GST/HST Credit

Back in the Philippines, we were told so many times that if we have a child or children, they are entitled to Child Care Benefit (CCB) per child. What if a couple do not have one or is single, what are they entitled for?

Okay, so if you have children, you must see to it that you fill up a form for CCB and mail them (This I cannot deal too much because you all know that we are only family of 2 so read about this if you have a child/ren). This will automatically entitles a couple with their combined Goods and Service Tax / Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) credit so no need to fill up a form. I am sharing this based on my fellow PNPs experience who received their CCB and GST/HST at the same time.

What is a GST/HST Credit? It is a tax-free quarterly payment that helps individuals and families with low or modest incomes offset all or part of the GST or HST that they pay. In New Brunswick, we always pay 15% of HST on top of our bill. The 15% composes 5% of Federal GST and the remaining 10% is the provincial component. Read this NB HST because the tax per province varies.

Going back to benefits for couples and single individuals. What I did? I asked my friend google about GST/HST newcomer and guess what, google redirected me to Canada Revenue Canada (CRA) where a form is provided for us, newcomers, to fill up and mail to CRA. Still, unconvinced, LOL, I also called CRA to make sure that what I understand based on the link above is true and the customer service concurred to all what is in the website. The mailing address is provided in the form. Download the fillable/saveable pdf file then just fill it out, print, sign and viola, seal and mail to CRA. This is FORM RC151.

We mailed ours last September and after 3 months we finally received our check from CRA. The form will ask for your 2015 income so you just need to convert your income from whatever country you are coming from to Canadian Dollar. Your income in 2015 will be the basis for the computation of your GST/HST credit. For a couple you will received only 1 check for the both of you and I quote:

If you have a spouse or common-law partner, only one of you can receive the credit. The credit will be paid to the person whose return is assessed first. The amount will be the same, regardless of who (in the couple) receives it.

In the form, I gave the details for me and my husband. I also write there the details of our bank account in the form (so CRA can deposit it directly to our account) but according to customer service, when I inquired if they received our application, CRA will just send a check and the computation of our GST/HST credit. The credit is not as big as CCB but is still is a benefit for any permanent residents and citizen here in the Maple Leaf Country. Amazing right? Below is the check we received.

For newcomers, the GST/HST credit is computed retroactively and is based on when you landed here in Canada.  The check we received is for 2 quarters but I will not share the computation for privacy purposes and for CRA as well. It also varies depending on your income so I believe the amount we received now will change next year considering that we came from a third world country where the Philippine Peso is so low compared to that of the Canadian Dollar. Let's wait and see next year.

For now, let's continue to learn and integrate on the Canadian way so always read and be informed. This will bring us far in every dream that we want to achieve.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Bonjour mon cher blog. Il neige ici Fredericton, wink, wink, wink. Thank you google for the French, eh, LOL.

Okay, so the exciting and scariest (for me) part of Canada's four season is here, unofficially, and we just experienced the first snow storm here at the Atlantic Region. It started last week with snow dusting (as shown below) then came the snow storm.

This is our very first experience with the snow thing and I am just so excited to blog them with pictures, LOL. Even in my FB is flooded with snow pictures. You know who are first timers in FB when all that they are posting are all about snow and I am one of them, LOL. I don't care. All first time experiences has to be blogged and taken with pictures, hahaha, that is me. Well, my teacher in H&R Block warned us already with the storm last Monday, 28 November 2016. She even told us that maybe, but I hope (teehee), our class will be cancelled today because of the 10-15 cm high snow and that classes are usually called off at the first drop of snow (or during snow storm, forgot it). Why? Because it is during those times that the roads are at its slipperiest.

Anyway, yesterday, 29 November 2016 at around past 7:00 PM, the inevitable happened. The snow started to drop just when we have to go to work. Excited as a kid, I hurriedly told my husband to take a bath and change so we could have picture taking, hahahaha, before going to work. 

