Showing posts with label New Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Life. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Just Bought A Violin!

After hearing the anime Shingetsutan Tsukihime's music, I was more hyped into learning the violin. I find the music made by the violin as something soothing, mysterious, and just plain beautiful. I'd always wanted to learn to play the violin and how can I learn to play the violin if I didn't have my own violin right? Well so I got myself a violin today and I can't wait for it to arrive. I was going to buy this violin that cost only around $75 CAN but it had no carrying case or anything but then I decided to buy the violin that cost only $195 US from another store. I bought it because it seemed worth it for a begginner violin as it had all the accessories plus it was originaly priced at $800 US. I wanted to look for a cheaper starter violin since I might not be that good or I might not even learn violin so I didn't want to waste my money. But I failed to consider that the US $ is stronger than the Canadian $ so instead of paying $195, I actually paid for $250 Canadian. This factor even made me want to learn violin more as I don't intend to waste my money. I really hope that I do get to learn violin. I know that it would take patience, time, and practice, practice, and more practice.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Shopping the Smart Way

I used to judge other people for always wanting to go to the mall and shop because I thought it was a waste of money and what would you do with all those clothes anyway? But I finally changed my opinion towards shopping when I already earned my own money and when I go out with my friends we usually go shopping.

I realized that there is nothing wrong with shopping especially for clothes because when I go to university this September (fingers crossed) I would need lots of clothes because they don't require uniforms. Now I miss my school uniform... Also we have 4 seasons here in Canada so our clothing must be appropriate for each season.

The key to smart shopping is to always look for special deals like 50% to 70% discounts and stuff. What I like here in Canada is that when they have sales they do it to attract more customers or they are changing seasons unlike back home in the Philippines when they have sales because the items are either old or have defects on them or if they are perishable goods, they are close to their expiry date.

So my friends and I had no plans to shop, but since this very nice Filipino gentleman we met at the Filipino store offered us a ride to the Cineplex at Edmonton South Common as he was headed that way too. He was going to buy shoes at the Nike store at the strip mall near the Cineplex so we decided to look around. That is when we wear surprised that Guess, Buffalo by David Bitton, and Espirit where all having sales. I usually just walk away from temptations but my friends wanted to shop so we went in and I made an awesome discovery. I have a severe weakness for coats and jackets and I saw this awesome looking black jacket by Buffalo which was normally sold for $200 something and now was $160. And then Guess had an even more big surprise as I found this brown fall jacket which was now only $45 from $160. Ofcourse I checked if there was somwthing wrong with the jacket to make them want to give this jacket such a huge drop in price but it was in perfectly good shape and the style was unique. So I bought them and I was surprised that I saved so much. I can say that I have saved because after the sale, the discounted items will return to their original price so my $45 dollar jacket will be $160 again.

So my friends and I walked away with these bags from these designer stores with smiles on our faces. I can't wait for the next sale event.

Friday, January 16, 2009

Midnight Food Trip at McDonalds

Today was the last day of my 4 straight days of work until my day-off tomorrow so my Filipino co-workers/friends decided to spend it by stopping over at McDonalds to visit our old colleague. Who would have guessed that the majority of the McDonalds staff would be Filipinos including the on-duty managers and supervisors.

It was great how they practiced the Filipino characteristic of being hospitable. I was really amazed how accommodating they were to me and my companions. They personally came to our table and introduced themselves and told us to ask whatever we wanted. They gave us a 50% discount and they even gave us a huge slice of their ice cream birthday cake which I loved of course.

I just am happy to meet fellow Filipinos who are very friendly. I like contract workers better than some immigrant Filipinos because Filipinos who become citizens of Canada or are immigrants think of themselves as superior than those who are contract workers which I personally think is so wrong.

Anyway I am really glad that I went to McDonalds this midnight. I got to eat and I got to meet new people. Great day! I'm hoping tomorrow's movie day with the guys would turn out great as well.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Still Snowing...


My gosh... it's still snowing in Edmonton! Well Winter will officially end in March 21 so it's no surprise why the outside is still a walk-in freezer. I hate winter and the cold! The snow was fun at first because it was my first time to see and touch snow but after several flurries and having walked in knee-deep snow the glamor of snow faded away.

