. Britain has the best choice IMO. I miss real ale big time.

Kev_2012

Jamsiek wrote: »

I think the standard and range of beers here is fantastic. I love the craft beers here.

I think Ireland has a poor range of beers in comparison and mostly foreign.
Next time I go home I'll just drink Guinness, good home grown stuff.

I like the Granville island and stanley park beers, dont get me wrong great range, but the quality of pints is nothing compared to Ireland. I've never had a pint anywhere that even compares to the pubs in Limerick , I think ye must be joking if you think pints are decent here! Heineken in Ireland can be very nice from a pint.

ciaran67 wrote: »

Its the same in every single pub in Ireland, Bud, Coors Lite, Heineken, Bulmars and Guinness. Britain has the best choice IMO. I miss real ale big time.

I'm gonna disagree because of a personal opinion and that's that I don't really like ales. Well I like the odd pale ale or stuff like Smithwicks, Rebel Red and Galway Hooker but dark ales for me are cat!

I don't I've ever had such bad pints of lager in my life as I have had in Liverpool, Newcastle and London.

zweton

did u get a job kev?

Sinfonia

Some of the following are kind of both pros and cons, in that they annoy me at times, but are ultimately of benefit to me!

Basically, it's a great place to get fitter and healthier.
The price of alcohol, combined with most downtown bars seeming to have a cover charge causes me to drink less.
The price of tobacco is about the same as at home, but the fact that you can't smoke anywhere is pretty well convincing me to quit (or at least more likely switch to vaping).
I've taken up cycling since getting here, and it's great; I was always intimidated by the idea in Dublin (with driving in traffic, and not really being used to cycling at all), but Vancouver's so easy to cycle around safely. I'm sure it won't be as nice - cycling the sea wall for example - when the summer's over though.

Jamsiek

Kev_2012 wrote: »

I think ye must be joking if you think pints are decent here!

No, not joking. I suppose I have different taste in beers.

Kev_2012 wrote: »

Heineken in Ireland can be very nice from a pint

Really? Sorry don't agree

ciaran67

Kev_2012 wrote: »

I'm gonna disagree because of a personal opinion and that's that I don't really like ales. Well I like the odd pale ale or stuff like Smithwicks, Rebel Red and Galway Hooker but dark ales for me are cat!

I don't I've ever had such bad pints of lager in my life as I have had in Liverpool, Newcastle and London.

You must have a liver like Georgie Best if you've covered all the pubs in those cities.

Real ale doesnt mean 'dark'.