Further to my boyfriend-brand lunchbox blog entry, my friend Down Under wanted to see what boyfriend-brand dinner looks like. See photos below from our dinner last Sunday.
[03-Nov-2013 Vegetarian version for me]
[03-Nov-2013 Fish for boyfriend]
Not only does DD cook and plate the food, he also cooks a vegetarian version for me if it is a meat-based dish. Btw, that's home-made pesto sauce on the fish and tau-hoo ［豆腐］。 DD loves cooking and sharing the product of his culinary skills. My role is to eat, appreciate and be happy!
[03-Nov-2013 The works behind home-made pesto]
Hi, was refer to your blog by a blogger. We have our PR cards, and have our first landing in June 2013...and intend to go to Canada in 2014... Could you advise on where to stay,.am a local born Singapore with a family.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Hi NGS,
DeleteSince you've done your first landing, you'd have a sense that Canada is a huge country. I wonder if you're asking which Canadian province/territory to stay, OR if you're asking where to live in Metro Vancouver? I'll assume the former and give you my 2 cents.
Declaration and disclaimer: I have only been to BC (Metro Vancouver, Sunshine Coast, passed by Interior BC) and Alberta (Calgary and Bnaff National Park). All other comments are hearsay, or fingertip-tour (i.e. Google). Therefore, any content from me shall be construed as a sharing of personal opinion, not advice. I do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided and/or linked by me.
Where to stay depends on your priorities. If you're flushed with money, anywhere in world is good -- heck, even Singapore is good -- not just specific areas of Canada. Otherwise, my 2 cents would be to consider the following:
1. Job opportunities. See Working In Canada website to decide on the province with better prospects for the breadwinner's career.
http://www.workingincanada.gc.ca/home-eng.do?lang=eng
2. If the breadwinner's career is in a regulated profession, then check out which province may have less hoops to jump or more support for returning to your previous profession. Once again see the Working In Canada website for information about specific jobs.
3. Climate preferences: In Western Canada -- Vancouver, BC has the mildest winter (hardly any snow) compared with Edmonton, Alberta (which has snow/melting-snow almost 6 months of the year). The Prairies (i.e. Saskatchewan, Manitoba) have hot summers, (e.g. 38 degC), cold winters (e.g. -17 degC), and is a tornado belt. For Eastern Canada (Ontario, Quebec) is similar to The Prairies, except perhaps not so dry. Atlantic Canada (PEI, New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia) is on the hurricane belt, but pleasant island weather otherwise.
4. Cultural considerations: Big cities such as Vancouver and Toronto have very diverse population. Atlantic Canada is pretty much "white-bread Canada". Alberta cities are somewhat in between, except that they bear more USA influence. The Prairies are generally "white-bread" except for pockets of professionals dominated by foreigners specially recruited from overseas to meet specific demands (e.g. Filipino/Indian medical staff).
5. Political considerations: BC is the Liberal side of Canada. Alberta is the Conservative side, where the current Conservative PM Harper rose from. (Alberta is strongly influenced by USA, possibly due to historic migration/settling of folks from "South of the border".) Quebec is rather Francophone-oriented for now due to political reasons, not a great time to move there.
Hope the above helps. Please drop further comments and perhaps state some details about your priorities/situation if you would like further information.
Cheers, WD.
Hi, thanks for your comments. Actually I was referring more to Vancouver, which we intend to settle now.
ReplyDeleteA bit of myself, I have two young children, Primary 5 and Sec 1, and 3 teenagers ( two of them will be serving NS, and one of them will be following with the mum to settle in the year 2014.
Thanks
Hi NGS,
DeleteI do not have any children and thus I have not done any research on education for the young. Here's some info and/or opinions that I've gathered from some locals and immigrants. Disclaimer: Take the info/opinions at your own risk.
For public schools, you will need to reside (i.e. official residential address) within the "catchment area" to enrol your child in a specific school. The school districts, covering each city, in Metro Vancouver, include (not full-list here):
1. Vancouver School Board
http://www.vsb.bc.ca/schools
2. North Vancouver School District
http://www.nvsd44.bc.ca/Pages/default.aspx
3. West Vancouver School District
http://www.sd45.bc.ca/
4. Burnaby School District
5. Richmond School District
http://www.sd38.bc.ca/
6. New Westminster School District
http://district.sd40.bc.ca/
For a full list of B.C. school districts, check Guru Wikipedia and ask Professor Google for details.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_school_districts_in_British_Columbia
If you're looking for private schools, then it is an entirely different ball-game. Please ask Professor Google about it.
Generally, DTES (downtown East Side of Vancouver) is a poor-men's area, so poverty-related issues do creep up in schools too. West Vancouver is dominated by wealthy households. North Vancouver and Vancouver-west (i.e. Vancouver, west-side of Main street) has a more-even cross-section of the social demographics.
The folks whom I spoke to generally like bringing up their children in North Vancouver or Vancouver, west. That's all the opinions I've gathered.
Once again: Take the above info/opinions at your own risk.
Cheers, WD.
Hi WD,
ReplyDeleteThanks..would revert later, if anything to ask..