tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54525903234018828952024-03-24T16:32:04.701-07:00Wink and the world surprises youJust sharing my humanity, 1 of 7 billion on Earth. Sometimes spontaneous, sometimes deeply thought, sometimes paranormal. Mostly for me to examine myself, and to remember that life has ups and downs.Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.comBlogger438125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-13700608311435323282020-10-04T23:55:00.011-07:002021-08-22T10:06:04.615-07:0010 years in Canada - New Norm<p style="text-align: justify;">Today marks my 10th year in Canada. Not much to add since my <a href="https://winkingdoll.blogspot.com/2015/10/5-years-in-canada.html">previous milestone post 5 years ago</a>. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">In this year (2020) of the pandemic, people keep talking about adjusting to a "new norm". Migration is pretty much the same, moving from an old-norm to a new-norm. It does not mean that life will suddenly become a bed of roses after migration. In fact, over time immigrants will settle into a new norm -- a life that incorporates elements of their new country and some cultural influences from their previous country.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sometimes people ask me if I miss Singapore. There are elements that I think about when prompted. E.g. when I see lots of yummy hawker food OR listen to Xin Yao (Singapore songs) shared by friends on Facebook. However, I would hesitate to use the word "miss".</p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>In this globally connected world, there are ways to connect if a friendship is meaningful enough to continue on.</li><li>Some emigrants have deep family ties which make them miss Singapore. This is not my situation. My ties to my somewhat dysfunctional family is loose and is kept intentionally so (by me) for protective reasons. There are close siblings who stay in-touch, but for most part it is better and safer for all parties to live their own lives.</li><li>Food is not a "raison d'etre" for me.</li><li>I recognize the neurological advantages of growing up in a multilingual society, but I do not wish for my child to absorb the "meritocracy" and competitive norms of Singapore.</li><li>I am not too much into "things". In any case, in this global economy, often things that one can get in Singapore, are also available in Canada. Note: The reverse is even more evident since Singapore is a well-known international trading hub. <br /></li></ol><div style="text-align: left;">Thus when people ask me now if I had "gone back" to Singapore since my arrival; I would invariably answer honestly that, <i>"No, I have not <b>VISITED</b> Singapore since coming to Canada".</i> Keyword here being "visited", since Singapore is no longer "home" and the Singapore that I used to call home only exists as a figment of my memory.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Invariably, the next question would be along the lines of "When do you plan to return? Soon?" And my honest answer as always, "No, I do not have any plans to visit." </div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">This is my new norm.<br /></div>Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-54183547991928218532020-03-25T00:11:00.001-07:002020-03-26T19:18:02.797-07:00PPE for COVID-19Challenging times call for action.<br />
<br />
I am posting this in face of the potential (read "likely") shortage of PPE (personal protective equipment) that my healthcare organization will face given that we are only at the beginnings of the COVID-19 curve here in Metro Vancouver, B.C., Canada.<br />
<br />
In our clinical managers meeting today (March 24th 2020), the company's COVID-19 response team has told participants that if we are able to source for PPE supplies, to buy them (if the amount is small) or place a hold on the supply (and inform Directors/COVID-team to complete the bulk purchase). This includes overseas suppliers!<br />
<br />
And thus today, I sent out an email to a supplier of the ST Engineering designed NIOSH standard N95 masks. In the current situation where there is a global shortage, I am not holding high hopes; but still <b>"if we don't ask, we won't get"</b>, right? *fingers crossed*<br />
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Some side notes:<br />
<br />
1. Singapore's response to the COVID-19 challenge has been impressive when seen from Canada where I am. The only areas of improvement I can think of are:<br />
<ul>
<li>COVID-19 testing booths akin to the South Korean approach to increase public assess to testing.</li>
<li>Encourage the population to use washable/reusable fabric face masks when in public spaces, e.g. those commonly seen being worn in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea. This may help to reduce the risk of asymptomatic spread in the community and also build the mindset to reserve the disposable surgical masks for healthcare workers.</li>
<li>Possibly close schools and/or non-essential services for a period of 14 days to support social distancing and reduce risk of community spread. After all, the June school holiday period can be shortened to cover the short-term loss of school days. </li>
</ul>
2. Canada is a big country with multiple levels of governance and a strong emphasis on human rights/freedoms (including rights to personal privacy). <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-52015486" target="_blank">Canadians have not seen the worst of SARS</a>, and some may have prejudicial/out-dated views about Asia. Occasionally, I want to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/opinion/coronavirus-face-masks.html" target="_blank">*facepalm* the official message(s) sent to the public</a>, not to mention some chaos I hear about the behind-the-scenes situations. Pros-and-cons, we can't win it all, eh? <br />
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And so, back to PPE for the current COVID-19 situation in Canada. Here's hoping someone, somewhere, with the right connections to some higher authority, sees this message and is able to (re-)direct some supplies our way.<br />
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Meanwhile, take care and stay safe, everyone!<br />
<br />
[Update on 24-Mar-2020]<br />
<br />
If anyone has PPE to donate, please contact SafeCare BC - "<a href="http://www.safecarebc.ca/operationprotect/" target="_blank">Operation Protect</a>". Quote from their website: <i>"SafeCare BC is an industry funded, non-profit association working to ensure injury free, safe working conditions for continuing care workers in BC". </i>Operation Protect is a donation drive to raise PPE given the current COVID-19 challenge, and SafeCare BC will work with BC's Ministry of Health to distribute these supplies to various healthcare sites.<br />
<br />
http://www.safecarebc.ca/operationprotect/ <br />
<br />Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-5035088980766842272015-10-04T23:58:00.001-07:002015-10-07T20:44:01.282-07:005 years in Canada<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today marks my <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/10/landed-in-canada.html">5th anniversary in Canada</a>. Almost a decade ago, when I told a close friend that I planned to emigrate, she gave me the T-shirt below.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimucSbhIAbffAoNy8FHlEN2QbqNp2VOCSVsnHy_BgKf0THcXVJ813VBLKDfXAvgbAs9FoFzE1XCtOtThftDJ1_7m9AlrgLbjgKLBeJKfSZF0QogbA0QHcUxCS3IRgUCwVftKYGyJ0tEHQ/s1600/DSC_0011.BraveHomeInEveryLand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimucSbhIAbffAoNy8FHlEN2QbqNp2VOCSVsnHy_BgKf0THcXVJ813VBLKDfXAvgbAs9FoFzE1XCtOtThftDJ1_7m9AlrgLbjgKLBeJKfSZF0QogbA0QHcUxCS3IRgUCwVftKYGyJ0tEHQ/s320/DSC_0011.BraveHomeInEveryLand.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>[Slogan from a T-shirt from the mid-2000's]</i></div>
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Back then, I could not truly appreciate the truth in the T-shirt's slogan, <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>"The brave finds a home in every land"</b></span></i>. Perhaps I was just foolish, thinking that migration is merely a matter of <i>"filling in the forms, providing the <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2009/09/migration-medical-check-up.html" target="_blank">required documents</a>, <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/09/packing-memories.html">taking a plane</a>, <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/10/landed-in-canada.html">landing</a>, finding a place to stay and a <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/10/seasonal-jobs-metro-vancouver.html">job</a>, done!"</i></div>
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I remember landing in YVR airport (Vancouver) back in October-2010, going to the immigration officer's counter to present my COPR (Confirmation of Permanent Residence). The officer, let's call him X, typed in something into his computer, gave a puzzled look, and then called his colleague Y over. I began to worry if there was something amiss in my papers as a result of my <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2012/12/emigration-to-diy-or-not-to-diy.html">DIY approach to the immigration process</a>. Together X and Y had some questions for me.</div>
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X asked, <i>"Have you been to Canada before?"</i></div>
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I replied, <i>"No."</i></div>
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X asked, <i>"Have you been to the USA or any part of North America before?"</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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I replied, <i>"No."</i></div>
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X asked, <i>"So you have NEVER been to North America before?"</i> </div>
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By then, both X and Y wore the same astonished look on their faces.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I replied, <i>"Nooooo?"</i> [By then, I was pretty sure that I had probably "screwed-up" in my DIY process.]</div>
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<br /></div>
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X and Y looked at each other, a little stunned. Then they smiled, instructed <i>"make sure you sign WITHIN the box",</i> processed my application, and waved me on. I gathered then that most immigrants under the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) would have had prior experience (work or visit) in Canada and/or USA before landing for permanent residency. Thus, it was a surprise for them to find one doing her PR landing for the first time without any record of prior trips in the immigration clearance system.</div>
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<br /></div>
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That was probably my first Canadian hint that migration would be more than just <i>"</i><i>filling in the forms, providing the required documents, taking a plane, landing, finding a place to stay and a job, done!</i><i>"</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Looking back, 5 years seem to have passed rather quickly (my adventures as a new migrant are shared in this blog). I have grown a lot in these past 5 years.<br />
<br />
Living in Canada has given me experiences that would otherwise be unlikely if I have stayed on in Singapore. For example...<br />
<ul>
<li>Meeting diverse people and hearing their stories: refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants from all continents, First Nations, etc</li>
<li>Being a Stay-At-Home-Mother while on <a href="http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/ei/benefits/maternityparental.shtml" target="_blank">50 weeks of Maternity/Parental leave with Employment Insurance pay-outs</a>.</li>
<li>Volunteering on the board of a registered charity</li>
<li>Participating in theatrical productions</li>
<li><a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/03/gnie-advocacy-success.html">Writing an advocacy letter that became the last straw that broke years of systemic discrimination</a>.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have also found it easier to <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/12/amongst-white-clouds.html">"live and let live" “与世无争”</a>。 I do not know the exact causes for this. It could simply be mellowing with age, a slower pace of life, or perhaps <a href="http://lostidentity1984.blogspot.ca/2013/02/pholocaust-ii-dr-calhouns-experiment-on.html" target="_blank">Metro Vancouver being less crowded than Singapore</a> in general.<br />
<br />
In all, I think <a href="http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.ca/2012/07/attitude-towards-migration.html" target="_blank">ASingaporeanSon summed migration up succinctly with his diagram "Attitude towards migration"</a>, so I am going to unabashedly reference his diagram below.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDETZmKdx5oHb3acgjLVifOm8htyHQgZHmW5f0H_5eUtVxfAB4C-VgF-Vm0IrDYq0RhDs1iJ3QDs9Sn4R3qsU1dE5iH6b5mEmAO1ipxLb_dLsQWYYU_-9lrYlfrD-03Q7Qn2ZZTZ2NmQ/s1600/20120706_ASingaporeanSon_migration.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNDETZmKdx5oHb3acgjLVifOm8htyHQgZHmW5f0H_5eUtVxfAB4C-VgF-Vm0IrDYq0RhDs1iJ3QDs9Sn4R3qsU1dE5iH6b5mEmAO1ipxLb_dLsQWYYU_-9lrYlfrD-03Q7Qn2ZZTZ2NmQ/s320/20120706_ASingaporeanSon_migration.gif" width="155" /></a></div>
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<i>[Source: <a href="http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.ca/2012/07/attitude-towards-migration.html" target="_blank">Attitude towards migration - by ASingaporeanSon</a>]</i></div>
<br />
From the above, <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/12/come-or-not-as-you-decide.html">migration isn't for everyone</a>. I know now how foolish I was (from the mid-2000's to my early years as a new immigrant) to suggest to friends who had complaints about their life in Singapore to consider emigrating. The time, effort and other resources needed to re-build one's comfort zone in a new country is costly indeed.<br />
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But if you do take that leap of faith, don't be surprised to meet other Singaporeans along the way.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCvPVQXJI5rvC5P9jzsaAHaYtqBXNFfQDJZqmUPJh_aZ3mefvkTSxEolfVNSC4pkA-HRQ4jBIgH6exFKOhBgG9z77nEgj6sq1dwl93voUL8RhcsN4jRABvjE-PuLZusYMogYB5g5iO7M/s1600/20150914_ChewyJunior.DSC_0014_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCvPVQXJI5rvC5P9jzsaAHaYtqBXNFfQDJZqmUPJh_aZ3mefvkTSxEolfVNSC4pkA-HRQ4jBIgH6exFKOhBgG9z77nEgj6sq1dwl93voUL8RhcsN4jRABvjE-PuLZusYMogYB5g5iO7M/s320/20150914_ChewyJunior.DSC_0014_5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>[Don't be surprised to meet other Singaporeans. </i></div>
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<i>Ask for the owner* of the above Vancouver cafe]</i></div>
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*Note: I am NOT the owner of the above cafe, I just like the food there, and I happen to have met the owner.</div>
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Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-22263538470044277922015-08-27T08:28:00.002-07:002015-08-31T01:39:41.378-07:00With Gotong Royong, from CA<div style="text-align: justify;">
Someone recently remarked to me, <i>"You haven't written on your blog for a long time."</i></div>
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To which I replied, <i>"Whatever I want to say, has already been written (either by myself or others)."</i></div>
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I have been here in Canada for almost 5 years now. Given the pace at which Singapore changes, it would be fair to say that the Singapore that I've left isn't the same one today -- for better or for worse. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdFGoXQMjgJbOYxtoJxXNVwZB50mhzQ811b_mviRZVJ0FYzMaV8j_j3E61GlWO4B9zkqTCcnSuZ6eDL-SOJ_vTZSPz23uVlvxUr50KDGl2Acybki-vSWOGYM5jKZ_AZCVOhxA-S7g-5Q/s1600/20150825_DEBVancouver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixdFGoXQMjgJbOYxtoJxXNVwZB50mhzQ811b_mviRZVJ0FYzMaV8j_j3E61GlWO4B9zkqTCcnSuZ6eDL-SOJ_vTZSPz23uVlvxUr50KDGl2Acybki-vSWOGYM5jKZ_AZCVOhxA-S7g-5Q/s320/20150825_DEBVancouver.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>[25-Aug-2015 My life is now in Canada;</i><br />
<i> e.g. Dinner En Blanc Vancouver]</i></div>
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In any case, (<a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2014/03/so-long-thanks-for-all-fish.html">as I have mentioned before</a>) my life is now in Canada -- revolving around my own little family, and for now mainly centred around my baby while I am on <a href="http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/ei/benefits/maternityparental.shtml" target="_blank">Parental Leave</a>. As anyone who has been the primary caregiver of an infant will know, how much time/energy that takes, and how little of those are left for anything else.</div>
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Last weekend, I attended a party of mainly (ex-)Singaporeans hosted by a wonderful couple. It was an awesome afternoon of good food (mostly home-cooked authentic Singaporean dishes) and even <i>"gooder"</i> (better) company. The host even put up a Singapore flag for the occasion -- a nice touch to commemorate SG50 while overseas.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1ULqxqGjNW2VvK8ZaRHEJMLOv8kJFWKq4wPvcfKfn_bGBCkF4pvjMvP3D_uUP2Joz7kWISx6Wj_ywnhiZ1FXs6C0PcLNcxIPSDBPOZIL_Kuat8VOXzS2swD5INmBKYk3iVwapudtCZE/s1600/20150827_GotongRoyong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1ULqxqGjNW2VvK8ZaRHEJMLOv8kJFWKq4wPvcfKfn_bGBCkF4pvjMvP3D_uUP2Joz7kWISx6Wj_ywnhiZ1FXs6C0PcLNcxIPSDBPOZIL_Kuat8VOXzS2swD5INmBKYk3iVwapudtCZE/s320/20150827_GotongRoyong.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>[22-Aug-2015 Singapore flag flying high in Metro Vancouver]</i></div>
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Of course, there followed a flood of "thank you" emails to the host for a wonderful gathering. What makes this gathering special/memorable? To borrow the words from the host's reply (to the thank-you emails), it is a sense of <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"Gotong Royong at its best."</span></i></div>
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"Gotong Royong" or "kampung spirit" is a priceless find indeed.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have just met a fellow Singaporean (<a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2015/04/decline-of-secure-jobs-in-ca-fyi-for.html">NG from this other blog post's comments</a>) who is an experienced migrant -- having lived more years overseas than me (as an adult) and in more than one of Singaporeans' preferred migration-destination countries. Yet, NG (not currently based in Metro Vancouver) is contemplating relocating again, in search of that elusive gotong royong. </div>
