Eden Cheese Spotted!

This is in connection with this post -- No more Pinoy cheese in Canada for 2018.

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It's already 2019 and Eden Cheese (the only imported Filipino cheese here in Canada, as far as I know) has 'probably' made a comeback.

I spotted this at Henlong Market in Surrey.

Inisip ko pa kung old stock ba ito (I was able to buy Eden Cheese pa sa Henlong last October kahit na out of stock na sa ibang stores as of July) or what. Walang nakasulat na expiration date pero siguro bago ito kasi yung dating box ay walang nakaprint na "Free 40MB Data" haha.

This cheese retails for $3.99 (no tax). Medyo mahal siya kumpara sa ibang stores na nabibilhan ko dati pero pwede na rin kesa wala. As of this writing, wala pa akong nakikitang Eden Cheese uli sa T&T at Lucky Supermarkets. Di ako sure sa small Filipino stores.

By the way, hindi na ako bumili since uuwi naman kami ni Nathan sa Pinas sa April at magbabaon na lang ako ng marami pabalik dito. Bringing commercially-packaged cheese is allowed into Canada with a limit of 20kgs per person.

Daiso Addict

Family Day last Monday, February 18, 2019, so walang pasok si Hubby. Nag-crave kami pareho sa crispy fried squid kaya nagkayayaan sa Richmond Public Market. At syempre dahil nasa Richmond na rin lang kami, kailangang idaan niya ako sa Daiso hehe.

Nag-concede na ang husband ako. He knows na mahilig talaga ako sa kung anik-anik kaya pinababayaan na rin niya ako kahit na para sa kanya ay "kalat" lang ang pinagbibili ko. Well, totoo naman. Pero ewan ko ba, grabe talaga ang saya ko kapag nasa mga dollar stores ako. Lalo na sa Daiso kasi nga kaisa-isang branch lang ito sa buong Canada, tapos super layo pa sa amin (one-hour drive). Feeling ko tuloy sobrang deprived ako.

Pero kung tutuusin, hindi naman talaga. In fact, simula ng lumipat kami dito sa bahay last November ay medyo napadalas na nga kami sa Daiso.

Nag-addict nga kasi ako sa organizers lol.

Buti na lang talaga nga at kunsintidor ang asawa ko haha! Saka in fairness, nakita rin naman niya na useful yung mga white organizers na nabili ko.

November 27, 2018

February 2, 2019

I checked my records and we've been to Daiso five times na pala simula nga nang maglipat kami. At nakakaloka ha, $318.12 (or Php12,724.80) na pala ang nagagastos namin waaah! Shookt ako!

November 27, 2018 -- $88.48
December 1, 2018 -- 75.62
January 12, 2019 -- 77.29
February 2, 2019 -- 47.04
February 18, 2019 -- 29.69
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Total ------------ $318.12 

To be honest, marami rin naman akong nabili talaga na hindi para sa bahay. Hala, bigla naman akong na-guilty! Sabi ko pa naman eh titigil nako sa kakabili ng mga walang katutuwang bagay.

January 12, 2019

Itong ngang recent Daiso trip namin eh wala na talaga akong maisipang bilhin, pero bumili pa rin ako for the sake of buying. I know, there's really something wrong with me.

I keep on telling myself na magtitipid na ako blah blah pero kapag nasa store naman ako eh nagpa-palpitate ako. Ganun din ba kayo? This is something that my Ilocano husband won't understand haha. Pero aaminin ko, mukhang malabo akong magbago lol. Buti na nga lang din at malayo kami sa Daiso.

By the way, ang base price ng Daiso dito ay $2.00 (or around Php80). Pero dahil may additional 12% tax pa, papatak na $2.24 (or Php89.60). Halos kapareho lang ng presyo sa Pinas na Php88.00.


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My only wish from my husband on our 7th year wedding anniversary was for him to take me to Daiso lol. Talk about addiction. Panay kasi ang nood ko ng Youtube lately at puro Daiso haul ang nakikita ko hehe.

A Canadian passport at last!

Finally, my Canadian passport is here! Yes, I am so thrilled! Why, blue passport = MOBILITY!

