Tag Archives: friendship

Freedoms & Friendships

MC40_PatternSquare07aI am from Bangladesh. I born in a small city called Pabna. We are 4 people in our home (Mom, Dad, my brother and me). Being born in a Muslim family, I grew up with lots of restrictions. I never traveled anywhere without my parents. In my second year of University, I told my dad I want to go to abroad to continue my study. At first I thought he would never allow me to come all by myself. Finally he said, if you get the visa then he would let me go. This is how I end up coming to Canada.

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

From South Korea and Scotland to Small Town Canada

MC40_OrilliaSignThis story spans many years.

In 1964 my husband, 4-year-old son and I emigrated from Scotland to small town Ontario – Orillia, Stephen Leacock’s Mariposa. We were readily assimilated into the mainly white Caucasian population, many being second and third generation descendants of early settlers. It was an easy transition for us moving from one country to another. We were accepted and made welcome as there were several immigrant families from England and Scotland living there already along with a small, well established Italian community.

It was not the norm for aIl newcomers.

In 1967 I saw a young Asian couple with a little boy carrying their laundry to a nearby laundromat and commented to my husband on how strange and lonely it must be for them as they were the only Asian family in our small town. Fortsätt läsa →

Livet med nåd

MC40_Grace_Min mor var en hemmafru och uppvuxen sex barn; vår familj flyttade vart tredje år med min fars arbete. Som tiden gick, Jag bestämde mig också skulle tjäna mitt land och mitt samhälle som polis; Jag visste också att jag ville att mina barn ska ha rötter som skulle mildra mitt skiftarbete och min make resor. Hur kunde jag göra allt?

Damen på barnflicka byrå sätta ihop bitarna. Hon hade just fått en ansökan från en kvinna som heter Grace som hade fyra egna barn. Grace ville ha ett jobb som var nära hennes hem och som skulle rymma sin egen familj vårdbehov. Det tog bara ett möte för Grace och jag bestämma att vi kunde arbeta tillsammans. Den dagen var också början på en livslång vänskap. Oavsett scouting trädgården butikerna tillsammans i vår eller handel hemlighet önskelistor till jul, vi har haft varandras företag och stödde varandra när vi behövdes. Fortsätt läsa →