Crisitunity
May 19, 2010 1:52 AM   Subscribe

What's the most interesting thing to do in Vancouver (or the vicinity) for four to six months? [Longer explanation inside]

After getting married last year, my US citizen wife and I left North America, and we only got around to applying for my Green Card a few months ago. Surprise! It takes up to a year for the application to go through, even for Canadians like me, and during the application period it's illegal to take up permanent (or even long-term) residency in the US. We have an awesome lawyer helping us, but even with that it's apparent that our best option is for my wife to finish her last year of schooling in the US while I wait for approval in Vancouver, my hometown. I'll be back home in August, and our lawyer tells us to expect approval by January. The question is, what do I do with myself for that time?

I'm trying to make the best of this crisis/opportunity (crisitunity?). Before this happened, our plan was to move to Boston where I would get a research position before applying to PhD programs in political science. My degrees are in Middle Eastern politics, and I speak Arabic fluently. These are things that give me an entry into a certain type of job on the Eastern Seaboard, but don't help much in the Vancouver job market. On top of that, I'm only temporarily in Vancouver, and as soon as I get approved, I'm rushing off to meet my wife. Being a fake bachelor sucks.

On the other hand, this gives me a chance to do something wild for a very short time. I'm 27, and I think the financial crisis - as well as this personal bureaucratic crisis - are Fate's way of telling me to lighten up and take some risks. I can do anything I want (within reason) for just a little while. Lion-tamer, encyclopedia salesman, faith-healer - you name it, I could try it out.

So what would you do if you had six months of open time in the Vancouver region - including the BC interior and Vancouver Island? What's the most interesting entry-level job you can think of? If I live at home, rent is free, but I'd like what I do to be revenue-neutral.

Help me not waste this time. I'm trying to make the most of a very difficult situation.
posted by awenner to Work & Money (4 answers total)
 
There's quite a lot of TV and film production in Vancouver, and if you can get a foot in the door, it can be an extremely stimulating environment. Assuming you're unskilled (e.g. you're not a secret cinematographer) you would be enter (and probably spend the full six months) as a PA/writer's assistant/runner/office guy. The pay is terrible at that level, but you'll see some things! Advice that applies on getting started in LA will need localizing, but should give you a flavor for what you'd be letting yourself in for.
posted by caek at 2:51 AM on May 19, 2010


You could go tree-planting, cherry-picking, or WWOOFing, if you like the outdoors and don't mind physical labor.
posted by PercussivePaul at 4:13 AM on May 19, 2010


This is partially my own personal fantasy, but if you're in shape, become a bike courier for those six months! I always envy the ability of those guys and gals to zip around town all day, eat anything and everything they want because of all the calories they burn, and their fun otherwise. The weather in Vancouver is ideal for that for this time of year (assuming that this is from nowish on).
posted by urbanlenny at 8:54 AM on May 19, 2010


Response by poster: These are great!
posted by awenner at 10:28 AM on May 19, 2010


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