But even if it's freezing I still love to eat ice cream and I've learned to love hot instant noodles. The instant noodles I love are the ones imported from the Philippines: Lucky Me Instant Cup Noodles. Like they're sold here at the Filipino store for $2. That's like Php 80! But I have learned to stop converting dollars to pesos because I won't be able to buy anything if I do. I just love Filipino products and I prefer them over the locally made Canadian and US imported goods here.

I just received my paycheck this week and boy was I disappointed. Having to miss four days of work took a big toll on my paycheck that's why I'm going to work 1 hour and 30 minutes extra tomorrow so that I can get more money in my next paycheck, Lol! I'm now really more concerned in saving money because I've realized how much money I've wasted already but I think I can forgive myself because we really didn't have anything yet when we first arrived here in Canada so investing in our home and stuff is not really a waste of money right?

Today was a great day! It wasn't that busy at work and the customers where 80% good. I loved it when one regular customer gave me a chocolate again. He knew how I loved chocolates! I'd just make sure that I get on his good side because the next time he gives me chocolate it might be poisoned! Lol! The customers kept praising us how fast and efficient we were today. They just didn't take into account that there were no one else when they ordered their food.

I wonder how tomorrow would turn out. Well I'm the baker tomorow and the co-worker that's ultra slow and is of no use at all is off tomorrow so everything seems good.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Lost For Words

It's been a while since I last created a post in my blog. It seems that I have nothing to say at the moment. Nothing really interesting has happened to me lately. Well there are things that I would love to rant and rave about but I'm so fed up with ranting and complaining. There's nothing that I would get from it. Instead of releasing my frustration and anger I just relive the whole experience once again and it's not a great feeling to have.

Well something interesting did happen to me today and that is my Test of English as a Foreign Language Exam (TOEFL). I took the exam downtown and boy am I disappointed at myself. You see the most crucial port of the exam that I really needed was the speaking test but I have to commit a huge blunder at that part of the exam. In the middle of the part of the exam where I have to listen to a conversation and talk about the conversation, I was daydreaming and I was thinking of how I did in the past sections of the exam. By the time I realized that I was suppose to listen to the conversation, the conversation had already ended. So by the time that I snapped out of my day dream I was already babbling not knowing what to say... I'm doomed.

I wish for a miracle... and that miracle would be me getting a score pf 26 out of 30... ok I'm doomed.



Wednesday, January 7, 2009

I'm Back to Baking!


I'm so glad that they've finally placed me on baking. Well they do rotate us to baking, which is great! I just enjoy making donuts and I'm so proud if they get sold out because it makes me feel that my donuts is making someone happy and "fulfilled" somewhere.

Well one other reason why I love being baker because I get to stay at the back and I don't have to take anyone's orders hehehe. Well I'm so fed up taking orders that even when I sleep I have to remind myself that I'm not working at Tim Hortons so I can't make anyone a large double double (that's Tim Horton Language for a Large Coffee with 2 shots of sugar and 2 shots of cream).

Anyway, I'm off to bed! I have to wake up early tomorrow so that I can prepare for my upcoming TOEFL exam this Saturday. If I pass this test, my future as a Nursing Student at University of Alberta will be guaranteed!



Thursday, January 1, 2009

As Time Passed By

"Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock...," These are the sounds that I hear as I laid down alone in our living room. Everything is so quiet except for the deafening ticking of our clocks. Yes we have a clock in every part of our home and they all tick in consortium as if to warn me of the coming future.

My heart beats faster as if it wanted to outpace the clock's ticking. I'm afraid of what the future holds and as I lay there listening to the ticking of our clocks I somehow feel an impending doom falling upon me. Just laying still simply drives me insane because I realize how fast time is passing by and how much time I waste as I just lay there doing nothing.

The Year 2008 left and the Year 2009 came with great fears and excitement because I know that this year has several new events that I will have to encounter. This year will be the time when I will know if I'm qualified to go to University of Alberta, the year when I will take my driving exam for my driver's license, and they year when I will break free from the monotony and harships of working a blue collared job.

I know that more headaches and obstacles are ahead... that's why I ask God's divine intervention to strengthen me and aide me along the way. Things won't be easy, but it is these problems that makes life more exciting.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Boxing Day

Today was quite ok. It was quite busy but I'm kind of used to it. I already came back to work since my back has fully recovered and I didn't want to lose any more potential earnings.

It was quite sad that I wasn't able to come with my family shop today especially when it's Boxing Day. But what is Boxing Day really? Well it's a day when stores have these huge sales and discounts. The savings for these sales are so great that people will literally camp out and wait in line before the store opens. Boxing Day was supposed to be a day of goodwill to the less fortunate but guess it's more of an after Christmas shopping holiday.