I applied for this passport in Service Canada - Passport Service in Central City in Surrey last January 25, 2019. The process was fast. There were many applicants pero marami rin namang open na servicing windows kaya mabilis lang din. After checking my documents and making me pay $160 (ten years validity), they told me that the process will take 10 business days and they will deliver it na lang daw (akala ko nga pwedeng ipick-up na lang para mabilis pero walang ganung option).

And so after the not-so-long-but-agonizing wait, we finally saw a notice in our mailbox stating that I have a package in Canada Post in London Drugs near us. Around 8:30pm na nun ng Valentine's Day. The store will close at 9pm so talagang nagmadali kami para abutan. Ayaw ko ng ipagpabukas pa haha!

Honestly, ang saya-sayang magkaroon ng "powerful" passport! Sobrang nakakakilig yung idea na hindi na ako kukuha ng visa sa kahit anong bansang gusto kong puntahan. Grabe, parang di pa rin nga ako makapaniwala na plane ticket na lang ang kailangan ko at voila, makakabiyahe na ako anywhere. Sobrang nagpapasalamat talaga ako, lalo na sa asawa ko who made this possible for me.

Yun nga lang, me blue passport na pero wala pang budget pang-travel haha! Kakabili lang namin ng bahay tapos bumili pa ng share si hubby sa company nila kaya nasimot din talaga kami sa cash hehe. Pero keri na yun, marami pa namang araw. Ang importante ay ready-to-go na ako anytime lol. At syempre, makakauwi na ako sa Pinas yebaaah!

Be wary of so-called friends

I honestly miss having friends around. I actually already have two friends here but I seldom see them, kapag may birthday lang. Aside from us living in different cities, I honestly don't think we have common interests. Siguro sobrang taas lang din ng benchmark ko sa friendship. Kasi nga ang saya-saya ng samahang iniwan namin sa Edmonton, hindi talaga ako maka-move on.

Anyway, in one children's party thrown by a friend here, I met this girl who seemed very very nice. May anak din siyang (almost) 3 years old na boy. Nakiupo siya sa amin at nakipagkwentuhan. I instantly liked her. She looked educated, soft-spoken, decent. Gusto ko siyang maging kaibigan talaga.

I later learned na acquaintance lang din siya ng friend ko na host ng party. Nagkakilala lang daw sila sa Toys R Us and my friend invited her to the party. I was surprised, kasi why would she bother to go to a party of someone she barely knows? I mean unlike us, she's fully settled na dito sa Vancouver and I am sure she has family and friends and co-workers here. Hindi siya deprived sa social gatherings. She reasoned na gusto lang din daw niyang maka-attend ng kiddie parties ang anak niya. I accepted that.

Before we parted that night, she asked for my contact number. Sabi ko invite niya na lang ako sa Facebook which she instantly did.

After a few days, she PM'd me para mangumusta. Christmas season noon and I thought she was just being extra friendly. Pero syempre nagtataka na ako kung bakit niya ako mine-message. I believe in the stages of friendship, gradual ang pagdevelop niyan. Wala akong makitang reason para imessage niya ako ng ganun na wala namang specific na dahilan o tanong man lang. Basta plain kumusta lang.

After some time, ayun nangumusta na naman. Papasok daw siya sa office nila. Tapos ayun na nga, nagtanong na rin siya if I know someone who wants to do some part-time work sa bagong office na itatayo ng company nila. Syempre itatanong ko kung ano ba nature ng job niya (and why she can bring her son to work). Brokerage firm daw, tumutulong sa may mga utang sa credit cards, o bumili ng ng bahay, etc.

Ayun, gets ko na! Network pala ang purpose ng pakikipagkaibigan. Kung may kilala daw akong nangangailang ng services nila eh sabihin ko lang. I politely said yes, na irerefer ko sa kanya kapag may kilala ako.

I knew right there and then that I will stop replying to her. Wala rin naman siyang mapapala sa akin. Wala nga akong friends dito sa BC eh, at lalong wala kaming utang sa credit card noh.

Kaya ayan dedma na ako sa kanya kahit panay ang papansin at pangungumusta niya.

