And her new universe

Hello friends, meet me here at the other side of the world. 

That is correct, for more than a month now, I have been living here up north (see the picture for a more detailed location). And finally, I am reunited with my husband. After a year of separation, we are now together. My visa has finally been approved; after all the tedious paperworks submitted and processed, we finally got our go-signal from the embassy.

And what did we do next? Book a one way ticket!

No.More.Waiting. 🙂

Leaving is of course difficult. It is not as if I have a ready luggage and can jump to the next flight available. It has taken me a month and a half to digest that I am finally going to where the four seasons are and will actually leave my tropical island for a while. Leaving the only home I’ve only known, leaving the coolest family behind, leaving that exciting and stress-filled job. All these have made my move bittersweet.

Anyway, I wouldn’t fill up this entry with my ramblings, but instead, tips on how to get ready, what to do when you arrive, and then, well, what to do later 🙂 This is for you, future immigrants!

Warning: this post is a long read. Sit properly, rest your back.

tip #1. Before anything else, ask yourself this: “are you really ready to move? your heart, your mind, your pocket, your whole being?” If you have qualms, please think twice! thrice! and then over and over.  Go ahead, say your prayers. 🙂

tip #2. Be patient. Paperworks and requirement compliance are no joke. Take them seriously. Follow instructions. Be organized and file them neatly. Sometimes your papers will be handed back to you for different reasons (incomplete requirements, medical condition, wrong forms), please do not panic and work on it fast. Usually, submission of requirements has  a deadline and if you’re not sure you can submit the files on time, please call the embassy or write them an email notifying them about the delay. If you have questions, please call the embassy. However, sometimes, the embassy doesn’t have any customer hotlines for visa applicants. The best way to answer your confusion is to read through the information kit you can easily download through their website. All the answers are there. Again, don’t panic.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index-can.asp

tip#3. “Good things come to those who wait”. Well, after you have completely submitted all the necessary documents for your visa application, the only thing to do now is wait. And while you are waiting, please check your email all the time. The embassy won’t call you on your landline nor on your cellphone. They won’t send you a mail too. So please try to open your email from time to time, including your spam. Sometimes, they would ask for additional documents. In my case, they asked for an Advisory on Marriages or a Certificate of No Marriage. You can get this from the very reliable National Statistics Office. NSO is quite fast and organized now. At least in my island that is.

tip #4. When you finally have your VISA, the embassy will also enclose a short orientation on what else to do. This may include the things and money you are allowed to bring. It may also include a few reminders before your departure. You may have to attend Pre-Departure Orientation Seminars. If you are a Filipino Citizen, you are REQUIRED to attend the PDOS. Do no miss it. Click this link for more information: http://cfo.gov.ph . You may also attend orientations sponsored by the country you’re migrating to. If you have time, or please do make time, please attend. They’re very helpful. I attended the orientation sponsored by Canadian Orientation Abroad. It’s Free. Go attend, it’s very helpful. It would include everything – from country’s history to the things you need to do when you arrive.  Canadian Orientation Abroad site: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/partner/bpss/COA.asp

tip # 5. Prepare the things you are going to bring. Make a list. Do not forget your original documents. Keep them handy and dont file them inside your check in luggage. Make sure you have a duplicate copy of your documents and put them in your check in luggage. Do not overpack. Based from my experience, the most important things to pack are: jammies, jogging pants, socks, sweater, sweatshirts, thermal shirts, rubber shoes, slippers.

tip #6. Relax. When you have all your docs, especially your visa and your passport and that PDOS sticker, i think you are good to go. Bring some money too. Have them converted to dollars beforehand. Do not buy dollars from the airport as they’re a little higher compared to banks and money changers.

tip #7. Pray. Go to mass. Smile. Cry a little. or a lot.

Coming Soon: What to do upon arrival and what to do later! 🙂

and the never ending seasons

hello summer. 

From where my husband is, winter’s already over – based from his stories, it was a tiny bit longer winter than the past winters. He said winter could put a gloom into someone. I don’t know what he meant, I haven’t experienced winter before. Tropics and monsoon – that’s all i have.

But yes, another season is over. And yes, your guess is right, no visa yet pour moi. Hindi uso ang express passes at whirlwind romances sa mundo ng mga nasa embassy. In other words, there’s no word yet from them about our application.

I hate to be melodramatic, but, when you wait, it feels like you gather up all your power and your strength, put them in a jar and then afterwards, put a lid on it . Like most lids, they are going to expand after some time; all contents would come pushing and pushing, until there’s no more strength to push. But the lid still, and as always, remains shut. It exhausts us, and it breaks down our every spirit.

Have you felt that before?

And then all the seasons come and go — summer begins, and then it rains, and then it snows once again.

Here you are still– left with the thought of when.

and her memories

History said this church was built in 1904; wow, 108 years of memories.
St. Mary The Virgin Church, Sagada, Mountain Province

Hi,

This post may be long. I have been meaning to write since late last year, but I guess, I didn’t have much time then.

I would like to write these down while they are still fresh from my mind, while I can still see them vividly in my head.

1. I received the most frustrating letter last December. It was raining very hard then. Our dear old street was, as expected, flooded with thigh-high waters.

The letter was from the C. Embassy.

My fiance (husband now) invited me to visit him in his country after our April wedding. Sort of a honeymoon. The entire year of 2011, we were preparing our documents; a property was even transferred to my name for more credibility; made several visits to the photo studio just to comply with the strict photo requirements etc. etc. ; completed everything; double checked the checklist; went through the entire thing again; made so many long distance calls to the embassy call center, etc. etc. — finally submitted the requirements — after two weeks — yun na, my world just fell apart; i never expected i would receive a refusal of entry to C.

That was the day before my best friend got married. (I have so many friends who got married this year!)

A year of prep, and all i had in my hand was a final letter from them. That night, I talked to my fiance (husband now) and told him that I couldnt join him back. Gaah.

I think I cried my eyes out that night. I had a big ‘why??!’ in my head and i fell asleep with it also.

When i think about it now, I still cannot pinpoint the mistake I’ve made while applying for that visa;  although, maybe, it isn’t my time yet to leave my flooded street.

But anyway, it would have been sooo nice…

2. Give-away. Most friends got married. December, February, September! I was fully booked. hehe. My friends have finally found their truest loves. Gone are the heartaches and all the bad feelings that go with it. 🙂

3. RIP. Our technician, FC, passed away before Christmas, December 15 — the happiest day for our business (bonus pay day). He was riding his motorcycle, along the main road, had a few drinks and slammed onto an incoming motorcyle. He was supposed to marry his long time girlfriend who was working overseas.

Even up to now, I still remember FC. There was one time I dream about him, the day before my wedding. RIP friend.

4. While all of these were happening, my fiance and I were also busy preparing for our April wedding. Separate post for this soon.

5. Our business opened a brand new store at the southern part of the island. It is the biggest. We got soooo busy. It’s usually the take off (before the grand opening) that has proved to be the most difficult part. Imagine an ample load of work in a very scheduled time table. A miss and a mistake can give you a domino effect and delay everything. At the take off is where the bulk of my work is.

We have experienced a lot of delays, but we pulled through and had a very successful grand opening week.

Thanks to JC.

This has to be it for now.

Love,

J.