ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
CanadaThe Way We Were
I never hire people that come door to door!! Too many scams!! But thats just me,lol Glad its working out for ya, that's good stuff!!!

Saskatoon got pelted hail last week!! Think my parents house was ok, but many others were not so lucky. Once again, mother nature showing who is in charge.
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-08-20 09:39:00
CanadaThe Way We Were

Im still here..just been kinda depressed lately and didn't want to bring it here to you guys so i've been staying away..i used to post advice and stuff to help others who are going through it..but lately..i just can't seem to get in a frame of mind to offer the advice. Seems i dont have much to say unless i'm crabbing or complaining lol and I don't wanna be "that chick"..:)

Hugs but ya..i missed the old friendliness we all seemed to have here.


Hey!!! That chick is back!! lol :bonk:
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-08-19 21:28:00
CanadaThe Way We Were
Sort of the way The Canada forum has gone, but yes a lot slower now. Not so much chat, just boring immigration stuff,lol
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-08-18 19:38:00
CanadaThe Way We Were
Along came this Visa Nazi, if you used the word "activated" your visa, she went nutz!! lol Maybe we can start a collection so she can go back on her meds,lol
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-08-18 14:13:00
CanadaQuestions Regarding Having a Baby in Canada and bringing him or her to the US
Yep, one has to know the difference between a PPO, HMO, etc etc etc!! As you can ask the question--Do you Accept my Insurance??? And they can say yes and one soon finds out that just because they accept it--means very little!! I found out the hard way with a dentist! Which wasn't too bad, as I caught it. Luckily found a dentist that was within my plan! Was only a $6000 difference,lol Just another frustration!
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-05-30 15:57:00
CanadaQuestions Regarding Having a Baby in Canada and bringing him or her to the US
Insurance is better than no insurance.......but one can quickly find out some are pretty much worthless.....So 1 is best to investigate what it covers!!
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-05-30 08:38:00
CanadaQuestions Regarding Having a Baby in Canada and bringing him or her to the US

But she's not using it, she lives in Luxemburg. It's basically just making it easier for her to move back and not have to have a 'waiting period' which i've heard they don't really stick to anyways.


There are many others that are non residents of Canada that have been using the health care system when they are no longer entitled to it! Who knows if they are truly cracking down, but it makes sense to.
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-05-24 16:37:00
CanadaQuestions Regarding Having a Baby in Canada and bringing him or her to the US

Oh that's good then. My cousin did the same while living in Europe. Can't blame them!!


Was a thing in the news last yr about the BC govt starting to go after people that are doing exactly that! No longer entitled to Healthcare but keep using it! Its fraud! All adds to the increasing cost of healthcare
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-05-23 19:55:00
CanadaDivorce

So I talked to a lawyer yesterday and was told about the no fault divorce. The reason would be irreconcilable differences. There will be a hearing but my wife would be permitted to attend via phone for the hearing. The lawyer is asking $3500 though which makes me feel that I should shop around.


wow, $3500!! I think I paid $500 in Victoria BC--but that was back in 2001!!
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-05-30 18:45:00
CanadaDivorce

Are you sure they didn't have to go to Court? That would be surprising.


I never went to court and I know many others that never went to court (I was in the military, what do u expect,lol) In most cases (in canada at least) if its amicable and everyone can agree on how to split everything up, it s not that difficult to do. I saw my lawyer once, then I left for another province. He sent it to her lawyer, signed sealed and delivered!
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-05-18 22:22:00
CanadaDivorce

Well I did not know where to go to ask this question. The time has come for divorce. I really don't want to talk about all that happened. I am here just to ask a few questions on how to proceed with this matter from a legal point of view.

My wife lives in Canada, I live in the US. We got married in Ontario last July. I want to know where I should file for divorce. How does it work when the husband and wife reside in different countries? If I file in Canada, will I have to travel there for court proceedings? In the US I reside in NJ. She cannot come here if any court proceedings are required as she is not a Canadian citizen, just a PR.

