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Journey from a room with large bay windows (9)
One day, a moving dealer of Vancouver cooperating with a Japanese carrier I asked gave me a letter via Tony's place that my effects has arrived at Vancouver dock. I had to clear the Customs Office by myself. However, the Customs Office person said on the phone I should not be able to receive my stuff as long as I haven't completed my immigration yet.
My immigration consultant in Tokyo advised me it might be impossible to settle the problem. As for the Vancouver carrier, she first said it was my own problem not hers. When I insisted that the Japanese carrier didn't mention any possibilities of such a trouble before shipping, she suggested me to go to another Customs Office which is located in the next city of Vancouver saying she can negotiate it with an acquaintance officer there.
Visiting the office, I got the permission all too soon. I wondered what the Canadian justice was. Anyway, I made it moved and kept at Tony's house until I settle somewhere, as he promised to. In return, I concentrated in my room of YWCA on completing the blueprint of the web-site which focuses on healthy and beauty Canadian products for Japanese market.
My immigration consultant, Mr Saito, rushed me to acquire 7 all score in IELTS (International English Language Testing System), which was required to immigrate into Canada in the skilled worker category, to make it for the immigration interview supposed to occur in that summer. So I decided to enter an appropriate English school as well as French (French ability skills was said to be advantage for me). But before go further, I wanted to travel around the country because I didn't think I know Canada enough to immigrate.
I determined to go around BC (British Columbia) and then English and French schools. There were few days remained in staying at YWCA. Soon after finishing the draft of the web-site, Tony and I planned a photo-shooting for the products and a model. Even though I sent him a detailed schedule of shooting along with things I wanted him to prepare, he seemed not serious not seeing what I sent well. I wondered if that was the Bangladesh style, and at the same time I began feeling every Canadian jobs seem not professional but much like amateur.
I have been involved in advertising industry of Japan over 15 years as copywriter and later creative director. Upon immigration, I intended to further develop my career in not only in Canada but also in the USA with ambition, since Immigrants of Canada are allowed to work also in the US. Vancouver area's advertisements appeared to me a little bit behind the time, but among them I found a quite interesting one, Richmond Centre's, in a well-organised free travellers' magazine, Visitor's Choice. That ad has quite a unique idea regardless of the consumers' background.
I called Visitor's Choice and visited the editor and art director. He said he didn't know who made the Richmond Centre's ad. Searching for on the Internet, I found it was made by an ad agency, DDB Canada. As everybody knew maybe, it was a member of world-famous DDB Group; I hesitated to contact them. My English ability should not be good enough to clear the criteria at work; therefore, I would make a presentation after finishing the English course I am taking.

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Back then, actually I was in a plateau studying English in Japan and eager to break through it in an English speaking environment. When choosing a school among uncountable ones within a stone thrown in Vancouver, I had no idea. Many Downtown's were cheap but appeared like an extension of NOVA, a largest English conversation chain school in Japan, with the disgusting number of young international students from Asia.
I wanted an English course targeting on the new immigrants to use in daily life or at work. That seemed the only way to one up in English proficiency for an over 40-year-old man. At the same time, Mr Saito, the immigration consultant, recommended me to have a preparation course for English interviews as well as a French conversation course in order that my immigration interview may take place in that summer. Seemingly on the Internet such institute belong to universities.
At first, I visited Capilano College because it had both English and French course and appeared more like vocational. However, an office lady advised me its English curriculum was rather academic to enter universities and French course was not available soon. What she recommended instead was UBC (University of British Columbia), one of the best rated ones in Canada. Still, I was wondering Simon Fraser University's might be better because the English curriculum clearly explained on its web-site was for unexperienced young but for my area. However, its French course seemed not available then, either.
Other than universities' institutes, I also gave it a thought on Vancouver School Boards which offer so-called night schools. Finally, I decided on UBC with a night school course. With reputation as No,1 English school in Vancouver, the UBC English Language Institute had accommodations service by which I could home-stay with cheaper price than ever. It was $26 per day with 3 meals. Besides, in the same campus of UBC I could commute a French conversation course every Saturday. As for the night school, I was also able to commute every Monday and Wednesday night.
What I was concerned about UBC English Language Institute was despite of its expensive fee ($4,160 for April 5, 2004-June 24, 2004) there were few explanations on the curriculum of the program on its web-site. Having visited in person, I got no specific information. Maybe that's the style of UBC which has best reputation in English education around Vancouver, I thought.
by tetsu95jp | 2007-11-10 16:20 | 3.Vancouver area
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