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My experience... for what its worth

RockyMish

Member
Jun 20, 2013
17
4
My name is Rocky and I am from India… this is my story… my 2 cents worth..

I have been a silent spectator on this forum for a year now. I also have a different alias I post under (in this forum) which I do not want to link to this profile. I have read all your rants and complaints about Canada, Canadians, jobs here, weather, etc.
I have been in Canada for 18 months now. I came here on a student visa in December 2011 for Jan 2012 intake at a college in Toronto. My initial days in school was loads of fun, cold though but I loved it. I had never seen snow before and I was always fascinated by it. I was fascinated by everything in Canada. And then I started smoking to appear cool. A bad habit which I regret now. There was this Canadian girl who was so cute that I just could not keep my eyes off her. She used to take frequent smoke breaks and that was my excuse to start smoking. Coming from the heat, hustle of India, here I am shivering in the snow, flirting with Lori with a smoke in my hand, trying my best to look cool.

Lori, 4th generation Canadian was all I envisioned about Canada and Canadian girls. Very friendly very loving and soon we were always together. She used to live in Mississauga and I used to live in the North York area. I used to live in a townhouse with 4 other room mates with a common living area and shared washrooms. We used to study together and eventually after a couple of months started living together. My landlord had a problem with 2 people living in a house and paying for one. More hydro costs etc. So we moved out together to a condo at Sheppard and Don Mills.
Lori made my life very easy. She helped me with everything, from opening my first bank account at TD to getting my G1, every aspect of Canadian life was spoon fed to me and I soaked it all up.

Fast forward to second semester, May 2012, summer was here. God I hated it. The worst, hottest summer was upon us. I went from brown to black, Lori from white to red. We were broiled, grilled and burnt from the sun. Most of us classmates from school were already planning for jobs and PR. Saskatchewan was explored, and dropped when they changed the rules. Resumes were made out in the Canadian format and sent out to prospective employers, money was running out. Thankfully Lori got herself a part time job at Home Depot which made things easier. I was also asking for money from home. It was still ok except for the heat.
Unavoidable circumstances caused a rift between Lori and I, which led her to move out. I was broke again. I started working as a dish washer in an Indian restaurant at Bloor. 10 bucks an hour for 10 hours a day. I made enough for rent and strip clubs especially when there was 10 dollar Tuesdays at Zanzibar. Life was good. Really good. It only got better… to be continued.

PS: I have a meeting now, so back soon.
 

polara69

Hero Member
Mar 9, 2013
760
60
RockyMish said:
I made enough for rent and strip clubs especially when there was 10 dollar Tuesdays at Zanzibar. Life was good. Really good. It only got better... to be continued.

PS: I have a meeting now, so back soon.
Hahahah.. good to know where your priorities are.. ;D
 

RockyMish

Member
Jun 20, 2013
17
4
polara69 said:
Hahahah.. good to know where your priorities are.. ;D
Lol yeah… new country, new priorities. Some of those Eastern European women there are super cute..as Russel Peters says ‘mind blasting’.

Well to continue..

I had a good paying IT job back home in Delhi. Good according to Indian standards. And I had used up all my savings for school and medium double double coffee at Tim Hortons. So I was almost desperate for jobs. The dish washing job was ok because that also involved free dinner. Sometimes I was so broke I used to go to the Sikh gurudwara in Brampton for free food (no offense to my sikh friends)

I gave a couple of interviews for entry level jobs in IT and they found I was over qualified for the job. But I cracked my third interview and broke all records at Humber. I got the highest paid job offer for a student who was yet to graduate. The previous high was a fellow Indian in 2003 who was paid 80k CAD, but he was 37 years old. By the way I was 29 and I had a job offer for 115k as a lead consultant in Newalto, Calgary. I understand the living expense is much higher than in Toronto. But who am I to complain. I graduated in Aug 2012 and left for Calgary. I am here now.

To be continued…
 

RockyMish

Member
Jun 20, 2013
17
4
(some names have been changed to protect identity :p )

I got my job offer by mid July. I still had 1 month of school to go. I had to join by end of August. This is when i really lived it up in Toronto. I quit my dish washing job and borrowed 5000$ from mum back home (I still owe her 10k). Went on a shopping spree at Zara's. Bought dress pants, dress shirts, fancy scarves, satchels, leather jackets, etc. On that wild day I spent 3000$. Amanda was with me too (she was the reason for my 'rift' with Lori). It was just awesome at Zara's. Amanda selecting the clothes for me, me just dumping them into the shopping bag without even a look at the price tag. Amazing feeling. I did not care, I was entering the big bad corporate world of Canada.