In terms of the immigration process, I am holding off on paying the IV fee. I know that there is a 1 year period within which you must respond. I want to wait till the divorce is complete to withdraw the application.

I probably won't be online a lot but I will come back to read your responses in a day or two.


On the bright side it has happened before she got to the USA!! I know when I got divorced many moons ago(in British Columbia canada)---never saw a judge or court room. Ours was very amicable, we agreed on everything. My lawyer drew it all up--she got her own lawyer just to make sure it was all on the up and up! Maybe a much different story if one party is hostile. All the best.

Edited by Flames9_RN, 18 May 2012 - 03:53 PM.

Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-05-18 15:50:00
CanadaWhat do you like best about Tim Hortons?

I've never been to one, but I thought it was funny when I spotted 4 Tim Hortons in Brockville, Ontario driving 2 km down Parkedale Ave (between 401 exits 698 and 696). Are they that popular that they need one on every corner?


In some cities its like they are almost on every corner! back in 2003, I counted 75 Tim hortons in the Halifax phone book, I'm sure their are many more now!!

I know their are quite a few here in Saskatoon and they do very good business!
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-06-04 10:22:00
CanadaWhat do you like best about Tim Hortons?

Hey, if I had known you were in the Atlanta airport between flights I could have come in and met up with you for a coffee while you waited. We're about 15 minutes south of the airport and I've met up with a number of online acquaintances while they were laid over or waiting between flights. btw they have Seattle Coffee as well as Dunkin Donuts in the Atlanta airport.


.


I didn't even meet up with derekkj and they lived 2 floors down from me in the same apartment a few yrs back,lol Im not a very social person in the real world,lol Yes I had me some Dunkins!! Nicaragua has great coffee, but you cant find good old fashioned coffee cream!!

Thanks for the offer!!
Scott
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-06-01 22:24:00
CanadaWhat do you like best about Tim Hortons?

Have a great trip, Flames!



TY! In the air right now from Atlanta to Minneapolis! And were running late, hopefully wont miss the last connection! Maybe Should put this in the vent section----how come people have no clue on how to board a plane? The 1 gsl in my seat was busy typing a text on her cell and she kept on typing while waited to get to my seat---which just slows up the process. Good times!! lol
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-06-01 18:59:00
CanadaWhat do you like best about Tim Hortons?
I'm back vry late tonight in Saskatoon....1st item on my agenda tomorrow is a Tim Hortons coffee!! Cant wait to see the bigger size cups,lol

But sitting here in Atlanta airport.....Dunkins will have to do!!!
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-06-01 14:29:00
CanadaWhat do you like best about Tim Hortons?

Thanks....lol

When they made fresh donuts, I would go, but the coffee isn't that great and the only thing I did keep buying was hot chocolate and the blueberry pie.


Never was a fan of the donuts--Robins (which barely even exits now) had better donuts
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-04-04 21:39:00
CanadaWhat do you like best about Tim Hortons?

Since they no longer make them fresh at their stores, I only went there for the hot chocolate when I still lived in Hamilton.



lol--I was waiting for you to post,lol--you were much kinder that I thought you would be,lol
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-04-01 18:46:00
CanadaWhat do you like best about Tim Hortons?

I rarely have anything to eat at Timmie's so I can't comment on the food. I do drink their coffee though (Medium double-double, thank you). I don't really know if it's the coffee so much as what it represents for me. Anytime we head out on a family road-trip, Timmie's is the first stop. Anytime me and my brother or sister want to get together and talk, we meet at Timmie's for coffee. It's wrapped up in sooooo many memories for me.
Yeah, probably too much information and not what you were looking for, but anyway... the coffee is good. :)


No, I think its that way for many families--and could be another type of store! On the way to the Farm, we always stopped at a certain ice cream place in the summer,store itself wasnt anything special, but always went there,lol
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-03-27 08:31:00
CanadaWhat do you like best about Tim Hortons?
Only really their coffee--and I love that a lot,lol Sandwiches are ok, donuts suck--as they no longer make them fresh!! Never was a donut fan. But I love their coffee!! Home in June for just over a month and I'll be at Timmys at least twice a day for coffee!! But coffee is a personal taste. Can't wait to try the new XL size,lol
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-03-27 06:33:00
CanadaMid-K1 US/Canada Border Crossing Items

