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Canadian culture IS mediocre. Everyone's ambition here is to do what everyone else does. Restaurants are mostly the same. Businesses don't innovate, they mer

Canadian culture IS mediocre. Everyone's ambition here is to do what everyone else does. Restaurants are mostly the same. Businesses don't innovate, they merely do what someone else who was already successful did. The parent may not have elaborated the reasons perfectly but everyone here knows it.

brailsafe 4y ago
If given the chance to work and live in the states for $50k more, or in Europe for the same amount or less than I currently make, I might choose the latter for the novelty, but not the former to climb a ladder, so what's the comparison worth? That said, I'm not about to move to the suburbs where everyone and everything is pretty bland and same.
- novok 4y ago
  The difference is far from $50k in tech, it's far, far more and you can live in an actual city called new york unlike all of canada?
  - brailsafe 4y ago
    New York seems neat, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to live there. Pretty happy here in Vancouver. The rent and housing costs are absurd, but they'd be worse in New York. I like parts of the states quite a bit, but I don't think I'd like to live there, at least not long-term. Not my vibe. People say the difference is much greater than $50k, but I think it's often overblown. You have the top few companies with crazy stock compensations on top of higher base salaries, but I'm not getting into those companies anyway. Some places can compete with that, but not as many as simply moving to the states, especially with no degree, and just automatically making so much more. It would be ladder climbing, and I don't care enough about hocking more bs products at people that I'd put so much of myself into that.
    - novok 4y ago
      I think your coping man. I come from a similar area. Instead of the $70k or $90k CAD your making, your making $350k or $400k USD ($400-550k CAD see https://levels.fyi/ https://levels.fyi/) as a bog standard sr engineer with many, many things being cheaper in the USA than canada itself, and you get healthcare better than canada because your well paid. If you took off 3 months to go leetcode the return on investment is there, and you could make it into those companies. You can get work visas based on years of experience alone without a degree, and google et all don't discriminate on not having a degree either. On top of that as a lucky canadian, you get one of the easiest work visas to get in the world, the TN visa. It might not work in this recessionary environment, but in a year or two when it passes you'll be all ready to go to get the promotion of a lifetime. Vancouver is not a city beyond it's tiny downtown. It's much like SF bay that way, vast reams of suburbia with a commuter rail train system that barely services vast swaths of the city. Get out of your comfort zone, and you will do amazing. I'm rooting for you.
      - brailsafe 4y ago
        Seems sincere enough, albeit with a tinge of overt condescension towards my chosen city I've been to a fair number of cities, sure af wouldn't want to live in Toronto, New York, SF, LA. There are a few that I'd consider, but I never really think of them, and I definitely wouldn't do it for a company that just offered me a position. Too much tangible risk, unless I had no option. I'm sure I could get a job at the one of the spiffy companies, but I limit my search to remote only or here in Van, or mainland Europe. I've been through the interview process at one, it was fine, I could and might tidy up and try again. The money is compelling somewhat, but not so much so after reaching six figures that I'd sacrifice much for it. And what is that sacrifice? Well, firstly I absolutely do not want to live in a downtown anywhere. In some ways, they're just as boring as the burbs, except maybe Portland. I like being in a more low key but still dense and wooded area near everything I need and close to the downtown. I have friends here, access to nature/mountains, bars, restaurants, fiber, it's chill. If I made more money, I'd use it to live here, if housing was more reasonable, or rent more slace if I felt that was a sensible move. Not to say I won't move or even move out of country, maybe even for a job, but I'm not arbitrarily chasing career numbers, it hollows a person. Probably best would be a small team remotely for a U.S company billing in USD
11101010001100 4y ago
Mike, you seem to have a sore-on for Canada. I am sorry.
- brailsafe 4y ago
  But what do you want it to be? Ambition about what? Relentless capitalism bums me out and grinds ppl down.
- Mikeb85 4y ago
  Just want to see my country do well. Unfortunately it's mediocre. First step to changing that is realizing it's mediocre.
  - 11101010001100 4y ago
    It's mediocre, but for me, that's acceptable. Having spent significant time in the US, I'll take the mediocrity over the faux-meritocracy.
    - Mikeb85 4y ago
      Fair, I don't like everything about the US but I do wish we had a bit more of their hustle and ambition. And maybe held our politicians to account for the way our institutions are crumbling.
      - SketchySeaBeast 4y ago
        > And maybe held our politicians to account for the way our institutions are crumbling. It's strange to hear this complaint after a comparison to the States. I would dare say a vainglorious attitude doesn't seem to be helping.
        Mikeb85 4y ago
        That point is different than the other point. If you're not Canadian you wouldn't know that all our government institutions are way worse than they were, say, 10 years ago. Trying to access healthcare, trying to contact the CRA, trying to get a passport, etc... All these institutions have gone to shit fairly recently.
afavour 4y ago
Kind of sad to equate culture with capitalistic endeavour. There’s a lot more to the world than that.

