Canadian Immigrants and Citizens Life Stories

Does eat fresh vegetables safe?

2006-09-18T11:15:00.000-04:00

If you think it is safe and healthy to eat fresh vegetables for your salad, think three times and read this following news below.

MONDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The number of people sickened by the E. coli outbreak linked to contaminated spinach from California's Salinas Valley has risen to 109 people in 19 states, while officials from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they have joined the investigation.( Read More from the source at Forbes.com)

Washing your spinach won't help either since the E. Coli bacteria is too tightly attached. You should trow your spinach you bought within this past few weeks and do not buying more until further warning is lifted.

My wife taught me to cook every vegetables and not eating any raw vegetables. As a matter of fact that is a very wise advise. What do you think?

World Peace

2006-09-17T01:31:00.000-04:00

I hate war. I love peace.

My favorite song:

Imagine
Writen by: John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

When oil price will be 65 cents a litter again?

2006-09-17T00:17:00.000-04:00

Fed up of paying high price of oil? I am. Since I bought my car 1.5 year ago, I have never bought oil for 65 cents a litter. The cheapest I ever got was around 71 cents a litter for a few weeks only. These last few months in the summer were really crazy. Oil price reached above a dollar for about three months. Now, it is cool down a little bit (around 80 cents a litter). Will oil price go down further more? I don’t think so. According Canadianbusiness.com, “Oil production in Iraq, the world's second-largest producer pre-Desert Storm, was virtually halted for a period of nearly 10 years due to the highly restrictive UN-imposed oil-for-food exchange. As a result, it was just a matter of time before growing demand and shorter supply would push oil prices up again.”

Alberta province is getting richer with this higher oil price. Their economic grow at full speed. However, what about the rest of us? The ones with just enough fix income and have to commute everyday. Some people have to choose eating lunch or buying gas to go home.

Strategies to survive in long terms high price gas:
1. Sell your North America cars and buy Toyota or Honda cars.
2. Move closer to where you work.
3. Ask George Bush to stop war in Middle East.

Bell Sympatico's Technical Supports is awful

2006-09-16T00:14:00.000-04:00

In Canada, big companies like Bell and Sympatico used to monopolize communications and Internet markets. They could afford to ignore their customers. While I worked in a small company, I often called our Bell sales representative, but they hardly returned my calls. Only after I call their manager, they call me back. On this Wednesday night and Thursday morning I had an awful experience with Sympatico technical supports. This was not the first one, but this was the worst ever.

This following story is the chronological what happened when I call the technical supports for help. I had a problem with my email. I call technical support and since beginning he sounded unfriendly. He said he had to recreate my email account. Since I hadn't been able to retrieve my email from this morning, of course I asked him if recreating my email would affect on my inbox account. He started getting upset, but he confirmed that my email would be fine. Then, he recreated my email account and then he asked me to delete and recreate my MS outlook account as well. However, in the middle gave me instructions, he accused me for not doing what he asked which as a matter of fact I did exactly as he said. He told me that I did it away too fast and sounded he did not believe me. Then, suddenly he hung up on me without any explanations. Even though I sounded upset of course because of this accusation, I never used any sarcasm or swearing language. There was no good reason to hang up on me.

The next morning, I call Sympatico’s customer service to complain and ask to redirect to tech support level II, after waited for 10 minutes, I got someone else from tech support online with me. However is not from Tech support level II. I found out that after the tech support doesn't know exactly what is she doing. Then, I asked her if she is Tech support level II. She told me she is level I. Then, the worst happened to me. Since she cannot resolve my problem, she told me to find a technician to come and fix my problem. As a matter of fact, according to Sympatico web site, I just found out that my Operating Systems, Windows XP is in the list OS supported by Sympatico.

(Note: My problem was I couldn’t access my sympatico email through web site and POP3. When I access through web site, I got blank white screen, and when I hit my send/receive in MS Outlook, I got error message “The TCP/IP connection was unexpectedly terminated by the server. (Error number: 0x800cccf). However, I do not have any problem accessing my emails in yahoo, gmail, hotmail accounts web site. Isn't it ridiculous?)

