Showing posts with label adjustment period. Show all posts
Vancouver's Prestige
This city is one of the best places to be
in. It has everything any person could ever want. The environment, culture,
climate, and the location are all conveniently compatible to my tastes, as well
as anyone I’ve ever talked to about Vancouver. For instance, the climate that
does not become too hot or too cold, but still changes enough to justify a
genuine winter and summer. The drawbacks, ranging from the minute to the
serious, are altogether outweighed by the Vancouver perks. Anyone can argue
against the livability, the quality of living, of Vancouver, but they will
eventually run out of reasons. Not surprisingly, Vancouver is always included
within the lists of the best cities to live in, and at the rate we’re going, we
can expect a more attractive Vancouver, problems transformed to treasures
unique to the city.
For now, I’ll only show the things I like
about the revered metropolis, the ostensible problems won’t have a significant
effect on you if you’re reading this. So, to begin with, one can experience a
perfect blend of temperatures even in the coldest winters and the hottest
summers. It never becomes too cold to hibernate in the home for half of winter.
It never becomes too hot to drink 8 liters of water during the summer.
Vancouver also has an attractive pattern in its weather. Rain doesn’t disparage
the beauty of the city, but it highlights the nature found inside the area. In
spite of this, on very rare occasions, Vancouver still gets affected by one in
a hundred storms. On the other hand, there is a lot of time and good days to do
something outdoors in Vancouver. So it’s generally fine to consider Vancouver’s
atmosphere, also its favorable air quality, as a wonder of nature.
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| "ANIREVO 2014, Vancouver" by roaming-the-planet |
An obvious reason for our good air is the
vast amounts of nature found everywhere. The mountains, rivers, lakes, and forests
make great activity places. There is a plethora of possibilities—winter
activities, summer hikes, calm boat rides, anything else that makes us feel
nature every once in a while. While budget could be detrimental to my points,
many people in Vancouver usually do these things for cheap or even free. Stanley
Park, as an example, is one of the things I absolutely hold in high regard. It
is a charming place, the inside is wonderfully natural, it is a place that
serves many people throughout the seasons, and the best part about it is that
it’s a park, so it’s free.
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| Aerial shot of Vancouver, courtesy of Evan Leeson
*Just beside Downtown Vancouver is Stanley Park…
which is consistently recognized as one of the best parks in the world.
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Any rational person would agree that cultural integration is a problem for the old, not the young. It has also been stated, by many experts and TV figures, that racism would die with older generations. I would even assert this myself, I never notice anyone young projecting offensive behavior to others. This means that schools and their students are in good shape, the youth population will just add to Vancouver’s praises. A huge reason for this is the immigrant groups, the foreign transfers, and the location of the city. There are many newcomers here, barely any of them would feel alienated, they always have groups during their first moments, then they join the mainstream after they feel comfortable enough. Another reason is Vancouver’s location—it is at the bottom of Canada, beside the shoreline, and above another cultural hub, the US. It’s plausible to say that Vancouver has the stereotypical Canadian values and beliefs but devoid of the countryside-ignorance an isolated place could have. The high amounts of technological development is a reason, as well as the government of Canada itself, and again, debunking preset stereotypes, and behaviors, by fusing multiple cultures into one city.
Overall, I’d like to live in Vancouver, it would also be the most logical choice. However, personally, I just don’t want to settle in the place forever. Adults, especially those who are “easily bored,” won’t really like the perceived boredom in the city. A lack of infrastructure, perhaps as a result of a lack of population, might be the cause, besides the job problems. Anyway, this won’t be Vancouver’s conclusion, this is just the present. I won’t consider myself as part of the adults for around 10 more years. So, if Vancouver transmutes rocks to gold by then, I might just stay in here forever. A truly rare combination of simplicities.
Overall, I’d like to live in Vancouver, it would also be the most logical choice. However, personally, I just don’t want to settle in the place forever. Adults, especially those who are “easily bored,” won’t really like the perceived boredom in the city. A lack of infrastructure, perhaps as a result of a lack of population, might be the cause, besides the job problems. Anyway, this won’t be Vancouver’s conclusion, this is just the present. I won’t consider myself as part of the adults for around 10 more years. So, if Vancouver transmutes rocks to gold by then, I might just stay in here forever. A truly rare combination of simplicities.
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| "Telus World of Science" by Jason Mrachina
Rogers
Arena (left) and Science World (right; sparkling dome)
We lack many things, from
zoos to respectable financial districts… Vancouver is still a budding city
compared to other metropolises, it is quite young, but we have enough, like Science World,
for young thinkers; and Roger’s Arena, for sporty youths. Despite all the
shortages, our infusion of nature with a diverse society (more than 40%
have an Asian heritage)… offering us an influx of Asian restaurants,
yum… altogether makes Vancouver one of the most livable cities in the world.
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- Angelo
How is Immigration a Reset Button?
A few years ago, before immigrating, I was ostracized in my old
school, I was called “special” and was teased for my eccentricity, and then I
became the black sheep. All of that because I was raised with foreign beliefs,
something my xenophobic home country has no tolerance for. Luckily, a major
change happened, it opened up a million possibilities, an ongoing story’s new
chapter—immigration.
The chilly winds did not remind me of home; the snowy fields
did not even cause surprise; budding flowers inspire; the hot summer breeze
desired. Coming to Canada made me realize that I should not waste a hefty
privilege by sticking to my old, pre-immigration self. As much as I regret to
say, I don’t miss my past, and having a new life, a new society, peers and
expectations, is a really big change for a young person. However, I’m not
trying to persuade you to relinquish your background, just try to integrate it
into this Western environment.
