Vancouver check-in

Suarez20

Im from the North too, there are 3 of us heading over in october, when insuring a car is it the car is insured or the driver? ie could we split cost of insurance between 3 of us?

RonanC

I'll be in Vancouver for 3 months from next week - any recommendations on what mobile operator to go with on a PAYG basis? All I need is a sim and a package with decent data.

ciaran67

RonanC wrote: »

I'll be in Vancouver for 3 months from next week - any recommendations on what mobile operator to go with on a PAYG basis? All I need is a sim and a package with decent data.

Mate, its all bad for phones. Very expensive. I use speakout from 7-11. 35 bucks a month for 200 mins, unlimited text and internet with little data, cant remember what. In London I had giffgaff - 10 quid unlimited text, call and no data limit. Here you also pay for incoming calls.

ciaran67

Suarez20 wrote: »

Im from the North too, there are 3 of us heading over in october, when insuring a car is it the car is insured or the driver? ie could we split cost of insurance between 3 of us?

Being a Liverpool fan you will be turned away at the border let alone being allowed a car

Look up ICBC for insurance details.

Frank Bullitt

Looking to get my food places sorted as soon as I arrive, love my grub but have heard like many in here, its best to shop around and to do a weeks shop, you would probably have to go to 3-5 different places.

Scruffy19

Suarez20 wrote: »

Im from the North too, there are 3 of us heading over in october, when insuring a car is it the car is insured or the driver? ie could we split cost of insurance between 3 of us?

From what I know, I think its the car you insure and not the driver. Just be a matter of you swapping your license over. Think mine was 30 bucks and was posted out to me 1 week later.

Gintonious wrote: »

Looking to get my food places sorted as soon as I arrive, love my grub but have heard like many in here, its best to shop around and to do a weeks shop, you would probably have to go to 3-5 different places.

We do a weeks shop at a time but get most stuff in IGA, but go to the market for our fruit and veg. Simples

BFassassin

RonanC wrote: »

I'll be in Vancouver for 3 months from next week - any recommendations on what mobile operator to go with on a PAYG basis? All I need is a sim and a package with decent data.

PAYG is really expensive over here.
I had a payg sim with telus for a while but they charged for everything, incoming calls and texts even.
I just went with Koodo last week on a month to month contract so that would suit you for the three months. 450mins calls, unlimited texts and 600mb of data for $39 p/m.
It seems to be working out ok for me so far.

Panthro

I'm with Wind mobile. for 25 a month I can make free local calls/texts and test home. Coverage is shyte once you leave Vancouver but it's done me grand in fairness.

ciaran67

Panthro wrote: »

I'm with Wind mobile. for 25 a month I can make free local calls/texts and test home. Coverage is shyte once you leave Vancouver but it's done me grand in fairness.

TBH they're all pretty bad once you leave Vancouver.

wendydoll

Does anyone know what metrotown/burnaby is like?

Seen quite a few jobs in my area located in that area

shivdev

Hey,
I moved over three weeks and loving it so far. Living out with a friend in Surrey (not as bad as everyone makes it out to be) but is a fair distance from downtown, about 40 mins on skytrain. Will probably move closer to downtown at the end of the summer as I got a job there but for now it suits me fine.
I got a retail job within two weeks of being here, luckily got full time but I had applied to at least 50 - 60 other jobs without hearing anything back. I used Monster, LinkedIn, craigslist and company websites to get my CV out there. I handed CV's in around Robson and in Metrotown too. There's definitely jobs out there, it's just about persistence! Also make sure you have your CV formatted to the Canadian format as employers won't look at it otherwise.
Food is expensive, avoid Safeway like the plague! It's just a matter of shopping around and trying a few different places. Pricesmart is good for reasonably priced meat, I go to a local market for cheap, fresh fruit and veg, T and T is also good for fruit and veg and cheap things like sauces, oils and seasonings (the kind of things you don't realise you need til you go to throw them in a stirfry and they're not there!)
I'm on Wind mobile, got a basic handset for $40 and my phone plan is $25 a month. It suits me perfectly, signal isn't a problem and
I can text home with it. For banking I went with TD, their charges aren't too bad, you need to make an appointment to open an account but once you do that they set you up with everything straight away. They'd an offer running when I opened my account where you get a free Galaxy Nexus after August if you fulfill some basic requirements ( think it was one lodgement in and one bill out, real easy!)

Haven't gone out on any mad nights yet so can't fill you in there, just trying to get all the basics sorted first but it is expensive!

Suarez20

Hey Shivdev would you have a template for a Canadian type CV? If you could PM me one it would be greatly appreciated. cheers

Scruffy19

Suarez20 wrote: »

Hey Shivdev would you have a template for a Canadian type CV? If you could PM me one it would be greatly appreciated. cheers

I just edited mine and made it shorter. Seemed to do the trick if you Google it you'l find information on it

ciaran67

wendydoll wrote: »

Does anyone know what metrotown/burnaby is like?

