When I came to Vancouver in 1997, the things which surprised me included the living standard of people, education facilities, transportation, and climate.

The first thing that surprised me was the living standard of people. Everybody have cars, own house, good quality of furniture, appliances, cellular phones. Next the free education and high taxes were also new things for me. Every Canadian and landed immigrant can get free education until the age of 18, but the high rate of taxes makes me uncomfortable. Comapred to my country, the transportation system is more convenient, affordable, and very fast. Everybody can enjoy travelling in the bus until midnight. The student concession card and old age pass are good facilities. The seabus and skytrain are very advanced transportation systems in Vancouver. It is easy to reach any destination without facing heavy traffic.

The climate of Vancouver was strange for me too. It rains for half of the year in Vancouver. There is also snow in December and January every year. The residents of Vancouver come from all over the world. Most of the people belong to Europe and Asia, but the percentage of native people is also high.