3 years in Canada

Today marks my 3rd year of landing in Canada. 

I was chatting with my landlord after work. He remarked that I have made significant achievements (click here, here and here for examples), in establishing myself in Canada, in 3 years as a result of my hard-work. I noted to him that I was lucky because I've met other migrants who have not successfully established themselves in Metro Vancouver (B.C., Canada) despite having been here longer and having obtained Canadian citizenship. Indeed I've met people who are here more than 5 years, and even more than a decade, who still have not successfully obtained stable income.

Note: To be honest, by the typical materialistic Singaporean approach to measuring "significant achievements", I have achieved nothing of significance. Let's take a look at the 5C's for example: Limited cash, a credit card with a mid-range 4-figure credit limit (nothing eye-popping), no car (not even a valid BC driving licence), no condominium (still renting a room in a shared house), a career that is only just starting and currently part-time hours (still thinking about which specific area of specialization to work towards). Nothing to boast about. But that said, I am happy to count my blessings for 比上不足，比下有余。 [Literary: "Comparing with the superior leads to insufficiency, comparing with the inferior leads to excess". Meaning: "do not compare with others, for there will always be those better or worse off than oneself".]

My landlord replied that most immigrants to Canada who work hard, like myself, will be able to establish ourselves within that timeframe. Canada is a 正常社会 ["normal society"] where hard-work would be rewarded, unlike China where the hardworking ones will be bullied even more by society e.g. 能者多劳 [i.e. the capable will find themselves deluged with work]. I remarked that Singapore is similar to China in recent years.

3 years... decisions to be made...