Canadian PR

[exSINgaporean]

fishbuff;644970] "it is a weird setup in sg, and it seems that there is a lack of support for local staffs. what are all these inverse-racists, if there is such term for it, that permeate thru the civil sector?"

Fishbuff, the Cantonese has a saying for this "local ginger is not hot".....Singapore always think FT is better.

A middle aged single lady (age 32) who works as a registration clerk and cashier for the past 5 years in one of the Singapore's govt medical establishment wrote me that there are more and more Pinyons in the medical field and some are outright arrogant.

In her dept, there is a Pinyon younger lady and she is allowed to switch jobs within the whole office to test her own preferences and yet this true-blue Singaporean lady and her other Singapore colleagues do not have such choices. Their Singaporean supervisor do not even give them any reason for turning down their request for posting to other dept.

She wrote, she cries often when seeing old people who are on wheel chairs waiting for medical treatments. At many a times, some of them even beg not to go through all those testings because they simply cannot afford to pay.

Then the doctors would pressure her and her colleagues to push through appointments for full fee paying and foreign patients because they can pay the full fee.

I believe this is a reflective of Singapore in specific.

I just hope this single lady could some day immgrate out of Singapore.....she has been upgrading in all types of courses but it seems they do not lead to any reconized qualifications to be score enough points to immigrate to any western country. Perphaps, one day, Singaporeans in her category, might consider immigrating to China or even North Korea.

Sad

 

[exSINgaporean]

Before choosing which Canadian City I wanted to move to, I did some research.....................

.........Luckily Canada is so big so you can choose which city you want to live in not just one or two or three or four.

nayr69sg: I think you are have forgotten that Singapore is also "big" for you to choose where yu want to live.

If you do not like the yuppie lifestyles in Bedok then you can also choose the blue collar city of Jurong. If you do not like the weather in the east coast Marine Parade area you can always move to the west coast of Singapore.

If all these places do not fit you, then live in those "affortable" areas like Bukit Timah districts 9 and 10, or Nissam Road or Oxley Road areas.....they are affortable to Jack Li and Jackie Chan....those small time "kalafai" actors.

If you want some mountain air and weather or even ski, then drive up to MOUNT Faber for a change!

By the same token, see how the ST report of weather in Singapore....east coast sunny 35 C and west coast tunderstorm 32 C....wow what a big contrast for a big island! Lucky they have not add in the "minus" in the temp.

See there are lots of choices in Singapore...just use your imagination....don't play play.

 

[nayr69sg]

nayr69sg: I think you are have forgotten that Singapore is also "big" for you to choose where yu want to live.

If you do not like the yuppie lifestyles in Bedok then you can also choose the blue collar city of Jurong. If you do not like the weather in the east coast Marine Parade area you can always move to the west coast of Singapore.

If all these places do not fit you, then live in those "affortable" areas like Bukit Timah districts 9 and 10, or Nissam Road or Oxley Road areas.....they are affortable to Jack Li and Jackie Chan....those small time "kalafai" actors.

If you want some mountain air and weather or even ski, then drive up to MOUNT Faber for a change!

By the same token, see how the ST report of weather in Singapore....east coast sunny 35 C and west coast tunderstorm 32 C....wow what a big contrast for a big island! Lucky they have not add in the "minus" in the temp.

See there are lots of choices in Singapore...just use your imagination....don't play play.

While I can see the humour in your post, there is some reality to it!

Everything also got choice one. Sure one. I actually lived near reservoirs in less crowded areas of Singapore (not so "popular" mah).

Imagine I could go to big open fields just a stone's throw from my home to fly kite with my kids. Wind blowing, can see the horizon. 2 minute drive away can see the sea and feel the sea breeze some more! That was the place I left to go to Canada. To be frank that place where I stayed wasn't too bad actually.

 

[exSINgaporean]

Check out the Canada Immigration website http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/index.asp
And do the skills assessment test to see whether you can each score 67 points or more....note by taking a short converational course in French can earn them two more points.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/assess/Education.asp


Education, Car, Home, Food, Jobs, Lifestyle, compare them and do you still want to continue to be a 3rd class SUCKER in Singapore?