Then, I called customer service again and go though all stupid validity questions all over again every time I got transfer from person to person online, I got her transfer me back to tech support supervisor. He is more knowledgeable, but rushed through a quick fix. I could get into my email through web browser and finished with him. However, after I hang up I found out that even though I could get in to the email I still was not able to access my email. Then, I tried to close my browser and login again but I got a blank white screen again (my problem still exists). Until that time, I have spent about 2.5 hours (night and morning calls) and I got no solution of my problem. I use MS Outlook to check my emails, but I have to check online through web browser to check sympatico junk mail that often filter out legit email such as when I tried to renew my contract this year Sympatico sales sent me contract emails that were end up in junk mail box. That were all the pain I had to go through with one of biggest Canadian company.

Anyway, I also found out that people in one of sympatico forum has been discussed this grumble rude tech supports and unprofessional level and behaviors. I think to switch over to Rogers or some other ISP is one of my solutions now. As you know email is critical applications now a days, without them your business is finished.

That is enough complaint about them today. I wanted to let anyone who needs access to internet, think three times before to choose Bell Sympatico.

How to Lower Your Cholesterol

2006-09-13T22:57:00.000-04:00

Having a high cholesterol is a part of being Canadian I guessed. As most new immigrants have to work hard just to meet the basic standard of living in this country. They hardly find some time to do exercise. That is what happened to me too. I started working in the fast food restaurant for three years drinking their Coke and eating their high cholesterol foods. Then, I got used to drink coffee, doughnuts, and chips almost every day since many of my colleagues do. Last two months, I did feel so easy to get tired and heavy breath with pain in the chest when I ran just a few meters, so I did a general check up, and my family doctor told me that I have high cholesterol. I knew that eventually I would have this problem. I just need some verification to give me higher motivations to start exercising. So from that moment, I decided to do aerobics everyday with goal to reduce my weight by 10 pounds in a month.

It's easy to say to reduce my weight by 10 pounds within a month, but it is harder to realize it. The first month was the though one. I ran one day and stop for a week due the sprain after ran. I have control all my groceries by only buying fat free products or at least less fat. It has been two months now. I run 4-5 times a week now. I burn calories about 300-500 calories each times for about an hour exercise. Sometimes I go to gym and run in the treadmill with Hill program for 30-50 minutes. Another times I run 12-17 times around the soccer field each times. My weight has been reduced about 4-5 pounds from 181 pounds to about 176-177 pounds. I feel a lot more energetic and positive about myself.

My father always reminded his children to do exercise as much as we can. He told me that what the money that we are all after if after we were rich and enough money but we cannot enjoy it due illness.

Do you want to save money for the gym? If you live within this are
495 Sherbourne St. at Wellesley Avenue The gym opens for free to people living in this area only. You only need to register and that is it. Start workout the next day.

Tips to lower your cholesterol

How many more "friendly fire attack" to our Canadian Army should we tolerate?

2006-09-06T01:00:00.000-04:00

Canadian front-line soldier mistakenly killed by U.S. fighter jet.
By Donald McArthur, CanWest News Service; Windsor Star
Published: Tuesday, September 05, 2006

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A Canadian soldier was killed and dozens wounded, five seriously, when two U.S. fighter jets called in for close air support mistakenly strafed them with cannon fire Monday morning near the front lines of a battle where four Canadian soldiers died and several were wounded the day before.

Pte. Mark Anthony Graham, a member of 1st Battalion, Royal Canadian Regiment, based at CFB Petawawa, Ont., died in a friendly fire incident involving an American A-10 Warthog aircraft. Read More...

