Jambo la kwanza hisia yangu baada ya mimi kufika katika Saint John ni kwamba mimi ghafla waligundua kuwa mimi nilikuwa Kichina. Mimi ni tofauti kuliko watu karibu yangu. Wao ni Canada na mimi ni wa Kichina. I didn’t have this feeling when I was in China because all others were Chinese too.

Kisha mimi kuanza kufikiri nini tofauti ni. Hatua kwa hatua, Nimeona tofauti ni mahali popote! Kwa mfano, Brian, homestay yangu mzazi, akaniuliza kwa dessert baada ya mlo wa jadi wa China mimi kupikwa kwa ajili yake. tamaa juu ya uso wake baada ya mimi kumwambia kuwa kulikuwa hakuna dessert baada ya mlo Kichina alifanya mimi hata waliona mimi kitu kweli kutisha. Hey, ni mpango kubwa kwa ajili ya Canada, dessert! Kuna mamia ya mifano kuonyesha tofauti ya utamaduni, especially between the East and the West.

Kwa mara ya kwanza miaka kadhaa, kila nikaona na tofauti kati ya mimi na Canada nyingine. Kwamba alifanya mimi homesick na ilikuwa ni wakati mgumu. Hata hivyo, kwa hekima ya umri na wakati, Nilitambua kwamba tofauti zote ni ukweli na watakuwa huko hakuna jambo mimi kama hayo au. Pia, kwa upande mwingine, tuna zaidi yanayofanana kuliko tofauti, ambayo ni zaidi kikamilifu kwa ajili yangu na kugundua na kwa makini. Kimsingi, sisi wote kukua zamani na kufa siku moja; sisi wote magonjwa mara kwa mara; sisi wote mara nyingi kuwa na kusema kwaheri kwa watu tunaowapenda na sisi wote wakati mwingine kuwa na kufanya nini sisi chuki kufanya. Sisi ni zaidi kuliko hiyo tofauti. I am glad kwamba mimi aligundua kwamba na tangu siku hiyo na hitimisho hili, Canada became my home.

Si mengi unaweza kuwaambia na kikomo sasa nafasi lakini kuna mengi ya kushiriki. Nampenda Canada na mimi kuhisi maisha bora hapa!

- Xin katika Saint John, NB

-Image: © EdArias

Growing up as an immigrant child was hard. The first question I was often asked was “where are you from?” The easy answer was Pakistan. It was a part of me. Mbali na hilo, I thought living in Canada was difficult. I was bullied for being a “Paki”, my protective parents didn’t allow me to go to sleepovers and movies and my clothes smelled like the Pakistani spices my mom used in our traditional food. I was caught between two worlds and didn’t know how to reconcile them.

I am not sure when it happened but sometime during my elementary school years, saying that I was from Pakistan was no longer the easy answer to give. My memories and life in Canada became more familiar.  My parents encouraged me to celebrate and contribute to my new home and remember the one I left. I remember attending my Citizenship Ceremony and excitedly telling my 5^th grade teacher Mrs. Burnett that I was now a Canadian.

I volunteered at an MPP’s office and had my first trip to Ottawa where I called my mom from the Peace Tower at the Parliament of Canada in awe of where I was standing.

During my undergraduate years at the University of Toronto, I began to travel during the summers. Working abroad in various communities, I was asked the same question I had been asked in Canada “Where are you from?” I answered, “from Canada”

The next question was “Where are you really from?” In frustration, sometimes dismay, I would answer, “I was born in Pakistan but I grew up in Canada”. I was very proud of my Pakistani birth and early years but I was also very sure that my home was now Canada.

In 2009, my family decided to go back to Pakistan. I was excited and nervous. Before we left Canada, I remember thinking no one will ask me where I was from – I speak fluent Urdu, wear the traditional shalwar kameez and will not stand out in a crowd.

When we arrived in Lahore, I went out with my family and ordered a chana dish from a street vendor. I just started to eat it when a woman’s voice behind me quietly asked “App kahan se hain?” meaning “WherWhere are you from221;

I couldn’t believe it. Not here!

I was born only a few hours drive from Lahore in a town called Sargodha. I told her I was from Pakistan. She wasn’t convinced and asked again.

I said, “I was born in Pakistan but grew up in Canada.” We struck up a conversation and talked about our lives in different parts of world. I couldn’t help but think of the person I would be if my family had never left Pakistan. When I arrived back in Canada, I was overwhelmed by that unexplainable feeling of “home” when I saw Toronto.

Leo, I still get asked where I am from. To say that I am Pakistani-Canadian is the easy and the right answer to give. I may have been born in one part of the world and relish in the few memories I have but Canada is my home. Together, the two places have made me who I am and for that, I am grateful.

