For games, go to the
Games & Events Schedules -> BC section and see what games are posted.
Info, contacts etc can be found there.
As for gear and what gun is best to start with, there's a dozen threads about those topics and the answer is pretty much always the same.
But in a nutshell, to address your concerns: yes, people will recommend an AEG as your first gun (both for maintenance and reliability); you can get a GBBR but understand while maintenance is simpler its also needed regularly (read "pretty much after every game.") Also understand gas systems don't always work reliably in cool weather and that gas mags can be prohibitively expensive when starting out (keep that in mind if you're on a limited budget). But GBBRs are terribly fun and a lot more realistic.
As for kit, read the threads. Get good eye protection, if there's one place you don't want to cheap out its there. Everything else is up to you and is likely to change with your experience and experiences.