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! =)

Driving in Manila

We chanced upon Discovery Channel Canada's "Don't Drive Here" reality TV series which featured Manila as "one of the world's worst driving cities" last night.

Whatever the circumstance, it's always a thrill seeing your home country in a 'foreign' (I still consider Canada a foreign place haha!) television.

Oh, these familiar scenarios that I miss! I never thought I'd miss Manila's 'chaotic' atmosphere.

I miss those gigantic buses, those colorful jeepneys. And I miss the tons of people on the street! Nakakamiss makakita ng sangkatutak na tao sa totoo lang!

I couldn't blame the show's host Andrew Younghusband for "failing" the challenge. He was supposed to learn how to drive better than a professional driver in Manila. He was ultimately tasked to drive a jeepney and after some time, he gave up. Sobrang culture shock ang inabot niya.

Younghusband is a Canadian who's used to organized traffic, disciplined drivers, wide roads. He can never beat the survival-on-the-road skills of Pinoy drivers.

I've been driving in Manila since I was 18. I've experienced the worst, I must say. This is the reason why I am afraid to get a driver's license here in Canada. I am not confident that my driving skills are in congruent with driving in this city.  I am an aggressive driver because I was socialized that way eh. Baka puro violation tickets ang makuha ko dito.

On the other hand, parang takot na rin akong mag-drive uli sa Pilipinas pag-uwi ko. In the ten months that I've been living here (yep, ten months pa lang ha), nasanay na rin ako na dito, akmang tatawid pa lang ako ay hihinto na ang mga sasakyan para sa akin. Every place is within reach (kahit ilang daang kilometers pa yan) kasi nga walang traffic. Maluwag ang mga kalsada, functioning lahat ng traffic lights. Lahat organisado at maayos. With all the complaints and rants that I read on Facebook every day about Manila's horrendous traffic situation today (which is far worse than ten months ago), I doubt kung kakayanin ko pa talaga na magmaneho doon. Baka hanggang Bulacan na lang talaga ako.

Oh well, let's see.

Walking and commuting

We are currently living in a new community here at the West end of Edmonton. We initially came from the downtown area so I kinda got used to a 'busier' and 'noisier' place. But yeah, I've eventually grown to appreciate it here. Everything seems peaceful and quiet and safe.

The only drawback though of living here is the difficulty in public commuting. I do not have a driver's license yet (as that would raise up our insurance) so I am highly dependent on my husband. And since I will just be at home in the next few years, buying another car is not an option. Car is cheap, insurance is not.

When Ford and I were deciding (way back in 2012) on where to buy a house, I told him that it has to be accessible to a bus stop. He was able to convince me to say yes to this area because there "will be a bus stop just in front of our unit."

But when we finally moved here, we learned that buses only operate during peak hours in the morning and late afternoon. Waaaah! I wanted to cry for that would be so inconvenient. Pod was hopeful though. He assured me that when all the housing developments in our area are done, surely there will be more bus trips available for the residents. Eh kelan pa kaya yun?

So for the mean time, kailangang magtiis.

Just like yesterday. I had an appointment with my diabetes doctor at 1:30pm. I chose that schedule so that the husband could just drop me off at the Misericordia Hospital during his lunch time (he comes home for lunch, anyway). But fate must have put some trick on us. Sa dinami-dami ba naman ng araw, kahapon pa niya kinailangang may puntahang site. And that was a last minute call, take note.

I had no choice but to take the bus. I haven't really commuted since the time I learned that I am expecting and quit my job. The nearest bus stop that has regular bus trips is approximately 1.5 km away. Walking that long is such a toil for a pregnant person like me, but what other choice do I have?

I was still lucky because the weather was fine, malamig at hindi maaraw. My baby Chicklet was also cooperative. My tummy was in a good mood at hindi naman sumakit.

The pressure really falls sa pag-timing sa bus. If I miss my bus, I would have to wait for another 30 minutes for the next one to arrive. But if I arrive too early, kailangan naman mag-antay ng nakatayo. How I wish there is a bench in this stop.

I miss you, Bus Stop 8096!

I am used to publicly commuting in the Philippines. Though I knew how to drive and we have cars, I preferred to commute most of the time because of heavy traffic, pricey gas price, lack of parking, and all the other inconveniences of driving your own car.

I don't mind taking the bus here. In fact, I feel like I would like to take the bus forever haha! Why, buses come on time so you can plan your schedule ahead. Sana lang magkaroon na ng regular trips sa lugar namin para hindi na malayo ang lakarin. I don't mind walking during non-snow times (and when I am not carrying a child), pero mahaba ang winter dito eh. It's difficult to walk in the snow with a -20+ weather.


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Oops, this was my bus selfie pala taken at this very bus stop last March 11, 2014. It was still very cold and I was pregnant na pala (around 5 weeks) without me knowing it.

This is what you have to endure during winter to get to that bus stop.