It's getting cooler here in Toronto, with possible snow showers and scattered flurries this weekend. Time to think about how I can make this winter even better!

The Scott Quest Vest is working out really well, allowing me to leave my belt bag behind. I haven't quite gotten the hang of all the pockets, but I can generally find the most frequent things I use. One of the earphone loops has worked loose and gotten frayed by nearby Velcro, though. I'll check with the manufacturer, since I haven't figured out how to securely hand-sew elastic loops like that.

I've started wearing my thermals again. With that, the vest, and maybe a sweater, I'm pretty okay with the 5-10C temperatures these days. A rain jacket is handy, too. A hoodie and maybe gloves will take me down to 3C or so.

Here are some notes I put together while thinking about what kind of coat I wanted to get this year:

I ended up deciding on a waterproof jacket with an interchangable lining that's compatible with a down jacket. I'm still keeping an eye out for a large, warm hat, but I can probably get by with a nice warm scarf and my winter hats. It turns out that I'm somewhat picky about hats, so I haven't quite found the one I like the most yet.

The new office my clients have moved to is directly connected to the PATH, so my winter exposure during consulting days will just be the 10-20 minute walk to the subway station. I plan to be at Hacklab more often, though, so that will still involve a bit of waiting. The new Hacklab has nicely vivid accent colours, so I'll probably head over there if I feel colour-deprived.

I probably need to get new winter boots. I noticed last year that my insulated boots were no longer waterproof. The shoe stores don't seem to have brought in their winter boot selections yet, but I'll check again in a few months. I tried looking for winter boots at end-of-season sales earlier this year, but since I have small feet and a preference for simple styles, the sizes tend to be sold out quickly. I had the same problem with coats, too, which is why I decided to get a new coat early in the season instead of waiting to see what the rest of the options were.

Compared to last year, I'm even more comfortable with cooking and baking, and I'm looking forward to keeping the house warm and the fridge full.

Bring it on!

Single digit temperatures have returned to the weather forecasts for Toronto, and people are starting to suit up in scarves. I even saw people wearing gloves. Winter is coming. Eventually. It's not here yet, but I might as well get ready for it!

I've been accumulating quite a collection of winter tips and experiences. Last winter worked out pretty well. What will I try this year?

• More consistent exercise
• Growing plants indoors: the new Hacklab has a skylight, and I might be able to use the tiny window ledge in our bedroom too
• Less consulting and more writing
• Proper sewing: I'm going to get the hang of this eventually! It's a good skill to have. I can work on finally finishing those box cushion covers.
• Flashcards, learning: Japanese, Cantonese, Latin; development (maybe build Android apps?)
• Lots of cooking and fresh meals
• More vacuuming and tidying up, since I'll be home
• Hacklab, maybe twice or thrice a week?
• More organized reading: book notes, sketches, blog posts
• Regular sleep
• New drawing workflow: index cards, sketchbook?

I think it's time to get a new coat and a pair of winter boots. Oh well! I didn't find anything I liked in last year's end-of-season sales, so I guess I should probably reconcile myself to paying full price or close to it.

I liked last year's idea of thinking in terms of longer nights, since I do tend to divide my activities into day (work, writing) and night (relaxing, drawing). Maybe I'll play with that some more.

Hey, maybe the Canadian citizenship grant includes cold tolerance. Always wondered why W- and J- think ice cream season is all year long!

Last week, I took the Canadian citizenship oath. Yay! So now I'm Filipino and Canadian, and will probably not have to be so anxious about travel. (Or I'll end up find new and different excuses why I'd rather stay home, now that I can worry less about being stuck on the wrong side of an immigration counter.)

Excellent timing, since we have elections coming up.

The process was faster than I expected. I lost my passport (well, technically, Canada Post lost it, harrumph) and had resigned myself to the prospect of a delay of year or two. Happy to get this all sorted out earlier!

Coming back to cold weather was not particularly fun, but I'm learning to deal with it. I've got the thermals, the sweaters, the jackets, the scarves… There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to figure out how to cope with winter. =) Anyway, here are some tips for people who are new to Canada or other cold places:

If you like this, you might like my 2009 blog post with some more notes on what makes winter better.

Other winter notes: My insulated winter boots have sprung a leak. I still have a pair of leather boots and a pair of rubber boots (in bright red!), so I think I'll make it through this winter. I shopped around for a replacement pair this weekend and didn't find anything I liked, despite the sales. I was thinking about whether I should get a pair for when these boots wear out, but I'll probably move away from wearing insulated boots and move towards thick socks and hiking shoes or regular boots instead. It's also a good time to see if I can repair the boots I have. Oh well!

