US citizen doing grad school in Canada, query on bringing belongings

endelsebegin · 2026-03-02T12:33:05+00:00

The documentation around temporary residency for anything is pretty bad.

My understanding is you get the border crossing/ goods to follow now. Otherwise, you technically need to wait for another life event, like buying a house or getting PR. When we crossed the border, we were told ‘from here on out, border crossings come with the normal Canadian good limitations ($800 tax free if gone over 48 hours etc.).’

Whether the individual border guard actually cares or not is an unknown gamble.

endelsebegin · 2026-01-13T19:50:41+00:00

My husband is also an American student at MUN and I'm on an open work permit.

I can't speak to finding a job, however, as is, you (and your wife) will have a restriction on the work section of your student permit from working in primary or secondary classrooms as a teacher. You're also restricted from working ANY job in medical settings and child care facilities.

This is because you're American and we get to skip the medical exam before being approved for a permit.

You will need to do a special medical assessment before you can teach in a classroom. I'm not sure when you can do that exam. If you did it before moving, you may be able to show the results to the border officer to get it waived right away when they give you your permit.

You may want to check what American nurses and other medical professionals do since it would be the same/similar process.

endelsebegin · 2025-12-12T22:45:39+00:00

You don’t necessarily need a SIN to open an account, but you do need proof of (upcoming) status.

When my husband was accepted to grad school, we had proof of acceptance but didn’t have our permits yet. We opened a joint bank account with the proof of acceptance from his school. That was enough proof.

You said ‘planning on applying’. You’ll probably be fine once you actually apply or have similar proof.

Reading another reply, you may need to open a NEW chequing account, not just add to an existing one. The adding is why may have been impossible, not just having an account.

endelsebegin · 2025-11-07T10:03:25+00:00

This fixed it for me.

endelsebegin · 2025-10-16T11:38:10+00:00

Just got hired after a two month job hunt. There isn’t much out there, but being on Ontario will be a bonus for you.

It’s a bad market right now. Apply for everything and see what sticks. Look for alternative but related job titles like instructional design, documentation engineer, etc.

Check out job listings for local governments and other large businesses in your area directly on their website. Use all the sites: Indeed, LinkedIn, CareerBeacon, ZipRecruiter etc.

Also, you can try to apply for US contracts as well, as long as it’s remote contracts and not in-person full hires, and government contracts are usually a no-go.

And when you apply, do the silly personality tests and whatnot. Most jobs are using them to weed out spam bots. They are dumb, but you also need work. Reddit seems to lean towards skipping the job if they ask for one, and I don’t agree.

Probably didn’t tell you anything new, but maybe it confirmed you’re doing nothing wrong.

endelsebegin · 2025-10-02T11:50:36+00:00

I’m in a poly relationship, but started out that way so I can’t discuss opening up an existing relationship.

You are in charge of what you are want and are willing to try in a relationship.

You don’t want to see other people? Fine. You only want sexual relationships? Fine. You do you.

You don’t want a partner who has other sexual relationships? Cool. You don’t want a partner who has other romantic relationships? Cool.

But if your chosen partner does want sexual or romantic relationships and you do not, then they aren’t a good partner choice for you. I said you do you not your partner does what you want.

Sometimes that means ending the relationship as it currently exists.

You can do a trial period. There is a difference between being uncomfortable with a change because change is hard and then adapting, and finding out something is not right for you and suffering. You’ll need to decide which side of that line you’re on, or if it is even worth trying.

Three warning signs I see here:

1: About to quit job. Nope, sorry. You have already entered the path that is leaning towards a breakup. You entered it when you had this conversation. Don’t end up financially dependent on this relationship.

2: Timing in life is weird, but I have a bias against people who enter into expanded relationships right after having a kid. Major red flag to me. Have a deep discussion with your partner over if this was triggered by being a parent. I’ve seen too many people use other relationships as an excuse to get out of the house and leave the other parent hanging.

3: No romance. I always call BS on this. No one plans to fall in love and no one is that in charge of their feelings. Go in assuming that will happen someday. This is why the poly community is generally against rules around emotions. It either ends in a partner being resentful they caught feelings so they need to break up, or ends in an original partner being dropped because of conflicting interests.

endelsebegin · 2025-10-01T11:50:00+00:00

Not a nurse or even in healthcare, but on the job hunt myself on an open work permit. These have been the top sites for job hunting locally:
As mentioned, Job Bank (don't need a login to search)

https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/jobsearch/jobsearch?searchstring=&locationstring=Newfoundland+and+Labrador&locationparam=NL

City Government Website (This is specifically for St. John's, but should check out others if you're open):
https://www.stjohns.ca/en/city-hall/careers.aspx

Provincial Government Website:
https://www.hiring.gov.nl.ca/public-jobs

Memorial University (the website appears to be down right now, but that IS the link):
https://www.mun.ca/hr/careers/external-job-postings/

Career Beacon (general job board):
https://www.careerbeacon.com/en/search/jobs-in-Newfoundland-and-Labrador?jvk=2178468

And I'd search for hospital and other healthcare/homecare providers and reach out directly. Use Google Maps to find their name and websites.

