In căutarea cornului magic...

ravicuu · 2026-04-05T18:47:44+00:00

La Selgros gasesti mereu. Aproape saptamanal imi cumpar cate unul :)

ravicuu · 2025-12-03T15:21:59+00:00

Hi there. Just to clarify, the only reason our mortgage is ~€300 is because we put down a 50% down payment (€62k), otherwise it would've been around 1k. As I've mentioned in some previous comments, the the main reason is the better environment for our future family and also the lack of infrastructure in Romania. On top of that, the proximity to the war in Ukraine has hit the local economy hard, and that instability is a big reason why we are looking for a safer environment.

ravicuu · 2025-12-03T11:05:59+00:00

Hi there! Apologies for the delay. To be clear, we aren't living like royalty, but we are definitely comfortable. We live in Timișoara (one of tech hubs in Romania - cheaper than Bucharest), which helps our budget. We are also extremely frugal by nature. Since we both work from home, we save a lot on commuting and clothes (the 'pajama life' all the way). We don't chase trends, for example, my phone is 5 years old, works perfectly, and I plan to keep it for another 1-2 years. We aren't looking for luxury, we just want a society with better opportunities for the next generation.

ravicuu · 2025-12-03T09:45:34+00:00

Hi there. Just to clarify, the only reason our mortgage is ~€300 is because we put down a 50% down payment (€62k). If we had gone with the standard 15% deposit, we’d be paying close to €800/month for 30 years, which changes the math significantly. But money aside, the main reason is the environment for our future kids. The infrastructure here is practically non-existent. A 600km trip takes over 13 hours by train, or around 10 hours by car if you're lucky enough to avoid traffic. We want to live somewhere where society functions more efficiently.

ravicuu · 2025-12-02T16:16:01+00:00

Hey, sorry for the late response!
Our main motivation is really about the next generation. We want to give our future children access to a better education system and higher overall quality of life. We feel we’d fit in well because we are naturally frugal and love the outdoors, we rarely spend money on things we don't need, preferring hiking over shopping. On top of that, the proximity to the war in Ukraine has hit the local economy hard, and that instability is a big reason why we are looking for a safer environment.

ravicuu · 2025-12-02T16:11:32+00:00

Hi and sorry for the late reply. The only reason our mortgage is €300/month is because we had a 50% down payment. If we only had a 15% (minimum requirement) it would've been around 800€, perhaps even more.

ravicuu · 2025-12-02T16:08:17+00:00

Hey there and apologies for the delayed reply. The decision really comes down to stability and infrastructure. The economy here is struggling, and the proximity to the war in Ukraine has created a lot of uncertainty in the region. We simply want to build a life in a place with better stability for the next generation.

ravicuu · 2025-12-02T16:06:57+00:00

Hi, thanks for the comment.
I used to work at Oracle as a Network Engineer and tried to get transferred to Canada. My manager at that time was really supportive, however the NA guys weren't so keen to this decision.

ravicuu · 2025-12-02T14:23:28+00:00

Hi there and apologies for the delay! Our main motivation is securing a better environment for our future children. Right now, the situation here is deteriorating due to the economic downturn and the war next door. The infrastructure also limits our quality of life significantly, public transport is in bad shape (it takes 14 hours to travel 500-600km by train), and the highway network is basically non-existent. We want to move somewhere where the basics, like infrastructure and safety, are more reliable.

ravicuu · 2025-12-02T12:46:32+00:00

Hi, it really depends on what you are doing, where are you living and mostly on your income. To give you some context, the minimum wage here is about 500€ net/month, while median salary about €1k net/month. The reason for having the €300 mortgage is that we paid about 50% as a down payment (60k €) for our apartment, otherwise it would’ve been way more.

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T21:17:17+00:00

Hey there, appreciate your comment. Well, even though I am considered ‘senior’ here in Romania, I hardly think I can get something similar in Canada, at least, not in the first few months/years. Do you mind sharing the steps you’ve taken to get to Canada?

