Thanksgiving 2015

So I thought I'd take a break from my New York travel stories to just get a breather and give thanks. It's the week before and come Monday, it's finally Thanksgiving in Canada.


This will be our 3rd year celebrating this Canadian holiday. We don't necessarily follow traditions by having turkey, making pumpkin pies, and the whole shebang of a feast. To tell the truth, I can't even remember what we did last Thanksgiving. We are still trying to find our groove and make our own Thanksgiving traditions at the moment, but we are getting there.


It is that time to give thanks...formally. I say this because I have been thankful ever since arriving in Canada. For every single day that we are here, it is a thankful moment. It may seem cliche to say this but our lives have forever been changed.


There are just a lot to be thankful for. On this third year since immigrating, one simple thing that I am grateful for is that life finally seems to be settling down, normalising. It might seem boring that I talk about life becoming more subdued but it's true. A lot of upheavals may seem exciting at first but it can become too disruptive if it goes on too long. I'm glad we seem to have past that now.


So that's what I am thankful for this Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

Newcomer Stories: Why Thank You, Driver

Instagram photo by jamie250196

Thank you.

Such simple words but not to be taken lightly. If said in the right context and spirit, it yields a powerful reaction, both in the giver and receiver.

I've recently developed the habit of thanking the bus driver as I step off the bus, arriving safely at my destination. I never really noticed it that much until I did it with such gusto that I was actually looking forward to thanking the driver when I get off.

Yes, the transit system here in Canada is effective and efficient. But the bus drivers take caution and attention with each individual trip that I think the single "to and fro" wherever still warrants a sense of gratitude. Don't you think so?

It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling, giving thanks for the small things in life. Thank you, Bus Driver, for getting me home safe and sound.

Newcomer Stories: Second Year

Well, the past year had definitely been a year to remember.

Some major "firsts" happened for our family here in Canada:

We plunged into the Canadian mortgage system with our first home...

My eldest started university....(Can't believe I have a university learner. OMG, I am so old...)

I got my Canadian certification...(my highest educational achievement ever...wow to me!)

On the other side of the coin, a lot of the changes have started to slow down for us. I suppose this is part of the settling process. We welcome routine and normalcy taking roots now. Nothing like stability and peace of mind setting in. To be frank, I have found that we have grown quite old to be too bold and adventurous. The desire to roam and see the world is still there, but the fire...alas, she is contained and not as wild as before.

But who's complaining? The year had certainly been filled with blessings galore. And I can't express the gratitude and pride I feel right now. Two years and here we are. My only wish for the coming year is that there would still be many more blessed years to come for us here in Canada.

And so we go onwards to Year 3 :-) Click here to read how we fared on our first year.

Newcomer Stories: Getting Our Home Hooked Up

Besides all that is involved in finalising the purchase agreement, there are still quite a few things to arrange before the actual move-in day. These things don't really have much to do with the purchase but more on how equipped your home will be after you move in. Take note that the following list applies to my experiences in Mississauga, and I am not sure if they could be similar in other places in Canada. Here are a few things to remember:

Water connection and waste management

The Region of Peel controls water connections in Mississauga. It is advisable to apply for your account at least a week before your move-in date. If like us, you've bought a resale home (meaning they are not newly built homes), the previous owner might have already informed the local municipality of their intention to disconnect. It is therefore important for us, as new owners, to apply for the new account so that there is no break in service. The water account will also include your waste management account. If you are a new owner, you will need your proof of new residence so you can get free garbage bins.

Electricity

In Mississauga, Enersource takes care of all electrical needs of the residence. Like The Region of Peel, it is advisable to inform Enersource that you are taking over at least a week before your move-in date.

Gas

Enbridge Gas covers the gas distribution in Mississauga. Similar to the other two utilities place mentioned above, ample notice should be given to Enbridge to hook your connection up.

Cable, Internet, Phone, Security

There are really a lot of choices when it comes to these services. I'd probably fill up the whole blog and then some if I had to name them all. The two biggest TV service providers in Ontario are Rogers and Bell TV. They normally offer discounts if you bundle other services with them, like internet and phone or mobile services. They even offer security alarm services. I felt though that since they were the biggest players in the market, they tended to be a bit pricey. There are also the alternatives, the small players, if you want to shop around. You might have to chop the services up into different providers but that's just the way it is. I found that it was very difficult to compare services and offers. There's always something better that each provider has over the others, but then you can never get away from the bad stuff each provider has as well. For me, the choice here is personal. Definitely a "whatever you need or think you want" scenario and so your choice should reflect that.