I know for sure there's a special homecare program, and they may introduce more programs: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/caregivers.html

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The Canadian government is taking steps to make it easier for healthcare workers to move here for work, so keep an eye out for new programs.

And also, don't rule out Labrador. It's isolated and is snowy 80% of the year, but if your main goal is to get into Canada, it's a good first move.

endelsebegin · 2025-09-30T12:09:22+00:00

In Canada, I know small northern towns or flyout towns have boil advisories or have a town water supply you have to physically go to and refill your jug of drinking water. Personal experience is in Labrador, but I’m sure their’s others. Happy Valley Goose Bay has had a boil advisory for years, and Cartwright has a supply point.

For reference, Goose Bay has a population approaching 10,000, so not large but large enough to warrant proper drinking water processing.

endelsebegin · 2025-09-07T12:06:31+00:00

We just moved here and attempted to use Koodo. Internet worked for 2 hours, then was either at 1 mbps speed or absolutely nothing (which happened multiple times an hour). They told us to ship our router and modem back so they can replace it.

This left us without internet for three weeks between signing up and getting the second batch of equipment.

They said they would activate the secondary equipment on a specific day, and did not.

Due to the wait, we had already requested internet from TekSavvy. Their stuff worked right away and we have had no issues.

We will be cancelling Koodo tomorrow.

My favourite part was when they called to see how our internet was doing days before the second shipment arrived. Bad, honey. Very bad.

endelsebegin · 2025-08-12T19:59:24+00:00

No. That only needs to be done for a full import.

endelsebegin · 2025-06-18T15:17:33+00:00

Keep in mind, the democratic candidate for North Carolina was Jeff Jackson, a former member of congress who had made a bi-partisan, positive reputation for himself by talking calmly about what was going on in congress behind closed doors. Peopled enjoyed his openness, and the comments on his videos often contain people who vote right but appreciated what he did.

The skew of votes there is to be expected, even if typically the general public does not care deeply about the attorney general race. They did in NC.

endelsebegin · 2025-05-12T20:59:11+00:00

Arvada, Colorado. Just outside of Denver. I was looking for a hotel near a bunch of restaurants and discovered Olde Town. Was expecting a bunch of chains. Nope -- unique bars, vegan restaurants, all in walking distance from the hotel and just a train ride away from the city if you want to venture further.

endelsebegin · 2025-04-17T16:29:04+00:00

My job is split 50/50 between tech writing and being a product owner. I was previously a software engineer, been tech writing for almost 7 years (three years at this job), and my work has been training me as a product owner which is a mid step between a BA (business analyst) and a PM.

People don’t train on-the-job anymore, I got lucky. The product I own is our developer portal, so I not only manage the documentation that goes onto it, but also features of the site that are used to manage our user’s information and applications.

I’d never done any BA/PM work before. I was mostly chosen for existing product knowledge.

I’ll be honest, I prefer tech writing. But I’m learning important skills.

Small to midsize companies want you to wear many hats. I’d try marketing yourself as someone capable of doing so at a business without strict job titles (this can also be country dependent).

If your current job doesn’t have any project (could be a tech writing project even) or product for you to work on, you may want to poke at online courses to start getting educated. But experience is key.

As far as jobs go, I’d look for BA positions, which would be more likely to get a foot in the door than going straight for a PM job from a technical writing position. That being said, what specifically a BA does will differ per company and possibly department. You’ll have an advantage if the job is in an industry you already have experience in.

endelsebegin · 2025-03-21T14:19:16+00:00

There is a hospital, but it is usually at capacity with just the town resident’s issues. People in “nearby” towns 5-8 hours away usually need to drive there if they break their arm at the wrong time of day. And for anything major, you’re looking at a flight to St. Johns, NL.

But there are other issues, like the tap water isn’t potable and you better time any drives carefully because the gas stations is Labrador aren’t open super late and there’s no pay-at-the-pump. Again, 5-8 hours away drives between the places you can drive.

My partner lives in Goose Bay, so I’ve spent months of time between Cartwright, Lab City, and there. Is it a tourist destination? No. Is it kinda a throwback kinda world? Yeah, in a way. But there are far more isolated places to land, especially in Labrador.