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As per my comments to NG, </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<ol>
<li>My 2-cents theory is that the more crowded a city, the harder it is for each individual to have his/her own personal space. As such, it is rarer for individuals (in general) to reach out to strangers in crowded/buzzling cities like Singapore. </li>
<li>In any case, IMHO, the odds of finding close friends in any location (from Singapore to the Canada in the north and NZ in the south), is a case of <i>"heng-sway"</i> [literary <i>"lucky-unlucky",</i> i.e. dependent on luck]. All that one can do is to send out one's feelers and offer of friendship, and then see/filter what comes back. I have been lucky in that aspect -- as I recounted to NG how I encountered my core group of close friends in Canada.</li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
As for a community of “自己人” [literary, <i>"our own people"</i>], I did not make a serious effort to specifically seek out fellow (ex-)Singaporeans in Metro Vancouver. As luck would have it, other than a brief brush with a group (ex-)Singaporeans/Malaysians who were then church-going friends with (my friend) PN, I did not join any (ex-)Singaporean community for the first couple of years in Metro Vancouver. It was only in early-2013 that I was <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/04/brunch-with-former-bureaucrats.html">introduced to the above community of (ex-)Singaporeans</a> via the <a href="http://sg-quitters.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">late uncle Weng</a>, whom in-turn I met indirectly via an introduction from an online (ex?-)Singaporean contact with whom I have yet to meet face-to-face.<br />
<br />
And so to put a long story short, IMHO a lot depends on Fate,<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> <b>随缘.</b></span> Or to borrow an ancient Chinese military reference, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://baike.baidu.com/view/137423.htm" target="_blank">“万事俱备,只欠东风”</a></span> -- i.e. one can do all the preparations needed, but in the end success or failure lies in the whim of luck.</div>
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One can see the effect of the whim of Lady Luck in the life stories of another category of Singaporean emigrants -- the Singaporean political exiles. Many of whom felt threatened by and/or underwent detention without trial based on the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internal_Security_Act_(Singapore)" target="_blank">Internal Security Act (Singapore)</a>. [Note: Unfortunately, Canada under PM Harper also introduced similar laws recently.] </div>
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I received and watched Tan Pin Pin's "To Singapore, With Love" DVD. Other than the (obviously) alternative narratives of Singapore's political history, what I gathered from the stories of the interviewees are their different approaches to adapting to an adopted country. And also their different philosophies/perspective of what it means to be a Singaporean.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdjBAqlpvRZ98jZB4qwl6OyHBNOSE4PfiaRj7bE4oNNWOZ8HUcYFCQUFG87CDX5gW2S1Qih6qwn2twlkdY8Ugx4A0njuXCdXeGX-6EJse7b2U_2dPmRPl8IaQreErYPYNDnwqFjab6wk/s1600/20150827_ToSG_WithLove_DVD.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdjBAqlpvRZ98jZB4qwl6OyHBNOSE4PfiaRj7bE4oNNWOZ8HUcYFCQUFG87CDX5gW2S1Qih6qwn2twlkdY8Ugx4A0njuXCdXeGX-6EJse7b2U_2dPmRPl8IaQreErYPYNDnwqFjab6wk/s320/20150827_ToSG_WithLove_DVD.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>[22-Aug-2015 "To Singapore, With Love" DVD]</i></div>
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Fortunately for most modern day Singapore emigrants, return to Singapore is an option. In fact, <a href="http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.ca/2015/04/singapore-revisited-62-getting-stronger.html" target="_blank">ASingaporeanSon</a> who openly blogs his opinions of Singapore policies has made several trips between Singapore and Australia. [Note: IMHO, I guess it boils down to who some folks think/feel might be enough of a threat to Singapore's security that the ISA needs to be applied.]</div>
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As such, I agree with NG that for many (recent) Singaporean emigrants, the decision to leave/stay/return is a calculated balance of what one seeks. IMHO, there is no correct answer, afterall <a href="http://zhidao.baidu.com/question/70859648.html" target="_blank">“一种米养百种人”</a> [literary "a single strain of rice feeds hundreds of different kinds of people; i.e. each individual has his/her own values, personality, and perspectives]. Thus, <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/12/come-or-not-as-you-decide.html">there isn't a single answer to the question of "Should I emigrate?"</a> because the reality is the migration experience is as individual as the emigrants themselves.</div>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-22258046929969939012015-04-29T14:48:00.000-07:002015-05-01T12:08:29.090-07:00Decline of secure jobs in CA - FYI for Gobbledegook<div style="text-align: justify;">
Saw the below <a href="https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/secure-jobs-short-supply-canadas-090000836.html" target="_blank">CBC news article</a> on Yahoo! IMHO, it is a global trend since Capital gained power/influence for the recent decades and Labour has lost its unity/power. Nevertheless, it is worthy to note for those planning to migrate to Canada. Always remember that <b><i>"Change is the only constant"</i></b>, so do not rely on hearsay from others who may have immigrated years/decades ago -- the world's financial and job markets have changed drastically since the millennium.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/secure-jobs-short-supply-canadas-090000836.html" target="_blank">Secure jobs in short supply in Canada's new tough labour market</a></span></div>
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CBC – April 29th 2015, around 06:40hr</div>
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At 40, the self-employed worker we'll call Natalie is one of a growing number of Canadians shut out of the world of stable, full-time work.</div>
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She has three bookkeeping jobs, she's watching every penny and still she makes just half of Canada's average industrial wage of $49,500. She's had to move back home with her 10-year-old daughter because she can't find full-time work.</div>
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"The way I'm going, I'm never going to get my own place for my daughter and I won't be able to afford a car; I won't be able to afford a dentist appointment for my daughter, or something she may need, braces," she told CBC News.</div>
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Like an increasing number of Canadians, she's in precarious work, without security, benefits, vacation pay or the prospect of a pension.</div>
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People in temp positions, part-time workers and contract workers all fall into the insecure employment category. And the number is growing.</div>
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<b>Secure jobs a vanishing breed</b></div>
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A study by the United Way and McMaster University in 2013 found <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">18.3 per cent of the workforce in the Hamilton-Toronto area had insecure employment.</span></i></b> And <i><b><span style="font-size: large;">only a little over half — 50.3 per cent — had standard, full-time jobs.</span></b></i></div>
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Across Canada, the category of self-employed workers increased almost 45 per cent between 1989 and 2007, according to the Statistics Canada labour survey.</div>
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<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Precarious workers aren't just minimum-wage employees with irregular hours</span></b></i>, says Wayne Lewchuk, a professor at the school of labour studies at McMaster University. <span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>They're also high-tech workers hired for projects, accountants who must seek one job after another, social-service sector workers employed by temp agencies and university lecturers hired on contract.</b></i></span></div>
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A lot of these jobs used to be secure, Lewchuk points out, but not anymore.</div>
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"It became a way of keeping down wages and companies became addicted to it," says Lewchuk, who has been studying precarious employment for seven years.</div>
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There's no career path for temp or flex workers — they lurch from one job to the next, get neither training nor benefits nor paid leave and are expected to save for their own pension.</div>
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<b>Sitting by the phone</b></div>
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"Often they don't know their schedule until the day before or their schedule changes at the last minute They don't know where they have to be until just before their shift," Lewchuk says.</div>
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Over a working life, the penalty for precarious work is financial — those in insecure employment earned about 46 per cent less than workers in the same field who had standard jobs.</div>
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But on a day-to-day basis, the toll is often personal.</div>
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"All of this makes sustaining a household and a family difficult," Lewchuk says.</div>
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If they think they're going to be sitting by the phone waiting for a call to work, they often can't enrol their children in extracurricular activities or make it to the parent-teacher conference, Lewchuk says. There's no option to coach Little League or volunteer at the local seniors' home.</div>
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"People that are in precarious work delay making significant life plans," says Micheline Laflèche, with the United Way, who is part of a group of researchers updating the 2013 report.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>"They don't feel confident enough to establish an ongoing relationship or have children." </b></i></span></div>
<br /><b>Socially isolated</b><br />
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Men in particular may feel socially isolated, she says.</div>
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"Men were the ones who were much more likely to be in standard employment relationships [permanent full-time work], and they built their social relationships through their work," she says.</div>
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"They're no longer in those kinds of jobs; men are more likely to have no one to talk to."</div>
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Laflèche says people in insecure employment tend to be less engaged with their community, a trend that could weaken the fabric of Canadian life.</div>
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"It hurts our democratic commonality and our democratic values because people don't feel like they belong. We don't have a healthy society," she says.</div>
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In the face of the rise of precarious work and the expansion of low-paid work, the Ontario government has said it will review employment standards and the labour code. </div>
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Laflèche and the United Way will be among the parties trying to suggest innovative ways to address precarious work.</div>
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She argues Canada's employment insurance system, which is a federal responsibility, is geared to a world where people had an industrial job for years, and if that was eliminated, they got another permanent job, a scenario that now rarely happens. She recommends a more realistic approach to employment insurance for part-time or contract workers.</div>
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<b>Changing labour laws</b></div>
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She points to some of the ways other countries are addressing precarious work:</div>
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- A minimum wage "premium": an extra payment from employers for low-wage workers who don't have benefits or secure work.</div>
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- "Flexicurity": Denmark has a social contract between employers, the government and individuals that helps people who don't have secure work. Opportunities for training are provided when they can't find work and there is support, similar to employment insurance, but which kicks in even if people haven't worked for the required minimum time.</div>
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- Parity legislation: There are variations on this throughout the European Union with laws that ask employers to give temporary or contract workers the same pay, vacation and benefits as permanent employees doing the same jobs.</div>
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- Creating better training opportunities for those in marginal employment.</div>
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- Providing more flexible child-care solutions (instead of always full-time, five days a week, allowing part-time child care).</div>
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Businesses have also put forward voluntary solutions, among them temp agencies or groups of employers combining forces to provide full-time hours to part-time workers and better social inclusion in work events for temp and part-time workers.</div>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-92108147037956344542015-03-26T00:28:00.001-07:002015-03-27T14:48:30.237-07:00CA Ontario Cost of Living - A reply to Gobbledegook<div style="text-align: justify;">
The following is my reply to <a href="http://wedecidedtomovetocanada.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Gobbledegook</a>
(a Singaporean) about managing finances when newly landed in Canada.
Gobbledegook plans to reside in Markham, Ontario. In my usual cheong-hay (long-winded) style, I exceeded the 4,096 characters limit of a blog comment and thus this blog entry.<br />
<br />
If any reader has
information about life, finding work, etc in Ontario, please drop a
comment at <a href="http://wedecidedtomovetocanada.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Gobbledegook</a>'s blog.</div>
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<br />
Aside: For readers heading to B.C. (British Columbia), please refer to my other blog post "<a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2014/01/new-to-bc-canada.html">New to BC, Canada</a>" for some useful urls instead.<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2014/01/new-to-bc-canada.html<br />
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Hi <a href="http://wedecidedtomovetocanada.blogspot.ca/2015/03/preparation-work-updates.html" target="_blank">gobbledegook</a>,<br />
<br />
Firstly, the <b>DECLARATION and DISCLAIMER</b>: The following is my personal opinion.
I am not any way qualified to give financial and/or migration advice to
anyone, and thus <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">any
content from me shall be construed as a sharing of personal opinion,
not advice. I do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness
of any information provided by me.</span></b> Under no circumstances
will I or anyone related to this content be responsible for any loss or
damage resulting from any reliance on the information or other content
posted or linked by me.<br />
<br />
> We've decided to settle in Markham<br />
<br />
Sorry, I don't know anything about Markham. I have been residing in Metro Vancouver since landing in Canada 4+ years ago.<br />
<br />
> should be enough to tide us over for a couple of months in Canada<br />
<br />
I
don't know exactly how tight your finances are, but I strongly
recommend that within the 1st week of your arrival, to visit a <a href="http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/cgi-bin/sc-dsp.cgi?rc=3113&ln=eng" target="_blank">Service Canada office</a> -- which you will have to anyway to apply for your Social
Insurance Number. Remember to bring your signed COPR along, because it
is your only piece of Canadian government-issued identity at that point
in time. Ask the officer there about the Canadian Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) and
Universal Child Care Benefit (UCCB), and ask if there is anything else that
he/she think you should apply for (accept any "free" money you can get
-- policies varies from province to province). No worries, as long as
you go during the off-peak hours, the officers are very patient and
usually have lots of time to kill. :D Note: Peak hours are generally
before 9am, lunchtime around 11am-1pm, and near closing time after
3:30pm.<br />
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/uccb-puge/pplctn-eng.html<br />
http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/cctb/fq_qlfyng-eng.html<br />
<br />
Another
strongly recommended approach is to visit several immigrant settlement
services agency as soon as possible. Compare and contrast their
services, and <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/11/1st-rejection-email.html">choose the one(s) you feel comfortable getting advice from</a>. They may even be able to direct you to get "free funds" to help
get your international (i.e. Singapore) credentials recognized and/or
get related/relevant Canadian experience.<br />
http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/after/OI_AFTER_MULTI.html<br />
http://www.ontarioimmigration.ca/en/geo/index.htm<br />
<br />
Here's what I did when I first landed in Canada.<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/10/landed-in-canada.html<br />
<br />
> According to Virtual Friend, a family of 3 will require minimally CAD 3500 in Ontario <br />
<br />
There are many ways to save money. <br />
<br />
E.g.