The challenge of braving the cold weather makes me go crazy being that I have allergies with it back home. And the coldest I have so far experience is at 10-12 degrees Celsius in the coldest capital of Philippines, Baguio City. I grow up there but have to go to a warmer place when I started working because of my allergy with the cold weather plus the fact that my scar (due to an accident) is adding up to the agony of it all. In fact, I have already a windburned lips when Fall started and my left arm is in pain (sometimes, I feel it will break again in two, ouch) that is why from the very start (even back in the Philippines) I keep on telling my husband to learn to drive, bla bla bla. He has no other recourse now but to enroll himself in a driving school (I'll blog this soon, he is on his third week now), LOL, because he can really see me struggling with the cold. This negative temperature is freaking me out but I have to get used with it and survived it, LOL. 

Going back, geared up with our camera and tripod, we went out to play with the snow and of course take selfies, LOL. Yes, I am a certified freaking addict of picture taking, I love them, and my husband has no choice but to get use to it, wink wink wink. Thanks to technology for making photoshoots easier, LOL. Before going to work, the snow started to pile up just like below.

Compared to last week's snow dusting, yesterday's snowfall is continuous and has lots to offer us. In fact, because of the heavy snow Fredericton has a power outage at our workplace at around 2:30 AM and some place as of this writing. Like in my past work, there is also no generator so NBPNP UPSers just compiled in one place for chitchats, LOL. (P.S. we are now using generator at work and another storm snow is here, so, no power still in some part of New Brunswick, 1 December 2016)  We went home at 6:30 AM with still no power. Oh, and according to news there is more snow this evening. I hope there is power at UPS later. As soon as we arrived from work, the selfie world strikes again and below now is the aftermath of the continuous snow just this morning at 7:00 AM, LOL.

This is yet the start and there is more to experience with the snow thing. This is just a portion of it hahaha. So, be ready readers and keep the excitement going up. Until next blog.

Meeting the Family Doctor

I have been waiting for this moment to meet our family doctor not because we are sick or anything but it only means we are even more closer to our little R. Finally, last 20 September 2016, we finally meet Dr. SK.(smiley)

Note, that one of your basic responsibilities upon landing is to register yourself and your family member(s) to Patient Connect NB because getting a family doctor here entails a long queue of patients. Thanks to our fellow Filipino PNP dominickpaul for informing us that Dr. SK is still accepting new patients. Thus, our registration with Dr. SK.

As advised by Ms. Tina of CIIP, before getting an infertility specialist, we need to go through a family doctor first. This explains why we needed so much to have one. Afterwhich, the family doctor will refer us to any specialist that we need to, in our case, a Reproductive Endocrinology Obgyne (term in the Philippines) specializing in infertility and the likes.

So, last 20 September 2016, after the standard Q & A of a doctor and his/her patient, our family doctor asked us if there are tests we wanted to undergo to. Excited as a child, we informed Dr. SK that we need to be referred to an infertility specialist. However, eventhough we brought with us our tests back in the Philippines, Dr. SK told us that she needs to check us out first before she rules out we are an infertile couple. Amp, married already for almost eight years and still...LOL, okay fine, we understand. I am sure if I am on her shoes, I will do that too, wink, wink.

What she did, Dr. SK asked us to undergo (again) with blood work up and analysis. Ouch, back to zero and this time we need to do it all over again. I pray I do not repeat Hysterosonogram (HSG), I have my DVD copy and result from Makati Medical Center, I hope this is enough because HSG is painful. So, Dr. SK gave us the below referral to Dr. Everett Chalmers Hospital (DECH):

Thus, after our visit with Dr. SK, we went directly to DECH to do the blood work up for me and analysis for my husband. At the DECH, they took 5 vials of my blood (hello injections again) and 2 urine samples. My husband is scheduled to go back on the first week of October for his test. You see, this tests and procedures we go through is really painful. It will take you mentally and physically plus emotionally but we've been there and done that. No matter how and what, just putting in our minds and hearts that these are all for little R, then we can do these all again and again. Emotionally it will drain us but we know God will always be on our side helping and supporting us again and again. He already did when He put us here in the first world country and take out financial burden on our infertility journey. Yes, all the tests that we did, all free. Back home, doing the blood work up alone in a big hospital (we have to because they are more advance) will cost us CAD200. Medicare card is not accepted in our country for infertility concerns, we have to pay all.

