Nearly a Year Later...

Time for another blog, which will probably be more of a warm-up than anything super entertaining, but hopefully still enjoyable:)

Its completely cloudy now, and I kind of regret not making more of an effort to spend time outside earlier today when the weather was sunny and relatively clear. The usual Pacific Northwest rain looks to dominate the weekend, but it will still be warm enough for outdoor adventures. Doing my best on the second day of my usual 4-day weekend to catch up on neglected chores, and waiting to see if my second attempt at Paneer will be more successful than the first, which is edible, but not firm enough to bbq or fry. I am determined to master that light, fluffy cheese, one of my favorite elements of Indian cuisine, which I have only been able to find frozen in tiny cubes at local stores (better than nothing, but not nearly restaurant-quality).

Formulating my next line to the swish-swish of our tiny, overstuffed washer(preparing wintry blankies for storage) and passing traffic below our mid-rise tower, my relatively new nanny position seems to be a good subject choice, since its one aspect of BC life that I haven't been able to capture in photos(and now I must close the balcony door, since someone's cigarette smoke is spoiling the cool breeze. they can have their toxic addictions, but don't impose them on me!*sigh*). Anyhow, I obtained the position as a nanny for two brilliant, adorable girls, aged 1 and nearly 4 at the beginning of March, and have loved it since! Their parents are wonderful, and both girls seem very content and happy. Its a part time position, and I usually work Mon, Wed, and Thurs from about 8:30-5, which is perfect, because I plan to go back to school to fulfill educational requirements for BC's License to Practice. Requirements for Early Childhood Education are more stringent in BC than in most of the states, even California, as far as I know, which is actually awesome, and definitely worth the extra effort. The kids deserve well-trained teachers. In addition, the pay is generally much better than what I remember being offered in the states.

As much as I enjoyed my year-long sabbatical, waiting for permanent residency, it feels great to be working again. I hadn't expected to find employment so quickly. As soon as I received all documentation necessary to work, and after thorough research, I discovered several resources for new immigrants, including a program that provides assistance to skilled workers(updating international credentials, workshops, job market info, etc.). My appointed counselor just happened to have a close childhood friend that was looking for a nanny, so she referred me, and I got the job! I will also be receiving tuition assistance:)

Dinner time! More updates in the near future:)