Welcome gift package from the Husband

This is such a late post. But it's better late than never, right?

I arrived in Edmonton last November 6 and when we reached my husband's place, this warmly welcomed me...

Isn't my husband the sweetest? We have no other family nor friends to help him welcome me here in Canada so he did everything by himself!

Let me briefly enumerate (and explain) the contents of his welcome gift package:

• PURPLE BALLOON. Balloons make me happy. I prefer balloons over flowers. He chose a purple one because it was our wedding motif. This color eventually became our official couple color.

• LOUIS VUITTON WALLET. He bought this wallet a couple of months ago (when he thought my visa would be released already) and had my initials CRB engraved on it. He said that since I'd be starting a new life here, I will be needing a new wallet to carry my new cards, etc. LV is my favorite luxury brand, by the way. 

• MICHAEL KORS BAG. He purchased this bag weeks ago at Cross Iron Mills in Calgary. I am a bag-lover and a purse never fails to thrill me.

• BMO CREDIT CARD. Ford is not only sweet, he is uber generous as well! He made sure that I'll have my own card (albeit an extension of his card) the moment I arrive. 

• STARBUCKS CARD. The Starbucks card was a recent phenomenon in the Philippines and I was sad that I wasn't able to enjoy it fully yet (I am a self-confessed Starbucks addict). Ford got me a Canadian Starbucks card to wipe away my bitterness haha! 

• DOLLARAMA GIFT CARD. Dollarama is my wasteland! I fell in love with this store last year when I came here in Edmonton for a six-week visit. Haha, my husband knew I would do some Dollarama shopping the moment I arrive so he bought a gift card for me. Aaaaw! 

• SHOPPING MONEY. I didn't have any winter clothes and boots prior to my coming here so the husband promised me some shopping money to buy what I need -- a sort of clothing allowance lol!

• HELLO KITTY COIN BANK. The coin bank actually came from the Philippines (I am a kitty addict, too!). When he went home last January to attend his brother's wedding, he asked me to give him a coin bank so that he can "deposit" a hundred dollar (which later on became two hundred) every pay check. This would be my bag fund, according to him. The day I arrived, that kitty coin bank already contained $4,600! I was amazed! 

• WELCOME BANNER. My husband is left-brained and never creative. Therefore this simple banner was already an effort for him. I can never ask for more.

Thanks so much, Dear! I really really appreciate this! 

I love you and I am looking forward to spending the rest of my life with you. Mwah! 

The first swipe of the wife

I am a credit card person. In the Philippines, I owned at least ten (used to be fifteen) credit cards before I left. But to be clear, I DIDN'T OWE A THING. I just preferred using those cards for the convenience and freebies. My family also owns a transport business back home so I was able to maximize my cards in paying for fuels and other bus-related stuff. And oh boy, you can never imagine the perks I've enjoyed by merely using my credit cards.

So when I finally decided to immigrate here in Canada, one of my utmost concerns was this plastic card. I've built quite a good credit history the past years in Pinas (with over a million pesos combined credit limit) and I was afraid to start from zero again. And shaiks, paano ako mabubuhay ng walang credit card???

I am lucky though that my husband Ford, who has been living here in Edmonton for almost four years now, gave me an extension of his BMO credit card. It's truly an advantage that my husband was already able to settle himself here in Canada before I followed. Now everything's being served to me on a silver platter!

I actually got to test swipe my shiny new blue card on my very first day here in Canada (November 6). We went to Lucky Supermarket, a huge Asian grocery store, and Pod told me to pay for our purchases.

Honestly, I've never been that nervous in using a credit card again! Ang hirap maging newbie uli, especially if the system is quite different from what you have gotten used to.

You see, in the Philippines, one hands his/her card to the cashier and later on signs the charge slips. Here in Canada, a cashier will never be able to touch your card. The customer will be the one to swipe or insert his/her card to the machine and enter the PIN code (that's why the credit card machine is facing the customer side). That easy! And no signature is needed.

But inasmuch as it has its advantages, I realized that this can be scary too. I mean, anybody can use your card in this system granting that he/she happens to know/discover your PIN. No further identity verification is done. In some stores, they even just ask the customer to tap the card (no PIN). Whoaah, they are that trusting!

Oh well, perhaps I am just used to living in the Philippines where scams are rampant (sad truth) that's why I got so praning. Ford insists that what I had in mind (i.e. other people stealing my credit card and using it to shop) does not usually happen here. Sabagay nga, I am now in an affluent society where everybody's given the chance to earn well. Who would want to steal? 

Right now, I am glad that my credit card initiation process is over and I can now use it with ease and confidence. I am just wondering na lang kung kelan ako magkakaroon ng sarili kong card na hindi extension? Hahaha, I need to earn my own money soon! =)