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One of my beautiful and successful girlfriends suggested I watch the new Netflix show, “Emily in Paris” and I was immediately hooked and glued to the screen. I went through the whole ten episodes on a rainy Saturday evening in Vancouver.

Emily in Paris is about a young American woman probably in her mid to late 20s who relocated to Paris for a job opportunity as a Social Media Marketing expert. In Paris, she struggles to succeed in the workplace while searching for love and experiencing culture clash with her “oh-so-boring” Midwestern upbringing. It’s the creation of the same creative guru that gave us “Sex and the City” — Darren Star.

While it was heavily criticized by the French for portraying the French in a cliché manner, it was nevertheless well received and we can’t help but fall in love with it for it’s light-heartedness; and yes, the dresses and shoes that Emily wore in the show! For sure, it’s shallow and each episode is airy and sweet like the Ladurée macarons and yet, we’re drawn to it! Emily in Paris offers little when it comes to intellectual and cultural substance, but perhaps that’s precisely why people watch it anyway. We all need a fun and light escape from the world that we all live in NOW. We just want to watch and not think! As the French would say — précisément!

Emily in Paris inspired me to write about Maria in Vancouver.

Maria is a lot more mature and shall we say, more experienced in life than Emily. Maria is more like Bridget Jones meets Carrie Bradshaw and Holly Golightly. There lies the huge difference. Also, Maria is Asian. She’s of Filipina descent with Spanish blood running in her devout Catholic family’s veins. She was born in Manila and lived in Manila during her first 12 years. In 1983, Maria went to school and spent her teenage years and early adulthood in London, England.

In 1987, Maria lived briefly in three different cities — Barcelona, Vancouver, and Manhattan for the first six months — before she returned to London for the later part. In 1991, she lived in Manila for a year. In 1992, she finished her studies and earned a diploma in Hospitality and Tourism course in Vancouver, Canada. She went back to Manila and worked as a hotelier for the next 13 years. She also briefly lived and worked in Dubai in the hotel industry. Maria has certainly been around (the world)!

But it was in Vancouver where Maria decided to settle down for good in 2007 as a single mom with her nine-year-old son. Maria knew deep in her heart that she made the right choice for her son and for herself. Vancouver is an idyllic coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. The Great North has ten provinces: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Saskatchewan. The three territories are Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Yukon.

Vancouver is the new Manhattan, the new Paris, and the new London. Why? Vancouver frequently ranks highly as one of the world’s most liveable cities. It was recently ranked as the no. 1 city to live in North America. Its scenic location near the ocean, tucked up against the North Shore Mountains, makes living in Vancouver an ideal base for year-round exploration. Vancouverites (people living in Vancouver) have the best of both worlds; the city’s coastline offers amazing views and great beaches, while the mountains offer hiking trails and snow sports. Imagine being surrounded by the sea and the snowy mountains while you live in one of the modern and chic skyscrapers right at the heart of Vancouver Downtown — buzzing with life and activities! So, let’s catch a glimpse of Maria’s lifestyle in Vancouver!

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• Location! Location! Location! While Emily in Paris lives in the chic 5th arrondissement, Maria in Vancouver lives in the stylish and sophisticated Coal Harbour in Vancouver. Maria’s small but modern 657 sq. ft. 2-bedroom overlooks the Burrard inlet, the marina teeming with expensive yachts, and Grouse Mountain. She has Vancouver’s famous Stanley Park for her backyard garden — it is way bigger than Central Park. Coal Harbour is located in the Downtown core of Vancouver. It’s surrounded by water on three sides; the only way to build accommodation is way up, hence, the skyscrapers. Downtown Vancouver is extremely condensed and urban, and characterized by high rise office blocks and residential areas that make a fantabulous skyline! Other neighbourhoods to consider: West End is home to Vancouver‘s historical pride gay community. Kitsilano is located along the south end of English Bay and is home to yuppie Vancouverites. Yaletown is known for its old warehouse buildings now home to hip restaurants and cocktail lounges, many with buzzing outdoor terraces, as well as indie fashion and decor boutiques. It is also home to most yuppie Vancouverites. Shaughnessy is an affluent and mostly residential neighbourhood containing large, detached homes and a large number of heritage homes from the first half of the 20th century. Mount Pleasant is known for its unusual stores, heritage buildings, artistic residents, and arts-focused festivals. West Vancouver is home to the rich and more established families. It is home to some exceptionally large, luxurious and expensive properties and houses. North Vancouver is home to middle class families and most of the residents of the district live in single-family dwellings. East Vancouver is best summarized by its diversity — in family income, land use, ethnicity, and mother tongue — it also offers more affordable housing.