Moving
Last but definitely the most important part is to arrange for a hauling truck to move your personal stuff. If you've got a friend who can lend you a truck for this purpose, then by all means, go for it. But if you're stuck, then there is always U-Haul. The rates are reasonable enough. You can check out the truck sizes that are available, what sort of extra services you'll need (like movers, packaging materials, etc.), how long you'll need the truck for, etc. It is all very flexible and easy to arrange.

I probably need to mention that all the above items can be applied for via the internet. For the utilities, I chose to do them telephonically since I had a few questions that I needed cleared up. But for U-Haul, it was a breeze. They'll confirm the availability of the truck one week before so you can be rest assured that you will be all set when moving day comes.

Newcomer Stories: Finalising The Home Deal



Last week, I spoke about a big milestone with regards our new life in Canada. After months of searching, we've found our first home. But our closing date was still 90 days away.

3 months was really a long time. Like most people, I would have loved to have availed myself of my new purchase as soon as I bought it. There's nothing like the excitement over a new toy. But with homes, of course, it was different. We would need time to prepare to move in and the sellers would need time to prepare to move out. I couldn't wait for the day but I had to. There simply was no getting around it. I had to be content with just "watching" the house from a distance. I drive by the area every chance I get, just so I could get a look. It's kinda freaky actually. From house hunters, we became house stalkers!

Deposit

Anyway, the days following signing the agreement were busy for me. I had to arrange to get the deposit to the seller agent. A deposit is different from the down payment that you put down for the house. The deposit is part of the down payment, and is paid to secure the purchasing agreement. You forfeit this deposit, if for any reason, you back out of the deal when you're not supposed to.

Home inspection
One condition of the agreement was that we had to arrange for a home inspection in the next 2 days to finalise the deal. A home inspection is very important since it reveals if there are any problems with the house. Should there be issues with the home inspection, you would be able to back out without losing your deposit, if this was highlighted as a condition to close the deal.

Financing

Another condition that may be attached to closing the deal was if a buyer gets financing or not.

Arranging for finance with the bank went quick since I already had the pre-approval. Down payments are normally 20% of the purchase price but if you are planning to put down anything lower than that, then an application to the CMHC (Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation) is required for mortgage insurance. Mortgage insurance covers the amount owed to the bank in case you default.

Just as a side note, a pre-approval does not mean a mortgage approval. The bank may issue you a pre-approval but can still reject your mortgage application at a later stage. Be very mindful of this. Fortunately though, there are quite a few financial institutions that cater for mortgages. Working with a mortgage broker might help in this case so that you can get the best deal that's in the market at the moment.

Legal
Last, but definitely not least, we had to choose a lawyer to do the property transfer. Although we did not know many lawyers (in fact, I did not know one at all), I relied much on recommendations. However, in the end, after I eventually made my choice, I realized that

a) Most lawyers charge similar fees to transfer property.
b) Transfer tax is inevitable. You will pay the exact amount as calculated.
c) A lawyer that's nearby is more convenient so that on closing day, it is easier to get the keys. :-)

Next week, I'll post about hooking up our home.

Writer's Workshop: Learning Recyclables

3.) Talk about one thing you learned last month.

Typical garbage day

I did not learn this new habit recently, but I do have a deeper understanding of it since becoming a homeowner myself last month. The pressure of learning is certainly on.

As opposed to the one big, gigantic green bin allotted to each property owner that we got accustomed to in South Africa, here in Canada, it’s almost some kind of street celebration when it’s garbage day on your neighbourhood block. The multi-coloured bins line up the street curbs like they were Christmas lights on a pine tree.

The green bins in South Africa were not too choosy and held every kind of waste imaginable. Be it organic, plastic, garbage, recyclable anything, non-recyclable junk, etc., whatever it can carry, as long as the weight is manageable and you can still wheel the bin out to the street, it’s all good.

Shortly after landing here in Canada, we learnt that this bad habit of ours, mixing everything up with no care in the world, was about to go. We were warned that our discarded items would not be collected if we erred on putting the correct garbage in the right bin. And since I do hate unfinished business with a vengeance (and I count uncollected trash as one of them), I decided to brush up on our city’s waste management programs.

Here’s a crash course of what I’ve learnt:

The green bins held the organics, the blue the recycling papers and container items, and the black box was for everything else that were not allowed to be inside the green or blue bins. On occasion, like every 2 weeks or so, there’s a collection for compost which goes into a brown bag. You are only allowed 2 black bags every week unless you can buy tags for additional ones. There are some weeks (very rare) that you can have endless black bags. I have no idea why...yet. You are allowed endless blue bins unless you ran out of blue bins, in which case you’d have to start putting your recyclables in a blue (or white), clear, plastic bag. The green bins here are mini versions of the ones in South Africa. You can throw out appliances and they are either collected or taken by other people. If you are not particular, you can drive around on garbage day. It’s almost like going through a thrift store. Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don’t.

