The most common reaction to "we're moving to Vancouver", was "isn't it an expensive city to live in?". It is fair to say we were prepared to be shocked by the cost of renting a house.
Winter
Buying a Car - Part 2
Once we'd chosen a car, we discovered the fun had only just begun. This story follows on from Buying a Car, Part 1 Paying for big things in Canada is a little different from what we're used to in New
Canadian Banking Concepts
Canadian banking seems to lag New Zealand a bit in some seemingly obvious ways but is ahead in others. The concept of bank transfers doesn't really exist (except within the same bank, and even then it's not so common). Most
Buying a Car - Part 1
Everyone in Canada (and probably the USA too) wants a new car. If not a new car, then one maybe three or four years old. Everything you read online talks about financing or leasing. There's this obsession to own the
The Job Hunt - Vancouver
Before we left New Zealand, I had worked out that I couldn't teach easily in British Columbia. During teacher training, BC teachers are trained in the province's curriculum. Therefore, I would need to do some extra study to become qualified
Bank Account Drama
Opening a bank account in a new country isn't quite as straightforward as you'd think, mainly due to the concept of credit history. As touched on in our story First Steps, your credit score needs to be built from scratch