But going to work today rather than going shopping was way better because I wasn't tempted to spend money (yes I'm a compulsive buyer) and bargain hunting at crowd-filled stores is not my idea of fun. Besides there isn't anything that I want to buy. Well I do want to buy that HP laptop that has a touch screen which could rotate 360 degrees but I kind of think that it's not worth it because I already have a laptop. I suddenly regret buying an overly expensive desktop which I don't like using anyway because I prefer using my laptop which I could carry around anywhere the house.

Anyway, at least my mom was happy today. She got to buy an Olympus Camera which has 8 Megapixels and is waterproof and shockproof for a very reasonable price too! And she also got an Altec Lansing speakers for her desktop for I think $20! That's a very sweet deal.

There are so many things I want to buy but then I realize that I don't really need them. So I'm quite thankful that I don't frequently go to malls and I don't use my credit card to buy stuff online anymore because I might do something hasty like buy an iPod Touch which I rarely use now. So Boxing Day is not a good holiday for me, but if I have a Million Dollar then you better move out of my way because I'm going shopping! Lol! So much for self restraint.

Friday, December 26, 2008

My Abnormality: My Right Hip

I went to see a Physical Therapist one day as recommended by my examining doctor. I was hoping that the Physical Therapist will give me a massage or some sort of treatment for my aching lower back pain which was actually improving already.

But instead of my anticipated massage (yes I love body massages) the doctor only gave me a thorough physical assessment which I really appreciated. I was even more amazed with the assessment of the doctor when he noticed that my right hip has a limited range of motion as compared to my left hip. So he concluded that this partial mobility of my right hip may have contributed to my frequent lower back pains. So you see, if my hip doesn't rotate well, it is my lower back which would need to twist and turn so my back is easily strained.

Well the doctor did also comment that for a 20 year old, my back isn't that strong yet so I was a bit ashamed of my unfit self and sedentary lifestyle. So I think I have already found one 2009 New Year's Resolution! I will make use of the Tony Horton's 10 Minute Exercise DVDs that I bought so I can get some exercise.

Monday, December 22, 2008

My Wish: Good Health

Christmas is fast approaching and I've got to admit that I'm not that excited really. Christmas isn't that exciting anymore here in Canada. It's my first white Christmas here in my new home but I kind of feel that there is something missing. And I bet that that something are my friends and other loved ones who I have left behind in the Philippines.

Before I was excited for Christmas because of the gifts and all but now that I can afford to buy whatever I want I have realized that Christmas here in Canada is very commercialized. It's only about gifts, the decorations, and the food. Back in the Philippines Christmas was more on the real reason for Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ.

Anyway, the past few days I've been thinking of what I would want for Christmas and after being bed-ridden for 4 consecutive days, missing work and being in agonizing pain, because of a lower back injury I have realized that good health is a great Christmas gift. I used to laugh at older people wishing other old people good health for Christmas but now that I am in such pain I suddenly realized how important and priceless good health really is. I'm just glad that my condition is improving.

I have missed work for 4 days already, a huge loss of potential earnings for me, and I didn't even have the chance to study for my coming TOEFL iBT exam this January 2009. I know what you're thinking, what have I been doing all along while I was at home? But if you were in my place, you wouldn't have the chance to think of studying because of my nagging lower back pain when I sit, stand, lay down, walk or do anything. I couldn't even sleep because of the extreme pain. The only thing that could relieve my pain was a long hot bath or a hot shower but the pain would just come back again. But now I am able to sit and lay down flat on my back with out the pain anymore so this is really a great improvement!

I just have to show up tomorrow for my physical therapy and I'm sure that I'm going to be able to work soon and be fit enough to study and prepare for my TOEFL iBT exam. My holidays are starting to be brighter all along.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Stupid Obstacles

There are several obstacles to my future right now. I had already gone through the pains of getting my school documents together and sending them from the Philippines to here in Canada and now I have to face new problems.

First I have to pass a Test of Spoken English. Well there was that English Proficiency Test too but I was able to meet that requirement because I studied for three years in Xavier University which was recognized by University of Alberta. Now I just have to pass that TOEFL iBT this coming January 10, 2009 and I'm all set. But this is better said than done because I have to get a speaking points of 26 from a range of 0-30. Who guessed that speaking English well will determine my future. People does say that my English is very good but sometimes I get my tongue twisted and I say awkward stuff.

