A penny for your tooth...

Six Months into this 2nd pregnancy, I am experiencing tooth ache which I can't bear. I had to take Tylenol several times which I really wish I could avoid. I was told that I require a root canal which can;t be done because of my current situation.

There is a lot of things here that I have to get used to... The dental fee? Way too high so I have to wait for K's dental plan to push through so that we just have to pay a portion which still amounts to more than our dental fee in Manila.

The dental procedure is also different. They have a system which consists of a checkup first and then they schedule another time to do the actual procedure... As for the bill? It gets really high after everything is done because they can't just get right to the problem... :(. They had to doit STEP BY STEP.

For this recent dental encounter, I actually insisted that they do the filling right away because I can't bear the pain. I had to tolerate several local anesthesia by injection which will numb me for the opening of my tooth and filling it up temporarily. I am really scared of needle and I initially thought that it was just going to be at the most, just one needle being inserted into my tooth or if I am lucky, he would just spread the anesthesia on my gum... I guess luck wasn't on my side and it actually required 4 injections to finished off the tooth filling.

As for the end result, I got a little bit dizzy during work and I had to take Tylenol Migraine to dull off the pain courtesy of my co- worker (Whew! The wonder drug again). I even thought that I might end up having to schedule another appointment for a root canal if the pain doesn't go away the next day. Good thing though, it feels okay today.... Thank God :)

Kimi got her shots!

It is finally the time of the month wherein Kimi has to have her 18th month shot. I chose a blue outfit which was quite short already but haven't been worn more than 2x. I also got the headband I reserved just for the occassion. An exact complement to her outfit. Navy blue and Citrus green... :)



Unaware of the pending pain that is about to happen. She went about her usual day with a smile especially when she realizes that she is going for a ride in the car.

A LITTLE PICTORIAL

It was a long wait in the clinic, but Little Kimi was sitting all poised at the waiting chair scanning a magazine beside mommy. She was so cute that a lot of people were saying hi to her from across the waiting room and even watched her while she pretends to read from the magazine.

INSIDE THE ROOM

Alas! our turn. Kimi followed mommy excitedly from the seat to the weighing area and got herself weighed for her records. She also got her height checked and had a measure of her head circumference.

Inside the room, the needles were being prepared. She seems to finally realize what was going to happen and opted to hide inside the nook on the side of the bed, Mommy had to coax her out with a song to get her to come out from her hiding place.

Kimi was so brave she didn't cry when the first shot was injected. I was so proud of my little baby when the second shot was injected, then, a loud cry broke... ooooh! She finally felt the pain of the second shot.The doctor actually said that the second one would hurt and I was relieved to see that she only cried for a few seconds. Everything was okay in her world after the first few seconds of shock from the intruding needle.... MY BRAVE LITTLE BABY GIRL.... Mwaaaah!

Visual Gratification

The reward in getting a job is getting..... the PAYCHECK!

I got a temporary high when my first paycheck was handed to me last week. I am finally part of
the workforce....and at a recession period! I am so grateful to be having a job in the first place...


I am hoping that I will be able to continue giving good results doing this job. I am not an expert doing phone sales but I am willing to work hard at it. For the meantime, I am not going to let anything dampen my temporary bliss he he! To more paychecks! ...and higher hourly wage :) If the pledges go up, so does the income...

Working for a cause

I finally got a job. Not the best job it is ideal for the moment with the time and the distance. It was convenient and right for both K and me. I get the night shift and he does the morning and afternoon shift. We don;t get to spend much time together as much though but it is a light job and it works... for now :)


I am called a fund raising sales representative. Our job is to call up people and tell them about the charity that we are handling which is the Elk Childrens Camp. It if raising funds to send various handicapped children to a special camp to develop their social skills and self confidence. they can help by sponsoring a child or several ones to the camp. We do have several levels of packages that they could halp out with. From the one day package of $20 - to as high as a 7 day package for a child at $122.50.