Sorry, pero user-friendly talaga ang tingin ko sa kanya. And I refuse to be used.

I can't blame people like her, though. Syempre trabaho nila yan, ang maghanap ng clients. Kaya pala siya nakikipagkilala at nagpupunta sa parties ng mga Pinoy dito eh para makahanap ng contacts.

Siguro nga kailangan ko ng madala haha. Sa edad at puntong ito ng buhay ko at sa lugar na kinalalagyan ko, it will be hard to find quality friendships. Yung genuine at totoo. I have to be contented sa company ng anak at asawa ko kasi kami lang talagang tatlo ang magkakasama dito. I actually felt guilty pa nga kasi bakit ba naghahanap pa ako ng "life" outside our family eh ok naman kami. I have friends naman in Pinas and Edmonton na palagi kong nakaka-chat kung gusto ko ng ibang kausap.

I've subscribed to some Youtube vloggers who are based here in Canada and I realized na hindi naman din sila mabarkada at maraming kaibigan. Palaging silang magpapamilya lang din ang magkakasama. all the time. Ganun naman nga kasi ang buhay dito, trabaho at bahay/pamilya lang.

I am still hoping to find good friends here someday. Pero hindi na ako magmamadali. Dadating yun kung talagang dadating (naks, parang love lang lol!).

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UPDATE -- March 12, 2018

I brought Nathan to Central City's play area last Friday, March 8. There was this Filipina with three kids na katabi ko na nakipagkuwentuhan sa akin because she heard that I was talking to my son in Tagalog. Talagang mega chika siya sa akin and I was starting to believe na genuinely friendly talaga siya. Kaso after several minutes of talking, ayun I found out na nagpapart-time siya as insurance agent. Waaah! Di pa kasi ako natuto. Talagang nawalan ako ng ganang makipagkwentuhan (kaso nabigay ko na ang phone number ko). Buti na lang nag-aya na rin ang mga anak niya pauwi at saktong dumating din yung friend ko.

My Application to Canadian Citizenship Timeline

Tinanong ako kanina ng friend ko sa Edmonton kung gaano katagal inabot ang Canadian citizenship application ko I decided to blog about my timeline.

Actually, asawa ko ang talagang atat na mag-apply ako (siguro kasi mae-expire na rin ang Permanent Resident Card ko ng January 2019). In fact, siya lahat ang gumawa ng paperworks. Kaya wala akong alam kung may tanong kayo about sa filling up ng application form kasi talagang pinaubaya ko na kay hubby. Ewan ko ba, tamad na tamad talaga ako. All I did was sign.

At syempre, ipasa ang language requirement.

College graduate naman ako Pinas at kung tutuusin, pwede namang isubmit ang diploma at transcript of record (TOR) as language proof pero naisip namin na hassle pa at magtatagal. First, kailangang kumuha pa ng TOR at certification sa Pinas at is-ship so talagang it will take time. Pwede rin iyong i-reject ng Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) kung hindi sila satisfied.

Second, medyo worried nga kasi ako sa documents ko. You see, graduate ako ng University of the Philippines Diliman. Modesty aside, alam naman natin na number 1 university yan sa Pinas. Ang problema lang, yung mismong diploma namin ay nakasulat sa Filipino. O di ba, kailangan pa ng translation? Parang alanganin na. Kaya naisip namin things will be easier if I will take CELPIP-General LS Test na lang. CELPIP stands for The Canadian Language Proficiency Index Program.  For the purpose of applying for citizenship, you just need to take and pass the Listening and Speaking Tests.

Here's how much we paid for the test and the online reviewer. Medyo pricey noh?

I had 8 days to review at sobrang na-stress ako haha. There was a part of me that's rebelling, sabi ko I've been speaking English since I was a child at nakapagsulat na ako ng sangkatutak na term papers in English tapos ngayon kailangaan kong patunayan sa kanila sa nakakaintindi at nakakasalita ako ng Ingles. Based sa mga nabasa ko, sobrang nakaka-pressure daw talaga ang Speaking part kasi nga you'll be talking to the computer. Parang napaka-unnatural. Oh well, wala naman nga akong choice but to comply.