First off, let me just say thank you so much to each and every VJer here. Thanks to you all and the information on this phenomenal website, I was able to get the I129F filed in quick and complete fashion, and many of my fears and questions about upcoming processes and dos/don'ts have been answered without needing to pay a lawyer or call government agencies. Y'all do right proper good work to have world-found couples find happiness.

I'm a US Citizen, engaged to a Canadian (Quebeqois ;) ) currently waiting for NOA2. Been dating for 2 1/2 years, engaged for 1 1/2, and I'm used to driving the 17 hours each way to go and visit, as well as transport her from there to here for 2 month stays while waiting for the petition to progress. We actually applied for the K1 ahead of when we planned due to an incident at border crossing where she was nearly denied entry. Apparently, any couple visiting the US by car who stays longer than a month and isn't a "snowbird" is flagged as suspicious. We were able to convince the officer there of our legitimacy through my accurate knowledge of the K1 visa, and how we were planning on applying shortly. She let us pass and I applied the following week to make sure that these travel woes resolve ASAP!

As many of you know, it really depends on the person you get and the mood they are in as to how smoothly you can cross the border between Quebec and US. My open question is what kind of evidence should I be bringing to make the hop between as problem free as possible. I've listed below all the ones I can think of or have been told, as well as whether or not it applies to my personal situation. Any further recommendations are greatly appreciated since I am going back up to get her in mid-July with her staying until the beginning of September.

  • I129F NOA1 letter
  • Return Tickets (only applies if she is taking the train, which is happening less and less these days)
  • Proof of work (she is unemployed, finished school last year and unable to find a job that will hire her and allow her the 2 month stagger to visit me)
  • Passport stamp (coming to the US from Canada by car or train, passport does not get stamped)
  • Proof of ties (she lives with her parents, she has no car of her own yet, and her cell phone is a US number)

Thus far the I129F NOA1 letter has been the most effective (kind of has to be since its all I'm able to use when traveling by car now!), with the person giving us the rundown nearly flagging us until I presented it.

So anyone else have tips?


Yes do a search on Canadians visiting the USA!! lol. This question gets asked multiple times a week, so by doing a search, (and changing the wording) you should get flooded with results. Best of luck
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-06-04 11:01:00
CanadaMtl Cheap 5 star hotels
I'm listening to the radio while back in Stoon.....they were discussing the University protests in Quebec....They were saying 1 can get 5 star hotels downtown Mtl for around $149! They didn't say which ones, but said tourism is down, and some events for the big Indy car race are being cancelled.... Just passing this on for those interviewing in Mtl
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-06-04 15:56:00
CanadaTN visa during k-1 process
Could try this forum: http://www.canuckabr...he-usa-vf4.html

Or just call up 1 of the POE and talk with an officer, may or may not help,lol but worth a try

Edited by Flames9_RN, 05 June 2012 - 11:36 AM.

Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-06-05 11:36:00
CanadaNexus Card and Green Card?
I have been told (never had a nexus card) that one should make sure they update their info on their nexus card. And the POE officer has every right to check your legality into the USA.
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-02-21 07:16:00
CanadaNext steps in I 130 process

I 130

Hi, tried finding the answer to my question but to no
avail. Completed DS230 and am about to request a
background check. Would like to know what are the
the next stages are.

thanks


You should take the time and look at the GUIDE at the TOP of the CR-1 forum. It has everything you need to know, so take some time and read it over. Best of luck
http://www.visajourn...ess-procedures/
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-06-06 16:03:00
CanadaEntering US while waiting on K-1 Visa?
Welcome to VJ. This question gets asked numerous times a week here,lol So best to do a search here on VJ and u will get many hits! Short answer--majority dot have a problem, always have ties to canada with u--and it all comes down to the POE officer. Best of luck
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-06-07 17:14:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq
Not sure if u can do it with a debit card---but i have my Credit card set up that I get an email every time I use it! And its pretty much instantaneous!
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2012-03-11 09:08:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq

