new school

I am currently enrolled in a Canadian College taking up three subjects for one term. I feel happy to finally put myself out there and get another degree. There are differences in the levels of learning but perhaps this is due to the circumstances that I am in.

First, with COVID-19, I am taking up asynchronous courses. These courses are not "real-time" and it is quite advantageous for me since I have a job to keep plus the time zone has a big time variance. 

Second, I noticed that the manner of course deliverance is "independent" meaning, students are expected to do everything by themselves. If they have questions, then that's the only time they ask for assistance. unlike our local college, where every instruction is supervised, professors in my Canadian College only asks for the output. It depends on the student whether they reach out to the professor or not because professors would not check out on you every time.

Third, I noticed that with online education, colleges are so conscious about plagiarism. Every essay requires a "turnitin" system whereby the essay is checked thoroughly for copy-paste issues or even ideas which are similar and un-cited are marked. With this strict plagiarism rule, students are required to cite everything, no matter how little the idea is, even if it's your own work.

Lastly, I noticed that students are making every effort in class. There's no competition other than oneself. Every student is responsible for his/her own grade, so everyone does their best to submit on time.

While I already graduated from a local university, it made me remember my efforts back then because I am doing exactly the same, if not more, now. The method of learning is different but my being a student is the same. I am giving my best efforts, doing my best in every single essay or quiz there is because studying in Canada is so damn expensive! 

exaggerations

I scrolled Facebook and saw how happy my friends’ posts are.

I’ve seen their husband, kids, and the little things they do as a family.

 

I’m not going to lie. Seeing those, I began to feel a familiar ache deep within me. I wondered whether I will have the same fate. I wondered whether I can be as happy as I perceive them to be with all the settling down and blossoming family life.

 

I closed my Facebook app and switched to Instagram. I saw the same thing. I saw smiling faces of celebrity couples lounging at home for quarantine. I saw newly engaged Demi Lovato. I also saw the other Demi, cheek padded as she just had a wisdom tooth removal surgery and Tim Tebow was capturing that moment. I even saw my close friend, having the time of her life with her new beau.

 

In that moment, I began to feel uneasy.

I know, we need to be happy for someone else. I always inject that in mind. But I cannot help myself from feeling uncomfortable. To put it bluntly, I felt a tinge of bitterness in my mouth.

 

What is wrong with me?

 

Seeking to find a neutral mindset I opened Google and searched for inspiring words.

 

“What’s yours will always come your way.”

 

Yes, right! I vehemently agreed.

 

“Be happy about someone’s success. Everyone has their own time.”

 

I pondered more heavily on that.

 

It is so easy to count the blessings of others and compare myself to them. I sometimes forget that there are perhaps few others who would give everything they’ve got to exchange with mine.

 

While I am anxiously comparing my life, I forget that I have so many things that I have that others lack. I may have 300 grapes, 200 apples and 0 strawberries, and I focused so much on the strawberries while I have 500 other fruits with me!

 

I realized that oftentimes, my biggest enemy lies in my mind. I feel negative emotions because I let my mind to it. The anxiety towards everything that I think I lack is easily elevated to make me think that I am empty.

 

It is in these exaggerations that makes everything extra heavy.

 

With these thoughts in mind, I opened my socmed apps again.

I felt lighter. I feel that we only show what we want to show so it is but right to see what we only want to see.

how's and why's

I am a force to reckon with.

I can be very passionate. I can be very strong.

I can take storms and dance with the waves.

I am happy knowing that I am resilient enough to withstand whatever it is that I am faced with.

I always try to be at the top of my game.

BUT…

Along the lines of control and enduring without breaking…

Along the swells of the waves and never drowning…

In the middle of it all, I lose that one thing that keeps me going.

I am so busy with the how’s that I end up forgetting my why’s.

new chance

Few days ago my cousin opened up about lacking of work, I was earnestly listening.

She told me, “I am over age, it’s so hard to find a job”

I truly understand what she meant and it brought me into thinking how I can possibly help.  Her predicament is one of the many factors why OFWs try their hardest to stick around overseas, some unfortunately, despite the mistreatment.

It drowned me to a thought about having youth as a major capital in the work force. But what happens when you quit from one job to transfer to another? What happens when you decide to change the course of your life after 30s? Only a few can because most companies never hire experienced staff for the entry-level jobs.

I remembered my former colleague who was 45 and told me how he wanted to change companies but can’t do so for fear of companies not hiring him. He said he will only resign when he’s hired by another company. He decides to stick around to the company since he was 20.

I am brought to a halt. Surely, working in the company isn’t the only choice. People can reinvent themselves to be their own boss, right?

I had a Eureka moment right there, I need to be successful in my own league to employ people whose chances are wearing thin, or so they thought.

Pondering on what to say, I managed to share my situation as well.

