2.5 years after landing – the good

It’s hard to believe it’s been already 2.5 years since my landing here.  Yesterday, I was asked if I were a new immigrant at a CIBC branch in response to my inquiry for a free checking account.  Would 2.5 years count as new? She smiled and said ‘no’. I guess not!

Priority crossing at Yonge and Bloor

My current bank requires that I maintain a certain amount to get the free checking account service.  My coworker mentioned that CIBC was giving out such free accounts with no minimum balance. So, I went there to explore and found out that you’ll get charged for $8/month but at the end of the year, they will give you a $100 check which will  make the service effectively free. Then, I was bombarded with a lot of other options and came home confused than ever. I couldn’t help thinking of this clip – paradox of choice.

I think I have seen my fair share of the city – the good, the bad and the ugly.

Not having to worry about your health issues is a huge plus for sure. Within the years, I have found myself a family doctor and got regular check-ups and some flu shots. At times, I had to go back to the lab for quite a  few times because some items went out of range. And even saw some specialists (dermatologist) for absolutely free. With free, it came with some limited options – you can only go to a doctor who is taking new patients. Yes, this is the only time I have heard of doctors not taking new patients. Since services rendered by doctors are paid by the government and since there is a limit on the allocation on each doctor, doctors don’t make any more money by seeing more patients. Hence, the upper bound. Then, there is a long and lengthy waiting period to get an appointment with specialists. It’s notorious here. Personally,  I waited for about two to three weeks and it’s not a serious matter. So, it doesn’t bother me considering that I don’t have to worry about how much I will be spending for each visit.

Winterlicious, and Summerlicious seem catchy here. Participating restaurants give out a set menu usually appetizer, main course and dessert (and maybe a drink) for a fixed price. Some of these restaurants are really fancy and prices can be way above average. But with these events, they tone down their prices for these set menus making us accessible. Anyway, I went to two places one in each season just to find out what they are. Besides, I have made some friends who really appreciate food. Then, there is this film festival in September and pride parade in Summer time.

Sample Winterlicious menu

This new year, I went to the Nathan Square to see the fireworks and the countdown. It was a sharp contrast to the experience at Time Square years ago – the crowd, the weather, and the mood. The weather this year was unbelievably warm. We had to take off all our winter jackets. The crowd was big but we could roam around freely. There was no waiting for the crowd to ease up. This is the best part of the city. Less crowded means shorter lines at cash registers, washrooms, subways, etc and it just makes life a bit easier. And I love these ‘priority’ crossings where you can cross in all directions at the intersections. When I brought this up to a friend in another city, they were like less crowded? in Toronto? I guess where they are is even less crowded.

The company I used to work (Tech industry)  is looking to hire not one but many software developers. They are indeed having some trouble finding people. Mind you, the process to getting in is rigorous. They make you take an online test  (mine was a 3 hour test but they have shortened it since), a phone interview and a 4-hour in-person interview.  Some even had to write a chess program right on the spot. The turn over rate is pretty high too. They label you unofficially a senior after being there for two years and it’s not that young of a company. From where I came, some people had been working there since I was born. It’s interesting to be in such diverse cultures: one – young, razor sharp, energetic but with not much of the business knowledge or direction; the other – pretty mature with a wealth of knowledge in both business and tech side but the enthusiasm was washed up. I wish I could use the magic bullet to blend them well.

K, i will rest here with the good. Will follow up with the bad and the ugly. Later.