DECH is a big hospital here in Fredericton. I told my husband that I am very positive that Little R will be born here:

In the same way that we are earnestly praying little R will come very soon to make our Canadian dream a successful one. In God's time. Our faith is bigger than our doubts. We came this far, we know God will listen to our hearts desire.

In the next days or months, I will try to blog important topics for first time immigrants like us and you. I will try to answer all your queries too. It will take long but I will surely answer them. For now, our priority is to conceive, I know most of my readers know that we dreamt of coming to Canada solely for little R. I will still be blogging but this time on my Trying To Conceive (TTC) blog. On that note, I wish and pray for everyone of you the best on your application. Keep dreaming, keep pushing, do not give up and most of all, pray. Our Father God is our greatest confidant in making our dreams come through. Good luck to all of you.

Life in Fredericton, New Brunswick

Hello September. Looking back last year, September month changes our life with another shot of EOI sent to NB then the much awaited ITA towards the end of September. Look where we are now.

One dream, one big push, one prayer and one leap of faith equals a journey to a land of milk and honey. A journey we never imagined, especially living everything in the Philippines (missing them all), but because of our longing to become parents to little R, we made it here.

Let me share a little trivia before I go on. I sent my EOI on 3 September 2015 and got our nomination 26 September 2015. We landed here in Fredericton, New Brunswick on 3 May 2016 and, guess what, this coming 3 September 2016 will be our fourth month in the maple leaf country. Wow, what a coincidence, LOL.

Anyway, since many are requesting through here and through personal messages, I am blogging our life here in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

WARNING: So many pictures ahead, hahahaha.

Firstly, Fredericton is really a beautiful place to live. I just love it here because (1) it is very peaceful; (2) there are few buildings in downtown Fredericton (the highest I think is at 12th floor only, or I maybe wrong, I never counted anyway, LOL) as compared to Saint John (even malls here are all 1 story building); (3) few people (Oh well, coming from a big population in our country where you can see people everywhere, LOL), its just that I get literally dizzy when I am in a crowd of people, that is why, back home, I hate rush hour shopping in December; (4) greens are everywhere (I just love nature, I'm a Sagittarian, so that explains why); and (5) most of all, no more traffic especially on Saturdays and Sundays (at some point, I wanted to take a road selfie, crazy me I know but I can't, LOL). Here is a glimpse of Fredericton with some smiley models, LOL.

One of Fredericton Buses parked in King's Place Mall, Downtown, Fredericton.

At Downtown, Fredericton during our second day where we went to get our SIN.

Queen Street, Downtown, Fredericton. Officer's Square not captured on the right side.

Also in Downtown, Fredericton is the Saint John River Trail. During our PNP days, we thought this is Odell Park but is not. You will love this spot, promise.

At Saint John River Trail. Here you can go walking, jogging, biking or just be one with nature. I love this place so much.

The Light House at Saint John River Trail.

The bridge separating Southside and Northside Fredericton, New Brunswick. There is also a walking bridge for people who wants to do walking, jogging or biking. Sorry did not shared it here just to leave a little excitement, LOL.

Taken at Northside is the Southside of Fredericton where the so-called Downtown and Uptown Fredericton are located. We lived at Uptown.

We are at the Saint John River Trail overlooking Northside Fredericton. Most houses are located here. We're considering to buy a house at Northside someday because it looks like Camp John Hay in Baguio. Oh, and can you see the time the picture was taken. Yes, that is 9:00 in the evening. I made a lot of adjustments with the time here. Back home, at 6:00PM is already dark, in here no. Let's wait how it goes during fall and winter time unlike spring and summer. This is also our First Canada Day picture.

We took this picture at the Saint John River Trail after the bridge. Breathtaking isn't it?

Okay, so this is York Street. I am so scared to do biking on the roads but hey I made it going down but only because it is a Saturday, lesser vehicles on weekend, LOL.

York Street. See how steep the road is. Going up with a bike is a no, no. We walk, LOL. 

Inside the beautiful Odell Park. From our place, we use the rocky trail of Odell going down to its main park (scary). Lots of things to do here. We plan to do BBQ picnic here with fellow Filipino PNPs. I hope it pushed through before fall comes.

