[MOVINGMAN] I'm Going Down To Cali..

Ian Andrew Bell (belli@bctel.ca)
Wed, 12 Aug 1998 10:45:32 -0700


This month's Fast Company has an excellent array of features on the Bay
Area career marketplace, which I'm going to plop down on the boss' desk
when I serve my notice of resignation here at BC TELECOM.

It looks like I'll accept an offer from Cisco now that I've been down to
their campus these last few days. Sounds like lots of work but a
significantly better lifestyle.

So given that I'll be moving to the Bay Area soon, I have some questions
for you Valley pros out there since I'm fairly in the dark about the
whole thing:

o What's the skookum Cell Phone company to use? Especially given
that I'll be roaming a fair amount through the US? Is Digital good
enough or will I need a bulkier Dual Mode phone? (YECH!)
o What's the skookum TV option? I'll wanna watch lots of hockey and
I'll need ESPN2. Do I go PrimeStar? TCI? What? Do any of them
carry Canadian channels like the CBC (don't hurt me!)?
o What's the ISDN service like in the Bay Area? Do they assign regular
SPIDs to each B-channel so that I can use it for telephony? Does it
include the full enhanced services package like CLID and Name
display?
Voicemail? Etc.?
o What's car insurance like? Do they have a monthly automatic bank
withdrawal plan like here in BC so you can spread the payments over
12 months? How expensive is it?
o Are the prices at Fry's indicative of the cost of consumer
electronics
in the Valley in general? If so, make me a list and I'll buy you
stuff up here, because by comparison, A&B Sound in Vancouver is dirt
cheap compared to Fry's.

..and..

o Is downtown San Jose a bad place to live? Is $1500 USD too much to
spend on an apartment? Where's the ideal place given that CSCO is
in Northeast San Jose? I'm looking for a short commute from a place
near water and cultural stuff (pubs, playhouses, cabarets, etc.)
if possible.

Your opinions are valuable and you will be rewarded handsomely. :)

-Ian.
_____________________________________________________________
Ian Andrew Bell belli@bctel.ca
BC TEL Interactive (604) 482-5708

"Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot."