Golden_State

Hi,
Just wanted to let everyone know that VIA is having a 60% off sale if you book by the end of the day on Sunday for travel from now until July 31!
Great opportunity to save on your trip to the MTL or VAN consulate

Hi everyone,
I just returned from my medical at Dr. Seiden and Associates in Toronto. Here are some notes about my experience.
Arrived at 6:50. The doors open at 6:30 so there were a few people waiting in the waiting room. I believe I was the 4th person to get there. The BEST thing you can do regarding the medical is get there early. Ideally, at least 15 minutes before the clinic opens (between 6:30 and 6:45 would be good). When I sat down in the waiting room at 7, there were four people. Ten minutes later, it was full. You'll save yourself lots of time by getting there early.
The receptionist takes your appointment letter from Montreal (or packet 3 letter) and you wait in the waiting room. Then, you see an administrator who takes your photos, money, immunization records, and photo ID. I did the X Ray first, followed by the exam, and then the blood work. The total time spent with the various medical staff was about 20 minutes (5 for the X Ray, 2 for the blood, and about 10-15 for the exam). The exam consisted of medical questions like "what prescription drugs do you take? do you have a history of heart problems?" etc. It was basic questions, nothing out of the ordinary. The only strange question was "have you ever tried to kill yourself?". I was a bit surprised by this one, but I guess they're looking to weed out people with serious mental/emotional health issues. They also took my blood pressure and checked out my ears, throat, and did a quick breast exam. It was straight-forward and simple. The staff were all courteous and friendly.
The majority of the time spent in the clinic is waiting. Since there are three parts to the exam, you end up waiting to complete each one. I can't stress the importance of getting there early enough. I was one of the first people to arrive and was out by 9 a.m.... but there were a LOT of people in the waiting room when I left, so I can only imagine how long it took all of them to complete the three parts of the visit.
Other tips: the closest Tim Hortons is on Front Street, just west of Jarvis. There is also a McDonald's on Front and Jarvis, but I'm not sure when it opens.
Good restaurants in the area for breakfast after your appointment: Petit Dejeuner, moderately priced, delicious brunch food (King, just East of Jarvis), Patrician Grill, basic greasy-spoon (King and Sherbourne), St. Lawrence Market vendors are also great (Peameal bacon sandwiches, especially) and it's right by the office.
Closest hotel: Holiday Inn Express on King Street (it's also quite affordable)
Good luck with your medical, fellow VJers!!

Mga kapatid kong pinay dyan,help naman.. kailangan ko ng honest na advice or kahit suggestion lang...wala kasi akong mapagsabihan ng problema ko..here's the situaution.
Taong 2008 ikinasal kami ng aking american fiancee sa Manila, Aug of 2009 nakarating ako dito sa Texas at buntis agad..
3 lalaki magkakapatid ang asawa ko at yung isa nasa Ohio at ang isa nasa Texas. Bago kami ikasal ng asawa ko ang alam ko lang na utang nya ay $7,000. Nung September namatay ang tatay nya at nagkagastos kami ng $5,000,lahat ng gastos ay sa amin ni penny or nickel walang naitulong ang dalawang kapatid so total loan now is $12,000, nagbayad kami ng mga filing fee at lawyers fee ng $5,000 so total now is $17,000. Buntis ako at walang trabaho para makatulong sa asawa ko, plus kailangan namin mag ipon para sa delivery ng baby kasi di covered 100% ng insurance ang delivery ko,meron kami deductible and co-pay. Ang problema everytime meron kailangan ang MIL ko kami ang tinatawagan at kami ang nag papadala ng pera, nasasaktan ako kasi naaawa ako sa asawa ko at the same time di ko alam how long namin kakargohin ang biyenan ko, ang nakakainis pa di kasi sya tumitigil sa cigarette at inum!!! Feeling ko unfair para sa akin ito, dahil sa Pinas naman ay maganda ang buhay ko, 8 mos na ako dito pero ni minsan di ako bumili ng luho ko or mga mahal na bagay para sa sarili ko, nagtitipid ako kasi isip ko yun lang matutulong ko habang la pa akong work. Anu ba dapat na attitude ko,tanggapin ko na lang na habang buhay pa ang biyenan ko ay kargo namin? What about yan $17,000 na loan na yan, $5,000 lang ang ginastos para sa akin dyan, which im willing to pay off pag meron na akong work, yung remaining $10,000 kailangan ko ba sya tulungan bayaran?feeling napaka unfair para sa akin
Help naman, bigyan nyo naman ng liwanag ang utak ko. salamat