brailsafe 4y ago

If given the chance to work and live in the states for $50k more, or in Europe for the same amount or less than I currently make, I might choose the latter for the novelty, but not the former to climb a ladder, so what's the comparison worth? That said, I'm not about to move to the suburbs where everyone and everything is pretty bland and same.

novok 4y ago
The difference is far from $50k in tech, it's far, far more and you can live in an actual city called new york unlike all of canada?
- brailsafe 4y ago
  New York seems neat, but I sure as hell wouldn't want to live there. Pretty happy here in Vancouver. The rent and housing costs are absurd, but they'd be worse in New York. I like parts of the states quite a bit, but I don't think I'd like to live there, at least not long-term. Not my vibe. People say the difference is much greater than $50k, but I think it's often overblown. You have the top few companies with crazy stock compensations on top of higher base salaries, but I'm not getting into those companies anyway. Some places can compete with that, but not as many as simply moving to the states, especially with no degree, and just automatically making so much more. It would be ladder climbing, and I don't care enough about hocking more bs products at people that I'd put so much of myself into that.
  - novok 4y ago
    I think your coping man. I come from a similar area. Instead of the $70k or $90k CAD your making, your making $350k or $400k USD ($400-550k CAD see https://levels.fyi/ https://levels.fyi/) as a bog standard sr engineer with many, many things being cheaper in the USA than canada itself, and you get healthcare better than canada because your well paid. If you took off 3 months to go leetcode the return on investment is there, and you could make it into those companies. You can get work visas based on years of experience alone without a degree, and google et all don't discriminate on not having a degree either. On top of that as a lucky canadian, you get one of the easiest work visas to get in the world, the TN visa. It might not work in this recessionary environment, but in a year or two when it passes you'll be all ready to go to get the promotion of a lifetime. Vancouver is not a city beyond it's tiny downtown. It's much like SF bay that way, vast reams of suburbia with a commuter rail train system that barely services vast swaths of the city. Get out of your comfort zone, and you will do amazing. I'm rooting for you.
    - brailsafe 4y ago
      Seems sincere enough, albeit with a tinge of overt condescension towards my chosen city I've been to a fair number of cities, sure af wouldn't want to live in Toronto, New York, SF, LA. There are a few that I'd consider, but I never really think of them, and I definitely wouldn't do it for a company that just offered me a position. Too much tangible risk, unless I had no option. I'm sure I could get a job at the one of the spiffy companies, but I limit my search to remote only or here in Van, or mainland Europe. I've been through the interview process at one, it was fine, I could and might tidy up and try again. The money is compelling somewhat, but not so much so after reaching six figures that I'd sacrifice much for it. And what is that sacrifice? Well, firstly I absolutely do not want to live in a downtown anywhere. In some ways, they're just as boring as the burbs, except maybe Portland. I like being in a more low key but still dense and wooded area near everything I need and close to the downtown. I have friends here, access to nature/mountains, bars, restaurants, fiber, it's chill. If I made more money, I'd use it to live here, if housing was more reasonable, or rent more slace if I felt that was a sensible move. Not to say I won't move or even move out of country, maybe even for a job, but I'm not arbitrarily chasing career numbers, it hollows a person. Probably best would be a small team remotely for a U.S company billing in USD

11101010001100 4y ago

Mike, you seem to have a sore-on for Canada. I am sorry.

brailsafe 4y ago
But what do you want it to be? Ambition about what? Relentless capitalism bums me out and grinds ppl down.
Mikeb85 4y ago
Just want to see my country do well. Unfortunately it's mediocre. First step to changing that is realizing it's mediocre.
- 11101010001100 4y ago
  It's mediocre, but for me, that's acceptable. Having spent significant time in the US, I'll take the mediocrity over the faux-meritocracy.
  - Mikeb85 4y ago
    Fair, I don't like everything about the US but I do wish we had a bit more of their hustle and ambition. And maybe held our politicians to account for the way our institutions are crumbling.
    - SketchySeaBeast 4y ago
      > And maybe held our politicians to account for the way our institutions are crumbling. It's strange to hear this complaint after a comparison to the States. I would dare say a vainglorious attitude doesn't seem to be helping.
      - Mikeb85 4y ago
        That point is different than the other point. If you're not Canadian you wouldn't know that all our government institutions are way worse than they were, say, 10 years ago. Trying to access healthcare, trying to contact the CRA, trying to get a passport, etc... All these institutions have gone to shit fairly recently.

afavour 4y ago

Kind of sad to equate culture with capitalistic endeavour. There’s a lot more to the world than that.