Getting fit

I realized that getting fit isn't about dieting per se. It isn't about joining a fitness club either. It's only a commitment to one's self. Before, I was pushing myself to diet just to shed off that extra fat. I bought supplements that extracts fat, another that has full fiber on it etc .. but it didn't work. I was also a weekend warrior. I tried to do exercise on weekends and push myself to the limit. No matter how tired I get doing the exercise, it simply didn't work. Then, I find myself Migrating to Canada. I was forced to use public transport and walk long distances. I even had the routine of walking my kids to school. These "no-effort" routines proved to be more efficient than the previous things that I did. The key is consistency. I did this "no-effort" routines daily and the results were really great!

Apartment move

We moved in three days ago to our apartment. Finally, we have a place of our own. Living with friends or relatives is tough. Privacy is limited and the comfort of home simply isn't there when you live with others. At least now, we can do whatever we want in our place. Of course, we should abide the apartment rules. This is a part of our journey, our path in Migrating in Canada.

Settlement Agencies

To cover all bases, be sure to check your settlement agencies. Each province have several of these and they help in making the settlement for newcomers much easier. They can provide your information, references, networks ... etc ... A list of this agencies can be found in this Migrate to Canada.

Two weeks

It's two weeks since we arrived here and now its start to put the game face on and start Working in Canada. The settlement is almost done, only the school and the OHIP remains so I guess its pretty much wrapped up.

2nd week

Two weeks after we Migrate to Canada and things are now starting to fall on its right places. The last few weeks back home and the first week in Canada is what i call a "swirl". I believe that is mostly called preparation and transition. There are lot's of things to prepare for in a migration and careful planning is needed.

Goderich

We had a good time in town called Goderich. This small town in south west Ontario is the first place we visited after we landed. The town is full of heritage and history. It is also near a beach since the town is at the coast of Lake Huron. Migrating to Canada is a one true good experience for us.

Back Ache

My back hurts again. I think I pulled a muscle when I was taking a shower. I had to reach down to get the soap when I heard that "pop" on my right side. It hurts bad. I hope it heals before we travel and fulfill our Canada Immigration. My health insurance won't be activated immediately and would take 3 months before I can avail of it. That's why I need to be physically healthy on the near term. Otherwise, it would cost me a lot. I'm now seriously thinking of getting a temporary health insurance.

Wet Market

My wife and I usually go to the wet market every weekend. We love going there to buy fresh fish and vegetables. Meat products, we usually leave that to the Supermarket. I wonder how this routine would change on our Canada Immigration. For sure there would be a difference in goods. I'm looking forward to it.

Theraphy Day 2

It was the second day of my Theraphy for my bad back. I had my first yesterday and I was surprised that it gave me instat relief last night. So, I'll have this series of theraphies before we move out and realize our Canada Immigration. The session starts with a hot compress with electrical pulse. Then the ultrasound is applied. Afterwards the exercise routine. And the last part is the Lumbar Traction. This theraphy is great and I'm looking forward on the next sessions.

Forex Rates

I'm getting Canadian Dollars. To do this, I monitor the movement of the forex daily and see when the best time to buy. Last week the CAD hit a high but at the start of this week it went to a down trend. The CAD is more volatile than the USD. I need these dollars because of my Canada Immigration requirement. I hope I can get a good deal and a good price for this.

Tired

After several months of preparation, the wedding of my sister in law was finally done yesterday. The preparation has been eating time for us as well and our preparation for Canada Immigration was temporarily put on hold. But this week, the wheels will turn on again.

Few more hours

It's several hours before the wedding event. It's still raining outside with no sign of a let up. The groom's relatives went to our house for dinner. It's the first time I've met them and they came all the way from Singapore. We discussed a lot including our upcoming Canada Immigration. Tomorrow is the big day. Rain or shine, the event still holds. And we have high spirits regardless of the weather.

A day before the Wedding

It's the day before the wedding of my sister in law and the last minute preparation is still being done. We're part of this event because my wife stands out like being a mom to her sister. Everyone in the family has part for this occasion and I feel that we are a big part of it. Our preparation for our Canada Immigration has taken a back seat for a while and will be in full blast next week after the event.

Ultimate Pampering

I went along with my wife and sister in law in a spa for their beauty treatment. It was my sister in law's wedding and they were preparing for it. They had some facial treatment, eye lash extensions and all of those girly stuff. I on the other hand went for a massage. I had a back problem and I hope this helps alleviate it. Our Canada Immigration will be next month and I'll be missing these "cheap" services.

Bank Draft

A friend of mine had problems in his Canada Immigration. He submitted his papers on November 2009 together with his bank draft as payment for the application. Several months after, there was no reply from the Embassy. So after a year of waiting, he decided to call the Embassy and to his surprise he found out that his application wasn't received at all. This is weird because the papers were sent via courier and it was properly noted who received it. To make the long story short, his application got lost together with the draft. Now we are finding ways on how to retrieve it.

Scratch on the Rim

I borrowed a car from my nephew. I needed to because I sold mines since we will Migrate to Canada next month. Well, it's unfortunate that my wife scratch the rim when she used it and now I have to pay for it ... hahahaha ... Oh well, at least I still have a ride while I'm going into the last few days of work.