But even if I pass that Test of Spoken English I still would have to deal with funding my education. I can get that student loan but I'm torn into two because I want to buy a car but if I buy a car then it would show that I'm not in financial need, which I am. But I guess that buying a car would be ok, I just have to buy a car less than $6,000 but what kind of car would I get with $6,000? If it has heating and it's automatic then I'm fine with that.

Life is sure full of complexities. Tomorrow I have to face my manager and tell her that I don't like it when they send me to other stores... let's see what happens tomorrow.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Ukay-Ukay in Canada

For all those who don't have even the faintest idea of what the word "Ukay-Ukay" means, worry not for I will enlighten you. Ukay-Ukay is a Filipino term for a sale of used clothes at very low prices. Ukay-ukay can be related to flea markets or any sale of second-items where by just pure luck you might find a very expensive designer item for half the price or even lesser.

Well I didn't believe my eyes when my parents drove to a Good Will shop. This Good Will shop has items that were donated by people who want to get rid of their old stuff and if you're lucky you might recieve the old expensive and designer items of a rich person.

I have to admit that some of the items were pretty decent. I got to buy some CD's of Alicia Keys and Craig David, an Anatomy and Physiology book, and some clothes. It was a bit hard to find anything my size since the people here are generally bigger in built. I did see some branded items but I also saw uniforms from coffee shops and other retail establishments. I never thought that people would be wearing work uniforms even if they don't work for that establishment. There were also some decorative items for the house, shoes, electronic items, and believe it or not, an exercise equipment which my dad happily bought, although I honestly would call it a piece of junk.

The Good Will shop is great for newcomers here in Canada but I still see Canadians (white people) buying stuff here so they too might also be looking for great bargains.

So the Good Will shop here in Canada is much like the Ukay-Ukay in the Philippines except that here in Canada you can oay with your Debit Card or Credit Card and there were lesser people.

The bottom line? Finding bargains and deals is a great opportunity for everyone so even if you live in a third world country or first world country, being able to save money and be able to buy some pretty neat stuff is a universal desire.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Some Things Stay The Same

Who would have thought that moving here in Canada would save me from my stupid brother's friends?! I mean seriously?! They come in the middle of the night and just make my life a living hell. They make a mess and they make so much noise. My only relaxation period is disrupted by people who have no decency and who have no idea that there are actually people out there who considers their home as their private get away or sanctuary.

I am so pissed off right now. I'm even more pissed off than when that stupid customer at Tim Hortons threw his half empty cup of hot chocolate at the counter. Well I'll talk about this in another post.

But wait... I think it's quiet already... they must have already left thank God! Geez! These are the moments that I want to live in a totally separate house all by my self. When I can support myself you can be sure that I'll be leaving this crazy family. Well I really don't want to leave them but having to deal with living with my brother is very agonizing!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Traveling Nurse: A Goal for the Future

I have been thinking about my future and my career and I have already decided that there is no turning back for me and no more seconds thoughts because I am going to be a nurse for sure. But as I have been exposed to the clinical area as a student nurse I have realized that there are different areas in nursing and there are several career paths that I could take as a nurse.

I could be a clinical nurse specialist, nurse anesthetist, nurse administrator, or even a military nurse. But the nursing career option that is very enticing right now is to be a traveling nurse! Yup there are so many travel nursing jobs out there since there is really is a high demand for nurses.

Being a traveling nurse is great because not only do you get excellent pay and invaluable work experience in notable institutions, you get to travel all around the world too! Imagine, you can work in New York for example, and when winter comes and it becomes chilly you can travel and work in Hawaii!

I have to admit that I love traveling and being able to see all the sights and sounds of different cities and communities is better than having to live a life that is monotonous and just filled with daily routines.

I know that it's too early to really decide what I want to do in the future but becoming a traveling nurse is one of my top three career choices!



Monday, December 8, 2008

My Future Is Brighter!!!

I am so happy today! I was thinking that my school documents were still flying around the world in some plane but when I tracked it down with the FedEx website I was thrilled to discover that the University of Alberta has finally received my papers and now I have a brighter future!

I'm very happy because I feel that finally everything is coming together great and if this keeps up I can finally be at ease and give out a sigh of relief. But I know that the challenge does not end here and having to re-study everything that I already learned and take the tests which were so hard to pass all over again is a huge challenge.