Amanda was a super cute Russian/Canadian. I have been lucky with girls so far. She was one of the progressive kinds who enjoyed going to Zanzibars with me. She was a waitress at the restaurant I was working in. In fact I got that dishwashing job becuase of Amanda (long story about how I met Amanda.. for later).

I am well aware of the underlying tension among immigrants in Canada, but I have been one of the few lucky ones who got everything served to me on a platter (with dressing). More on Amanda and Calgary in my next stop. Also Lori comes back into my life...

PS: am in a boring project meeting with an awesome blonde doing a power point presentation. I am supposed to be taking notes and look serious, but no, I am here on this forum typing this.
 

RockyMish

Member
Jun 20, 2013
17
4
On one of those cold winter nights (first sem: Apr 2012) Lori and I had moved into our swanky new condo. Lori had one of her ‘nights’ and there was nothing to entertain me. She was being irritable too as most women are during that time of the month (no offense meant to women anywhere, I love all of them :p). I was surfing on the internet and came across this website meetup(dot)com. So while trolling through that saw a meetup happening the next day. Indoor volley ball, $5 entry fee. Good chance of socialising and meeting new people. So that’s what we did, we got into Lori’s beat up old Honda and headed there. That’s where I met Amanda /Zhenya. Zhenya being her Russian name, she calls herself Amanda.
Ok I got a thing for women with a high pony tail. They look so cute when they have their hair that way. And I also have a weakness for blonde hair (remnants of India’s colonial past I guess). There she was standing by the ropes looking demure and petite. She was waiting to join a team after the current game was completed. Lori did not want to play and was content sitting by the sidelines with a steaming cup of coffee while I worked my way upto to Amanda trying to weasel into the same team she played for. I just wished I had a cigarette in my hand so I could look cool puffing at it. To make a long story short, we ended up on the same team and hit it off immediately helped in part by me flying through the air try to make contact with the volley ball.
I have been an active contributor on this forum for the last one year. People who have been successful hardly ever post here. All you see here are sob stories.
PS: meeting over, having lunch in starbucks (??) and typing this.
 

gosia

Hero Member
Apr 26, 2013
229
14
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
26-08-2010
Doc's Request.
26-05-2011
File Transfer...
15-04-2013
VISA ISSUED...
Decision made April 15, 2013
LANDED..........
20-06-2013
Oh RockyMish, please tell us more:):) i want to know what happened
 

Go-Canada-Go

Star Member
May 1, 2013
108
4
RockyMish said:
On one of those cold winter nights (first sem: Apr 2012) Lori and I had moved into our swanky new condo. Lori had one of her ‘nights' and there was nothing to entertain me. She was being irritable too as most women are during that time of the month (no offense meant to women anywhere, I love all of them :p). I was surfing on the internet and came across this website meetup(dot)com. So while trolling through that saw a meetup happening the next day. Indoor volley ball, $5 entry fee. Good chance of socialising and meeting new people. So that's what we did, we got into Lori's beat up old Honda and headed there. That's where I met Amanda /Zhenya. Zhenya being her Russian name, she calls herself Amanda.
Ok I got a thing for women with a high pony tail. They look so cute when they have their hair that way. And I also have a weakness for blonde hair (remnants of India's colonial past I guess). There she was standing by the ropes looking demure and petite. She was waiting to join a team after the current game was completed. Lori did not want to play and was content sitting by the sidelines with a steaming cup of coffee while I worked my way upto to Amanda trying to weasel into the same team she played for. I just wished I had a cigarette in my hand so I could look cool puffing at it. To make a long story short, we ended up on the same team and hit it off immediately helped in part by me flying through the air try to make contact with the volley ball.
I have been an active contributor on this forum for the last one year. People who have been successful hardly ever post here. All you see here are sob stories.
PS: meeting over, having lunch in starbucks (??) and typing this.
what after starbuck's ? where's your next stop ? at amanda's or lori's ?
 

gosia

Hero Member
Apr 26, 2013
229
14
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
26-08-2010
Doc's Request.
26-05-2011
File Transfer...
15-04-2013
VISA ISSUED...
Decision made April 15, 2013
LANDED..........
20-06-2013
Get me a latte to :p :p infact i can invite you for drinks to hear more from you lol,
 

RockyMish

Member
Jun 20, 2013
17
4
Ohh.. i just love starbucks. I enjoy going up to the counter to the tall blonde girl (high pony tail again) and asking her for a 'tall blonde' with a straight face. This always makes them guffaw (for the ignorant ones: tall is the size of the cup, blonde roast is the name of the coffee) duh !!