I took the test on December 9, 2017 and I was confident naman na papasa ako. Sixteen yata kaming takers noon and I was the first one to finish. Ang awkward lang kasi tabi-tabi kaming nag-test kaya nagkakarinigan talaga.

I was able to view the results online after just a few days. And as expected, I did well on the listening part and not-so-well on the speaking haha! Kaya panay kantyaw ang asawa ko, parang di raw ako UP graduate. Kahit ako natawa sa sarili ko, pero kasi naman nga napaka-unnatural nung set-up (ang hirap ipaliwanag). Basta wala na akong paki, ang importante eh pumasa ako at masa-submit na namin yung application.

A few more days and I received na rin this letter that contains the CELPIP Official Score Report. Ito ang iaattach sa canadian citizenship application form.

And so we thought ok na. Ime-mail na sana namin ang application when my husband realized na may namiss-out siya. Kailangan ko pala ng NBI clearance from the Philppines kasi nga twice na umuwi ako doon for several months. Sakto naman na pauwi uli ako ng Pinas on January 9, 2018 kaya makakakuha ako at maime-mail back ko kay Ford. Basta I signed na my application na dated kung kailan nasa Canada pa ako.

Buti na lang may NBI Office sa amin sa Marilao so I was able to apply agad for a clearance on January 11, 2018. After a week (January 18), lumabas na at naipadala ko na kay Ford via registered mail.

My husband got hysterical when he learned na via registered mail ko lang pinadala at hindi EMS. Eh kasi naman sobrang mahal nun, Php1,500 (3-10 days daw) as compared to postal na Php125 lang (15 days). Nanghinayang talaga ako. I truly prayed na dumating sana kako or else yari talaga ako sa asawa ko.

Whew, dumating naman nga! At wala pang 15 days ha. Ford received it on January 30 (Canadian time), went online to pay the $630-application fee, and mailed it the following day.

So eto na nga ang timeline:

January 31, 2018 -- mailed the application

March 6, 2018 -- got an acknowledgment receipt of application

July 5, 2018 -- received a notice of invitation to Canadian Citizenship test

July 18, 2018 -- took the Canadian Citizenship test

December 27, 2018 -- received an invitation for Canadian Citizenship ceremony

January 16, 2019 -- attended the Canadian Citizenship oath-taking

All in all, it took almost a year for the whole citizenship application process to commence and finish. I honestly thought it'll be less than a year because I was told in July, when I passed the citizenship test (which I perfected, by the way), that I just had to wait for 2 to 3 months to receive the invitation for oath-taking. But in my case, December ko na na-receive (more than 4 months).

I wondered why and I read somewhere na minsan daw maaga lang nila pinapa-take ng exam ang applicants kasi may open na slots for the test. Tapos syempre medyo magtatagal ang invitation kasi marami pang pending syempre. It actually makes sense kasi nga ang aga nila akong pinag-exam eh.

Hay, I can't believe until now that this is over and that I am finally a Canadian citizen. I am just happily waiting for my passport now. Sana dumating na bukas. =)

Measles Vaccine

Uuwi kami sa Pinas soon (late March or early April) and I am somewhat scared because there's currently a measles outbreak there. Nakaka-praning. When I was still living there, hindi ako bothered sa ganyang mga isyu at balita pero ngayon, talagang naga-alala ako. Una, may anak na ako. Pangalawa, medyo nasanay na rin kasi ako sa first world living (walang halong kayabangan, sadyang pagpapakatotoo lang) kaya medyo "umaarte" na.

Naalala ko noon, naaartehan ako sa mga kamag-anak kong from the US na nagbabakasyon sa Pinas kasi nga masyado silang worried sa safety and security nila. Ngayon naiintindihan ko na na natural lang pala iyon kasi nga sa ibang mundo ka na naninirahan at hindi ka na sanay sa pamumuhay sa Pinas.