After allowing a few months just in case there was any doubt about the residency calculations, I’ve finally sent in my application for Canadian citizenship. This is important to me because I don’t want to ever get stuck on the wrong side of an immigration counter, or to sweat over renewals and paperwork like I did before. Both Canada and the Philippines permit dual citizenship, so I don’t have to give up being Filipino (as if that were possible! ) in order to have that certainty. It’ll be nice to be able to vote for bike lanes and libraries. :)

The government website says 80% of applications are processed within 19 months. Time enough to learn history and geography and politics.

I’ve lived in Toronto for a little over seven years now. I’m getting the hang of where things are, and have gotten to the point of also having old friends here. I know! Boggle. The multicultural diversity of Toronto means I don’t feel out of place, although I’m conscious that I don’t hear or speak as much Tagalog as I probably should. Always a little awkward with it even back home, except in the relaxed and freeflowing company of friends, and here, just unexpected conversations at banks and on the street. Facebook and blogs and Skype chats with family, news articles and charity and trips home… If I don’t have those spontaneous connections, I just have to make my own.

All people who move find their own balance.

For Anna Simbulan (welcome to Toronto!) and others this can help along the way. =)

• Winter and clothing
  

  Toronto can be cold. Dress in layers. Long underwear, sweaters, gloves, and hats can help you keep warm. Thinsulate is better than knit when it comes to blocking out wind. Layers are better than a big coat because you can adjust the warmth depending on changes in weather, physical activity, etc.

  Winter can also be pretty grey and depressing. If you’re finding it hard to get through the day, get plenty of sunlight. Sometimes colourful things can be helpful, too.

  Things might look pretty expensive, particularly if you do the CAD-PHP conversion and think about how much cheaper you could get things at ukay-ukay or bazaars. Check out second-hand stores like Goodwill, Salvation Army, and Value Village. You can usually find perfectly good clothes, coats, and household items for much cheaper than the retail price.

  If you need to walk around downtown Toronto, check out the underground PATH.

  Find something to enjoy about winter. I’ve learned to think of winter as a season for cooking, baking, hot chocolate, and early(ish) bedtimes.

• Home and society
  

  Be prepared for homesickness. It’s a natural part of moving.

  Be prepared for cultural differences. Avoid making jokes or statements that are racist, sexist, homophobic, or otherwise politically incorrect.

  It can feel pretty lonely when your barkada and social support networks are half a world away. Check out classes, go to activities, meet people, make new friends.

  Free video-calling programs like Skype and social networking tools like Facebook help you keep in touch with old friends.

  If you want to cook recipes from home, you can find many of the ingredients in Chinatown or even in some of the larger supermarkets. For example, you can find Skyflakes, ampalaya, bagoong, and halo-halo ingredients in Chinatown. The No Frills supermarket in Dufferin Mall has Skyflakes, too.

  There aren’t that many Filipino restaurants downtown, though. Definitely worth learning how to make things at home. You may find some neighborhoods with Filipino stores (including places where you can buy balikbayan boxes). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Manila#Toronto

• Resources
  

  The Toronto Public Library is amazing. Sign up, get your library card, and use http://torontopubliclibrary.ca to get books delivered to the branch closest to you. It even has a number of books in Filipino. Check out the e-books, movies, music CDs, and graphic novels as well.

  The library has many seminars for newcomers and job-seekers. There are many other newcomer organizations, too. Take advantage of the services and training they offer, such as networking events and free training.

  Public transit works pretty well. You can even use maps.google.com to plan your route.

• Work
  

  If you’re applying for a job, it’s worth reviewing your resume and using the Canadian conventions. For example, people here don’t indicate their age, marital status, height, or weight on resumes.

  If you get stumped by employers requiring Canadian experience, consider volunteering or working in a different position for some time in order to pick up that experience.

• Finance
  

  If you’re having a hard time getting a credit card, get a secured credit card first, then use that to build your credit history. When I started, I got the TD Green Visa card. I deposited some money and that deposit was used to secure the card. Once you qualify for a better card, you can switch to something like PCFinancial Mastercard (equivalent of 1% rewards) or MBNA Enrich (3% cashback on groceries, 1% on regular purchases).

  Compare prices online. Buying textbooks or other things? Check ebay.ca and other sites before buying things in person. You can often find significant discounts online, too, and shipping is reliable. Look for free or cheap stuff on craigslist.ca or kijiji.ca, or join a Freecycle group.

  Keep some savings in a checking account as an emergency fund / buffer and the rest in a high-interest savings account. Don’t overload yourself with credit card debt. Pay off your credit card every month, if you can, and plan your spending so that you don’t have to live paycheck to paycheck.

  Enjoy life. =) There will probably always be things and people you will miss, but maybe Toronto can become a second home.

  —-

  What other tips would you add?