How many more Canadian Army should die before Canadian government stop supporting a battle that is not for the sake of our great Canadian country? Four Canadian soldiers conducting a training exercise were killed in Afghanistan on April 18, 2002, by a 225-kilogram bomb dropped by an American F-16 fighter jet. Now another Canadian soldier died because of ridiculous US "friendly fire" fighter jet again. The number our soldiers die in the real battle is 19, and 5 soldiers died because of "friendly fire" in Afganistan since 2002. (Source:CTV.ca) That is 26.3% died because of our "alliance", US. That does not count how many problems this issue to our society.
Such as this recent incident: a masked man attack on Montreal Jewish school. Why the government does not pull all our troops from Afghanistan and let them help our police clean up gang fights and crime in our big cities such as: Toronto that crime rate and gun fight have arisen lately? The answer is politics (I guessed)? These are a subject that so hard for someone like me to understand.

Parental Leave for Parents

2006-09-04T06:04:00.000-04:00

Do you have a baby? If you have a baby and you are a Permanent Residence or Citizen of Canada. You might eligible to apply for parental leave from Employment Insurance (EI). To be entitled to maternity, parental or sickness benefits you must show that:
* your regular weekly earnings have been decreased by more than 40%; and
* you have accumulated 600 insured hours in the last 52 weeks or since your last claim. This period is called the qualifying period.

To receive maternity, parental or sickness benefits you must submit an EI application on-line or in person to your Service Canada Centre. You should apply as soon as you stop working, even if you receive or will receive money when you become unemployed. Delaying in filing your claim for benefits beyond 4 weeks from the time your earnings have decreased by more than 40% may cause loss of benefits. Read more

At the same time you are applying for maternity benefits, you and your partner can also apply for parental benefits. If your wife is not working at all when she was pregnant, you still can apply for the parental leave if you are eligible in the above criteria. I knew this since I am in parental leave now. My wife could not apply for any benefits (maternity and parental leave) since she did not work while she was pregnant with our second baby. Due we have no other relative who can help us taking care of our babies, my wife needed my help, so I applied for parental leave. I took 22 weeks EI only, but everyone entitled could take up to 35 weeks for parental leave only. That is not without risk though. I might loose my job because of my leave period. Therefore, it is on your own discretion taking this option (do not blame on me). Employers suppose not to fire any employees who take parental leave or maternity leave, but who the hell knows what they will do.

Don't be to happy just yet. Your basic benefit rate is 55% of your average insured earnings up to a maximum amount of $413 per week. Your EI payment is a taxable income, meaning federal and provincial or territorial taxes, if it applies, will be deducted from your payment. There are two weeks waiting period as well. Be prepare to adjust your expenses if you have a single income (your wife was not working) like myself. The risk to have no income when you are ready to go back to work is very high. However, if your family is your first priority like mine, then, you should take this option no matter what is the consequences, isn't it.

I will share my experience with my babies in another blog forum Babies Talking . I have no regret to take some time off for my family even with risk loosing my job. I can always look for another job, but hey... I do not want to loose the most important time seeing my babies grow up. The experience seeing them crawling to walking and seeing them start talking are priceless for me.

Chinese Lantern Festival

2006-09-02T19:16:00.000-04:00

My family visited Chinese Lantern Festival in Ontario Place yesterday night. There are stunning 30 massive illuminated lanterns, created by over 80 Chinese master craftsmen. Plus you can see the dragon dance, bargain for Chinese handicrafts at the Chinese Marketplace, and see China featured movies at the Cinesphere. The show open every night from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm until September 4, 2006, and starting from September 7 – October 1, 2006 from 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm.

The Temple of Heaven was the place where the Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties would worship heaven, and pray for abundant crops. The temple was first built in 1420, and is a masterpiece of Ming and Qing architectural art. It is a precious example of China’s ancient architecture. The Temple consist of three main groups of constructions: the Earthly Mount (圜丘坛), the House of Heavenly Lord (皇穹宇), and the Hall of Annual Prayer (祈年殿). Read more.

