2008 ~ Filipino in Canada

Monday, July 21, 2008

Summer in Canada vs. Summer in the Philippines

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 4:16 PM

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 on sunscreen. the sun isn't as hot and scorching as it is here. in fact, i think that the only time i do put on sunscreen in the philippines is when we go to swimming. other than that, i don't have much use for it.

one thing that i like better here is that it is not humid. i hate the sticky feeling that summer has in the philippines. as long as i'm in the shade, i think i'd prefer summer here if only to avoid the sticky, icky feeling.

Coping with Stress

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 2:57 AM

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. managing our stress is very important.

if you find yourself being constantly stressed, do take it easy. there is nothing more important than your health. the stress institute offers great stress reduction tips that you should read about. they have prominent physicians and professionals whose expertise in stress management and achieving work/life balance can help you live a stress-free life.

if living in canada stresses you out, the stress institute is just a click away.

Questions

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 1:18 AM

got tagged! thank you Live It Up. appreciate it much!

1. what date is it?
:: July 18, 2008

2. what time did you wake up?
:: 9:00am

3. did you go somewhere yesterday?
:: yes went to the drugstore

4. what did you do there?
:: bought OFF for my kids' trip to the woods

5. 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?
:: yes

11. do you like books?
:: yes!

12. do you want to get married?
:: i am married

13. with whom?
:: with hubby

14. 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, who would it be?
:: can't think of any

18. would you like to meet Josh Hartnett?
:: not really

19. where do u think ur bestfriend is?
:: in the philippines

20. when was the last time you talked to your bestfriend?
:: this week

21. you think she/he needs you now?
:: not now

23. what do you want for your birthday?
:: a loooooong, relaxing bubble bath

25. if you were to buy a car, which car would it be?
:: i'm not particular with cars. any car with 4 wheels will do.

26. a duet with heart evangelista?
:: uh... anyone else?

27. do you wear make-up?
:: rarely

28. what lip balm do you use?
:: nivea

29. would you get a tattoo?
:: only a henna tattoo for me

30. belly pierce?
:: hahaha! funny...

31. how many kids do you want?
:: 4

32. do you have any homework?
:: yes. tons!

33. any song that you're listening to?
:: none

34. do you believe in spells?
:: no

35. where do you want to go now?
:: my bed! i'm sooo sleepy...

I am now tagging Manilenya, Mariuca, Memories by Jenn, Mommy's Little Corner and My Big Dreams. Enjoy the tag guys!

Allergic Reactions

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 10:21 PM

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" the allergy.

i experienced that when i was in college and would go out with friends. despite the fact that i tell my friends i'm allergic to alcohol, i still get the big, encouraging, "come on, just one sip. it will cure your allergy."

my sister, apparently, is allergic to shrimps and i only found out about it recently. i see her eat shrimps all the time. so, imagine my shock when i found out that she's actually allergic to it.

i also have friends in the philippines who are allergic to eggs but would "eat a little" every so often. in the philippines, to "eat a little" is okay and is not deadly. and in some weird cases, it even "cures" the allergy.

in canada, people with allergies do not do that. they do not "eat a little" to "cure" their allergies. it is simply not done. it is dangerous and could even be fatal.

A Sad Goodbye

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 11:14 AM

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 many people cry during a wake. everywhere i look, i see people crying. people reminiscing about the goodness of her heart. everyone had the same story to tell. she had a big heart and her kindness was incomparable.

i am glad to have met her no matter how short our time was together. and to her, i say, thank you for your kindness. it was much appreciated.

Buying and Selling A House in Canada

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 2:21 PM

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 owner. while majority of the people sell through real estate agents, selling privately is another option that people take to eliminate real estate agent fees.

those who take this option normally enlist the services of an FSBO private real estate marketing company to reach buyers. they usually enlist the services of privaterealestate.com which provides home marketing services online, offline and on the seller's street. and aside from saving 3 to 7% of the sale price, the seller also gains exposure to interested home buyers.

having all these in place makes the process a lot easier for both the seller and the buyer. i will discuss more about our experience in buying a house next post.

Ultimate Blog Bloom

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 10:32 AM

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 LIST
Filipino in Canada - http://www.filipinoincanada.com/
Mckhoii - http://mckhoii.com
Nursemagic - http://nursemagic.blogspot.com/

*add your entry in the right alphabetical seguence*

I am now tagging:
Charmed Blossoms, Of Colors and Styles, La Vita: Aller Là-bas, Latest Trends!!!!!!, Le Bric a Brac de Cherie, Le Kulitszie Familie, Let's Talk About "MJ", Life Away From Home, Life Has A Lot To Offer, Life is Good and Beautiful, Life's Lessons, Lisgold, Live Each Moment, Live It Up, Live Laugh Love, Live Love Life, Living and Learning, and LizELement.

Traveling Between US and Canada

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 6:56 PM

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 over.

and with a lot of car rental companies offering special deals and promotions, it even makes it more appealing to rent a car than to actually use your own car for road trips.

advantage.com offers up to 50% discount on luxury and convertible car rentals. now that is one deal that's definitely hard to pass up on.

Shoes Off Please

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 5:45 PM

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. i have to admit that it is only this year that i got comfortable walking barefooted.

Birthday Party with Cinderella

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 11:19 PM

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 telling. of course, what better story to tell than her own story of how she met her prince.

she put on makeup on all the girls.

she taught them some songs.

they had some games.

she gave each one a picture of her with a personalized autograph.

and they ended the afternoon by singing happy birthday to my daughter.

it was a great party and my daughter couldn't be happier. she said it was her best party ever.

