What do you like/dislike about Vancouver?

[Guest canmic]

I guess not everyone thinks that if you specifically buy a ticket to an event that says "Formal Attire Required" then you should be expected to respect that.. Again, maybe the lack of respect being shown isn't 'immaturity' but some sort of 'laid-backness' that I don't understand..

 

As far as MedAnxiety's response... well.. sorry but maybe you would like this thread to be called "What do you like about Vancouver" instead of "like/dislike"...

 

Also, my comments about peds were specifically in response to someone else's question/comment, I have no interest in peds myself (I don't really recall mentioning any other residency program?) Someone asked a question, I had info that came from VERY reliable sources, so I passed it along, sorry if it makes you unhappy but reality isn't based on what makes you or anyone else happy, it is what it is.

[Guest kupo]

the fact that "formal attire required" isn't always respected reflects the imperfections of our city - imperfections that also exist even in other cities like Toronto or Montreal (and you cant tell me there aren't)....

 

and I have VERY reliable sources as well to back my statement up! haha...just playing around with you all....

 

from your "immature, laid-backness" kupo

[Guest kaylen]

Canmic,

 

From all of us people who love Vancouver, do not think that our city's residents are immature and all have a full understanding of the whole west coast laid back thing, I have one question for you:

 

What site did you get admitted to? Because I am suuuure there are a lot of people looking forward to meeting you!

 

Kaylen

[Guest leviathan]

This whole talk about the "people" of Vancouver vs. other cities is just plain ridiculous. You know to various degrees about 150-300 people in a city of 2,000,000 and then you generalize the attitudes of the entire city off n=150 people?

[Guest moo]

People in Vancouver aren't immature. They're different.

 

I've lived in Chicago for three years now. I told my friends (Asian, white, Indian, doesn't matter) I wanna go back to live at home when I do residency (home as in with my parents). They all laugh and think I'm immature. All my friends in Vancouver still live at home (regardless of race). They're all around my age (~25). I don't consider myself or any of my friends immature. It's just a different culture. You wouldn't call people from Europe immature because they all live at home until they are in their 30s (on average, this is a fact).

[Guest canmic]

Hmm interesting.. I don't recall saying anything about people living at home longer (can't see how that would be something I'd dislike about vancouver, which is the topic of this thread, remember?).

 

Of course, the main point; which many people seem to be totally missing here, is that all of the things I've pointed out relate back to one simple concept..

 

Having respect for other people (or not).

 

If you want to call it being 'laid back' go ahead. To me, having a serious lack of respect for others is a sign of immaturity.

 

Reading back over this thread, it's quite interesting how many people have actually proved my point.

 

The lack of respect given to others by many in this city also explains why there are many more car accidents here than there are in other cities with double or triple the population and MUCH worse weather as far as driving conditions goes..

 

But I'm sure it's just the 'laid back' driving style...

 

And, to answer some other questions that have been asked, I am quite happy about the nice thick-velope that I got in the mail friday, that wasn't from UBC.

[Guest teaehn]

hopefully what you have experienced is not representative of the students/staff here at ubc. i agree that in the 5 years i've been at ubc, there have been some instances of rudeness, by faculty and students alike, and i can see how one might zero in on such instances to make generalizations about the school/students etc. Speaking from personal experience, vancouver is a spectacular city. ubc is a lively school. the weather is beautiful (when it's not raining) and people for the most part are friendly, approachable, and warm. of course, in any group of people, you will find people who are disrespectful and inconsiderate. it's unfortunate that you happened to witness some less than applaudable events. however, i also take personal offence to some generalizations especially those concerning the DTES, as some people tend to judge individual choices as being immoral or moral blind to the fact that some of the problems inherent in any inner city are the result of a multitude of sources, some of which lie within these harsh judgements themselves. anyways, i think that there are many great things about vancouver, and to make it even better, perhaps we should invest more time trying to break out of our personal worlds and into the worlds of those people who may not be as fortunate as us, and learn about them, rather than simply saying that we don't like having dirty needles around.

come to vancouver, there are lots of fantastic things here! parks, people, nightlife, weather (sometimes!)...and the med school ain't too bad either

[Guest canmic]

Not sure what generalizations about the DTES you are taking personal offense to?

 

Are you saying that finding dirty needles in your garden is something that you like (as opposed to dislike) to have happen to you?

 

Are you saying that having your car constantly broken into is something you enjoy?

 

Or are you taking 'personal' offence because you are someone who breaks into cars and throws dirty needles in people's gardens and it upsets you that people don't like it?

 

Whoever did those things, and whatever their reason for being the way they are, it's still not something that I like to happen to me and it's the reason I no longer live in east van.

 

I didn't blame anyone for the things I said about the DTES or East Van, I just said they were things that happen routinely that I dislike. I said that they are reasons to avoid living in East Van.

 

If you wind up in medicine, feel free to explain to the parent in the ER whose child accidentally stepped on an HIV+ needle laying on his front lawn that he/she is wrong to be unhappy about it and that it wasn't the fault of the person who put the needle there, but it was his own fault, for being part of society. Feel free to tell them that they are wrong to judge the act of putting the needle there as immoral.