One with nature at Odell Park. This is still at the main park not the rocky trail we took.

Secondly, our cost of living. I love that we get to work, pay our bills, save and send monies to both our parents in the Philippines because life here is very simple. Laid back it may be but at least we get to enjoy our life to the fullest. We basically have 3 utility payments for the following companies:

(1) Bell Alliant for our 2 cellphones, homephone (includes a telephone number, cable and fiber optic internet) which is at almost CAD300.00 per month. I know this is expensive but we have a valid reason  here which is connected with our landing so you may opt to try other carriers.
(2) NB Power is ranging at a minimum of CAD62.00 to a maximum of CAD67.00. The problem here is that NB Power is charging a service fee of CAD20.00 plus per month for I don't know why. Let's see how our electricity goes come winter.
(3) Gorham Property for our apartment rental is at CAD760.00 a month. We really wanted a 1-bedroom apartment but due to our landing experience, we have no other recourse but to get a 2-bedroom apartment. No regrets though because our Father God allowed us to help some of our fellow Filipino PNPs upon their landing here in Fredericton. All our furnitures were bought at Surplus Furniture. It is not advisable, though, to buy brand new things because you can always look with KIJIJI or yard sale upon landing. The only reason we bought ours is because we did not only sell our house back home but also our furnitures. Thus, we use the money to buy new ones here in Fredericton. Just to give you a sample look, below is our apartment here in NB:

Our apartment building along Priestman Street.

Our Living Room. I love balconies, terraces and roof tops in a home and I am happy because ours has a balcony. 

Our Kitchen and Dining Room. I believe all apartments here has a pre-installed fridge, oven and electric range, and dishwasher (we have this but some apartments don't have). 

Our washroom. Almost all apartments, if not all, has a bathtub. Hydro is included in our monthly rent. The only thing we are paying with NB Power is the heat (for heater and hot & cold shower) and electricity. 

Our master's bedroom with walk-in closet.

Bedroom No. 2 where some of my fellow first batch of Filipino PNPs stayed. The red sofa you see above is a sofa bed. Since, most of us already landed here in NB, we transformed the room into a Fitness Room, LOL. Just getting ready for the winter plus the fact that exercise is one of our needed medicine in our TTC journey.

(4) Others,  is our RBC credit cards (our only CC here in Canada). We only use this for our purchases, even on taxi payments. Since, we came here, the only thing you will see on my wallet are my assorted cards, LOL, I do not know now how to use cash here (wink, wink).

Note, that in the 3 companies I mentioned above, we have deposited security deposits on it which are refundable after 4 to 6 months of continuous payment except for Gorham Property. Why? Because as newcomer, without credit history, we are asked for a security deposit. CAD$800.00 for Bell Alliant, CAD180.00 for NB Power and CAD760.00 with Gorham Property (we can get this if and when we wanted to terminate our rental after a year).

Finally, starting a life in Fredericton, New Brunswick is a big twist in our lives. We love it here. It is so simple, very peaceful and people here are very friendly. Nature loving people will surely love it here. We tried going to Saint John but I felt sad in the end. Yes, there are much more employment opportunities (big buildings too, it's like Makati City) there but I think I am already done with city life and I just wanted to be peacefully living in an uncomplicated environment. I think I am old, hahaha. No, but we are fine here and we are doing good. Thank you dear Father God for the blessings and opportunity you have given me and my husband.

The UPSers

I am back with new stories to share and I am loving the last part of this post.

Here it goes. I tendered my resignation with Howard Johnson last month due to the following reasons (Yes, with S, LOL): (1) health reason and stressful work in the hotel (a no, no for us since our main reason why we are here is to get pregnant); (2) my husband is working with UPS from Mondays to Fridays only and at night shift while I work in day shift with a weekday day offs (HAGGARDo VERZOSA, right); and (3) I just cannot feel that I am in Canada because my employer is not a Canadian, LOL, please don't get me wrong with this but I want to see blue or green eyes with the accent, etc. (I know you wanted that too, LOL, just for us to feel we are really here in the maple leaf country or it is just me, wink, wink). Thus, I resigned after working for almost 2 months. Then comes another set of sending resumes here and there.

