We got our PR Card

We finally got our PR Card on the 10th of August 2015. However it wasn't without much "drama". Since we are still busy preparing for our travels, I'll spare the details. Furthermore I have my beef with CIC which I will write something here in the weeks to come. We should not have gone through what we have gone through. Yet CIC, in their "infinite wisdom", let it happen. <So, watch this space>...

Both my wife and I will like to take this opportunity to thank the following people for their help in making it possible:

• Liberal MP Geoff Regan's Office and his staffer Afton Doubleday
• Liberal MLA Patricia Arab and her staffer Sadie Ghosn
• Canada Post Halifax (Almond St.) staff Carol, Dianne, Donna and Dave
• Greg and Mei at 5800 South
• Our friend Anthony Cheah for his advice
• My bosses at Magiclamp Software 

Thanks for all your help and understanding. Now we can go back home for our visit with peace of mind.

CIC has no way of sending legitimate request and consideration for urgent processing of PR card for new landed immigrants

 I write this blog entry because there is no other place to send a complaint. So I suppose the best way to do so is to put up in the web and spread it through social media (twitter, facebook and even linkedin). My hope is that someone else, who will be in the same shoe as me, does not have to go through the ordeal that my spouse and I had to go through with CIC.

Let me begin by saying that I’ve lived in Canada for well over half a decade (6 years to be more precise). Of that time, I was on study permit for PhD and also later on a work permit. I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia with my wife and little baby girl. We recently purchased a home here and are integrating well with the community. Both my wife and I work with local IT companies. I work as a Senior IT Consultant building state of the art Canadian made software products and my wife also works as a Senior Consultant with a management-consulting firm. All these are what the Canadian government (federal and Nova Scotia provincial) wants, which is attracting foreign talents to spur the economy and help with paying off taxes to the CRA.

So we decided that we would want to hang around a little longer here and thus applied for our Canadian permanent residency status via the Nova Scotia Provincial Nominee program. We finally got our “confirmation of permanent residency” letter early on this year, which is some where in April 2015. Considering the weather then, we decided to postpone our landing a little later. When the snow finally started to melt, we drove from Halifax straight down to Maine. We crossed over back to Canada via the Woodstock POE on the 2^nd of May 2015. Despite having a letter from my employer kindly requesting consideration in speeding up our PR Card processing, the border guard agent who attended to us, did not accept the letter, as it wasn’t part of the standard protocol.

My job as an IT Consultant requires me to travel to the US from time to time for demo and software implementation purposes – mostly for a period of 3 days in a row after which I’ll return back to home base in Halifax. But due to not having my PR card ready yet, I was not able to do so and that severely impacted the resource planning for the company I work with.

At the time of crossing (landing), the date on the PR Card processing time for new immigrants as stated in the website, http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm-card.asp was about 41 days. Seeing that my wife is on a years maternity leave and that both of us have not return to our home country for well over 4 years, we decided that we ought to go home soon (my wife has to return to work in September this year). But due to the PR card, we decided to buy a ticket that’s a little further ahead of time (with added buffer). Eventually we bought our tickets to fly back home to Malaysia for somewhere around mid of August 2015. This gives us well over 3 months from the time of landing to have the PR card mailed to us.

However as the time progressed, the average days it takes to process a new immigrant’s PR card extended beyond 41 days. At first it went up to 50 odd days, and then to 60 over, and then to 70 over and eventually to 87. Every time we get close to date that ought to mean our application should be process, the days get changed again. In other words, the goal-post keeps on getting shifted as we came close to it. Thus it was hard for me to reason to them to check the status of my PR card process when I called the call centre. The typically answer I got was exactly what I find in the website. After over many calls, I had a kind agent who was willing to hear my story somewhat and eventually helped to check the system to see at which stage our PR card processing is in. But he stressed that he could not alter the speed it takes. Although I wish that wasn't the case as it was already too close to our flight dates.

