Summer in Canada vs. Summer in the Philippines

some people claim that they prefer summer in the philippines than summer in canada.what do i think? summer in the philippines is hot. humid. and sunny. summer in canada is hot. dry. and scorching. last year when i didn't realize that summer was about to start, i was surprised to see my son come back from school 2 shades darker than when he had left for school. the sun is so hot in canada that using a sunscreen is absolutely necessary. in fact, i normally start to put on sunscreen on my children towards the end of spring. i put this on them everyday before going to school. if we think we'll be under the sun for a period of time, we always put on sunscreen to protect ourselves from the damage that the sun's rays can do to our skin.in the philippines, i never felt the need to put...

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Coping with Stress

when a relative of mine found out that we were migrating to canada, she was very adamant that i shouldn't go. she said that life in canada is difficult and that i will not be able to handle the stress.the stress of being away from my family and friends. the stress of not having any helpers or nannies (yayas as we call them in the philippines). and the stress of doing everything by myself - cooking, dishes, laundry, etc. for someone who doesn't do any household chores, the stress of having to learn everything may be too much to handle.some people do cope. as we have. and some people don't.those who have difficulty adjusting find themselves getting stressed out. and this is obviously not good. articles on stress management indicates that constant stress affects our health and our well-being....

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Questions

got tagged! thank you Live It Up. appreciate it much!1. what date is it?:: July 18, 20082. what time did you wake up?:: 9:00am3. did you go somewhere yesterday?:: yes went to the drugstore4. what did you do there?:: bought OFF for my kids' trip to the woods5. how old are you?:: too old!6. are you mature or immature?:: hmmm... i can be both!7. what do you call your mom and dad?:: mumsy and puffsy... hahaha!8. are you an only child?:: nope.9. where do you go shopping?:: new jersey! hahaha!10. do you like school?:: yes11. do you like books?:: yes!12. do you want to get married?:: i am married13. with whom?:: with hubby14. are you spoiled?:: i could be...15. what's the most flattering compliment you ever got?:: hmmm...16. only girl/boy in the family?:: nope.17. if you were to marry a celebrity,...

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Allergic Reactions

allergy is something canadians take very seriously. and with good reason too. as reactions to allergies are sometimes fatal.a lot of the people here in canada are allergic to something. in schools, students are required to bring peanut-free snacks and lunches because a lot of the students are allergic to peanuts. this serves as a preventive measure in the event that the student decides to trade their snack or lunch with someone else.when friends of my children come over, i also make it a point to ask the parents if their child is allergic to anything. with so many allegies here, it is always better to be safe than sorry. in comparison, we filipinos tend to take allergies lightly. when someone is allergic to something, more often than not, we encourage him/her to "eat a little" to "cure"...

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A Sad Goodbye

i attended a wake last night. my grandmother's bestfriend passed away due to cancer. and though i have only known her for the past year and my interactions with her are limited, i couldn't stop my tears from falling down. in the short span of time that i've known her, she has touched my life with her kindness and unconditional acceptance. she was the kind of person who was always willing to help others. to comfort others. to feed others. even when she was sick, she would always encourage me and hubby to take a break and leave the kids with her. when i remind her that she needs to rest, she would always dismiss it saying that she is ok. and despite us not taking on her offer, the mere fact that she offered herself was very much appreciated. i have to admit that i have never seen so...

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Buying and Selling A House in Canada

buying and selling a house in canada is very different from buying and selling a house in the philippines.i find that the process of buying a house here is easier, more organized and a little bit more exciting. it is a very different experience from our experience in the philippines.when we bought a house in the philippines, we were in contact with a lot of real estate agents who have different house listings. in canada however, you are legally obliged to deal with one agent only. this works well because all agents in canada have access to all houses for sale.the only houses that they do not have access to are the houses which are for sale by...

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Ultimate Blog Bloom

This new tag is from mckhoii. Thanks, mckhoii!This tag will give you 2 techie points per successful tag. The rules are:1. Copy and paste the URLs (ALL OF THEM!) on the list and add them to your blogroll (this gives your buddy one techie point).2. Add your name according to the alphabetical sequence of the list.3. Link your webbie to your name in the list (the second techie point opportunity).4. Add your URL next to the linked name…5. Voila! just do this, tag as many as you can and wait until your techiepoints grow exponentially! Don’t forget to linkback… in your case link back to Filipino in Canada.THE ULTIMATE BLOG BLOOM LISTFilipino in Canada - http://www.filipinoincanada.com/Mckhoii - http://mckhoii.comNursemagic - http://nursemagic.blogspot.com/*add your entry in the right alphabetical...

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Traveling Between US and Canada

a friend from san francisco recently visited us.they took a plane from san francisco to buffalo. contacted a car rental company from buffalo and then drove to toronto from there.since we migrated here in canada, i have known a lot of people who have done that. and it goes both ways too. people from the US travel to buffalo or michigan and then drive over here while people from toronto drive over to buffalo or michigan and then fly to their US destination.the reason a lot of people do this is because the airfare within the US is cheaper than the airfare between US and canada. so i guess it makes practical sense to fly to the border and then drive...

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Shoes Off Please

taking off your shoes when you enter a house is a common practice here in canada. and coming from the philippines, i have to admit that it is something that i am not used to. walking barefooted on bare floors was something that i had to get comfortable with.prior to coming here, i bought a lot of thick, white socks for us to use. when we got here and realized that we'd be using those socks to walk around the houses we visit, i realized that i should have brought black socks instead.filipino homes, more often than not, have slippers for their guests to borrow but non-filipino homes would not have those.so it took awhile for me to get used to it....

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Birthday Party with Cinderella

my daughter had her birthday last saturday.she was pretty excited about it because cinderella was coming. and apparently, all her friends who knew that cinderella was coming, were pretty excited too.the children were treated to an afternoon with cinderella. or should i say, the girls were treated to an afternoon with cinderella.the boys just couldn't be bothered. sure, they all rushed up the stairs when they found out that cinderella has arrived. but after the initial awe of being with the princess, they all moved back to the basement where the playstation and air hockey was waiting for them.so cinderella had the girls with her. she did story...

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A Hands-On Birthday Girl

my daughter's birthday is coming up soon.if you have a daughter like mine, you would know that party preparation could be quite tedious. my daughter is only 5 and yet, when it comes to her parties, she is very hands-on. it was on her 4th birthday that she started expressing her interest in being involved. she likes being involved in everything - the invitations, the food, the games, the loot bags, and would you believe even on what plates and utensils to use?she has a list of what she wants done and would constantly remind me. she would say, "mom, we need to give out the invitations by this date. have you started it?" yup! she is the boss of me. :)when i was not as busy as i am now, i didn't mind the little details. we would make her invitation together and would really customize it...

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Buying a Domain Name

since getting my own domain, a lot of people have asked me where i got it and how i did it. so for those who would want to know, i purchased my domain directly from blogger.com. sure, there are other companies who offer it at a lesser price than blogger does. but i like the convenience that blogger offers. and for that i am willing to pay extra.prior to purchasing my domain, i did my research. those who personally know me know that i never jump with my eyes closed (at least one eye has to be open). i like knowing what i am getting into and i like knowing what is out there before i make my decision. as you probably know, blogger is owned by google. so when you decide to buy your domain from them, they will take you to the google apps domain purchase website where you will check whether...

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Arte Y Pico Award

i got this award from 2 great blogger friends - Of Colors and Styles and Anne Loves Will. thank you guys. really appreciate this. :)The rules of this tag are as follows:1) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language.2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize...

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