England Vs.Canada Pt. 2
Sorry for the late post here, I've been a little busy recently and well, I procrastinate anytime I'm not. But here it is, the massively anticipated Pt. 2! I can tell you've all been waiting with baited breath.
What I'll Miss
1. The British Currency
One thing that is very British, is the Great British Pound. What a currency! Unrivalled in elegance and class and much simpler than most countries. Also, it is "note", not "bill" or "buck", these aren't people we're talking about. Next they'll be called Ben or Jimmy.
I also know anytime I buy something over there, I will have to convert the value of the item from dollars to pounds in my head. So if something is $25, I'll do a little guesstimation in my head as to how much that is in pounds (about £16). This will surely get annoying sooner or later.
2. European Alcohol
I haven't heard great reviews about the whole nightlife/alcohol scene over there. I've read the range of alcohol there is pretty poor, in particular cider. I'm a big cider drinker, mainly European brands like Kopparberg, Bulmers and Rekordelig. I doubt that even exists there. I hate lager (or beer if you want), especially Budweiser. So please, tell me that you have more to offer than that.
I've also heard that not only is the alcoholic choice limited, it's extremely expensive. Now, I can understand it's an expensive city, but I've heard rumours of £6 a pint? If this is true, I'm going Tee Total.
Finally, the nightlife in general is meant to be quite quiet and sombre. Apparently there is a lot of rules and laws in Vancouver, for example, bars aren't allowed to have more people in them than seats and you have to queue for long periods just to get in places. That pretty much rules out any clubs being there, I've never been in a club where there's as many seats as there are people.
3. British Phone Contracts
Okay, so this has left a fairly sour taste in my mouth as of yesterday. I used to think British phone contracts were bad, until I seen Canada's yesterday when I was looking at my options. What an absolute farce!
Firstly, pay as you go is a complete rip off. You have to pay for incoming phone calls and texts. That makes absolutely no sense. That means two people are paying for one phone call, how does that add up? You're being swindled!
Secondly, contracts including a phone last 3 years! I'm only there 1 year, so thats out of the question.
Finally, A typical contract here would last about 18 months and maybe cost £20 a month (£360), that's including a free phone. That also tends to include unlimited free texts and plenty of free minutes(300+). A contract there lasts 36 months and costs maybe $35 a month (£800), with very few texts, minutes, no voicemail and no caller ID. You can also only use these free minutes/texts within certain areas. If I were to leave Vancouver, I would be charged at a long distance rate.
All in all, your phone contracts suck.
What I'm looking forward to
1. The Food
I love food! I'm slightly concerned just how tempted I will be with all the food they have in Vancouver. So many cuisines from all around the world. I just think it will be a haven for me eating crap for a year. I really need to make sure I don't go overboard!
One thing I am looking forward to try is Poutine, apparently the national dish to Canada. It's only chips, gravy and cheese, so hardly something lavish, but they certainly rave about it over there.
Also, they're obsessed with bacon! I watch a series on YouTube called EpicMealTime (pictured), which is a group of Canadians making over the top dishes from all sorts of meat. They can't make a single meal without bacon, and I love it!
2. The Health Drive
To counteract my point 1, hopefully I will get dragged into this, somewhat. Health is seemingly a big deal over in Vancouver. Everybody keeps fit by walking, running, cycling, going to the gym, swimming etc. etc. Whilst I'm not a big health fan, I could do with some motivation to get into it, and seeing all these healthy, trim people all day everyday may guilt me into doing it myself. I do actually want to join a swimming pool at some point over there.
3. Activities
Having read numerous articles and web pages about "Things to do in Vancouver", it is clear there is a lot! There are lists in their hundreds listing activities you can do. Of course, some of them I won't want to do, but there is a lot I do. I don't even think a year will allow me to do it all.
One thing I really want to do is walk the Capilano Suspension Bridge, even though I hate heights, it looks great.
And that's it for today!
So, where am I heading first? Well, it's a hostel called Samesun. It's based on the main street through the entertainment district, where all the bars and high street shops are. It's pretty much in the thick of it, which is ideal to begin with, but long-term I probably won't want to stay so central. It is the highest rated hostel in Vancouver, with a very young vibe, lots of people in the same situation as me, so hopefully I can meet a lot of like minded travellers and possibly someone to live with. It also sits above it's own restaurant/cafe, has it's own bar and organises its own events/activities. Pretty much, it's THE place to be for travellers in Vancouver. 
On my second day we have orientation. This is basically a presentation and help and advice about things like SIN numbers (you need it to work), bank accounts, applying for jobs, accommodation etc. This is (hopefully) where I go from a headless chicken, to a headed, yet still pretty clueless one. 
