Starting Life in CANADA - Tips & Stories

[sarsingkit]

^pero do other research pa rin with other provinces. i cant compare din naman kasi, dahil ive never had the chance to live in other provinces.

[maiandra]

I also have many relatives that just recently migrated sa winnipeg, kainggit. I don't know if I can stand the cold there though

[sarsingkit]

maraming ngang pinoy na immigrants dito. you can take the written driving test in tagalog. pero baka ganun na din sa ibang province except Quebec.

the weather naman is sanayan lang and syempre shopping with the right kind of clothing. first time ko nakita yung asawa ko ng nakathermal underpants, tawang tawa ako. ballerina ang peg. haha. wala ng pakialamanan kung gulo gulo ang hair or puro snow na ang shoes and pants. pareho pareho naman kayong ganun. hehe.

[lonelymiss28]

wow written driving test in tagalog...sarap naman tumira dyan!

[sarsingkit]

nung nagpunta nga kami sa BMO for banking stuff, nagchikahan kami nung isa sa mga manager dun na pinay. sabi nya nung minsan daw may pumasok na filipino sa BMO, sabi daw "ay nasa BPI ba ako?" puro filipino kasi ang teller at receptionist. so syempre nagtatagalog sila. hehe

[showermist]

Share ko lang. My friend's friend A eh kadadating lang dito sponsored by her husband. Sa bangko nagtatrabaho prior to coming here in Canada.

Nung makarating sya dito, after 2 weeks nag apply na sya sa mga bangko.  Tapos nagtataka kung bakit hindi man lang maimbita for interview.

Sinabihan ng asawa na hindi ganun kadali kasi iba naman sa Pinas at iba dito sa Canada. Pero si A ayaw maniwala. Ngayon si asawa kinausap yung kaibagan ko na pagsabihan yung asawa nya. LOLs  It ended na ako ang kumausap dun ke A.

What I told her? Na porke tinanggap ng bangko yung resume doesn't necessarily mean, na tatawagan na sya ng bangko for an interbiew interview. Anyone can drop their resume sa mga bangko. Na yung work experience nya sa Pinas eh walang silbi dito--dahil ang ikinokonsidera dito eh canadian experience most of the time. Unless she's lucky enough to be considered.  That she need to start from the bottom muna. Or she need to upgrade her pinoy skill to adapt sa canadian standard.

I asked her bakit ayaw nyang mag apply sa mga retail store, remittance centers, o kung she's really bored, mag baby sit muna sya. Aba, ang sagot ba naman sa akin, "Ayokong maging katulong!"

My retort, "Yung attitude mong yan, hindi ka matatanggap sa trabaho. Yang rural bank experience mo hindi matatanggap dito. Huwag kang mapang mapa mata masyado. Yang minamaliit mong  'katulong' mas may manners pa kesa sa katulad mong bagong salta dito."

Bwiset.

[tabbru]

^Haha. Yan kasi ang problema sa iba sis, ayaw maging realistic. Or rather, di talaga realistic.

Ako I am preparing myself to really start from the bottom once I get there. I won't take it personally, ganun talaga eh. I moved from one society to another so I need to adjust. Ang important, I have a goal. That is, to have a better (and much much high paying) job in a few years.

[showermist]

^Hahahah nakakabwiset talaga.

Meron din akong kaibigan dito na lalaki na kinuha naman ng misis. This guy worked as an accountant sa Globe prior to coming here in Canada. Pagdating nya dito he worked sa gasoline station and as a busboy. After a few months, he tried applying for an accounting-related job sa isa sa pinakalamaking university dito sa British Columbia. He got hired!

They really want that canadian experience to be considered.

Here in British Columbia, you can go to WorkBC offices and ask for their assistance with regards to career. They'll help you bridge that gap para magamit mo pa rin pinag aralan, experience mo sa ibang bansa dito.

[roxykarlo]

tama talaga. we pinoys should not expect thesame standards from Canada. Mataas kaya ang standard ng Canada. Sa education nga, ang bachelor's degree natin dito sa pinas, eh  is not equivalent to the bachelor's degree in Canada. kaya do not expect thesame pa rin ang magiging work mo when you arrive in Canada. Hubby ko nga 9years nang RM dito sa mcdo pero pagdating sa Alberta, food counter attendant siya. payag nga siya mag gasoline boy doon, survival jobs ang kelangan dun. kung pwede nga 4 ang work niya dun para prepared siya kung sakaling susunod na kami ng baby ko. ako nga eh, sabi ng hubby ko pag andun na kami, ipapaapply daw niya ako sa tiga-shovel ng snow sa daan pag winter time. wala ako prob dun, hourly rate naman eh.hehe. ay ako i love survival jobs, dito sa pinas eh, manager ka nga, pero until now, hirap pa rin sa buhay peace!

[tabbru]

^You know what sis, noong una kinda hesitant din ako to leave the Philippines... kasi nga maganda buhay ko dito, boss ako dito... pero yung vacation ko sa Edmonton last July-August made me see things differently. Ang relaxed ng buhay doon, magtrabaho ka lang mabubuhay ka nang maayos.

There is dignity in labor. Ang mga tao hindi naglalayo ang lifestyle. Basta, relaxed. I feel happy for those Pinoys who were able to migrate there. Kasi nga parang nakaahon sila sa hirap sa Pinas.

And I realized na hindi nakakahiya na kumuha ng survival jobs. Wala namang magja-judge sa iyo eh, malamang yung mga taga-Pinas lang na hindi alam ang sitwasyon sa Canada.