Possible reasons for leaving your old self behind:
- - People from your country have terrible attitudes towards your new society
- - Afraid of racism and discrimination
- - Your old society’s habits may be harmful, especially to the new environment you’re in now
- - Can’t progress without adopting some Western attitudes
- - And a lot more you can probably think of
Now, I want you to think about a choice. If you
could ever relive the first days after immigration, what would you want?
- - Speak English without a thick accent?
- - Handle culture shock in a better way?
- - Have your family and friends be more Canadian?
- - Be an advocate for your country, being an exemplary immigrant who fares better here?
These are all wishes many of us did not receive as
newcomers. The first weeks were the hardest, but it is also one of the most
memorable, a puzzling era of your life.
Just start changing. Immigration has many positives as well
as negatives.
You will experience negative stereotypes, ultimately causing
you to ignore the underlying causes, then you will not be able to adapt to the
new culture. A few years later, your life plans become awry, your life in the
self-segregating ghetto groups, you lose contact with your family as a bonus
too. This actually happened to a person my family knew, he could not CHANGE
because he was AFRAID. No matter how we look at it, his life got ruined, his
extreme attachment to his long-established beliefs caused his downfall.
While his case was severe, it does not mean it can’t happen
to anyone. His projections to society were pathetic, they just reinforce
negative stereotypes. YES, negative stereotypes are the problems! A black
person who is not a brain-dead athlete, an Oriental who is not a robot
mathlete, Muslims are not brainwashed terrorists, and whites people are not
racists; and a lot more. Society is built by humans, so society should not
force humans its beliefs. Be an individual, not a boring, hollow,
insignificant, ignorant sheep. Start changing for the better now!
To simplify my point, think of an elastic metal spring,
stretch it too much then it breaks, not stretching it means it won’t be of any
use. I like to think of people as metal springs, they need to stretch to have
some use, they become useless and rusty if there is no change after a long
time, changing too much will break the spring and make you an individual, free
from self-stigma if you ever try to do something different in a conformist
environment. A heavy load breaks a spring; a lot of effort can go a long way.
Why try?
Every person has special talents, traits, abilities, potentials…
they just don’t get to use them. Everyone you know has a niche in society, not
everyone can be rich, not everyone can be popular, not everyone can be like
Leonardo DiCaprio. However, you can be as best as you can be, limitless, by
changing into a better, productive person.
"Haters gonna hate cuz I'm doing great" - Anonymous
- Angelo
Culture vs. Ethnicity
What is your group of friends like? Do you
share the same culture and race? Is it your own home country’s culture, more of
the Canadian culture, or a bit of both? Are they also immigrants?
The newcomer’s
dilemma is this:
Who would your first friends be for your first time in a Canadian school? Fellow immigrants, from the same origin country? Most likely.
Those who share your interests, like video games or art, but are from a different culture? Maybe, but it’s rare because of a culture/language barrier.
Or perhaps, you are a culture vulture who hangs out with different kinds of people, regardless of their backgrounds.
The actual question is: would you join a group of immigrants, or do the opposite, immerse yourself immediately with normal English speakers?
Who would your first friends be for your first time in a Canadian school? Fellow immigrants, from the same origin country? Most likely.
Those who share your interests, like video games or art, but are from a different culture? Maybe, but it’s rare because of a culture/language barrier.
Or perhaps, you are a culture vulture who hangs out with different kinds of people, regardless of their backgrounds.
The actual question is: would you join a group of immigrants, or do the opposite, immerse yourself immediately with normal English speakers?
At my
school, I usually notice new immigrant teens banding with other immigrants from
their home country, myself included, I was sent forced by the school to
befriend a group of racially-like immigrants on my first days of Canadian high
school. I disliked the school’s decision to do that, it left little room for
possibilities, but it paved the way for my adaptation to multicultural Canada.
It went like this, I was introduced to friendly newcomers, I felt safe and
comfortable, I spoke my language with them, then I slowly, but successfully,
pushed myself to adapt to Canadian culture.
Actually,
I lied to get your sympathy. That did
not happen to me (because I’m just weird) but it usually does to most newcomers
(who aren’t weird at all). The forced, and societally imposed grouping
reinforces stereotypes, usually negative ones. It’s also extremely pointless if
the goal is to achieve a multi-cultural, inclusive society in schools. Placing
immigrants to their own distinct racial groups can weaken cultural adaptation,
which even at the cost of extra convenience and comfort become
counterproductive. This is because people will want to be with other people
they can relate with, and this paired with forced grouping, is what makes
casual intercultural relationships difficult. Different groups are going to
have different expectations from other groups, because their large sizes make
stereotypes visible.
Going
back to the question, we can say that you either have friends from your home
culture, or you have friends who you share specific interests with (video
gamers, artists, academics, and all of the other cliques). If you belong to the
latter, the second answer, or even if you belong to both at the same time, then
you have successfully adapted in some way. However, if you only belong to the
first, let’s say an exclusive Asian-Korean culture group as an example, then it
means that you need to absorb various cultures around you. It’s effective since
it makes the definitions of “stereotypes”
and “racism” obsolete, they just
stopped getting used, and multiculturalism prevails if kept that way.
So to simplify this, either you belong to a group of friends who share the same ethnicity and still keeps their home culture out of the house, or you have a mixed culture group of friends who you hang out with. Anyway, even if you mostly have country-culture immigrant friends, it won’t give you disadvantages if you become bicultural, having both your home culture and Canadian culture at the same time, proving that multiculturalism is possible.
Finally, some advice I heard from a Croatian friend, “…just accept different cultures, but you also have to observe and understand the differences.”
“Keep your language. Love its sounds, its
modulation, its rhythm. But try to march together with men of different
languages, remote from your own, who wish like you for a more just and human
world.”
- Hélder Câmara, author of
Spiral Of Violence