Okay, so before I continue with my job hunting, let me share my husband's work. He is already working with UPS (United Parcel Services) as Broker Rater since June 2016. He underwent training for this position and passed it. He is now working there as regular part time for 6 months leading to full time. This means that he is working at UPS for 4 hours a day but, since peak season is coming (BER months), UPSers will have more time to work until 6 hours a day. Thus, my husband also have another job with KFC as a cook to cover the other 4 hours. Double job to complete the 8 hours. After 6 months, there and then will he become a full time employee of UPS. For a start, right. Afterall, UPS is a big company and a stable one. Not to mention the benefits both of us will receive (as his beneficiary at first, LOL, read on).

Back to me. So, after 2 weeks of sending resumes and some interviews plus the anxiety of waiting (again, duh), I am finally hired, yesterday (26 August 2016) and at the same time, a certified UPSer, too. My position is Broker Lookup and still under my Plan A preferred jobs here in Canada. When I signed my contract, it says there that my position is as International Administrative Assistant but my title is Broker Lookup. I am so happy. Now, I will be doing administrative work again just like in the Philippines where I have to sit only, LOL. I missed that which means lesser activity also. Just the computer and me, LOL. Moreover, I will be working at night shift, same with my husband, plus (giggling here), I will be working with so many Canadian employees and a Canadian employer. Funny, but I actually told the HR that "I now feel I am in Canada because everywhere I look I see more Canadians", hahaha. Me and my big mouth. Yesterday, is my first day of work and, guess what, it is also the 109th founding anniversary of UPS. I get the chance to eat free cake and a hot choco drink plus a UPS bag for grocery. I so love my first day. On Monday, I will start working at night shift (in UPS, newly hire is always assigned on night shift and can eventually go to day shift after many years of service). Thus, adding to Filipino NBPNPs aswangs (vampires in english) because we are working at night time and sleeping in the morning, LOL. That is the spice of life. Good luck to us on winter time, hahaha.

So, I am also a regular part time in UPS but I have yet to decide if I can have another job because as of the moment I am enrolled with H&R Block. H&R Block is an introductory training course providing practical and theoretical training in the manual preparation of Federal Income Tax returns. This will run from September to December 2016. This is a good opportunity for me to work in January to April 2017 with tax returns. I heard H&R Block provides paid on-the-job-training by next year. Anyway, peak season for UPS is just around the corner so I will still have the chance to work until 6 hours a day while I go to class from 6:00-9:00 in the evening for Tuesdays and Thursdays only. My husband wanted me to work with UPS only to avoid stress (after all, we are on TTC now) but I still have a spare time from 12:00 noon to 5:00 PM, LOL. Let's just see about it.

We have 2 cards of this, 1 each for me and my husband.

Okay, so back with the benefits of UPS especially on Manulife. As a UPSer, we are entitled for dental, vision, medical, and a lot more just by presenting the card above. See, that is why I am giggling since my husband started working on day 1. Thus, aside from holding a New Brunswick medicare card, my husband and I has a dental, vision and medicare from Manulife (under UPS). What really made me so much happy is on the prescription drugs. Our benefit covers Option 3 of Manulife where it covers 90% of our prescription drug which means it will also include infertility drugs. And since I am already employed by UPS, I am also entitled for this benefit. Thus, I asked HR because with my husband, I am only a beneficiary. HR told me that I will also have a Manulife benefit. So, this means that for example (I am giving HRs example) I will undergo dental procedure amounting to $2,000.00 and we are only covered until $1,000.00 (for one card) then the remaining $1,000.00 can be offset through my husband's card.  This explains why I am loving this last portion of my story. In the Philippines, even if we have medicare cards, it is useless. Why? Because sad to say but, when it comes to infertility, medicare companies do not cover this portion. This is also the main reason why we applied for immigration here in Canada. Anyway, no more bitterness, we are already here and everything is falling to places with the health cards, our jobs, the environment and so on (I must add this, no traffic, LOL). In addition to the UPS benefit, we are also scheduled to meet our family doctor this September. I cannot wait to ask her to refer us to an infertility specialist so we can start our workup.