Now that I got that all off my chest, the whole thing felt like a brief rap of information. It overwhelms me at the moment, all these do’s and don’ts, and heaven forbid I eventually put something out that is in the wrong bin, but I am happier to be learning to help the environment in some sort of way.

For the Peel Region’s waste management programs, see here.
 

Newcomer Stories: Buying a Home





Last month, we celebrated a milestone. After just over 18 months, we've bought our first home in Canada.

Pre-approval

It certainly had not been plain sailing. The Canadian housing market is crazy, to say the least. Well, in Mississauga anyway. I started off getting a pre-approval from the bank to find out exactly how much I would qualify for in terms of a price range. It did not take long. I got the pre-approval in a day. And the hunt was on!

Buyer agent

The most important part of the whole buying process was to get yourself an agent. We were no strangers to buying a home (since we've bought in South Africa before) but this concept of a buyer agent was new to us. We've always just dealt with one agent between the seller and buyer. But it was explained that it is always better to get a buyer agent yourself to look out for your interest since a seller agent will look out for the interest of the seller. It would be very hard for an agent to be unbiased (if he is representing both seller and buyer) because his commission would be worked out according to the purchase price.

The hunt

We were regular employees by weekdays and avid house hunters by weekends. I trolled the MLS website like there was no tomorrow. Our agent sent us daily emails about new listings in the areas that we were interested in. These new listings were sometimes not even listed on the MLS website yet so you get first dibs at looking at houses before the general public. We averaged about 4-5 houses a week for 3 months. I don't know if maybe the price range we were looking at was a popular range, but I found the housing market aggressive. Houses did not stay on sale for very long. Most of them were snapped up even before they got listed.

The offer, the bid and the win

The process is fierce, especially when there are other interested buyers. Competition is good but too much can be frustrating. When you are interested in a house, you make an offer. The seller agent receives the offer and discusses it with the seller. The seller may counter-offer. The offer goes back and forth until an agreement is reached. Now, when there are other buyers, their buyer agents try to outbid the offers, and a bidding war ensues. It becomes frustrating when you are unable to up your ante because of limited funds.

We've offered at quite a few houses before we found the one. We were involved in some bidding wars and felt that we would not win since we did not have the financial capabilities to outbid everyone nor could we waive conditions on our offer. We did not have competition on the home we eventually bought. We presented our offer on a Sunday night at about 9pm. Both parties were in agreement by 10pm. The process was seamless. We even got the house for less than the listed price, which was great for our pockets.

We had a few conditions attached to the offer, like arranging for a home inspection and bank financing. Once those conditions were fulfilled, then the offer is finalised. Our closing date was set 90 days after the signing of the document. And so, we are only allowed to move in after 3 months. I thought this was really ideal since there was still so much to be done with regards arranging and organising, as next week's blog post will tell you. Watch this space!

Newcomer Stories: First Year

I am thankful that by some great design, our first year in Canada went by unassumingly quiet. It arrived softly in the morning and blended in with the stillness of the night as it left. There was no big hurrah or feast. Just a pat in the back (from me to me) that said "Hey, you made it".

Our first year was not without its challenges. There were many adjustments made with work life, school life, home life. I cannot stress enough that our life is not the same as what we had in South Africa. Canada certainly had its alluring qualities. However, now after a year, it definitely was showing some of its cracks.

But we are not here to differentiate between South Africa and Canada. There are differences, yes. Stark differences. But comparing is not the purpose of why we celebrate our first year. I would then have to throw sticks and stones at both countries that had and has been good to us, which I am not prepared to do.

The other thing, of course, is that if we wanted the same things, we would not have made the move in the first place.

The truth is....I feel glad having lasted a year. I am hopeful that I will get to my second year, and my third, and fourth until I lose count. I feel content enough that we've made the right move. I appreciate what we've accomplished during our first year so far. I look forward to more achievements in later years. I feel blessed that there are still those who continue to pray for us and our success.

You see, there will always be the good and the bad...and in between, is what we make of it.

Here's to my family and may the future shine brighter than ever for us.

Newcomer Stories: More Job Hunting Experiences Within Canada

Didn't quite realise that by the time I posted part 1 of my job hunting experiences within Canada, I'll be finished with my second job hunt.

