First step towards driving here in Canada

A lot of people ask me why I don't drive here in Canada (since I am driving naman in Pinas) and here are the reasons I would normally give:

• I don't need to drive since I am "just" a stay-at-home mom (Where will I go? Nathan rides the school bus to and from school)
  
• Our car is manual transmission and I only know how to drive automatic
• The moment I get a driver's license, our car insurance will automatically go up with the assumption that I will use it (even if I won't since it's manual)
•  For me to be able to drive here, we need to buy a new car (gastos!) and the cost of insurance will cost an arm and leg.
  
• The husband is really masipag in driving so I have no problem with mobility
• I am naturally a tamad driver (I won't drive if there's someone who will drive for me) 
  

Seven years! I've lived here in Canada for more than seven years and it is only recently that I had the urge to drive. Medyo naiinggit na rin kasi ako sa new-found friends/amigas ko (haha!). Plus Nathan's asking me na rin kung kelan ako kukuha ng license so I can bring him to school sometimes (naiinggit din siguro sa classmates). Ford's also decided na to buy a new car kaya may magagamit na ako. We'll be selling our old car Subaru since hindi na rin naman gaanong nagagamit (Ford's been given a company car). Nanghihinayang talaga ako kasi kung automatic lang yun, matagal na rin siguro akong nagda-drive dito.

Anyway, the plan of driving here was just a plan until I accidentally watched a youtube video about a fellow housewife who suddenly lost her husband last December. As she was totally dependent on him, ang hirap talaga. Ni hindi siya marunong mag-drive!

Shaiks, the story of my life! The seven past years, naging totally dependent din ako sa asawa ko! To the point na pati driving nga na ginagawa ko since I was 18 eh "kinalimutan" ko na. Narealize ko na paano na nga kung may mangyari? Kawawa talaga ako pag nagkataon.

That very night of February 25, 2021, ayan nag-book na kami ng knowledge test sa ICBC! Sa May 15, 2021 pa ang test schedule but at least meron na.

After I pass the test, pwede na raw akong magdrive basta may under supervision of a qualified driver (i.e. my husband). Bigla akong na-excite! After practicing, Ford will enroll me daw in a driving school para mas maging prepared ako sa road test.

I just wish that ICBC accepts my driving experience in the Philippines kahit na more than 7 years na nga ako dito. I will argue na lang na umuuwi naman ako sa Pinas every year (except last year because of Covid) and I still drive there. In fact, I still have a valid driver's license (which will expire nga lang this August 2021). Naku goodluck talaga sa akin!

It might take several road tests bago ako makapasa. Normal naman yun dito kaya I am not expecting na makakakuha ako kaagad ng driver's license sa first try. Natataranta pa naman ako kapag may nagge-grade sa akin (sino bang hindi?). Pero I will keep on trying. First step ko rin kasi yan towards independence. Kapag nagda-drive na ako, there's a better chance na makahanap ako ng part-time job. May option na rin ako na makapag-aral uli sa actual school dito. Kaloka ang daming plans! I am keeping the faith. 

I'll update you sa susunod the driving adventures ko. Ciao! =)

Booked: December 2021 Flight to the Philippines

Oh my, I can't believe I am blogging again! It's been months since my last post and I know I kept on promising that I will keep on posting but couldn't fulfill it. It is so easy to totally abandon this blog and I've been meaning to do (especially since I mainly post my life in Instagram now) that but I I just can't. Ewan ko nga ba. Bumabalik at bumalik ako dito.

Anyway, it's almost a year now since the historical pandemic 'lockdown' and I know all of us are itching for things to go back to the way they used to be. May vaccine na and all we have to do is wait for our turn. Here in Canada, our Prime Minister promised us that by September of this year, all adults (those who want to) could have been vaccinated na. Those of us who are in the 40s bracket can be scheduled by July. Whew, medyo matagal pa pero keri lang. At least we can already see the light at the end of the tunnel. Konting tiis na lang.

