ZanyBrown

Potential immigrants to Canada tend to conjure images of the land of their dreams. I think Indian immigrants dream mostly of luxurious living and snow.   I used to dream about snow flakes wafting gently in winter, about  Christmas trees bedecked with brightly colored lights and about a lone orange beacon from the facade of a tall glassy skyscraper mirroring the setting sun. 

I knew that Canadians were kind and courteous and hence I conjured up images of nods and smiles in my direction with a sing- song “ Good day!” as they passed me by on sidewalks strewn with autumn leaves.

Such were my visions of Canada.

 A few months after landing in Canada the milk-white snow I had dreamed about turned to a paler shade of gray. I did see impressive skyscrapers in the downtown section of Vancouver, but they only represented offices where other people held decent jobs.

During that initial period when I was trying to secure employment I found myself married to discomfiture. And even if someone had wished me “Good Day!” I would probably have just nodded with a long face. 

In course of time, however, things changed for the better. When I  now look back to reflect on what transpired then, I would say they were teething problems. Most immigrants go through the mill. It is not a pleasant feeling, but it is certainly a good way to learn about life in Canada first -hand.

New immigrants to Canada react with discomfiture and sometimes even in defense of the system that they got away from.  They heap lavish praise on the very things they once denounced:  The crowds they brushed shoulders with now represent human warmth; the noise and the cacophony of traffic in Indian cities becomes music to their ears that they now miss; and the squalor and corruption at nearly all levels becomes a system that works- notwithstanding. 

When confronted with the harsh reality of life and unfamiliar conditions in Canada they wince and whine. But those who survive the first two to three year hiccups after landing in Canada manage to go through the motions of life with some degree of acceptance. But if the discomfiture of trying to acclimatize is unending it is time to re-orient and say to oneself “This is for the children.”

To complain about the conditions in Canada after arriving here is as natural, for a new immigrant, as a bird takes to flight. With conditions so diametrically opposite in the world they came from it comes an odd revelation that  ‘white’ now means ‘white’ and ‘right’ is right and not wrong- just to accomodate nepotism. There are queues not to break and courtesies to be adopted; and at the end of the day the system prevails. That system precludes living life without having to  board the last train to heaven.

Stress, for the Indian immigrant in Canada is different: It is mostly borne out of financial insecurity. Immigrants are often concerned that if something went terribly wrong with their finances, they would be washed away without a trace.  

However, consider a few of Canada’s plus points: It has the ninth largest economy in the world and is also considered to be the ninth best country in the world to do business in. People call Canada a welfare state; others say this is a form of Socialism. There are many good things about living in Canada and they easily outshadow the perceived negatives.

Call it what you may, the bottom line is that Canada cares for its people.  

Indians usually fit into four broad categories that take after the bold type on the face of a compass: There are North Indians who hail from the northern states of India, South Indians who come from the South of India; West Indians who play jolly good cricket and finally ” East Indians” who are synonymous with curry and Information Technology. 

The two possible explanations for the term “East Indian” are 1. That  “Indians” were named misakenly on the discovery of the Americas and hence “other Indians were named East Indian”; and 2. That the term “East Indian” has to do with the East India company set up by the British in India.

These are viable explanations, though not acceptable to Indians emigrating from Indian metros.  Many immigrants of Indian descent  do not like the tag “East Indian” and prefer to be called “Indo-Canadian.” Immigrants who don’t like the tag ” East Indian” argue that there is only one India and therefore, why tag them “ East Indian?” Furthermore, the term somehow has managed to take on an undertone.

Educated Indian immigrants take pride in the fact that they have come a long way from the old image once portrayed. Nowadays, Indians are synonymous with technological world. They have manouvered for themselves a sixty billion dollar outsourcing industry that can send unemployment charts in the West shooting up like the mercury in the Rajasthan desert. Indians excel in Math and science related subjects and are leaders in software engineering and Information Technology. India may not stake any great claim to ingenuity in discoveries, but when it comes to mass production of engineers they are probably next only to China.

Immigrants of Indian descent who come with hopes of landing engineering jobs in Canada are the most professionally misplaced: Some of them even drive cabs in Toronto and Vancouver with credentials like ‘Ph.D.’ Many of those immigrants are returning to India out of frustration of not being able to engage in employment commensurate with their qualifications and experience.