A Hands-On Birthday Girl

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 5:16 PM

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 according to what she wants. but now that things have been hectic, it has been a struggle to attend to the little details.

this year, we have hired cinderella to come and join her party. she is extremely excited about it and can't wait to be the princess of the day.

Buying a Domain Name

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 11:57 AM

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 the domain name you want is still available or not. from google apps, i was taken to google checkout to purchase my domain. the process was very simple and everything went smoothly.

sure, i may save a couple of dollars buying elsewhere. i can even buy directly from godaddy or enom where blogger registers the domain you buy from them. but i didn't want the hassle of configuring my settings. i also didn't want to risk leaving my readers behind.

buying from blogger ensures that my domain is up immediately and ensures that my readers are not left behind.

Arte Y Pico Award

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 10:42 AM

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 have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award. http://http//arteypico.blogspot.com/ .Make sure you visit the link above.

I'd like to share this award with Batanggenyong Online, Aspiring Entrepreneur, Anything Goes by Marzel and Girls Dig Games Too.

A Lot About L

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 11:59 PM

this is a long overdue tag from a simple life. thanks liza!

Name 10 things that start with L.

1. Love - can't live without it
2. Laughter - life without laughter is no life
3. Life - live life with love and laughter
4. Ladybug - my daughter's favorite bug
5. Lion - my son's favorite animal
6. London - a place i would like to visit one time
7. Library - my kids' favorite hangout
8. Letters - i love sending and receiving letters
9. Lychees - one of the fruits i love
10. Leather - i love the feel of leather

I'm now tagging - Wife of a Warrior, Weng's Thing, Vanity Treats, Treasures in Life and The Rantings and Whinings of a Princess

Impromptu Trips

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 6:56 PM

since moving to canada, people have one constant question for me - "what do you like most about canada?"

and i only have one answer for them - "the ease of traveling."

from my experience, traveling from the philippines and traveling from canada are very different. when we were in the philippines, traveling to the US would require months of preparation. since the US was far from the philippines and plane fare from the philippines to the US is kinda costly, we would maximize our trip by having long vacations and by squeezing as many places as humanely possible to see. and as we all know, long vacations from the office require at least a month's notice.

in canada, however, we can decide to travel at a moment's notice. and because it is so close to us, we do not need to have long vacations nor do we need to take a leave from the office.

i remember one particular time last summer. we only realized that it was going to be a long weekend after hubby came home from work on a friday. he asked what we wanted to do for the long weekend. impulsively, we thought, why don't we go to new york tomorrow? and then off we went to new york the following morning.

that night, prior to packing our things, i went online and googled online travel guides to check out things to do in new york. since it was my kids' first time to be in new york, we wanted them to have a varied experience of the city. in my search for places to see, i stumbled upon Trusted Tours & Attractions. they have a list of 40 new york city attractions which you can visit for free and even have special discounted tickets which you can actually print from home. it was so convenient.

i went through the list and ticked off the things i thought my children would love to see. we took them to see the statue of liberty, times square, the empire state building, the metropolitan museum of art, and the rockefeller center. each attraction was thoroughly enjoyed by my children.

for a very impromptu trip to new york city, trusted tours and attractions certainly helped me in planning out a very memorable trip for my children. and since they offer discounted tickets to the best sightseeing tours in 23 cities across america, i will definitely visit their site again when i go look for things to do in chicago.

so if you are currently planning your next vacation and looking for ideas on what to do, sign up now for the Trusted Travels eNewsletter and you just might win a handheld GPS. their offer ends June 30th, 2008, so better sign up right now!

Canada's Point System: Adaptability

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 11:47 AM

this is the last installment on my series on canada's point system...

adaptability is how well you or your dependents can adjust to life in canada. if you can show that you have what it takes to adjust to life here, you will get a maximum of 10 points. you will be awarded points based on the following factors:

1. your spouse or common law partner's educational level
you can get a maximum of 5 points depending on your spouse or common-law partner's level of education. the points are distributed as follows:

a. high school diploma or less - 0 points
b. one-year diploma, trade certificate, apprenticeship or university degree and at least 12 years of full-time studies or full-time equivalent studies - 3 points
c. a 2 or 3-year diploma, trade certificate, apprenticeship or university degree and at least 14 years of full-time or full-time equivlent studies - 4 points
d. a master's degree or PhD and at least 17 years of full time or full time equivalent studies - 5 points

2. previous work experience in canada
you get 5 points if you or your spouse/common-law partner have previously worked full-time in canada for at least a year on a valid work permit.

3. previous study in canada
you get 5 points if you or your spouse/common-law partner have previously studied full-time in canada for at least 2 years on a valid study permit. this study should have occurred after you or your spouse/common-law partner were 17 years old.

4. arranged employment in canada
you get 5 points if you have a ready employer to work for when you land in canada.

5. relatives in canada
you get 5 points if you or your accompanying spouse/common-law partner have a relative who lives in canada and is a canadian citizen or a permanent resident. relatives include - parents, grandparent, child, grandchild, child of a parent, sibling, child of a grandparent, aunt or uncle, grandchild of a parent, niece or nephew.

in computing for your points, please note that you can only get a maximum of 10 points for adaptability. you can only count points from each factor either for you or for your spouse/common-law partner but not for both.

if you want to take the complete self-assessment, click here.

Blog Hopping

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 2:57 AM

one of the thrills of blog hopping is discovering blogs that prove to be either interesting or useful. i am especially fond of blogs that teach me something new or give me a different take on ordinary things.

today, i discovered a car blog which i am sure hubby is going to love. and if you are like hubby who goes gaga over cars, then i am sure you would go gaga over this car blog too.

they have an extensive assortment of articles which are informative as well as entertaining. and a forum which anyone can join for free. the forums are vehicle specific which makes it easier to connect with people interested in the same vehicle.

yes, it's nice to blog hop. everyday i discover new blogs. and learn something new.