It is not an easy job considering how may rejections we get every single night but there are also a lot of people who do take time to listen to the program and help and some who just listens. Coming from the side wherein I am the one calling up for funds, I realized that I really do appreciate those people who can;t help but did listen to what I had to say. In the end, I can say that I did my best and I did get people to listen to the program. If the results does reflect my hardwork, then it is an added bonus :)

Finding employment in recession...

HAPPY LABOR's DAY! Since it is LABOR's DAY in Manila. It is only apt that I talk about jog finding in my blog today since I am also in these stage right now...

It is doubly hard to find employment now that it is recession time. It also doesn't help that I don't have a Canadian degree to speak of and that English is not my first language.... But I believe that persistence is the key to get anything you want in life...

So where is the usual source in finding a job?

The best one is right at home clicking the internet with job search engines like Job Bank. You can also google the company you are eyeing and take a chance they do have the vacancy...

The most typical way is the conventional newspaper ad. With all the employment ads and free newspaper you will come across in Canada, it is impossible NOT to get a hold of an employment ad and an opportunity to find a job here.


The referral system is i think one of the easiest way to get a job though. If someone can vouch for you. It is definitely the easiest way to make sure that employers does notice you right away...

...Jobs may be easy to find... but good jobs do take more than just persistence i believe it takes luck and skill as well he he! So good luck to me :)

ID Please...

Getting a BCID is especially important if you don;t have a driver's license. BCID cards are typically used as identification in any situation where you might use a driver's licence.


Children under 12 year of age are not required to get a BCID. Getting one is quite easy. Just bring a primary ID and a secondary ID to any BCID office and have your picture taken. Fee for a BCID is $35. Process time is from 4-6weeks. :)

Getting Ready to drive

The next step after getting my PR Card is finally being able to take the knowledge test at an ICBC Centers for my Canadian drivers license. There are two types of tests you need to pass before you can get a license.
1. The Knowledge Test which basically is a bunch of questions with choices. You have to read the book Road Sense for Drivers from cover to cover in order to pass this test. It is not as easy at it looks. Some of the answers may seem too obvious, but still, I get it wrong... Practice test online before going to the real knowledge test.

2. The Road Test is the practical test which requires an ICBC personnel to grade you based on the practical errors you commit during the road test. It is better to enroll in a driving school to get the Canadian rules into your driving before taking the test because failing may be costly...and finding another slot for a road test is a long wait.

... Good luck to me :) Ta da have to familiarize myself for my knowledge test debut ;)

Got Milk?

Finally! The Child Care Benefit and Universal Child Tax Benefit that I've been applying for has been approved :). With backpay too!!!!!!!!!!! It is what we normal people call "MILK MONEY" he! he!

One of the best things in Canada... is the benefits.


No doubt that the government really does set a lot of money to aid the low income family, which, at this point, fit us perfectly. One parent working and the other parent a full time mom... the CCTB and UCCB is a God-send for us :). It is a monthly add to Kimi's account :) It never is too early to save for her future :).

Tooth Fairy

I never believed in tooth fairy when I was a kid... but here? I had one... Dra Siongco :)

She was a God-Send to me when I had a toothache that needs immediate attention... She gave me temporary remedy for FREE so that I can wait for a job that would cover my dental insurance or better.... I just had to pay for the checkup which was relatively cheaper than what I should have paid if she charged me for what service she really did.



Thank you Dra. Siongco

Back to school?

Now that I finally got my PR Card, the opportunities are closer than before. I can finally think about things that I can finally do because I am considered a resident... I have been playing at the idea of upgrading my degree in Interior design and have already inquired back in 2007. The amount for the tuition was quite high since I was just a tourist, but I was hoping that I can look more closely on this route now that I am a resident card holder. I hope that by doing so, a good job is just as easier to get with this added diploma.

I finally scheduled for an appointment with Art Institute of Vancouver, their office and downtown campus was located at West Georgia. I was on time for my interview. I hope that they would be able to credit some of what I have already took up back in Manila and I just had to get a few courses and....VOILA! a diploma....