Thanks, but I'm a little squeamish about what's been in other people's jars. lol


Correct! But some are still in packaging!!
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-10-21 11:48:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq

Seriously?! :o

I'm going to have to start asking for my jars back. lol


Also tray Craigslist http://washingtondc....2659229431.html

Lots of then in the DC craigslist http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/ click on FOR SALE and then search away!! Dont go alone, take hubby! Those old women may beat u up,lol
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-10-21 11:18:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq
My mother has tons of those jars! Those farm girls love to can! Could try Ebay as well! A few yrs back they were going to stop making those jars and there was a huge uproar, that they continued to make them. Target has them as well
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-10-21 10:55:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq
Amazon.com has mason jars!! So does Walmart. They will ship FREE to a store, or to ur house (for a fee) I'm not a Huge Walamrt fan, but they ship to a DPO so does amazon, they are a life saver
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-10-21 10:30:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq
I think beer has always been cheaper in Quebec!! Its pricey in Sask!!! I believe its a bit cheaper in Alberta as the Liquor board stores are privately owned!!
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-09-26 06:53:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq

Just pretend like you're back in Canada paying car ins :)


Even when I had my Acura Integra's, never paid anything like that (british columbia) Nicaragua I believe does not make it a law to have vehicle insurance. Many just get something very basic. Clemonts insurance I guess is world wide. What I found interesting, people we know got their car totalled. Clemonts gave them a cash pay out, AND they kept the totalled car! Labor is cheap here in Nica, Cost them like $2500 to fix the car!! So they got a cash out they were happy with AND kept the totalled car and was very cheap to fix considering the amount of damage!!
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-09-12 13:53:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq

Hey Flames! Thanks for all your updates. I'm enjoying reading about your adventure! It will be interesting to see what you grow accustomed to and what you just can't get used to after the novelty wears off a bit. Enjoy yourself! How are your dogs handling it?


I would say the novelty has worn off,lol I love it way more here than DC thats for sure!! Our 2 cats and 1 dog are fine! Cats love it as the house is much larger than our condo! They love the tiled floor. Cats are in heaven! Not a great place here to walk ones dog! Our vehicle has arrived now, so we will have more mobility and lot of beaches fairly close by and can take the dog there.

We can really get anything here than we can get in the USA and usually cheaper. Amazon ships stuff, walmart, petfooddirect etc etc!! Some things are more $$$, especially car insurance. Going to cost me like $1800 a yr to get ttl coverage on my 2011 CRV. Its all good.
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-09-12 11:02:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq
Howdy all again from Managua Nicaragua!! Been here for over a month now and still alive,lol. This is just my account of Nica so far, so if your a Nicaraguan, please take no offense---I do LOVE your country, but just passing on what I have seen/experienced.

It is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, so knowing that, you see some sad situations! I have traveled a lot during my Cdn Military days, so yes, its not new, but still very sad. See people living in shacks, super skinny dogs, kids/elderly adults begging for change at stop lights!! The kids will usually be juggling, maybe even juggling on the shoulders of their dad. The elderly ladies, look like they are 120 yrs old, but probably in their 50/60's--they will come right up to ur window and plant their face right up against it. As well you have people dressed up as clowns, other want to wash ur windows. Some are selling cell phone covers, steering wheel covers, nuts, water. And you can even buy birds!! Lot of the action happens when the light is red, but as the light turns green, they are out in the middle of the lane with traffic zooming by!

Police here are always looking for a handout. They want to give you a ticket for anything, but what they really want is for you to give them $$$$. They are more than happy to give you a warning, if you could just give them some gas money!!

If you ever come to nicaragua and rent a car---ENSURE you mark every single little scratch/dent//misperfection down! As when you return the car, they will try and hold you responsible, and yes thats delaing with major name rental car companies such as Budget!!

