Random Thoughts

​I'm currently watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and I just realized how far I've come from just reading blogs of solo Filipino travellers! 

As what I put on my bio, I was into these travel blogs (circa 2010) because I've never been away from home, never did solo travel, never tried out things because 1) I was too afraid and 2) we never really had the extra money to do non academic interests. I grew up too sheltered and I didn't know how it is to be independent or be fearless enough to pursue anything until my mom kicked me out of the house and flew me to Dubai. 

I was so amazed by what everyone was experiencing through these blogs that I wanted to try it out myself - which I did when I first experienced travelling for pleasure in 2015! It was supposed to be a budget trip to Eastern Europe (Romania) that we bought from Holiday Factory - and it totally changed my perspective. I felt so free making major decisions by myself that I've been travelling nonstop since then.

Going back, it got me thinking of my worst fear - living and dying in some far off place away from my family with absolutely no way to get home. Now I'm adding the fear of living a predictable and isolated life just for somebody else to live in comfort. I'm no martyr - I want myself (and Mr. A) to live our lives fully whilst still being able to handle our responsibilities. Maybe later on our minds will change but at this point, mind - and heart - lay elsewhere.

Dami hugot but I just suddenly had all these thoughts and was really glad that we're taking that step where we can balance both (hopefully). Wish us luck on our next adventure!

Family Weekend in Winterpeg

Back in December, we decided to book a trip to Winnipeg on impulse since we wanted to see most of Canada before we leave. We were debating on Newfoundland & Labrador versus Winnipeg but we decided on the latter because we had friends there to couch surf with and it's been almost 5 years since we saw each other last. 

And it turned out for the best because we had so much fun!

So I'm sharing our 3-day winter itinerary in case anyone wants to do the same:

Day 1: February 14, 2026

8:05am - Flight from YYZ to YWG via Air Canada

9:49am (local time) - Should've arrived in Winnipeg but we had to be diverted since it was too foggy to do a safe landing and we were running out of fuel. Unfortunately the nearest airport was in Minnesota so technically we landed on US soil even if we didn't deplane. Because of this, we had to go through immigration upon landing despite being on a domestic flight. 

Over all it was a 4-hour delay so everybody was hungry, cranky and scrambling to update family and their reservations - which was difficult since we had no data.

2:00pm - Tims stop of course

2:30pm - Maze in a Corn! We did the Snowmaze, tubing, saw ice sculptures and watched a stand up slash fire-eating number. 

7:00pm - Valentine's night (adults only) at The Leaf

Day 2: February 15, 2026

11:30am - Cheerleaders at my godson's Filipino basketball league practice

1:00pm - Human Rights Museum

3:00pm - Snacked on pizzas and coffee at The Forks Market. I tried their Black Forest Cappuccino and it didn't disappoint!

5:00pm - Ice skated and ice cycled at The Forks' River trail! Now that was hella funnnnnn! I fell down once and my Aritzia long puffer made it hard to move but we had so much fun playing there.

Ice skate rentals were $8 a pair and you have to leave an ID. Ice bicycles were rented out by the hour.

7:50pm - We took a leisure walk towards the Esplanade Riel Bridge and took our pictures by the Winnipeg sign. There was also a skating trail there but it was much smaller than the one on the frozen river.

8:30pm - Valentine's slash Anniversary slash Family Day dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory

Day 3: February 16, 2026

12:00pm - We went to the Assiniboine Zoo to gawk at bisons, muskox, elk and most especially, the polar bears! The enclosure felt a little bit like Jurassic Park with the electric fencing at the top. 

4:30pm - Headed back to YWG to do an early check in. Air Canada's doing credit card holds now if you do online check in without carry ons - which sucks btw - but I read online you can avoid this by doing the check-in in person. First it was the charging extra for carry ons, now it's additional holds for assuming you're bringing bags bigger than a personal item *grrrr* I'll be avoiding air travel for now until I find a better alternative.