As I’ve mentioned, it’s been over 4 years since we return home. And since I am working, I can only afford a maximum of 3 weeks of vacation. Thus I would like to maximize my time spend over in Malaysia with my love ones. Although I was told that we can apply for a 1 time entry visa for not having the PR card yet, it boggles me that we had to wait well over 3 months to have anything send back to us! Especially in my situation, where I am still considered a new landed immigrant. Having to travel to the Canadian embassy (which is not in Malaysia but in Singapore) and wait about 3 days to get the visa would easily shave away a good chunk of my time back home just to deal with red tape that shouldn't have happen in the first place.

Where am I right now? Well as it is when writing this blog entry (5^th August), we still have not receive our PR card yet. And we are only 2 weeks away from our flight. Well done CIC! I appreciate your "concern" (note the sarcasm). I certainly hope that no one else has to experience what we are going through.

Moving to Canada (Part 2)

So you did the whole nine yards (went through the laborious task of filling in forms, submitting, medical, worry, interview etc etc) and now you got the welcome letter from CIC which says your application for Canadian permanent residency has been approve. So what now???

First of all, welcome to the club. Any thoughts of where you might want to land? You should probably start thinking of that now if you haven't.


Well, each province has a not-for-profit organization that reaches out to newcomers and provide support and help for their settlement needs. If I am not mistaken in your acceptance letter/email from the CIC, they would have directed you to a website for all your newcomers needs.

I did a quick google and this is their site: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomers/ … /index.asp
Click on the 'Find settlement services in your area' link which would bring you to a google maps that hi lights the centres which provides these services on the map.

Take for example if you're heading to Nova Scotia, you'd be going to http://www.isisns.ca
PEI - http://www.peianc.com
Ontario - http://www.settlement.org/index.asp
etc etc.

There's also a good document guide from CIC which details things you need to know that answers your questions in terms of preparation etc.http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pdf/pub/welcome.pdf

The owner of the magazine, 'Canadian Immigrant', Nick Noorani (who was an immigrant himself) has additional guides to note for in terms of integrating in the job culture which is an extra for you to read if want: http://www.philipyeo.net/wp-content/upl … anada1.pdf
which is taken from his site: http://www.prepareforcanada.com that has immense information on what to watch out for.

Hope this helps.

Moving to Canada (Part 1)

Are you a fellow Malaysian contemplating on moving overseas? I don’t claim to know all the answers but I do know that depending on your background, age and ethnicity, the answer and the reason to this question may differ.

Chances are, if you are an average middle class non-bumiputera (non-sons of the soil) person like me, you might share the same reasons. Is it worth it? I can’t answer that right now as I am still on this journey. For me, I feel strongly that I want a better future for my children and giving them a level playing field compared to what they would have should they be brought up in Malaysia. No matter what the reasons are, I am sure you can agree to some extend that some of the recent happenings in the political landscape in Malaysia have put off lots of people and that includes me myself.

Having made this move, I’d like to share the different avenues towards coming to Canada, a place I chose instead of the usual places which most Malaysians would prefer to go to (e.g. Singapore, Australia, New Zealand or the UK).

The easiest step of course is if you are patient and much younger (note this is for an average joe. of course it is always easier if you have a tard load of cash – then you could go ahead an apply for the business class PR). So, let’s assume that you are a fresh grad with a few years of working experience under your belt. One move is to try to get into a masters degree course here in Canada. Of course, money would be a concern. But if you had good results from your degree, then, chances are you can apply for a stipend from your faculty and hope to have part or all of your education funded (if you are lucky, you might even have enough for your living expenses). Rough it out for a year or two and when you are done. Go and apply for a graduate work permit. Work for a year and by then you are qualified for CEC (Canadian Experience Class PR). Yes, with the recent change implemented this year, you’d only need 1 year of Canadian working experience to qualify to apply for the PR under this scheme. Prior to that it was 2 years.

Coming next, I’ll furnish with other methods to get here and perhaps provide some links.

Change

Having been in Canada for more than 3 years now has changed my point of view on many things. I know the title says going to Canada but infact I’ve already been in Canada for so long. However the process of integration is still ongoing and thus the name still has its value.

After a long absence, and also from the previous 2 posts, I’ve decided that I shall begin sharing my experience in terms of my process in acquiring landed immigrant status. That’s another phrase for PR (permanent resident) for folks here in Canada. So expect some additional resources and thoughts on a personal level from my site on the matter of Canadian PR, from time to time.