Ever get into an accident--NEVER move ur car--even if ur holding up traffic---If u move ur car, Guess what, you just assumed 100% responsibility for it! Don't know Spanish, well u better have a phone and have the USA embassy phone #,lol And yes, the cops are SLOWWW to responding, so settle in, could be awhile. 1 person I know waited 4 hrs for the cops to arrive!!

Nothing happens fast here. If you have an appt at ur house to get something installed, such as cable, they may or may not show. And thet wont call you if they are not showing!! Out of the blue days/week later, thee may show up, no apologies or excuses,lol

Very little English is spoken here, so don't expect it,lol

Labor is super cheap!! We have a maid/cook and by our contract, she is suppose to work from 0830 to 1630 mon thru Sat and her monthly pay is around $220 USD. As well we pay all of her health/retirement requirements (not required to pay all of it) and that's another $50. So for $270 a MONTH she cooks and cleans for us! But we give her Sat off and only make her work like 0900ish to 1400. And she is on the expensive side!! We had local Nicaraguans tell us we are paying her to much and should not be paying all her benefits! WOW She is super awesome, and yes we give her bonuses. AND she is SOOOOO grateful. $20 to u and I is not a lot. I give her $20 and she is over the moon, you would think she signed a multi million $$$ contract with the Calgary Flames!! She is super awesome. We have a pool guy and he gardens, and costs a whole $15 a week We lucked out with our staff. Some do steal!!

We have yet to real explore Nicaragua as we don't have a vehicle of our own, just borrowing one, so stick to the local area. Ours is now here, and should have it early this week, so we can get out and explore. Lot of volcanoes, markets to explore.

Managua is not a touristy place. But their are a lot of touristy places on the coast! You can stay in huge houses that are right on the beach, come with a staff of 3-5 and cost like $200 a night. I guess they are amazing. We will be checking them out soon. There are golf course, not many, I'm not a huge golfer, so haven't really checked them out.

Thankful our house has a back up generator, power goes off now and then. They say it has been better recently, some wonder maybe that's because of the upcoming election in Nov. Its pretty obvious who is going to win,lol

Its hot here all yr round! Right now the low temp is like 23C and the high is 33c!! Rainy season is from April to Nov, then its the dry season! It doesn't rain all day long. But when it rains it rains hard for like 30 min to an hr and some parts flash flood!!! But the majority of the day it is not raining, well that's my experience since we have been here. But the dry season is just that, no rain!!

I know the above seems a bit negative,lol but it feels full of life here. For the most part, people are friendly, the American $$$ goes far. BUT as aw white person--Gringo----they see u as $$$$$$$$. So be ready to be taken advantage of. My cook, can take a 6 mile cab ride for like $2. I go to the grocery store and back ttl of 2.5 miles (and the taxi waits for me) its like $10! lol But that's true for any country!!

The cappuccinos are superb, $3 get you something around a large size at USA Starbucks, BUT it tastes a lot better!! Our cook makes us Nica meals and they are very good. I speak no Spanish, so no clue what they are called,lol Luckily my wife is pretty much fluent!!

Their are NO addresses here! You use reference points! 1.5 km from Gallerias mall, etc etc,lol So you have to know the major reference points AND hope the other person knows them as well.

All in all, I'm loving the experience. The Nicaragua people have to put up with a lot. Nothing is easy for them, so I give them a round of applause. N D their beer and Rum is pretty good,lol And cheap!! At the convenience store a bottle of Tona beer is like 80 cents! Goto Price Smart(almost identical as Costco, have to have a membership and they have some Kirkland stuff), you can get 24 of Tona for 299 Cordobas which is about $13.25 or 0.55 cents a can!! And its good beer. The run is pretty good too!!

