Tag Archive for 'Canada'

Where Am I Going to Live in the Interim – Tips for Traveling Abroad?

Published
by
Matt
on April 17, 2008
in Canada
. 0 Comments

If you live in an apartment, you may need to sign a contract for a specific amount of time that you will be living there. My apartment contract was about to end two and a half months before I was scheduled to travel. I decided it was best to pack up my things and find somewhere to live until I departed. It was hard to find short-term residence in apartments since a minimum residency was required.

Solution: Living with friends and family. One of the costs of moving includes changing my mailing address. I paid for a postal box so I would have a place where my mail could go. I also made my banking paperless as much as I could so my mail wouldn’t pile up while I was away.

How Am I Going to Pay for My Bills When Traveling Abroad?

Published
by
Matt
on April 16, 2008
in Canada
. 0 Comments

When traveling abroad, you still have to worry about paying your bills from your home country. One of the safest things you can do in case someone needs to access your account while you are away is sign a family member to power of attorney. With this, they can access your bank accounts to pay bills or your money if it is needed while you are away. I had a different bank account with Royal Bank of Canada and TD Canada Trust. I had to sign the papers with my family member before the papers could be processed.

While overseas, I haven’t had to ask my family member to access my account. I made sure that I set up my online banking before I left so I could pay all of my bills while overseas. It is a good idea to figure out the options available before you leave the country so you can get immediate assistance and help with any problems you may encounter.

Another important thing to figure out is how you will take money out of the bank while you are abroad. My debit cards allow me to withdraw money from the ATM’s at certain banks across China. I have to look for the Plus or Visa sign before I can take out my money. You can have a look at your own bank card to see if you have the Plus sign. Before I withdraw money, I calculate the exchange rate because that affects the amount of money I can put in my pocket. It costs $5 to take out money, so I try to withdraw as much as I can to save on the banking fees.

Preparing to Work in Chongqing, China

Published
by
Matt
on April 13, 2008
in China
. 0 Comments

I brought my laptop to China so I would have the ability to work in an office, from my apartment, or anywhere I travel. So far, I haven’t had any problems connecting to the internet. The only problem with the internet I have noticed is that some websites are blocked and the download speed is much slower. I can’t complete as many tasks for my job as I could in Canada because of the internet speed. When you work in Chongqing from the Internet, you need to try to find more ways of being productive.

Experiencing Culture Shock in Chongqing, China

Published
by
Matt
on April 12, 2008
in China
. 2 Comments

Arriving from a city of 80,000 people to a city that has a larger population than Canada was a big change for me. The way of life seemed much different to me when I saw the things people ate, their way of life, driving in taxis, and even shopping.

I don’t mind trying to eat things once to experience how they taste. The worse thing I tried so far is pig brains. Just thinking about it makes me ill. I don’t know who keeps ordering it when I go out, but I can’t eat it again. I always look for Western food even if it costs more. When I go out for lunch, I usually go out and try all of the restaurants around my office. We have found a few nice places to eat for a reasonable price.

No one seems to have manners in Chongqing. You have to fight for everything including ordering food, getting in an elevator, and even getting a taxi. No one seems to care what they do, who they bump into, or budge in front of. I will be waiting in line to order food when someone just comes walking up to the counter in front of me and orders when I am at the front of the line. You have to ignore their ignorance and be patient if you plan on being in Chongqing for some time.

If you need to go anywhere and you finally get into a taxi, the driver can understand you if you speak in the right dialect. Even if you learn traditional Mandarin, you still need to speak the local Chongqing language to some people. It just takes time to learn important words. On the road, everyone seems to drive wherever they want. They can pass people on the wrong side of the road, drive the wrong way down one way streets, and create their own lanes when you don’t think it’s possible. When it’s busy, they make three lanes out or a two lane road. I don’t understand why there aren’t many accidents with no rules. I have driven a car in China, but not on a busy road. It seems too dangerous.

When I shop, I have to bargain for the price. You can use different tactics to get the price you want. You can say it’s too expensive and say a much lower price, then say you don’t want the item and pretend to leave. That usually gets them to agree with your price. You can usually find the same item somewhere else, so they know it’s easy to lose your business.

I think I have adapted to this life. It’s been hard to get used to, but now that I can get around by myself, I find this city more interesting to live in than Beijing.