Performance Review

I will Migrate to Canada next month. But I'm still working. Not only that, I still have to pass my mid-year review tomorrow. So thats what I'm doing right now. I'm reviewing my objectives that I've set last January and measuring it against what I actually did. It's a very objective approach and the more details the better. I hope that I can finish it before I discuss this tomorrow with my Immediate Superior.

Early in the Airport

My sister in law flew in from Taiwan early this morning. It was a long day yesterday. Started it out with a visit to my doctor. Then went to the Dentist. Went straight to my brother in law to borrow his car. Speed of to my friend who bought my car to give the tools. Then finally went to the supermarket for some last minute grocery. Then I slept for three hours then went straight to the airport to pick my sister in law. This rigorous routine is a preparation since we will Migrate to Canada next month.

Tired ...

The entire week was a blur. I've been preparing lately because we will Migrate to Canada by next month. I have gone to several government agencies for my personal documents. First is the government housing to get a refund for my contributions. Then I also went to the Land Transportation Office to have an advance renewal of Driver's License and also get a certificate of driving experience. It was tiring ... but it needs to be done.

Bye Bye SUV

I sold my SUV and I'm giving it to the buyer later. I bought my SUV 6 years ago and it was the second time I had a brand new car. My first car was bought by my dad was a Ford Laser. It was given to me when I was on college. After I graduated, my dad helped me purchase a second hand Toyota Corolla. Then 5 years after, I bought my first brand new car which is a Honda Civic. 5 years passed and I bought a Honda CRV. Since I'll Migrate to Canada soon, I wonder what my next car would be.

Government Offices

I went back to the government office for housing to have my refund for my contributions. I'm doing this since I'll Migrate to Canada soon. I was surprised because when I went to the 5th floor where my paper will be processed there was a long queue. When I went there before, I was the only one there and I went straight to the counter. This time, I have to wait for at least an hour just to reach the counter and it took less than 5 minutes for the clerk to receive my papers. It was a long wait, and I hope my refund gets done before I leave.

Need to see my surgeon

I had cysts removed, one at the back and one in front. These are sebaceous cyst, one which have stored fats into it and not those malignant types. I had it removed since Migrating in Canada would actually make it more costly for me to do it there. I think though that I have to go back to my surgeon. The surgery made in front has a scar and there's a little bit of pain. I might need to have it checked before we go.

Pre-Nuptial

My sister in law and her fiancee had their pre-nuptial yesterday. It was a day long event and they brought along the photographer, the videographer and the make-up artist for the shoot. The pre-nup was held at a exclusive resort in the South. The view was spectacular with the mountains and lake as the backdrop. There was heavy rains the day before because of a storm so they had a scare that the pre-nup wouldn't push through. But they were blessed, because during the shoot, the weather is perfect. Looking at the background, I already see myself Migrating in Canada. The mountains would be a norm and there are more exciting views to see. I can't wait!

Preparations

Migrating in Canada requires a lot of work. Last night I was browsing the Toronto area searching for a place to stay when I land. It's never easy. First of all, I'm not familiar of the geography of Ontario. I'm still familiarizing myself as to where the downtown is, the subway, the bus stops, the shopping area, the schools ... geesh. Next in line is to look for work. It's gonna be a busy months ahead of me.

VISA

Last Saturday, I received my long awaited visa. After 12 months, I now have the maple leaf stamp and I can now pursue my dream of Migrating in Canada. The process was simple yet the excitement is really on the waiting. From Day 1, I always dreamt of getting that visa. I checked diligently to see if my status change. I ensure that my medicals are ok. Finally, when the passport request was made, I was ecstatic! This is real happiness!

I love these four letters

Yesterday was the day I was waiting for the past 12 months. The VISA finally arrived. It was 8:00 in the morning when the delivery man knocked in front. I was still sleepy that time because my son had fever the previous night and I was up on most of it. Despite the throbbing I feel, I rushed down to see the package. Lo and Behold... The experience of receiving it made me realize that this is the start of my dreams. Migrating in Canada was just a late dream. Now visiting the different Canada Provinces is also part of my agenda. I love this day!

Having the house fixed

I'm tired. A few weeks back, we had a minor repair on the house that we are living at. Anything that has to do cement creates havoc inside the house. When you are going to have your house renovated, be sure that you are prepared for the uncomfortable situation that you will be in during the construction. Migrating in Canada will be another house situation for us. Have to get a house or flat, furnished it if its not provided for, know the new neighbors ... It's really a big adjustment for all of us.

Fish Kill

500 metric tons of Fish were netted out of the Taal lake as a result of the massive fish kill. Every year, between the months of May and June, this phenomenon occurs. They say that the oxygen loss contributes to this. I had a venture on Fish Farming before and I also experienced this before. It's a big dent in the business but fish farmers can recover. I will miss the lake, the fish farm, the caretakers ... Migrating to Canada is a huge step for me and there are things that I have to sacrifice in order to reach that dream.

Car Insurance

Car insurance here in my country is cheap compared to Canada. Add the fact that having no central database for accidents, I can claim whenever I want. Not so in Canada. I'm already having second thoughts of getting a car there. It will only mean extra dent on my expense list. I wonder which Canada Province has the transport system where I will no longer have the need to get my own car.