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• Cost of Living. Emily’s accommodation in Paris will most likely be her biggest monthly expense. Maria shares the same budget sentiments — most of Maria’s paycheque goes to the roof over her and her son’s head. Vancouver is one of the most expensive cities to call home in Canada. Average cost of mortgage or to rent a one-bedroom apartment in Vancouver is currently in the $1,900 to $2,000 price range. Prepare at least 3 grand for a two-bedroom. On top of your housing, you should budget your groceries and household items. To live healthy and comfortably, you would need to spend around $350 – $500 a month. Maria lives in Coal Harbour because she doesn’t drive. She loves the idea of walking to work, to restaurants, grocery stores, and other shops. Smart move! In this manner, she saves a lot. Parking in Downtown is astronomical! As of writing, cost of petrol per litre in Vancouver is $1.45. Otherwise, public transport in Vancouver will set you back at least $2.95 for buses for a single ticket valid for 90 minutes if paying by cash. Sky train and Sea bus would cost you anywhere from $3.00 to $5.75. Thankfully, Uber is now available in Vancouver, which is slightly less expensive than a cab ride. A phone plan in Vancouver is typically around $75. Electricity and Hydro bills are around $30. Cable is roughly around $80. When the entire Math adds up, Vancouver definitely ranks as the most expensive city to live in Canada. It’s on the same league as Manhattan, Paris, and London.

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• Average salary and living wage in Vancouver. Vancouverites work hard and smart because they live in the most expensive city in Canada, perhaps even in North America! Vancouver’s average salary is around $72,200 CAD per year, while the living wage in the Vancouver Metro area is $29.34 per hour. To survive, Maria as a single mom, had to learn early on the “Art of Negotiations” when it came to her career. Maria works with a trusted head-hunter or an agent when it comes to securing jobs for her. Maria never settles for less. Like her fellow Canadian, Linda Evangelista, Maria doesn’t get out of bed for less than a five-figure amount (high-end bracket). With her experience and qualifications, she knows her worth. It isn’t just the hourly pay; she also has to negotiate her medical and dental benefits, her vacation entitlements, her overtime pay, and bonuses. She always has to be steps ahead of her expenses. That’s how Maria survives Vancouver.

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• Work in the City. Emily was lucky to “accidentally” land a lucrative job in Paris. Maria, on the other hand, had to work hard and smart to land lucrative jobs in Vancouver. As soon as she arrived in Vancouver in 2007, she immediately went to work within three days upon arriving. She landed a high paying job with excellent benefits in the Intellectual Property Department of a top pharmaceutical company in Vancouver for four years. Next, she transitioned to assisting Vancouver’s
  top CEOs or the movers and shakers of the City over the next six years. Her take home pay also greatly increased by this time. After six years of working with CEOs, Maria and her family decided to open a Filipino restaurant in the heart of Downtown. It did well but not enough to survive Vancouver’s expenses. It closed down after two years. Maria closed the restaurant chapter with a heavy heart — the overhead expenses were too much. Maria’s family and herself believed in promoting Filipino cuisine to the Canadians. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always end in happy endings. There are failures — and lots of it along the way. What can one say — when you hit rock bottom, the only way is up. Due to Maria’s connections she’s made in the City, she was able to secure a new career in health and wellness while indulging on her passion as a contributing writer on the side. Maria has lost lots of lucrative jobs along the way, but she never gave up — she shoulders on especially during tough times. Real life is not a bed of roses; it entails hard work, perseverance, and determination to survive the daily Vancouver rat race. Maria has become a seasoned expert on this.