 

It's a shame that most newcomers encounter the problem of not having Canadian experience to be on the same playing field as the rest of the job force. I think I've mentioned that unless you're some kind of wonderful in your line of work, that the competition is stiff and fierce. Not to say, of course, that you should just give up and go home. It's more to say that you need to double your hard work and perseverance.

I did just that. Or I think I did.

After getting my first Canadian job at the start of the year and starting my Canadian experience meter, it didn't take me long to figure out that I've become marketable as soon as I got off the unemployment line. I wasn't in the best of jobs but being a newcomer, getting paid sure beats getting nothing. I continued giving my best to my company although I was on the prowl for a more suitable job.

And what do you know? I found an ad listed on LinkedIn. Now you will remember that I've had a previous slightly hit-and-miss experience with LinkedIn. But I still had faith. I surged on. I emailed my resume off to the address mentioned. There was nothing to lose on my part.

And by the next few weeks, I had a phone interview, 2 face-to-face interviews and a job offer at the end of it all. I was thrilled and happy. It was another adventure waiting for me.

Newcomer Stories: Ontario Health Insurance Plan

Even as many months have passed since our first visit to the doctor, I am still in awe with Canada's medical health plan. This was all very new to me. Most basics, like visits to the doctor, are covered by the health plan. For prescriptions and eye/teeth visits, you'll need to get extra health coverage. Normally these extras are offered at work or you can source an insurance company to help you with this cover.

 

But I digress. Going back to what I was saying...we are currently based in Ontario and we are covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). It takes 3 months of residency within Ontario to come into effect. We applied for the card a month before our third month and we got it the week we turned 3 months.

  

So I got a chance to use the health card when on a recent occasion, the Canadian Health Department sent me a form to inform me that my youngest child's vaccination was incomplete. She did have all the necessary injections. However, her last injection for measles given in South Africa was only for measles alone. In Canada, it specified that it had to be MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella).

 

There was a walk-in clinic near where we stayed. So one night, around 6pm, we "walked in" to the walk-in clinic. I explained my dilemma to the medical assistant, who looked for my health card and asked me to fill out a registration form. After which, I had to wait around 10 minutes before the doctor could see us.

I explained the situation to the doctor and she proceeded to give my child the injection she needed.  She completed the immunization record and asked me to send it along to the Department. And that was that. A total of a 30-minute visit.

As I walked out, I asked the medical assistant if that was it and she said everything was fine. To think, I did not even have to worry about the bill :-)

Newcomer Stories: Job Hunting Experience Within Canada

Borrowed photo

On my last post, I spoke about how my husband landed his first job in Canada even before we landed and activated our visa. He was in the mechanical trades and word in the grapevine is if you do anything in the trades, you are sure to find a job easier. Especially if you are specialised, which he is.

 

But not everyone is as lucky.

 

I, on the other hand, was more of a generalist accountant. My vice was that I had worked on too many things in my professional career, being an all-rounder, that I became too much of a non-specialist. So much for the "Jill of all Trades" tag....it was a good party trick but not good enough to land a job, just yet.

So I trolled the jobsites and that in itself, became my job. I was a professional jobhunter!

It was difficult the first few weeks on the "job" as a jobseeker. Although I could see that most of the jobs I've applied for were work that I could easily do, the issue was that I could not convince the employers enough to give me the job. A lot of it was the question of having Canadian experience but that's a topic for another blog post.

I attended a couple of free workshops at the local newcomer centre with regards getting my resume more noticeable and better interview techniques.

There's also a big hype around networking. I tried to do this but it wasn't something that I could build overnight.

On average, I applied to about 5-10 jobs a week, ranging from being an accountant down to being an administration assistant. I tailored my resume specific to each job application for each company.

And what do you know? My first Canadian employment came through a job post on Monster. I applied the methodology I learnt at the workshops, and I must admit, they worked like a charm.

I had spent a total of 1 month on a serious jobhunt. It felt like an eternity but I eventually got there.

I know not everyone has or will have it as easy and quick. Everyone is on a different timeline, I realised. But all I can say is, one must never give up. To keep yourself busy, look around at the local newcomer centre and see what free workshops are available for you. I always say you can never learn enough.

And lastly, don't be afraid to hit those jobsites. They are mines of job postings. Visit the following: Monster, Workopolis, Job Bank, Indeed, etcetera (to name a few).

To anyone in the boat still, good luck!

Newcomer Stories: Job Hunting Experience Outside Canada

After getting our immigration visas and deciding that we will be landing in Canada within a year, one of the things I undertook to do was look for jobs before we arrived in our new country.