...but things weren't that easy! There was an interview wherein they inquired about what I did back in Manila. If I do have a portfolio and showed me a couple of presentations before we got down to what I was aiming for.... THE COST and THE TIME it will consume before I finished the degree....

THE COST?- still enormous... higher than the first school I inquired at back in 2007 but maybe because this is because of the school? It is the first one I have actually looked into so I am not an expert on what school for Interior is the best here. The solution? FINANCIAL AID! Uhmmm... I am a little doubtful of getting one because I am thinking of minimum output at this stage since I have a baby and I am at the stage wherein I am not yet sure how much time I can put out on work so spending a huge amount of money on a degree I already have is quite...pointless. Another thing is that the interviewer said that there is also a way to lower the cost which was to challenge the subjects but I have to pay $50/ subject. Pretty expensive still plus it was a long time since I graduated, and the measurement here is different from where I came from. (Manila = meter, Canada= feet)

THE TIME?- I need to commit full time... hmmmm

I might check out other schools and try to find work. Good luck to me with the recession ongoing :) he he!

Canada and US...

I can't believe it! Everything is finally coming into place...

The US visa Kelvin and Kimi was planning to apply for was finally granted. We were $131 poorere but atleast we were granted 10 YEARS!

YEY!

...and just when I thought that it was a good day, the PR Card for both me and Kimi arrived in the mail.. double WOW!

I can finally start something here in Canada... I can finally call myself a RESIDENT/ LANDED IMMIGRANT... :)

A step up from what I am before... "just a tourist..."

Income Tax Angels

This year, I was given the task to do Kelvin's income taxt for the first time. I learned that instead of just making one income tax, I had to make one fro myself as well. I decided to pore over the guide book for income tax that comes with the form but after a few minutes of speed reading, I was way more confused than when I started it. There were so many forms and I didn't know which form to start with. Mine was easier though with no income and benefits to report, I had a grand time putting "0" almost all throughout the form...


Kelvin's income tax was a different matter, there were T4 and T5 to consider. US investments that need to be computed to Canadian equivalence and an additional baby to add to the computation for refund.

It was a good thing that Canada came up with a program as Income tax volunteer at the community centers all throughout Vancouver... It was a huge weight off my shoulder. I don't have to worry if I did it right because the volunteers are all trained and under supervision so mistakes are probably kept to the most minimum. The best part? I don't have to pay a lot to get it done. They accept donations of any amount. I soooo love this particular program. Keep it up!

After the PR Confirmation...what's next?

After getting the PR confirmation. The things that are yet to be done seems longer than when I was just waiting for the PR letter.
During the start of the appearance for the confirmation of PR Card, we were informed that the first thing we should do once we get home was to xerox several copies of our confirmation and keep the original one at a safe place, this piece of paper will be important for official stuffs even if we did get our PR card or even become a citizen a few years after.

# 1 Their tip was to do our Health Care Card first.
So I googled for a form and instruction on what to do to obtain this since I have learned firsthand just how expensive medical checkups here (FYI: I was pregnant with Kimi when I last came to Canada and had no care card, I had to pay CA$60+ for every normal checkup... and even now, for Kimi's checkup).

To Apply

What I included was the copy of both our confirmation of PR Card and a copy of my husband's health card.

#2 The SIN Card
I am currently at this stage of my list. I am hoping to get this done so I can have a shot at checking out what kind of work is waiting out here for me. I am hoping that I can get a good job without any Canadian education and if not, I am willing to take short courses before I go home so I can explore the working opportunities with an added oomph to my resume when I come back at 2010...


#3 Driver's License


I am a bit scared at taking the knowledge test and the road test. Eventhough I was already driving back home in Manila. I am not that confident with my parking and doesn't know the first thing about driving an automatic car. I am currently browsing through the "Roadsense for driver" which is basically the thing to read to pass the knowledge test... There is also a practice test at the ICBC site. 80% is the passing mark for the knowledge test.