7:20pm - Flight back to YYZ 

Banff & Canmore Thanksgiving 4-Day Itinerary

Oct 11-Day 0 | Arrival

10:00am - Departure from YKW 

2:00pm - We arrived at YWC then we took public transit to downtown. You can use the app as a transit pass, just load it up or buy a single-trip ticket, and you're good to go.

5:00pm - We booked a Toyota Prius via Turo because 1) it's Mr. A's longest wish to drive one and 2) to save on gas. We booked one that offered a free park pass and bear spray but we still bought one upon entry so we can stick it on the dash.

Couchsurfed on the first day! Great way to save on hotel/ accommodation costs - choose a city where family/friends live and be prepared to sleep anywhere :)

Oct 12-Day 1 | Banff, Lake Louise and Lake Moraine

5:30am - We drove to Banff High School Transit Hub because parking is free (for 9 hours) at Banff Train station public parking. It's also near to our pick-up point for the Parks Canada shuttle.

• 8:30am - Line up for Parks Canada Shuttle to Lake Louise (Route 8x to Lake Louise) at Banff High School Transit Hub (9:00am)
• 9:00am - Shuttle to Lake Louise
• 3:00pm - Lake Moraine to Banff

5:10pm - Banff Gondola (2hrs)

7:30pm - Checked in at The Georgetown Inn (Canmore). We chose to bunk at Canmore since hotels there are more affordable and it's a chance to explore another area other than Banff.

Oct 13 - Day 2 | Yoho National Park and Canmore

7:00am Hotel checkout

7:30am Sunrise viewing at Quarry Lake

8:30am Picked up croissants and coffee at Le Foulnier Cafe (Downtown Canmore)

9:30am Drove to Emerald Lake and did a short hike in Emerald Lake Loop. Since we forgot our bear spray and we didn't bring bear bells, we turned back after doing 1km.

11:00am Natural Bridge

1:00pm Lunch in Field, BC at Truffle Pig Bistro

2:30pm Takakkaw Falls 

3:00pm Early dinner at Lake Louise Village

4:00pm Drove back to Calgary

Oct 14 - Day 3 | Happy Thanksgiving! Downtown Calgary 

🦃 Boodle Fight Thanksgiving

5:00pm - We picked up my nephew at Okotoks and had the car washed before returning it to the owner. We  usually do this for our Turo rentals, except of course when owners specifically instruct us otherwise. Then, boodle fight!

8:45pm - Took an Uber back to YWC for early check in. I'm really paranoid with Flair since they make us line up for personal item sizing.

12:00am - Departure to YYZ - au revoir Banff! 

Quèbèc Picture Diary

PGWP Series: OHIP Renewal

How to renew OHIP coverage once your status has been restored after PGWP approval? 

I gotchu!

The process was mostly the same as our initial one, which can be found on this link. We also had to wait for the new permits to be mailed out to us before going for renewal.

The only thing was we had to go back because our employment letters weren't up to par. To make sure you won't make the same mistake, here's the additional requirements given by Service Ontario for those renewing OHIP under OWP or Open Work Permit and PGWP or Post Graduate Work Permit:

The employment letter must be:

• Printed on the employer's company letterhead
• Must state that employer is working full-time
• Must include employee's current title or occupation
• Must state that the employee is working for an employer located in Ontario
• Must state position start date of full-time employment
• Must state that the employer will employ the employee for a minimum of six (6) months and/ or can state that the employee is permanent
• Must include employer's contact information
• Must have original or e-signature and dated by employer
• Original, and not a photocopy, scan or email. 
• Not an offer or acceptance letter.

Since I wasn't able to change my employment letter, I submitted three latest paystubs as proof of my Ontario residency. This was accepted since I applied as Mr. A's dependent.

Initially, we went to Mississauga's Westdale Mall first but we forgot Mr. A's updated employment letter so we had to go back and get it. To not make the day a complete waste, we decided to go to a nearer location in Milton Mall (and less waiting time) and finished everything in less than 15 minutes.