My New Look in My New House

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 9:42 PM

i finally got my own domain name! woohoo! and i have my new look to match it.

i have been thinking about going dot com for quite sometime now and today, i finally made the leap. finally purchased my own domain name.

to those who have exchanged links with me, i would appreciate it very much if you could please update my link.

when i started blogging, i was hesitant to purchase my own domain because while the concept of blogging appealed to me, i didn't want to commit to it until i take it for a test drive.

i believe the test drive is over. i have purchased my dot com. and i am here to stay. :)

10 Years Ago

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 7:29 PM

Got this tag from Pinaywifespeaks...

The rules are posted at the beginning. At the end of the post, the player tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blog and leave a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1. What was I doing 10 years ago? i was a career driven woman working in HR in the phils with zero knowledge that i would end up in canada one day and be a stay at home mom.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today?

1. work!
2. create an invitation for my daughter's bday party
3. finalize the video clip for my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary
4. meet up with a neighbor (long overdue date)
5. blog

3. Snacks I enjoy:

i am currently addicted to samosas, chips and pizza

4. Places I’ve lived:

Manila, Davao, Toronto

5. Things I’d do if I were a billionaire:

* hmm...

6. People I want to know more about:

* new friends i've met in my new environment :)

I’m tagging the following bloggers because I’d really like to know more about them.. In My Crazy Beautiful World, Island Paradise, Jamie's Thoughts, Journey to Life, KateLove's, Of Colors and Styles and Twisted Tomato

Too Early For Halloween

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 2:12 AM

it is only june and yet my kids are already thinking of halloween costumes! yikes! not that i have anything against halloween. but isn't it way too early?

when my kids were much younger and we were still in the philippines, finding a good halloween costume was definitely an effort. at that time, there were very few options and only selected stores sell them.

in canada, however, it is a different matter. costumes are abundant both offline and online. the difficulty is not in finding a costume but in finding 'the' costume.

the fun part for me is checking out the costumes. i normally search the web to check out my options. i go through several websites. some funny. some cute. some scary. some very common.

of all the websites i have visited to date, it was costume cauldron that caught my attention.

and it isn't because they have hot, sexy costumes. haha!

it caught my attention because they have the most absurd costumes. seriously! they have costumes that i cannot imagine anyone would actually want to wear. let alone buy. check out baby doll betty to see what i mean.

that is something i will never choose to wear. at all. for a couple of reasons. i can't even bring myself to post the picture here! i wonder if they get to sell that costume at all. would people actually enter their website looking for the baby doll betty costume? haha!

since i can't bring myself to post a picture of baby doll betty here, i will just show you two photos which i believe are a tamer and funnier version -

but aside from a couple of really ridiculous costumes, they do have quite a nice and varied selection of costumes. among my favorites are -

it's pretty cool how they created the illusion of a gorilla carrying the man in the cage. or of the clown appearing to walk on his hand. if you crave attention this halloween, these are the costumes that would definitely do it for you.

as for me, i have chosen the costume i want. and i am buying it from them. but i am not telling you which one it is. :D

Are You On Auto-Pilot?

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 11:28 PM

i was in a friend's house the other day.

he was up preparing food when i noticed that his playstation was left open in the basement. so i went up and told him about it.

he casually said that he really left it on. "what?! why would you do that? isn't that such a waste of electricity?"

"no. because i'm playing." "how can you be playing? you're not playing. you're up here, cooking."

"i AM playing. it's on auto-pilot." "WHAT?!?! it's on what?!"

"it's on auto-pilot. i have programmed it to play while i am cooking."

ok. i am floored. i am seriously floored. i totally did not expect that answer. is this a guy thing? am i not understanding it because i'm not a guy? because honestly, i don't see the point.

where is the fun in playing when you are not physically playing it? how can you feel the excitement of achieving a high score or the thrill of getting to a new level when you are not physically playing the game?

if you can relate to this auto-pilot thing (which i obviously cannot relate to), please let me know. i am curious to know how many people actually go on auto-pilot on their playstation. explain to me. and convince me why it is "fun."

because to me, the only thing "fun" about going on auto-pilot is being able to say, "i reached level 75 while cooking chicken."

Tagged!

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 9:50 PM

I got tagged by Can of Thoughts with this fun question and answer game. It's a very simple game, just follow some few rules:

1. Add your blog/s to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs. It’s okay if you only post this question in one blog as long as you answer them.

2. Get back to YEN and will add your blogs to the master’s list here! Yup, another linking thingy but this one has 15 questions and you get to enjoy answering them too!

3. Tag as many friends online you know. But you don’t need to be tagged in order to join.

QUESTIONS:

1. When you buy a greetings card, are the words or the picture more important to you? definitely the words.

2. What’s your favorite kind of cake? chocolate

3. Do you ever make gifts for people, if so what, or do you buy them? sometimes i make, sometimes i buy. depends on my mood, my time, and who i will give it to. special people deserve my labor of love. :)

4. What’s your favorite holiday? christmas! i love christmas. i love christmas in the philippines.

5. Are you going on holiday this year? yes. we always have mini-vacations every long weekend.

6. What was the best party you’ve ever been to? wow.. there's a lot..

7. If you are married, describe your wedding. If not, what would your ideal wedding be like? we had the usual, traditional wedding at sanctuario de san antonio and reception at manila peninsula.

