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[url="http://www.cbc.ca/story/business/national/2006/04/07/jobs-060407.html"]Unemployment rate hits 32-year low of 6.3%
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I read Global and Mail yesterday.
Please do not be too positive on those numbers. Numbers are numbers.
I mean if you make 8 dollars----10 dollars/ hour in Nanaimo, full-time.
Those kind of jobs might be retails, consider the house price, inflation.
The real income actually keeps dropping these couple of years.

unemployment rate is low, people are not so relax these days

the security company we use is paying $13 an hour. they cannot find anyone.

trades, trades, trades, retail/wholesale trade/information/culture/recreation.

Sharon, really, Vancouver living expense is too high, 13 dollars/hour might sound a lot in Nanaimo, I guess Vancouver isn't.

I make 10 dollars/hour for 30 hours/ week,after paying bills, RRSP, nothing really left. However, it's ok for me, without high living expense, Nanaimo has less competition, life is lay back. Beside, I am still not PR yet, no complain. Consider I would never find a 335dollars/month basement bachelor with 2 ace land on the backyard, 5 min walking distance to beach.

That's why once I got PR, I will go for practical nurse. After I finished my nursing program, I wanna move to the most remote area in Canada, somewhere in Newfoundland with couple hundred population, which they need me, young, energetic, care about seniors and kids!! Or join army, navy for medical officers, I don't mind they send me to Iraq.


I hate big business, retails!!! I do not wanna work for them, I wanna some occupation that people do respect me.

you have an interesting perspective of business. most business are small companies employing less than 10. Not sure why you think there is no respect. I work for 350 retailers. some are better employers than others - just like some big companies are better than others. Some pay better than others- depends on the skills you bring to the negotiating table.

Most entry level retail starts at $10-12...and no, you can't live on that kind of money in Vancouver. Vancouver is a 2 income city. I am lucky. I have a good paying job and I live in the suburbs. The math works for me.

The biggest thing that will help you get past the poor wages is your english skills. You are improving with every month that goes by, but you still need to be able to write a letter or report -even for nursing school. Get busy my friend... you have the brains, and you have the ambition.

yep, I spent too much time on-line and wine/beer brewing,fishing, writing Jazz.Those are my hobby. Hey, I am read "English grammar for dummies" right now.

good for you. My brother is an english teacher. I tell him about you often. He figures I should keep all your posts so we can write an award winning book. 'The adventures of a Canadian in in waiting'.

like your story about keeping the deer out of your garden.

Departure Bay Wrote:I read Global and Mail yesterday.
Please do not be too positive on those numbers. Numbers are numbers.
I mean if you make 8 dollars----10 dollars/ hour in Nanaimo, full-time.
Those kind of jobs might be retails, consider the house price, inflation.
The real income actually keeps dropping these couple of years.

unemployment rate is low, people are not so relax these days

I never take unemployment numbers too serious.

Joohliya Wrote:good for you. My brother is an english teacher. I tell him about you often. He figures I should keep all your posts so we can write an award winning book. 'The adventures of a Canadian in in waiting'.

like your story about keeping the deer out of your garden.

Hey guys! I did grade 12 English provincial, since Sharon told me to improve my English written skills and I took that very seriously.
I went to adult based education upgrading my Grade English, which is all literature stuff. I was placed to take provincial exam with all British Columbia high school students on Jan.

I didn't even check my provincial exam until last week, actually i forgot, too busy. I didn't expect my grade 12 English will pass, period.

I got "C"!!!

Guys, please do not laugh at me, I finished my post-secondary education here in Canada, doesn't mean I know how to write. Because I took TOEFL, I didn't go thru ESL to learn English. I learn all my English on CBS, ABC; late show with David letterman, EI, West Wing, of course Sesame Street before I came to Canada. I have never had any formal training towards English.

Yep, I made it; finally I got Grade 12 English C!!
However, it's still long way to go and to say English is my fluent language.

I still have to get Biology Grade 12 at least C+ this term. However, I love studying biology, it’s like studying Greek, one more language.

Guys, I go to school on morning and go to work at night. None stop; it’s a little bid tough at first, however, make me busy, I like it.

It seems I didn’t get shxt from CIC, suppose I have work permit, not allowed to go to school. But you know what? Less than 6-month courses don’t need study permit. Beside, usually people are satisfied with their paycheck and stay home after work, not me though. High school course are just game to me, I like it, and maybe that’s why I am still so naive. I just tried to get as much as I miss while I was back in my home country, even high school courses.

In order to prevent deer invasion, I build a fence for my landlord.
We have green onion, cherry trees, blackberry, and roses on the garden.
Once she tried to dump the bathtub, I actually kept it. And dig a hole on the ground, put bathtub in. And I made a koi pond; there are 8 golden fish, 6 koi (lucky number and good fengsui, we believe koi can bring good luck) fishes in it. Doesn’t matter outdoor is frozen, they just keep growing.

My landlord is a really nice retired college staff lady. She divorced though; never have mood to take care of garden until I moved to here.

She only charges me 335dollars/month for basement with washroom and kitchen. That's very low rent in Vancouver Island. For a place just 5 min walking distance to the departure bay beach, it’s a good deal really. My landlord even lets me party couple times a month, as long as no drug, liquors outside the house.

Therefore, I do all the yard work, collect garbage, and put recycle according to city's schedule. Even landscaping, you know what? I don't care about time or money at all. Just those feeling of taking care of a house. It makes me believe one day I have ability to own a house with 2 aces. Dream is only dream when you wake up, experience to take care of house can lead my dream comes true.

Congratulations on your english test. You will never regret the effort.

post a picture of your pond!

do you like it sharon?>