Happy Horse Year! 马到功成！

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.

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.

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?

[30-Jan-2014, 年年有余 ]

Yes, we ate a pizza (the yummy Dr. Oetker thin-crust spinach pizza) which looks like a large gold coin 金币, western-style salad 生菜 [raw vegetables -- homonym with "growing wealth" 生财], and Goldfish crackers for 年年有（金）余／鱼 [fish -- homonym with "surplus"]. 

That's adaptation, I guess. I suddenly remember a book that I read as a teen -- "East Wind, West Wind" by Pearl S. Buck.

Wishing my readers: 

出入平安， [Exit and enter in peace and safety]

身体健康， [Good health]
龙马精神， [Vitality]

马到功成， [Horse's arrival brings success]

年年有余！ [Have yearly surplus]

The Elopement

DD and I are calling our plan to be legally married -- "our elopement".

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...

DD's sister exclaimed, "Without this, without that. That's not a wedding!"

DD's dad calmly remarked/explained, "They are not having a wedding, dear. They are eloping. It's just that they have the courtesy to inform us in advance."

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 "a very understanding and smart guy!"

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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.

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.]

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 just the Marriage Commissioner and 2 witnesses 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.

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Life is like a Cup of Coffee

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...

"Marriage is like a cup of coffee; it does not matter if you entered it holding nice-looking expensive cups or plain cheap ones. The only thing that matters is whether you enjoy the coffee."

New to BC, Canada

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.

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There are various immigrant settlements services agency. From my acquaintances' and my experience, "MOSAIC" and "ISS of BC" (Immigration Settlement Services of B.C.) are the 2 more professional ones -- good to approach them.

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.

Workplace Connections - guide newcomers with job search

http://www.mosaicbc.com/looking-work/workplace-connections-mentoring-program

Culture Connections - guide newcomers about life in B.C. and Canada

http://www.mosaicbc.com/settlement-services/general-support/culture-connections

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For public transport in Metro Vancouver, check:

www.translink.ca

For the weather forecast and warnings, check:

http://www.theweathernetwork.com/

For rules/laws regarding tenancy (i.e. renting a place/room), check:

http://www.rto.gov.bc.ca/content/rightsresponsibilities/default.aspx

For driving licence
"You have 90 days to switch over your licence after moving to B.C." -- ICBC website.

http://www.icbc.com/driver-licensing/moving-bc

For B.C. RCMP (police) news, check:

http://bc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=28&languageId=1&contentId=-1

For guidance on various common legal issues, check the Canadian Bar Association (B.C.) Dial-A-Law website.

http://www.cbabc.org/For-the-Public/Dial-A-Law/Scripts

To find a physician (i.e. doctor) taking on new clients (patients), check the online physician search from College of Physicians and Surgeons of B.C.
https://www.cpsbc.ca/physician_search

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Here are some other links that might be of use to newcomers.

Welcome to BC

Check here for the provincial government's website for guide about living in BC.

http://www.welcomebc.ca/Live/index.aspx

New to BC

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.

http://newtobc.ca/

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) - Information about government taxes and financial related policies affecting individuals in Canada. 

http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/menu-eng.html 

Financial Consumer Agency of Canada - Information on managing personal finances in Canada. Tools and advice to guide you from choosing bank accounts, mortgages to analyzing one's budget. 

http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/eng/default.asp

Skills Connect

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. 

http://www.skillsconnect.ca/

Foreign Credential Recognition Loan

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.

http://www.successbc.ca/eng/component/option,com_mtree/task,viewlink/link_id,1222/

BCIT International Credential Evaluation Service (ICES)

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."

Note: Fees are applicable for the above service. The fee charged depends on the evaluation needed to be done.

http://www.bcit.ca/ices/

Student Aid BC
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.
https://studentaidbc.ca/apply/eligibility

YWCA Metro Vancouver Mentorship Program for Women

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."

http://www.ywcavan.org/content/Connect_to_Success_Mentorship_Program/343

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For permanent residents/citizens facing hardship, there are various support services.

Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA)
The CMHA has a website "Living Life To The Full" which has a list of resources for those facing anxiety, depression, stress and other mental health issues.

Employment Insurance (EI)

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 Canadian Bar Association (B.C.) website gives a good overview of EI with links to Services Canada for the actual details.

http://www.cbabc.org/For-the-Public/Dial-A-Law/Scripts/Employment-and-Social-Benefits/282.aspx

Medical Services Plan (MSP) -- i.e. medical insurance

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.

https://www.health.gov.bc.ca/exforms/msp/premium_assistance.html

Fair PharmaCare -- prescription medication subsidy

Whatever your income, register for Fair PharmaCare so that no more than 4% of your net income goes to paying for medications.

http://www.health.gov.bc.ca/pharmacare/plani/planiindex.html#7

Home & Community Care

Persons/families who needs home and community care (e.g. home health nursing) may receive assistance from the Home & Community Care, see below.

http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=E2ED536A29A6405ABDB7248AF8E81648

BC Bus Pass Program
"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." -- BC Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation website
http://www.sd.gov.bc.ca/programs/bus-pass.html

HandyDART -- door-to-door public transport
"If you have a physical or cognitive disability and are unable to use public transit without assistance, you’re eligible to use HandyDART." -- Translink website
http://www.translink.ca/en/Rider-Guide/Accessible-Transit/HandyDART.aspx

Food Bank 

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.

Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, North Vancouver: https://www.foodbank.bc.ca/

Richmond: http://www.richmondfoodbank.org/

Subsidized Housing

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.

http://www.bchousing.org/Options/Subsidized_Housing

YWCA Single Mothers' Support Services

YWCA provides non-religous, wide-range support for single mothers.

http://www.ywcavan.org/content/Resources_/246

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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 seasonal job and/or volunteer at reputable organizations first in order to gain "Canadian experience" and Canadian references.

There are lots of resources available, but newcomers have to be proactive to seek them.

Come! Or don't! As you decide...

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.

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[20-Dec-2013 Footprints in the snow at dusk]

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. No 2 persons have identical situations, and thus each must forge his/her own way. 

Aside: Another thought I had was that until the 'aha' moment, 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.

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.

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.

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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. Migration can be a lonely journey.

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 "she was almost crying because she had nowhere to go". 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.

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Last Friday (a day after Boxing Day), someone mentioned in sharing with me, "You'll never know what will happen. 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 replied, "Yes, we just have to take each day as it comes. Count each day as it comes."

I agree, especially when one thinks about “天有不測風雲，人有旦夕禍福。” ["The skies have unpredictable storms, humans have sudden changes in fortune."] 

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.

"You'll never know what will happen..."

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I see that my friend Down Under has been writing a couple posts recently (click here and here) 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.

Come! Or don't! As you decide... but remember, you'll never know what will happen either way. The future is unknown.

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.

As ASingaporeanSon wrote in his blog entry "13 Months of Perth":

"A committed decision means we rarely regret the choices we made, even if they don't turn out well. 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."

So true!

Old Man Winter

While my friend Down Under is fighting against Summer, I am wondering when I'll get used to Old Man Winter. He likes to play games, as seen in the advertisement below.

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.

[06-Dec-2013, 24-hour weather forecast]

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 my other blog post.

[20-Dec-2013, Children having fun in wind and falling snow]

Still I can't complain, I could be fighting Down Under's Summer like ASingaporeanSon instead. Or worse, Old Man Winter could have decided to extend his preview period, much like how Singapore's Orchard Road Christmas Lights come up one month before the actual event. In fact, back in 2010 when I first landed, 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, his frosty blessings are expected to slowly melt away, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

[20-Dec-2013, Dirty road-side slush from melting snow]

[21-Dec-2013, 14-day weather forecast]

Happy Holidays and Best Wishes to all for 2014!

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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?