I swing back and forth between Toronto and Calgary while narrating this story. Please bear with me. I am still in Toronto. Ah! that lovely city that I still call home. (Delhi? what is that??)

Ok Amanda had a boyfriend, Vlad, the kickboxing russian kind. We made our peace and he is a good friend of mine. Atleast thats what facebook tells me. After that night of volleyball 5 of us drove to a nearby Timmys for food. Amanda and I kept stealing glances at each other, believe me it was just the way I say it, like a bollywood movie. Everytime I looked away I could feel her eyes on me. For the life of me I could not figure out what she saw in me (may be the flying through the air in volleyball had something to do with it- but I would like to believe it was the cigarette I smoked ). Vlad was a non-smoker, high on testosterone. Lori was oblivious to all these as she had one of her 'nights' where she just switches off and is grumpy (she is a brunette btw)

PS: i see a beautiful woman having a smoke outside, I need to go ask her for a lighter and start looking cool. Also my lunch break ends now. Back later.
 

gosia

Hero Member
Apr 26, 2013
229
14
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
26-08-2010
Doc's Request.
26-05-2011
File Transfer...
15-04-2013
VISA ISSUED...
Decision made April 15, 2013
LANDED..........
20-06-2013
please don't leave us hanging lol, i'm actually off today thats why, just became a PR too :D
 

RockyMish

Member
Jun 20, 2013
17
4
gosia said:
please don't leave us hanging lol, i'm actually off today thats why, just became a PR too :D
Hey good for you.. congratulations.. I am in the initial stages of my PR.. long way to go.

Ok, I got brushed off by that woman, she did not think I was very cool. Well, you win some, you lose some.
On a more sober note. Canada has given me everything I have now. Rags to riches if I can say that. From a hatchback to a beemer, a crowded ghetto to a swanky condo, the list goes on. And the funny things is (fingers crossed) I got all these without even asking for it. My first job in school was as an unpaid volunteer for the international students association at Humber. My professor liked my social skills/interaction in class and referred me for this job. Don't ever under estimate the value of volunteering. This helped me get my first survival job as a dishwasher. This also helped fill out my 'canadian experience' box at my current job here in Calgary.
Being an international student advisor opened many doors for me, improved my social skills, helped me get rid of that dreaded indian accent (no offense meant again: most indians think they have a 'neutral' accent. Yeah right!!), and guess what?? i got to meet many more blondes. Find housing for them when they land here for the first time, help them get their phones, health insurance, etc. I could sneak in a few dates here and there (in my defense Lori and I were not 'together' yet).
Off all the girls I met, to date Amanda is the only one who came along with me to Zanzibar.

Whatsapp is a great blessing to us FOBs. I had limited text messages on my Chatr card. But I had data, so whatsapp it was. I was at it day and night trying to seduce Amanda. I dedicated youtube songs to her. I got her introduced to romantic hindi songs which she found weird, but amused her with all that dancing around trees. My first date with her was in Hard rock cafe at dundas. It was bollywood night. She was hooked. Initially we had a very platonic relationship, partly because of Lori and Vlad. Lori was my first introduction to all that is beautiful in Canada. I can never ever forget her, she has a special place in my heart. But what could i do, Amanda was a blonde. That beats everything. Even love.

We used to hang out sometimes at the harbor front, but not for long, for Lori was waiting for me back home. She was lonely. We had a big fight once when I found her surfing the personal ads (missed connections) on craigs list. It was a steady decline from there. The decline did not last long, something happened which brought us together again in Calgary.

To be continued.....

PS: have to get my laptop fixed by IT, a virus, so would be logging off soon.
 

gosia

Hero Member
Apr 26, 2013
229
14
Category........
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
App. Filed.......
26-08-2010
Doc's Request.
26-05-2011
File Transfer...
15-04-2013
VISA ISSUED...
Decision made April 15, 2013
LANDED..........
20-06-2013
RockyMish said:
Hey good for you.. congratulations.. I am in the initial stages of my PR.. long way to go.