-Sadia in Mississauga

Wakati kuondoka Liberia kuishi nchini Canada, itakuwa si kuchukua muda mrefu wewe kutambua tofauti nyingi katika utamaduni. Many Liberians back home would disagree with me because we believe that our culture is closely linked to North America since the country was established by free slaves from America. But it was quick for me to notice that our assertions are wrong.

Badala ya nchi yangu ya asili, Nimeishi katika nchi tatu tofauti katika mabara matatu tofauti ndani ya miaka kumi iliyopita. Canada sasa ni ya nne. Kutokana na uzoefu wangu, ilikuwa ni rahisi kwa ajili yangu kwa kutambua tofauti ya utamaduni. Nini ilikuwa si rahisi, ingawa, ilikuwa kwa ajili yangu na kuzoea mabadiliko katika utamaduni. This confirms a saying in my country that “old tree can’t be bind easily”.

miaka miwili Mimi kukaa nchini Canada, Mimi Jihadi pamoja na kuwaita watu wakubwa kwa majina yao ya kwanza. Kama unafikiri kuhusu jamii ambayo ni kubwa ya wazee wenye umri cohort, kuliko wewe kuelewa nini nina kwenda kwa njia ya kila siku. Lakini hii si tatizo kwa ajili yangu 8 umri wa miaka binti ambaye alihamia Canada wakati yeye alikuwa tu 20 miezi. Anaweza kwa urahisi kuwaita mtu wazee kuhusu umri wa bibi yake kwa majina yao ya kwanza. Mimi kuendelea kuwakumbusha yake kwamba ambapo sisi kuja kutoka hii hairuhusiwi. Tunaamini kwamba jina wito ni hatua ya kwanza katika kuonyesha "heshima". Hivyo vipini ni masharti ya majina kulingana na pengo umri na hali ya. Kwa hiyo wazazi wote katika kitongoji ama mjomba au shangazi. Kuepuka wito majina ya kwanza, I approach people without calling their name which at time looks awkward.

Pia, Mimi haraka niliona pets kwamba, kuwa ni paka au mbwa ni sehemu muhimu ya kaya nyingi. I admire jinsi pets ni kutibiwa na hadhi na heshima. Mimi mara nyingi ajabu gharama ya kuongeza pet, na kujisikia pole kwa maelfu ya watu katika nchi yangu kwamba wanaishi chini ya dola moja kwa siku. Ambapo mimi ni kutoka, mbwa na paka ni kutibiwa tofauti. Wakati wowote, binti yangu inaniambia yeye anataka kuwa Vet, Mimi ajabu kama yeye ingekuwa alisema alikuwa yeye mzima katika Liberia. Sababu Vet si kazi ya mtoto nchini Liberia itakuwa ndoto kuhusu tangu wanyama ni kamwe kuchukuliwa kwa vets. Mbali na hilo, I can’t remember seeing a section in the groceries store for pet food.

What I admire zaidi kuhusu watu wa Atlantic Canada ni ukarimu wao na jinsi ya kumkaribia wao ni. Ni amazes me jinsi watu kuanzisha mazungumzo na kuzungumza juu ya hali ya hewa. Wao mara nyingi kwenda kama hii, "Sisi kuwa na siku njema leo". Hii ishara ya aina, kwa ajili yangu, breaks all communication bearers and creates a platform for communication.

 - William katika Saint John, NB

Ingawa mimi tayari alizungumza Kiingereza ufasaha wakati mimi alikuja Canada kulikuwa na siku ya zinakabiliwa na Kiingereza vinavyoningojea, along with French.

Baada ya 6 miezi wanaoishi katika Mbeya, mke wangu na mimi wakiongozwa na Ontario, kutokana na kazi reson. Sisi aliishi huko kwa ajili ya 2 miaka na 2 miezi. Ilikuwa ni tofauti na New Brunswick. I went to English LINC course there.

Ilikuwa ni majira ya baridi wakati sisi wakiongozwa na Ontario. Akizungumza ya majira ya baridi , ambapo mimi awali walikuja kutoka tuna siku chache tu theluji. Ilikuwa ni kiasi kikubwa kushtua kwa ajili yangu na kuona kiasi cha barafu ya theluji na nene. Ilikuwa inatisha. Wote mimi mawazo kuhusu alikuwa "kwa nini niko hapa?"

Mimi tu aliishi katika Saint John kwa 19 days now but I think I like the good mix of culture here.

I certainly have been home sick quite bad and have experienced some hard days coming from cultural differences as well but I can comfortably sayNBhat I am glad that I came here because I experienced something that I could not have experienced back home.