 

We were on the job hunt before while we were still in the process of our permanent residence application. However, many have told us that it was extremely difficult to land a job especially when we were still out of Canada and were not even sure when we'd get there. So we halted the hunt until we had more definite plans.

 

And so the time came. The visas in our hands, we were just waiting for December to finally leave for Canada. I started the job hunt again in August. I had converted both my husband's and my CVs into Canadian resumes. I trolled and visited work sites like Monster and Workopolis everyday looking for opportunities. When I found anything that looked worthwhile, I would send off our resumes.

 

This was one way my husband found a job before landing in Canada. On one of the odd occasion I sent off his resume, the employer made contact with him via email. This was around November when he was contacted. The employer even went as far as doing a telephonic interview, phoning from Canada to South Africa, to determine if my husband was the right candidate. He passed the interview and all that awaited him when we landed was to visit the company, negotiate his salary and finally make his decision if he really wanted to take the job.

 

Nothing like being a little certain of your future in a new country, I say. At least, that was one less thing to worry about. It all seemed to have gone so easy. I was really so proud of him.

Newcomer Stories: On The Other Side Of Fear Lies Freedom

From Pinterest

A few weeks into my new country, one winter day, early in the morning, while waiting for my bus at the bus stop, a young lady approached and chatted me up. At first I was a bit dismissive and aloof. Deep inside though, I was more scared than anything else. My mind was racing and thinking horrible thoughts. What if she was a robber, had a gun, had a knife, etc.? My defences (which were trained in South Africa) came up and I could hear my mind thinking of escape routes.

She smiled all this while and brought out a pamphlet from her bag (which I thought might have been a knife or whatever). And then she proceeded to tell me that she was a Jehovah's Witness and that she just wanted to share some of God's teachings with me. I mean this with no disrespect, but I have never been so happy that somebody told me that they were a Jehovah's Witness until that time. I felt relieved (not because she was a Jehovah's Witness but) because she was not there to harm me.

I suppose more than the teachings she shared, she taught me a more valuable, blatant lesson...That my life in Canada was very different to my life in South Africa. I knew this before but it was never as apparent and clear as day until then. Living in South Africa sure has taught me to be overly cautious and alert...and scared. And I realised that that was not such a life at all. My illusions of being happy in South Africa sorta died a little that day. I would never have had that kind of talk in a bus stop. I would never be caught dead in a bus stop at all. Period.

We discussed the teachings for a short bit while I pondered my newfound realisation of freedom. I must admit I enjoyed speaking with her thoroughly. My bus came and I had to leave, but not after exchanging names and kind words and hopes to maybe cross paths again. She was aptly named Gloria.

Newcomer Stories: Getting Into Catholic Schools

 

One of the biggest worries as a parent when you embark on such a big move across oceans and seas is to make sure that the kids suffer as less as possible.  Regardless of how difficult and chaotic this time can be for you (or me in this case), the kids must never feel too traumatised with the move. In short, their lives must go on.

 

We timed our departure from South Africa to be the month of December because that was when schools closed and we thought it best to let the children finish their respective grades. Around January, after being in Canada for a month, we started looking for schools around the area we lived in.

 

The choice was made easy by the school catchment system applied here in Canada. Basically, each school has a boundary map and if you stay within its boundaries, your child can be enrolled into that school. In Ontario, I found that each area usually had 2 accommodating schools - one public school and one Catholic school. Both types are public schools, funded by the government, except that there is religion teachings in the Catholic schools.

 

As a family, we had decided before landing that we would be enrolling the kids into Catholic schools. We went to a newcomer information centre, where we booked to have assessments done on the kids. Although the kids were allocated to their levels based on their age, the assessment was also  important to assess that the kids would be in the right level. My kids were promoted a grade higher. My younger one would have been grade 4 based on her age, but was put into grade 3 since in South Africa, she had only finished grade 2.

 

We gave in our address and the information centre confirmed the schools that my children were going into. At the school, we went to register the children. Documents that were required for registration were birth certificate, proof of address, immunization record and ID passport. At the elementary school, we also had to produce my youngest's and my baptismal certificates. You see, to attend a Catholic elementary school, it is compulsory for one of the parents of the student to be Catholic and for the student to be baptised in the Catholic faith.

 

For my eldest, who was attending high school (or secondary school as it is called in Canada), all she needed extra was to buy a few sets of school uniforms. Her baptismal certificate was not required as all students were accepted regardless of their faith.