It is an irony that some countries that have a dire need for doctors and engineers do not ratify their academic credentials and experience. There are many tens of thousands of doctors and engineers from India practising across the border in the United States. But having one’s Indian engineering qualifications ratified by a Provincial agency in Canada is exasperating.

One sunny afternoon, some eight years ago, I was seated on a bench outside the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park- looking intently at artists making pencil sketches of stiff- necked customers when a lady with her little son- around five years of age- came and sat beside me in the vacant seat. I wished her and we struck up a conversation.

I told her I was a recent immigrant and we spoke of life in North America in general terms. The one remark that she made, that stands out till date, was that it took courage to be an immigrant. She spoke of the sacrifice involved in leaving everything behind and embarking on a journey with little or no assurances on hand. And then she spoke of a “ little help from friends.”

I was once the beneficiary of this blessing: Fortunately for me, there were people who helped when we needed it most during the first two months of our stay in Canada. Not many are that fortunate. Most South Asian will tell you “ Nobody helps.” Then ask the same person what he thinks of Punjabis helping each-and he might say: “ Very true!”

One cannot generalize, but some communities in India show a greater propensity to help new immigrants.  In my ethnic group, people show reluctance to help new immigrants. Others feel the same way about their people. This attitude could be linked to insecurity. Besides, it human nature to feel the pangs of jealousy.

During the period of the last month, a Bangladeshi Accountant and a Zambian businesswoman have testified to me of some solid disservice among recent immigrants who arrive from their countries.  The Zambian businesswoman even spoke of “ jealousy-big time” from her fellow immigrants.

But there are the helping types: There is a lady of Indian origin who always extends a helping hand to new immigrants.  In the last ten years she must have housed thirty to forty immigrant families from the Arabian Gulf for the first two months on arrival in Canada.  I am quite certain she does not accept monetary gratification, though people who she has helped must have made it up to her in small ways.

The story I tell people the most is that of my close friend who landed in Canada with two small children and a slip of paper with a hastily - scribbled address from Abu Dhabi.  It was a friend of a friend who suggested a contact.  He stayed with this gentleman and his family for the first two months on arrival in Canada.  The small basement they all squeezed into was not small for the man’s heart was large.  Needless to mention, they are friends till date.

Ask anybody who has taken the Canadian citizenship written test and he or she will tell you that one of the primary responsibilities of a Canadian citizen is to “ help each other in the community.”   

Some immigrants do not land in Canada with a letter from their Motor Insurance Company in South Asia to the effect that they did not have any accident-related claim against them in the last five years - if that were the case. A “ No claim certificate” from your motor vehicle Insurance Company in India can save you at least twenty-five to thirty percent in insurance premiums in Canada.     

There are immigrants who regret having paid an Immigration Agent upwards of five thousand dollars for processing their application for landed immigrant status in Canada.  These amounts paid to Agents serve little else than making an application on your behalf with an attestation from an immigration lawyer- that is dispensable.

But the folly of a new immigrant is not listening to good advice merely for the reason that you categorically distrust the composite experience of others who made mistakes and learned by their experience in Canada. But then, people want to make their own mistakes.

I know of the case of someone who opened a coin laundry in Whalley soon after landing in Surrey BC.  If, perhaps, he had asked me before doing so, I would have told him: “Whalley is a neighborhood with a history of sporadic crime.” The rate of car theft in Whalley is six times more than the Canadian national average. There are businesses that succeed in Whalley, but most people would discourage new investors with one word: “ Avoid!”

But consider the possible justification for such an inadvertent misadventure: “Who could I trust?  And why be obligated to people and ask for favors and advice?” Perhaps so, but why bargain for endless worry. People don’t listen, and to make sure of that- they don’t even ask.

Then there are those little silly things that may or not be mistakes: Not attending to outstanding dental problems prior to coming to Canada, delaying applying for a credit card (a credit history is important to apply and qualify for a mortgage), buying a new car for a first car, buying new furniture and splashing money around on the pretext of setting up a home in Canada.   