8. What’s the most romantic thing that’s ever happened to you? hmm... i have a huge smile on my face just thinking about it. :D

9. What’s your favorite girl’s name? Bianca

10. What’s your favorite boy’s name? uh...

11. Which celebrity would you like a dream date with? Right now? brad pitt. on second thought, i think i would enjoy a date with mcdreamy more. haha!

12. Which female celebrity do you find beautiful? there's a lot of them...

13. Which male celebrity do you think is attractive? yikes! a lot!

14. What is your best character trait? always doing my best in whatever i do

15. What is your worst habit? wanting to do too many things at the same time

The List:

1. Me and Mine 2.Creative In Me 3.Little Peanut 4. Pea in a Pod 5. Sugar Magnolias 6. 6. A Life in Bloom 7. Because Life is a Blessing 8. Nita’s Random Thoughts 9. Nita’s Corner 10. Nita’s Ramblings 11. Thomas Web Links 12. Thomas Travel Tales 13. Great Finds and Deals 14. Make Money Online 15. Recipe Collections 16. My Wandering Thoughts 17. Filipino Online Community 18. Famous Lyrics Collections 19. Thomas Digital Services 20. Bohol Paradise 21. PRC Board Exam Results 22. My Paperless Writings 23. As The World Turns 24. My BIG Picture 25. When Silence Speaks 26. Felicity’s Vision 27. Bienvenue `a la Noryfel 28. Inday’s Kitchen 30. My Life 31. My Life in this Wonderful World! 32.Me,Myself+2 33.FunFierceFabulous 34. Supermodel Wannabe 35. kathycot dot com 36. buhaymisis.com 37. In Depth 38. My so called Life 39. Life's Impression 40. Vhiel's Corner 41. Anything and Everything in Between 42. Designs By Vhiel 43. Can of Thoughts 44. Artsy Creatures 45. Click Here To Forward 46. Filipino in Canada 47.Your blog here...

I am tagging... Exciting Stuff, Faery Dancing, From the Eyes of My Heart, Hailey's Beats and Bits, Heap Up, and Hideout Getaway

Are You on Social Spark?

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 12:04 AM

i also recently joined socialspark, the newest baby of IZEA.

socialspark is social community where bloggers and advertisers meet. it is like payperpost, friendster, stumble upon and google analytics all rolled into one. this means that on this site, you will be able to take paid opportunities like in payperpost, add friends like in friendster, prop and be propped back like in stumble upon and have all your blog statistics on hand like in google analytics. pretty neat huh? it's like having a one-stop shop. and i am loving it that way.

and among all its features, it is the analytics that i am loving the best. i like knowing who visits my blog, their gender and their age range. i like knowing my real rank and alexa rank. my top referrers and my top outgoing links. yes, i love knowing my stats. and i am constantly trying to improve them.

the only thing i have heard that other bloggers do not like about this site is that payment for the opportunities decline. opportunities that started out at $20 per post can go down to $5. that is a big difference. and unfortunately, the decline in payment does not equal a decline in requirements. if you think about it, somehow, it doesn't seem fair.

i would say that in anything you join, always balance the good with the bad. decide whether it is for you or not. and then make your decision. to join or not to join.

if you do decide to create your profile in socialspark, please take time to drop by my profile. add me as a friend, give me and my blog a prop, and i will definitely prop you back.

Paying for Torture

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 6:40 PM

i accompanied my kids to the dentist yesterday.

as i was waiting outside the waiting room, a little girl around 7 or 8 years old, came out from the dental room and was on her way out the door when she was stopped by her mom.

her mom told her, "wait, let me pay first." to which her daughter replied, "what?!?! you actually have to pay for this?? you pay to torture me?!"

all the mommies in the waiting room couldn't help but laugh.

prior to coming here, one of the things that people warned us about was the high cost of dental services. while medical services are free in canada, dental services are definitely not. and they can be pretty expensive.

just how expensive are they? i took my 2 kids in for their regular cleaning and xray and i paid a little over $450 total.

it was a good thing we were warned as i was able to include that in our "list of things to do before migrating." i paid my trusty, dependable dentist over at asian hospital a visit before flying off. had everything done before leaving and just have regular check ups here.

so, to those intending to migrate here, make sure you pay your dentist a visit before flying off. you will be glad you did.

See the Philippines

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 11:13 AM

My Lakbayan grade is C! How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!Created by Eugene Villar.

thank you Mckhoii for this tag! appreciate it much.

So how much of the Philippines have you travelled? Add your links here:

1) mind bubbles, 2) may 3) VANITY KIT 4) SOMETHING PURPLE 5) A DETOUR 6) Big Eyed Gal 7) The Chronic Shopper

My Inner Thoughts Revealed 9) DeCaFFeiNaTed 10) BaReFooTeD Me 11) Puzzled Me 12) jo an joy ce 13.) Mckhoii 14) Filipino in Canada 15)Your link here

Tagging: Daily Rounds, Daystar Shine On Me, Eida's Jungle, Em's Exposure, Everything is Simply Amazing, Everything That Has Breathe Praise the Lord, Everything Under The Sun and Everything's Here

Favorite Summer Clothes

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 1:15 AM

it is almost summer time and the hot weather is starting to make its presence felt.

after a long season of heavy and layered clothing, everyone certainly welcomes the change. my kids are enjoying the warm breeze and are enjoying the fact that they are able to wear lighter clothing.

on an average warm day, you would see my daughter wearing either a dress or a skirt while my son chooses to wear pants to cover his legs from the heat and to protect it from possible scratches which he could get from playing with his friends.

hubby on the other hand, prefers wearing shorts on hot days. he likes shorts with multiple pockets to accommodate the stuff he regularly brings - wallet, cellphone, keys, gps and an occasional small toy that the kids ask him to bring. regular pockets are just not enough.

so it is very fortunate that we found the 5.11 tactical shorts. not only does it have multiple pockets, but it is also durable and designed to carry bulky items. for someone who carries a lot around, the 5.11 tactical shorts is a practical solution. i could see that this 5.11 tactical shorts would definitely make it to hubby's list of favorite clothes.