Buying winter/cold-weather clothes at 2nd-hand thrift stores, e.g.
Value Village. Note: The kind of winter gear that you need varies from
region to region. In Vancouver, winter gear needs to be water
resistant/proof because winter here is cold AND WET. But in Ontario,
it's probably going to be tens below zero, so the WET part is not so
worrisome but you may have to look out for the wind-breaking ability
(for WIND-CHILL) of your cold-weather suit.<br />
<br />
E.g. Going
to groceries stores just before 4pm, where you'll find the daily fresh
items due to expire marked down by up to 50%. Also take time to go
through the food aisles (especially perishables) to look for mark-downs
any time of the day. "No Frills" and "Real Canadian Superstore" under
Loblaws are generally cheaper (at least that is true in Metro Vancouver)
because of their trade volume. Also look out for coupons (sometimes at
stores, sometimes in the free newspapers, sometimes in your letterbox)
and Groupons to cut costs.<br />
<br />
E.g. Sharing an apartment as
you've mentioned in <a href="http://wedecidedtomovetocanada.blogspot.ca/2015/03/preparation-work-updates.html" target="_blank">your blog post</a>. If you're lucky, you may even
find a kind-hearted landlord willing to lease a single-bedroom in
his/her single-family home for CAD500-650/month and allowing you to squeeze-in
your family of 3 until cash-flow is more established... that's what my
ex-landlord did for selected tenants. Note: Usually you'll need good
referrals to get such deals.<br />
<br />
E.g. Live near public
transit and travel about with it, per your current plan. Consider buying
monthly passes (or even better the <a href="https://ttc.ca/Fares_and_passes/Passes/Metropass/Metropass_MDP/index.jsp" target="_blank">Ontario's Metropass Discount Plan</a>). When
your budget is tight, a penny saved is a penny earned.<br />
https://ttc.ca/Fares_and_passes/Prices/index.jsp<br />
<br />
E.g.
For various household items, first check out the dollar-stores (ask
Virtual Friend for the common ones in Ontario) and compare prices.
Remember that when supermarket chains have coupons/sales/clearance, they may
sometimes be even cheaper than the dollar-stores.<br />
<br />
Here
are examples of a break-down of my expenses (single person) back in
Oct-2010, when I first landed. I suggest adding an estimated 50% for the
spouse, add-on child-related costs (remember that you'll be receiving <a href="http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/cctb/fq_qlfyng-eng.html" target="_blank">CCTB</a> and <a href="http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/uccb-puge/pplctn-eng.html" target="_blank">UCCB</a>), <a href="http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/ind01/l3_3956_2178-eng.htm?hili_econ159" target="_blank">inflation</a> and adjust for <a href="http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=Canada&city1=Toronto&country2=Canada&city2=Vancouver" target="_blank">differences between Vancouver and Ontario</a>, you should be able to get your "stingy-family's estimated budget" (which may possibly be below CAD 3500/month).<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/11/1st-months-expenses.html<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/12/2nd-months-expenses.html<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/01/3rd-months-expenses.html<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/02/4th-months-expenses.html<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/03/5th-months-expenses.html<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/04/6th-months-expenses.html<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/05/7th-months-expenses.html<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/06/8th-months-expenses.html<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/07/9th-months-expenses.html<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/08/10th-months-expenses.html<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/09/11th-months-expenses.html<br />
http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/10/12th-months-expense.html<br />
<br />
FYI, for <a href="http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/ind01/l3_3956_2178-eng.htm?hili_econ159" target="_blank">inflation</a>,
if you're mathematically inclined, check out Statistics Canada's
excellent list of CPI (Consumer Price Index). The followings lists some
tables for Ontario, for 2010 to 2014 data.<br />
Overall CPI:<br />
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ09g-eng.htm<br />
Clothing and footwear: <br />
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ159g-eng.htm</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Food: <br />
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ156g-eng.htm<br />
Health and personal care:<br />
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ161g-eng.htm<br />
Household operations, furnishings and equipment: <br />
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ158g-eng.htm<br />
Recreation, education and reading: <br />
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ162g-eng.htm<br />
Shelter: <br />
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ157g-eng.htm<br />
Transport: <br />
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ160g-eng.htm<br />
<br />
In fact, <a href="http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/pro01/pro106-eng.htm" target="_blank">Statistics Canada has various other data tables</a> that you may find of interest, such as the <a href="http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil132g-eng.htm" target="_blank">Average Household Food Expenditure (Ontario)</a>*,
etc. *Note: Bear in mind that average data can be skewed by extreme
tail data-points on either-end, and thus a better measure would be the
modal and/or <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quintile" target="_blank">quintiles</a> data.<br />
<br />
Bottom line to estimating funds needed: When you land, you may be asked to provide proof of sufficient funds which stands at <a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/funds.asp" target="_blank">CAD18,260 for a family of 3 for 12 months currently (year 2015)</a>.
Of course, you can expect Ontario's cost of living to be higher, but
the above amount is all you need to show the immigration officers.<br />
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/funds.asp<br />
<br />
IMHO,
the cheapest way to get this amount of CAD from your SGD, is to change
SGD to CAD at the money-changers in Singapore and then travel over (i.e. land in Canada) with the cash. The last I remember, 2nd
floor of The Arcade at 11 Collyer Quay (Raffles Place MRT) has many
money changers, and thus provide one of the best exchange rates. Years
ago, you need to register if you change a sum of SGD5K and above each
day (note: money changers do not like to have to do this additional
paperwork). To circumvent this, just limit your purchase of CAD to below
SGD5K per transaction. (I learned too late from another migrant that...)
It is ok to carry above CAD10K in cash when you land, you just need
to declare it on the Customs Form.<br />
<br />
Ok, that's all I can
think of about the financial management aspect of migration for now.
Migration is a big step into the unknown. There will be a lot of stuff we won't know
until after we land and figure out our way around. Good luck!<br />
<br />
Cheers, WD.<br />
<br />
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[Addendum on Mar-16, 2015, at 13:50hr]</div>
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Ok, if you're not good with numbers, here's a quick estimate of what you'd need for a family of 4 (i.e. 2 adults and 2 children; not 3 -- 2 adults with a child). Based on the <a href="http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75f0002m/2012002/tbl/tbl04-eng.htm" target="_blank">Low-Income Cut-Off (LICO) tables from Statistics Canada</a>, <a href="http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ150a-eng.htm" target="_blank">Ontario inflation rate (from 2010 to 2014)</a> and the <a href="https://www.markham.ca/wps/portal/Markham/AboutMarkham/FactsStats/" target="_blank">City of Markham population size of 332,000 people (year 2014)</a>.</div>
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2010 low income cut-off for family (2 adults, 2 children): $29,510 </div>
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2010 Ontario CPI: 116.5</div>
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2014 Ontario CPI: 125.9</div>
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Estimated 2014 low income cut-off for family (2 adults, 2 children): </div>
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$29,510 * (125.9 / 116.5) = $31,891<br />
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[<a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/10/a-rafflesia-by-any-name-stinks-as-corpse.html">LICO(s) is the Canadian term for "Poverty Line(s)"</a>. So, compared with the <a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/funds.asp" target="_blank">CIC estimate for a family of 3</a> (which is usually on the low-side), somewhere between CAD18,260 and CAD31,891 (for a family of 4) would be sufficient funds for a family of 3 to survive 12 months in Markham, Ontario, currently (year 2015).]</div>
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Data sources for the above quick calculation:</div>
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http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/75f0002m/2012002/tbl/tbl04-eng.htm</div>
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http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/econ150a-eng.htm</div>
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https://www.markham.ca/wps/portal/Markham/AboutMarkham/FactsStats/</div>
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Also for clothes, you can check out the clearance section of budget/mid-range retail shops like Old Navy. Sometimes one can get brand new items at similar prices to thrift shops (like Value Village) simply because the store director wants to clear-off the remaining stock. Depending on each store's management, the clearance items may be place together with the regular-priced items (look-out for different coloured price tags), or in a separate clearance section.</div>
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Also check out my other blog post on "<a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/03/managing-personal-finances.html" target="_blank">Managing Personal Finances</a>". There are some urls listed there that may be of use to you too. E.g. Canada Revenue Agency, and Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.</div>
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http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/03/managing-personal-finances.html</div>
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One more tip: If there are Chinese/Cantonese food-court stalls, you may want to check out if they have the same practice as in Richmond, B.C. </div>
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In the food-court of Yaohan (No 3 Road), Richmond, B.C., there are 2 Chinese/Cantonese economic rice stalls 经济饭 side-by-side. Near the end of the day, from 7pm onwards, there will be a massive sale of their economic rice 经济饭 dishes, and the servers will pile huge servings into the 打包 take-away boxes (they call it <b>"TO GO"</b> here in B.C.) -- the sooner the servers empty out the food trays, the earlier they can knock-off work. So for the price of a slightly discounted meal, I get enough to feed myself 2.5 to 3 meals in a box. :)</div>
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Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-71786156657764587562015-01-12T16:14:00.000-08:002015-01-24T03:25:44.666-08:00Official numbers/news not always right<div style="text-align: justify;">
A friend shared this news article on Facebook. It does not matter which country you are in the world, the fact remains that without independent news, research and sources of data, "official" numbers and/or news can spin the tale whichever way the political wind blows. Something to think about when anyone in authority chides one to <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/jan/24/trust-in-government-country-edelman" target="_blank">only trust the official narrative</a>, and <a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2013/06/regulating-singapores-internet" target="_blank">attempts to censor other data/news sources</a>.</div>
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[Source: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/apprenticeship-ad-s-claim-of-skilled-trades-shortfall-open-to-question-1.2890500" target="_blank">CBC News</a> </div>
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http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/apprenticeship-ad-s-claim-of-skilled-trades-shortfall-open-to-question-1.2890500</div>
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Note: Bold and other emphasize added by WD.]</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Apprenticeship ad's claim of skilled trades shortfall open to question</b></span></div>
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Lack of labour market data casts doubt on forecast of jobs needed over next decade</div>
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By Susana Mas, CBC News </div>
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Posted: Jan 11, 2015 5:00 AM ET Last Updated: Jan 11, 2015 11:50 AM ET</div>
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<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A government ad to promote the new Canada apprentice loan program claims the Canadian economy will need "one million skilled tradesmen and women" over the next decade.</span></b></i></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">But independent forecasts and even the government's own projections tell a different story.</span></i></b></div>
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The government pointed CBC News to "a combination of industry estimates," several of which were written by Rick Miner, the president of Miner & Miner Ltd., a management consulting firm specializing in labour market issues.</div>
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Miner concluded that Canada will face a "major problem" with skilled worker shortages if nothing changes over the next 16 years.</div>
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But he told CBC News his projections are for overall labour and for skilled labour, not specific to the trades. </div>
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"I think you'd have a tough time finding somebody who is going to back that unless they have a real broad definition of both the trades and a broad definition of what they define as shortage," Miner said.</div>
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"If somebody said … right now there's a shortage of a million workers in the trades in Canada, I'd say that's an inflated number. That's not true."</div>
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Asked if he could point to labour data showing Canada would face a shortage of "one million skilled trades" workers over the next decade, Miner said he could not.</div>
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The government also pointed to a 2013 estimate by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. But Sarah Anson-Cartwright, the chamber's director of skills policy, told CBC News those forecasts originated from Miner's older reports, which are not specific to the trades and have since been reviewed.</div>
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"The Canadian chamber does not cite the forecasts from Miner's 2010 and 2012 reports since they are out-dated now."</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Skilled workers vs. trades</span></div>
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The <i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">government also pointed to a 14-year-old Conference Board of Canada report that found the labour shortfall could reach nearly a million workers by 2020.</span></b></i></div>
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<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">But the non-profit think-tank revisited the report a little over a year ago and publicly said the so-called "million worker shortfall" was "not possible" and widely "misunderstood."</span></i></b></div>
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"In that same report, we explained that a worker shortfall is 'logically impossible,'" wrote Pedro Antunes, the deputy chief economist at the Conference Board of Canada, in a commentary published on Nov. 11, 2013.</div>
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"Essentially, the economy has to operate with the workers that are available — by substituting labour for capital and reducing production," he wrote.</div>
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Antunes told CBC News the <i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Conference Board of Canada saw fit to revisit the 2000 report because "we were seeing the number bandied about and it was an old forecast that was done over a decade ago."</span></b></i></div>
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He also said <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>the decade-old report was about overall employment and <u>not</u> just about the trades.</i></b></span></div>
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"Trades is absolutely part of it but when we talked about skilled workers, it was in general … it was not specific to trades."</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Shortages in 'high-skilled' jobs</span></div>
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In announcing the new loan in B.C. this week, Prime Minister Stephen Harper was more careful, citing "one million additional skilled workers" — not a shortfall of "trades" workers.</div>
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Even the government's most recent projections, by Employment and Social Development Canada, show that labour shortages over the period of 2013-22 are projected "mostly in high-skilled occupations."</div>
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According to the government's outlook, 47 occupations are expected to face shortages by 2022, with the majority of those in the health sector.</div>
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Only six of the 47 occupations facing labour shortages are in what the government calls "trades, transport and equipment," which includes electrical trades, heavy construction equipment crews and welders, among others.</div>
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The government does not give a projection for workers in the trades, but it does provide a forecast by different skill levels. </div>
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Occupations with significant health and safety responsibilities, such as firefighters, police officers and nurses, are assigned to skill level B, a category that also includes chefs, electricians and plumbers.</div>
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The report shows that while jobs in this wide-ranging category are "overall ... projected to be in balance" over the period of 2013-22, 18 occupations in this category are projected to face a shortage of 846,000 workers.</div>
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Other estimates in the mining, oil and gas, and construction sectors predict labour shortages ranging from 116,800 to as many as 300,000 workers over the next decade, depending on the industry.</div>
