Well all my senior friends and fellas,
I attended the Pre-departure orientation session on 14th October, 2012 here in Lahore in Crown plaza hotel. They chooses this low profile venue as compared to PC or Avari with regards to the prevailing security conditions of our country overall.
The session started at 9:00 am with a total of 36 participants(Teachers, Accountants, Doctors, software engineers,and Pharmacists). The appointed trainer was a lady name Lubna Khan of around 50 years of age.She immigrated to Canada as a immigrant in 90s and spent 8 months there and came back to Pakistan and then went back after a year again along with a family and spent number of years afterward.
She started the session with a video of Canada's beautiful places and scenic beauty.
The agenda of the session comprises of the following points.........
1)- Info. with regards to Canadian History, Territories,geography and weather conditions and value systems.
2)- Landing procedure in detail.
3)- Cultural Shock.
4)- Government or State benefits.(Like child benefits, educational benefits, Medical n dental benefits, and educational loan facilities.etc.
5)- Housing needs and suggestions with regards to tenants and housing cost in different states. what to do with regards to Housing needs.
5)- Job searching and suggestions to build resume for initial survival jobs.
6)- Volunteer work system in Canada.
7)- Transport system of Canada and cost with regards to buses and trains.
8 ) - Procedure with regards to admission of kids in to the community public school.
9)- Daily Life of a Canadian.
10) - Living Cost of a family on Monthly basis.
11)- distribution of certificates at the end of a session.
12)- Distribution of important handouts, books, flyers and useful stuff related to above mentioned topics.
My Observation:
She was really a good facilitator in a way that she had a real practical experience of Canadian life in her hands. She was straight forward, polite and friendly. She elaborated her experience and why she came back after 8 months(factors) and why she returned back to Canada and how it like to be a Canadian after so many years.
Well i can write 20 pages or more on this session but i highlighted the main points for the said session. If anyone want some more info with regards to above mentioned points, I can elaborate further but what i have observed that the info. available on net or on different blogs is 90% correct, Only 10% needs to be corrected. What i really like about the session is the role of a facilitator because she gave the nutshell of her experience and few advises of do's and don' ts.
I strongly recommend that one should participate in such sessions.
I will be happy to answer any queries or elaboration for the session. Sorry fellas i have to stop here as i m in office and going to a BOSS for a meeting....because i m still in this Darya aur mein darya mein rahtey hoay Magar mach sey bair nahi paal sakta.....lolzzz ... Just kidding fellas.do hit me back in case of any confusion or query.
Best Regards,
Mightyechoes.