Seen quite a few jobs in my area located in that area

Its a pretty good neighbourhood and on the skytrain. Mostly Vietnamese and Chinese Its on Kingsway (superb Vietnamese food) which is the only major road that runs diagonally across town from Mount Pleasant which is at the bottom of Main St, good few bars opened up at the bottom of Main. It would be quite quick to downtown on the skytrain. I'm up and down it all day. It wouldnt be my first choice if I was coming into town. I would go further into Van and skytrain out to Metrotown.

ciaran67

shivdev wrote: »

Haven't gone out on any mad nights yet so can't fill you in there, just trying to get all the basics sorted first but it is expensive!

Good pub is the Railway Club on Dunsmuir and Seymour, downtown. It has live music most nights and you have to go to the bar to buy proper pints. Been drinking in there since we first go here in 1998.

It is expensive until you star earning. Then it doesnt seem so bad.

Kitsilano Beach is gorgeous lads, get down to it when you can on a nice day (like today).

I'll have to meet more people in the area so I can hang out down here more often. Loads of groups of people just relaxing out here. Bang of weed from some of them too :P

Frank Bullitt

Just a quick one.

What is the baggage allowance on the flight over? Flying with Air Canada, did people pay extra to bring over more stuff?

Scruffy19

Gintonious wrote: »

Just a quick one.

What is the baggage allowance on the flight over? Flying with Air Canada, did people pay extra to bring over more stuff?

Think it's about 23/25kg. My suitcase was 29kg but they never said anything about it

Frank Bullitt

Yeah some are saying 20kg, others a bit higher, bit of a pain!

Scruffy19

Gintonious wrote: »

Yeah some are saying 20kg, others a bit higher, bit of a pain!

Check with the Airlines website it will state it their

ciaran67

Scruffy19 wrote: »

Check with the Airlines website it will state it their

pssssst google.... shhhh its a secret

Weird question... Does the haircut number system we use in Ireland translate to the same thing in Canada? Like is a number 2 or a number 3 the exact same here as it would be back home?

Also, any recommended barbers?

ciaran67

Sacramento wrote: »

Weird question... Does the haircut number system we use in Ireland translate to the same thing in Canada? Like is a number 2 or a number 3 the exact same here as it would be back home?

Also, any recommended barbers?

Surely if you're taking 2 or 3 you must do you own - and I speak as a member of SLAP.

ciaran67

ciaran67 wrote: »

Surely if you're taking 2 or 3 you must do you own - and I speak as a member of SLAP.

SLAP as in Slaphead? My standard haircut would be 3 for the back & sides, then scissors cut on the top so not something I'd take on myself.

V8_man

Sacramento wrote: »

Weird question... Does the haircut number system we use in Ireland translate to the same thing in Canada? Like is a number 2 or a number 3 the exact same here as it would be back home?

I think so - my dog gets a "4" !

they're metric obviously here, but most still understand 3 = 3/8 inch, 4 = 4/8 inch. I do my own with a machine I bought here and the combs are marked 1-8 too.

celticwe

Scruffy19 wrote: »

Me and my friend came over here at the start of April and I got work sorted within 2 weeks (Painting and decorating through Craigslist), My mate finished uni last year in construction engineering, but to date he hasn't found anything yet. Hes currently working for Audi moving cars, but hey its money! He applied for a job on the 12th April and only heard word back 2 weeks ago. Canadians seem to be more relaxed about looking for people for some reason!

We were lucky that we had a condo sorted before we came over, so off the plane and into somewhere nice We are living in North Van beside the seabus so everything we need to get about is on our front door

To be honest I haven't ran into that many Irish people tho!

Im looking for a painting job myself

Whats it like over here?

Started one for 2 hours,but had to leave cause they wouldnt speak to me in english,but spoke to eachother in english!!

Looking at the moment for a new job.
Would be nice to hear what its like for youself:)

Captain_Generic

Hey i'm heading over towards the end of the year, and i'm wondering if anyone can give me a rundown of the various areas of Vancouver in terms of accommodation. Like good areas for public transport, nightlife, bad areas and whatnot!

ciaran67

Captain_Generic wrote: »

Hey i'm heading over towards the end of the year, and i'm wondering if anyone can give me a rundown of the various areas of Vancouver in terms of accommodation. Like good areas for public transport, nightlife, bad areas and whatnot!

Guide

Frank Bullitt

I'll be arriving in a few hours, said my goodbyes today, fairly emotional stuff.

But the excitement is always building.

Scruffy19

celticwe wrote: »

Im looking for a painting job myself

Whats it like over here?

Started one for 2 hours,but had to leave cause they wouldnt speak to me in english,but spoke to eachother in english!!

Looking at the moment for a new job.
Would be nice to hear what its like for youself:)

Thats a bit messed up lol, you were right to walk..

my last boss messed me about so I left and started with a students works crowd. Its handy enough, I out qualify everyone so my work always looks good . The pay is enough to get me by and pay the bills + work until end of Oct! Was looking on craigslist earlier for work (just being nosey really), seems there was a load posted today!

They like to do thing differently out here but wunt take you long to figure that out. What I found strange was that they don't use ANY oil base paints, its all Latex stuff! They also do alot of spraying (which is slower) instead of brush and roller, but apart from that its more are less the same!

Gintonious wrote: »

I'll be arriving in a few hours, said my goodbyes today, fairly emotional stuff.

But the excitement is always building.

Enjoy and your landing at a good time its roasting