If ur ever thinking of visiting here, send me a PM and happy to pass on more info. Cheers
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-09-11 19:05:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq
Moving keeps things interesting!! Thats why we jumped at the chance to move to C. America!! If u get paid in USA or CDN $$ equivalents, you have a much higher of lifestyle!!
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-08-30 18:17:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq
I brought back 2 cases of Kraft Crunchy peanut butter for my wife,lol
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-08-29 15:20:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq

Not us,lol!! I don't even meet a Fellow Canuck that lived in the same apartment building in Arlington. You think I would go on TV? lol Were in Managua, those Nicaragua episodes were on the coasts

Oh ya, that Anthony Bourdain guy had an Episode in Nicaragua! Showed some of the local foods and it showed some of the poverty, very very sad! We asked our maid/cook to cook more Nicaragua foods this week as long as they are pretty tame,lol

Most houses here are gated!! With like 2 rows of razor wire!! House have guards. Ours are not armed, but their is a roving patrol that is!! Its actually good that they are not armed, as recently guards in the areas close by have been killed for their guns!! Good times!! One always has to be aware of their surroundings here. No running with an Ipod, thats for sure,lol

But one could come down here and retire quite comfortably! Most dont retire to Managua, they goto surrounding areas. But they see a Gringo, they see $$$$$$$. Maid took a taxi cost her 40 cordobas and she went a fair distance. I went with her to get groceries, like only 2 miles down the road, and paid the gringo price of 130 cordobas!! (24 corobas = $1)

I like it better here than DC,lol


Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-08-27 16:49:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq

Quite the adventure Flames. You could have been one of the people I see on the hgtv show International House Hunters :lol:


Not us,lol!! I don't even meet a Fellow Canuck that lived in the same apartment building in Arlington. You think I would go on TV? lol Were in Managua, those Nicaragua episodes were on the coasts

Most houses here are gated!! With like 2 rows of razor wire!! House have guards. Ours are not armed, but their is a roving patrol that is!! Its actually good that they are not armed, as recently guards in the areas close by have been killed for their guns!! Good times!! One always has to be aware of their surroundings here. No running with an Ipod, thats for sure,lol

I like it better here than DC,lol
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-08-27 16:45:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq

Wow! What an adventure! Thanks for all of the details - I will definitely look forward to the next installment. And, you can always get care packages of Tim Horton's sent to you, if necessary :P .


Never tastes the same!! Plus I love the Capaccinnos here,lol
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-08-27 13:54:00
CanadaOff Topic Part Cinq

Hope everything goes well Flames! I'm sure Tim Hortons will miss you and your addiction :P


Life is well!! No complaints!! No big secret but we are living in Managua Nicaragua!! Very poor country, and of course the gov't here sure isn't pro-American,lol For the most part the people are somewhat friendly, maybe not as friendly as other countries I have visited. Cops here are on the take! love to pull u over and try to get bribes, and they dont even hide it, lol On the bright side, if they wave you over and you dont stop, good chance they won't chase you, as they can't afford the gas!! AND gas is cheaper here than in Canada,lol Well its pretty close as same as Canada f u buy ur gas at Costco!!

Help is cheap!! Our house is gated, razor wired has 7 days a week, 24 hrs a day guards, which is prob Nic. biggest business--security,lol We have a pool guy/gardner and pay him $15 a week. We have a 6 day a week MAid/cook who is awesome and we pay a ttl of $270 a month and that includes paying into her health insurance and retirement!!! This past week was her 1st week of working with us, she was VERY relieved we liked her and offered her a contract! You would have thought she had signed a 10 year $130 million contract!! Pay day for her is next week, I gave her $20usd as a bonus, well sort,lol I speak no spanish and didnt want to bother my wife at work, so I used one of the online translation programs. Well those programs are only so-so at best. What the program spitted out was that the $20 was a LOAN to her,lol I say she had a puzzled look, so I used another program and she seemed better. But I got my wife to call her later to make sure all was ok. Good thing as she was pretty worried!! She was soooooooo happy about the $20, over the moon. It breaks my heart to see how $20 can make such a difference to someone. I gave her an extra 100 Cordobas last week for shopping the next day (24 cordobas =$1 USD) and she phoned my wife as she was sooo worried about this extra 100 cordobas ($4) We don't even need a maid/cook as Im not presently working, but hey, the price is cheap (we pay more than the avergae) and it gives her valuable $$$. I believe the average Nic makes less than $1 a day!! She actually worked with a CDn family that worked at the Cdn Consulate here, but its a very small consulate, only 3 Cdns,lol