Canada dream is still not a success if there is no little R but we are very thankful to our Father God that He is aligning everything for me and my husband and for our greatest dream to become parents to little R. Just when I am about to be stressed out with finding a new job, He again talked to me through instagram username @instagodministries and God told me this:

Thank you for everything dear Father God. All glory and praise to You dear God.

The Canadian Cards

Bonjour mon cher blog.  I can now finally blog on all our Canadian (and New Brunswickers) cards, giggling here.

Firstly, we finally received today our permanent resident cards after our landing last 3 May 2016. I can cry right now. I am just so happy seeing and holding our diplomas. The fruit of our labor. Our PR cards. These cards will always remind me to never be afraid to dream big, to chase your dream and most especially, never give up on your dream.

Honestly, until now, I am still in awe and trying to absorb as much as I can that we are really here in the maple leaf country. Last year, I was only googling the places here but now we are framed in the picturesque sceneries and natural beauty of New Brunswick. And very soon, the other provinces of Canada. Hey, we have our PR cards now which only means we can now travel, LOL. Here is a selfie of our PR cards.

Secondly, our medicare cards. We applied our medicare cards before Service New Brunswick (SNB) on our second day here in Fredericton. We only presented our passports and COPRs (today, however, they now require other provincial nominees for a contract of lease for 1 year) and the SNB staff told us that we will receive our medicare cards after 4 weeks. On the 2nd week, SNB wrote us a letter informing us to update our permanent address and date of landing. We have the option to fax it to SNB but we chose to go directly to their office and gave them the required documents. On the 3rd week, SNB wrote us a letter again informing us of our medicare card's number and that the cards are coming very soon. Thus, on or before 4 June 2016 (4th week), our medicare cards were couriered to us.

Thirdly, our government issued IDs in lieu of a driver's license. I read somewhere in Canada visa forum that we can apply for a government ID if we do not have a driver's license. Both me and my husband has no talent in driving, LOL. We have yet to take a written tests and driving lessons. So, what we did, we went to SNB to inquire on the government ID and they told us that we can get one on the same day. The ID, however, will not entitle us to drive. We paid for more or less CAD56.00 each. They took a picture of us as our photo ID, signed and printed our government ID in more or less 5 minutes and viola, instant identification card with our address on it.

Lastly, our library cards. Almost every government facilities here in New Brunswick are free and, yes, including the public library. You can go there to access the internet (I think we can print here too but haven't really tried), borrow books and borrow DVDs too, LOL. I am actually waiting for Game of Thrones Season 6, hahaha. All you need is to get a library card so you can take home with you books or DVDs. The card is free.

There goes the Canadian cards. I am putting together in one frame our medicare, government ID and library cards as shown below:

I just can't believe we are holding them all now. I never thought our infertility situation will bring us this far. We only desire for our own child but we never had imagined that this longingness will take us to a place we never imagined in our entire life. In our so many ups and downs, the only thing that has keep us going is our faith to our Father God because, more than ever, we believe that little R will come in His most precious perfect time.

You May or You May Not

I am posting this to correct myself and I do not want to be associated anymore to a community here in NB. Also, I know many Filipinos are reading my blog because of NBPNP EELMS program so to avoid misleading them all, I am blogging this.

As your Filipino NBPNP (EELMS) to first land here in NB, we are your guinea pigs. I do not ask anyone to believe me but all I can say is all that I have posted here are all based on our own experience. Your choice not mine. You may or you may not. We have our own minds and we can think and decide to ourselves which is good or not. I just do not want anymore of my fellow Filipino NBPNP to experience what we experienced.

Okay, so my husband and I reported to a Filipino community here in NB. If I were given the chance to rewind everything from packing, to our landing, and to our most coveted integration to Canada, I will choose not to report with the community. Why? Because at landing we were obliged to do practice and dance right away. Not to mention the so many activities that we have to go through even if we do not like to plus some bad experiences that I chose not to detail. And, let me not forget the pictures they posted on facebook without our consents which later on we found out that they used it for funding. That's explain why Ashraf does not want to have picture with us when we reported to Population Growth because we have a companion who is from the community.