To be honest, I am so looking forward to taking jobs na kahit kelan di ko magagawa sa Pinas. I've always held highly cerebral jobs here and I am tired. If I can be a food attendant at McDonald's, I'd be happy to. Hindi naman permanent yun eh, stepping stone lang. Para magkaroon ng Canadian experience.

The only problem I see is my husband. Haha. He's always seen me as an intelligent and 'powered' woman and he said he couldn't take seeing me working in a non-office job. Sabi niya wag na lang daw ako magwork, baka daw better kung full dependent na na lang niya ako at malaki ang tax credit. Sabi ko ano naman ang gagawin ko sa bahay, wala naman kaming anak. Then I found out he talked to his boss. Ayun, sa office na lang daw nila ako mag-admin work. I declined, I told him I don't want to work with him haha. In our relationship, I've always been the boss (mabait kasi siya) tapos sa office siya ang boss ko? Haha, awkward really!

Anyway, I am a semi-retired sociologist and I understand how society works. Sadly, we came from the third world. Mas mataas talaga ang standards ng Canada. Kung dito mayabang ako kasi UP graduate ako, di ko pwedeng dalin yun dun. Start from the bottom talaga. Again, when you jump from one society to another, you adjust. 

[roxykarlo]

very well said, sis tabbru!

[sarsingkit]

To those who are planning pala to migrate to Manitoba, you can go to Manitoba Start. it is an NGO for new immigrants. They offer programs/classes like information about Canada's culture, employment skills (drafting resume, interview skills, etc), MS office classes at marami pa. From time to time, there will be small companies na pupunta sa Manitoba Start to present their business model and you can submit resume there. they will help with employment gaps din and might help you through bridging your professions (nurse, accountant, engineer). networking na din yan kasi if pinayagan ka ng facilitator pwede mo lagay name nya sa resume as reference.

sabi nga ni Charles Darwin, it is not the strongest who survives but the one who adapts the best. marami talagang pinoy and mapride, bitbit pa rin pa kasi yung mentality na nakikipagyabangan pagdating sa work. i'm fairly new in Canada din naman, takot din ako but of course preparation is the key. plan A-plan Z diba. kaya nakakaasar yung mga bagong dating na ang negative na agad. saka diba ikaw yung nag-aadjust kaya walang arte dapat.

There is dignity in labor. Ang mga tao hindi naglalayo ang lifestyle. Basta, relaxed. I feel happy for those Pinoys who were able to migrate there. Kasi nga parang nakaahon sila sa hirap sa Pinas.

this is what i like best about here in Canada =)

[roxykarlo]

sis sarsingkit, thanks.. ma google nga yan.

[sarsingkit]

^masaya dyan sis and very helpful. you'll meet new friends from different countries tapos syempre same sentiments kayo in adjusting sa new place, new weather, walang work etc. pati maps bibigyan kayo dyan and tips sa mga bus, transpo, finding a new house, renting. basta marami. =)

[jhandee]

ako masasabi ko mas maganda buhay ng family ko sa Canada compared nung nandito sila , lalo yung parents ko, pagnagkakasakit sila dito sa pinas ayaw magpa check up nag si self medication kasi natatakot masingil ng mahal sa ospital at bumili ng gamot. Pero ngayon simpleng allergy lang sa lamig , Aba ang nanay ko eh ospital agad haha...I am so happy for them and I thank God everyday at mas maayos na sila kesa dito na , pag may emergency lalo pagdating sa money ang hirap maghagilap, at least dun kahit anong job nakaka survive sila ng maayos. Happy din ang ate ko hindi na sya masyadong stress sa gastos kasi nagwo work na youngest sister ko and nakakatulong na sa mga gastusin sa bahay, unlike nung nandito, Nga- nga talaga

[rics]

minsan din, gusto mo na lang ng no brainer na work, nothing stressful. so ok lang if you work in retail, fastfood etc. kasi since there is no maid, pag dating sa bahay, luto ka pa, do the other household work so double stress yon.

when we came here, my husband worked as a dishwasher. he was an It professional back home. pero tyaga lang talaga. hindi pwede maarte. now he's back to his IT position.

ang laki ng sacrifice when we came here. but bec of hard work, everything is falling in its proper place.

[showermist]

This thread is over 30 page na so I made a new one, this is the link:

http://www.femalenetwork.com/girltalk/index.php/topic,268576.0.html

Dun na lang kayo magpost mga sis ng mga stories and tips on starting a new life in Canada

[kwang sun]

ako masasabi ko mas maganda buhay ng family ko sa Canada compared nung nandito sila , lalo yung parents ko, pagnagkakasakit sila dito sa pinas ayaw magpa check up nag si self medication kasi natatakot masingil ng mahal sa ospital at bumili ng gamot. Pero ngayon simpleng allergy lang sa lamig , Aba ang nanay ko eh ospital agad haha...I am so happy for them and I thank God everyday at mas maayos na sila kesa dito na , pag may emergency lalo pagdating sa money ang hirap maghagilap, at least dun kahit anong job nakaka survive sila ng maayos. Happy din ang ate ko hindi na sya masyadong stress sa gastos kasi nagwo work na youngest sister ko and nakakatulong na sa mga gastusin sa bahay, unlike nung nandito, Nga- nga talaga

glad to hear some nice stories like this,.. mas nakakainspire kasi

[mylabmax]

Nice discussion going in here.  If any one wants some info about Toronto, I can give a few realistic opinion about the job market.

[gnrn_026]

We'll be migrating this year sa winnipeg manitoba.. Kakakaba pero excited din. Sana mAging successful kami dun. I hope makakita agad ng work  Kahit anung work pwede na. Basta my income, thern pag tagal tagal i'll pursue to be an RN there