By far, the biggest mistake one can make is to expect a good job in Canada based on one’s qualifications and work experience in another hemisphere. That is flawed thinking though most of us have displayed it in the initial stages as new immigrants to Canada. There is no harm in aspiring to reach high, but it is better to be pragmatic in accordance with the prevailing situation.

Nearly everyone who has a good job in Canada has studied, re-qualified or upgraded here.

The lack of basic knowledge on Canadian conditions appears to be more pronounced for Indians emigrating from the Arabian Gulf. In a sense, they are not to be blamed.  Conditions in the Gulf were exceedingly good; money was tax- free. Some of those immigrants came here with different aspirations. Others have accepted the new reality.          

Canada comprises of around sixteen thousand islands and encompasses nearly 9.09 million square kilometers.  After Russia, it has the second largest surface area in the world.

With deposits of gold, nickel, copper and iron ore Canada is a wealthy nation. And to cap it all, Canada is the second highest producer of crude oil extracted from oil sands in the world. When the Canadian dollar appreciates against the U.S. dollar, it is because of an appreciation in the commodities market.  And yet Canada is low profile when it comes to making a display of wealth.

Since Canada has so much land area, does it matter if one tiny little island in the Arctic is relinquished?

The answer is “Yes” 

Canada will not part with an inch of its territory.  And it has been doing amusing things to establish its sovereignty over an isolated island a mere 1.3 square kilometers in size.

Hans Island to the north of Greenland (Denmark) and the south of Ellesmere Island (Canada) is a stretch of barren rock covered ice and floe. In this part of the Arctic Circle it is so cold barren and cold you might easily think you are on another planet.

Hans island attracts visitors from only two nations: Canada and Denmark. That is the problem. As of now, Hans Island is no man’s land with Canada and Denmark both staking claim to it. Denmark claims that it is a logical extension to the 1933 Act that awarded Greenland to Denmark; whereas, Canada claims it from way back when Eskimos traversed the area from the North of Greenland across the five- kilometer stretch of water to Ellesmere Island. The real story is that someone forgot to designate Hans Island when the five- kilometer stretch of off shore limits were being drawn up.

Some years ago Canada decided take firm action: It dispatched a battleship (one of a fleet you can count on the fingers of one hand) to Hans Island. The Commander of the ship went ashore and promptly planted a Canadian flag and a bottle of whisky. The latter was largely a symbolic gesture.

However, in a subsequent visit, it was discovered that the flag and whisky were gone.  In place, there was a Danish flag and a bottle of extra strong Danish Aquavit alcohol- the kind that would do some harm to the inner lining of the stomach and leave a mark on the head.

These small Mickey Mouse ploys have kept the feud alive and promises to present protracted sessions of pea- throwing.   But that is so much like Canada.  There is no threat of violent confrontation, no flamboyant display and use of military power (the total number of armored tanks in the Canadian army are not even equal to the number of tanks in the Army workshop at Deolali cantonment in Nasik Road) and at worst there will be a heated debate in the House of Commons and much fuel for satires programs on T.V. thereafter.  

There are two things Canadian can talk about at short notice:the weather and Ice Hockey. I like hockey too, though I prefer field hockey- a relatively more docile version.

But the weather as riveting subject in a conversation was unfamiliar to me.

If you were to experience 10 inches of rain in 48 hours in India you might overhear Savithri Kulkarni grumble: “ Aayee gha…Aaz kitie paaoos aahae!” or  Selvam abruptly jerking off the beads of water from his face and head while closing an inverted umbrella and complaining  “ Ennaa maa…yaevlo malae!”

But who talks about the weather-as if it were the only topic? Sometimes, I think Canadians do.

When I first came, I used to plod on in Indian fashion about all and sundry subjects.  After a while, I realized that I was disclosing more than the listener needed to know and that all he said was “Oh yeah! Oh yeah!”

That’s when I too started talking vaguely about the weather. But this weather thing always befuddled me.

So I asked a Punjabi friend of mine why it was so. “Why do Canadians lay so much emphasis on the weather?”  I asked.

To that, he replied: “ Arrae, yaar, weather mae kissi kaa laenaa daenaa nahin hai!”(There is nothing to lose or gain in talking about the weather!)