If you are reading my blog, you will know that we transferred to our apartment almost 2 weeks after landing and started to apply for a job only on the 3rd week. Why? Because of the so many unwanted activities that we have to go through. So many time were wasted but God is still good and guided us to the right path. As CIIP says during our seminar with them, learn to say NO, after all, this is Canada and no longer Philippines. We brought with us our CIIP seminar who really helped us in our integration here. With the many offices they have linked us with, my husband and I will forever be grateful with CIIP.

It is just sad that there are really Filipinos who will take advantage of you. They will even take credit of what we accomplished. Did they even know the struggles we had? The so many sleepless nights of waiting and depression. It is up to us to stop it and fight for our own rights. And yes, we do not owe them anything because we came here in NB as permanent residents. Whatever they used to picked us up in the airport, our accommodation and also the food were all paid up through that funding.

So, we did our last practice and last dance for the community. Sad and bad experience it is but we have chosen to charged it all to experience. We came here for a dream of having our little R and not to practice and dance with the community nor do tiring activities. We struggled to come here for our little R and there is no way they can let us down. My husband and I are just so thankful that we both now have work so we can divert our attentions to what our real purpose of coming here in the maple leaf country.

In the next few days and months, many first batch Filipino NBPNPs are doing their landing here in NB. Some will opt to report to them but most of them will not. It is for us to know and for you Filipino NBPNP to find out. Your choice not us but please bare in mind that as newcomers here in NB, we need to settle down first before anything. You will all come here with your settlement fund on hand but remember that money that we all have will slowly depreciate. You will buy your own things, groceries, rent and utilities will take much of your settlement fund. Mind you, settling and integrating to a new world is not easy. Yes, we do also need a community here, after all, we are all Filipinos but not to the extent of eating a lot of your time. A community will always be here for you but settling first is another story.

Leave with you the politics in the Philippines (which is also here in Canada with fellow Filipinos, tsk, tsk, tsk) plus the crab mentality and start a new life here as a Canadian. In that way, you will learn little by little, how smoothly integration to a new world will come to each one of us.

I also want to emphasize that not all Filipinos here are the same. We just reported to 2 wrong persons and maybe to a wrong community. We just found out that there are 2 Filipino communities here. Why? That I do not know also but you can ask yourselves why then get an answer from there. And for as long as they are the leaders in the community where we reported then it is okay for us not to have a community at all. Anyway, this is Canada. Settle first before anything and do not let anyone take advantage of you just because you are a newcomer.

"Saying yes to happiness, means learning to say no to the things and people, that stress you out." - Anonymous.

I am Hired

I am finally working after sending out 18 resumes to prospective employers starting on 16 May 2016. My resumes were revised for I do not know how many times. It was actually reviewed by MCAF and YMCA. These 2 non-profit organizations were connected to us by CIIP for employment counselling.

So, before going any further. I have a lists of plan for my job hunting. (1) Plan A will be more on accounting, administrative or secretarial, and front office jobs because I have work experience on it. I have applied for 16 jobs with Plan A; (2) Plan B will be trying my luck on call centers to which I know for myself I do not have experience plus the fact that I do not really like someone yelling at me even over the phone. But still I applied for 2 here. I was invited to start my paid training with Atelka (client is Rogers) this coming 14 June 2016 but I did not accept it for the reason that I was still hoping for jobs where I have experience on it, LOL; and (3) Plan C is when we run out of settlement fund, hahaha, I will go and apply with Tim Hortons, McDonalds, etc. but I cannot still take the courage to apply and work for a job under Plan C. Yeah, the settlement fund is still doing okay, LOL.

Also, while doing our job hunting, my husband and I are both doing volunteer work with The Kidney Foundation of Canada for its Give a Gift of Life Walk  for its 12 June 2016 event. I am also doing volunteer work as encoder with York Sunbury Historical Society and Fredericton Region Museum. Volunteer work, as discussed by CIIP, will not only make a good impression in our resumes but also a means of obtaining a Canadian work experience. Improving our network is one very important goal of volunteer works. I have now to give up both volunteer works.