Being an OFW for several years gave me a comfortable life abroad. When I went home, I anticipated my lifestyle change. My savings were spent mostly on bills and necessities. I stopped shopping. I stopped myself from traveling because it will bleed me dry. I had all the time to myself to think of better ways to generate income.

Coming home was one decision that was never easy but it was essential. I didn’t want to regret not spending time with my family. I didn’t want to regret not having a break to sort some things in my life. Therefore, as my time is a great resource, I thought of more productive things to do with it.

My goal now comes to this ---- I want to create opportunities for people. I want to be the one that gives chances, to give a source of income to those whose capabilities are limited by age.

what's up, covid?

Hi!!!

I’ve been out of context these past few days and what better way to blow off some steam than to write it down. It’s funny that it is in these moments that I feel so vulnerably human.

2020 made it possible for people to pause, cancel plans and obviously, stay at home. Gone are busy commutes and invariably busy daily schedules.  Gone are our coffee chats, cafe hopping and dinner with friends.  With COVID, everything seemed to stop. Well, for the most of us who aren’t at the frontlines at least.

This pandemic brought innumerable effects: the lives lost, work termination and the devastating economic crisis looming in, may God forbid. So many things can happen and if we overthink, the negative impacts are far too scary to even ponder, the onset is almost tangible.

BUT… life is about HOPE. In a world of uncertainty, we look past the negativities and focus our time and energy on the “blessings in disguise”, “silver lining” and positivity, in general.

This sudden halt brought time for families to stay together. And when you stay together, you begin to notice the little details such as the aging skin of your parents, the receding hairline, and all other details you seem not to notice because on a daily basis, you were so busy catching your commute to work, even skipping breakfast not to be late. 

When you stay together, you share meals, you talk in dinners and discuss future plans. You begin to realise how aging make your parents look so old but so much wiser. You also cherish all the banters, gleeful boasts and jokes, even at your expense. You realise that with unpredictable future comes the responsibility to savour every moment you’re in it.

Staying at home, also allowed for proper communication to foster. You miss your people and you try to reach out, asking if they’re okay. You even miss people you don’t usually talk to because their presence symbolise normal. Normal is being around people you like and you aren’t fond of, right?

This pause also brought for some skills to be developed. I seem to improve my driving, being the family representative to groceries because my parents are both Senior Citizens and can’t go out. I also seem to improve my reading skills as I read books in some days, just to alleviate boredom. I have some friends who can expertly cook and bake now, whereas they’ve never cooked before the lockdown.

Truth be told, it also allowed me to have the time I need for myself. I watch series and movies that I missed out and when  I get impatient with these series, I switch to watching both baby and dog videos respectively. It never fails to put a smile on my face.

In moments where anxiety creeps in, I always find myself browsing at my old photos. The travels that I have made never fail to cheer me up. With this unexpected halt, it made me grateful for the chances that I took, the risks that I take and the decisions— good or bad, that I made. 

It made me see life in a different perspective. 

While money does not guarantee happiness, contentment did. 

I feel content knowing that I have lived my life the way that I wanted. In retrospect, I feel happy knowing that my life was well spent. It made me inspired to do more things once this pandemic is over.

It made me realise a lot of things. It made me want to fall in love. It made me want to live on the edge, because who knows what happens if I always play safe. It made me appreciate the quality of people that I surround myself with. It made me want to live honestly, sincerely, openly and by doing so, having to admit my feelings, taking the first move, even initiating what I meant to do, but never had the courage to.

While 2020, disabled most of us, it’s a matter of perspective. Spiritually, Emotionally and Mentally, it strengthened me. It enabled me to get past my boundaries and move forward with an earnest heart to work harder, be braver in my pursuits and be comfortable in the idea that what’s meant to be will always, always find its way. To rest my heart and mind in God’s intimate plan. <3

How I DIY-ed my Canada Student Visa application?

Is it possible to DIY Student Visa application for Canada?

The answer is Y-E-S!

I will lay it all out here, so stay tuned!

Timeline:

Jan 27, 2020 (MON)-          medical exam upfront at Health Systems Nationwide

Jan 30, 2020 (THU)-          submitted my application through the cic.ca website

-       received a confirmation from cic

-       Scheduled an appointment via VFS global in Cebu since Davao does not have any VFS office for Feb 3

Jan 31, 2020 (FRI)- asked by CIC to do biometrics

Feb 1, 2020 (SAT)-  rescheduled my VFS appointment to Feb 5 ( due to airline ticket price)

Feb 5, 2020 (WED)-            flew to Cebu for my 1:30pm appointment. Plane delayed for 3 hours 8:50am flight moved to 11:50am; reached VFS office at 1:23pm

Feb 6. 2020 (THU)- received biometrics confirmation letter (correspondence letter)

Feb 7, 2020 (FRI) -  received a passport request letter

-       Passport submitted

Feb 9, 2020 (SUN)- flew back to DVO

Feb 10,2020 (MON)-           received approval confirmation

Honestly, I never really thought that I would be approved so soon! Unfortunately, I had weak points in my application. One, I do not have a payroll as I am a freelancer and two, I was refused in Singapore a year ago.

