I’d like to thank you for all comments, messages and e-mails I’ve received from my last post. It’s being a difficult time in my life but I’m sure this will be temporary and most important - I know that I can count with you, yeah, you that is reading my posts.

I’d like also to share with you a great blog that I’ve been reading a lot and as well, you can find really good information about Immigration to Canada. Correr es mi Destino is a blog written by Zhu. You could think that Zhu is Chinese, but she’s not - she’s French

If you’re planning to Immigrate to Canada, give yourself a favor and add Correr is mi Destino to your list of blogs. Go there and say hi to Zhu and congratulate her, she’s now officially Canadian.

Post from: How to live in Canada

If you’re a How to Live in Canada reader, you’ve noticed that over the last two months I did not write anything. Actually, I went to Brazil last month to visit my parents (away for 2 weeks) and came back at the end of June. At the beginning of this year my dad was diagnosed with a lung cancer (yes, he smoked a lot) and it is kind of crazy when you hear something like this. You think this will never happen in your family, but as soon as you know, you don’t know what to do.

When I decided to live in Canada, I knew that my parents will get older as well as myself. However, you think that this is not going to change your plans in a million years. I thought I had my brothers, my relatives, everybody is there: they can take care of everything. But once you’re away and not seeing them anymore, when it really touches you, you start to think if it is really worth to live in Canada.

I spent all the time I could with him. Went to the appointments, went to a chemotherapy session, stayed at home as much as possible. Then, the day I had to come back to Canada was one of the most difficult days in my life. Over the last 6 years that I’ve been living in Canada, I went to Brazil 4 times and he was always at the airport to say goodbye, see you later with a big and long hug. But this time my friend, this did not happen. For the first time in my life I cried like a child in front of him. I couldn’t say a word, but just looking at his eyes I’ve said everything he would like to hear from me.

I am not sure about the percentage of people that leave Canada and come back home - but I’d say that moments like this are common and it is not our fault when we decide to go back home. It is only the way that we are - humans. The uncertainty is now part of my life and I have to deal with it every day. I pray, I have a positive attitude but at the same time I have to be realistic.

What about the future? I am still living in Canada and I really plan to continue living here. However… well… the future only God knows. Let’s do our part and make this world a better place to live. Now, even more than ever, I am confident that I’ve changed the way I am. Every chance that I have to say “I love you”, from the bottom of my heart, I will. It is simple, but don’t wait until tomorrow to say something that you can say today. We never now what’s going to happen!

Enjoy the summer!

Post from: How to live in Canada

I’ve mentioned before the ICTC - Information and Communications Technology Council and its programs to help immigrants in Canada. This time now, I’d like to share with you the history of one more immigrant living in Canada.

His name is Jean Roberth, he is living in Ottawa, the capital of Canada. Jean Roberth arrived in Canada in March 2008:

Stories of landed skilled immigrants searching for job opportunities in vain, coupled with the current world economic turbulence, have become common in Canada recently. Undoubtedly immigrants face unexpected challenges living in a different country and culture, mostly when it seems that economic factors are not helping. However, this is not the case for Jean Roberth Souza. He has a very different story to tell us exactly in a moment when he is celebrating just one year since arriving in Canada.

In March 2008, Jean Roberth moved to Ottawa from Brazil plenty of dreams  and expectations. His personal immigration project had fi nally reached what he had considered the fi nal phase: landing in Canada.

As a fact, it was the initial phase of a new life. It was also time for Jean Roberth to test and experience everything he had learned and studied about Canada before his long trip north. Actually Jean Roberth quickly found a temporary job in the communications field with a crown corporation in his second month in Ottawa, but after many CVs, interviews, networking and outreach.

Later, he found another temporary opportunity in a community-based project for immigrants. And since December 2008, Jean Roberth joined the Information and Communications Technology Council as Client Tracking Officer.

“Much has happened in the past year and I believe that I was very successful finding good opportunities in Ottawa due mostly to the intensive preparation I had before coming to Canada. The more prepared you are, the easier you will adapt to a new culture. I had spent almost two years analyzing the local job market, job offers, trends in my professional area, and trying to adapt myself culturally to the requirements here,” says Jean Roberth. “Another important aspect of my adaptation process to Canada was the support I received from immigrant serving agencies and their employability programs. Without
them, the beginning wouldn’t be easy.”

Post from: How to live in Canada