- Shigeki in Saint John, NB

- Picha ya Mikopo: Fred Chartrand, Press ya Canada

Jina langu ni Sophie na mimi kutoka Ufaransa. Mimi aliwasili nchini Canada mwisho Oktoba, 2012 in Saint John. I remember when I arrived, kila mtu kutumika kuuliza maswali haya:

“Oh, wewe si Canada? (kwa sababu ya lafudhi yangu ni wazi Kifaransa), Wewe ni Kifaransa, kutoka Mbeya, Quebec mji? Kutoka Ufaransa? Kweli?! Kwa nini Saint John?”

Inaonekana haiwezekani kwamba msichana Kifaransa pick Saint John kama marudio yake ya kwanza nchini Canada. Naam, mimi kutumika kujibu: “Mimi tu kuongeza bwana wangu katika Ufaransa na ilikuwa wakati kamili kwa ajili yangu kuwa na uzoefu wangu wa kwanza katika nchi ya kigeni, nje ya eneo la faraja yangu, katika lugha tofauti lakini katika nchi ambayo mimi bado anaweza kujisikia kama nyumbani.” Ni kweli funny jinsi watu alishangaa kwamba nilikuwa “halisi Kifaransa”!

Kwa kweli Canada ilikuwa kwa ajili yangu, kabla ya mimi kufika, nchi ya kigeni lakini kwa kweli sawa na Ufaransa . Na pia ni tofauti kabisa na!!

Kwanza, unafikiri lugha ya Kifaransa ni sawa, but not at all…Unafikiri utapata moja aina ya chakula, but notlakini si wakati wotetimaye, unafikiri sisi kushiriki sawa “utamaduni” lakini tena ni kweli tofauti kabisa!

Nchi hii ni kubwa kweli kweli, ukubwa wa gari, barabara, miti, nyumba, hata chakula na ufungaji!

As a french person I will take the example of food.

Kama wewe kwenda mgahawa, sehemu ni kubwa kweli kweli. Lakini ni sawa kama huna kumaliza sahani yako unaweza kuchukua mfuko Doggy! Wewe kamwe niliona katika Ufaransa. Maskini Canada watu ambao ni kuja Ufaransa, nchi ya chakula bora, na kuondoka meza bado kufa na njaa!

Tena, katika maduka makubwa ya, uwiano wa aisle si sawa. aisles wa mboga ni kweli madogo, lakini chips, pizza, Coca Cola, chakula waliohifadhiwa, sukari, Junk chakula ni mara mbili kubwa kuliko Ufaransa. Nakumbuka nilikuwa kutafuta tab chocolate kutengeneza keki yangu mwenyewe. Mimi aliuliza mtu kutoka duka na alionyesha yangu “tayari maandalizi ya keki”, Mimi alisema hakuna nataka kweli kuoka keki wangu, yeye aliniambia kweli? Lakini pamoja na kwamba kila kitu ni tayari? Yeye hakuwa na uwezo wa kupata mimi nini nilikuwa kutafuta. utamaduni wa chakula ni kweli tofauti!

Lakini baada ya ufahamu bora wa style hai, hali ya hewa, kufurahia pia ni sehemu nzuri ya chakula kama kamba, Canada ni nchi kubwa ambayo unaweza kuanza maisha mapya. Kitu kwamba unataka kuwa, unaweza kujaribu nchini Canada, and that’s why I fall in love with this country.

Karibu Canada!

- Sophie katika Saint John, NB

1) Watu katika Saint John ni rafiki sana, especially to newcomers.

2) There are not heavy traffic here and you have less chance to meet heavy traffic.

3) The climate here is better than any other cities in NB.

4) You can eat more fresh sea foods because it is seaside city.

Anyway, Watu ni ya kirafiki ni sababu muhimu kwa sisi kuishi hapa. Baada ya siku mbili’ nyumba ya uwindaji, sisi kununua nyumba yetu. Kura ya marafiki kelele kwamba sisi alifanya uamuzi wa mambo lakini sisi kamwe majuto uamuzi wetu. Tunaishi maisha mema hapa na binti yangu anapenda masomo sana. Surely we try different sea foods very often.

Hii ni hadithi yangu fupi. Ingawa si ya kuvutia, it is really true.

 - Jian katika Saint John, NB

The Multicultural and Newcomers Resource Center here has played a huge role in my life here. You get to meet people from all walks of life, and appreciate the different cultures around you. I have since graduated and I am now working for a company I love thanks to the multicultural center. I am glad I came here and decided to make this a second home for me.

 - Victoria in Saint John, NB

I was really excited as I was going to experience snow for the first time in my life. Very first day of the school, it was storming. I probably fall couple of time on the way to school in that day. The cold was unbearable for me. Still I found it was fun to cope up with the weather. The most beautiful thing I enjoyed after coming here was the environment of the school. Everybody is so welcoming and helpful. I was involved with different cultural club in the school. That gave me the opportunity to meet lots of friends from different part of the world. I am so blessed to have my two best friends whom I met at the University of New Brunswick Saint John. One is from Canada another one is from UAE.