Planting Grass

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 9:50 PM

did you know that grass shouldn't be cut too short? i certainly didn't know that. and i had to learn it the hard way.

i only found out about this tiny bit of info when our grass in the front lawn died. yup. dead. brown. dried. it was definitely an ugly sight. especially since ours was the only one on our street suffering from that state.

i was really embarrassed so i pestered hubby to do something about it. either hire someone to do it or try do it himself. but hubby was feeling up to the challenge and decided to give it a try.

and so he did. he bought his gardening tools and worked on our front lawn.

first he took off all the dead grass and then aerated the soil. he then scattered the grass seeds and raked it in.

we watered the lawn twice a day for the next 7 days and on the 8th day, we could already see some seedlings.

we continued on watering until the grass thickened.

and now it looks like this -

it may not look perfect but the fact that hubby's first attempt at planting grass was a success was enough to make me feel happy.

the things we learn in canada are the things we take for granted in the philippines.

Now a Part of the PPP Family

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 6:42 PM

i discovered payperpost almost as soon as i started blogging. it wasn't difficult "discovering" it as most bloggers are already a part of this extremely popular community.

and while i have known about payperpost for quite sometime, it has only been recently that i submitted my blog for approval. needless to say, it was approved. woohoo! bring out the party hats!

so why didn't i apply earlier? because payperpost does not approve all blogs. and i wanted to be sure that i get approved when i do apply. so i waited for my blog to age. i posted more articles. and i tried to improve my ranking.

payperpost, to me, is like icing on a cake. to do something you enjoy is a good thing and getting paid for it is definitely an added bonus.

i am really excited about this and i am looking forward to receiving opportunities to "blog about the things i love."

truth be known, i haven't actually thought of what i'd do with the extra money but one thing's for sure, it will definitely come in handy.

so, if you haven't caught the PPP bug yet, come and join the rest of us who are earning while doing something we love. come and get paid to blog like me.

Friendship Around the World

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 11:14 PM

thank you of colors and styles for tagging me with this.

::Start Copy Here::

Rule:
1. Copy from ::Start Copy Here:: through ::End Copy Here::.
2. Add your blog to the list. Feel free to add all your other blogs. Just make sure to post this to each of the blog you added in the list.
3. Tag other online friends you know.You don’t need to be tag in order to join. If you want to join just post this one in your blog.
4. Let me know your blog’s name and url by leaving me a comment HERE. I will add you to the master list.That way, everyone is happy and can meet new friends too!

