Guek-Cheng Pang - CultureShock! Vancouver: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

This 3rd edition published in 2011 by:
Marshall Cavendish Corporation
99 White Plains Road
Tarrytown, NY 10591-9001
www.marshallcavendish.us

First published in in 2003 by Times Media Private Limited; 2nd edition published in 2007 by Marshall Cavendish Corporation.
Copyright 2007, 2011 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited All rights reserved

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eISBN: 978 981 4484 80 0

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Printed in Singapore by Times Printers Pte Ltd

Photo Credits:
All black and white photos by the author. All colour photos from Photolibrary except page h (Getty Images). Cover photo: Photolibrary

All illustrations by TRIGG

Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away from ones comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of culture shock whenever they move to a new country.

Written by people who have lived in the country and experienced culture shock themselves, the authors share all the information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a style that is easy to read and covers a range of topics that will arm readers with enough advice, hints and tips to make their lives as normal as possible again.

Each book is structured in the same manner. It begins with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the peoplewhere they came from, who they are, the values and traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette. This is covered in the first half of the book.

Then on with the practical aspectshow to settle in with the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through topics such as how to find accommodation, get the utilities and telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in school and keep in the pink of health. But thats not all. Once the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food, enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be immersed in the language of the country before discovering more about the business side of things.

To round off, snippets of basic information are offered before readers are tested on customs and etiquette of the country. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource guide and list of books for further research are also included for easy reference.

Vancouver city is part of the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

Map of Downtown Vancouver, Gastown and Chinatown.

In 1972, Captain George Vancouver... sailed into the inlet, passed north of Stanley Park... and into First Narrows. Vancouver wrote in his journal: Here we were met by about 50 Indians, in their canoes, who conducted themselves with great decorum, and civility ....
Robert Hull, Gordon Soules, Christine Soules, Vancouvers Past

ITS MORNING, and as you look out of the window of your high-rise city apartment, towering blue-grey mountains greet you. On the other side, you glimpse the water of False Creek or English Bay glinting in the sunlight. It may be a little cold in winter, but the snowy peaks present a beautiful sight that helps to take some of the chill away. In any case, you are looking out from the comfort of your cosy, centrally heated apartment.

This is Vancouver. No matter where you are, nature is never very far away. It is visible everywhere. Leave your apartment and it is just a short walk to a green areanot just an everyday city park, but somewhere spectacular, like the Pacific Spirit Regional Park, home of the giant Douglas firs.

No doubt about it, Vancouver is one of the prettiest cities in the world, and it is not necessary to have lived in many other cities to know this. This is despite the many wet and grey winter days when the chill gets under the skin and into the bones, because when the sun shines, there is no better place to be. Detractors of the city point to the rather provincial feel of the place and complain it is not as exciting or cosmopolitan as some of the other big cities such as Torontono CN Tower here or other record-breaking landmark, and the sails of Canada Place cannot rival the distinctiveness of the Sydney Opera House. Yet, new arrivals to the city are often quickly converted into true-blue Vancouverites. For those of us who came to Vancouver as visitors and stayed, we unabashedly love our city. Vancouver gets under your skin, and its not just the winter chill. This is the way Vancouver isit just grows on you.

But I would not want you to think that my praise of Vancouver as one of the best cities in the world to live in is purely subjective. Vancouver has come up tops in many Quality of Living surveys. In particular, surveys by international consulting company, Mercer Human Resource Consulting (formerly William M. Mercer), have consistently placed Vancouver in the top five of the most livable cities in the world. Calculations are based on factors such as housing, transportation and cultural and recreational facilities.