After I completed my graduation, I was involved with the Saint John Multicultural and Newcomers Resource Center. Here again I meet lot of people from different region through different activities. So after I have moved to Saint John, I had the opportunity to learn about different culture, food and I am enjoying it every bit of it.

 - Nazma in Saint John, NB

Kuhusu mwezi mmoja baada ya safari kwamba, Mimi aliajiriwa katika Chuo Kikuu cha New Brunswick (Saint John campus) katika Ofisi ya Kimataifa ya. Lazima wawe kweli walipenda kile alikuwa na kusema kuhusu utamaduni wa Cuba kwa sababu wakati huo, kwamba alikuwa ni kwa ajili ya uzoefu yoyote kitamaduni. Nakumbuka juu ya mawazo yangu ya kwanza siku ya kwamba hii ilikuwa inaenda kuwa hivyo mambo, kufanya kazi moja kwa moja na wanafunzi wa kimataifa, kwa sababu sikuwa na background yoyote ya kitamaduni na, again, hakuondoka hasa Saint John. Na mwisho wa siku ya kwanza, ingawa, I knew that I had found my passion.

Zaidi ijayo 7 miaka, Nilipata fursa ya kukutana na wanafunzi kutoka duniani kote. Mimi alichukua masomo binafsi katika Kikorea na Mandarin. Mimi walihudhuria kila tukio kitamaduni juu ya chuo. Mimi alisoma na kukamilika kufundishia wangu Kiingereza kama lugha ya Pili ya cheti na tutored wanafunzi wa kimataifa. (Mimi bado kuendelea kuwasiliana na watu wengi, ikiwa ni pamoja na mwanafunzi wangu wa kwanza, Yuki kutoka Japan.) Mimi pia alikuwa na nafasi ya kusafiri kama sehemu ya kazi yangu katika UNBSJ na mimi alitembelea 11 nchi katika miaka miwili. Nilijifunza mengi sana kwa wakati huu (ikiwa ni pamoja na ukweli kuwa dunia ni ndogo ..... baada walikutana na mtu kutoka Sussex, NB, akifundisha katika Chile!). Ingawa mimi si kazi katika UNBSJ tena, Mimi bado karibu kabisa na idadi ya wanafunzi wa kimataifa - ambao wengi wao wamehitimu sasa. Baadhi wakiongozwa nje ya Mkoa, lakini wengi bado katika New Brunswick, including Vicky from Kenya who graduated and now works full-time at the Royal Bank.

Kupitia kaztenae, Vicky amekutana watu wengi ambao kujua mimi (ambayo si ngumu sana b / c, again, Nimekuwa katika Saint John zote za maisha yangu) na yeye daima anawaambia watu kwa nini mimi HER. Kidogo gani yeye kujua nini SHE amefanya kwa ajili yangu! Mimi kuendelea kujifunza mengi kutoka Vicky na wengine; shauku yangu kwa tamaduni nyingi waivers kamwe. Na, ni, Hakuna Shaka, kwa sababu ya upendo wangu wa wanafunzi wa kimataifa kama Vicky kwamba mimi alichukua nafasi - Mimi ni mmoja wa watu wawili wa kwanza wa kuajiriwa - kuanza Yohana Mtakatifu Multicultural na Wageni Resource Centre, where I sNBll work today.

- Maria katika Saint John, NB

One day the father of two little boys approached me and asked if I might give his sons more English-sounding names.   My own opinion was that they might want to keep their names in order to hold onto something familiar in this new place.  But their father was adamant.

Kufikiri juu yake sasa, Mimi kutambua kwamba baba na mimi wote wawili walikuwa majina kutibu kama ishara ya utamaduni - baba zao alitaka majina ambayo ingesaidia wavulana wake kufaa katika utamaduni huu mpya, and I was thinking about their names connecting them to the culture they had left behind.

Mimi alichukua jambo umakini. , I hit on two names that were as close sounding as I could come to the names they had arrived with.

Zaidi ya miaka nimeyazingatia na kushangaa katika mapenzi na uamuzi wa familia hizi Kivietinamu kuweka chini mizizi mpya, work hard and thrive in their new home.   I wonder how Ian and Neil have fared with the names they were given as they launched into their Canadian lives.  I hope they’ve served them well.

- Maria katika Alberta

- picha za mikopo: Wakimbizi wanasubiri usafiri katika mashua ya uvuvi; PH2 Phil Eggman [Umma domain], kupitia Wikimedia Commons