My First Impressions of Canada

You can't really blame me if I compare the Philippines from Canada because I came from the Philippines and Canada is a new place and I like what I am seeing. So let me just share some of my thoughts about my first impressions of Canada and how the Philippines differ.

1. Canasa is so WIDE and OPEN! Unlike the Philippines which has a population of 90.5 million people, Canada only has 33.3 Million people and not to mention that Canada is the second largest country and the Philippines is so tiny as compared to the humongous Canada. The whole Philippines could fit into Alberta (the province where Edmonton is located) but Alberta only has 3.4 Million people.
2. In Canada, drivers are very responsible. Unlike the Philippines, drivers from Canada are responsible drivers and they give way and respect other drivers. Honking of horns is not common and considered very rude here in Canada. And pedestrians are given higher importance. So if you see me walking across the road, you have to stop for me hahaha! Even if I want to walk under the moonlight slowly.
   
3. The rights of the people are upheld. This is common knowledge already I guess. If my car brakes down because of some pots in the road then I can sue the government for the damages of my car and the government is liable for the repairs. In the Philippines, the government is corrupt and don't bother seeking for anything from the Philippine government like your fundamental rights. And if I were harassed by anyone let's say if I'm discriminated or some sort I could report this to the police and the culprits could be sanctioned but you know what? Canadians are really nice people so discrimination is not an issue here.
   
4. Government services are first class! You won't see a cheap looking government building here in Canada. When you enter any government owned offices and building, you have a feeling that you're in a five star hotel. The employees are very kind and approachable and they give justice to the term "public servant". Government transactions are quite fast. We got our Social Insurance Number (SIN) immediately on the spot processing. If we did have SIN in the Philippines the process would take months and you would have to bribe the government employees if you want your paperwork to be done faster... tsk tsk.
5. There are no poor people in Canada, just low income groups. By low income I mean families who can provide their family with everything they need they just don't live in luxury like driving a brand new BMW or living in a mansion or something. In the Philippines.... no comment! People who lost their jobs in Canada (because they were removed from their job and it wasn't their fault) are supported by the government with allowances until they get their own jobs.
6. Aside from the fact that Canada has four seasons (winter, spring, summer, fall), did you know that outside would still be bright and dandy even if it is 12 midnight during summer!? And when it's winter, it could already be dark when it's only 4 pm. I still need to get used to this.
7. Contrary to popular belief, Canadians (or people who live in cold places) do take showers in the morning! We do have hot showers here you know and every building and cars have heaters so it's not really cold inside the house.

There are still some more things that I want to share about Canada and I think I'll save that for my later posts.

Canada After Image

Since I'm already in my new home, Canada, I just want to pay homage by making a post related to Canada.

So ladies and gentlemen let me introduce to you the flag of Canada also known as the Maple Leaf! I know that the flag is supposed to be red and white but no I did not make a mistake in posting this picture. I posted this picture because this image is an optical illusion. How? Well just follow these steps and you'll soon find out:

• Stare at the dot in the center of the 11-point maple leaf for 40 seconds.
• Now stare at an empty white space.
• Tada! Amazed? Well you should be.

I'll be writing more about Canada here that's for sure. Until then let me share two more things before I go. Below are the flags of Canada and then the second image is the flag of Alberta, the province where we are staying at:

Credit Cards

At last! My family and I are already starting our new life here in Canada. Canada is everything that I had dreamed of. The lifestyle here is very comfortable and great. One doesn't have to worry much about being able to place food on the table because work here is pretty abundant. In proof of that I have been able to find three "Help Wanted Signs" almost everywhere and I am hoping to land a job in those stores because the pay is great too!

Of course, if one has a high standards of living it is also pretty easy to purchase anything that your heart desires (and partly what you can afford). But with credit cards that is not quite a problem. The use of credit cards here in Canada just like in any first world countries is pretty common and you can even pay for your parking with the use of your credit cards. The use of the wonderful plastic is very handy as you do not have to worry about being short on cash or losing your money because you lost your wallet.

The use of credit cards is already very common but not all users of this wonderful service is not quite informed of the perks and responsibilities that one has if one is a lucky owner of a plastic.

With Credit Cards Club one is provided with very valuable information about credit cards and reviews of different credit cards and banks which is very helpful indeed as this will give you the edge in choosing the bank that is truly worth your money.

Every bank has it's own unique bank rates and services that is why visiting Credit Cards Club for information is not only beneficial but it is a must!

My Cute Cousins

I have noticed that my posts were becoming too negative and that this blog has become my official ranting place so I'd better place some nice and happy entries so that this place won't be that gloomy.
The picture above is taken during our stay in Makati at a relatives condominium building in Makati while we were waiting for our flight to Canada. The girl is Emmalyn, and next to her is my brother Ian, and the two guys in the jacuzzi is me and next to me is the naughty Kelly.

We were at first uncomfortable with each other but as the days passed by the ice started to break and we were already happily playing and talking with each other. We enjoyed taking for a swim on the pool upstairs, playing PC games, surfing the net, and of course going to the malls (we have Three to choose from: Greenbelt, Glorietta, SM and all of these are just a walking distance from our place).

I kind of got a hang of it with the life in Makati and I got so close to my cousins already that is why it's hard to say goodbye. But I know that we'll see each other when we come back to the Philippines for our vacation and I am looking forward to that.

My New Sony Ericsson W960i!

I am glad that I have reaped the fruits of my labor! After spending hours behind a hot computer screen (hehehe, Over...) I have finally bought my dream phone! Well for the moment at least, you know material things they come and go but whatever. ^_^

With my hard-earned money (which is of course subsidized by my generous mom hehehe) I am able to buy a Sony Ericsson W960i! What is it? Well maybe this video will give you an idea of it's features:



What I love about this phone and what prompted me to buy this is of the following reasons:

• It's a music phone capable of playing almost every music file.
• It has a 3.2 Megapixel camera
• It is a touchscreen phone with handwriting recognition so I only write rather than type it in.
• It has a WLAN or WiFi connectivity so I can blog for free in any hotspot.
• It has an 8GB memory size.
• Plus it's cheaper than the Nokia N95 8GB hehehe. Plus I prefer my phone than the Nokia N95.

The Nokia N95 and the Nokia N81 where some of my choices but my brother and mom decided to buy them so I didn't want to have the same phone as they have hehehe. Some may be wondering why we bought phones here when the common notion was that phones are better in Canada but guess again!

The Philippines happens to be the "Texting Capital" of Asia so it's natural that the phones here are more hi-tech or technologically advance and savvy. But only in terms of phones only hehehe.

I'm loving my phone right now so I highly recommend a Sony Ericsson W960i because so far it's the more affordable smart phone in the market with such great features.