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Richmond is part of the Greater Vancouver area, basically the same city

Yes, but I have read that the rainfall is less. What about the cost of living.

Hi yinyu,

Having myself lived in Richmond, BC for 28 years I can tell you with absolute certainty that it rains every bit as much in Richmond as it does in Vancouver. The entire Lower Mainland of British Columbia is a single weather system and gets a lot of rain. So much so that we had a standing joke...

Vancouverites don't get suntan, they rust!

As far as the cost of living they are almost identical as well. There are only a few areas in which you can enconomize over prices in Vancouver, such as buying your salmon, fish and other seafood directly off the boats docked down in Steveston Harbor and try some of the small produce farms in the area to see if you can buy vegies, etc., from them. It's not going to save you lots of money, but it might help to make up for the extra fare zone to get between Richmond and Vancouver using either bus or Skytrain.

  Cheers, 
  William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

Thanks a lot for your opinión. It won´t be the place for me then since that time I spent there was not pleasant because of that rain.

Hi yinyu,

I presume that you were in Vancouver during the late fall and winter then. This is the rainy season in the Bristish Columbia lower mainland. I guess that there's nowhere in Canada that would suit you then since the REST of Canada is extremely cold and has lots of snow during this same period.

It's sad that you'd let a little thing like rain, and Vancouver's rain is never intense, stop you from enjoying all the rest of the things that Vancouver is so famous for. I'm sure that if you visited again in the spring and summer you would quickly change your mind. Doesn't it ever rain in Panama? I'm sure that it not only does, but that the rains are much more intense too. I know that I've never seen rain like we get here in Brazil, it's a hundred times worse than in Vancouver. I guess you just lock yourself indoors when it rains there, right?

Actually, it rains less in Vancouver/Richmond than it does in Panama - the average annual rainfall in Vancouver is 47.2 inches (1199 mm) while the average annual rainfall in Panama is 75 inches (1904 mm). Since it rains so much more in Panama it must really be unpleasant for you there, since there are 7 really rainy months in Panama (May-Nov) while there are only 4 really rainy months in Vancouver (Oct-Jan).

It's funny about travel - most people travel to see and experience new places, new cultures, new people. Sadly, many of them do so with the expectation that wherever they go things should be just like they are at home. Those people should never travel, because they always end up disappointed.

  Cheers, 
  William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

Hello Williams
Thanks to encoraje me to remember the other aspects of Vancouver that I liked. You are right, it rains much more in Panama, and it is dampt, hot and extremely humid... which I hate. I have planned to leave my country, not only for that but for several other reasons since a long time. I have traveled and lived in several countries (twice to India), so, don´t say that people like me shouldn´t travel. Nothing is worse than the bitter Indian summer with flies and dust, but the interesting experience is invaluable.
I lived in Vancouver during the fall, everyday was drizling, some days raining all day, but the seaside and the cultural life was perfect. It is an ecofriendly city, like Korea, and I admire it.
Maybe you could tell me more about Richmond then, since I already have information about another MA tha I want to take, in Richmond.
I would like to know about living there, and the integration of the immigrants. I am Panamanian and my husband is Korean. We don´t want to be in sectors but integrate ourselves to the society, learn and bring our knowledges.

Hi yinyu,

Welcome to ´ó¿§¸£ÀûÓ°Ôº!

A new topic has been created from your post on the Vancouver forum.

Thank you,
All the best,
Christine
´ó¿§¸£ÀûÓ°Ôº team

Hi yinyu,

Canada is a country that officially embarked on a program of multi-culturalism decades ago. It is one of the most newcomer friendly countries in the civilized world.

No matter where you go in Canada you'll find immigrants from every corner of the globe. They are accepted graciously and, in fact, we Canadians have given up many of our own traditions and outward demonstration of our predominantly Judeo-Christian religions in order to make immigrants from other faiths feel included and more welcome.

Immigrants who proactively integrate themselves into Canadian society soon become just one of the great big family. Of course many immigrants unfortunately seem to wish to isolate themselves and integrate only with others from their own culture. They deprive themselves completely of the many wonderful things that joining into our society brings with it.

  Cheers, 
  William James Woodward – Brazil Animator, Expat-blog Team

Interesting profile yinyu, what type of NGO are you directing? I was raised in Venezuela, and part of my family is from Colombia. I never been to Panama other than stopping at the airport for a few hours several times, which I really, really enjoyed. For some reason, the weather, the nature, the people and, even the humidity suited me. I have some friends in Panama and I am interested in going there one day, it's such an interesting culture!

Richmond is somehow the most Asian culture in the lower mainland. The Asian immigrants kind of like the city and therefore settle there much more than in other areas of the valley. Your name sounds Asian, or is it your nickname? Tell me more about you and I might be able to help you better.

Richmond and Vancouver are right next to each other.  There is really no weather difference. Richmond if famous for its large Asian community, the Vancouver airport. If you are working in Vancouver, the commute can be terrible, as you have to desk with bridges, unless you're able to take their rapid transit system, which is great. (The buses aren't, except the very biggest bus routes) Housing will be less costly than living downtown, but not much, and you'll need either a vehicle or transit pass which adds to monthly expenses. The greater Vancouver area had the strange distinction of being a place where it is almost always cheaper to rent than to own property.

Vancouver is the most beautiful city in the world when the sun is out, but the wet falls and winter take getting used to.  You could try Victoria, as it has more sunshine than Vancouver, add is on the I pen ocean, but it has its own challenges.  Good luck!

Sorry, I forgot a few things: in many parts of Richmond, you would do better speaking a Chinese dialect, either Mandarin or Cantonese, than English.  Whole shopping malls can be only in Chinese. The other bonus to living in Vancouver is the food, you will never miss food from your own culture or from countries where you've previously lived, and even better, you can get good either at high end restaurants or little inexpensive family owned restaurants. Vancouver is s food town and you could spend the rest of your life eating a different restaurants with out getting to then all.  Like to cook yourself? I haven't come across an ingredient that can't be found in Vancouver, unless it's illegal and even then I'm pretty sure you might be able to find it somewhere. (I'm thinking of Chinese medicinal ingredients here). But a good umbrella, and everything will be fine!

Hope this data helps. that gives you an idea of cost of living