Anyway, dahil nga natatakot ako sa tigdas, hinanap ko talaga ang immunization record ko dito. I remembered kasi na noong time na pinababakunahan pa namin si Nathan, pati kaming mag-asawa ay tinusok na rin. They saw something in my blood daw (when I was pregnant) that I wasn't immune to something (I forgot what it was) so kailangan ko din ng bakuna. At dahil wala nga kasi kaming immunization record sa Canada, they want to make sure din na hindi kami makaka-acquire ng sakit na makakahawa sa anak namin. I am confident na kumpleto ako sa bakuna noong baby pa ako (my mother is very responsible) pero wala namang mawawala kung babakunahan uli para sigurado. Wala daw over-dosage sa ganyan.

So eto na nga, nakita ko na. I am so happy! At least kampante na ang loob kong uuwi sa Pilipinas kong mahal hehe.

But before kami umuwi, kailangan ko pa palang pasaksakan si Nathan ng booster shots (including measles). Sinasaksak daw yun kapag 4 years old and above na. Noon pa ako nagpapa-schedule sana ng vaccination kaso they asked pa for Nathan's immunization record from Alberta para ma-enter nila sa system nila. Ganun kasi dito eh, hindi centralized ang health records, by province talaga.

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Another kwento. Noong unang uwi (or pangalawa ba?) namin sa Pinas, gustung-gusto kong pasaksakan ng Dengvaxia si Nathan. Kasi nga natatakot ako sa dengue, tapos kagatin pa talaga ng lamok ang anak ko. Kahit sa mall kinakagat siya ng lamok. Ang laking pasalamat ko talaga na hindi ko siya natuloy pabakunahan nun hay!

Currently, walang nirerecommend na dengue vaccine ang Public Health Agency of Canada kasi  daw"although advanced research is underway, there is currently no approved vaccine or medication that protects against dengue fever." Hindi nga rin pala present sa mosquitoes ng Canada ang dengue virus.

Lunar New Year 2019 (Year of the Pig)

We were supposed to go to Chinatown in Dowtown Vancouver to watch the Chinese New Year Parade last Sunday (February 10, 2019) but I changed my mind. There was a prediction of snow fall and it's been really cold the past days (-2 to -6 during daytime). Mahirap mag-stay nang matagal sa kalsada para manood, baka magkasakit lang kami.

We're not Chinese and we're not really celebrating Chinese New Year (at least in its truest sense) naman but I just wanted Nathan to see and experience different cultures. Canadian siya kaya dapat well-exposed siya sa diversity. Oh well, next year na lang when the weather is better.

Buti na lang din napadpad kami sa Tsawwassen Mills last Saturday. Meron sila doong artificial cherry blossom tree where you can hang your wish/es. At least nakapagsabit kami at naka-experience kahit papano ng festivity.

Aside from the usual prosperity wish, ang talagang dinadasal namin ngayong taon (at sa mga susunod pa) ay good health for our family and loved ones.

Ang daming gimik ng mga malls at supermarkets dito about the lunar new year. May mga dragon and lion dance syempre kaso nga hindi namin napuntahan. Ang layo na nga kasi namin. Usually sa Richmond (kung saan concentrated ang mga chekwa) at Surrey ang mga yun. The new year fell pa on a weekday kaya talagang malabo.

Thank you sa ang pao, Tsawwassen Mills. Naaliw ako.

Ooops by the way, from now on, Lunar New Year na ang itatawag ko Chinese New Year. Nito ko lang din naliwanagan na hindi lang naman mga Intsik ang nagse-celebrate ng unang araw sa lunar calendar kaya mas politically correct na tawagin nga itong Lunar New Year. Nandyan ang Vietnamese, Koreans, Cambodians, Malaysians, Singaporeans, etc.

We Filipinos are not really following the lunar calendar. Pero dahil mahilig ang Pinoy maki-holiday sa ibang lahi, nausuhan na rin sila/kami ng "Chinese New Year." In fact, declared as special non-working holiday na nga rin ang February 5, 2019 sa Pinas. Napansin ko rin na maraming mga Pilipino na rin ang bumabati/nakikipagbatian ng Gong Hei Fat Choy sa FB, nakakaloka. Sabagay, mas maraming occasions at holidays, mas masaya nga naman hehe.