CANADA thread 3

[xoxocathy]

yea sayang naman.....mahigpit na din ngayon for people who wants to come here in canada. I work hand in hand with the new immigrants dept and every time I help a Filipino I give them full details kasi naawa ako, I know how it feels to be new in the country. And a friend of mine her soon to be ex-husband owns a small business helping Filipinos to come here in canada I used to refer people from the Philippines to him. My best friend just came back from a tour in UK and she's planning to come here to visit me.  So hopefully she gets approve. Canadian economy is not really doing very well, still recovering from recession from 2yrs ago. But the benefits we get from the government is still the same. Naghigpit lang sila ngayon to new immigrants and lalo na ngayon Human Smuggling here in Canada is no. 1 at [textspeak!]. 500 Tamil came in [textspeak!] by ship and Canada HAD to accept them. So kahapon sa news they are planning to change it again because other countries uses Canada like a dormat. So yea...

So anyway on the lighter note shopping is still good!!!! Hahahaha Coupons coupons and coupons are sooo helpful! Now a days i've been bored and just walking down to window shop minus kahapon sobrang lamig! hahaha But yea no sale yet! Kaka sale lang kasi. Sana this weekend meron hahaha

[ycka29]

super thanks sis xoxocathy & Grayce!!!

im overwhelmed with the suggestions. heheh. naexcite tuloy ako lalo.

actually makikisama lang ako sa friends ng officemates ko. i do hope mag enjoy naman asko kahit hindi ko sila kilala.

anyway, im flying out to Toronto tomorrow. hmm, i suppose meron naman mga money changer dun? how about sa airport kaya? naubos na kasi yung CDN$ ko here sa winnipeg. Hm, do they also exchange peso ba?

i'll try to find a  map. shux. its actually my first time to go solo on a trip kaya kabado talaga ko. tapos anlayo2 pa nito.

[rics]

^Try to visit Vaughan Mills mall also, marami din outlet stores. you can commute going there pero medyo malayo ng konti if you're coming from the downtown core. There are usually money changers at malls or at the lobby of hotels.

Nag start pa lang some sale at this time. You can buy designer perfumes and smashbox makeup at a warehouse sale, but its in Richmond Hill. Last month or two months ago if i am not mistaken, Timex, guess watch and other brands had a sale in Markham. There is another sale of well known brand toys also in Richmond Hill.

The transport system of the whole of GTA is commuter friendly. if you take the bus or the subway by any chance, ask for a route map.

There is an outlet strip mall at Niagara-Canada side, pero its not as big as the one accross the border. Try to eat buffet at Falls View Hotel. Enjoy your stay!

[xoxocathy]

pag nagsubway ka may map na naka hang sa mga wall near the door pag wala hingi ka sa bilihan ng ticket.

goodluck and have fun in toronto. btw, may konting sale ngayon sa sephora sa eatons centre hehe

yea sa niagara strip konti lang but crossing the border which is just 15mins away has better sale.

take care

[keiji]

Thanks Grayce for the elaborate comparison of Sg and Canada! It really helps!

[Grayce]

^np.

hay dibale, if it's God's will for me to be based in Canada, it will happen in time. sana makabalik ako kahit for visit lang with old friends. namimiss ko tuloy tumungga ng killer shake (doube mug size na shake) sa pickle barrel sa kalagitnaan ng winter or uminom ng bubble tea habang naglalakad sa yonge on a typical winter day. haha

[xoxocathy]

Malay mo sis grayce ma convince mo si hubby mo sa Canada kayo mag settle instead of Australia. But I like Australia hehe no snow in the city only in the mountains! You will like it there too. Have faith 

Oh Canada! I will surely miss you!

[cupcake_girl28]

Grayce, thanks sa pag post ng comparison between Canada and SG. Almost 4yrs na kami ng hubby to be ko dito sa SG and we are really considering to move to Canada, actually it was our first choice, kaya lang during that time SG yung pinakas feasible na place, 1. we are both IT 2. mas malapit siya sa Pinas (can go back at least 3-4x a year)  3. no visa needed hehe.