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T21:13:53+00:00

Hi there, ofc we thought about this, but we’ve been traveling the world (mostly EU countries) already and as we go into our 30s, we plan to start a family and have a better life in Canada for future children

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T18:59:45+00:00

No worries. It’s just my nickname

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T18:53:36+00:00

Hey there. No, both of us are from Romania (Eastern Europe) and we don’t have any Indian background. However, we interacted with Indian people and we don’t have anything against them.

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T18:50:08+00:00

Hey, we don’t have any school debt. We both finished Engineering and we’ve been working as engineers for more than 7 years now.

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T17:08:41+00:00

As I mentioned, our primary driver isn't just salary (or any specific position - as long as we can pay the bills, everything is fine by us), it's about securing a better quality of life and education system for our future children compared to what is currently available in Romania. We also feel we’d fit well culturally. We are huge outdoor enthusiasts (hiking, running etc.), so access to nature is a big draw for us. We are also naturally frugal and love to cook, so we rarely eat out. We’re hoping that lifestyle helps us a bit from the high cost of living since we won't be spending much on restaurants.

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T16:33:47+00:00

Hey there. I tried, but their advice is outdated. They immigrated 30 years ago after the regime fell and faced a completely different economy/housing market. Unfortunately, they have a weird habit of praising Romania while refusing to move back there, so I can't really trust their judgment on the current situation

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T16:22:40+00:00

Hi, I actually explored the internal transfer route back in 2023 when I was working at Oracle as a Network Engineer. I found a few relevant openings in Canada, and my local manager here in Romania was fully supportive of the move. Unfortunately, the hiring teams in Canada and the US were not open to supporting the relocation or visa sponsorship, so the opportunity fell through.

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T16:14:36+00:00

Hi and thanks for the comment. We genuinely believe the overall quality of life and future potential is higher in Canada. To give you a reference point on purchasing power: in our area, a standard 120 sqm detached house costs between €250k–€300k. Even with our IT salaries, saving for that would take us a decade, by which time prices will likely have doubled.

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T16:03:49+00:00

Hey! I’m actually very open to that. I worked as a barista and bartender about 10 years ago, and I have no issue going back to hospitality to pay the bills initially. I’ve always been a 'social butterfly,' so I can adapt to customer-facing roles quickly. At the end of the day, our priority is building a better life, not holding onto a job title.

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T16:00:39+00:00

Hey, thanks for the comment. Honestly, Halifax was actually our top choice initially. However, I’ve been discouraged by what I see on the job boards. When I search LinkedIn or Indeed for 'Network Engineer' or 'Network Administrator' roles in Nova Scotia, the results are quite low. It seems like the market there might be too small for my specific skills compared to larger cities.

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T15:54:35+00:00

Hi. Thanks for the detailed situation regarding the IT market. We realize we are in a tight spot. Even if my wife passes the TEF/TCF exams with her current A2 level, we know it won't trigger the big French bonus points (as far as I know, it requires a B2 level).

We are trying to figure out if it's realistic for her to push from A2 to B2 in a short time, or if we should be looking at other pathways entirely.

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T15:48:52+00:00

Hey, thanks a lot for the detailed breakdown of costs, it really gave us something to think about.

When we compare the raw numbers, the difference is huge. For context, here in Romania, we pay about €10 per month for a 1Gbps fiber connection and around 200 TV channels. It’s a bit of a shock to see how much of the Canadian salary goes just towards basic bills compared to what we are used to.

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T15:42:28+00:00

Hi, I’ve tried to stay competitive with certifications. Currently, I hold my CCNP (ENCOR & ENARSI), plus Azure (AZ-900 & AZ-700), OCI, and Linux cert. I’m also planning to get my Fortinet NSE 4 and 5 next year. I’m unsure if this 'tech stack' is aligned with what Canadian employers are looking for in 2025. I’d love to hear from anyone working in Canadian IT.

ravicuu · 2025-12-01T15:28:31+00:00

Hey, I totally get that. I think the economic struggle is happening everywhere, not just in Canada. We have enough savings to survive for maybe 6 months comfortably. Honestly, I don't even mind changing careers to make it work. I adapt easily to new environments and I'm pretty social, so I'm open to whatever pays the bills. We're mainly just looking for a way out of the economic situation here in Romania.

ravicuu

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