Chow for now!

Stereotype

Caution: This blog post may not be suitable for some folks.

To the Malaysian / Singaporean or South East Asian Chinese, I say be prepared, be really prepared. Why? “CHINA” that’s why!.

Having been here (in Halifax, NS particularly) for 3 years, it has only gotten worse. Gone are the days when Malaysian/Singaporean or South East Asian Chinese enjoyed the recognition of being different and coming from a country that is multi-lingual, multi-racial and some might say a mini version of America. Folks over here (the maritimers/ Canadians) and also immigrants from other countries from South Asia (e.g. India) and Middle East, mostly do not know of the existence of our progressive country. And therefore they naturally think that we folks are from China, per say.

Furthermore, having an oriental look doesn’t help either. They almost readily single you out you as a person from China. Don’t get me wrong. Its not that I don’t respect China. Infact, I have great respect for the country and its history. Hell, my roots, dates back to age old China. My forefathers came from Fujian province. Infact a lot of Chinese immigrants that left China before world war 1 were either from Fujian or Guangdong province (although the former was more than the later).

Many came to British controlled states like Malaya or Singapore to find for greener pastures. Others did travel further to the shores of North America (for helping out in building rail tracks). My forefathers from my maternal side came way before that – during the Ming dynasty and traded with local in the then famous Malacca port. They mixed and inter-married with the locals. So, yes, Chinese were keen maritimers themselves just as in other cultures from the west. What is different was that the Chinese were into trade and not did not fixate into expanding their land mass across the seas like the Spaniards, or the French and much later the English.

So, yes, I have a great deal of respect for China and its history because of my roots. But, not China as it is today! Particularly the young (those who are born 1986 or later) who come over to Canada to study due to the following reasons: (1) These are young Chinese who have in their entirely life lived in luxury. They do not know hardship one bit – ergo they come with the knowledge that they deserve better because they should. (2) Generally lack less than stellar mannerism.

Coupled with the fact that sleepy Halifax is quite a (WASPY) place – yes lots of White Anglo Saxon – these 2 combine makes it hard for any other oriental looking folks out there such as myself to assert their cultural difference. We (along with those such as Japanese, Koreans, Vietnamese, and some lighter skin Thais etc) might find it hard as locals tend to think that we all are from China and thus get treated as folks from there. I sincerely hope that more youths from China could improve their image. The other solution of course is to leave sleepy little Halifax for larger cities where there are significant number of Asians there and thus locals would be open to different types of Chinese.

Do You Really Need Cable?

As a student, you'll find ways to trim wherever you can. Well, even if you're working you might also think twice of spending the extra $. Here's one tip you can use for your entertainment needs. Instead of subscribing to expensive cable channel providers like Eastlink or Bell, pay the extra for a decent broadband connection (ensure you're getting at least 5Mb/s or more). With high speed internet, you can watch your favourite shows online at anytime you want. What's more, you don't have to worry about missing a particular show at a particular time. You simply have to visit the website to replay the show. Now, if you're into the flat screen TV and don't do online, then you might want to just get a digital dish and digital converter to hook up to your TV because basic channels are free anyhow - just like TV3, RTM, and 8TV back home. But better than that, they actually screen up to date shows. My only beef on TV channels are that they have extra long advertisement. Here are some links to sort you out if you choose the internet route.

Under the Showcase brand of Media products are a suite of channels to fill your appetite, simply head to http://shawmedia.ca/brands/default.asp and lo' and behold, you'll see a list of channels like Global, Showcase, Foodnetwork, SliceTV, HGTV, History Channel. (Note: some of the links are just website for the channel but do not have any streaming services)

And if you're heard of CTV, they are under another BIG media giant in Canada - Bell Media. There's no point going to each of their specific channel sites as they usually consolidate everything under http://www.ctv.ca/. Besides, they don't let you see everything for free only - although they are a some fair bits too as they have to compete for advertising space with the rest.