But I am prepared to take those challenges head on because I really want to finish my university and I want to finish my BS Nursing because this is who I know I can be and who I want to be someday.

Christmas Party

I am quite excited for this year's Christmas Party. Well I am excited for Christmas each and every year but this Christmas is very different from other past Christmas celebrations because this is our first Christmas here in Canada. In my 20 years of existence it is only now that we will finally have our very own white Christmas.

But what better ways to celebrate Christmas but with other people right? All Kagay-anons or Filipinos from Cagayan de Oro are going to have a get together and enjoy Christmas with each other's presence. Being with other Filipinos makes the Christmas less lonesome especially for those who miss their families and friends back in the Philippines.

I'm not in charge with the planning and logistics of the party but I do have great ideas for a Christmas party! Well the ideas are not originally mine. If you really want great ideas and if you're looking for inspiration then you might want to visit celebrations.com.

It is there that I found out about different Christmas party games, decorations, and food like Christmas candy recipes! What would Christmas be with out good old candy right?

I'm sure that even if I'm not into parties that much, sharing this info would be a great contribution to a successful and fun Christmas party!



Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Hold On

It's now 1:40 pm and there's a snow shower right now. I have to get to work soon but I've decided to do some quick blogging. Gosh the wind is so strong, I better put on more clothing on as well as something to place on my head because I just had a nasty "brain freeze" yesterday.

I'm amazed that I'm able to hold on until this day. My deadline for my university documents was yesterday but it will be sent from the Philippines today (hopefully). I just wish I get into university pretty soon.

Oh yeah I was fired from Quizno's because they've finally found a full time employee. I'm quite glad with their decision because I don't think my sanity and body can keep up with the added pressure. I just am a bit sad that my earnings would drop. I get a $400 paycheck with them for my part-time there and it's still a loss for me.

Anyway just want to share David Archuleta's video of Hold On. This is my most favorite track from his album. Most favorite because I love every song in his album and this one just happens to stand out. I love the way he sings and how he brings life into the song with out any of those voice manipulation and sound effects.

With out further delay here is David Archuleta singing Hold On:



Sunday, November 30, 2008

What A Day

Woah this day has been pretty exciting and I'm just glad that it's over. Well I woke up today at 10 om because I slept late last night (nothing exciting... yet...). So my parents wanted to go to South Common to go shopping since we already have a car we can just drive around to the far flung stores which we would never go to because they are inaccessible for people (like us before) who didn't have a car before.

Shopping was fun and all and I was somehow forced to buy another iPod Touch, this time a 16 GB one, beause my brother wanted one too and because I'm a great brother I gave him mine... well actually I sold my iPod to him since he liked it so much for $100. I was able to buy a game for the PS3, actually my brother was the one to buy it, and so I was quite happy with my day. The best part of my day today was when we dropped off at 7-Eleven since my mom wanted to buy bus tickets (yes, my parents won't use the car that much to save gas, weird huh?) so I was able to buy my mood uplifter, chocolates!

But my mood wasn't uplifted at all when my dad almost wrecked our brand new car. He's so proud that he's an experienced driver but he keeps forgetting one basic rule, always check your mirrors for any cars behind you and beside you. Plus don't occupy the middle of the road, stay at the left side if you want to continue forward and the left if you have plans of turning left. He disregarded this basic rules and so he wrecked a lady's bumper! Good thing our car just had a single small unnoticeable scratch which could easily be waxed off or something.

But we have to pay the lady $800 to $1000 to replace her bumper. We decided to have a private settlement rather than having our insurance company involved because if we did then we should expect our premiums to go way up. Geez! My dad is so stupid sometimes. How could he not see that car behind him when our car had a rear view camera?! And he's so good at passing the blame at us saying why we didn't tell him there was a car or why didn't we check. Uhm you're the driver not us so what would happen if you're driving on your own? My mom didn't allow him to bring the car tomorrow because if he had an accident after just a few days we brought the car home (an accident which was purely his fault) then there's a greater possibility that he'd have abother accident (this time a major one).

Imagine, he occupied the middle of the two-way road so when this car was going towards us there was no space anymore so my dad placed the car on reverse and drove back without checking the car behind him. And just a few minutes before that we almost had a collision with anbother car because he made a lane switch without even checking if there was a car behind and he forgot to use the signal light.