In the last 5 years there is a exodus of Singaporeans to Edmonton, Alberta and I am sure the other major western countries will see even bigger number. Many countries like Canada and Australia would not officially admit but if given a choice they will choose the Singaporeans over most other nationalities to immigrate into their countries for obvious reasons.
Once you become a PR, you must get your parents along immediately as we have universal health and hospitalization is free, not like those "subsidized" expensive hospitals in Singapore.


If your parents continue to live in Singapore, ask them whether they can see much cheaper hospital bills 20 years done the road? In 1990, a a year before I immigrated to Canada, I saw my special needs daughter's hospital bill suddenly shot up after they "privatized" the Singapore General Hospital. We knew this is the sign of things to come 20 years from then, so my wife and I got to give up all our self-employed businesses and immigrated to Canada to rough it out.


We could have remain in Singapore can earn at least $250,000 per year of combined income but I might have ended up screwing our maid and my now 14 year old son will have to serve the "boys scout" army 4 years from now and then imprison by another 13 to 15 years of reservist liabilities and live in the fear of losing out to the FT for jobs.
We are not rich in money now, but we are happy as a FREE family and oh I forgot to add....this Friday my son is going SNOWBOARDING with his school.....what's more, he has his full set of equipment.


Testimony of Alberta Education....my son hardly has homework even at age 14 grade 9 and they can choose elective subjects of their choice according to their interest.
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/looks+lessons+from+Alberta+education+system/4081411/story.html


Cars in Edmonton...no silly COE and no road tax.
http://www.webermotorsltd.com/inventory/search/class/new/make/Mercedes-Benz/model/B-Class/
http://www.mayfieldtoyota.ca/new.html

If you can afford a 3-room flat in Singapore, you can afford to buy a "bungalow" in Edmonton!
http://homes.point2.com/CA/Alberta/Edmonton-Real-Estate.aspx
http://www.edmontonhomesforsale.biz/

Food
http://www.realcanadiansuperstore.ca/LCLOnline/?storeId=872

Jobs and US$9 TRILLION oil sand...3 times more than Saudi:
http://edmontonjobs.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=excuFP8JQHE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro0LWXPlTSA&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALCTOs2zakc&feature=related
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Athabasca_oil_sands
http://www.canada.com/Business/Nexen+Opti+Canada+targeted+sands+deals/1461208/story.html?id=1461208
http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/OurBusiness/oilsands.asp

Our city and playground
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Edmonton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Edmonton_Mall
http://www.discovertherockies.com/

Join the thousands of ex-Singaporeans who had pick up to courage to break out of the PAP brainwashing machine and seek for themselves and children real freedom just to be HUMANS....not super human....just ordinary HUMANS and citizens who are appreciated and protected by the government and not scolded, lectured on and even replaced by the PAP govt. We realize that if our fore parents dare to immigrate to Singapore why we do not dare to emigrate out?

Do you know that a falcon can fly up to 200 miles per hour (wikipedia)? But if you put a 6' by 6' fence round it, even with the top OPEN, the falcon cannot fly out! They need the space to "take off". The PAP govt. through all the brainwashing (called social engineering) in pre-kindergarten to the army to work place and whole society via Straits Times, has placed the fence round you and all other Singaporean FALCONS.......they have limited your space to take off. Even now the top is opened.... you are free to go and not lock up like in Cuba or North Korea, do Singaporeans dare to think seriously to immigrate, let alone try to your extend now.

I feel sad for them and for you. Many of you do not know see the fence and worse do not know you have the power to fly like a falcon! It simply breaks my heart to see fellow human beings being reduced to such a stage and trapped with those HDB, car loan, fear of a FT taking over your job and then join the rat race to success which will lead them to be a better RAT.....yea still a successFOOL rat.
Or after work you just lock yourself in your room to listen to old CDs so as to shield from the rapid changes and stressful life in SINKgaPOOR. Stop lying to yourself, stop being depressed by the Singpaore system. Singapore has let you down. Singapore does not deserve to have you and me.

Thanks for giving me the honour to pull the fence apart and lead you to discover that you can now take off and fly like a falcon to Canada and land as a sheep to roam nature. It's now up to you to take the calculated risk.
"Courage is not the absence of fear; courage is ACT despite fear."
What are you waiting for?
Welcome to Canada!

Bernard CHAN
9090-51 Ave
Edmonton, AB Canada T6E 5X4

 

[Beckenham]

Bravo Ex-Singaporean! Well written, do I detect a certain sense of angst or frustration here?