But, in a dreary place like Vancouver where the sun plays more hide- even if one seeks, it makes sense to look forward to a bright weekend.  

Then there is a sheet of thin ice you don’t want to walk on. You don’t ask a Caucasian Canadian questions about his family. That is taboo. It is painful to bring up memories of the family that once was.  There are far to many people in North America who are divorced. 

However, consider what East Indians almost invariably ask you. They want to or would very much like to know what is your hourly wage.  That is their hallmark.  That way, they place you on a scale.  For example, he as a Matriculation degree holder earning sixteen dollars and hour beheading chickens whereas you-with your double Masters degree- earn half that amount at the cash till of a convenience store! 

We have so much to learn from Canadians.

We in India like to talk about our achievements at large. We like to impress.  We even throw in a generous dose of our family achievements.  Tell it a Canadian and you will hear a polite “ Good for you!”  That remark is often made in a sing- song manner with the neck slanting to one side and a slight elevation of one eyebrow. If the good news you have announced is very good you might have to watch for other signs to assess the genuineness. But we all human: We don’t particularly rejoice when we hear good news as related by others.

But the crux of the matter is:  Why talk more than necessary?  Much rather you get the other person to talk.

And talk, he or she will- about the weather!

Canadians also talk about Indian food. That’s when you hear frequent mention of the word “ Awesome!”  The net result is that you are going to actually offer him a sample of your fare or even so much as invite him home for a hearty East Indian meal.

Gosh!  These people love East Indian food.  They love any food. But when Prince Philip blurted: “English women can’t cook!” he came in for flak. When East Indians lament about not being invited in return for dinner by Caucasian Canadians they ought to give Caucasians a margin- if only for the possibility that Prince Philip was right.

Canadians think that the samosa is an Indian national symbol. Considering the Canadian national symbol is the rodent- like beaver it is not surprising they hold the samosa in such high esteem.  If they had perhaps justifiably chosen the maple leaf as the national symbol one might have expected to choose from something more elaborate like “Kashmiri Murgh Makkhani or Andhra biryani” to tickle the culinary buds.  Instead one might go on praising the butter chicken they relished at Bhupinder’s wedding.( Incidentally, the same white Canadians were on the verge of thanking Bhupinder’s parents at the reception and making an exit after the short snacks – at which stage they were reminded that dinner was yet to be served!)

That is how they learned about butter chicken!

Then there are expressions that quiz me. Ask a Canadian something he does not know the answer to and he will reply: “ Yeah…Now that is a good question!” At first, it used to make me feel proud to have asked.  Not any longer.

But the everlasting winner is the North American expression: “ Whatever…!”

It is usually the culmination of frustration and corresponding of refrain.  It could mean summarily discarding a topic of conversation or “ I have nothing further to add!”

Most immigrants who land here prefer to start looking for jobs within the first week itself. Without a job, your meter is ticking away from your savings-which in some cases might not be very much if you are from India.

I can testify to that. In the initial period, every time we spent a dollar we would think “ That’s Rupees Thirty- one into so many dollars gone.” It is quite taxing in the initial few months to spend Indian money for Canadian goods and services. But when one gets a job and sees one’s first paycheck, things improve or, at least, matters are alleviated.

The name of the game in Canada in the initial period is: “ Get any job, to pay the bills.”

If you are going to worry about what people will think and become choosy with jobs then you may have to wait longer.  There are immigrants to do get the kind of jobs they are cut out for, but those are far and few unless you have the skills a profession like that of a software engineer that you can cash in on immediately.

Don’t worry about telling your folks back home what you are really doing.  In any case they are not likely to understand the situation here. This is the Canadian context and all that you do is relevant to that. Sometimes, employers try you by telling you that you are overqualified or that you lack Canadian experience.  I heard of someone who actually replied to that remark with candor. “ How can I get Canadian experience if you don’t give a chance to get it?”

That was a decade ago and more.  Nowadays, you send out your Resume at 10am and by the time you go back home there are two messages from prospective employers on your answering machine. 

However, the bright outlook now prevailing in the employment market may not last forever, hence it is a good idea to follow some elementary guidelines.