[Guest MedAnxiety]

Congrats on that other thick envelope you got! That's awesome...to be able to have choices.

 

Again, canmic, you're making it seem like if you live in Vancouver, you're bound to encounter and/or experience events that are unfortunate, yet, i'm sure these are situations that probably happen in any "big" city in Canada. However, I must say that after living in Vancouver for 22 years, i have been fortunate enough to have never found a dirty needle (or even a clean needle) in my backyard, nor have I used/thrown a needle out into someone else's backyard (or know someone who has), nor have I had my car broken into (or even my house for that matter), nor have I had any professors walk out from a lecture at UBC. And I live one block away from East Vancouver. So maybe i'm just naive about the "dangers" that face Vancouverites because I have definitely had an awesome time living here in BC, with the weather, the PEOPLE (the majority of them), the mountains, the trees, the rivers, the arts, the culture, the music, the nightlife, etc.

 

Of course i have experienced less pleasant situations as well, such as seeing squeegies on several major intersections, the terrible traffic at rush hour, rain that won't stop for over a week, and crazy drivers here and there, but these are typical situations that I'm sure people experience in any big city in Canada (except for having non-stop rain, they have non-stop snow).

 

So, I know that Vancouver definitely has it's faults, but things that you have mentioned aren't typical happenings for EVERYONE (or even the majority) in Vancouver alone, but are possible events in ALL major cities alike.

 

MA

[Guest moo]

canmic,

 

Someone earlier in this thread said that people in Vancouver tend to stay at home till they're married in their late 20s or 30s. That's why I mentioned that.

 

There are a lot of things I dislike about Vancouver, but I want to go back for residency is because of the many things people mentioned before.

 

I don't know what it is about Vancouver, but there's something different about it from other North American cities. I can't really say people are ruder there, they're just more... reserved I guess. People here in Chicago say good morning to me, they talk in the elevator with me for no apparent reason, just to make small talk, whereas this doesn't really happen whenever I'm back home.

 

Anyway, I can't wait to go home for a couple of rotations in 19 days, despite all the bad things you mentioned.

[Guest teaehn]

If you wind up in medicine, feel free to explain to the parent in the ER whose child accidentally stepped on an HIV+ needle laying on his front lawn

 

i'll let you know when i come across such a situation.

you are missing the point. the point is not that people should not be upset by such events (as rare as they may be), but that rash generalizations about marginalized populations are not appropriate.

[Guest Procuitto]

I've lived in Vancouver for 25 years. 13 years on the east side and 7 living on the west side. I have encountered a dirty needle ONCE. Incidentally, it was on the WEST side of Vancouver. I went to a west side school, and about 3 students from my school were featured on the news one evening about kids doing heroine. So, drugs are everywhere my friends. Even in those "perfect and safe" communities on the west side. Also, I have never had my car broken into. But, that being said, many of my friends that live on the west side have complained of their cars getting broken into - particularly in the Fairview and Kitsilano communities.

 

Finally, east Vancouver is a very large region with much heterogeneity in terms of the types of neighbourhoods, the types of people, and the socioeconomic backgrounds of the people choosing to live there. Believe it or not, some very well-off people choose to stay there! The downtown eastside is VERY different from the rest of east Vancouver - say the Killarney area, say the PNE area, say Vancouver Heights which are all very nice communities.

 

All this ranting and generalizing...it doesn't necessarily offend me, but it does reflect poorly on those of us making those generalizations. It tends to show poor judgement and it demonstrates to me that you are not very well informed but simply disgruntled about a few bad incidences that have happened to you (sort of reminds me a bit of American History X!). Now I'm not calling anyone judgemental or ill-informed. But I am saying, when we generalize as we have here, we appear judgemental and ill-informed. Like we have our heads in the clouds.

 

Hopefully I didn't offend anyone, that's not my intent. Just wanted you to see it from the point of view of someone that comes from the east side.

 

Keep well everyone - and watch out for all those dirty needles!!! :rollin

 

Proscuitto

[Guest Jochi1543]

I'm just kinda sitting here, watching all the drama from a distance....:rollin

[Guest btrots]

I'm with you, moo. There's just something about Vancouver. I've only ever lived in Calgary and Vancouver, so perhaps my love affair with Van is the result of my spending the best years of my life there (uni)...maybe the memories as much as the city (a big maybe). But whatever it is, I'd love to go back for residency. I've been accepted to UofC, but there's still a part of me that really regrets not being able to do the MD thing in the city that now feels like my real home in many respects. Now that I've been out of Van now for over a year, I'm really aching to get back...here's hoping, even if it is a few years or more down the line!

 

Aside: Speaking as someone that's worked in a Pender HIV/methadone clinic, I'd like to mention that drug abuse is often a disease, and not at all a failing in morality. I'd caution you not to judge a group negatively unless you've actually had reasonably direct dealings with them.