5. Come back once in a while to get the master list! Let’s see how this makes our Technorati and PR goes up!

6. DO NOT REMOVE THIS: scrap page made by Yen. Using alphas and tapes from Kate H., flowers from Ida,paper by Catrine.

1. Me and Mine 2.Creative In Me 3.Little Peanut 4. Pea in a Pod 5. Sugar Magnolias 6.Because Life Is Fun 7. Piece o’Kaje 8. Mon a Bric 9. Celebrate Life 10.My Journey11. Deeply In Love 12. Pink and Brown Diaries 13. Happyheart 14. Wilstop 15. Fun|Fierce|Fab 16. Nita’s Random Thoughts 17. Nita’s Corner 18. Thomas Web Links 19. Thomas Travel Tales 20. Make Money Online 21. Great Finds and Deals 22. PRC Board Exam Results 24. My Wandering Thoughts 25. Nita’s Ramblings 26. Just Me.. Eds 27. Etc Atbp 28. When Silence Speaks 29. Juliana’s Lair 30. Juliana’s World 31. Juliana’s Library 32. Blessed Chic 33. Can of Thoughts 34. Hailey’s Domain 35. Hailey’s Beats and Bits 36. ISL family 37. Arbitrary Thoughts 38. D’ Cooking Mudra 39. My Big Picture 40. Dancing in Midlife Tune 41. Blessings In Life 42. My Colorful World 43. Dare to Blog 44. Life Realities 45. WebGeek Journal DotNet 46. WebGeek Journal 47. Let’s Travel Philippines 49. MY DAILY THOUGHTS AND MOODS 50. A Sweet Taste Of Life 51. My Life in this Wonderful World! 52. Denz Techtronics 53. Denz Recreational 54. Surviving Deplyoment 55. Ester’s Raptured Dreams 56. Nipa Hut 57.Picture Clusters 58. My Wanderings 59.Maiylah’s Snippets 60. EuLehKulit 61. Life Quest 61.Being a wife. Being a Mom. 62. MoMie SPace 63.Woman Xplore 64. PinayWAHM 65. Agring’s Simply Digital 66. Agring’s Home & Garden 67. Agring’s Homecooking & Baking 68. Agring’s Electronics & Entertainments 69. Scrap Addict Sundays 70. Mommy Talks 71. Aggie Scraps 72.Teacher’s Corner 73. My Drift 74. lancernews 75. My so called Life 76. See Me for what You Will… 77. kathycot.com 78. buhaymisis.com 79. All about Mye life 80. Everything has a Reason 81. Life’s Impression 82. Some Thoughts I have 83. Life’s Lessons 84. Just Let Go 85. Pieces Of Me 86. Winding Creek Circle 87. BOTH SIDES NOW 88. Happy Life 89. Blessed Sanctuary 90.Confessions of an Army Life 91. moms….. check nyo 92. Mommy’s Little Corner 93. Wanna Be SuperModel 94. Gandacious 95. Jo-Jo’s Place 96.My Quiet Zone 97. Proud PINAY 98. Simply Jen 99. Jenny Said So 100. A Slice of Life 101. My Blog 102. TIP OF AN ICEBERG 103. Coffee Cup Princess 104. Deranged Insanity 105. Just Another Day 106. Stev & Emz Journey 107.Runaway THoughts of Emz 108. Heart of Rachel 109. Nora’s Notes 110. In the Life Of Mne 111. In my Kitchen 112. Nyumix’s Blog 113. Everything’s Here 114.Out of Nowhere 115. My Simple World 116. Seek Health. Feel Great 117. Smile Puppies 118. Almanacqueen 119. The Life of an Outback Pinay 120. Dancing With Butterflies 121. My Treasures 122. Everything Green 123. 124. Memoirs of a Filipina 125. The Pit Gadgetry! 126. My Daily Life Experience 127. Married and Happy About It 128. My Discoveries 129. iCreate+iDeas 130. My Healthy Living Journal 131. Busy Moms Cook 132. Christian Weekends 133. Reflexes 134. Caramel Corn 135. Sunny Side Up Foodie 136. A Mothers Horizon 137. Bits and Pieces 138. Whats Up! 139. Simply Me 140. Life and Me 141. A Handful of Surprises 142. Anything and Everything in Between 143. from here and beyond 144. The Nameless Blog 145. Exploring Asia 146. Malaya 147. Swan Portraits 148. BUSYNESSWORLD 149. Sprawt 150. Thinking Consciously? 151. BLOGSILOG 152. Cherry’s Comfort Zone 153. DigiScrapz: Captured Memories 154. Buzzy Me 155. Thinking Out Loud 156. Wishing and Hoping 157. Jobs for Davao 158. Jobs for Cebu 159. Filipino Jobs Abroad 160. PRC Board Exam Results 161. Nakedminds 162. Personal 163. Interesting 164. squeeshies 165. Shenzee’s World 166. Geekyology 167. Swanportraits 168. Rumination Under the Clouds 169. In My Home by Ria aka Msculit 170. It’s my Party (and I’ll cry if I want to…) by Ria aka Msculit 171. Malaya 172. Cheese: Jherson84 173. Beans: Jherson 174. EP Treasures 175. Republic of A 176. Nora’s Family Treasures 177. Points of View (Discussion Blog) 178. Gala Tayo! 179. Lucky Peso 180. Buhay Pinoy 181. Pinay Mommy’s Love Blog 182. MOMEMO 183. OnlineBiz and Resources 184. Lourdes’ Mia 185. Pinay Mommy’s DigiScrap and Musings in Life 186. Pinay Mommy Online 187. ‘nna 188. My Sweet Escape 189. The Next Chapter 190. Painted Life 191. Petty Ramblings of a Petty Queen 192. The Real Deal 193. My Beautiful Life 194. Berry Blog 195. A Tsinay Blog 196. A Celebration of Life 197. My love.mylife.my everything. 198. Gamay and Dako Adventures 199. Ester’s Daily Thoughts 200. Choc Mint Girl 201. I AM KCAT 202. RanZ-Goodies 203. RanZ-Famous 204. A Time to Weep and a Time to Laugh 205. Surviving the Circus of Life 206. The Nook207. Allen’Wifey 208. Fern’s Backyard 209. Amor’s Blog - My Place in Cyberspace 210. The Other Side of Me 211. Stylishbabe111407 212. The Inner Shopper 213. TheGeneralInfoBlog 214. my angels world 215. Pinoy Raket Online 216. My Life 217. BloggingInMyPyjamas 218. Baby Shern 219. Mariel 220. So Real 221. Okay, I am Arms and this is my blog 222. Lucid Creativity 223. Read my Mind 224.A Simple Life 225. My debt blog 226.1stopmom’s blog 227.Mommy Gamer 228. My First One Million Pesos 229. Mindless Thought 230. MommyandMe Boutique 231. My Life’s Labyrinth 232. 100% Kelly 233. Of Colors And Styles 234. KadusMama 235. The Maven 08 235. Rainbows 236. My freehand 237. Sentiments of a Effed-Up Man 238. Princess Vien 239. My freehand 240. Confessions of an Enchanting Princess 241. Marites-Pinay Heart Wanderings and Musings 242. Me, the Islands and the World243. Leaf In Deforest 244. MAX 245. Lhedy 246. Making sense..(somehow) 247. Our Life Together 248. The Chic Shopaholic 249. In Depth 250. That Blog 4 Me 251. A Nice Thought 252. Live it Up! 253. Filipino in Canada

::End Copy Here::

Tagging:
Wow Pinoy!, Words on the Tip of My Tongue, When Mom Talks...No More Problem, Truth Unedited and Treasures in Life.

Canada's Point System: Arranged Employment

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 11:57 PM

still on canada's point system...

having arranged employment at the time of your application will help you earn points. but unlike the other factors in canada's point system, this factor does not give you a range of points. it's either you get it or you don't. it's 10 points or nothing.

so how do you score 10 points?

a. you are currently working in canada and have a temporary work permit.
you can score 10 points if your work permit is valid at the time of your visa application and issuance and if your employer has offered to hire you indefinitely when your visa is issued.

b. you are currently working in canada in a job that does not require confirmation from the human resources and social development canada (hrsdc).
you can score 10 points if your work permit is valid at the time of your visa application and issuance and if your employer has offered to hire you indefinitely when your visa is issued. an example of such a scenario would be intra-office transfers.

c. you are not currently working in canada, do not have a work visa and have no plans of working in canada before your visa gets approved.
you can score 10 points if you are able to secure a full-time job offer which has been approved by the hrsdc and your employer offers to give you a permanent job when your visa is issued. you must also meet all required Canadian licensing or regulatory standards associated with the job offer.

