Lagos
Lagos is definitely not so popular place to most Asians. In fact, it is not a tourist spot and very few visitors dare to visit this place. Lagos like any other underdeveloped city is perceived by many as a dangerous place to live.
I could not deny the verity of the situation that there are instances that crimes proliferate in every corner of Lagos. But, crime is by product of most big cities. Comparably to other cities, Lagos is not as bad as other big cities in Brazil, Columbia or even Philippines.
Let me share to you some sites in Lagos!
Now, I know
Life as well as love is very much hard to understand. As an OFW, most of my adult life I am working hundred miles away from home. Once I step my one foot in a different land away from my family, homesickness immediately jump all over my head, a gloomy struggle of life continues. There is a sudden urge that I want to go back as quickly as arrive or I wish that my vacation is now due and dreaming taking another flight going to Philippines.
Well, life is full of irony. When my contract ended and I was demobilized, I intended to stay in Philippines for good. I searched for a job in my own country and luckily found one. Despite the fact that homesickness is always popping in my mind whenever I am away from home, there is still a deep feeling of emptiness and thinking of loss of financial opportunity whenever I stay and work in the Philippines. Money is practically just a printed paper. However, its power and attraction are so powerful enough to make your mind throw out of proportion. It is really a root of all evils. Luring oneself to work overseas to earn better is hard to ignore.
We are aware that there are so many disadvantages when a parent is working overseas. In spite of these, OFWs including me are taking all the chances just to have a better future for his or her children.
It is more reasonable to suffer alone while working overseas rather to see the whole family undergoes economic hardship. It is a huge sacrifice and sometimes this sacrifice is in futile as family become derailed.
Now, I known - being an OFW is not so easy, you need to persevere, build a close relationship with members by writing and calling them, work hard and at the same time pray a lot to be successful.
CGA Course
I had decided that I should upgrade my profession here in Canada. In this way, I will be more confident and loaded with knowledge when I start to look for a job in Calgary.
I enrolled and tried to pursue to have a CGA (Certified General Accountant) title while I am working here in Nigeria. My course will still go a long way as the registrar only allows me to take 1 subject per session. There are 4 sessions in a year. I need to take 8 subjects plus on the job training. It will take me at least 3 years to finish this course.
This session I enrolled in a business law (law1) class. The subject consists of the following areas:
1. Canadian Legal System
a. Nature of law
b. Categories of law
c. Origins of law
d. Sources of law
e. The law in Canada
f. Human rights law
g. The Canadian Charter of Right and Freedoms
h. The system of courts
i. Using the Courts
j. Legal costs
k. Alternatives to court action
l. Advantages and disadvantages of ADR
2. Tort and professional liability
a. Tort law
b. The bases for liability in tort
c. Intentional torts to person or property
d. Intentional torts unique to business
e. Law of negligence
f. Award of damages for negligence
g. Professional liability for negligence
h. Professional liability
i. Professional organizations
3. Formation of the contractual relationship
4. Interpreting the contract and terminating the contractual relationship
5. Special Contracts
a. Contract of Sale
b. Insurance and employment
6. Debtor and creditor relations
You may wonder what is the point to enumerate the areas covered by subject I am taking now. It is just a waste of time and effort to type them. Well for me to study profoundly, I used to write the sentences and ideas in order for me to retain them inside my brain. Interestingly, it is one of my effective methods of learning.
From now one, I will discuss topics referred to as outlines, discussions and examination blueprint on my blog.
Lady President
I received an email from a friend. He told me that did you ever wonder what will look like if former US presidents or presidential candidates are women. Figure it out.
It is just like starting over
It had been 5 years since I submitted my application to migrate in Canada. Finally, the approval came and we traveled and landed in Calgary on December 11, 2007. We chose Calgary since my wife had a relative in that place to assist us to integrate to the so called Canadian System.
We had applied for social security card and health card. And we enrolled my only daughter to a Catholic School. We stayed for 10 days in my wife’s relative and eventually assisted us to secure a temporary accommodation, which is just a basement.
Life in Canada is quite far from our day-to-day activities in the Philippines. Here, you need a car to move around and do your shopping. There is only one Bus Company that operates in the whole Calgary region. Sometimes, the designated bus stop is quite far from the place you want to go. Hence, you need to walk for hundred meters before reaching your destination. This will be gruesome especially if you are trekking in the snow during winter. As a new immigrant, it is not so easy to get Canadian driver’s license not even to talk about on how to pay the cost of the Car.
In my own perspective, Jobs are abundant. For a couple to have a job is mandatory in order to live comfortably. It will be difficult if just one spouse works and other stays in the house. We feel secure since you can always pay your health insurance, foods, mortgage, etc as long as you want to work.
Adjustment to our new life is not so easy. Homesick, boredom, changes of lifestyles, leaving other members of family and friends and finding new associates are hard to tackle with. I guess it always happen to most of newly landed immigrant. But, I believed we could overcome it and the fruit of our labor here in Canada will be harvested in the long run. It is just like starting over.
Ang Sipsip
Sa ating buong buhay, sa tingin ko lahat tayo ay nakaranas na ng katrabaho na sipsip. Akala ko nuong una sa atin lang sa Pinas uso ang sipsip sa trabaho. Nagkamali pala ako madami rin palang ibang lahi na talagang sipsip at sobra pa sa sipsip.
Ano nga ba ang sipsip?. Sa ganang sa akin, parang mahirap sagutin ito. Meron bang panuntunan or kategorya na maangkop sa isang indibidwal na pwedeng paratangan siyang sipsip. Kapag nagtratrabaho ka bang maigi at maayos na maaring maging dahilan para ma-promote ka agad sa maiksing panahon at malampasan mo ng milya-milya ang iyong maging mga katemporaryo?. Isa ka na bang dakilang sipsip. Sa palagay ko ay hindi.
Ang sipsip para sa akin ay iyong ginagawa ang paraan para mapromote siya or makuha ang gusto nya sa maling paraan kasehodang may masaktan or matapakan siyang ibang tao. Sa palagay ko mapipigurahan natin lahat kung sino at ano ang sipsip. Ang punto ko rito ay ang sipsip ay hindi lang nasa Pilipinas or ginagawa lang ng mga pinoy.
Sa tutuo lang, ang mga mainland Chinese ay nakita kong sobrang sipsip kulang na lang dilaan ang pwit ng amo para mapansin. Hindi rin nahuhuli ang mga iba pang lahi na taga europa or mga taong nasa gitnang silangan. Mas grabe pa nga sila kesa sa mga Pinoy. Gaya nga ng kasabihan na sa lahat ng gubat may ahas. Pareho rin ito sa trabaho, meron ding sipsip sa lahat ng opisina or lugar na pinagtratrabahuan saan mang sulok ng mundo.
Ang pinagkaibahan lang nila saiyo ikaw ay may-utak sila ay wala.