#4 Updating CCTB Application

I know that CCTB (Child Care Tax Benefit) application should be done when the applicant is a PR card holder or a citizen. In our case, my husband was the applicant, which the call center from CCTB assured was fine so that I can have the application sent in early because they can only back pay for 11 months. I was hoping that they would be able to process them while we wait for our sponsorship application to be done. Now that we did have a confirmation, I have to call and give them the new status of our application and hope that these new development of our resident status would speed up or at least help us in not delaying the payment for the CCTB.

... that's the important ones, plus more small stuffs to do and with all the daily tasks required to be done in a world without nannys... this would take forever to get done (he! he!)

The Appearance..

Finally! After 6 months off waiting... the letter for a request to appear finally came. It was scheduled for March 05, 2009 at 877 Expo Blvd. Vancouver.

LITTLE KIMI

K decided to go with Kimi and me for the appearance. We drove all the way to Beatty St.(where the parking spaces were located),early for our 12:30 appointment. We had lunch at the nearby cafe called Cafe des Art...

HOMEMADE MEAT LASAGNE n CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP
@ CAFE DES ART

The wait for our turn at the Immigration was long. Kimi was well behaved all through afternoon. She walked back and forth, happy with the huge space the room has to offer for her to explore. Almost 80% of the people attending was Filipino. I learned that it was no use to go there early because there was a number on the right upper hand of the letter which would indicate when you will get your turn. Ours was #39 and #40...It was well past 2:30pm when it was finally our turn. It was a casual meeting with the interviewer asking us whether the paper they gave us earlier contained all the right information then they gave us a list of numbers to call with regards to other concerns like Care card, SIN... The whole meeting was only around 10mins... Atleast, it was finally done and over with... :)


Now, I can go to the next step... The waiting is almost over. I can finally look into driving...working... and finally, gooing home to Manila for a vacation at the end of the year... YEY!

PR Photos...

The letter for an appearance with regard to our application for sponsoring spouse and dependent children has arrived! We are now fulfilling the requirements for the said appearance which will happen on March 5th, 2009 :) Yey! I can almost smell the pollution of Manila! I miss it....the honk of the jeep and the foodssss!!!!!!! Jollibee, here we come!

Like everything here in Canada, there are several (lots of!) guidelines for the photo required for the PR Card.

***Permanent Resident Card photos are not the same as passport photos.
• You may wear non-tinted and tinted prescription glasses as long as your eyes are clearly visible. Make sure that your eyes are not hidden by glare on the lenses. Sunglasses are not acceptable.
• A hairpiece or other cosmetic accessory is acceptable if it does not disguise your normal appearance and you wear the accessory on a regular basis.
• The photos must clearly show your face. If you may not remove your head covering for religious reasons, make sure your full facial features are visible.
• Photos must have been taken within the last 12 months to ensure an up-to-date likeness.
• Photos may be either black and white or colour.
Date photo
was taken
Notes to the photographer
The two photos must:
• show a full front view of the person’s head showing full face centred in the middle of the photo;
• be clear, well-defined and taken against a plain white background without shadows;
• be produced from the same unretouched film or from the same file capturing the digital image or from two identical photos exposed simultaneously by a split-image or multi-lens camera;
• be original photos (not taken from any existing photo);
• measure between 25 mm and 35 mm (1” and 1 3/8”) from chin to crown;
• have a 35 mm x 45 mm (1 3/8” x 1 3/4”) finished size;
• be on photographic paper that has a backing which accepts and retains the date. Photos without this backing are not acceptable;
• be on prints that are well-fixed and washed to prevent discolouration;
• bear the date the photo was taken (not the date the photo was printed) directly on the back of one print (stick-on labels are not acceptable).

Taking all of these into consideration, we decided to choose a studio that does PR Card photos...just to avoid the hassle of having our photo being denied and spending another day just to go back to submit the "right" photo.

* * *
Star Photo
4700 Kingsway
Burnaby BC V5H 4M1
(604)431-8494

* * *

Finally... extension approved!

My extension of visa application got approved. Just when I was about to plan the Seattle trip with K, we realized that his was about to expire and that my visa doesn't validate re-entry....Sheesh!

Better luck next time!