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• Things to Do in Vancouver. When in Vancouver, Maria recommends you take a stroll at Stanley Park with an umbrella since it rains a lot between November and March. The summers, however, are warm and dry and it rarely snows in the city. You can also cycle around Stanley Park. Maria recommends you jog along the Seawall. Emily in Paris might have the Louvre, but Maria in Vancouver has the Vancouver Art Gallery, or you can visit the Museum of Anthropology! She suggests you take a drive up the sea to Skyway and indulge in the breathtaking scenery. Maria also suggests you wander around the cobblestone streets of Gastown, do some shopping, and take a selfie in front of its famous steam clock. Maria also recommends you take the Aquabus and buy your grocery at Granville Island Public Market for its fresh ingredients. You can hike the Grouse grind or the Chief. Maria definitely suggests that you have an après ski at either Grouse Mountain or Whistler. Do some kayaking in Deep Cove. Rain or shine, there’s always plenty to do in Vancouver!

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• Vancouver Lifestyle. The Vancouver lifestyle is all about work–life balance. The city’s compact size, broadly defined by a 20-minute radius, also makes getting around easy – a major reason entrepreneurs and career-makers are choosing to call Vancouver home. Vancouverites live a balanced lifestyle. They work hard and smart five days a week. In between their work schedule, they are able to squeeze in working out at a fitness club, jogging, cycling, walking, skiing, snowshoeing, or doing yoga or Pilates on a daily basis. In short, most Vancouverites live a healthy daily lifestyle for Vancouverites are obsessed with fitness and healthy eating. For Maria, it’s all about working six days a week, usually ten hours a day. Believe it or not, she actually doesn’t mind the long hours because she’s enjoying and loving what she does. It’s all in the mind. Maria does her best to survive and thrive in life. She’s conditioned herself to survive. Maria’s typical day on a weekday and Saturdays start with hot lemon water, cold fermented Japanese green tea, and a litre of sparkling water (she’s a heavy water drinker — she drinks around 2-3 litres of sparkling water a day). On weekdays, Maria goes to work around 10:30 am and finishes around 8:30pm. On Saturdays, Maria starts work at 9:30am and finishes around 5:30pm. She does cardio exercises for an hour during her break time and has a bowl of raw veggies with dip for snacks. She makes a healthy dinner, which is usually either, a salad with fish or soup. She’s in bed by 10pm.

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• Dining Out in Vancouver. Emily in Paris hangs out in trendy Parisienne cafes. Maria in Vancouver is luckier than Emily — Vancouver is perennially voted as one, if not, the best dining city in North America. It is always competing for foodie accolades against other major international cities such as London, New York, and yes, Paris. Foodie enthusiasts are in their element living and dining in Vancouver. The range of international cuisine on offer is amazing! Vancouverites have been known to dine out more than those in other Canadian cities. National Geographic Traveler wrote: “Fusion is the operative word in restaurant-rich Vancouver, where Northwest meets Japanese meets Indian meets Chinese.” The New York Times wrote: “The number of truly outstanding restaurants in Vancouver is astonishing, and the prices are ridiculously low when compared to other food capitals…” Maria is a food lover and Vancouver has become her culinary paradise. For Italian cuisine and ambience, Maria highly recommends Giardino’s, Cincin, and Cioppino’s. For French cuisine, Maria’s favourites are Le Crocodile and Five Sails. Maria loves a good steak and recommends Gotham and Hy’s. Maria’s favourite Japanese restaurants are Miku and Minami. Maria suggests checking out Bishop’s for a delicious Canadian cuisine. For seafood, she loves Bluwater Cafe, Rodney’s Oysters, and Joe Fortes. When eating Chinese food, Maria highly recommends Yue, Dynasty Seafood, and Sun Sui Wah. For Filipino cuisine, Maria goes to Kulinarya. When having Indian Food, she suggests going to Vij’s and Salam Bombay. For Korean cuisine, Maria goes to Sura. For Vietnamese food, Maria loves Ahn Chi! When having Thai cuisine, she goes to Maenam. The best cafe to hang out at would have to be Holts Cafe at Holt Renfrew — it has the best coffee, tea and celebrates Canadian cuisine with a European influence. Their avocado toast and mushroom toast are to die for. It also offers high tea with champagne jellies, vanilla and lemon scones — Emily would be so envious! Vancouverites are also proud of their BC wines — each bottle of BC wine delivers a diverse sensory experience that is as extraordinary as the province itself. Every sip is a genuine reflection of the people that created it and the land from which it is crafted. Suffice to say, Vancouver’s culinary and winery scene are heaven on earth!

