What are the best cities for living and working in Canada?
Since I've lived in Ottawa for 4 years now I feel compelled to tell you a little bit about it, then I'll get on with other notable cities in Canada. Ottawa is well-known for being a Government town. As the capital of Canada there are obviously very many Government buildings around. If you're looking to work in Government this is probably the best place. It's very close to Gatineau (QC) as well which offers housing at lower prices. Ottawa actually also has a pretty big StartUp community. Once you get involved - you'll quickly get to know everyone and find out how exciting (in my personal opinion) it is. Check out my answer on the best cities for Startups in Canada for a little bit more info: @Hailley Griffis's answer to What are the best startup/tech cities in Canada? ) Ottawa is beautiful with lots of history to see (endless museums and Parliament buildings!) On top of that there are always lots of festivals happening. Cities that there is a lot of 'buzz' around: Montreal I've visited Montreal a couple of times and I absolutely love it. It is noticably larger than Ottawa (which is why people will drive from Ottawa to Montreal for weekend trips - it only takes about 2 hours) which makes it a neat destination for interesting restaurants, a great nightlife, concerts as well as great shopping. Montreal is one of the only Canadian cities that has ever reminded me of Europe, they have the copplestone streets and older buildings that give it a little bit more of the European feel. What I've heard from people living in Montreal is that if you live downtown, it's amazing! If you live anywhere else, it's better to have a car to get around because the transit is a little slow. Vancouver I've had quite a few friends that attended the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Everyone that has been there praises Vancouver for it's green spaces and healthy lifestyle. Everyone is supposed to be very active and the community revolved around maintaining that high level of exercise and health. On top of that, Vancouver is stunning and is home to some pretty cool Canadian companies. HootSuite is one of the tops ones. Other cities that I've heard good things aobut in no particular order: Calgary (Lots of fun things to do in a growing city) Edmonton (It gets cold here but the residents love it!) Toronto (A very busy city - the largest in Canada) Quebec City (Another beautiful city) Waterloo (Famous for their StartUps)
Whats it like living in Charlotte NC, and is UNC Charlotte a good school?
UNC Charlotte is a "suitcase college" meaning alot of the students go home on the weekends. Part of this has to do with location, as the University is located a good 10 - 20 minute drive from downtown. Also, there is no football team which leaves that excuse out for staying weekends (though they are working towards getting one). There is not a typical college "strip" of bars, clubs etc geared specifically to students. Charlotte is the type of school where you have to look for fun. There are parties of course but its not on the level of other bigger schools. On the other hand, they are doing alot of renovations, have a solid architecture program, and campus is located close enough to Charlotte downtown that you can take advantage of the scene of a growing city that has been booming for the last three decades. I actually enjoyed Charlotte because there were lots of oppurtunities to get involved and make an impact on campus just because it wasn't one of these oversized schools where you're one of a hundred thousand or whatever. Tuition is going up everywhere, and UNC Charlotte is no exception. When I was a student they were always raising or about to raise tuition. I've been happy with my degree because I knew I was going to live in North Carolina, Charlotte was a good bargain, and ultimately I knew they were committed to making the types of investment to growth and research that would make my degree much stronger as time goes on.
How the Smart City mission will help to control migration from village to urban areas?
The reasons people move to urban areas vary greatly depending on the person, but they typically revolve around employment. Vice Versa does not take place. And Smart City is meant for growing Urbanisation.Economic reasons, such as quality of housing and cost of living are other common reasons for relocating from a rural to an urban area. Education is also a large factor.Urban areas have more opportunities for employment, especially in competitive, progressive industries, such as computers, technology and high-level corporations. Cities often have a better quality of living, and though cost of living is higher in most cities, the trade-off for a better quality of life is worth it for some people. Educational centers are more prevalent and common in urban areas, so for people interested in furthering their education, a city has many more opportunities than rural areas.Social and personal life are two other commonly quoted reasons for moving. Cities provide more opportunities to get out and meet people, such as social clubs, bars, dance clubs and support groups. For people with unique interests, it is easier to find like-minded individuals in urban areas than in isolated rural regions. Some people move to urban areas for personal reasons, such as getting closer to the family or work of a significant other, or to find better opportunities for their children.
How can we work together to reduce child mortality around the world?
Child mortality is based on quite a wide and varied number of things. My advice is choose a cause that is contributing to the problem but has meaning for you. Get involed. There are a lot of wonderful organizations doing the work you already care about. Even a monetary contribution would allow these organizations to buy additional vaccine to distribute. The best answer is ... care. When you care you talk (informing others) and give (protecting others). I think it is wonderful that you are thinking this way. Please, do what you can. Have the courage to make a difference, even a small one.
Portland vs Seattle to live in?
Weather: Seattle is more like London in terms that it's slightly rainier. Ethnic Diversity: Seattle just because it's bigger. Gay Friendly: Equal. These are both probably two of the most liberal cities in the USA Seattle is the bigger city. It is known for having a lot of smart people. In Seattle, smarts/nerdiness is celebrated. We're a huge hub for technology companies- besides the headquarters of Microsoft and Amazon- a lot of tech companies have large offices here- from Google, Adobe, IBM and others. Though liberal and laid-back- it has a more 'corporate' element in some areas then Portland does. Honestly- I think we used to be like modern day Portland back in the early 90s with the huge Seattle music scene such as Nirvana and the grunge movement. Portland is a city for hipster young people. It has a more artistic element and communal element. It's more laid back then Seattle. People are probably friendlier overall. But it's slowly morphing into "Seattle-lite". It's following Seattle in technology with Intel being their largest employer now. As you may have guessed both city's economies revolve around import/export and technology.
Is it worth moving to Detroit?
Detroit is a cheap place to live, rent, food, everything is cheaper than the rest of the country. The Economy is tough, but the whole United States is in decline right now, your Job/Skill like you said is more about industry than area, so i would say live in Detroit, make some money and move somewhere else.
Is it better to work for a large or small company as a mechanical manufacturing engineer?
Hi thanks for A2A, The starting phase of a mechanical engineer requires LEARNING so its better to work in a company where you can learn a lot irrespective of the company size and name. But generally the small companies are loaded with a lot of work therefore the chances are abundant. This also depends on the fact that if you want to continue in technical field or you want to switch into Management, if you are switching to management in near future then it doesn't matter much where do you work. So think about some future prospects and then decide but dont loose the good opportunities.
Is a Child Life Specialist a good career, does it pay well, is there demand, & is there room 2 grow & develop?
Question # 1: How do people, with this profession, feel about their job? Are they happy with it, and do they feel a sense of reward and accomplishment? Question # 2: What is the starting salary? What is the maximum salary? Question # 3: Will there be a strong demand within the next year to five years (2010-1015)? Question #4: Once you are certified is there room for promotion, and new learning and development? I love to learn new tasks and get bored at jobs where I cannot learn or try something new. I want to make sure that there will be some new challenges that I can undertake as I continue on this career path?