Try and fit in all your skills, job experience and qualifications on a single A-4 size sheet of paper.  It is easy to fax and in any case chances are if there are more applicants the first glance from a prospective employer will not be for more than twenty seconds.

If you register at the Human Resources Job Bank in your neighborhood they will show you how to make a North American type ‘Resume.” I prefer the format that reads: Objective, Skills, Job Experience, Educational Qualifications and one last line that states: References available on request.

Dress modestly for an interview (a suit is not really necessary, unless you are applying for some job that requires that sort of daily attire) and speak only that much as required.  A good idea in the interview is to display the type of quick reflexes and body movement that suggest that you are good at multi-tasking.  I have my own theory. The employer is hiring you for your physical ability rather than for your brain. Hence don’t fantasize that your managerial use in India is going to be of much use.

However if you were a mechanic in India, the current job is merely and extension of what you did in the past.

Note: You might have immigrated here after giving up a good supervisory or Managerial job in India and no matter what, you will somehow always be tempted to compare your current assignment the job your juniors did back home.

The day you get your driver’s license in Canada ought to be just as memorable as the day you when you finally become a Canadian citizenship. That’s the day when you steer your career on the road of opportunity.

Without a driver’s license in Canada, you are restricted in your personal and work life. A car can also make you appreciate the beauty of your new surrounds.

In the initial period of your stay here, you might, in all probability depend on the public transportation system. The TTC transit system of Toronto is good: whereas, in Vancouver buses run not too frequently- though Vancouver’s sky-train network is a good means of commuting. But if you are based elsewhere like in Calgary, Winnipeg, Regina, Ottawa or Nova Scotia, you had better make plans to start driving out of sheer necessity.

It snows in Toronto and Ottawa for four months a year and by driving a car you are less likely to be tense and stressed waiting for the bus in a worst-case scenario: minus twenty-five degree Celsius, excluding wind chill.

To comprehend how cold that is, just fancy yourself sitting in a refrigerator freezer with a ‘Cinni’ fan operating on your face-albeit on ‘slow.’ Your ears will ache and you might recall the sadistic priest in charge of the school boarding twisting them as punishment for stealing sweets from podgy Arun Kumar.

The East coast of Canada can get to be cold that you might yearn for the warmest day of your life. But indoors you don’t really feel the cold here because there are very few occasions for you to be exposed to the chilling vagaries of the Arctic.  Cars are heated and so are your home and office.

Driving on snow is just as tricky as walking on snow and you will get used to both in due course of time.

It might be a good idea to enroll in a driving school in India and get your license before coming here- in case you don’t know driving.  Actually, that is a must. It will enable to take the test soon and qualify for a full-fledged license.

Don’t let it bother you that you were an experienced driver in India and yet repeatedly failed the driver’s test in Canada.  Just be persevering. The standards for road safety are far too high in Canada.

In British Columbia, we have a graduated program for new drivers and you don’t want to go that way.  Instead, come here, take another few classes in a driving school paying $30 per hour and then take the Class Five test.  

People come to Canada for different reasons.For some, it works out well; for others there is nothing but regret.

I once heard someone say it would not be a good idea to come here if you are earning more than Rupees Twenty thousand per month in India. It is a fair guideline but vague. With that kind of earning in an Indian small town, one can have a modest house, two- wheeler and enough to get by.

In some cases, that might be considered to be a low salary- and cause for the thought of immigrating to Canada-especially if the mother and father are in their late thirties.

The most common reason given by immigrants is “ For the children.” That makes sense. But then you have to be mentally prepared to forego some of the luxuries you had in India.

Before coming here we were told by eight out of ten people: “ Gosh! Don’t go- you don’t get jobs there. There are so many people coming back.” We are happy we did not heed their advice. My wife and I have never once regretted making Canada our home.

For the adventurous and hard working the sky is the limit in North America. But the number of times you fall down flat on your face in the process is frustrating. The trick is to arise once more and try, try again. If you try hard enough success might be forthcoming.

But the real key is to aclimitization is something I call “ The Canada state of mind.”