From today September 2 – September 4, 2006 there will be Canadian International Air Show. The best viewed for Canadian International Air Show are from Ontario Place, The CNE or many other lakefront sites with a view of the water in front of Marilyn Bell Park. You CANNOT buy tickets specifically for the Canadian International Air Show. It is offered as a free addition to the CNE and is included with your admission price.

Do you like to enjoy the Ex and want to save money to see Chinese Lantern Festival? You can enjoy the Ex, Ontario Place and Chinese Lantern Festival with one fee only to the Ex $5 if you come the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) after 5:00 pm. Then, go to Chinese Lantern Festival before 7:00 pm (until September 4, 2006). If you want to enjoy more attractions in CNE you should come earlier.

We saw human cannonball in CNE main gate. It was amazing. Unfortunately, I couldn't take any more pictures due I run out of batteries. How to practice human cannonball?

Do you want to see more pictures? Go to the Ex yourself.

Successful New Immigrants Stories

2006-08-31T14:57:00.000-04:00

Source:www.triec.ca

Successful new immigrants who want to celebrates their success and want to share their stories with other new immigrants.

Marina Bakuntseva - Ukraine
She moved to Canada with hope a healthy future for her daughter, away from the after-effects of Chernobyl. They left the Ukraine in 2003. Marina has a Masters degree in Electronics Engineering, a Ph.D. in Physics, and experience in scientific research. After she arrived in Toronto, she took on "survival jobs" but couldn't find work in her field. Then, she gave up sending out resumes, and found her own way of searching. Marina visited three managers in one day and got three job offers - not the right jobs, but it was a start. And she learned to relax: to do yoga, meditation, even sports. You can't search all the time. One day, Marina spotted a job posting, got an interview, and now she has a contract position as a Researcher at the Office of Research & Innovation at Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology. It's the perfect job for her. She want to stay there a long time.

Costa Gino - Greece
He had been an IT consultant in Greece for six years, working in national and international projects. Costa decided to come to Canada when his friend shared his experience of the country. After three years in Canada he is glad he made that decision. Initially Costa thought he wouldn't have any issues finding work, but starting from scratch in Canada was tough. The first three months were hard. Then he started working on a project for the Town of Markham through Career Bridge. That was the ice breaker. He is Self-employed IT consultant now, working chiefly in the financial industry - with enough business to soon be hiring new employees.

Read More

Canadian Racism history

2006-08-31T01:58:00.000-04:00

I just realize that no countries in the worlds have no racism in their history. As Canada government that always promote themself as a multicultural country, happened to have many histories of racismn in this country. A riot that happened in Vancouver 1907 is one of them. The riot's principal roots lay deep in an anti-Asian sentiment that had been smouldering for years in British Columbia. This racial antipathy reached new heights in 1907. On September 8th 1907, the riot started out as a parade staged by the Asiatic Exclusion League. Eight or nine thousand turned out at city hall for series of inflammatory anti-Asian speeches about the “yellow peril”. After getting the mob worked up, the leaders encouraged them to march through Chinatown, where they looted and burned thousands of dollars worth of Chinese property. Source:www.canadiana.org

After I read this history above, it raised my concerned regarding Canadian government's immigration policy that brings more Asian immigrants every year. I am afraid if that kind of riot will happened again sometime in the future especially when the unemployment rate high among other race of Canadians. Since most of the new immigrants settle in three big cities (Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal) we have very high competition among professionals for jobs. I just hope this will never happened again in such a great country to live like Canada.

Toronto Zoo

2006-08-29T11:01:00.000-04:00

We went to Toronto Zoo yesterday. It was wonderfull day and we enjoyed it so much. The Zoo is open at 9:00 am and close at 7:30 pm, so you will have a lot of time to explore the big zoo. I need to go there 4 times at least just to see all the display animals. I suggest you go in the summer is the best time since the Toronto Zoo displays all of their animals. In the winter time, the tropical animals is not displayed due to the weather. I tooks hundreds of pictures and video using my Canon A75 camera in the Toronto Zoo. So if you want to go there, do not forget to bring your camera or video and don't forget to bring full charge of batteries.