Going back, out of the 18 applications, only 4 of them contacted me. Firstly, a pre-screening call from Adecco to which I have not answered very well because I cannot remember what position I applied for, LOL. Good thing the caller says I am applying for the position of Mail Clerk, thus, the call. But still I cannot remember the duties I have to hold there because of so many applications I send out, LOL.

Secondly, 2 written tests from Department of Finance (DOF) and Service New Brunswick (SNB) for both an Administrative Assistant positions:

I am really puzzled why the 2 government offices emailed me for a written tests when I do not know French. They are looking for billingual candidates but, yeah, I still applied for the sake of applying, LOL, but it also says on both job posts that "we thank all those who apply, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted." So, I was really happy when I received the mail from DOF. I went for exam and I wanted to run out the building when I saw my co-applicants. All of them Canadians. I am the only foreigner there. But I still took the test of 5 questions. One of which is to proofread an English and French articles. Wow, obviously I cannot answer it because even guessing it will do me no good so I just put a note that "I do not speak, write nor read French as stated in my application. Thank you." Okay, so goodbye DOF, LOL.

Then came an email from SNB. This time, we are 3 foreigners here. And, the test is so super easy. I was really surprised about it but here comes 1 category which contains 21 questions of French. Oh yes, your guess is as good as mine. I did not guess even if I can because it is a multiple choice. I just wrote the same note just like my DOF test. I was really puzzled so I called SNB and they told me that they thought I am billingual because it was stated in my online application with the Government and they find my resume good for the Administrative Assistant position but still they were sorry about me because I cannot continue with the competition anymore because they were really looking for a billingual candidate. Okay, case closed. I completely understand but still I am proud with my resume hahaha. Anyway, I might as well do my French lessons with MCAF. Anyway, it is free then I promise to try applying with a government position when I can speak, read or write French. I wonder if I can do it, LOL.

Lastly, a Front Desk Clerk position with Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel. I saw the job posting in Kijiji on 9 June 2016 and it says to apply personally. My problem that time was I do not have a printed resume and I do not know where to print along Uptown Fredericton. So I ran to MCAF to print (You can do computer and printing at MCAF for free). I literally walk under the rain because I forgot my umbrella. I wanted to ride the bus but I am late for 5 minutes and taking a taxi is too expensive so I decided to walk. After printing 5 resumes and waiting for more than an hour for a taxi at MCAF. I decided to walk again under the rain and went to Atlantic Store. I called a taxi from there and I was so happy a taxi came at around 4:00 PM. Yay, I have a gut feeling that I need to go and personally apply with the hotel so I asked the driver to go straight to the hotel. I was interviewed on the spot after arriving there at around 4:25 PM. The manager told me that he will call me next week if I passed the interview but guess what, the hotel called me pass 5:00 PM just as I am opening the front door of our apartment and is asking me to go back to the hotel for a final interview at 6:00 PM, LOL. I told them I just arrived home and asked politely if I can do the interview the following day to which they agreed. So, yesterday, 10 June 2016, I went back to the hotel at 5:00 PM ready for my interview. However, it was not my interview but my orientation. OMG, I was so happy I did not even bother hearing all what the manager is telling me, hahaha, because I am in cloud 9, LOL. I am finally working in Canada with a Plan A job, yey, and I am starting tomorrow. Philippine Independence Day and Father's Day is also my first day of work, so happy.

My husband, on the other hand, have had 3-4 interviews and a written test with United Parcel Services (UPS) as custom broker. He was asked to submit his medicare and SIN with UPS on Monday and is subject for a background check with his previous employer in the Philippines. Praying hard, he gets the job too but I am claiming it because UPS is requesting for his medicare and SIN. A happy week indeed.

Thank you dear Lord for all the help and guidance you continually shower upon us. I am beyond happy now because I not only have a full time job (even if I am on probation for 6 months) but my 3 months period of working is now ticking which also means that if and when I get pregnant after 3 months I can now be entitled for a paid maternity leave of 14 months. Thank you Lord, I cannot wait for that time were we can continue with our trying to conceive mode. A little more little R, a little more.

We came here in the maple leaf country just for you our little R and we will do anything and everything just to make our Canada dream come through. Our dream will not be a dream if there is no little R in it. And so, through God's guidance, we continue to dream and pray just for you and only for you little one.