I may not have enough experience in driving but I could say that my dad could be a candidate for Canada's Worst Driver: He forgets to put his seat belt on, he has no sense of direction, he forgets to lock the car, he doesn't know how to follow some traffic signs, he doesn't even know how to use our car's features!

Thank god we have a big SUV because if we ever had an accident because of my dad's negligence then I'd know that we'd be safe but our car would be a wreck.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Our First Car: A 2009 Nissan Pathfinder SE


Today is a very special day for us, me and my family. Who would have guessed that it is only in Canada that we could get our first brand new car. Well we did have a car back in the Philippines, but we only had a Toyota Jeepey that was so old and worn-out that we don't even use it.

I used to be ashamed to be seen in our old jeepey but now I can be confident that other people won't look down at us. Many people have said that we won't be able to get this car because we don't have a credit history and we should go for a cheaper car or a used car instead but I guess that they will be blown away when they see us in our brand new 2009 Nissan Pathfinder. We may not have a credit history because we are still new here but we do have money from the Philippines that we brought here. All those years of having to ride the jeepney and having to live in a very small house in a small neighborhood in the Philippines finally paid off because we saved enough money to afford the lifestyle here. But even if we didn't have that much money a great lifestyle here is easily attained.

It's sad but here in Canada (as well back home in the Philippines), "If you don't have a car then you're nothing," as said by the Millwoods Welcome Center person and yes I have to agree with him because a car is not only a status symbol it is a NEED. Why? Well it snows here in Canada and waiting for the bus stop in the freezing cold is nothing to be happy about. Plus the places here are so far apart because the city here is very big.

Anyway we took our new baby home to our apartment and let me say that driving it home was a bit stressful. Since we're still new in Canada we really didn't know the way home other than the bus route so we had to ask the sales person to print some directions from Google Map so that we can get home.

My dad had some trouble getting used to the traffic signs here because the traffic rules and signs here in Canada are different from the Philippines. Plus the road names in Canada are a bit confusing. For example, there's a 50 street Northwest Bound, 50 street Southwest Bound, 50 street Westbound, and so on and the streets and avenue here are somehow confusing.

Well we did manage to bring home our SUV and park it in our apartment's underground parking safe and sound so it was really a night for celebration. Our family friends came at our house (the ones who adopted us in their home for one month before we moved in to our own place) so we went on a joyride, our SUV is a 7-seater so we had room for everyone. We went downtown to watch the Christmas lights and grabbed some pizza on our way home.

Today was really an amazing day. I can't wait for next year when I'll get to get my very own GDL Class 5 Driver's License (I only have a learner's Class 7 license)! I can take our car whenever I have a duty in the hospital or to get to school or I could buy my own car, yes by the time I get my license I could afford to buy my own car with my earnings and with my mom's help of course.

I'm glad that our lives here is getting better. Now we only have to wait a year or more then we could finally buy our own house. And perhaps I could finally go to school... my life is not over yet as I have thought. There are still great possibilities and getting a brand new car when everyone else said we couldn't proved to be a great motivation.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Missing The Philippines

I can't help but miss my old life in the Philippines. As an old saying goes, you'd never know what you have unless you lost it. Now that I live in Canada this saying is pretty much applicable to me.

There are times that I can't help but think that moving to Canada was a HUGE mistake. It feels like my life was a train going smoothly through a carefully laid track to success and happiness but all of the sudden, immigrating to Canada derailed my life and now it's a total mess and disaster... I don't know if I'd ever get my life back on track.

I never knew how happy I was being with my friends... they made me very happy and they made me feel that I was actually alive. They've played a role in helping me survive each and every single day. Studying was not easy but I just realized that I lived such a luxurious life. Back in the Philippines, I never worked a sweat and I was given money to spend. and now, I have to work to get what I want and to save up for my future. I was studying in one of the top universities in the Philippines and now I have a slim chance of getting into a good college next year (I can get into a University but I don't want to wait longer). I never did try my best in getting good grades and getting through every single day but now I have to give it my all just to prevent myself from going insane.

Back in the Philippines I had a life, but now I have nothing... well I do have my family but I feel that there is something missing in me...

I used to be happy and glad to be here leaving poverty and hardship behind but now I want to go back and be a middle class again because here we're just a low-earning family. We're not considered poor but we don't have a car and house that we can call our own yet so life can be pretty difficult.

But as usual... I am a Filipino, and I am a survivor...