Anyway, the reason why I blogged again is because I couldn't contain my excitement. Last night kasi, we were able to book na our flight to Pinas for December 2021!

 

I am telling you, I've never been this excited in a long time! 

It happened so fast kasi. Last Tuesday, my friend sent our group chat a link on Philippine Airlines PAL's 80th anniversary sale. $700+ lang daw ang Vancouver to Manila. I was disinterested at first kasi nga pandemic pa. But then she said that they're considering to go home by December pa. 

It got me thinking, matagal pa ang December. Come to think of it, medyo maluwag na nga ngayon pa lang ang ibang countries tapos dire-diretso na nga ang vaccination programs. Siguro naman by December eh medyo ok na ang travel situation (or else bagsak na bagsak na ang airline industry nun!). 

I texted Ford while he's at work, sabi ko nga mura ang tickets. His original plan was to visit Pinas in December 2022 pa (seriously) kaya hindi nya naman ako sineseryoso. But after sending him a screenshot of $900+ plane ticket for a December travel, namurahan na rin siya. I told him that this is our chance to vacay in the Philippines during Christmas time na mura. For sure, presyong ginto na next year when the world has finally recovered from Covid.

When he got home, syempre he checked on PAL's website agad. But to our disappointment, $1700+ ang price ng ticket! Mali pala ako, one way lang pala yung nakita kong $900+ (I used my phone in browsing lang kasi kaya hindi mabistahan nang maayos). Kaya nawalan na agad ako ng pag-asa. I messaged Levy and she said na mura sa Japan Airlines. Ford was super skeptic pa, mahal din daw for sure. I insisted that he check kasi sabi ni Levy, $2800 lang silang apat.

And voila, mura nga! It would cost the three of us around $2400 lang! Nagkapag-asa uli ako kasi we just had a refund of $2116.54 from our cancelled PAL July-August 2020 flight last Saturday kaya konti na lang ang idadagdag namin.

But of course, may hesitation pa rin. Because just in case may pandemic pa rin by this December (or may iba pang mangyari at hindi kami matuloy), may penalty na $200 each for cancellation. Niloloko pa ako ng asawa ko na ako ang sisisihin niya pag nagkataon lol! Oh well, I am not a gambler pero sige na nga, I am willing to risk $600 for this one! Kaya I'll be praying hard na matuloy!

The husband asked the office for permission yesterday and pinayagan naman siya. So go na! We booked the tickets last night. We had to use two laptops because we decided that we'll go a week earlier para mas masulit ang pamasahe, tapos sabay na lang kami pabalik. Medyo stressful ang naging booking process because we had to make sure that we get the same flight back to Vancouver. Medyo nakaka-praning. We paid a total of $2382.58 for three tickets, not bad na noh?

Another exciting part pa pala is on our way back to Vancouver, we have a 22-hour layover in Japan (Narita Airport)! Ito ang nagpa-sold kay Ford eh, ang makatapak kami sa Tokyo haha! Kakain lang daw kami ng authentic ramen at tonkotsu! 

Hay, 9 months to go! I am sure this trip will make my mother very happy! Inasmuch as I want to go home this July kasi (Nathan's summer break), alanganin. Wala pa kaming bakuna at medyo di pa rin siguro ganun kaayos ang sitwasyon sa Pinas. I have to consider everyone's safety, lalo na ang Nanay ko na may edad na at talagang immunocompromised. Kung hindi kami makakauwi this December, imagine by July 2022 pa pwede. Hindi ko na kaya yun. I can't bear the three years of not seeing my mother. Ngayon nga lang eh hirap na hirap na ako eh.

Before I end this post, I really just want to thank my husband Ford. Magastos umuwi ng Pinas (and to think wala naman na siyang uuwian doon kasi nasa abroad din ang parents and siblings niya) lalo na kapag pasko but he generously gave in to desire na makasama ang Nanay ko this December. I love you, Dear! =)