My wife in singapore never drove for 10 years cos people say 'taxi drivers reckless', 'PIE/AYE' jam', 'ERP', 'sure la-gang' etc etc.

After migrating, she was finally able to remove all these mental shackles..and more.

Analogy of Falcon spot on!

 

[wendypoh]

SQUEEZED OUT

VANCOUVER › $900K for this little house? Yes, we have the world’s third least affordable real estate.

 

[wendypoh]

Housing Affordability

Vancouver in the 3rd place after Hong Kong and Sydney.

Hong Kong
Sydney
Vancouver
Melbourne
San Francisco
London (GLA)
Adelaide
San Jose
Brisbane
London Exurbs
Auckland
Perth
San Diego
New York
Los Angeles
Montreal
Toronto

 

[wendypoh]

CITY RANKS THIRD LEAST AFFORDABLE IN GLOBAL HOUSING SURVEY

House-rich, cash-poor in Vancouver

Vancouver has again been ranked as one of the least affordable places in the world to purchase a home, according to a new survey released this week.

The Canada-based Frontier Centre for Public Policy ranked 325 cities worldwide on a citizen’s ability to afford a home – the ratio between the median cost of a house and the annual median household income.

A city with a ratio of 3.0 or under is considered affordable. That means the average person in that city will have to save three years of income to be able to afford an average priced house.

This year, Vancouver’s ratio is 9.5, meaning it takes nearly a decade of earnings to buy a median-priced home, according to the survey.

That’s the third highest out of all the major markets – following Hong Kong with a ratio of 11.4 and Sydney with 9.6. London was tied for sixth with San Francisco at 7.2, while New York came in 15th at 6.1.

In Canada, the top four least affordable cities were all in B.C., including Victoria (7.1), Abbotsford (6.5) and Kelowna (5.9). In fifth and sixth spots were Montreal (5.2) and Toronto (5.1).

The most affordable place to live, the survey said, was Atlanta, Ga., at 2.3.

In Vancouver, notorious for its expensive housing prices, a narrow, two-storey house on a tiny, six-metre-wide lot in Dunbar is valued at $904,000, provincial assessment records show.

“That really puts a lot of housing outside people’s reach,” said Lindsey Meredith, an economics and marketing expert at Simon Fraser University.

Not only are countless people forced onto the streets, “the younger folk who don’t have the income cash flow, they obviously migrate out to the [Fraser] Valley”.

Prices are high because many people move here from both inside and outside Canada, and Vancouver is touted as one of the world’s most livable cities, he said, adding neither of those forces was showing any sign of letting up.

 

[nayr69sg]

Hmm I wonder why Singapore wasn't on that list? Maybe too small a country everyone forgot about it.

But 900k for the little house is still cheaper than 900k for that little 1 bedroom apartment in Singapore.

Point is......don't move to Vancouver lor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I say again. Don't choose Vancouver lor!!!!!!!!! Or Toronto lor!!!!!!!

I don't know why but all these Singaporeans think that Canada is only Vancouver and Toronto.

Wah lau eh. Talk about suah gu. Go do more research lah. Canada is huge. Crosses dunno how many time zones. So many other cities to choose from.

Everyone only talk about Vancouver and Toronto where got the highest concentration of kiasu kiasee asians. Of course become another Asia lah!

 

[panama]

But 900k for the little house is still cheaper than 900k for that little 1 bedroom apartment in Singapore.

Point is......don't move to Vancouver lor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

At today's exchange rate, C$900K = S$1,158,214.50

(Exchange rate of 1.2869)

That is only that little house. Most people would want to live in a normal size house, which means got to pay more than S$1,158,214.50 lor.

 

[nayr69sg]

Most of the bak kwa eaten here made locally
by Neo Chai Chin 05:55 AM Dec 30, 2010

SINGAPORE - Even as bak kwa (barbecued pork) sellers urge the authorities to be on the alert for the smuggling of raw barbecue pork into Singapore, the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said yesterday that most of the bak kwa consumed here is manufactured locally.

Major bak kwa retailers like Lim Chee Guan, Bee Cheng Hiang and Fragrance Foodstuff told MediaCorp they do not import raw bak kwa.

Fragrance Foodstuff managing director Tan Tiong Hwa said the company imports pork from Brazil and Indonesia, from which it makes bak kwa at its factory here.