All in all, it was an easy registration for them. I was glad. As a parent, it's always a great feeling to know that with so much uncertainties around us and our situation at that moment in time, something was going right. The kids were all right after all. :-)

Newcomer Stories: Mississauga Library System

I've always loved books and reading and I secretly blame this hobby for blinding me years before. But more secretly, I really just love it to bits. I've encouraged my kids to love the library as a source of endless information and knowledge. Reading is probably one of my passions that I can't ever live without.

 

Without a doubt, I am a regular patron of the local library. So coming into my new home/city, I decided to check the local library out. There are 18 libraries in the city of Mississauga. I went to the one nearest me and I must say, I was not disappointed. The library is bigger than any libraries I've ever been to. And in my eyes, the privileges of becoming a member at a Mississauga library are just too great for words.

 

Inside a Mississauga library

You can borrow a whopping 50 items at any given time. Fifty! That is a big wow! Items include books, DVDs, CDs, audio books, e-books, etc. And the abundant choice does not hurt either. The whole collection of items at any Mississauga library is at your disposal. And to top it off, you can even book, renew, place a hold on an item online. I just love a library keeping up with the times. The normal borrowing time is 3 weeks, which is not really that bad at all.

 

It is very easy to get a library card. All you need is some identification with a proof of address (that you are a Mississauga resident), and presto! Library card in hand.

 

 

I was like a child in a candy store. I just couldn't help myself. To say that my first trip to the library was an exhilerating experience would be an understatement. It was definitely something more than that for me.

 

In my excitement, I checkout a total of 18 books (Missy's books included). Didn't exactly reach the 50 but wait for me to get over my initial shock :-) I'll be getting my rhythm back.

 

My 18 check-outs

 

Newcomer Stories: Immigration Sentiments

Fork in the Road - Borrowed Photo

Looking through some stuff and found this old unblogged post of mine. Seems like eons ago, when in fact it has only been 3 months. Just goes to show that not everything immigration is great...and not everything is stinking bad.

 

"Funny.

 

You'd think that waiting for a whole year before activating my Canadian permanent residence visa would make me more prepared for what awaited me. But it didn't. Immigration affects people differently and there is no amount of research that really prepares you emotionally for a new country.

I was very happy to have landed in Canada last December. The timing was perfect. My kids were only finishing school then and I was still working until October to gather enough money to bring across.

 

It was winter in Canada that time and the family experienced different levels of snow. We had a look around the Greater Toronto Area the first few days and Montreal over the holidays. It was a break. But it didn't feel like one to me. You see, I've been out of work since November and being a bum for so long has not been sitting well with me. Of course, I neglect to mention that during this time I was also studying to take exams and packing stuff to take to Canada like mad.

Anyways, getting back to it, my feelings of anxiety were more compounded when hubby got a job, and family and friends kept asking if I've found one myself already. Hubby put it down to "You're not seriously looking yet, so why are you worried?" A statement that was relatively true. I shrugged it off but nevertheless thought about it endlessly. I applied to about 5 advertised posts a day with no luck.

When we eventually came back to Toronto, I furiously continued my search. Still no luck. I moaned about it everyday to my husband. After one week, I had to change my tactic. It was slowly driving me psycho, this not-having-a-job state.

So I concentrated on the search less. Registered with some newcomer centres, attended some job search workshops on how to improve my resume and interview tactics. Hired a rental and learned to drive the "right" way in the wrong side of the car. With kids already in school and hubby left to start work in a faraway land, getting the driver's licence became priority #1, then getting a job.

Don't get me wrong, I still applied to jobs when I actually sat down to it. But I did that about twice a week for about 2/3 hours (Fixing up the resume to match the ad is SOOO time-consuming. I've got like 8 different sets). Plus to pre-empt people from asking, I'd post regular updates on social media to tell them how we, the family, were doing. Like in about every 14 or 15 days. I did not say too much as I was in the doldrums and I did not want to infect anyone else with my "depression". This became my therapy.

Licence-wise, as mentioned previously, I went for my G1 and passed. Booked for my G test 2 weeks later. The rental was expensive and I had to make a plan fast. Was all nervous at the test, like I haven't been driving for 15 years. The Etobicoke centre had the reputation of being the 3rd highest fail rates in all of Ontario. Examiner tells me to turn right and I indicated to turn left. Of course, that was not "right" (pun intended) as I needed to get onto the highway. So he reminded me that I must turn right. Did some hellraising stunt on the highway like only a Joburg woman driver can...in my super mini rented car. In the end, he had no words to say. I looked at him crushed but he just handed me some paper and said "It's a pass". A "pass" for comments maybe?

I am thrilled at the good news. Immediately went to Tim Hortons and drowned my happiness with a hot chocolate.