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Miner said part of the reason there is no national data specific to labour shortages in the trades is because there is an absence of good labour market data overall.</div>
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<i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Even Employment Minister Jason Kenney has acknowledged a weakness in Canada's labour data and promised to take action, beginning with two new labour market studies</span></b></i> at a cost of $14 million.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Apprenticeship loans</span></div>
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The new government ad also claims students registered in a Red Seal trade apprenticeship will be able to apply for "interest free" loans of up to $4,000 per period of technical training, but the terms of repayment make it clear the loan will have to be paid back with interest once the training is completed.</div>
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The government said ESDC consulted Advertising Standards Canada before airing the ads and verified that "requirements under the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards were met."</div>
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The department would not say how much it was spending on the 30-second television ad.</div>
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[Watch the (Canadian government) ad from Employment and Social Development Canada on Youtube <a href="http://Watch the ad from Employment and Social Development Canada" target="_blank">here</a>.]</div>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-58837799034524491602014-12-12T02:03:00.000-08:002014-12-25T23:24:57.944-08:00For IENs: B.C. Nursing Community Assessment Service<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For IEN (internationally educated nurses) who plan on getting licensed in British Columbia (B.C., Canada) to note: <a href="https://www.crnbc.ca/crnbc/Announcements/2014/Pages/NCAS.aspx" target="_blank">On Nov 5th, 2014, CRNBC announced a project to create a new <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="line-height: 115%;">Nursing
Community Assessment Service (NCAS) for Internationally Educated Practitioners
(IEPs) by March 2016</span></a>. Below is quoted from the announcement.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>"The purpose of the NCAS is to support the regulatory
colleges and the Care Aid Registry to make decisions about registering IEPs by:
</i></span></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Determining if IEPs have competencies that are substantially
equivalent to those of entry-level Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric
Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, and Health Care Assistants in BC</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Identifying competence gaps to assist regulators to
determine appropriate supplementary education</i></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Identifying an alternate profession/role for which the
applicant has demonstrated the competencies.</i></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="line-height: 115%;">The NCAS project is an initiative led jointly by
the BC Care Aide & Community Health Worker Registry (the Registry), and the
three nursing regulatory colleges (CLPNBC, CRNBC, CRPNBC) as the nursing
community partners."</span></i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Note: IEPs refer to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">internationally-educated<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span>Registered
Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses (a<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">ls</span>o known as Assistant Nurses or Enrolled Nurses in Singapore), and Health
Care Assistants. According to the quick facts provided in the announcement, <b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">"</span></i></b></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><b><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 1.6;">Roughly 1450 IEPs se</span><span style="line-height: 1.6;">ek registration in the four professions in BC each year.</span>"</span></i></b> For details, please refer to the <a href="https://www.crnbc.ca/crnbc/Announcements/2014/Pages/NCAS.aspx" style="font-size: medium;" target="_blank">CRNBC announcement</a> or their <a href="https://www.crnbc.ca/crnbc/Announcements/2014/Documents/Introducing_NCAS.pdf" style="font-size: medium;" target="_blank">PDF download</a>.</span></span><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">-----</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">-----</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">-----</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">-----</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">-----</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">-----</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">For those who intend to work in the Metro Vancouver area, I suggest checking out the Government of Canada <a href="http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/" target="_blank">Job Bank</a> to understand the job market better. Please see below for some statistics on the <b>Lower Mainland - Southwest region, i.e. Metro Vancouver as of Dec-14, 2014.</b></span><br />
<ol>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">For <b>Registered Nurses</b> and <b>Registered Psychiatric Nurses (NOC 3152 - A)</b> - There are 133 job postings (including 3 months-old postings). According to the Outlook report released on May 22, 2014, the job outlook is "Good" because of the expectation that job openings will be created as older workers retire and "according to the 2011 National Household Survey, ... </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">21% of workers were 55 years old and older."</span></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><i> </i>That said, your individual experience may differ, click <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2014/10/4-years-in-canada.html">here</a> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">and <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/07/gnie-rn-job-search-update-6.html">here</a> for examples.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">For <b>Licensed Practical Nurses (NOC 3233 - B)</b> - There are 4 job postings (November and December 2014). According to the Outlook report released on May 22, 2014, the job outlook is "Good" because of the expectation that job openings will be created as older workers retire and </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">"according to the 2011 National Household Survey, ... </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>14% of workers were 55 years old and older."</i></span></b> Again, your individual experience may differ. Back in 2013, I have met several LPNs who told me about themselves and/or their schoolmates having difficulty landing full-time/part-time LPN jobs up to 9 months after graduation, surviving on casual (on-the-call) jobs instead.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">For </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Health Care Assistants [listed as <b>Nurses Aides, Orderlies and Patient Service Associates (NOC 3413 - C)</b> in the Job Bank] - There are 3 job postings (all listed in December 2014). </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">According to the Outlook report released on May 22, 2014, the job outlook is "Good" because of the expectation that job openings will be created as older workers retire and </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">"according to the 2011 National Household Survey, ... </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>19% of workers were 55 years old and older."</i></span></b> Again, your individual experience may differ.</span></span></span></li>
</ol>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Here are my 2 cents as someone who has gone through the job search process in Metro Vancouver (in 2013) and met others along the same journey: </span><br />
<ol>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Often one will see advertisements that "Canada needs nurses", "there is a high demand for nurses", "there is a shortage of nurses", etc (especially advertisements from the private for-profit colleges/schools). One has to be careful to understand the fact that there may a conflict of interest in the claims put out by these advertisements. Yes, the need is there, but the real question is -- "Is the funding there?" E.g. <a href="https://www.bcnu.org/news-and-events/campaigns-and-initiatives/current-campaigns/cdmr" target="_blank">Are the public health authorities willing/able to invest enough to meet the staffing needs?</a> Are the private facilities/employers' terms of employment reasonable?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The 1,450 IEPs seeking registration in the 4 professions (RN, RPN, LPN, HCA) each year does not include those locally trained/educated looking for jobs in the above professions. For number of local fresh-graduates seeking for the same jobs, I suggest interested readers to do more of their own online data-mining; e.g. from the <a href="http://www.educationplanner.ca/" target="_blank">Education Planner (BC)</a> website and the websites of the various colleges/training-schools. Please also do not forget to add that there are also job seekers who transfer their registration from other provinces to Metro Vancouver, B.C.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">One solution that I have encountered is would-be professionals doing their education/training/registration in Metro Vancouver, B.C. because of the existence of family/social-support here in Metro Vancouver, but with plans to move to <a href="https://www.interiorhealth.ca/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Interior B.C.</a>, <a href="https://www.northernhealth.ca/" target="_blank">Northern B.C.</a> or other provinces after they get their registration. E.g. I have personally met a B.C.-registered LPN fresh graduate who moved to Manitoba because of the combination of having family and more/better job opportunities there. E.g. I have met a RPN-student who plans to head to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Canada" target="_blank">Atlantic Canada</a> for jobs after he gets his B.C. registration because according to him the job opportunities for RPN fresh-graduates is really limited in B.C., given that RNs and RPNs are both lumped under the same NOC and according to him RNs are often preferred over RPNs.</span></li>
</ol>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">So for the IENs who visit my blog to plan for their healthcare career in Canada, I strongly recommend that you do more research into the job market and registration requirements of the specific region that you intend to work in.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">-----</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">-----</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">-----</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">-----</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">-----</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">-----</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">p.s. A piece of good news for IENs with 5-10 years of relevant nursing experience before coming to B.C., Canada. I learned recently from a GNIE ex-classmate that several of our fellow GNIE-classmates have had their years of overseas (i.e. non-Canadian) nursing experience recognized by their health-authority employer(s), and their hourly-salary adjusted accordingly (albeit they still start from scratch on the B.C. Nurses Union's Seniority Scheme). FYI, click <a href="http://www.upnbc.org/PDFs/NBA%20Wage%20Grid%202011_2013%20(1).pdf" target="_blank">here</a> for B.C.'s Registered Psychiatric Nurses' pay-scale effective from April 1st, 2013. Note: Registered Nurses in B.C. have the same pay-scale.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">http://www.upnbc.org/PDFs/NBA%20Wage%20Grid%202011_2013%20(1).pdf</span></div>
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Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-66505034101084341392014-12-03T02:09:00.000-08:002015-01-16T14:31:45.146-08:00FSWP, FSTP, CEC 1st step = Express Entry<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you're planning to migrate to Canada under the FSWP, FSTP or Canadian Experience Class, please note that these PR visa application process will undergo a major change with effect from January 1st, 2015. The 1st step for any of the above 3 PR visa will be <a href="http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/express/express-entry.asp" target="_blank">Express Entry</a>, where only the top-ranking candidates from a pool of accepted applications will be invited to apply for PR after each draw.</div>
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http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/express/express-entry.asp<br />
<br />
For those who want to read about another person's <a href="http://wedecidedtomovetocanada.blogspot.ca/p/applying-for-fsw-2014.html" target="_blank">FSWP 2014</a> and <a href="http://wedecidedtomovetocanada.blogspot.ca/p/express-entry-2015.html" target="_blank">Express Entry 2015</a> application process, you can check out Gobbledegook's blog "<a href="http://wedecidedtomovetocanada.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">We decided to move to Canada</a>".</div>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-73015215920274111232014-11-30T23:59:00.000-08:002014-12-18T00:32:20.306-08:004 years vs 40 years<div style="text-align: justify;">
We went to watch the Grey Cup finals (Canadian Football League) at BC Place (stadium) today, thanks to a gift from DD's relative. At the game, we sang the Canadian national anthem. It suddenly occurred to me how "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Canada">O Canada!</a>" is actually moving for me now, just as how "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majulah_Singapura">Majulah Singapura</a>" was long, long ago.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniSgns0_0LTWjgdqL8Yt2OL4Y2GoXHalsvJiF-Ap04laLO7wYvbF4jSJVTR83ErrZf5TiWyoDOgknBBGpFIhWa1n-HftHzo2E373TUBepsu-h2r9Yo2_kQ24kpB_DugnH0oBOA4Ss42w/s1600/20141130_GreyCup_small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniSgns0_0LTWjgdqL8Yt2OL4Y2GoXHalsvJiF-Ap04laLO7wYvbF4jSJVTR83ErrZf5TiWyoDOgknBBGpFIhWa1n-HftHzo2E373TUBepsu-h2r9Yo2_kQ24kpB_DugnH0oBOA4Ss42w/s1600/20141130_GreyCup_small.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>[30-Nov-2014: Mom/baby-to-be's 1st Grey Cup game]</i></div>
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Other fleeting thoughts while at the game:</div>
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<li>Sports is such a big thing here in B.C., Canada, especially hockey and football. Even someone like me who has only attended 1 live football (i.e. soccer) match in a Singapore stadium actually enjoyed going to <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2012/10/my-1st-hockey-game.html">live hockey</a> and (today) football games at B.C. stadiums. [Note: According to my hubby DD: B.C. folks are not considered huge supporters of competitive sports, when compared to other provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan.] IMHO, <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2012/08/importing-prcs-and-olympic-medals.html" target="_blank">there is no short-cut to developing a thriving sports culture</a>. It requires a package deal: from developing an appreciation of sports in the general public, to encouraging children to participate in various sports from young, to supporting widespread access to sports training (e.g. specialized competitive sports training personnel, facilities and related equipment may be very expensive -- and possibly beyond the affordability of the median Singaporean family), to supporting budding sportsmen in all aspects (financial, academic, etc), to creating sports-centric jobs/industries (e.g. recruiting soccer news anchors from retired soccer players/coaches).</li>
<li>Yes, I'm pregnant, less than 1 year into our marriage. We heard at a recent gathering of (ex-)Singapore folks here that another Singapore-Canadian couple here is also expecting, less than 1 year into their marriage too. Perhaps the problem with fertility in Singapore is not with the Singaporeans, but other "environmental" (e.g. social) issues? E.g. <a href="http://frugalintrovert.blogspot.ca/2013/02/more-toilet-users-equal-26-productivity.html" target="_blank">Working too many hours </a>to have time/energy leftover for baby-making? Worrying about how<a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2014/04/acceptance-love-joy-and-hope.html"> one's child/children will cope in a highly competitive social/educational environment</a> with narrow definitions of success and the trend of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wee_Shu_Min_elitism_controversy" target="_blank">unforgiving attitudes towards social "failures"</a>? [<span style="font-size: small;">Click </span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/parenting/why-canadian-babies-should-sleep-in-cardboard-boxes-like-finnish-babies-do/article12371884/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://www.kela.fi/web/en/maternitypackage" target="_blank">here</a> to see </span>the Finnish baby box that drives home the message that <b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>“Every child matters. Every family matters.”</i></span></b>]</span></li>
<li>4 years versus 40 years. How did my host country "win my heart" in 4 years and my birth country lose my "love" over 40 years? It boggles the mind. Something for those residing in Singapore to think about, since Singapore has "welcome" a significant proportion (about 40%) of foreign-born onto its soil -- What policies exist and/or are-needed for the foreign-born to feel accepted as part-of-Singapore? [Click <a href="http://yawningbread.wordpress.com/2014/11/15/khaw-finds-obedience-school-meaningful/">here</a>, <a href="http://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2014/05/xenophobia-in-singapore-myth-or-reality/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://frugalintrovert.blogspot.ca/2013/11/why-different-wages-for-same-job-in.html" target="_blank">here</a> for related articles.]</li>
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p.s. I still appreciate my Singaporean heritage -- from the "old Singapore" which I grew up in, a very different society that <a href="http://thehearttruths.com/2014/11/28/this-is-the-singapore-you-voted-for-the-past-50-years/" target="_blank">Singapore currently is and continues to evolve into</a>. As I've written before, and a couple of my blog readers commented in agreement, <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/10/falling-leaves-return-to-roots.html" target="_blank">the Singapore that we grew up in no longer exists</a>. What is leftover are the flotsam and jetsam of overseas (ex-)Singaporeans who continue to grasp onto the community spirit of the old days and passing on what's left of their heritage to their children and generations to come. To borrow the words from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica_%282004_TV_series%29" target="_blank">Battlestar Galactica</a>, <b><i>"<a href="http://cityoftongues.com/non-fiction/all-of-this-has-happened-before/" target="_blank">All of this has happened before (overseas Chinese back in the 1900's), and will happen again (new wave of emigrants)</a>".</i></b></div>
