Celine's Life Adventure

For my second day in Canada, Jomar and I spent the morning having our planning meeting. It took us the first 3 hours of the day to discuss our plans. Then, I had "Me" time. I went to Let's Face It to have a facial. After that, I went to Chowking. I got my first dose of cultural difference between Canada and Philippines. I was in front of the cashier and said, "Hi". She just stared at me impatiently. I gave her my order (Yang Chow fried rice) and she offered toppings which I declined. What's so shocking about the encounter? Well, in Canada, there's always pleasantries and small talk. Always. When ordering, the cashier would almost always ask, "Hi there, how's it going?" or "Hi there, what can I get for you today?". They don't just stand there and wait for your order. It's different. When I was new to Canada I always feel awkward about the pleasantries and small talk but now that I am used to it, I am surprise when it does

As soon as I boarded my flight to Manila from Beijing, I fell asleep. I did sleep for an hour, watched Sing, then watched The Intern. I was in the last 2 minutes (2 minutes!!!) of the movie and they closed all in-flight entertainment because the plane had landed. I was sitting in the first row of the economy class and I only have my backpack to carry so I am the first person out of the plane (well, first person from the economy class since they apparently, give priority to Business Class).  I love saying Magandang Umaga! I am home. The Immigration was quick since I was one of the first few people out of the plane. After the immigration, I waited for my luggage which felt like a really long time but no more than 15 minutes. I went out and walked down the arrival extension area of Terminal 1 and saw Jomar. He booked an Uber and finally, home to my dearest Gateway Regency.  I unpacked and went straight to bed (around 2AM). Good morning Manila! I woke up at 5AM and decided to ta

I arrived at Beijing a few minutes after 1:00 PM (Local Time). The 10-hour flight was tiring. I remember why I disliked flying trans-pacific. During the flight, I watched The Lego Batman Movie, played in-flight games (Luxor and Suduko), and watched Beauty and The Beast (Emma Watson is so beautiful). Plane Food from YVR to PEK Layover Highlights First, the WiFi access is challenging to get but possible. Second, there's a special line for those in transit. Lastly, the best way to check if you have internet connection is to go to Yahoo.com, yes, Yahoo. All of your Google services, Facebook, and Twitter won't work. Even the GPS of your mobile device will not work. Beijing Capital International Airport (BCIA) What I did in my six hours in Terminal 3 of PEK? As soon as I got to the departure floor of Terminal 3, the first thing I did was find the currency exchange to have my limited Canadian dollar changed to Chinese Yuan. Then... I went shopping around for key cha

During my first 12 months in Canada, I visited museums and tourist spots just to get-to-know the country and province a little bit better. I learned about the Aboriginal or First Nations or Native Americans before the Europeans came (the first immigrants). The designs here at the arrival area is inspired by the stories of the First Nations. It reminded me so much of the exhibit at the Museum of Anthropology (MoA) at University of British Columbia ( UBC ). The Legend of the Raven and the Fog Woman This airport and the appreciation and continuous support to remind immigrants on the history of this country is something I really love about Canada and British Columbia. Yes, a pond (but with fake fish) in the middle of all the boutique stores. YVR is inspired by nature. Boarding is in an hour. In the meantime, I will go back to my Code Academy lessons and I might grab a snack from either A&W or Church's Chicken (can't decide yet). Have a great day or night de

I am writing this at the airport while waiting for my flight from Vancouver, Canada to Beijing, China. I have a 6-hour layover in Beijing before my flight to my dearest Manila, Philippines. I am excited to see friends and of course, Jomar. I am looking forward to all the Filipino food that I miss back home. A few days ago, Gordon (CEO of Gumstix ) asked where I was going for my vacation. I said, "I am going back home." I, honestly, did not expect his response, "But this is your home." If you've been reading this blog (I doubt people read this but oh well), you would notice that I have a love-hate relationship with Canada and as much as it has become a home the past almost 2 years, Philippines will always have a special place in my heart. I don't know. Maybe this feeling will be gone after a decade of living outside of the country but right now, all I know is I miss home every day. I read this post from a fellow immigrant (I think she's fr