Last but not least the RTM equivalent of Canada is CBC. Play around with this link, http://www.cbc.ca/player/. You be surprise as sometimes they do have quality series too. Although some of the series have very dry Canadian sense of humor to it, so its hard to appreciate.

All major media mentioned above have their own news channel too. I prefer CBC, http://www.cbc.ca/thenational/watch/ as they seem to have a broader spectrum of things as well as better local coverage for each provinces.

So, there you go, before you decide to sign the dotted line for a 2 year or 3 year deal for cable, think again.

The Revelation

When I started this blog a long time ago (yes 3 years ago), I did it out of secrecy. I didn’t want my identity revealed for many reasons. However, over the years that fear has somewhat diminished. But, it is not because the fear is no longer there. It is because somehow, I believe that both of us have grown in strength and wisdom. As such, I am no longer using my psuedo name to submit an entry but my original id itself.

It is a breath of fresh air. I think there is more to write here in time to come. I expect to be more open. But as to the name of the blog which is goin2canada? Somehow, I wish I had a hold on gone2canada, but that’s already taken. So for now, I’ll stick with what I have.

Rising Temperatures

Technically winter is officially over. Although most folks on the ground won’t complain about the rising temperatures, the weather forecast has predicted a drop in the temperature to about 2C in the coming weekend.

Well, spring is finally here and sooner or later, I’ve got to change my winter tires back to the normal ones.

Strike Season Is Here!

First it was the HST increase to 15% after NDP took office.
Then gas prices started to rise.
Power goes up and up…
No wonder everything is increasing in price.

It is not surprising that everyone is asking for more. That’s we are hearing folks like HRM Transit, Dal, etc. are going on strike. Sigh! Tough times ahead for those living in Halifax, NS – one of the most expensive places to live in Canada.

Buying Groceries Pt 2

Another thing you need to know when shopping for stuff in the store besides getting discounts or bargains are what to buy and how to buy things:

• Before you feel that you are getting ripped-off, it is important to understand that unlike most developed ASEAN countries like Malaysia or Singapore, most items do not carry a expiry date here. Unfortunately Canada’s government does not have a very strict enforcing mechanism to ensure that retailers and producers come up with expiry dates for perishable products. So, sometimes you’ll have to bite your tongue and get with it.
• Confusing labels, yes it is a common sight here in North America that product labels and the offers shown in the brochure may appear the same!!! But do not be easily fooled, check and double check!!!
• Fish and cold cuts – if you’re buying fish, sometimes it is better to head to the fish monger and ask them to weigh it for your, rather than buying the fish that has been readily packed. That’s because the packed fish is weighed with the packaging itself and thus cost more than if you were to get the fish off the counter. The same applies for cold-cuts like your ham or prosciutto. Take for example, Atlantic Superstore’s PC brand 125g of prosciutto cuts in a package cost CAD$ 4.99 but may cost your CAD$ 3.44 over the counter. The same applies for things like bacon, tilapia, salmon, etc. as well
• If you need to buy nuts or bulk items like oats, choose to shop at either Costco where these items are sold in large containers but are way cheaper. Or if you’re not a costco member, then head to the store called “Bulk Barn”. Students get 10% discount on Wednesdays.
• Sometimes, you may want to look at shopping in stores like No Frills.

Buying Groceries Pt 1

So you’re a newcomer to Canada. Here are some useful tips when going shopping for groceries:

• Elderly shoppers would be able to get discounts when shopping at most of the stores like Atlantic Superstore/ Sobeys – but you may need some kind of identification for that
• Students do get some break as well. For example in Halifax NS, students can shop on Tuesdays at either Sobeys or Atlantic Superstore to qualify for a 10% discount on top of total amount spend (p.s. doesn’t not apply to pharmacy products and for Sobey’s, you’ll need a minimum purchase of CAD$ 25 for it to apply). Of course you’ll need to show your student ID first.
• Pete’s frootique store in Spring Garden Rd or @ Bedford has a Pete’s customer loyalty card which gives a discount upon the tenth transaction using the loyalty card.
• Look out for bargains. Go online or check out the weekly brochures from the stores itself.
• Collect coupons and use them at the counter. Don’t worry, most coupons can be used as many times on the same item which means that you can use 2 of the same coupon on a single product. And most of the time, you can still use the coupon despite the fact that the product is already on store discount and/or you apply your student/elderly discount. Where to get coupons? Besides the coupon section of stores, you can subscribe online to http://coupons.ca and order your coupons. Check out magazines as well.
• NOTE: its pretty common that stores personal do not update their price tag from time to time  (be it on the shelf or in their system). Thus always make it a point to check your receipt after making payment to make sure that you that you’ve paid the correct amount for the items you’ve purchase. When you realize that you may have overpaid for e.g. your apples, take it to the customer service outlet and point out the mistake. Most large supermarkets like Sobeys or Atlantic subscribe to fair price policy in which if they have overcharged you, then you are eligible to the item for free!!!

Tablecloth Moment

What happens when you have 2 computer scientist, a slice of heavenly cheese cake and a cup of Lunenberg coffee @ Sweet Hereafter ? Well you'll have tablecloth moment (literally speaking) - that's when you come up with great ideas and realize you don't have anything to write on but the table cloth that's right under your nose. Ok I borrowed that from the engineers, but it works with computer geeks too.

Summer @ Halifax

Some shots of the waterfront this 2011 summer

Slow growth

This year’s garden has been growing ever so slowly which is why I didn’t put any earlier photos. After a tough fight against the slugs, I guess we’ve finally manage to keep their population under control. Right now, here’s a shot of some of the veges we have.

This is our current vege profile – peas, lettuces, arugula, beans, broccoli,  cauliflower, radish, yu choy (chai sim), bok choy, mustard seed green, chinese mustard seed green, kohlrabi, swiss chard, strawberry, pepper, tomatoes

Blomidon Park - Bay of Fundy

We did a day trip down to Annapolis Valley and stopped by Wolfville and Blomidon Provincial Park.

Here are some photos the Blomidon cliffs.

 

Snow Storm and more…

Just some must do updates…

(Sadly speaking this blog has been badly neglected, however, that’s good news because life has been quite a ride and we’re living in the moment too much to realize that there’s a blog to fill up)

The Last Chapter For 2010

2010 seems to have gone by rather quickly compared to 2009. Probably that’s how both of us feel about here. Maybe because we’ve been more accustomed to things here as compared to 2009. Whereas before, we were still adjusting to many things.

I know of late, there haven’t been many entries. And I believe there was a long pause between summer and now. Often there aren’t many new things to share simply because we get too caught up in the moment and forget about taking pictures. Somehow, at least for me taking pictures puts me away from enjoying the moment. So its rather best to put my camera aside and relax.

Weather wise? Fall came – it wasn’t too bad although the rain was more frequent. This year, there isn’t much snow in fall compared to last year. Infact official winter is just 1 week away. But often we still get temperatures above seasonal.

We’ve just got the car fixed and with winter tires all ready. I also got the rear window wipers tighten on my own without having to rely on the mechanic. It turns out, the nut for the screw had already wore off and all it needed a replacement.

On another note, we found out of the existence of online group coupon sites like www.groupon.com , teambuy.com and etc. It gives us the chance to try out new places to eat or visit without having to break the bank.

Work has been tight – we got to press on harder to ensure that all deadlines are met and with perseverance make it through 2011 as well.

Much Awaited Update

Haven't had time to really sit down and sum up what has happen over the past few months. You'll notice the long gap between this posting and the previous one. I believe it is fair to say that what happen in the past would better left to be remember for another day.

Given time, I'll probably come back one fine day and talk about it... For now, it is best to just say, we're now experience autumn like weather. This is our second Fall and the leaves are beginning to turn. 

July the 7th

It is a date that will go down in infamy – well at least for us.

First of all Germany lost to Spain which means this year’s world cup would see a new title holder (either the Dutch or Spaniards).

Secondly we are now on wheels… Yes we got our set of wheels finally. This officially means we will be seeking more places to travel to during our spare time. p.s. motor pics to follow.

Last but not least… well, a good news to kept to ourselves for now :)
More will be revealed as we see fit.