On January 9, 2008 I felt a tap on my shoulder outside Terminal 3 at Toronto’s Lester Pearson airport.  My teeth were beginning to chatter in the below zero and wind chill temperature, but the next moment the gelid feeling was gone.  I could feel a comforting hand on my shoulder.  It was the hand of someone I have known for thirty- five years. My wife  tells me he is the best friend I ever had. We have been friends from way back in Ahmedabad.

“Khem chae?” (How are you?)- He enquired affectionately.

“Saras! Tamae khem cho? (Fine, how are you?) I asked him.

“Arrae yaar, majaa!  Kai, peenae moj !” ( His reply briefly translates to- Eating, drinking and making Merry!)

This man is easily the most incurable optimist I have broken bread with. Try to tell him anything negative and he will promptly sprinkle rose water on it.

His daughter-in-law, who I was seeing for the first time, touched my feet and greeted me: “Jai Swaminaryan!”

When I reached his house his grandchildren were advised to do so accordingly.

“Chul baetaa, Uncle nae Jai Swaminaryan ko!”

It mattered little that in religion I was born into, deities and greetings are different. We were one family and in a sense re-united!

The purpose of relating this incident is to tell you what that family has done in North York outside Toronto. The inside of their house looks pretty much the same as in their bungalow near Kankariya Lake in Ahmedabad.The sights and the sounds are the same.  The food is the same except that there is a lot more juice and milk products in the refrigerator and they treat old friends and acquaintances the same. Nothing has changed.

The mind-set is the same.  It always will be. Chances are they will never feel having being uprooted.They live in an enclave and yet, they go out in the day and contribute to society as Canadians of Indian ethnicity. 

My local Viet Namese grocery store has almost every variety of fruit and vegetable I can source in Russel Market, Bangalore.  It makes me feel at home to shop in the bountiful variety:Seetaaphul (custard apple), star fruit, chikoo, bimbli, boraa, keerae, sopu, mango, avalaa, vaalchibhaji, jackfruit, paanmalaa and curry leaves-you name it.

But, for the life of me, I cannot understand why they don’t import Nagpur oranges when Pakistani oranges-a poor second cousin of the Nagpur orange- is available in Indian grocery stores. 

Alphonso mangoes came to the Chicago, U.S. market last year at a princely sum of three dollars a mango. However, Alphonso mango pulp is available in cans.

In Brampton, Ontario, or in Surrey, British Columbia, one can relish a made- to- order paan after a hearty meal and be very specific with the “tweed jacket” clad ‘paan-wallah.’

“Choonaa kum… kattaa… bus-bus!… sopari, gulkund …aur yaar aglae baar mahghai kilao! Badaa mazaa ayaegaa!”

Then you take one bite of the final product, wave your right hand like Ustaad Ghulam Ali and make a facial expression like Mr.Bean tasting a delicious tart.

With food like that you might think there is no word like “ nostalgia” what? Well, “Yes” and “ No.”

Some things don’t have that India taste. Take for example the mutton, which they call ‘goat meat’ here.  It tends to give off a slight whiff. I have circumvented that problem with the leg of goat as supplied to me by my Libyan butcher.

He almost always tries to impress me.“I tell you my fren…this is so good … so uuuhhh!” and then he makes a gesture as if he is about to make an intimate acquaintance with a Bollywood actress.  

The vegetables in chain department stores look picture perfect but they do not taste like their dwarf and skinny counterparts in India.  I think it has to do with the manure in India.

The mackerel (bangdaa) from Taiwan is pretty close in taste to the bangda available on the Konkan coast of India.  This morning I bought kingfish -(’Vanjaram’in Tamil and ‘Eeswoen’ in Konkani )that used to be small luxury in Chennai. The prawns here are huge in size but tasteless. That is the disadvantage of not having them breed in murky off shore waters off the Gujarat coast.

I still remember my time in Gujarat when I see the black pomfret from Taiwan. It used to come from Veeraval in those days.

And don’t talk about masalas. You can anything and everything here. As a matter of fact you can carry coals to Newcastle in the form of masalas when you go back to India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka in your next visit.

Remember what they used to say about Basmati rice in the old days in India?

You get the best Basmati rice in the Gulf because it is exported from India. The same applies here.