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Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-14141561081006858342014-10-23T04:42:00.001-07:002014-10-30T05:33:45.648-07:004 years in Canada<div style="text-align: justify;">
When I read Singaporean Missy Jo's (<a href="http://theslimrollypollywannabe.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">The Slim Rolly Polly Wannabe</a>) <a href="http://theslimrollypollywannabe.blogspot.ca/2014/09/poop-on-both-sides-of-fence.html" target="_blank">blog post</a> about her doubts on ever settling-in after almost 5 months in Perth, it reminds me of <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/04/migration-settling-in-progress-review.html">the doubts I used to have after about 6 months in Canada</a>. Back then, my "<a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/04/migration-settling-in-progress-review.html">Migration & settling-in: A progress review</a>" had more "did not meet target/expectations" (X) than "met target/expectations" (V). I guess the doubts/ups-and-downs is a challenge that many new immigrants go through.<br />
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I have been <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/10/landed-in-canada.html">in Canada for just over 4 years</a> now. Below is a progress review of my "settling down" process -- and thankfully a happier report, it seems.</div>
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V Local friends: As mentioned back in <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/04/migration-settling-in-progress-review.html">my April-2011 blog entry</a>, I have been blessed and continue to be blessed in this regard. I am very grateful for that.</div>
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V Love life: DD has been a wonderfully supportive husband. We have gone through ups-and-downs together, and our relationship has grown stronger with time. Of course, we both have individual quirks that each has to put up with from the other. After all, marriage takes effort. Overall, we share similar values for the important matters, and have shown adaptability and willingness to communicate+accept differences on other matters.</div>
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V Family: Through marriage to DD, I have gained a Canadian family with members spread mainly over 3 Canadian provinces. I have since met most members on the maternal side of DD's extended family and some members on the paternal side too.</div>
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V Career: I have been working as a registered nurse in Metro Vancouver for 1+ year now. I am quite happy with my current main job and 1 unionized casual job, both private-sector employers. There have been ups-and-downs in my main job (click <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/09/cancelled-work-shift.html">here</a> for example), but all in I am happy where I currently am. On most days, I look forward to heading to work as I found my work meaningful and rewarding (not just financially).</div>
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V Canadian income: My income goes up and down depending on the number of hours I have been assigned on my main job each month. When there is a lull in my main job, I look towards accepting on-call shifts at my casual job, which helps to stabilize to my income. It also helps that a <a href="http://www.upnbc.org/PDFs/NBA%20Wage%20Grid%202011_2013%20(1).pdf">RN's pay here really reflects the professional nature of the job</a>. Friends and (my in-law) family suggested that I look towards working with a health authority instead for more stable income and better benefits. My reply was, (as mentioned above) I am happy where I currently am, and have actually quit from a casual job with a health authority earlier this year.</div>
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V Living accommodations: As <a href="http://neurotic-ramblings-sg.blogspot.ca/2014/09/the-real-meaning-of-settling-down.html">Mr S from Neurotic Ramblings puts it</a>, <i>"having your own place to call home"</i> is one of the factors that Singaporeans and/or ethnic-Chinese often count towards the concept of "settling down". DD and I have recently moved into our "new home" -- an old condominium unit which is technically-speaking owned by the bank (thanks to the mortgage we took). We are still in the process of unpacking and settling-in, but it certainly feels good to have "our own place to call home".</div>
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V Getting around: I am still relying on Metro Vancouver's good public transport infrastructure to get around most of the time. Sometimes, DD would chauffeur me around. I am so comfortable with the current arrangements that I kept delaying on my plans to get a B.C. driving licence. Unlike in Singapore where people generally expect things to tick like clock-work, people here seem to be more tolerant of sudden changes in plans due to un-forseen circumstances (e.g. breakdowns in public transport).</div>
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V Community/volunteer participation: After a few rounds of ad-hoc and mid-term community/volunteer roles, I have settled nicely into a new long-term community/volunteer role earlier this year that is likely to last for a few years.</div>
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? Credit rating: When DD and I applied for a home mortgage in B.C., I found to my surprise that my Credit Rating is "UNKNOWN" despite having used my credit-cards regularly and paying my dues fully on schedule. I guess I should have heeded the advice from my lecturer at the <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/03/managing-personal-finances.html">"Financial Literacy Program for new migrants"</a> to check with one of the 2 major <a href="https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/oca-bc.nsf/eng/ca02179.html">Canadian Credit-Reporting Agencies at least once-yearly on my credit rating</a> (i.e. either <a href="http://consumer.equifax.ca/home/en_ca">Equifax Canada</a> or <a href="http://www.transunion.ca/sites/ca/home_en.page">TransUnion Canada</a>). [Aside: Thankfully, DD has excellent credit rating and our mortgage application went through smoothly.] I guess getting my credit rating set-up is one item on my To-Do-List. That said, there is no urgency as my main bank (i.e. financial services provider) seems view me as an excellent credit risk, and it keeps offering to increase my credit limit and/or promoting lines-of-credit to me.</div>
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Ok, that's my status summary for now. Someone once told me that it takes 5 years to settle into a new country. I now truly appreciate the wisdom of her advice as my "settling-down in Canada" is still a work-in-progress.</div>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-36177170174705953662014-07-21T13:26:00.003-07:002014-09-06T00:34:58.795-07:00Blog anomalies<div style="text-align: justify;">
I turned off my blog's public access for a period from Friday night July 18th, 2014 until late this morning Monday July 21st, 2014 (Vancouver time). Let's just say that during this period of no-public access, I noticed some anomalies on my blog. </div>
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For example, according to the blog statistics, <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/11/illusion-of-anonymity.html">a viewer from Singapore</a> using the <a href="http://www.comodo.com/home/browsers-toolbars/browser.php" target="_blank">Codomo Dragon internet-browser</a> on Windows platform browsed my blog sometime between 19 Jul 2014 08:26hr - 10:25hr (Vancouver time). Whoever he/she/it was, <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/11/illusion-of-anonymity.html">he/she/it successfully viewed my blog despite the fact that I have not granted him/her/it access rights.</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7JRRBVsp6-SvQYwEEGNorxXIxk3aLeB-2IdKyBLQXRzML0urtKeZPo-VjCEWPxjjZvCPULssJTwAbn8HojvOApl4Mh3GtJ6rjERusCXK2rSsEV8-DJBRsLe8Rsf_VXhsqP4LjUjq31w/s1600/20140719_Blog_IllegalViewer.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7JRRBVsp6-SvQYwEEGNorxXIxk3aLeB-2IdKyBLQXRzML0urtKeZPo-VjCEWPxjjZvCPULssJTwAbn8HojvOApl4Mh3GtJ6rjERusCXK2rSsEV8-DJBRsLe8Rsf_VXhsqP4LjUjq31w/s1600/20140719_Blog_IllegalViewer.gif" height="196" width="320" /></a></div>
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Let me digress a little for now. Like <a href="http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.ca/2012/05/who-inspired-me.html" target="_blank">ASingaporeanSon</a>, I was inspired by <a href="http://singaporeserf.blogspot.ca/2004/09/confession.html" target="_blank">Singapore Serf</a> when I started my blog. Reading Singapore Serf's posts on his life as an Australian immigrant, even down to the simple day-to-day stuff, was an inspiration that I too perhaps could make a simple life as an immigrant somewhere else. Besides, I figured that a blog would be useful for me to remember of life's ups-and-downs to help keep things in perspective. Subsequently, I thought that sharing my life as an immigrant and/or re-entry into nursing in B.C. may be of use to other immigrants and/or Internationally Educated Nurses on the same path. There it is, the gist of the motivation behind my blog.</div>
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If you've been reading this blog, you would know that <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2014/03/so-long-thanks-for-all-fish.html" target="_blank">I had decided to retire my online pen some moons ago, back in March 2014</a>. I do not know what the motives are behind the recent anomalies...</div>
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And frankly, my dear, life goes on.</div>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-84432637802413172792014-06-11T15:25:00.002-07:002014-06-24T21:44:53.468-07:00Mid-career nursing<div style="text-align: justify;">
This is for choaniki, who is considering a <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2012/11/questions-about-pcp-nursing-in-singapore.html">mid-career switch to nursing and/or other healthcare-related professions</a> for the purpose of emigration.<br />
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The following videos are from CNA (<a href="http://www.cna-aiic.ca/en" target="_blank">Canadian Nurses Association</a>). Age is generally not an issue when seeking employment in Canada, as long as one is able to meet the demands of the job. E.g. Within the last year, I have personally met 4 other Canadian-trained nurses (RN and/or LPN) aged between 30's to 50's who switched career into nursing. That said, age may affect your chance of emigrating under an "immigration points-system" that factor the age of the applicant into account.</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-E771K3xHI&list=UUstR5ygip5v2YtCe0ZPPT6w&index=16" target="_blank">Mid Career Paths in Nursing</a><br />
Published on Oct 11, 2013<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOGxKBZLRis&index=17&list=UUstR5ygip5v2YtCe0ZPPT6w" target="_blank">Beginning a Career in Nursing</a><br />
Published on Oct 11, 2013</div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KvSp4s5r2E&list=UUstR5ygip5v2YtCe0ZPPT6w&index=18" target="_blank">Combining Careers</a><br />
Published on Oct 10, 2013<br />
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IMHO, if you have the funds, it may be worth it to <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/09/migrating-via-student-visa-part-1.html">do the career conversion training as a foreign student in your targeted host country</a> instead of taking up the Singapore's WDA PCP option. This is because you will face less issues getting your nursing registration when your skills education/training is from the host country. In addition, <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/10/migrating-via-student-visa-part-2.html">your time spent as a student in your host country may help you qualify for migration visa options specifically designed for this group.</a><br />
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Lastly a bonus video to show the concept here (in Canada) that nurses advocate not just for the patients under their direct-care but also on general health-related issues/policies. Compare this with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Dtp9_5_gw&index=1&list=PLNlBse3NXZj-PU1PKfdIzjROM4yi8gzFt" target="_blank">another nursing advertisement (from you know where)</a> which emphasize caring and following one's heart in nursing, but says nothing about nurses practising upstream-thinking to address <a href="http://thehearttruths.com/2014/06/24/falling-sick-and-knowing-where-our-money-for-health-is-going-to/" target="_blank">(e.g. socio-economic and political) issues/policies that impact a nation's health</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaGZF7orXjY&list=UUstR5ygip5v2YtCe0ZPPT6w&index=9" target="_blank">Registered Nurses: A leading force for change</a></div>
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Enjoy!Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-66656255112219757252014-05-02T20:16:00.000-07:002014-05-04T03:07:26.164-07:00May-2014 FSWP and FSTP<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just a quick note, CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada) has released a news on the new caps for FSWP and FSTP for migrating to Canada effective May-2014. Please check out the <a href="http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=841339" target="_blank">url below</a> for details.</div>
http://news.gc.ca/web/article-en.do?nid=841339Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-49799577203966122692014-04-11T13:01:00.000-07:002014-04-21T11:32:51.656-07:00Acceptance, love, joy and hope<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just saw <a href="https://ca.shine.yahoo.com/blogs/author-blog-posts/little-girl-learned-walk-bigger-deal-think-154900029.html" target="_blank">this on Yahoo!</a> It brings to mind what my friend ASingaporeanSon down south wrote about "<a href="http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.ca/2014/04/golden-jubilee-babies.html" target="_blank">Golden Jubilee Babies</a>".<br />
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As ASingaporeanSon wrote:<i> <span style="font-size: small;">"<span style="font-size: large;">What does a parent really want to give to his or her child?</span> One of them
should be <b><span style="font-size: large;">hope</span></b>. The assurances to our next generation that bringing them up in this country is not a mistake, that <b><span style="font-size: large;">they will be included and
accepted in society regardless or who and what they are in a sustainable
manner.</span>"</b></span></i></div>
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<a href="http://vimeo.com/89683750">Eden Grace - Don't Give Up</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/michellenagle">Michelle Nagle</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Miracles, by virtue of their unexpected nature, do not always happen. What if a child with a rare genetic disorder does not overcome his/her limitations? How much hope and tangible support can and will the parents, society and government policies provide for the child to live sustainably and be accepted by society?</div>
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As I commented on ASingaporeanSon's blog, some folks asked me <i>why Canada seems to have more children with rare illnesses/disorders
(when compared to their countries of origin). My reply is, <span style="font-size: large;"><b>"If these
children were born in your country, what would happen to them?"</b></span> The
answers they give would explain why there are fewer children with rare
illnesses/disorders (that survive and/or are seen in public) in their
countries of origin when compared to Canada.</i></div>
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When I got married, a few of my Singapore-based close friends asked out of concern if I plan to have children and (given that I'm already in my mid-40's) the high risk of having a child with problems (e.g. Down's Syndrome) at my age. I told them honestly that we (as a couple) decided to go with the flow; if I get pregnant, we will do whatever standard tests available and then decide from there.</div>
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So far, no one in Canada (not even close friends) expressed concern to me about the risk of me having a child with problems at my age. If anything, I have one nursing-trained friend already waiting to be godmother to my yet-to-be-conceived child.</div>
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Is this difference between Canada and Singapore due to social attitudes or government policies or both? Which drives which?<br />
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p.s. I just have to write about this close-to-heart matter as I've personally seen the difference as a paediatric nurse in both countries.</div>
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Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-13233486630014403802014-03-15T21:44:00.001-07:002014-10-03T03:24:50.076-07:00Destiny<div style="text-align: justify;">
When I informed my friends that I was getting married, several friends remarked, <i>"It's your destiny to be in Canada."</i></div>
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My friends meant well, of course. Destiny is an interesting concept indeed.</div>
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Almost 20 years ago (mid 1990's), I had <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2012/07/a-love-story-part-2.html">a simple fortune telling session in Hong Kong</a>. I was told that my life had been and would be pretty tough, until I hit middle-age.</div>
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Then around 10 years ago (mid 2000's), I got around to learning about psychic practice, similar to those practised at the <a href="http://At the Berkeley Psychic Institute," target="_blank">Berkeley Psychic Institute</a>. For a while, I dappled in the paranormal. [Aside: In supporting an associate's paranormal business, I was interviewed by an expat-magazine and had my "15-sec of fame" on TV in Singapore.]</div>
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<a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/01/wind-and-clouds.html">In 2006 after a traumatic event</a>, I decided to change my name for better luck. Fortunately, I talked with a Feng Shui master friend of mine. He advised me to keep my original name as it is a lucky name. I asked him about the Hong Kong fortune teller's reading. His reply was, <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"You practice meditation and you know how to do paranormal stuff. So you know very well that you can modify your future."</span></i></div>
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Around 7 years ago, just before I start my nursing training in Singapore, a friend did a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Pillars_of_Destiny" target="_blank">BaZi</a> [生辰八字] and related Chinese fortune-telling calculations for me. She said, <i>"Your life will be tough until age 52."</i></div>
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So I asked, <i>"When can I change my career successfully?"</i></div>
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She replied, <i>"Age 52."</i></div>
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<i>"But I am already going into nursing..."</i></div>
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Friend replied, <i>"Then you will change your career again at 52."</i></div>
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I asked, <i>"Oh, I see. I'm not surprised, I have too many interests that I would like to pursue. How about migrating out of Singapore?"</i></div>