There are five domains in Toronto Zoo. They are: Indo-Malaya, African Savanna, Americas, Eurasia, and Canadian Domains. You will need to get your map and meet the keepers schedule at the main gate when you get in to the zoo. Check out on the meet the keeper schedule, and you can see the animals clearly when they are feeding them or you can get a good information about the animals. Check out also for some special events before you go.

Admission fee Information
Directions to the Toronto Zoo
Accomodations

Sharing my experience as a new immigration in Canada

2006-08-27T02:21:00.000-04:00

I want to share my experience as an immigrant from year 2000.

I came here alone to settle first in the city I chose to live, Toronto. Special thanks to my cousin family who helped me found an apartment before I landed and let me stay in their apartment for three days, so I did not need to spend the night in a hotel. If you happen have no relatives living in Canada, do not worry since there are plenty of community centres that can help your family settle here.

I came in the summer, and a day after I move in to my new apartment, I walked along Bloor St. and Yonge St. to familiar myself with the city of Toronto and at the same time look for any jobs opening in stores and restaurants. As a results of walking along those two streets above and applying jobs for a week, I got two phone calls for interviews in fast food restaurants. Right after two weeks, I got my first job in Canada. Eventhough it wasn't my line of job in computer networking as my background, I was proud of myself for this accomplishment since I can keep my saving I brought from my country for my educations later.

I knew that I have to update my knowledge and get some Canadian certifications, so I applied in Computer Networking program in one of public Colleges. Unfortunately, they rejected my application due my English skills level wasn't as high as the admission level. They suggested me to take some English course for College. I took a weekend course in that College and ESL class every night to improve my English. As a results, a year later I got admission to two of programs (E-commerce and Computer Networking) in that public College. I decided to pick E-Commerce.

After I graduated from an E-Commerce program, I applied hundreds of jobs opening in E-Commerce field, but no one invited me for an interview. The only job interview I had was for Computer Networking position (from my background experience in my country). I got the job interview lead from one of my college professor contact. Eventhough I didn't get the job, this experience made me believe that the best way to find a job is from your networking contacts.

I get back to work part-time in the fast food restaurant while I kept applying jobs. I got one-on-one free help from JVS Toronto. The Employment Counsellor had helped me to build my resume based on new education and experience. She adviced me that with my background experience I should take some IT vendor exams and get a job in computer networking instead of E-Commerce. I couldn't follow up on that advice due tight budget since my wife just came to Canada.

While I worked volunteer in The Dorothy Ley Hospice during my spare time, there was a friend who gave me an advice to take whatever necessary requirement the employers need to get my dream job. This second persons adviced the same thing. Then, when my wife got a full time job, I couldn't wait any longer to take another courses for Networking Engineering diploma program with focus on getting IT vendors certifications. I got my MCSE, CCNA, ACE, CNA, A+, IT Project+ certifications and Network Engineer diploma just in one full year (2003).

By the way, did I mention that I still love Canada regardless the hardship I had since I lived here?

With a help from my career counsellor in my last college, Trios College, I got a month contract job from an agency in a computer warehouse company. I worked hard there and a few days before I finished the contract I handed in my resume to the company director. As a results, two months later I got a call for an interview in that company. However, it wasn't a computer job again. It was a warehouse job. It wasn't that bad, since they paid me almost double than when I worked for the fast food restaurant. I got a year contract job in that computer warehouse. I took the job with a hope that I could get a job from an internal opening as a technician job later on in that company.

However, after 8 months working in that warehouse, I could not get any chance to move to another technical position. Then, I decided to take a part-time job as a Computer Instructor in a private College, so that I can keep myself uptodate with the technology. My perseverance paid off, as four months later I finally got an offer working as a MIS Support.