Mr Tan said he had not personally heard of raw bak kwa being smuggled into Singapore but recalled reading about cases previously reported in the press, and urged vigilance on attempts to smuggle raw barbecue pork into Singapore.

Last Sunday, a man was caught hiding 48kg of raw bak kwa in the spare tyre compartment and side panels of a car, hoping to sneak past Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at the Woodlands Checkpoint.

The pork was eventually disposed of on the AVA's advice to minimise the risk of introducing infectious animal diseases here.

While statistics for cases of smuggled barbecue pork are not available, the smuggling of AVA-controlled items including animals, flora and meat products is on the rise.

There were 3,900 cases reported in the first half of the year - a 44 per cent increase from the same period last year, according to the ICA.

Countries that are approved by the AVA to export processed pork to Singapore include Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the United States and China.

Raw bak kwa is currently imported only from China and 330 tonnes of it were imported from January to November - more than twice the 150 tonnes imported last year. Neo Chai Chin

 

[cass888]

At today's exchange rate, C$900K = S$1,158,214.50

(Exchange rate of 1.2869)

That is only that little house. Most people would want to live in a normal size house, which means got to pay more than S$1,158,214.50 lor.

Aiyah ... anybody can open up a map and decide Saskatoon is a nice cheap to place to live. Go there do what? Siow ah?

 

[nayr69sg]

Aiyah ... anybody can open up a map and decide Saskatoon is a nice cheap to place to live. Go there do what? Siow ah?

Go there eat grass?

Just kidding lah. Anyway there are people living in Saskatoon. I am sure they got things to do there.

We are often influenced by the popular options. You get a sense of "security" going where everyone else is going.

But then again migrating is hardly the "popular" option of successful Singaporeans.

 

[cass888]

Go there eat grass?

Just kidding lah. Anyway there are people living in Saskatoon. I am sure they got things to do there.

We are often influenced by the popular options. You get a sense of "security" going where everyone else is going.

But then again migrating is hardly the "popular" option of successful Singaporeans.

Yes, the people grew up there. But migrant populations belong in the big cities where there is a need for them. Doctors excepted. They'll give you Landed status if you're a doctor willing to live in an ulu city.

 

[Dole43]

That $900K Vancouver house is not typical, its a niche designer house in the primest of prime location in Vancouver. This price is bargain price for ANY freehold house in Singapore standing on 2011 sqf of freehold land, on ANY location in Singapore. Don't even think about district 9, 11 or 15.

http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=10282307&PidKey=-1466384776

Freestanding detached home - the only one in Point Grey under $1m! A fantastic location & great design with high ceilings and wonderful natural light. French doors off kitchen / dining area to your own private back yard. Guest room / studio or work from home space, 2 bedrooms, renovated kitchen, OAK hardwood floors and wood burning fireplace. Newer roof, furnace & most appliances as well as a refurbished, gorgeous studio space. A few steps to Pacific Spirit Park and a short walk to 10th Avenue shops. Open: Sat Jan 29, 1-3pm

Building Type: House
Bedrooms: 1
Bathrooms (Total): 2
Floor Space: 960 sqft
Storeys: 2
Built in: 1987
Land Size: 16.5 x 121.9
Title: Freehold
Location: 4369 W 15TH AV
Vancouver, BC V6R 3A9

For comparison, but not apples to apples, here's a house in Casuarina Drive, where the prata shop is, those who know that area know those houses are really small freehold landed houses, no space for a car porch. This is a nice location but not prime area.

http://property.st701.com/propertie...lect=feet&land_area_select=feet&country_id=SG

This house at $1.5mil is a better buy, St Michael's Serangoon Balestier area. 1672 sqf lot sized, intermediate 2-storey terrace.
http://property.st701.com/propertie...lect=feet&land_area_select=feet&country_id=SG

Really, with $1.5mil budget, you don't really have many choices for freehold landed houses in Singapore. Geylang, Balestier, MacPherson, where else?

I hear Singaporeans like to live in Coquitlam in Vancouver, why don't they buy this house at $489,900 instead?
http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=10238666&PidKey=615364741

Toronto area also not that unaffordable for Singaporeans, why not build a large new house near the park and lakeshore for $500K?
http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=10226615&PidKey=3428546

What's my point? My point is not to be sucked in by sensational selective news reporting by the media, but to do your own research and use your good judgement when reading these kind of reports. After all, Singaporeans are clever shoppers, right?