But of course, the crux of the matter is I was still jobless and I needed to change that situation. As I was not getting callbacks applying at accounting jobs, I decided to play up my other strong suit, the ADMIN. I applied for admin support, admin clerk, admin assistant, anything admin....with a bit of bookkeeping involved, naturally. Tailored my resume one Sunday evening for 3 jobs, remembered all that I learnt at the job search workshop and applied those to my resumes and cover letters. And my resumes were off!

The Monday after, every single one of them phoned for an interview. Yes! Finally my foot in the door...or their boardroom/office door at least. Can't wait to dazzle. The first 2 interviews went well although it was established around midway the interview that (a) I was not suitable for the position I applied for, being admin, and that (b) they had other plans for me anyway and they just wanted to see me. Both came back with offers although one of them offered a not-really-so-bad unpaid accountant intern position. I went with the paid one, of course. And I am happy to say that I have now been stricken from the unemployment roll....for the time being.

So I think this has been long enough. I now have to go out and celebrate and buy myself a Tim Hortons. I think I'll go to the newcomer centre and just hang out. Be a bum one last time before I start work. Can't go update my status just yet because it's only due on the 15th. LOL. Maybe I'll keep this news for myself for now. I'll research cars instead, 'cause there's free printing at the centre. Plus my daughter just SMSed to congratulate me and is hitting me for a $25 weekly allowance now. So I'll go klap her one."

 

Hahahaha....Can't help laughing at my own jokes. I am so glad to have put this down just as a reminder that the immigration experience was not all roses for me. Not at first anyway. Funny how 3 months pass by so fast.

Newcomer Stories: Passing Your Driver's....Again - Part 4

Borrowed Photo

Part 3 was here.

In my mind, because of my nervousness, I did a lot of things incorrectly. In my mind, I thought of other things that I could've done differently or better. I clouded my own judgment. So in my mind, I may have failed.

 

But I didn't.

 

That was a great feeling right there. As David, my examiner, signed the sheet that announced that I had passed my driver's exam. I was relieved. And happy. It could have been that David was just such a nice guy that he decided not to fail me that day. But I suppose he would need some true justification that I could drive and behave myself on the roads of Canada.

 

For people taking the test at the Etobicoke centre, I'd like to share the drive routes that I took when I did my G test. From the Etobicoke test station, it was a right onto Eglinton Avenue West (70kph zone turning into 60 kph before you reach the turn). Drive straight on and turn right again into Renforth Drive (which is a 40 kph zone with the famous pedestrian crossing right in the middle of the road). A few blocks down, it is a left into Eringate Drive (50 kph). Here you drive further down before you reach the onramp to the highway, you will be asked to turn right into one of the small streets to make an emergency stop and 3-point turn. After which, you will have to return back, turning right into Eringate Drive and then finally getting onto Highway 427 (100 kph). You will take the offramp for Burnhamthorpe Road and will turn left on this street, followed by a quick lane change to the right to catch the onramp back onto Highway 427.

 

Then you are requested to change lanes to the left and to the right, do some overtaking of slower cars and other manouevring prowess.

 

You take the offramp to Eglinton Avenue West and turn right on Commerce Boulevard. This area is a business district. I don't recall seeing a speed limit sign in this area so I have assumed that it is 50 kph. After travelling Commerce Boulevard, you turn left on Matheson Boulevard East. You then turn left on Explorer Drive and then right again onto Eglinton Avenue West, where you will be heading back to the test centre.

 

It was nerve wrecking admittedly but I think one should not over-analyse stuff at all when taking these kinds of exams. There is always something that can be done differently. And the best is just to be prepared.

Newcomer Stories: Passing Your Driver's....Again - Part 3

Borrowed Photo

Here's last week's post.

So the day of the driver's test arrived.

The 2 weeks prior to the test were a blur. I had been practicing my driving in and around Etobicoke, knowing that I would have to be familiar with the roads to pass it.

 

And I don't know what happened but I suddenly got very worried about parallel parking. I've always been very comfortable about parallel parking in South Africa (and loved to show off everytime I can) but somehow the tricks I learnt doesn't seem to be taking too much effect here in Canada. It seems this driving-on-the-right-side-of-the-road-and-wrong-side-of-the-car is really affecting my judgment on distance. I had to re-learn how to parallel park. It was hard. I even watched a couple of YouTube tutorial about it.

 

As I was saying, so the day finally arrived. I was there 40 minutes before my test began. Reported at the centre but was told to stay in the car and the examiner will arrive after. I stayed quietly in my car and watched a couple of people who were also taking the test on the parking lot. It was funny. But they all made me even more nervous.