As a summary, the point I want to make here is that we should never give up, perseverance is the key. Keep trying different ways until you reach your goals. Within this 6 years I live in Canada, I have met a lot of wonderful people who are willing to help me. There are sometime I was home sick during my hardtime within the first 5 years, but now after we have two childrens in this country and after I finally got a profession job in the field I like, I will never look back since then. I became a Canadian citizen in 2004 and my wife became a Canadian citizen in 2006. Our childrens were born in Toronto, so they are Canadian as well. My family is Canadian now and we are proud to be Canadian.

After you read my experience stories and if you have decided to apply for immigration to Canada, please be prepare to adapt to the way Canadians live here and keep learning and never give up on trying.

Proud to be Canadian

2006-08-25T22:42:00.000-04:00

Regardless what other people said about how disappointed of them to immigrate to Canada in canadaimmigrants.com forum and Notcanada.com web site, I still want to say that I am proud and enjoy to be a Canadian. Here are the main reasons why I love this country more than from my origin or where I was born:

1. Peaceful country and the lowest crime rate
No ethnics or religions war eventhough in all big cities such as Toronto and Vancouver have so many different ethnics immigrants from all over the world. For this reason alone I felt that Canada gave me a big present by letting my family came to this lovely country. I felt very secure comparing when I lived in Jakarta for example. In 1997 when there were big riot in everywhere, we have to shift between neighbours over night to guard our home from the riot, eventhough we had paid some security guards to protect our properties. In Toronto, my wife was not afraid to go back to work very late (11.00 pm) night. However, I wouldn't let her go out alone after 9.00 pm in Jakarta. There are many fights between religions in many provinces, such as Maluku, East Timor (now independence country), Aceh, etc.

2. Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:
Guarantee of Rights and Freedoms, Fundamental Freedoms, Democratic Rights, Mobility Rights, Legal Rights, Equality Rights, Official Languages of Canada, Minority Language Educational Rights, Enforcement, General, Application of Charter, Citation
Many countries of Canadian immigrants origins have not as much as rights we enjoy here.
For example:
a. Minority Language Educational
My etnic is Chinese, but I was borned, Indonesia. I could not speak any Chinese language since an Indonesian government banned teaching Chinese language in any schools when I was still living there. I heard they are now open for Chinese languange, however, it's to late for me. I am a proud Canadian now.
b. Mobility Rights
Especially to go to capital city of Jakarta, we need special permit letter from the cities where we live or we will have to pay fined to the police who stop us. This fined is to discourage urnbanizations to a capital city.
c. Fundamental Freedoms
Some newspaper or magazine got closed because of printed some sensitive issues such as: religions, politics, etc.

3. Canadian Health Care systems
Excellent health care systems in Canada. In Indonesia, my sister have to pay a lot of money to deliver her babies in the hospital. As my wife deliver our babies in Canada and stay for one night in hospital for free since she has a health card.

4. On line Services:
a. You can find a lot of useful information at Canada’s official source of immigration and citizenship information for news regarding immigrations and citizenship, status of e-client application status, change address, payment fee, etc. You don't need to pay any lawyer to apply for immigration to Canada if you are applying as a Skilled Worker Class Immigration.
b. Many other online services such as:
Government of Ontario home page contains many online service links and informations such as: Moving to Ontario, Birth Certificates, Drivers and Vehicles, Employment Standards, Job Opportunities, Health Card, Identity Theft, Land Registry Offices, Starting a Business, Laws
Consumer Protection, Internationally Trained, Lottery Numbers, Road Construction, Road Map of Ontario, Traffic Cameras, Weather, Labour Market Information, Economy, Personal Finance, Looking for a job, Getting married , Having a baby, Divorce , Lost wallet, Personal loss, Moving, Retirement , More life events

5. Free educations from 3 years to grade 13 and loan for university or college educations in Canada. In contrast, in Indonesia we have to pay all educations fee since we are in pre-school and if you have no money, you are out of luck, there is no way you can get any education at all.

6. For the sake of my next generation, I would love to have my childrens growing up in this peaceful country.

I welcome everyone to make some comments to share their feeling about moving to Canada.