Driving here is crazy!! I do believe locals have to pass a driving test, BUT $$$ talks here, so u can bribe ur way out of everything. If ur in an accident, you CAN'T move your car at all!! If you do, you automatically claim fault!! And can take HOURS before the cops show up! So yes, traffic builds up!! Good times!! Lot of potholes!! And people love to steal the manhole covers!! Nice! I guess in some places it got so bad, they just paved over them,lol

Managua is not a touristy place, lot of nice places on the coast and grenada is nice (about 45 minutes from us)

The food is very good here, lot of different foods from around the world and fairly cheap! Has Mcdonalds, burger king, pizza hut, papa johns, Quizznos, Buffalo Wings for ur Yank food. No Tim Hortons,lol But they make an awesome Cappacinno! Most even put that heart or leaf on it,lol

Hot here all year round. I think the coldest it has been is 22C and every day right now is like 33C Its the rainy season, but since we have been here, ha snot rained a lot. Dry season is from Nov to April! Have yet to see a scorpion, or Tarantula, not do I want to,lol The scorpions they have here are normally not deadly to humans, I dont think our 2 cats or dog would be soo lucky!! Friend of ours got bitten by a scorpion and he said it was the msot painful thing he has ever experienced, not the bite, but how the venom acts!!

Maybe I have painted a bad picture,lol But I love it here, not because of the maid or house or pool,lol but as poor/dirty here, it is full of life! So much to do, and its a very cool experience. Only wished I spoke Spanishm my own fault, I knew we were coming here for a long time,lol But luckily my Wife is pretty much fluent.

If your ever traveling to another country with pets, PM me and I can send along a link that shows what the requirements are for that country. The hardest part of moving here was dealing with the pets!! For the airlines requirements, the animals physical has to be within 10 days of flying! Easy enough to get ur vet to see ur animals! BUT then paperwork has to go to the USDA vet for ur state, so that may require over nighting it to them, then overnight it back to you, THEN some countries require their Embassy/Consulate to sign off on the USDA paperworkm, so again mail it and mail it back,lol Luckily for us, living in the DC area, I could just metro it to the Nic consulate! And they were nice enough to charge me an extra $10 per document for getting it back the same day,lol So pain in the butt.

As well continental is great for flying pets!! They work hand in hand with a company called Petsafe! But they can pretty much take you aniamls al year round, as the dogs are put in a special cargo area where its pressure and Temperature controlled!! Maybe not avail on all routes! But some airline do not offer that and if the temp gets too hot, ur dog doesnt fly! Which would really ruin ur day, as what are you suppose to do?? Ur flying out, ready to go and then they call you and say, sorry, ur dog can't go now!! ouch

Beer is cheap,lol Get a can of Tona or Victoria for like .80 at the convenience store!! They have super rum here, Flor de Cano!! And its cheap too! many like the Nic cigars!!

I haven't really done much since our vehicle has yet to arrive, can take anywhere for 1 to 3 months. Been out a bit with friends, but once our vehicle arrives or we buy a 2nd one, which we may do tomorrow, will be heading out a lot. Lot of Volcanos to see, markets, etc etc We went to Heubros market last week and it is HUGE!! Broken off into different sections, veggies, fruits, meat, poulty, seafood, hardware, crafts, furniture, etc etc! Our maid stops there on mondays and picks up the Fruits/veggies but not the meats,lol As per most markets down here or other palces I have been, the meat is just hanging away,lol Your lamost being brushed into it as you walk by They use the same dirty knife on everything,lol Its quite neat to see everything, want a live chicken, lizard, your good to go!!

So thats what I have been up to. chilling in Managua.
Flames9_RNMaleCanada2011-08-27 07:16:00