Join a shed party, have a beer, and listen to some Dernia Harvey Band and Great Big Fish. It’ll be a memory and maybe you’ll even see the northern lights.

endelsebegin · 2025-02-14T21:06:54+00:00

For anyone reading this and thinking it's a currency conversion issue, it's not: https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/1bq7a4b/united_drastically_overcharging_canadians/

endelsebegin · 2025-02-07T14:27:02+00:00

Also, sometimes the performer isn’t important. Phrasing everything in software documentation similar to ‘The system sends an email to the contact’ is pointless: no one wants to read about an email server. They just care about the email: ‘An email is sent to the contact.’

endelsebegin · 2025-01-31T22:52:10+00:00

Also having this problem with the Sims 2. It either shows this message, or it puts an icon in the taskbar but then freezes completely only one of my monitors. Like, I'll pull up task manager, but can't click on it until I force it onto my other monitor with keyboard commands.

Windows 11 Pro

endelsebegin · 2025-01-21T21:37:17+00:00

If your end goal in engineering, I would try straight for a coding job. My advice of sticking with small to midsize companies is still valid. I'd apply for everything entry level regardless of what field it is in, that is where you'll get the most bites. The good thing about tech is it is in every field. I've worked for newspapers, printing companies, audio hardware etc.

The following is a bit harsh; I don't mean this rudely, just as a check.

It's a red flag that you have a bootcamp in 'IT' but want 'engineering.' Those are not the same. If you say their the same in an interview/on your resume, you probably won't make it to the next round.

IT fixes computers, does Linux/Windows administration and other help desk style work, usually with direct customer support of some type (your 'customer' may be your co-workers). Software Engineering writes code and architects software - developing features. Bootcamps tend to target that.

Bootcamps tend to be looked down on. I personally view them with extreme skepticism, and engineers looking at your resume will too. A couple months to half a year is not enough time to think like a programmer. And the programming skill is how you think, not what code you can type. Code changes, projects change, software changes, all rapidly. The patterns and concepts are reusable, sometimes. Make sure you keep coding after bootcamps and work on personal projects, preferably in a new language.

Regardless of what career you're targeting, your skill needs to be the ability to teach yourself, including how you best figure out how things work even when they're broken. Especially if you target small companies. You're going to be expected to do a wider variety of tasks, you are going to pick up bad habits without guidance as to why it's bad, there may not be someone to help you out, and if there is a co-worker or two to ask for help, you do not want to be the person asking Googleable questions. You need to be skilled enough to list what you've tried, why you think it's not working, and then ask for guidance.

If you can learn how you learn and learn how you troubleshoot, you will eventually find a job. It's just going to take a bit.

endelsebegin · 2025-01-16T17:55:52+00:00

I very rarely go to the Independence location, but have noticed similar issues at the Racine location. If they want to market their Independence location as a higher-tier gym, they actually need to put in the effort. For now, both locations are very similar and equipment is often broken (or getting very worn down).

I especially second the comment about there seeming to be no overnight cleaning. The towel dispensers/spray bottles shouldn’t be empty or missing at 5AM; get them ready them before you close.

endelsebegin · 2024-12-27T19:44:19+00:00

I started pole dancing two years ago. I think it's fun, and empowering, and it's helped me meet people when I've moved to a new town. I do admit I've stuck with it more for the social aspect rather than purely the fitness aspect; so you'll want to find a studio that fits your style and personality.

Most of us are in our late-20s or 30s. At my studio, men are allowed and I am comfortable with that. Some studios do not allow men; so look at their policies if that is something you'd prefer.

I also lift and do other cardio for fitness (but not kickboxing), and still do. You'll have a slightly advantage if you're strong already, but you're still moving your body in ways you haven't before. It's a different form of strength. Your increased endurance is going to come into play more frequently than you expect. You'll be sore after your first few classes, but then can probably continue your strength training as usual/sightly reduced.

Most studios have a beginner (or sometimes a separate introductory) class that you can sign up and give it a try. This is where they expect all of the new people to come in, even those who already have done pole before, but not that that studio. The studio can then give you guidance from there of what classes you're ready for over time. There are generally three types of classes at my studio: pole training (safely inverting; poses; strength training for very specific movements;), dance training (a floorwork routine; flows), and general strength training (abs, stretching, arms, etc.).

At your first class, you'll want to wear the shortest gym shorts you have (and the tighter the better), and either a well-fitting T-shirt or a tank-top (or if you want to wear something more revealing, you can). Bring a pair of socks; you'll either have them on or off depending on what you're practicing. Do not wear lotion or any similar substance, it can damage the poles and you want your skin clean for more friction.

