Hi!
Am I exhuming a dead post? I have been accepted to UBC for a PhD and I really like the professor and the research group, but I don't know a lot about the university (I just know that the campus is awesome) and about the city. Just some introduction before asking questions: I am Italian, I love to cook and I don't usually eat out for breakfast lunch dinner like many americans do (I have lived in the bay area for 6 months and that's what I saw, I don't know if Canadians are similar, don't blame me ). I have studied in Italy where the organisation of the school year is in semesters with exams that last all summer with no real school ending and I really don't know what mid-terms, spring breaks, fall term things are.
I am questioning myself about the food, do you find good supermarkets where you can buy fresh vegetables and fruits and not only pre packaged or already cooked stuff?
I have always biked to school since I was 10; will I be able to bike also in Vancouver to go to campus and to go around the city?
Sports related: is there a recreational center in the university?
Are there climbing gyms? Still related to climbing, which are good outdoor spots for climbing?
I know that British Columbia is awesome for winter sports, what are the closest skiing spots and generally how expensive it is to get there and to ski there? Is the car needed or public transports are good enough?
The more you can tell me the more I will appreciate it, thanks