I am from Guatemala, and my husband is Canadian, so we moved to Canada 1 year ago. Besides the differences in language and culture, the weather was a very difficult adjustment for me. However, I always dreamt about having a white Christmas, so this past Christmas my dream finally came true.

Yet, it definitely felt strange having Christmas away from my family and cultural traditions; but thanks to the multiculturalism in this beautiful country I felt like I was home away from home.

I was so pleased to find out that there is a restaurant owned by Guatemalans who specialize in Guatemalan cuisine. They had a very special typical dish eaten for Christmas in Guatemala, “tamal”! Eating a tamal in Canada made me feel so at home!

Thanks to the Multicultural and Newcomers Resource Centre I have met wonderful people from so many different countries who are going through the same cultural changes I am going through. Sharing our experiences and creating new memories together has made the process easier not just for me but for everybody as well. It feels great to know you are not alone, but there are many other newcomers getting adjusted to a new lifestyle just like you.

- Cristy in Saint John, N.B.