Vancouver

Among Canada’s major cities, we usually think of Toronto as much colder in winter and Vancouver as having much milder weather.  Both being popular among Chinese immigrants, with Toronto being better for finding jobs, doing business, and in general being more expensive, while Vancouver is better for living.  

On this trip at this time of the year, however, we have found that Toronto tend to  be warmer than Vancouver, while things seem to be more expensive in Vancouver - including food, gasoline and houses.  If you wish to buy a house, you might have to be prepared to pay half a million Canadian dollars above the asking price, because many other people may be bidding against you. 

We have only arrived in Vancouver half a day ago, and out on the streets of Richmond and Burnaby for a couple of hours.  Yet, at least some parts of Vancouver, feels very Chinese - with restaurants, supermarkets, churches, businesses, …, and, of course, Chinese-looking people everywhere.  Many people live here for years without having to know English.  In this respect it is very much like Toronto.  And Vancouver seems to have better public transport. 

I learned two new words on this trip: Hong-couver and Kong-ronto.