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• Shopping in Vancouver! Just like Carrie Bradshaw, Maria has an intense love affair with shoes! Where to get the hottest shoes in town? The only place to shop is at Holt Renfrew! It is Vancouver’s version of Harrods Department Store. Holt Renfrew is where you can buy all luxury goods and items from designer clothing, shoes, bags, makeup, and parfumerie. It offers personal shopping, beauty services, tailoring, and alterations. Vancouver is also home to Lululemon — the owner, Chip Wilson is a proud Vancouverite. The yoga-wear emporium had become a symbol of Vancouver and a globally recognized lifestyle brand. John Fluevog’s progressive, art deco styled shoes is local to Vancouver, but are well known around the world. Maria also shops at Aritzia — the sleek women’s design house developed by a Vancouver family, with trendy stores all across the continent. Vancouver is also home to Arc’Teryx and RYU — Arc’Teryx is the brand that specializes in technical outdoor clothing and sporting goods. You’ll find everything you need to climb a mountain and look stylish doing it. While RYU (Respect Your Universe) is the latest fitness wear company to make waves in Vancouver, offering urban tech-style athletic apparel. With all these shops, Carrie Bradshaw would easily relocate to Vancouver in a heartbeat!

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• • Sex and Vancouver City. Before COVID, the dating scene in Vancouver has been frustrating for singletons. Gone are the days of meeting potential lovers — the old-fashioned way. Opportunities to have random encounters and to meet in public places are now a thing of the past. Before COVID, single Vancouverites relied on dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, and Match. Online dating wasn’t the only option for Vancouverites singletons — they had Vancouver-based events and social groups that are perfect for hopeless romantics searching for love. There’s Vancouver’s Singles Professional Group for business minded singletons that meet over networking lunches and barbecue events. There’s Events and Adventures — an invitation-only club that provides adventurous singles a chance to mingle at their local outdoorsy events, sport viewing parties and international trips. For those who preferred low-pressure meetups, the Vancouver Social Network is for anyone who is interested in meeting others through wine tastings, social dinners and pub nights. Members usually post invitations on the group’s online message board. Maria had online dating accounts and was a member of the Vancouver Social Network. While Holly Golightly had Breakfast at Tiffany’s — Maria had Dinner at Cardero’s. Although, the big difference is that there were no $50 trips to the powder room. Maria is a financially independent career woman and is capable of paying for her own dinners. For her own security and safety, Maria would meet her dates at Cardero’s — an upscale restaurant that is literally across her condo. Maria felt safe because the waiters, bartenders, and chefs knew her. Maria also had an excellent escape plan should her date go awkwardly wrong — she’s allowed to go out through the kitchen door of the restaurant! Those were the fun days indeed. Thankfully, just like Bridget Jones, Holly Golightly, and Carrie Bradshaw — Maria has finally met her very own Mr. Darcy, Paul Varjak or Mr. Big! Ironically, Maria met her significant other through a mutual friend — the old-fashioned way. Maria doesn’t recommend dating during COVID; it’s simply not worth the risk.

When you fall in love with a city – it is forever, and it is like forever! I believe that falling in love with a city is just as exciting as falling in love with a person. Your senses become more engaged and you simply feel more alive! With your four seasons and a whole lot more – ah, Vancouver, there’s certainly a lot to love about you and Maria has definitely fallen head over heels with you! No one can blame her.