I used to work in Singapore for seven long years before I decided to move back in the Philippines in 2018. I stayed for a year vowing to have a break so I did not apply for any jobs back home and spent my time traveling, staying home, keeping fit and I did freelance writing jobs while assisting my family in a very small business. In 2019, I have traveled to Singapore from a family vacation in Seoul. I have stayed in Singapore for about 24 days while I arranged closure of my Singapore bank account and packing those stuff I left. I traveled to Vietnam for a week and reentered Singapore to attend a Singaporean friend’s wedding before I head back home, I was refused.

I considered these points as a serious possible reason for the refusal and I was preparing myself for the worst. But lo and behold, my DIY application process was a success and the approval was a cherry on top!

I think that my approval was due to the fact that I made a lot of effort in the arrangement of the documents, the points I highlighted in my Statement of Purpose and I went beyond the usual “what is needed” to “what should be needed” by the visa officer. I also honestly think that my colourful travel history and the previous visas I had helped in this smooth approval. 

But for the record, it is very important to write the Statement of Purpose in a segmented way. Below is the format of my SOP:

The Introduction
- should comprise more about yourself, your credentials, your goals in the next 5 years or so

The Body
- your program taken, your purpose why you chose that program, your payment pattern, how do you intend to pay your tuition. (Helpful tip: bank account should cover your tuition, mention any grants received, the area of sponsorship, for example, parents are sponsoring your tuition, your aunt for your accommodation, your savings are for the daily expenses, etc.)

The Conclusion
- Plead not Beg. Plead your truth. Plead to the visa officer that their decision is an important step in achieving your goals. State your awareness to the responsibilities of an International student in Canada and Thank them for giving you a chance!

Document preparation:

I have spent a lot of time going back and forth so many blogs, vlogs, articles about the documents to be submitted. Important sections to be considered:

I.              LOA

-       Letter of acceptance

-       Academic diplomas (college, hs)

-       IELTS results

II.            Proof of Funds:

-       land titles (yours, sponsors)

-       bank statements (yours, sponsors)

-       car registrations (Or/Cr)

-       business registration (if any)

-        

III.          Passport and Stamps

IV.          Client Info:

-       Statement of Purpose

-       NBI

-       Medical Exam letter copy

FAQs:

1. Is IELTS necessary?

Fortunately, my school does not require an IELTS. But I did take IELTS anyway because I feel that applying for an Immigrant is a much better choice with Express Entry (EE) than Student Visa. When I received an “ineligible” mark in my EE assessment, I moved on and made the Student Visa entry my option

2. How long did it take for my Visa processing to get approved?

Without weekends, it would be a week!

3. What should I write in the Statement of Purpose?

I stated my current position and the general purpose of my application. I do think that it is necessary to choose a theme , my theme was positivity.

4. Should I declare any refusal of entry or refusal of previous visa application?

Yes, You should. I have been refused entry in Singapore and I declared it in the form. I supplemented this through the Statement of Purpose, whereby, I explained my position and the events that had transpired during my travel reentry.

5. Who should I get to be my sponsor?

Choose wisely. It is so much better to have your immediate family as sponsors.

6. How much do I need to have as proof of funds?

Approximately 1.2M or The larger, the better! Yes, size does matter! :P

Yes! this is it!

Hear ye! Hear ye!

I got a good news to share and I bet it is a pretty good opener after months of being an absentee here.

I’m getting married!!!!

LOL Nope.

My visa has been approved!

That’s it!

I am ecstatic as I have been hesitant for a year whether I’d leave PH or not. And don’t get me started on how I made it possible… it took a lot of effort, time, money and PRAYERS!

I have been reluctant to move to Canada for several reasons--- primary reason being too far from PH, where all my family members are plus not having a relative in Canada at all.

It took me months to finally convince myself that I need to move forward and Canada is a safe choice! I have made the application myself without an agent and how I did it? Well, I will try to write another blog post solely dedicated for that.

I am grateful for the doors that have been closed on my face because it provided me with a forced closure. (lol) I mean, I wouldn’t dare move on if not with a deliberate sign saying, “hey, you’re not welcome here!” So yes, God moves in mysterious ways.

I thank all the people who helped me in achieving this. My parents who backed me up the moment I decided it’s a go. My sis and her fam, for the support and a number of friends who extended their time, effort, money and prayers to me!

I’m not getting married and maybe it will take a loooong time for me to say that! But who knows?

BUT for now,

See you soon, Vancouver! 