Kong Hee Fatt Choy to all the chinese here.

 

[david]

Proceed with caution when the property's price below the norm. Such properties has problems in it such as moulds, leaky (not literally), formerly a grow op, people killed in it (plenty of homicides in this city) etc.

The simple test is ask yourself why you pay such a cheap price when the rest of the people are paying $1million for their homes.

Other cities are much cheaper. Saskatoon is not bad, it is the largest city in Saskatchewan. A lot of companies such as Great West Life, Siemens, Conexus, Saskatchewan Blue Cross etc are based in Saskatchewan.

Saskatoon

 

[nayr69sg]

Yes, the people grew up there. But migrant populations belong in the big cities where there is a need for them. Doctors excepted. They'll give you Landed status if you're a doctor willing to live in an ulu city.

I am already a landed PR. There is no such thing as a foreign doctor being able to practise as a licensed doctor in Canada even if you wanted to live in ulu part of Canada.

If you do have such an opportunity do let me know.

People talk about it but there is no such thing. Otherwise I will take it.

 

[wendypoh]

Earthquake drill a dry run for B.C.'s 'Big One'

January 26, 2011

Hundreds of thousands of British Columbians took part Wednesday in a massive earthquake drill.

More that 420,000 people signed up in advance for the exercise.

At exactly 10 a.m. PT, radio stations across the province sounded an alarm and thousands of students, office workers, even clergy and church-goers, ducked under desks, tables and other sturdy pieces of furniture and hung on for a minute to practise what to do when the so-called Big One hits.

Heather Lyle, co-chair of The Great British Columbia Shakeout, said this marks the first time a provincewide drill has been conducted, and the goal is to create awareness that bolting from a shaking building is the worst thing to do.

"When you try to quickly run out of a building, first of all an earthquake's gravity will pull you to the ground, but secondly fleeing a building … makes you vulnerable to things falling on top of you, being hit by flying debris," Lyle said.

At Highlands Elementary School in North Vancouver, Grade 1 students have been practising scrambling under their desks for weeks in preparation for Wednesday's drill. They described the drill experience as "awesome."

Principal Arlie Thompson said she'll keep on drilling her students on earthquake preparedness.

If an earthquake hits
• Avoid windows, tall furniture and light fixtures.
• Don't take the elevator. If you're in one, hit the button for every floor and get out as soon as you can.
• Place a "help" sign in your window if you need assistance.
— Source: Government of Canada

"The more kids practise a drill, the better and more calmly they execute it. That's what we want in an emergency." Thompson said.

Elsa Carvajal, a Tsawassen woman who survived a massive earthquake in Mexico City in 1985, said such exercises are critical if people are to survive the initial tremors.

Prone to earthquakes

"The best thing to do is to stay where you are. If you're inside a building, stay there. If there is somewhere where you can drop, cover and hold on, great. If not, brace yourself against an interior wall. If you're outside, stay outside."

Although the last 9.0-magnitude quake in B.C. was in 1700, seismologists have warned that B.C. sits in a geological zone prone to earthquakes.

Many public buildings have been upgraded over the years to ensure that the kind of devastation Haitians have been suffering since an earthquake struck the island a year ago isn't likely on the same scale here. But the Haiti tragedy and others have raised awareness.

"There's been lots of natural disasters that have occurred elsewhere … so it's more on people's minds," Lyle said.

The number of those who registered makes up slightly more than 10 per cent of the province's population.

The drill is modelled after a similar exercise that's been used in California the last three years.

Hundreds of small quakes rock British Columbia every year.

 

[cass888]

I am already a landed PR. There is no such thing as a foreign doctor being able to practise as a licensed doctor in Canada even if you wanted to live in ulu part of Canada.

If you do have such an opportunity do let me know.

People talk about it but there is no such thing. Otherwise I will take it.

Are you sure you are a landed ********? They don't call PRs PR over there

And yes, it is possible for foreign doctors to practice there. I know of two (back to back) who were offered a job when they did their 1 year sub-specialisation in Toronto.

You may be right about the ulu doctor thing being a myth though.

 

[kansas]

Are you sure you are a landed ********? They don't call PRs PR over there

Yeah, right, they don't call PRs PR there but they call the card they issue to PRs PR card .