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She replied, <i>"52."</i></div>
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<i>"Getting married?"</i></div>
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<i>"52."</i></div>
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I mused, <i>"So everything also must wait until 52?"</i></div>
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Friend replied, <i>"Yes, 52 is a turning point in your life. Oh, by the way, try not to drive before that age. You're very accident prone."</i></div>
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My friend is right about the accident prone bit. E.g. I had a lucky escape from death last June (2013).</div>
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<i>[18-Jun-2013, Richmond, B.C., Canada]</i></div>
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I was strolling slowly along a pedestrian walkway while deep in thoughts. I was heading towards the traffic crossing seen in the photo above. I mentally berated myself for missing the "CROSS" signal ("white man walking" light) by a few metres, and then returned to my thoughts. </div>
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Suddenly, I heard a series of loud bangs. I looked around and saw a badly damaged white car spinning in the middle of the road junction. Apparently, another car had hit the white car so badly that it (the white car) spun round-and-round, past the pedestrian crossing to hit other cars waiting at the red light. As you can see from the photo above, the impact was so great that one of the cars swung 180-degrees (i.e. the one with the tire on its hatchback). Imagine if I had walked fast enough to be crossing the road at that instance (where the 2 persons were standing on the road in the photo above) -- <i><a href="http://www.talkingcock.com/html/lexec.php?op=LexLink&lexicon=lexicon&keyword=HABIS" target="_blank">habis!</a> [i.e. Finished!]</i></div>
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It's not my first brush with Death. E.g. <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2009/08/pneumonia.html">My 2009 pneumonia episode</a>. I guess Destiny wanted me to stay alive.</div>
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Last summer (August 2013), a psychic I met told me that someone had deliberately <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curse" target="_blank">cast a hex</a> on me. Indeed <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/09/cancelled-work-shift.html">I was having such a bad time at work</a> back then that I sometimes secretly wished that I was the palliative one, not my youthful client(s). You see, I was not afraid of death, but the <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/08/too-late-to-crawl-back-into-egg.html">pain/torture that sometimes came with being alive</a>. [Aside: I hope that when Death eventually visits, he would deliver me swiftly.]</div>
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Anyway, long story short. 破财消灾。 [Pay the price to ward-off disaster.] After all, I had not been meditating consistently for a long time so I knew that I needed help to deal with this biggie. I know some would call me silly for "wasting money on superstitious stuff". But if you've walked in the shoes of <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/search/label/Paranormal">my rather curious life</a>, you may have second thoughts.</div>
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So the tally.</div>
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<ul>
<li>Changed career - checked. I'm not making tons of money, or even regular income, but I'll live.</li>
<li>Emigrating from Singapore - checked. Still adjusting to my host country.</li>
<li>Get married - checked. Still happily married, still in the honeymoon phase.</li>
<li>Accident prone - checked. Lucky to be alive.</li>
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<i>[08-Mar-2014, Husband-brand Happy Brunch]</i></div>
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<i>Have I changed my destiny or otherwise? I don't know. When I told DD about the "52" fortune, he puts it as, <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"You've just shifted your destiny earlier by X years."</span></i></i></div>
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[Note: DD is a skeptic, but he has learned to humour me and not criticize my beliefs. Such is love that moves a man.]<br />
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<i>Just sharing my story. May it bring hope to those who are trying to change their destiny.</i></div>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-12047067059898241912014-03-15T16:25:00.001-07:002014-07-15T13:55:22.974-07:00So long & thanks for all the fish<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have not been blogging much, mainly because every time I thought of something to write about, I would be distracted by Life. Then a few days would pass and I would re-think about the topic and conclude, <i>"Nah, it would be so mundane to others."</i><br />
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<i>[06-Feb-2014, A flock of birds flying overhead in Richmond]</i></div>
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E.g. Who would be interested about watching flocks of birds? Or kids dancing, mimicking the life-size XBox display at a shopping mall? Or the mesmerizing snow flakes falling? Or watching the fog as it creeps in and as it rises? Or the excitement of seeing buds in trees heralding the arrival of Spring? Or of gangs in Metro Vancouver? Or thoughts inspired by seeing a bird eating a road-kill rat? And for all of these, nothing beats being there to experience it for oneself.</div>
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Anyway, <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2009/03/about-winking-doll.html">I started this blog 5 years ago</a>. At that time, I was about to enter nursing in Singapore professionally, and I knew that I would have to make a decision about emigration soon. Thus, I started the blog as a coping mechanism to "let-off steam" and <a href="http://singaporeserf.blogspot.ca/2004/09/confession.html" target="_blank">to have a record</a> to remind myself that life has its ups and downs. 5 years on, I've:</div>
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<li>changed country of residence, </li>
<li>changed jobs, and re-entered nursing in a new country, and </li>
<li>changed my marital status. </li>
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IMHO, that is a lot of changes. I have shared some of my journey/challenges/excitement because I thought that others on similar paths may benefit/learn from my experience. [FYI: <a href="http://singaporeserf.blogspot.ca/2004/09/confession.html" target="_blank">Here's my inspiration</a>.] Indeed, from the blog search statistics, readers land on my blog while seeking information about:</div>
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<li><a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/search/label/Nursing%20in%20Singapore">nursing in Singapore</a> and/or <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2012/11/questions-about-pcp-nursing-in-singapore.html">WDA's career conversion to nursing</a>, </li>
<li><a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/search/label/Nursing%20in%20Canada">nursing in Canada</a>, especially <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2012/01/ien-preparing-to-apply-to-crnbc.html">CRNBC's SEC</a> (or <a href="https://crnbc.ca/PracticeSupport/CoursesWorkshops/WebModules/Pages/Default.aspx" target="_blank">here for CRNBC's Web Learning Modules</a> or here for <a href="https://crnbc.ca/STANDARDS/FAQS/Pages/Default.aspx" target="_blank">CRNBC's FAQ about Nursing Standards</a>), <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/05/crne-prep-tips.html">CRNE preparations</a> and/or <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/03/gnie-roi-in-crne.html">results for IEN</a>, and/or</li>
<li>Singapore and emigration.</li>
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While my life journey continues, I would recommend those who are searching on any of the above topics to go online to search for the most current information directly from the source. E.g. Singapore's WDA website, CRNBC website, Canadian universities' websites, and the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website, etc. After all, policies change -- sometimes surprisingly (click <a href="https://blog.crnbc.ca/?p=156" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/03/crnbc-removes-ien-canadian-reference.html">here</a> and <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/01/canada-federal-skilled-trades-program.html">here</a>) and/or suddenly (click <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tories-consider-forcing-employers-to-pay-more-for-temporary-foreign-workers/article18711070/" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.kpu.ca/health/ien-assessment-service" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/05/canada-has-enough-nurses-re-fswp.html">here</a>).</div>
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<i>[06-Feb-2013, A Canadian RN at last, </i><br />
<i>3+ years after the initial 16-Nov-2009 IEN application]</i></div>
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As for those looking for overseas Singaporeans' views on life/events in Singapore and life overseas, there are plenty of other bloggers who write well. Please feel free to check out some of the blogs listed on the right column. Besides, <a href="http://thehearttruths.com/2014/03/05/why-singapore-is-breaking-up-and-singaporeans-are-still-in-denial/" target="_blank">whatever that needs to be said</a> has been spoken of repeatedly by many bloggers. If one still does not wake up, then I guess this individual needs his/her <a href="http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.ca/2013/12/when-should-i-leave.html" target="_blank">"Aha!" moment</a> for a paradigm shift. IMHO, it might take 1 to 3 generations, but the writing is on the wall for Singapore's future. Click <a href="http://thehearttruths.com/2014/03/17/no-lee-hsien-loong-you-be-kinder/" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://thehearttruths.com/2014/03/18/singapores-crony-capitalism-a-recipe-for-disaster/" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://frugalintrovert.blogspot.ca/2014/03/singapores-military-morale-is-in.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.ca/2014/03/im-not-saying-that-tharman-was-lying.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://dotseng.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/if-you-are-middle-class-in-singapore-will-things-get-better-or-worse/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://ferfal.blogspot.ca/2008/11/despair-in-once-proud-argentina.html">here</a>. [Note: I sincerely hope that I am wrong, for I am the only one in my family who emigrated.]</div>
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Besides, this blog was also meant for me to let-off some steam anonymously. But as we all know -- <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2011/11/illusion-of-anonymity.html">there is no such thing as true anonymity when one starts to share details from one's personal life online,</a> especially as <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/04/brunch-with-former-bureaucrats.html">one's social circle expands</a>. [See also <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/03/met-my-readers.html">here</a>.] I stand by what I wrote, my feelings/opinions are true at the time I wrote my blog entries. That said, I would prefer if people take time to get to know me face-to-face, rather than knowing so much about me when I hardly know anything about them.<br />
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To those who ask, <i style="font-weight: bold;">"Are you Winking Doll? I read so much (about you & your life) from your blog"</i>:<i> Thanks for asking, Winking Doll is my online persona, there's lots about me that I do not share online. I hope we'll get to know one another slowly over time -- i.e. let relationships develop/die organically.</i><br />
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I am not hanging up my online pen instantly or forever. For one, I still want to get around to sharing about my emigration planning process as discussed with ASingaporeanSon previously on our occasional Facebook chat. I think it may give hope to those who think that they are stuck on a little red dot because they don't have paper qualifications, money and/or connections. For another, I will still lurk around online to comment on various blogs, and maybe write once in a blue moon. And I want to share <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2014/03/destiny.html">one more post on my thoughts on destiny</a> before I go.<br />
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Otherwise, life is calling. So long, and thanks for all the fish!<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojydNb3Lrrs" target="_blank">So Long and Thanks for all the Fish</a><br />
-- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ojydNb3Lrrs" width="420"></iframe>Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-29244267414990032752014-02-28T08:12:00.001-08:002014-03-11T14:39:12.948-07:00Runaway bride<div style="text-align: justify;">
A day before the wedding ceremony and I am beginning to grasp why there is the term "runaway bride". And I am only having a small wedding -- less than 30 pax, including the Marriage Commissioner, bride, groom, et al!</div>
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DD while nice, is typical of guys -- he does things when asked to, otherwise leaves the "detail-work" and "relationship stuff" (e.g. tracking of gifts and tokens of appreciation) to the female in his life.</div>
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When we were taking out the wedding stuff from the cupboard yesterday night, I realized that it is mostly my project with the help of mainly my local friends. DD sent his suits to the dry-cleaners, ordered the cake and the post-ceremony brunch. DD's friends have been assigned tasks that are optional -- in fact, he has not even told some of his friends their "assigned tasks" at the wedding! I had better remind DD to follow-up on these "relationship" stuff -- not to drop-the-ball on his friends last minute.</div>
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Then the in-laws came to town, one day earlier than expected -- that really threw me a curve ball as I thought we should spend time with them while they are here. DD claims, <i><b>"We don't have to spend time with them if we're busy, they'll understand."</b></i> Urgh! So clueless about relationship management!</div>
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In the midst of unpacking as mentioned above, DD stated that we need to formally explain the auspicious symbolism of our wedding dessert (a traditional Cantonese wedding item) when all through our previous discussions about how the ceremony would go, there is no mention of any need to explain stuff. As DD puts it last night, <i><b>"Well your friends probably know it all already, but my friends don't."</b></i></div>
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Then DD started to define last minute details of how the music volume should be controlled and synchronized with the events, when previously he said, <i>"<b>It's very simple, just go from one playlist to the next!"</b></i> Well, he better explain these details to my friend EM.<br />
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And DD didn't even put them across as last minute requests, more like a statement of how things should be done. I do not like it, that is NOT how requests should be communicated nor the way projects should be managed. If there is a need to fudge/control details like this rather than let things run their own course, DD should have asked for a rehearsal. I'm wondering if I'm dealing with a hint of a groomzilla here instead of a bridezilla!</div>
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Today is the eve of the big day. I had left today for stuff that were meant to be for pampering myself, laying out the bride stuff and selecting/downloading electronic photos that we want to display (since we have both taken the day-off). Now I have add-on worries on my head and the nerves are creeping on me! Runaway bride sounds fabulously tempting -- except that I'll do the sensible thing and have a good talk with DD once he wakes up.<br />
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[Update 28-Feb-2014 at 10:10am]<br />
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We've just talked about how I felt. All's ok now. That's why I'm marrying DD -- we bring each other joy and we're able to talk things over even when one/both parties are upset.<br />
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[Update 01-Mar-2014 at 10:40pm]</div>
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By yesterday evening, we were both thinking <i>"We'll be glad when this whole wedding thing is over."</i></div>
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When we woke up this morning, we talked about our "alternate wedding" if we could get away with it. My version would be a small pot-luck party: when everyone arrived and have settled down, we sign the papers with the witnesses and Marriage Commissioner. DD's version: Just the bride, groom and 2 witnesses go to the Marriage Commissioner's office and sign the papers; then we return home to party with friends.<br />
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It's amazing that we got a wedding ceremony and post-wedding reception put together and we kept remarking how it would not have been possible without our good friends helping out in various ways, especially ZS and JX, AA, and PN. Our guests feedback that they loved our small intimate wedding where guests had the chance to mingle and get to know the bride, groom, and other guests. 在家靠父母,出外靠朋友。 [We can count on our parents at home, but in society we need to count on friends.]</div>
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Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-87429195471228418992014-02-13T13:14:00.000-08:002014-04-11T12:11:49.177-07:00Death, illness, recovery<div style="text-align: justify;">
It has been a strange start to this Chinese Lunar New Year -- Year of the Yang Wood Horse. </div>
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Someone passed away sooner than expected. </div>