In all the above situations, it is your employer's responsibility to obtain confirmation from hrsdc regarding a job offer.

if you want to take the complete self-assessment, click here.

Nominated for Blog of the Week!

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 7:20 AM

this blog has been nominated for blog of the week.

if you enjoy reading my posts, please show your support and give me some love by voting for me here.

you may vote once everyday for the whole week.

thank you friends! enjoy your weekend! :)

What A Rose Can Say

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 6:54 AM

A rose can say I love you and want you to be mine,
A rose can say I thank you for being so very kind,
A rose can say congratulations, whatever the occasion may be,
A rose can say I miss you and wish you were here with me,

A rose can say I’m sorry if I’ve hurt you in any way,
A rose can say get well soon, May God bless you today,
A rose can say I wish you happiness, and the best for you each day.
A rose can say farewell when someone goes away,

A rose can say hello, I’m thinking of you today,
There’s just so many wonderful things that a rose can say,
A rose can say goodbye when a love one is laid to rest,
No matter what there is to say, a rose can say it best.

Thanks Vannie! I know this is long overdue. I am now passing this on to Can of Thoughts, Capturing the Moments, Charmed Blossoms, Cherokee's Dwelling Place, Color your life with thoughts… and Colorful World of Shiela

Can You Tell Me How to Get... How to Get to Sesame Street?

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 4:39 PM

sunny day... sweeping the clouds away... on my way to where the air is sweet... can you tell me how to get... how to get to sesame street?

we went to sesame place recently. and unexpectedly. meaning no plans to go there but suddenly found ourselves there. we slept the previous night without any plans of going to pennsylvania and woke up the following day thinking, "let's go to sesame place!"

if there is one thing i love about living in canada, it is the relative ease by which we can see new places. you can just literally grab your bags and go.

and so we headed to pennsylvania which is about 9 hours from toronto. and went to see big bird, elmo and the rest of the gang. the place was nice. though not as big as disneyland.

plant sculptures showcasing the different sesame street characters are scattered around the park.

and they also had their own version of the hollywood walk of fame where each of the characters had either their hands or feet immortalized.

almost half the park is devoted to water fun which the kids would have enjoyed had we brought their swimsuits. but since it was an impromptu outing without prior research, we didn't know we had to bring their swimsuits.

so we stayed dry. or at least we tried to stay dry. but after lunch, the rain poured. and sesame had to close most of their rides as well as the water park (not that they had a lot of rides). and cancel the parade too.

so we amused ourselves taking photos with the characters roaming around. and watched indoor shows. and ate. and took more photos.

its a good thing they have the sunny day guarantee and gave us a free day pass to come back anytime within the year. so, next time the kids get bored, guess where we are going? sesame place!

and the highlight of the trip? hubby dancing pearly shells with the whole gang of sesame street. check it out!

When To Start Job Hunting

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 10:24 AM

friends who are planning to migrate here often ask me when they should start job hunting.

some would say start as early as you can. some would advise to put it off till you get your visa. and still others would say to wait till you get to canada. different people. different careers. different experiences.

i can only tell you what worked for us. and this is what worked for us -

we started scanning the job market soon after applying for the immigrant visa. no, we did not apply yet. we just scanned.

we checked out the job search engines and then checked how many openings are posted for our field of work. doing this gave us an idea of whether our job was in demand or not.

it also helped us decide which part of canada to go to. at the time of the application, we really didn't know where to go yet. we were choosing between vancouver and toronto. after checking out various job search engines, we found out that most of the work for my husband's career is in toronto. and so, toronto it is.

after the initial scanning of the job market during the application period, we didn't bother researching further. we applied for the visa. searched the job market. went on with our daily lives. and then worked on it again after we had our medical.

it was only after knowing that the medical results were ok that my husband actively searched for work. this is the time when he started fixing up his resume. researching on canadian resume formats. contacting his friend here who happened to have some friends who are in the same field.

and it was only two months prior to leaving for canada that he actually forwarded his resume. as i have mentioned previously, this worked well for him because one month prior to leaving for canada, he got a call on his cellphone from one of the major companies here in canada asking him to give them a call immediately upon landing. he's been working for them since then.

if you want to scan the job market or start applying for one, you may want to start out with the following major job search engines -

Monster
Workopolis

you may also try the following search engines -

Jobs in Canada
CanadaJobs
Job Bank
Best Jobs Canada
All Star Jobs
Eluta

there are also industry-related job engines which you can try like Cool Jobs Canada which is the largest site for tourism or hospitality jobs in canada. or you may also opt to check out job agencies.

good luck!

Pexlinks Triple Love

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 11:38 AM

mommy ruby has come up with yet another project that is sure to benefit bloggers and i am definitely joining in!

the thing is, i like giving and receiving love. and this project is going to do just that. not just once but three times! three times the lovin'. woohoo!

to join this project, you must have the following basic requirements:

1. EntreCard Account
2. Technorati Account
3. RSS Readers Account (Bloglines, Google Reader, etc.)

as you could probably guess by now, this project will allow participants to have a lot of (1) technorati fans, (2) RSS subscribers, and (3) regular entrecard droppers. isn't that just amazing?

come and join us!

=====================
PEXLINKS TRIPLE LOVE PARTICIPANTS

=====================

Happy Birthday Mommy!

