Moving from Scotland to Vancouver
Oct 26th 2018, 7:03 pm
#62
"In cruce vincam"
Joined: May 2010
Location: Mill Bay, Vancouver Island
Posts: 3,232
Oct 26th 2018, 7:13 pm
#63
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Europe (to be specified).
Posts: 30,259
Re: Moving from Scotland to Vancouver
If you're in a crummy housing estate in Reading or wherever, and cant' afford to improve your lot in the UK, what possible advantage could you possibly hope to achieve by moving to Vancouver, or Toronto for that matter?
Oct 26th 2018, 10:09 pm
#64
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,849
Re: Moving from Scotland to Vancouver
Oct 27th 2018, 12:54 pm
#67
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: Moving from Scotland to Vancouver
They have those "schemes" in Scotland though. If you were in a bad one of those and you were offered Mississauga (NOTQEW) you'd be in a quandary.
Oct 27th 2018, 2:18 pm
#68
Banned
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: SW Ontario
Posts: 19,879
Re: Moving from Scotland to Vancouver
They were around a couple of days ago..
I'm not surprised if they disappeared for a few - their thread has been taken somewhat off topic (several times).
Oct 29th 2018, 1:21 pm
#69
Yo
Joined: Nov 2012
Location: UK
Posts: 24,474
Re: Moving from Scotland to Vancouver
Nov 1st 2018, 2:01 pm
#70
Bex in the city
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 3,899
Re: Moving from Scotland to Vancouver
good article!
Nov 1st 2018, 3:32 pm
#71
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Moving from Scotland to Vancouver
I attempt to tall to neighbors if I see one, few will talk back, most just do a nod or half smile.
Even my wife who is a social butterfly had had a difficult time making friends here.
Nov 1st 2018, 6:38 pm
#72
Bex in the city
Joined: Jun 2013
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 3,899
Re: Moving from Scotland to Vancouver
I have made friends in every city I ever lived except Vancouver and is the most isolating city I have lived in.
I attempt to tall to neighbors if I see one, few will talk back, most just do a nod or half smile.
Even my wife who is a social butterfly had had a difficult time making friends here.
I attempt to tall to neighbors if I see one, few will talk back, most just do a nod or half smile.
Even my wife who is a social butterfly had had a difficult time making friends here.
I agree that the cultural diversity of Vancouver has an impact as well as people spending over 30% of their income on rent so have they little leftover money for leisure activities.
Ive met some nice Brits our on the IEC but unfortunately many move on to a more affordable area of the country and/or go back to the UK after their permit is up. It’s a very transient city!!
my biggest issue was the fitness studios (not gyms but fitness classes), in the UK it was no issue having a social circle of people I regularly saw when I did my cross training and dancing classes (I still see these guys when I go home to visit) but here after 2 months at a studio, there was no interest in socializing.
It could also be that I have given up making the effort, as well as the fact I attended a number of Meetup.com groups but nothing really came out of it. It’s difficult to get motivated when you are already pessimistic about it.
Most of my ‘friends’ now are through my partner, who was born in Surrey (so they aren’t really my friends) - he’s never noticed the issue with Vancouver being cold but I do remember him saying that back before me he refused to date Vancouver women calling them ‘ice queens’ lol.
Nov 1st 2018, 7:00 pm
#73
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Moving from Scotland to Vancouver
Everyone I know in Vancouber is via my wife and she met them all in Squamish when growing up.
She also has friends in Squamish she met as an adult.
We dont see much of her friends these days as they are all professionals and have kids and are on a different life track but we usually see some of them once a year.
I am sure housing eating such a large percentage of income for so many keeps them from being able to do a lot of social activities, at my work the only people with any sense of a life are the ones living at home with mom and dad. Those living on their own and paying rent never seem to leave work.
My workplace has a lot of cliques, I being on the older side (most everyone is under 25) even work can be isolating.
Neither of us want to stay in Vancouver we just lack the ability to fund a move, otherwise we would pack up and leave.
Just have to figure out where in BC is nice and yet affordable rent wise.
I did a alot of meetups when I first arrived, most ended up going nowhere, a few were fun enough to keep going but no real friendship ever came from it.
All my friends I made elsewhere was via workplace which seems less common here at least where I have worked but then I am a good 15 to 20 years older vs the average co-worker. A few in my age group or older however they are busy with kids and live in the burbs.
She also has friends in Squamish she met as an adult.
We dont see much of her friends these days as they are all professionals and have kids and are on a different life track but we usually see some of them once a year.
I am sure housing eating such a large percentage of income for so many keeps them from being able to do a lot of social activities, at my work the only people with any sense of a life are the ones living at home with mom and dad. Those living on their own and paying rent never seem to leave work.
My workplace has a lot of cliques, I being on the older side (most everyone is under 25) even work can be isolating.
Neither of us want to stay in Vancouver we just lack the ability to fund a move, otherwise we would pack up and leave.
Just have to figure out where in BC is nice and yet affordable rent wise.
I did a alot of meetups when I first arrived, most ended up going nowhere, a few were fun enough to keep going but no real friendship ever came from it.
All my friends I made elsewhere was via workplace which seems less common here at least where I have worked but then I am a good 15 to 20 years older vs the average co-worker. A few in my age group or older however they are busy with kids and live in the burbs.
Last edited by scrubbedexpat091; Nov 1st 2018 at 8:28 pm.
Nov 1st 2018, 7:32 pm
#74
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2013
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 116
Re: Moving from Scotland to Vancouver
I moved to Vancouver in 2012 and have a very varied but large group of friends. I had read before arriving that Vancouver was cliquey and so when I arrived I joined meetup.com and went to three or four meetups a week. I found I made friends very easily and never had to deal with the loneliness others report. On the other hand my now best friend who arrived in Vancouver has a very small group of friends as he didn't really put in much effort when he first arrived so I think this is key. I would completely agree that it's harder to make friends with born-and-bred Vancouverites and they are very cliquey and also found a lot of people here are super flakey when arranging things to do. I would also agree that Vancouver is pretty transient and that a lot of friends I've made over the years have now left Vancouver.
Nov 1st 2018, 7:44 pm
#75
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,851
