Hello Members
Finally i have reached canada. I am still in Bed and Breakfast appartment and i might be able to get my appartment around 15th of May. Got my SIN card and got my account opened.

I would like to thank all CD members. Their advice has been very helpful all through this process. The real challenge lays ahead and i will more of advice and i guess this time i might have it face to face.

I will be seeing most of the seniors in the upcoming meeting.

See you all then..

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Manjeet Singh

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Orginally posted by Manjeet

Hello Members
Finally i have reached canada. I am still in Bed and Breakfast appartment and i might be able to get my appartment around 15th of May. Got my SIN card and got my account opened.

I would like to thank all CD members. Their advice has been very helpful all through this process. The real challenge lays ahead and i will more of advice and i guess this time i might have it face to face.

I will be seeing most of the seniors in the upcoming meeting.

See you all then..

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Pramod Chopra
Senior Mortgage Consultant
Mortgage Alliance Company of Canada

Welcome to your new home Manjeet
Biomed

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"Change before you have to" : Jack Welch

Welcome to Canada Manjeet!

How are you finding your bed and breakfast place in particular and Canada in general?

How does it compare to Dubai? (first impressions?)

And above all - do you need any help? If you do, just let me know. Send me a private message and I shall try to do the best to make your settling down comfortable.

Chandresh

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Chandresh

Advice is free – lessons I charge for!!

when u get out of bed don't come out to any public place with night pajamas which is common in india and stay away from winter jackets in spring and summer

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hate blaster

Thank you all for warm welcome.

Well things went smooth at the Airport. One difference which was new to me was that at Airport Passport control they didn't stamp my passport. It was only at immigration office (which is ofcourse within airport) they stamped my passport. I was delayed for a while as i was unfortunately standing in a queue where the department was training new employees so it took relatively longer time to clear at customs as at every step officer was explaining to the new hire.

At immigration office i was asked to produce all the cash and everything was counted. This was something i didn't expect as i had a draft which was over minimum requirement. I had to declare cause of law requirement.

I had a bad image of Canadian Airport which happens to be better than i expected. Not much rush as compared to Dubai.

It was raining and the temprature was around 3 degrees that was something which did put some low in my mood. I came out of the Airport and looked out for taxi. Since i didn't have any one to receive me i was looking out for "Prepaid Taxi" like in India but unfortunately i didn't see anything at Airport. I saw a taxi outside airport and fortunately it was our punjabi brother and he agreed to take me in 35 dollars ( on meter it would have costed me around 45 $). I had to walk a little as he wasn't suppose to pick me up from front door of airport. I felt secure and arrived safely at my destination.

Infrastructure is not the best but not bad either. I can easily say that infrastructure in gulf is the best specially in Dubai. But then roads and best infrastructure doesn't give me security i am looking for...

Things which are not comfortable are that markets dont really open till 10 am and they start closing at 9 pm. I feel little insecure walking late night in the downtown. No bad instances just may be cause i am new here with my wife. Mobile phones are expensive and lot complicated schemes. I think i have shelled out little extra in my mobile phone. I am developing a habit of asking people to not call me during the day on my cell (weird though). Mobiles are expensive. Monthly it will cost me around 53 $ along with taxes. Yes, taxes on everything 15 %. Difficult for me as i come from no tax economy. It does pinch me.

Underground Railway system (subway) in toronto (excluding missisauga and brampton) is good. Its a good and economical system to move around. This was the sole reason for me to choose downtown for my initial days and it is really helpful. Bus service so far has been a little wait at times on bus stops.

Internet access is easy through cafes but then there was no prepaid card service which is very popular in gulf. I have travelled in most of the gulf states and all of them have a prepaid internet cards where you can access internet without signing up. I struggled for 3 three days here and finally i had to signup with an ISP for unlimited dialup access for 15 dollars a month. I am surprised that no one heard of it here.

Credit card is very handy so any one coming over should get one along.

My bed and breakfast experience is good and bad. Good in a sense i dont have to depend on any of my far related relatives. Bad is the food availability. There are couple of Indian restaurants and its again expensive. 10 - 15 dollars a meal for two. Its good that my mother made me some home made piniyan and heavy stuff like that and that's my breakfast with black tea in my room. I had a deal of $ 350/week it includes a phone line (free local calls), tv, fridge, mini Microwave and attached bathroom without breakfast ( which is anyway useless for us). Other goods no problem with the accomodation, no botheration i haven't seen anyone from the management side so far, doors are locked from outside and no one knows who lives next door. At least i dont know..

Another problem with accomodation is that they charge $20 for a vacume cleaning which so far i havent done. I am thinking to buy a vacume which might be around 50 $ which will be of some use in future in my appartment as well. 20 $ for cleaning what?

They dont give extra bed sheets for long term stay as my pricing is low. So that is something i have to get done from the market using coin laundry.

It is so far smooth i would say as the problems i have faced are minimum expected. I have found one bedroom appartment in west of north york $ 825/ Month includes water, electricity and gas. It includes electric stove and a fridge. Its at Finch and Islington intersection. I have a far distant relative living near by so in case of emergency i can depend on them.

I had seen few basements and they were around 700 dollars but then i was advised not to take as there is less privacy, sunlight and lots of interference sometimes from the landlords. Its at the basement the landlords do their laundry so they may come and go. Electric bill, water and gas are shared and are usually inclusive in the rent and therefore they may object if you overuse water or electricity or gas.

Another reason i thought of picking up an appartment was due to the reason that basement the owner can tell you to vacate anytime but in appartments its your wish.
I would be required to submitted first and the last month rent. Again the problem is i will get only on 15 th may and i might have to extend my stay here in bed and breakfast accomodation.

Markets are mixed. There is no grouping of markets according to comodity. I would advise for immigrants bring everything you can. I bought 2 chinese umbrella for 36 $. I had to pay it as it was raining heavily and my first few minutes in the market and i know it took some time to sink in my heart.

Well in the end i would say i am starting to like it slowly. Now the only issue is job....Lets see when that gets sorted out.

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Manjeet Singh

Welcome to Canada Manjeet. All the best.

Daks