We Walked from Canada to the US

yes, you read that right. we walked from canada to the US. and back. walked.i've always wanted to say that. in fact, the only reason we did it was to experience what it was like to walk to the border. and to be able to say, "i was in 2 countries at the same time." haha... sounds like some movie i know.so we drove to niagara falls. parked the car. then walked to new york state via the rainbow bridge.it wasn't a long walk. in fact, it would only take you 5 minutes to cross the border. of course, it's a totally different story when you stop to take pictures.here's the door that would take you from canada to the US -the boundary line between US and...

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Tell Me About Yourself

i would love to hear from you and get to know you and the people who drop by my blog. if you have time, do take time to answer one or two of the questions below. my answers can be found above.better yet, why not get paid while answering these questions? you can answer the same questions above and get paid for it by clicking here.1. What are you most afraid of?2. What is your place of birth?3. What's your favorite food?4. What's your natural hair color?5. Ever been a Neat Freak?6. Have you ever been skinny dipping?7. Have you ever loved someone so much it made you cry?8. Have you ever been in a car accident?9. Of the following, which do you like more? Croutons or Bacon bits?10. What's your favorite day of the week?11. Why is that day your favorite?12. What's your favorite restaurant?13....

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Canada's Point System: Language Tests vs. Written Proof

one of the requirements for obtaining points in canada's point system is your fluency to canada's official languages.as i have previously mentioned, a mere self-assessment of your proficiency is not enough. you have to provide proof. this can be done by either taking a language test (such as IELTS) or by submitting a written proof of your proficiency.there are 3 common concerns that make an applicant think twice about taking the IELTS.1. cost. the current cost for taking an IELTS test in the philippines is now at PhP8,960. if you want to take a workshop to review your english skills, the course fee is PhP2,200. the workshop is not a requirement though. and if you think you are proficient enough, then it is not necessary to take it. i did not take any workshops prior to taking the test and...

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A Lock-less Society

yesterday, my kids were playing ball in the backyard. my son accidentally threw it a bit too much that it accidentally crossed over the fence into our neighbor's yard. so he went over and rang their doorbell to get his ball back. when he came back with his ball, he told me that our neighbor said that, "whenever you need to get something in our yard, feel free to enter. the gate is not locked." i grew up in a society full of locks. doors have locks. cabinets have locks. drawers have locks. gates have locks. almost anything that can be opened can be locked. when i was in the philippines, i had to use 3 keys just to get into our house. one for the gate and two for the front door. aside from that, i also had keys to my bedroom, my cabinets and my drawers. you can imagine how heavy my...

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My First Encounter: First Communion

my son had his first communion last saturday.and boy, was it different! different from the first communions that i know of in the philippines. in the philippines, the school takes care of the first communion. it is a big school event where everything is practiced - how to walk, what songs to sing, how to take communion, and if i remember it right, even the actual mass is practiced.there are pictorials before the big day. solo pictures of the child kneeling down and holding a rosary are taken. on the day itself, an official photographer and videographer is on site to make sure that this special day is properly documented. children also exchange giveaways or souvenirs with classmates to mark their special day. here in canada, despite the fact that my kids go to a catholic school, the first communion...

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Survey Time!

questions for you:1. if you had an awesome experience or even a bad one, how many people would you inform about it to help them with their own selections/choices?2. are you a hopeless romantic? what have you learned from your last breakup?check out my answers above....

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Worldwide Link Love

i've been tagged! so i'm joining the worldwide link love! if you wanna join, please see the rules below.~* start copying here *~Join the Worldwide Link Love!Benefits of Worldwide Link Love!1. Make new friends around the world.2. Feel the Link Love.3. Gain new readers and subscribers.Rules:1. Copy from ~* start copying here *~ to ~* end copying here *~ and paste it on your blog.2. At the end of the list, put your name and the country you're in, it doesn't matter what your nationality is, just put the country where you are publishing your blog from. Dont forget to put links on your name.3. If u have many blogs, you can link all of it, just make sure you post the same on each blog.4. Tag eight (8) or more of your blog friends.5. Tip for blog*spot users: make sure you copy and paste the code in...

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Canada's Point System: Fluency in English or French

here is the 3rd installment on my article on canada's point system.as i've said in my previous post, your fluency in english or french will give you a maximum of 24 points. this will be based on your ability to speak, read, write and listen in english and french.if you are able to communicate in both english and french, you have to decide which between the two languages you are more comfortable with. if you are more comfortable in english than french, then english would be your first official language and french would be your second official language.claiming proficiencies in these languages isn't enough. you must also provide proof of your level of proficiency. you can do this by either taking a language test or by providing a written proof of your proficiency in these languages. more on...

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Cooking the Whole Week

i'm back!i've been away for a week. not actually away. but more like slaving myself all week. which explains why i haven't checked my mail, updated my blog and returned dropped cards the whole week. so what have i been doing all week? cooking. i was cooking the whole week for the first communion party of my son yesterday. i made 5 viands plus desserts for 30 people. and boy, am i tired! dead tired. of course, my husband would say not to bother and just buy food to serve. he thinks i like to torture myself. but buying something off the rack doesn't give me as much pleasure as creating something from my own hands. seeing people enjoy the food i bought won't give me as much pleasure as seeing them enjoy the food i made. there is a difference. and as if that wasn't enough work, the...

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Canadian vs. Filipino Parties

we had a very long day last saturday.my kids had an activity at 10am. a children's party at 2pm. and still another children's party at 5pm.the 2pm party was the "typical canadian" children's party where only my daughter was invited. it lasted about 1 and 1/2 half hours. they were served pizza and cake. and given a lootbag before leaving the party. its really quite simple.i remember the first time they were invited to a party. i was uncomfortable with the fact that i had to just drop them off and pick them up again. in the philippines, it goes without saying that when your child gets invited, the yaya is invited too. we do not leave them alone to attend a party by themselves. especially when they're just 5 years old.but that's how it is done here. only the child is invited. the party would...

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Who Parked In My Driveway?

i pulled into the wrong driveway this morning.and this isnt the first time it has happened. it has happened twice before.of course i can always say it isn't my fault right? it isn't my fault that all the houses look the same. and all the driveways look the same.i remember the first time it happened to me. there was a van parked in the driveway. a van i can't recognize. and i was wondering who could be visiting us today.it was only when i had parked behind the van that i realized i was in the wrong driveway!now this is something that would never happen to me back home. i have never pulled into someone else's driveway before. because back home, our houses do not look the same. and we don't just "pull into the driveway."good thing i always realize it before i even get out of the car and try to...

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Canada's Point System: Education

as promised, here is a closer look at canada's point system.let me start off with education.education gives you a maximum of 25 points. this is based on the number of years you have spent studying.in determining your points for education, you will encounter 2 terminologies - full time study and full time equivalent study.full time study is defined by having "at least 15 hours of instruction per week during the academic year, including any period of training in the workplace that is part of your studies."full time equivalent study on the other hand, is defined as the "length of time that it would have taken to complete a program of study on a full-time basis, but was actually completed on a part-time or accelerated basis."before you get confused, all it really means is that you were able to...

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