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 1:36 PM

it's my mom's birthday today and i wanna greet her a happy birthday! we may not be there to celebrate it with her but i wanna let her know that we are celebrating it with her in spirit.

and i wanna let everyone know that...

thank you eds for this tag. it came just in time for my mom's birthday.

if you think about it, this tag is appropriate for mother's day but as eds has said...

Its Mother's Day everyday and it's time to tell the world how grateful we are
of our mothers who gave us life and love.

~ Start Copy Here ~

Friends now is our opportunity to tell everybody in the blogosphere why we have the best Mom in the World.

Please copy the link and add yours then pass to others who want to tell the world why they have the best mommy in the world.

1. Bregie- her love for us is endless!
2. Bing - for us she is more than perfect!
3. Francine - of the life she gave me in this world!
4. Cherie - of her undying love, understanding and support in everything that I do
5. Le bric à brac de Cherie - she's always there to give my spirit a lift when I am really down and she never gets tired of loving me and the entire family. I wanna be like her!
6. Gen - for being my mom forever...
7. Lara - she understands me and fill my needs.
8. Laradee - she loves me and cares for me no matter what.
9. Byaheng Pinay - she gave the best for me.
10. Eds - for her unconditional love to us.
11. Filipino in Canada - for always being there for me.

~ End Copy Here ~

i'm passing this tag to: Vanity Kit, Bare Animation, Best Loving Filipina, Binisaya Ug Uban Pa, Bits and Pieces, and Bitz and Pieces of My Dailies.

Tagged Again!

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 12:08 AM

i got tagged again... this time by jojo. thanks jojo!

~~Begin Copy~~

This is the easy way and the fastest way to :
1. Make your Authority Technorati explode.
2. Increase your Google Page Rank.
3. Get more traffic to your blog.
4. Make more new friends.

Rules :

1. Start copy from “Begin Copy” until “End Copy” to your blog (for bloggers paste on the “compose” not the “edit html” part in posting blogs so it will be linked automatically).

2. Put your own blog name and link.

3. Tag your friends as much as you can, the more the better!

1. Picturing of Life2.Juliana’s Site3.Hazel-My Life, My Hope, My Future.4.Jeanne-The Callalily Space5.Starz in De Sky6.My Charmed Life7.Denz Techtronics8.Denz Recreational9.Life’s Simple Pleasures10.My Blog11. Because Life is Fun12.In This Game of Life13.Scribbles of my Life14.Changing Lanes15.anna16.joytoy17.Surviving deployment18. The Deviant19.All I want is Everything20.Shadows of love, fate and destiny21.Tasteful Voyage22.A mom’s note23. Bittersweet Collide24.Jackie Simplypinay25.Jackie’s Everyday Life26. Parisukat27. Ang Sponge ni Bub28.ee-ey29. Life is too short to be ordinary30. Life and me by Pinayjade31. HotMomma by Mathe32. Live Love Life 33. Filipino in Canada YOU’RE NEXT

~~ END COPY~~

I'm tagging - A Fil-Am Journey, A Nice Thought, A Simple Life, A Sweet Taste of Life, After Working Hours, Amazing Life, Anne Loves Will, Anything Goes, Anything Goes by Marzel, Anything Under the Sun, Artsy Creatures and As I Am

Canada's Point System: Age

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 12:58 PM

more on canada's point system...

age is another factor that they consider when you apply for an immigrant visa. basically, you get points depending on your age at the time when you submit your application.

the points are awarded as follows:

16 years old or under - 0 points
17 years old - 2 points
18 years old - 4 points
19 years old - 6 points
20 years old - 8 points
21–49 years old - 10 points
50 years old - 8 points
51 years old - 6 points
52 years old - 4 points
53 years old - 2 points
54 years old and above - 0 points

if you wanna take the complete self-assessment, click here.

How To Prepare For Canada

Posted by Filipino in Canada on 1:11 PM

as i mentioned in my previous post, preparation is key to a smooth transition from the philippines to canada.

while being prepared does not guarantee your success, it will definitely make the transition easier. i find that things are easier when you know what to expect. when you know what is coming to you, you are able to plan your course of action and prepare back-up plans as necessary.

so how did i prepare to migrate? here's the list of what i did -

1. research

before leaving for canada, google and i became best friends. whenever i needed information about canada, i would google it. almost everything and anything can be "googled" these days. some of the things i googled were - weather, jobs, apartments, culture, clothes, prices, banks, schools, etc.

2. ask questions

if you have friends and relatives in canada, asking questions is the fastest and easiest way to learn more about canada. nothing beats learning from the past experiences of somebody you know.

3. join email groups

if you don't mind your email being bombarded with messages from strangers who are either applying to canada or currently in canada, then joining email groups may also be a good resource. to address this concern, i opened a separate email address to use for the email groups i joined.

a word of warning though. when joining email groups, it is wise to keep in mind that not everyone will experience the same things. opinions vary and life experiences are never the same. people will express their own opinions but i suggest that you decide for yourself.

if anything, i used email groups to learn from previous mistakes and past successes of the people in the group.

4. prepare your resume

my husband prepared his resume about 2 months prior to leaving for canada. we had his resume checked to ensure that his resume follows the canadian format. when all was set, he emailed his resume to a friend who happens to know someone who works in the same field as my husband does.

one month prior to leaving for canada, my husband already received a phone call from a major company in canada who asked him to give them a call immediately upon landing. so my husband did and he was scheduled for an interview within the same week. he got his appointment letter 2 weeks after.

of course there are still other ways which i did not do but you could do. you could join forums or visit canada. you could also read my blogs and subscribe to my feeds (hahaha!)