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My good friend PN is down with pneumonia. As she shared, at one point it felt as if she was dying. <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2009/08/pneumonia.html" target="_blank">I know that feeling from experience.</a> Thankfully, she is recovering.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Today, I just learned that another (young) local friend has been admitted into ICU for some days now. He had a cardiac arrest (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Blue_%28emergency_code%29#Code_Blue" target="_blank">Code Blue</a>) and a couple of other issues.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I wonder if the universe is trying to send me a message. If so, I hope the message is simply, <i>"You're getting older."</i></div>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-17579295692619056222014-01-31T00:45:00.002-08:002014-02-01T02:08:17.559-08:00Happy Horse Year! 马到功成!<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've been so busy with work, relocating to DD's home, wedding/elopement plans, related personal/contact information updates, 2014 volunteer and career plans that I didn't have time to update the blog and/or plan group/fun-activities. Thank goodness for friends, e.g. ZS and JX who organized a Chinese New Year (CNY) gathering at their place.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Had Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve reunion dinner 团圆饭 with DD earlier in the night. I had to explain to him how the Chinese Lunar New Year for the ethnic Chinese is akin to Christmas for the Christians and North Americans.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Anyway, given my busy schedule, I did not have time to prepare any CNY food and in my haste I did not buy any prepared food from the T&T supermarket on my way home. Thus we had to adapt with whatever we have for "auspicious foods" -- we ate a large gold coin 金币, growing wealth 生财, and gold surplus 金余。 Can you guess the food items that we ate?</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9L6f72Kx0DUxW38exDKqOkTndFYFtg5wIwlLUMkgHCAxIkt0g_X7CxREV5hEsKdBpuM5zCR-jDj-c48umq2W-sqbH4uN4MYI_7wYKVfuGOKJEZkMGlaqlt9vwGF_Z1DXrayi4riG_JQ/s1600/P31-01-14_00.08_small.blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9L6f72Kx0DUxW38exDKqOkTndFYFtg5wIwlLUMkgHCAxIkt0g_X7CxREV5hEsKdBpuM5zCR-jDj-c48umq2W-sqbH4uN4MYI_7wYKVfuGOKJEZkMGlaqlt9vwGF_Z1DXrayi4riG_JQ/s1600/P31-01-14_00.08_small.blog.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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[30-Jan-2014, 年年有余 ]</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yes, we ate a pizza (the yummy <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._Oetker" target="_blank">Dr. Oetker</a> thin-crust spinach pizza) which looks like a large gold coin 金币, western-style salad 生菜 [raw vegetables -- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homonym" target="_blank">homonym</a> with "growing wealth" 生财], and Goldfish crackers for 年年有(金)余/鱼 [fish -- homonym with "surplus"]. </div>
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<br /></div>
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That's adaptation, I guess. I suddenly remember a book that I read as a teen -- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Wind:West_Wind" target="_blank">"East Wind, West Wind"</a> by Pearl S. Buck.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Wishing my readers: </div>
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出入平安, [Exit and enter in peace and safety]</div>
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身体健康, [Good health]<br />
龙马精神, [Vitality]</div>
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马到功成, [Horse's arrival brings success]</div>
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年年有余! [Have yearly surplus]</div>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-10701154118292635782014-01-10T15:01:00.000-08:002014-01-10T22:25:06.689-08:00The Elopement<div style="text-align: justify;">
DD and I are calling our plan to be legally married -- "our elopement".</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here's the inspiration: DD was visiting his family in Alberta, Canada, over the Christmas break. According to DD somewhere along his family chit-chat...</div>
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<br /></div>
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DD's sister exclaimed, <i>"Without this, without that. That's not a wedding!"</i></div>
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DD's dad calmly remarked/explained, <i>"They are not having a wedding, dear. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">They are eloping. It's just that they have the courtesy to inform us in advance.</span>"</i></div>
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DD's dad loves the idea of a simple wedding. When I told my sister of DD's dad's response, my sister commented that DD's dad seems like <i>"a very understanding and smart guy!"</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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------------------------------</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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My sister should know. I was living with my parents when both sisters got married, and what a nightmare each pre-wedding banquet period was with my parents quarrelling almost daily/nightly. Plus, having helped with and been to numerous friends' grand weddings, I don't want any of that stress for myself.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I recall years ago while my younger sister was busy planning her wedding with her fiance. For some reason or other (which I cannot recall), my mother was grumbling repeatedly about the wedding plans. As it was the second wedding in the family and I've observed that my mother would grumble each time, so my response to her was (in Cantonese), “轮到我的时候,我就私奔。” [Literary: "When it comes to my turn, I'll elope." Indirectly reminding my mother to appreciate the fact that my 2 sisters held grand weddings as per her wishes.]</blockquote>
</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
Thankfully, DD is not into grand weddings too. Now in our middle-aged years, we have both witnessed that the grandeur of the wedding has no correlation with the longevity of the marriage nor the happiness of the couple going forward. We would both be happy with <a href="http://www.vs.gov.bc.ca/marriage/howto.html" target="_blank">just the Marriage Commissioner and 2 witnesses</a> if we could get away with it. But then, it may be the only wedding in DD's family (besides his parents'), so we agreed to have a small and simple ceremony.</div>
<br />
------------------------------<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3NgzQ9Pcsg" target="_blank">Life is like a Cup of Coffee</a><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/U3NgzQ9Pcsg" width="420"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
Indeed each person has his/her own idea of what an ideal wedding should be. Some friends are surprised that I do not want an engagement ring (I asked for a gold coin instead); some surprised that we are not planning on a honeymoon (although we do have to make an obligatory trip to Singapore at some point); others are shocked that we're holding the ceremony in our living room instead of renting "a wedding hall/venue"; yet others are shocked that we may even consider going without wedding rings. So it is really up to the couple to negotiate on what would be acceptable to both. To paraphrase the "Life is like a cup of coffee" story above...</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"Marriage is like a cup of coffee; i</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">t does not matter if you entered it</span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">holding nice-looking expensive cups or plain cheap ones. The only thing that matters is whether you enjoy the coffee."</span></blockquote>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-89929085248637267592014-01-08T16:31:00.002-08:002014-07-25T03:16:44.740-07:00New to BC, Canada<div style="text-align: justify;">
At the end of 2013, I met someone new to B.C., Canada, and emailed her a list of websites for resources/information to help her settle-in. The information is scattered all over this blog, so I've gathered them together in the email and added some new information. FYI, in case any newcomers to BC may find it useful.</div>
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<br /></div>
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There are various immigrant settlements services agency. From my acquaintances' and my experience, "<a href="http://www.mosaicbc.com/" target="_blank">MOSAIC</a>" and "<a href="http://www.issbc.org/" target="_blank">ISS of BC</a>" (Immigration Settlement Services of B.C.) are the 2 more professional ones -- good to approach them.</div>
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MOSAIC is an immigrant settlements services agency. They conduct various programs and managed some of the Federal funding to help new immigrants settle into Canada.</div>
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<a href="http://www.mosaicbc.com/looking-work/workplace-connections-mentoring-program" target="_blank">Workplace Connections</a> - guide newcomers with job search</div>
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http://www.mosaicbc.com/looking-work/workplace-connections-mentoring-program</div>
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<a href="http://www.mosaicbc.com/settlement-services/general-support/culture-connections" target="_blank">Culture Connections</a> - guide newcomers about life in B.C. and Canada</div>
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http://www.mosaicbc.com/settlement-services/general-support/culture-connections</div>
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For <a href="http://www.translink.ca/" target="_blank">public transport in Metro Vancouver</a>, check:</div>
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www.translink.ca</div>
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For the <a href="http://www.theweathernetwork.com/" target="_blank">weather forecast</a> and warnings, check:</div>
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http://www.theweathernetwork.com/</div>
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For <a href="http://www.rto.gov.bc.ca/content/rightsresponsibilities/default.aspx" target="_blank">rules/laws regarding tenancy</a> (i.e. renting a place/room), check:</div>
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http://www.rto.gov.bc.ca/content/rightsresponsibilities/default.aspx</div>
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For <a href="http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/moving-bc" target="_blank">driving licence</a><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>"You have 90 days to switch over your licence after moving to B.C."</i></span></b> -- ICBC website.</div>
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http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/moving-bc</div>
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For B.C. <a href="http://bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=28&languageId=1&contentId=-1" target="_blank">RCMP (police) news</a>, check:</div>
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http://bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=28&languageId=1&contentId=-1</div>
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For guidance on various common legal issues, check the <a href="http://www.cbabc.org/For-the-Public/Dial-A-Law/Scripts" target="_blank">Canadian Bar Association (B.C.) Dial-A-Law</a> website.</div>
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http://www.cbabc.org/For-the-Public/Dial-A-Law/Scripts</div>
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<br />
To find a physician (i.e. doctor) taking on new clients (patients), check the <a href="https://www.cpsbc.ca/physician_search">online physician search</a> from College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C.<br />
https://www.cpsbc.ca/physician_search<br />
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Here are some other links that might be of use to newcomers.<br />
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.welcomebc.ca/Live/index.aspx" target="_blank">Welcome to BC</a></div>
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Check here for the provincial government's website for guide about living in BC.</div>
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http://www.welcomebc.ca/Live/index.aspx</div>
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<a href="http://newtobc.ca/" target="_blank">New to BC</a></div>
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The library of information for newcomers. Note: Each city has its own library system, but you can generally request to link your own city's library card with the other cities' libraries.</div>
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http://newtobc.ca/</div>
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<a href="http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/menu-eng.html" target="_blank">Canada Revenue Agency</a> (CRA) - Information about government taxes and financial related policies affecting individuals in Canada. </div>
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http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/menu-eng.html </div>
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<a href="http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/eng/default.asp" target="_blank">Financial Consumer Agency of Canada</a> - Information on managing personal finances in Canada. Tools and advice to guide you from choosing bank accounts, mortgages to analyzing one's budget. </div>
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http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/eng/default.asp</div>
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<a href="http://www.skillsconnect.ca/" target="_blank">Skills Connect</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The federal government funds this program to provide career counselling and some funds to new immigrants to obtain Canadian jobs equivalent to their previous profession. There are various groups that handle this. I applied through MOSAIC at Grant Street (along Commercial Drive), Vancouver. My case is now closed since I have spent the entire budget on nursing related courses. The amount is not much ($1,500 or $2,300 depending on one's previous industry), but some "free money" is still good. In addition, one can get one's English assessed for free through them, so that one can have a Canadian paper showing one's fluency in Canadian English. </div>
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http://www.skillsconnect.ca/</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.successbc.ca/eng/component/option,com_mtree/task,viewlink/link_id,1222/" target="_blank">Foreign Credential Recognition Loan</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The S.U.C.C.E.S.S. B.C. Richmond office runs this project, which is funded by the government (I am not sure if it is funded at the federal or provincial level). The idea is to provide financial support to Internationally Trained Professionals as they go about getting employment in their field in Canada. One can obtain a low-interest rate loan ranging from $500 to $15,000 for training, exams, qualification accreditation/assessments, joining professional associations, books or study materials, and living allowance. Note: IMHO, applicants should exercise financial self-discipline with the loan granted. I am aware of someone who utilized the loan granted to him for unrelated purposes and then finding himself back in a "financially broke" situation.</div>
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http://www.successbc.ca/eng/component/option,com_mtree/task,viewlink/link_id,1222/</div>
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<a href="http://www.bcit.ca/ices/" target="_blank">BCIT International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES)</a></div>
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Quote from their website: "ICES evaluates formal for-credit educational programs of study for people who have studied in other provinces or countries and determines comparable levels in British Columbian and Canadian terms. The results of an ICES assessment are provided in evaluation reports that are objective, consistent, and reliable."</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Note: Fees are applicable for the above service. The fee charged depends on the evaluation needed to be done.</div>
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http://www.bcit.ca/ices/</div>
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<br />
<a href="https://studentaidbc.ca/apply/eligibility" target="_blank">Student Aid BC</a><br />
If you want to pursue full-time education to (re-)establish your career here. Those who demonstrate financial need may be eligible for provincial government loans for selected-education programs and basic living expenses for duration of their full-time studies.<br />
https://studentaidbc.ca/apply/eligibility<br />
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<a href="http://www.ywcavan.org/content/Connect_to_Success_Mentorship_Program/343" target="_blank">YWCA Metro Vancouver Mentorship Program for Women</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You do not have to be a Christian to join the program. In fact, both the YMCA and YWCA in Metro Vancouver are social organizations, not religious ones. Quote from the YWCA website: "This free mentoring program for women in Vancouver connects professional female mentors with unemployed women aged 19 and over who are entering or re-entering professional or skilled careers. Mentees come from a variety of backgrounds. They are women who are starting their careers, returning to the workforce or newly entering the Canadian job market."</div>
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http://www.ywcavan.org/content/Connect_to_Success_Mentorship_Program/343</div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
For permanent residents/citizens facing hardship, there are various support services.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)<br />
The CMHA has a website "Living Life To The Full" which has a list of <a href="http://www.llttf.ca/resources/" target="_blank">resources</a> for those facing anxiety, depression, stress and other mental health issues.<br />
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
Employment Insurance (EI)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
If you lost your job due to company restructuring or other valid reasons, you're probably eligible to claim EI benefits. It is important to apply ASAP (as soon as possible), and not wait until you need the money. The <a href="http://www.cbabc.org/For-the-Public/Dial-A-Law/Scripts/Employment-and-Social-Benefits/282.aspx" target="_blank">Canadian Bar Association (B.C.) website gives a good overview of EI</a> with links to Services Canada for the actual details.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: justify;">
http://www.cbabc.org/For-the-Public/Dial-A-Law/Scripts/Employment-and-Social-Benefits/282.aspx</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.health.gov.bc.ca/exforms/msp/premium_assistance.html" target="_blank">Medical Services Plan (MSP)</a> -- i.e. medical insurance</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If your annual adjusted net income is $30K and below, you can get MSP assistance after residing in Canada for the last 12 consecutive months.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
https://www.health.gov.bc.ca/exforms/msp/premium_assistance.html</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/pharmacare/plani/planiindex.html#7" target="_blank">Fair PharmaCare</a> -- prescription medication subsidy</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Whatever your income, register for Fair PharmaCare so that no more than 4% of your net income goes to paying for medications.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/pharmacare/plani/planiindex.html#7</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<a href="http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=E2ED536A29A6405ABDB7248AF8E81648" target="_blank">Home & Community Care</a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Persons/families who needs home and community care (e.g. home health nursing) may receive assistance from the Home & Community Care, see below.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=E2ED536A29A6405ABDB7248AF8E81648</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.sd.gov.bc.ca/programs/bus-pass.html" target="_blank">BC Bus Pass Program</a><br />