We are planning to apply this year or early next year, sana ma approve dahil ayaw ko na talaga dito sa SG and going back to Pinas is not an option right now, pero Pinas pa rin namin palabak mag retire 

super agree ako about healthcare and rent. sabi nga ng ibang mga nurse dito papalalain muna ng doctor and sakit mo bago ka gagamutin. if you want a good doctor gagastos ka talaga ng malaki, as in malaki!
when it comes to rent/house naman mahirap din yan, bukod sa mataas na ang rent may ilang owners and agents pa jan na man loloko, parang ang option mo na lang dito is to buy a house para magka peace of mind ka. yung friend ko nga dito nakaka 3 lipat na ata ng hdb sa loob ng 1 year.

[Grayce]

^eto pa ang mahirap sa rent na yan... like kami ng hubby ko, we just moved here in SG, and common room lang kami take note. ngayong preggy palang ako ramdam na ramdam ko na ang walang sariling toilet, paano pa kaya pag meron na kaming baby? and i'm really convincing hubby na lipat kami before ako manganak ng march kasi may mga kasama naman kami na game kumuha ng 1 place para kami kami nalang.

sabi nga ng mga cab driver sa SG, it's cheaper to die nga daw. can't blame them for saying that. and isa pang ayoko dito? ang mga bata parang walang manners ha! i don't want my son to grow up in that kind of environment. ultimo ang lalaki na rin ng mga bata nakastroller pa, ngek ang spoiled sobra!

^^ayaw nya canada kasi takot cya sa lamig. mukhang mahaba habang convincing pa to lol. feeling ko aksi pag OZ, mabobore ako ng todo. altho i think same benefits lang naman ang canada/OZ. new zealand is not so bad too

[xoxocathy]

yea new zealand is nice too my childhood friend lives there and she's soon to give birth to her first born!! and she said she likes the benefits. nz is more on the nature side. i really think you should consider australia, the benefits is almost the same, the environment is a combination of nature and city like toronto and people are fairly nice! i like their accent too hehe

mahirap talaga pag nagsisimula sis, just be strong! atleast kahit papaano your chance of moving to other country a highly likely comparable to other people. i suggest tour kayo sa australia para makita mo, you will like it! 

we were actually thinking of moving to SG para malapit sa pinas, I am really close to my family and i miss them like crazy. my brother went for a course in sg and he said he liked it. but hubby got an good offer at UAE so we will be moving there soon. i am excited i saw how nice abu dhabi and dubai is  but i will surely miss canada and my friends ofcourse. the hard part is we have to move everything and our dog. gladly we don't have to worry for a place to stay and transportation. worried too kasi its a totally different country uncomparable to toronto that worries my parents and my friends. but its all good..living life to the fullest!

well good luck sis...like what i said be strong....God is good...if you need anything here in canada let me know malay mo i can help  i know how hard it is to be in an immigrant and have your foot in the door to get in to were you wanted to be.

[ycka29]

^Thanks mga sis. im back in PH na. sayang contact-in ko sana si sis xoxocathy when i was there para magtanung tanung, kaso no free wifi in Hyatt! boo! well, it would cost me some bucks kapag nagavail ako ng internet.

anyway, i did enjoy toronto! kaso hindi ko lang natikman yung hotdogs na nabanggit niyo. haha!

yung sa forever21 naman, muntik ko na siya hindi makita kasi naman XXI yung name.. i was actually looking for the words "FOREVER 21" haha!

hope i'll get back ule para naman makapag ipon ako ng bongga at makapag shopping talaga. hehe.

thank you mga sis!!!