 

There was this old lady who was taking the test in a maroon Hyundai, who came racing down the parking lot and stopped right beside the pylons that were marked for parking. I watched as she was asked to do the parallel parking in front of the centre. I could barely believe it when she reversed into the spot so fast that basically although there were no pylons at the back of her car to indicate another car, she had already hit the "invisible" car with her back bumper. I wondered if she'd passed. From her looks as she got out the car, she did not. She went inside the centre and came out with somebody else. And her young companion took the driver's seat as they left the parking lot.

A couple of cars came into the parking lot and parked on the designated waiting area. One of the tips that was suggested, and which I am glad to share, is that when you pick a parking, you must always reverse-park your car. This way, you have one less thing to worry about as you get out of the parking lot.

And so after another 20 minutes after the old lady left, the examiners came out all at the same time to "pick" their cars and drive test applicants. I was praying to get a kind enough examiner in David. David was a tall guy who introduced himself and really tried hard to make me feel comfortable.

He checked all around my car to see if the indicator and brake lights were working as well as the car horn.

I was very nervous and told David prior to driving around. David reminded me that he was not an instructor and will not be "instructing" me on what to do. He will make certain requests from time to time and I must perform the actions "when it is safe to do so".

And then we were off. Onto Part 4....

Newcomer Stories: Passing Your Driver's....Again - Part 2

Borrowed Photo

Last week, I spoke about having to retake my learner's and driver's licence test in Canada.

In Ontario, you pass through 3 stages. The first stage is the G1, which is the learner's test. Once you pass the G1, you are eligible to take the G2. The G2 is a driver's licence that has certain limitations while driving. Once you have gotten the G2, you are able to drive on the road. However, you are given 5 years to obtain the full G licence. The full G licence is also sometimes referred to as the full driver's licence.

 

I took both my learner's and driver's at the Etobicoke DriveTest centre.

To book for the learner's test, you have to physically go to the DriveTest centre and book it. You are then photographed and undergo eye testing. At this stage, I also produced a letter from the Department of Transport in South Africa to confirm that I have been a driver since so and so and that I do still have a valid driver's licence.

This letter of confirmation from the Department of Transport is important as it allows you to waive the wait period between taking the G1 and G2 or G. Further, if you can prove that you have been a driver for 2 years, you are allowed to take the full G test immediately, again, waiving the wait period between G2 and G. This is of course, once-off and should you fail to pass the G at this point, you will have no choice but to take the G2 on your next attempt.

So I took the learner's test. The learner's test was easy enough but of course, being the experienced driver who supposedly know everything, my stomach was in a knot while taking the exam. Some of the questions looked a bit tricky but since my stomach was already all mushy, I used my gut feel to answer, LOL. The exam consisted of 20 questions about rules of the road and another 20 questions about signs on the road. You have to get a minimum of 16 correct on both sides of the exam to pass.

And it looks like my gut did not spill. I passed comfortably on the first attempt. Now onto the full G. Bring it on! I went out with my piece of paper (with the pass mark) and booked for my full G driver's test.

It was scheduled in 2 weeks' time. Part 3 this way....

Newcomer Stories: Passing Your Driver's....Again - Part 1

Borrowed Photo

I'm probably not the first one to say this....nor the only one....but I find it odd that Canada does not recognize driver's licence from certain foreign countries. In short, they do not allow direct conversion and insist that experienced drivers (such as myself) pass the local learner's and driver's test again.

 

I have been quite nervous about this step prior to coming to Canada. I've even printed the manual off the internet to learn the rules of the road again. I needed to learn the rules to pass the learner's and then apply the rules that I've learnt whilst I am taking the driving test.

 

I suppose there is merit as to why Canada asks us (me in particular) to retake the driver's test. I have only been accustomed to driving on the left side of the road, on the right side of the car. Here, the setup is that you drive on the right side of the road, on the left side of the car. It is an easy enough concept to follow but to change the way the mind thinks is another thing. I sometimes find myself driving too close on one side.

 

I decided to rent a car and practice my driving on it. It seemed a good idea at the time. I know some people who also advise to take some driving lessons before undertaking the test. Of course, "experienced drivers" would mean that there could be some lurking, creeping bad driving habits. And if you have any, you have to get rid of them.

 

My foreign driver's licence allowed me to drive around Ontario for 3 months after which the licence is no longer valid. So I had a deadline to get my Ontario licence pronto.

Hang on for this 4-part series on getting your driver's licence in Ontario. Part 2 is up next.

 

For more information about Ontario driving and licencing, please visit the Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) and the DriveTest website.