Ok, I got brushed off by that woman, she did not think I was very cool. Well, you win some, you lose some.
On a more sober note. Canada has given me everything I have now. Rags to riches if I can say that. From a hatchback to a beemer, a crowded ghetto to a swanky condo, the list goes on. And the funny things is (fingers crossed) I got all these without even asking for it. My first job in school was as an unpaid volunteer for the international students association at Humber. My professor liked my social skills/interaction in class and referred me for this job. Don't ever under estimate the value of volunteering. This helped me get my first survival job as a dishwasher. This also helped fill out my 'canadian experience' box at my current job here in Calgary.
Being an international student advisor opened many doors for me, improved my social skills, helped me get rid of that dreaded indian accent (no offense meant again: most indians think they have a 'neutral' accent. Yeah right!!), and guess what?? i got to meet many more blondes. Find housing for them when they land here for the first time, help them get their phones, health insurance, etc. I could sneak in a few dates here and there (in my defense Lori and I were not 'together' yet).
Off all the girls I met, to date Amanda is the only one who came along with me to Zanzibar.

Whatsapp is a great blessing to us FOBs. I had limited text messages on my Chatr card. But I had data, so whatsapp it was. I was at it day and night trying to seduce Amanda. I dedicated youtube songs to her. I got her introduced to romantic hindi songs which she found weird, but amused her with all that dancing around trees. My first date with her was in Hard rock cafe at dundas. It was bollywood night. She was hooked. Initially we had a very platonic relationship, partly because of Lori and Vlad. Lori was my first introduction to all that is beautiful in Canada. I can never ever forget her, she has a special place in my heart. But what could i do, Amanda was a blonde. That beats everything. Even love.

We used to hang out sometimes at the harbor front, but not for long, for Lori was waiting for me back home. She was lonely. We had a big fight once when I found her surfing the personal ads (missed connections) on craigs list. It was a steady decline from there. The decline did not last long, something happened which brought us together again in Calgary.

To be continued.....

PS: have to get my laptop fixed by IT, a virus, so would be logging off soon.
Don't worry, i'm sure all will go well for your PR, but still need more stories, getting ready for class now.
I live and work in Richmond Hill, ON, currently working an ok Job can't complain, but going back to school part time because i have a European degree, so I want to get Canadian education. So tell me, how is the Job Market in Calgary, I mean i just got my PR, i'm single too and very much open to more greener pastures :)
 

RockyMish

Member
Jun 20, 2013
17
4
good lord... gosia is a polish name... polish girl's name... poland=beautiful girls=blondes .... ahem let me start over... dammit where are my cigarettes?? here they are... 8) .. :-*

There are lots of jobs in Calgary, especially in the oil and gas industry. And they pay good, real good. Now that you have a PR its much easier to move. God bless you, you are single.
There are girls who make your heart stop and everything moves in slow motion, girls you would love to open the door for, stand up when she leaves the room, stand up when she comes back in, and you feel like doing it all your life. Every guy has this feeling for this special girl, well that's what I felt for Amanda. A brief description of her, blonde (as you well know), straight hair with black streaks in them (like jen anniston) which makes you think the base of the hair is black, shines white in the sunlight. For the first date (hard rock cafe) she was wearing an off shoulder dress, knee length with simple sandals and handbag. Took my breath away. I was so proud of walking with her on my side. We did not have much money. As you know she was a waitress, I was still at school. We found things we could do together anyway. For example we used to hang out at starbucks after 10 pm right when it was closing time because at 1030 the baristas would walk around with trays of free food. Starbucks does not sell stale food. They dispose it end of every day and each morning they get fresh stock. There you go, free dinner. Another example was Ikea's 1$ breakfast. Toast, eggs, hash browns, bacon.. wow. All for little more than 1$. If a girl likes you and wants to be with you when you have nothing, she wants to be with you all your life. Now that I have everything, I don't have her. But that is life. I think of her often and wonder why I did what I did to spoil everything (long story for later).

What I am trying to convey through all this is life is beautiful, Toronto is beautiful, Canada is beautiful. I agree there are challenges which may be difficult to overcome, but not impossible. Its been 18 months since I went home to India, I am going home this christmas. I go back to the same streets, same home and wonder how my life has changed in the last 2 years. See familiar landmarks around india and think that the last time I was here I was a nobody. Now I have an amazing job, wonderful friends around me, all the money I would ever need and most importantly the love of 2 wonderful women. Does wonders for a guys confidence. I got this from Canada. Canada owed me nothing but she still opened her arms and welcomed me. Just give yourself time and patience, Canada would come through for you.
Ok that was a bit off track. Will come back to my story later.

PS: done with work, now this is where I swagger to my beemer with a cigarette between my lips hoping to catch the eye of the lovely receptionist Rochelle. She has been ignoring me forever now. Have to do something about it. Maybe I should quit smoking. Hmm food for thought.