[Grayce]

^^i was also based in dubai for a while, and yes it's a major 180 deg difference talaga haha. first, the weather. SUPER init sa june - october! pagdating ng november palamig na gawa ng upcoming winter so the cold wind from europe bumababa na. there's also winter there but sans snow. and temp is just similar to late spring, around 15deg lowest to 21deg mga ganun. it's nice to hear na well taken cared of na ang accomodation nyo. may car na pinrovide ang company or may transpo lang from bahay to work? nung umalis ako kakaopen lang ng dubai metro so transportation should be less hassle na compared to before kasi traffic can get really horrible lalo na weekends. and weekends there is thursday - saturday. sunday ang start of the week nila.

the only thing i like about oz is, BEACH and since galing ka na ng canada, i really wont recommend moving to sg. maiinis ka lang sa govt dito at baka mamura mo pa. madaming arte rin higpit higpitan but heck everything is just for the show... mas madumi pa nga dito kaysa sa pinas pagdating sa mga sanitation issues ng mga restaurants.

[xoxocathy]

yea i know...friday and saturday ang weekends nila..hahaha car is included in his package. which is great! i can't wait!!!!! there are some things na hindi mo mabili sa uae so im kinda stocking up the things i need that i wont find it there. 

yea sg i heard is dirty on the side haha they keep braggin how clean it is but really its not. working condition daw dyan is pag may natira sa office sigurado pinoy yon haha singaporeans are all gone. hopefully next yr pag umuwi kame ng pinas punta kame singapore, my sister and my bestfriend has been buggin me to go for a tour dyan.

@ycka im glad to hear you had fun in toronto! sayang d tayo nagkita..busy din ako eh eh. next time visit mo malay mo andito ako hopefully kita tayo..its would be nice meet somebody. 

[Grayce]

^nothing much to see here except for artificial stuff. pag USS and you've been to the one in US baka mainis ka lang sa liit ng USS SG pag mga filipino stuff madami naman sa dubai, sa carrefour alone they have green mango may mga lucky me rin dun and mga corned beef etc. basta sa SG go outside Orchard and you'll see how filthy SG is. i guess it's a manifestation of how chinese people are specially yung mga galing mainland, nako ni common courtesy nga di uso sa kanila

if you're a history freak like me, you'll enjoy dubai. mura ang jewelry sa dubai souk and the best part IMO is you're near holy land lang

[xoxocathy]

ah yea SG was just an option i never really made a research of to really work and stay, it just came accross my mind bec of my brother. but the asian tour was a plan hahaha and sg was somehow what my 2 girls wanted to go to.  uae i really pushed for, i saw the opportunities we can have. my friend's sister went there as an interior designer came back here in canada for a vacay and she said she loves it there. i was warned it will be a culture shock but wherever we go there is always a shocking experiance hahaha whether its good or bad its a matter of how we swallow it in our system and process it in our brains 

yea dubai is good. hubby got me something already awaiting for my arrival hahaha more excited to see the gold than him jokeee a promise was a promise..but yea some of my family lives there so we will soon reunite! weird as it seems but i don't eat green mango and bagoong  i avoid lucky me too i do miss it though haven't had that for years hehe H&M daw dun is quite expensive comparable here to canada, shoe design is obviously different but they have steve madden there too so we shall see!  im scared of their summer but im arriving on their so-called winter so i should be fine.

ang mamiss ko talaga dito sa canada is ofcourse yonge st. hehe a loooot to see and my saturday morning brunches w/ my girls after a long week of work. but oh well i can't complain can't let an opportunity pass.  they promise to come and visit when everything went well

thanks for the heads up on dubai and sg

[betty]

btw, open ang manitoba now for provincial nomination

[wonderland1]

^Depende sa requirements ng province yung tagal ng application. Luckily, for those who were victims of Ondoy, their applications were prioritized kaya ang bilis naka-alis ng iba...akala ko chismis lang yun...pero it was indeed true!

wow, talaga? blessing in disguise nga. ang galing!

[aceofhearts]

im really interested to work in canada. but same as others i dont know how to start? any sissies here can share kung pano sila nakapag apply ng working visa to canada? is is thru agency po ba? ano mga requirements and how long and processing?

hope you guys can share para makatulong to those who want to work there!

Thanks po in advance. 

[betty]

sis search mo manito.canada, they are open

[aceofhearts]

sis betty, you mean manitoba po ba? i googled manitoba and job openings there..