<i>"The BC Bus Pass Program offers a reduced cost, annual bus pass for low income seniors and individuals receiving disability assistance from the Province of British Columbia."</i> -- BC Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation website<br />
http://www.sd.gov.bc.ca/programs/bus-pass.html<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.translink.ca/en/Rider-Guide/Accessible-Transit/HandyDART.aspx" target="_blank">HandyDART</a> -- door-to-door public transport<br />
<i>"If you have a physical or cognitive disability and are unable to use public transit without assistance, you’re eligible to use HandyDART."</i> -- Translink website<br />
http://www.translink.ca/en/Rider-Guide/Accessible-Transit/HandyDART.aspx<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Food Bank </div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Please do not abuse it so that the real folks in need can receive help. If you're feeling generous or want to volunteer, the Food Bank is a good place to offer your support.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, North Vancouver: https://www.foodbank.bc.ca/</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
Richmond: http://www.richmondfoodbank.org/</div>
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</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.bchousing.org/Options/Subsidized_Housing" target="_blank">Subsidized Housing</a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
This is for hardship cases. Depending on demand, supply, and other eligibility factors matching applicants to the housing available, there may be a long wait-time between application date and allocation of subsidized housing.</div>
</div>
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http://www.bchousing.org/Options/Subsidized_Housing</div>
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<a href="http://www.ywcavan.org/content/Resources_/246" target="_blank">YWCA Single Mothers' Support Services</a></div>
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YWCA provides non-religous, wide-range support for single mothers.</div>
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http://www.ywcavan.org/content/Resources_/246</div>
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Btw, IMHO, if relevant employment seems difficult to secure, it may also help for newcomers to just pick-up a minimum-wage <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/10/seasonal-jobs-metro-vancouver.html" target="_blank">seasonal job</a> and/or volunteer at reputable organizations first in order to gain <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2012/07/canadian-experience-and-qualifications.html">"Canadian experience" and Canadian references.</a></div>
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There are lots of resources available, but newcomers have to be proactive to seek them.</div>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-40551412473109776302013-12-30T02:48:00.000-08:002014-09-06T00:32:54.262-07:00Come! Or don't! As you decide...<div style="text-align: justify;">
Perhaps it's that time of the year again, where folks tend to look back in-review and look forward with new dreams/hopes. Just too many thoughts buzz through my mind as I passed the 3rd year of Canadian residency, entering my 4th.</div>
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<i>[20-Dec-2013 Footprints in the snow at dusk]</i></div>
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As I was trudging my way home through the snow 10 days ago, the footprints in the snow of each passer-by going one way or another made me think of how personal the migration decision and journey is. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><b>No 2 persons have identical situations, and thus each must forge his/her own way.</b></i></span> </div>
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Aside: Another thought I had was that until <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/01/wind-and-clouds.html">the 'aha' moment</a>, I never thought that I -- known to be afraid of even the air-con while in Singapore -- would put up with living in a snowy landscape for a (hopefully) more stable/sustainable future.</blockquote>
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For some, the decision to come (to another country) is the best one made in their lives; for others, it may make more sense to return to the familiar; and yet, for some it takes more than a few attempts at settling to decide which path is in their best interests.</div>
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E.g. Last week I met another PRC with a, by now, familiar story of PRC-to-Canada migration story. PRC comes to Canada with high hopes and expectations -- after all just being able to qualify for immigration makes him/her the crème de la crème since he/she has thrived in the cut-throat competitive environments of the major Chinese cities. First attempt at settling-in failed miserably (whether in B.C. or other provinces), and he/she quickly scooted back to China. At his/her second or subsequent attempts, PRC returns with more realistic expectations.</blockquote>
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Indeed, over the Christmas period, I've had more than a few reminders (i.e. stories from various new acquaintances whom I've met) of a common factor which affects one's migration experience -- social support, or lack thereof. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i><b><a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2012/07/loneliness-vs-solitude.html" target="_blank">Migration can be a lonely journey</a>.</b></i></span></div>
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E.g. My good friends EM and AA decided to host a Christmas Eve party given that many of our friends are immigrants who have "no family to return to for Christmas". [Note: Christmas in Metro Vancouver is like Chinese New Year for the ethnic Chinese in Singapore, very much a family-oriented event.] There were many last minute inclusions to the party troopers -- via my "referral" alone there were 5, excluding one that cancelled due to work. According to my last-minute guest R, his friend K called him as he was heading to the party and <i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">"she was almost crying because she had nowhere to go"</span></i>. Of course, EM and AA quickly embraced yet another last minute addition to the party. There was only 1 Canadian (EM and AA's neighbour) at the party of 19. The rest were from France, the Caribbean (I don't know which countries exactly), Singapore, Malaysia, China, Iran, USA, Brazil and Japan. And the guest who cancelled was from The Philippines.</blockquote>
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Last Friday (a day after Boxing Day), someone mentioned in sharing with me, <i>"<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">You'll never know what will happen.</span></b> How long you'll live? How long I'll live? Maybe I'll die in 6 months. Maybe I'll die tomorrow. Maybe you'll get an accident and die tomorrow. Maybe I'll get an accident and die the following week. Who knows?"</i></div>
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I replied, <i>"Yes, we just have to take each day as it comes. Count each day as it comes."</i></div>
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I agree, especially when one thinks about <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/01/wind-and-clouds.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>“天有不測風雲,人有旦夕禍福。”</b></span> </a>["The skies have unpredictable storms, humans have sudden changes in fortune."] </div>
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Indeed, when I arrived home that evening and logon to Facebook, I saw a Facebook post by a Singaporean ex-colleague of mine thanking friends for coming to his wake and funeral. It was actually posted by his widow using his Facebook account. My ex-colleague passed away suddenly on Christmas Day while shopping in a mall.</div>
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<i>"You'll never know what will happen..."</i></div>
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I see that <a href="http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.ca/2013/12/what-should-i-expect.html" target="_blank">my friend Down Under</a> has been writing a couple posts recently (click <a href="http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.ca/2013/12/what-should-i-expect.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.ca/2013/12/when-should-i-leave.html" target="_blank">here</a>) advising the potential Singapore-emigrant to make up his/her own mind about whether to take that leap of faith. IMHO, he is very kind and patient. I would usually ignore those who are essentially asking me to make a major life decision on their behalf.</div>
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Come! Or don't! As you decide... but remember, you'll never know what will happen either way. The future is unknown.</div>
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E.g. There are those who came to Canada without a job/kin/kith who nevertheless settled-in. There are those who arrived with a job-in-hand, but life did not meet their expectations and/or various conditions change and they find themselves back to square-one, asking if they should stay or leave.</div>
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As ASingaporeanSon wrote in his blog entry "<a href="http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.ca/2012/10/13-months-of-perth-.html">13 Months of Perth</a>":</div>
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<i>"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>A committed decision</b> means we rarely regret the choices we made, even if they don't turn out well.</span> Each of these are opportunities for us to realise who we really are, the real self that we chose to veil due to societal pressure."</i></div>
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So true!</div>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-86503341476138441112013-12-21T19:03:00.003-08:002013-12-23T03:13:15.749-08:00Old Man Winter<div style="text-align: justify;">
While <a href="http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.ca/2013/12/a-letter-from-summer.html" target="_blank">my friend Down Under is fighting against Summer</a>, I am wondering when I'll get used to Old Man Winter. He likes to play games, as seen in the advertisement below.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QMc9Vlr0mkQ" width="420"></iframe><br />
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In fact, this year Old Man Winter gave a sneak preview of his plans for White Christmas 2 weeks ago. Thankfully he left after the weekend sneak preview.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqthLKTtIGi1_xEYZbERw2klALw1EnToB3HzxhyphenhyphenYv0K8Wm_TBxGJyAuTTlAGg_mGP8jWNNNPiVaYDIbTBXdOZgYFN07OPZxPS66mG3JQktuvl8zzW_MlXUO_wL-8XOCSqokf1XL9yncGw/s1600/20131206_Richmond_WinterChill.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqthLKTtIGi1_xEYZbERw2klALw1EnToB3HzxhyphenhyphenYv0K8Wm_TBxGJyAuTTlAGg_mGP8jWNNNPiVaYDIbTBXdOZgYFN07OPZxPS66mG3JQktuvl8zzW_MlXUO_wL-8XOCSqokf1XL9yncGw/s320/20131206_Richmond_WinterChill.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>[06-Dec-2013, 24-hour weather forecast]</i></div>
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Today, i.e. Winter Solstice, marks Old Man Winter's official arrival. However, the old one is ever so good with his publicity stunts -- he blew a good amount of snowfall all yesterday morning (and even into the early afternoon) to remind everyone to welcome the new boss for this season. See photo below of the "whitewashed with snow" school compound previously all-green in <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2013/12/schooling-in-metro-vancouver.html">my other blog post</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmR3uhhDBoAdVv5eIrkpx6GAvQtxxEMaRoqHT4bwMZh1Pd5RYd6QgDedSKlbelUxgvkbUKAI3gHv0AZJtgnE6hXHiWN23tPUoEBHKCZblhnbo_c5zQiFevbiyhtzhKALE7cwbhRnq-x58/s1600/P20-12-13_10.47_small.blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmR3uhhDBoAdVv5eIrkpx6GAvQtxxEMaRoqHT4bwMZh1Pd5RYd6QgDedSKlbelUxgvkbUKAI3gHv0AZJtgnE6hXHiWN23tPUoEBHKCZblhnbo_c5zQiFevbiyhtzhKALE7cwbhRnq-x58/s320/P20-12-13_10.47_small.blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>[20-Dec-2013, Children having fun in wind and falling snow]</i></div>
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Still I can't complain, <a href="http://asingaporeanson.blogspot.ca/2013/12/a-letter-from-summer.html" target="_blank">I could be fighting Down Under's Summer like ASingaporeanSon</a> instead. Or worse, Old Man Winter could have decided to extend his preview period, much like how <a href="http://www.orchardroad.org/christmas-light-up-ceremony-2013-2/" target="_blank">Singapore's Orchard Road Christmas Lights come up one month before the actual event</a>. In fact, back in <a href="http://winkingdoll.blogspot.ca/2010/10/why-canada.html">2010 when I first landed</a>, Old Man Winter launch his preview a month early, on 20-Nov-2010! Back then, a normally 15 minutes brisk walk was turned into 30 minutes worth of trudging (including several slips and "break-falls") thanks to Old Man Winter's frosty blessings. For now, <a href="http://www.theweathernetwork.com/14-day-weather-trend/canada/british-columbia/vancouver" target="_blank">his frosty blessings are expected to slowly melt away</a>, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-CYHcIvXO1YTlS-pfLLNJkj1LuspdYYQum_ena7jVH9EFtBlojIWgJQf7retPjux4JZRxUydo6Fl0ODAZAy-8N1tEyfzOOH32ZukzCLtmlf7u2PO_P31QaiFTzjcu7lt5idnI9Sglds/s1600/P20-12-13_16.31_small.blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2-CYHcIvXO1YTlS-pfLLNJkj1LuspdYYQum_ena7jVH9EFtBlojIWgJQf7retPjux4JZRxUydo6Fl0ODAZAy-8N1tEyfzOOH32ZukzCLtmlf7u2PO_P31QaiFTzjcu7lt5idnI9Sglds/s320/P20-12-13_16.31_small.blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>[20-Dec-2013, Dirty road-side slush from melting snow]</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijs1dIdGFuwxFG9Iffqk3-LCCli8xNIgm7ZHF_4jc__6-mkFQDeLeHFnHFzMNfLgCNP_h8GyGsoM5oC2z1lbasx1rgo0In7pP-cVJE3Zb4dppgCnJ0TtggNIp4ATYk5qIr0TVOefS-csw/s1600/20131221_Richmond_14dayForecast.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijs1dIdGFuwxFG9Iffqk3-LCCli8xNIgm7ZHF_4jc__6-mkFQDeLeHFnHFzMNfLgCNP_h8GyGsoM5oC2z1lbasx1rgo0In7pP-cVJE3Zb4dppgCnJ0TtggNIp4ATYk5qIr0TVOefS-csw/s320/20131221_Richmond_14dayForecast.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>[21-Dec-2013, 14-day weather forecast]</i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Happy Holidays and Best Wishes to all for 2014!</b></span><br />
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p.s. As they say in life, there's always a silver lining in every grey cloud. E.g. The snowy wintery weather makes for beautiful photo shots. E.g. If one has the time and is warmly dressed, it is nice to sit and observe what the creatures of nature do during this wintry season. I have seen squirrels (mainly brown ones and a black one) scampering around doing their "last minute Christmas shopping". Sometimes I also wonder about the birds -- the lone seagull who for whatever reason did not or could not travel with its flock. What would it do? How would it survive?</div>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5452590323401882895.post-76015807049264828232013-12-04T14:02:00.000-08:002013-12-05T10:31:06.151-08:00Barbaric posse<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span">I just saw a shocking photo of how "<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/passers-catch-tie-thief-chong-pang-market-20131204" target="_blank">Passers-by catch, tie up 'thief' at Chong Pang Market</a>" in Singapore today. You can read The Straits Times online </span><a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/passers-catch-tie-thief-chong-pang-market-20131204" target="_blank">news article here</a> <span class="Apple-style-span">and see The Straits Times <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151734568872115&set=a.10150602946322115.373647.129011692114&type=1&theater" target="_blank">Facebook photo here</a>.</span></div>
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IMHO, it is shocking how some commented that the accused deserved the barbaric treatment. From the photo: the accused was tied like an animal for slaughter and his hands and legs looks like they've turned purple -- a clear sign of insufficient blood and oxygen flow. Who will support this guy if his hands and feet are <a href="http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/test_procedures/cardiovascular/amputation_procedure_92,P08292/" target="_blank">amputated due to tissue death</a>? What makes Singaporeans think that it is ok to be a barbaric posse -- regardless of the crime committed?</div>
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[Note: I am not opposed to tying the thief up, but the posse should ensure that it is done in a way that does not harm the suspect. Deterrence should be just enough force applied, not excessive, otherwise IMHO the "deterrence" is really a flimsy excuse for assault.]</blockquote>
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In contrast, <a href="http://shine.yahoo.com/ellen-good-news/man-stole-woman-8217-wallet-won-8217-t-181400909.html" target="_blank">another story (from Oklahoma, USA)</a> shared on the same <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151734568872115&set=a.10150602946322115.373647.129011692114&type=1&theater" target="_blank">Facebook thread</a> by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gerald.f.heng" target="_blank">another commenter</a> illustrates how the story could have had a different ended. Long story short: Man stole woman's wallet, woman caught man, offered to pay his groceries, man cried and apologize profusely.</div>
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<i>"The last thing he said was, 'I'll never forget tonight. I'm broke, I have kids, I'm embarrassed and I'm sorry.'" -- Yahoo! Shine, Ellen's Good News, Tue Oct 22, 2013.</i></blockquote>
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Think again. Has Singapore devolved back to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens#Social_commentary" target="_blank">Charles Dicken's era</a>?</div>
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[Extracted from The Straits Times online]</div>
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"<a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/passers-catch-tie-thief-chong-pang-market-20131204" target="_blank">Passers-by catch, tie up 'thief' at Chong Pang Market</a>"</div>
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Published on Dec 04, 2013 at 8:33 AM</div>
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Alert passers-by foiled a theft yesterday, when a man allegedly tried to steal a fishmonger's takings while he was serving a customer.</div>
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The 50-year-old stall worker, who gave his name as Mr Ye, had been chopping fish when the thief was said to have snatched about $200 from a container on the counter at Chong Pang Market.</div>
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"He stuffed it into a plastic bag, turned around and ran," Mr Ye told Chinese evening paper Shin Min Daily News. "That's when I shouted for help."</div>
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His plea caught the attention of other tenants and passers-by, who caught the 55-year-old man and restrained him with cable ties.</div>
Winking Dollhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14045187430930181570noreply@blogger.com0