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Blog 8 - My take on Sony WF 1000XM3

Like anybody else, I hate the way Sony named these earbuds. Coming from an AirPod user, I developed a love and hate with these earbuds. Although I must say I will never go back with AirPod after using them. Here are my likes and dislikes after using them for several months now.   Likes: Noise-cancelling.   These earbuds will significantly reduce ambient noise. I used these while I’m in the living room with the TV on and I barely hear the TV. The TV is connected to a soundbar and the volume is at 30 percent.   I’ve also used these in a cafe, food court, grocery and mall and the noise cancelling is really impressive.   I’ve also used these while walking outside and I don’t hear the vehicles 1 block away. You will hear the vehicles if they passed you by.   Sound quality.   When I’m listening to Jason Mraz, Jack   Johnson or a similar genre, I can hear every beat. You can also adjust the equalizer in the app according to your sound preference.   Ambient sound. I really love this feature. Y
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Blog 7 - Some Canadian cultures that maybe shocking for new Filipino immigrants

“This is good, eh?” You might hear the “eh” at the end of each sentence with some native Canadian English speakers. It’s like the same with the “eh” of the Batangeno. Saying good night when leaving work even though it’s just 5 pm or earlier. At first, this is very awkward but I adapted already.   You don’t invite your coworkers to eat when lunchtime. Unlike in the Philippines, you always invite your coworkers to eat.   Sometimes I will just hear some of my coworkers sitting beside me munching their lunch.   There are no excursions. In the Philippines, during summertime, coworkers plan a getaway to a resort or beach. So far in my more than 15 years of living in Canada haven’t experienced it.   During summer sunset is 10:30 pm and sunrise is 5 am. During winter the sun is gone by 5 pm and rises at 7 am. In the Philippines day, time and nighttime always get an equal share of the 24 hours and there are only two seasons: summer and rainy season.   A vehicle is a necessity in Canada. In the
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Blog 6 - Unemployed, Covid-19 and autism

Generally, rainbows are considered a good sign. The picture was taken on my way to work and sadly it was my last day at work too. I was terminated without cause.  This pandemic or Covid 19 that we're experiencing impacted everyone at different levels of hardship. I don't think I have to enumerate them one by one but I'm pretty sure you know what I mean: from losing their jobs, loved ones and up to being quarantined or isolating.  In my case, it's a lot tougher because not only I lost my job, my son has severe autism too. My son is 13 years old and he's non-verbal. He doesn't know how to read, he's not potty trained, you have to help him when eating and the list of the things he can't do will pretty much fill this blog entirely.  Because of my son's condition, our lifestyle is very limited. My wife and I can't go out and take my son to a gathering. It's either my wife or I will go. Work schedules too can be challenging. When the pandemic broke
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Blog 5 - Should you migrate to Canada if your life in your country is already good?

This will be a very contentious topic. I’m not here to argue but to share my own views and hoping my views will enlighten you.  Before I migrated to Canada, I was working in a bank as loan staff in the Philippines for 7 years, I was still single and just completed my MBA from the University of City Of Manila. I can say I have a good and stable job and well educated in my own country.  I decided to migrate to Canada to start a family and hoping for a brighter future for my children and because of the health care system. I accepted the fact that if I migrated to Canada, my banking career will be gone and all my educational attainments will not be recognized. All of these were explained during the orientation for immigrants. I know everyone has their own reasons why they migrated to a different country and I will not be able to cover every reason.  In the Philippines "colonial mentality" very prevalent. It's a mentality of some Filipinos where other nations are superior and
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Blog 4 - Getting a mortgage in Canada

  Five big banks in Canada  In Blog 3, I shared my perspective about the pros and cons of renting and owning a house. Not unless you can afford to buy a house, then you don’t need a mortgage. First, you must have a full time job. Some banks require at least 6 months of continuous employment and proof that you’re no longer probationary.  Second, you must have credit history or credit score. In Canada, there are credit bureaus (Equifax and Transunion) that keep a record of all your financial borrowing whether active or paid. This includes credit cards, car loans and line of credit. Based on your credit dealings, the credit bureaus can generate your credit score. The acceptable credit score for most banks is 680. The higher your credit score, the better. In case you don’t have yet a credit score, some banks will accept a letter from your landlord stating you pay your rents on time.  Unlike in the Philippines, there is no credit bureaus. You must take a good care of your credit score becau
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Blog 3 - Renting vs. Buying (or mortgage) a house

 In Blog 2, I hope I was able to provide you an idea with regards to the cost of living in Canada based on my actual experience. Now, let me share my thoughts about renting or buying a house. Your rent is basically your expense in an apartment. You might incur extra $100 for water and electricity if it’s not included in your rent and another $100 for cable and internet. You don’t need to worry about maintenance, your landlord should be responsible for it. Also, if you own a car, you have to pay extra for parking. When you buy a house, you should add at least 50% on top of your mortgage payment. This consists of the following: 1. $200 for hydro/electricity. This amount will depend on the size of the house. The bigger the house the higher your bill especially during winter.  2. $200 for property taxes. This amount is dependent on the size of the house. The amount that I mentioned here is based on a $200,000 house. Property taxes usually increase every year. 3. $100 for water, waste and s
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Blog 2 - The Cost of Living in Canada

The map of Canada I've been living in Canada for over 15 years now and haven't gone back home since then. I can say that I can give you an idea of the cost of living here in Canada in case you're planning to move here. First of all, you need to know how much is the minimum wage in Canada. Every province has its own minimum wage and here in Manitoba where I live (one of the provinces of Canada), is almost $12 per hour. Basically, this will give you a monthly net income of $1,400 to $1,500 per month. The deductions in your paystub will be roughly 30%. This will typically consist of employment insurance, taxes, pension and health insurance premium (if any) just to name a few.  Isn't health care in Canada is free? The answer to that is yes and no. Health care is not really free because you pay it somehow through your taxes. You don't need to worry about the doctor and hospital bills. But for your medications, dentists, vision health, these are not covered by health care
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