Also, if you're still not PRs by the time your OHIP renewal comes around, don't be using the forms that Service Ontario sends by mail. You will be given new forms specifically for temporary residents once you get to Service Ontario. The guy at the Westdale reception was pretty uptight about this and got pretty snippy with me when I asked why. 

IS Series: We Just Bought A (Used) Car!

Hey there! 

I know, I know it's been too long, but I now come with great news! WE. JUST. BOUGHT. A. CAR!!! I can actually taste our hard-earned freedom from the elements, from 1 hour+ bus rides and missing buses! We can now grocery shop with utmost abandon! :P No more lugging around personal carts while waiting under the harsh summer sun or during snowstorms. We can now go to wherever we want, whenever we want! FREEDOM BEYBEEEEE

 

Okayyy, too much happiness my friend. 

So how did we go around shopping for one? Well, it started when Mr. A got serious about taking his G license. As soon as he passed (thank you Etobicoke!), we started looking around Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, or just randomly looking around dealerships around town for good second-hand vehicles. Our criteria were:

 

1) It should be a Japanese brand (reliability factor), 

2) Not above 300,000 km, 

3) Not more than 5K CAD,

4) the body should still be presentable/the engine is not too worn out, and

5) it should be an SUV.

With our budget, however, we were working on a limited market. Used Toyotas were still expensive for <2005 models, and even then the frames are either too outdated, too rusty, or no warranties were offered. We can't risk buying one that will give up on us 3 months in. We also didn't want to consider financing just to get something brand-new, it's not a practical choice for temporary residents. 

So after 2 weeks and 2 failed trips to Scarborough and Dundas, we found Dar Motors in Halton Hills. There, we had to compromise on our above list as Mr. A fell in love at first sight with a used 2013 Hyundai Elantra GLS 2-door coupe. We had to re-work our list on multiple levels based on its nationality (Korean), pricing (>5 but <10), and that it was a sedan, albeit a coupe. I originally wanted an SUV because I felt that it was a more practical vehicle for winter and that we can carry more items on it vs. getting a sedan. However, Mr. A pointed out that its fuel economy is top-notch, and that the body is well-maintained for its age. At this point in our life, getting a car that is appropriate for our family size is what we actually need, and not a gas-guzzling, older model SUV. We also had a 1-year engine warranty plus an additional 6-month coverage on our AC. They will be taking care of registration and car detailing, and all we had to do is pay a $500 down payment at the onset and the rest of the balance on the day of pick-up. 

So I took away all my prejudices and said yes. They were also open to bringing the car to our mechanic of choice so we can get it checked, and even dropped us off at home on the way. Talk about customer service! With this in mind, we went ahead and closed the sale 2 days ago.  We even got our lucky number plates customized! Thanks again Naveed of Dar Motors, their service is truly the best :) 

If you want to get in touch with them, they can be reached at below:

See you on our next roadtrip!

5.6.2022

Recently I've been feeling down. It's like everyday is a challenge that must be overcome. I found no passion in life, in my relationships. I even hate going to work. I'm watching My Liberation Notes and what's going on there resonates to what I'm feeling right now. It's like I'm in a bog and life here is slowly suffocating me.

ctto

The last time I felt this hopeless and stuck was 2010. I had no work then, no boyfriend, no direction in life. I felt adrift. All that ambition when I was young went nowhere. I always felt like I was incompetent, that I knew nothing. 

Thinking back, I should've been more grateful because I still had my mom and my little brother. Maybe the same thing is happening now, that I should be grateful for my husband who's able to adjust to our life here. Me, I still can't let go of our life in UAE. Leaving our family and friends for a new life here in CA, was it worth it? I still can't wrap my head around it I guess. I was too excited about coming that I didn't even think about what kind of life we'll be leading here.

Anyway, I decided to make an online gratitude journal. Maybe this way I get some of my enthusiasm for life back. Exert more effort in living in the moment and not thoroughly strategizing our every step like there's no more time is becoming a real threat to my sanity.