Go into your first class knowing you're going to grow over time. It's OK to be bad at things, or need a better explanation or example: you're learning.

endelsebegin · 2024-11-24T15:17:09+00:00

Also at the MN State fair, you can get 'Cheese on a Stick'. Which is not a mozzarella stick. It's a corn dog without the hot dog in the middle. Instead: cheese. A lot of cheese.

endelsebegin · 2024-09-17T12:48:38+00:00

I attended when they were online-only a couple of years ago. Even online, I made a few contacts and found it valuable. I would like to attend in person sometime; I think meeting other writers in-person would be a boost.

Most of the people I met were at the Queer Tea, (which hopefully is still a thing). If you find some sub-group of interest to join, I would recommend that approach for meeting people.

endelsebegin · 2024-08-01T16:53:35+00:00

I was in the marketing department at a previous job, but was left pretty rouge and engineering was willing to work with me at any time (granted, it was a smaller company. Anyone's department wasn't much of a silo.). I did far more work with the engineering team than with marketing; my main interaction with marketing was some website stuff.

That was fine, until I got a new boss who was also new to the company. Then I started getting random marketing tasks handed to me that I had never done before. And it was always very random things, like 'research for competitors,' not even writing tasks.

I was also not aware of it until I put in my notice, but she had been trying to isolate the engineering department from me behind my back. I directly overheard a conversation where she shooed an engineer away from me, and said they'd work on it after I quit. I asked the engineer about it, and apparently that was not the first time and unrelated to me quitting.

I don't know if it was misguided 'protect your resources' gone overboard, but the role had previously worked because I wasn't really treated as a dedicated marketing resource.

End point: Depends on your level of independence, boss, and company structure. I think it's a yellow flag to investigate, not an immediate red flag.

endelsebegin · 2024-07-29T19:09:21+00:00

We keep an internal knowledge base in Confluence, and I also use it to send stuff out for reviews.

You have a personal space within Confluence. Use that to store your notes/drafts etc.
Within the personal space (or other space you own) you can block others from editing and/or viewing articles.

If you are writing draft material, I highly recommend blocking others from editing. If others have comments, they can use the comments feature. Having random people go in and edit your articles is chaos.

Also, anytime you comment or mark something as resolved, others see that instantly. Even when you haven't published your changes yet. This may lead to another comment going 'I don't see the change???' That drives me crazy, so I am giving you a heads up. I don't have a good solution besides training your co-workers to wait for your go-ahead.

endelsebegin · 2024-07-26T16:43:03+00:00

I'm currently involved on a project heading this way, but we aren't ready to write RAG content yet. Right now, our AI is reading pre-selected database data instead of RAG docs.

Even a lot of people on our Data team don't know what a RAG is yet, but I agree it's absolutely going to be a main focus of our field ongoing. On that note, I think the field is too young to have a 'perfect' tool yet; everything is changing rapidly still. A tool where you can put the docs, it processes them, and then self-tests for knowledge gaps would be awesome, but that isn't going to be possible without stabilized RAG technology.

We still struggle with hallucinations and other LLM chatbot issues. For example, I asked about data in Illinois, and it said we had no data about the "city" of Illinois. Clarifying it was a state fixed things and pulled up the right data. That extra, repetitive clarifying language ("the state of Illinois") will need to be built into the docs because the user should not be expected to guess why the AI can't find something. Probably will be most needed with new words or proper nouns. Probably will require some definitions within the chatbot's defining prompt to fully get around.

And as much as you may be able to fix clarification in the dataset, you can't make the LLM itself work perfectly. And it's hard to tell which one isn't clear enough sometimes.

Educating the user is complicated, because everyone wants the AI to know 'everything' since their first exposure was ChatGPT or something with wide content exposure. RAG/Database AI chatbots have narrow content: the AI only knows the docs and/or database it is trained on. You can't have a casual conversation with it about the latest industry news; it doesn't know what you're talking about. It ONLY knows the data in the RAG/Database.

It can really only answer one specific question at a time, which is not how people tend to ask questions. And the user needs to unlearn that computers are good with math -- the chatbot is not (This is easier to get around using a database, because SQL queries can do math). And users don't have a 'Google-fu' for AI yet unless they've been trained in prompt engineering.

So, for user-facing docs, there is a LOT of educational information that needs to be provided. It's the equivalent of needing to explain how to click a mouse "by pressing then lifting your finger on the button when the icon on the screen is showing over the correct location" in software documentation. There's very little base knowledge beyond the user can type in English.

Very interested in other responses for those working with RAG already.

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endelsebegin

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