Showing posts with label stories. Show all posts
The Transition From Air-Conditioners to Heaters: A Productive Ramble.
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| Christopher John SSF |
I like change just as much as I like uncomfortable situations, which is to say, a lot. There’s something about the novelty, that extra rush of adrenaline triggering my lizard, that makes me want to seek it out and bathe in its sweat-inducing, blood-pumping, knee-jerking effect. I become the change physically, mentally, and spiritually. Or maybe I’m just an adrenaline junkie who drinks too much coffee, that’s much more probable.
I’ve been in Canada for a bit more than a year now, and alas, I’ve fallen into a monotonous routine birthed by school and my ever-persistent aversion to homework. Albeit, my methods of procrastination may not be the most conventional for a teenager. I prefer books to the internet (Twitter and Tumblr are too complex for my simple minded self). I suppose at first, it was just my utter loneliness that drove me to take a shot at finding companionship in books. Soon, it turned into an addiction where I could hardly pull myself away from this fictional world of metaphors and similes. I’m trying to find a balance, now that I actually have some friends.
It’s challenging, making friends in a country that has a culture vastly different than what I’ve known all my life (there’s quite a disparity between watching American T.V and living it). Now, people that know me will attest to the fact that I’m an extrovert that finds pleasure in attention and random conversations with strangers on the skytrain, but I was conflicted; I wanted to “be myself”, but High School turned out to be a runway where “myself” wasn’t good enough. I went through a black clothes, head down, loner phase that I’m in all honesty, rather embarrassed about. I’m not insinuating that people that wear black clothes and don’t have much in the way of company should be embarrassed about it, just that I wasn’t a person that could be satisfied that way. In my defence, it was because I missed India. I missed being semi-popular, and I achingly missed my best friends, (let’s call them Z, P and D for the purpose of this text). Being invisible seemed like a better option than attempting to fit in, with my barely understandable accent (pfft Canadians can’t even pronounce my name right), my accidental use of British English (people look at me weird when I say ‘dustbin’ instead of the Canadian-accepted ‘garbage can’), and a somewhat jet-lagged brain. I also don’t get my fashion sense until the start of my Grade 12 year, though admittedly the few outfits that turned out well were probably those that I ‘borrowed’ from my elder sister.
I’d enter a mall, get assaulted by the sudden, comforting warmth and remember, for the tenth time that day, that I’m in Canada where Heaters beat Air-Conditioners, even in the summers (though disappointingly, I haven’t met an actual Eskimo that lives in an igloo yet). I missed Mumbai’s salty, humid air that had a lingering scent of spices, and more often than not, urine.
But other than these moments where depression and longing would hit me faster than I could say ‘kutta’, I was happy. Living the dream, even! The roads were well-paved and the buildings didn’t have paan stains on every wall. I was surrounded to the point of being swamped by people of all races, from far away countries that spoke a multitude of languages. It was different, fascinating. Vancouver happens to be one of the many multicultural cities where I didn’t stand out like a sore thumb but I was still an individual with a valuable story. So I embarked upon a perilous journey, fraught with dangers of the unknown, personal demons and skeletons in closets. A generally non-judgemental folk (not necessarily including High Schoolers here), allowed me to experiment with clubs, volunteer organisations like Leave Out Violence (LOVE), subjects I liked, and an education system wherein my future did not depend upon the much dreaded End of The Year Final Exams. I explored this new land, while at the same time delving into the depths of my mind, my thoughts about religion and spirituality, my sexuality (I could be something other than heterosexual and that would be okay? Mind blown!), my passion for history, psychology, sociology, and other social sciences, and my music (I went to my first live concert!).
I found ways to express myself positively to the people around me and suddenly, I didn’t feel as socially incapacitated and oppressed as I did in India. I’m not implying that India doesn’t have its glories for me. As cheesy as I may sound, growing up in such a tight knit society that was above the petty grievances of religion and language barriers with an unquestionably peaceful co-existence (SHIKHAR), gave me a well-rounded perspective of society and the relationships we form in it, making me what I am today.
A part of me will probably always be the eight-year old Rhea who eats pani-puri at the roadside stalls every other day (which may or may not be hygienic), and buys 50 paise Coffee Bites by the dozen at Mahavir’s.
I realize that I’ve probably been a little too candid in this emotional purge of words, and that makes me feel vulnerable, so I shall end this rather cathartic rant on a quote from one of my favourite poems:
“I am large, I contain multitudes.” –Walt Whitman, Song of Myself. (Section 51)
- Gargi Parkale (Guest Blogger)
TED Talks Tuesdays: The Danger of a Single Story
Every Tuesday, we'll feature a TED Talk that we think could empower and inspire immigrant youth. Today's featured TED Talk is by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who was born and raised in Nigeria. Having written numerous critically-acclaimed books that have started to reshape African literature, she is an inspiration to many.
In this TED Talk, she tells us why paying attention to a single story may cause us harm. Our own cultural lives and the cultural backgrounds of other people influence us everyday in the way we think, feel, and act. Oftentimes, listening to a single story limits us from recognizing that people who come from similar cultural backgrounds do not possess the same exact beliefs, behaviour, and experiences. Single story causes misjudgment and misunderstanding.
As Chimamanda points out, single story can produce stereotypes. And the problem with stereotypes is not that they are false, but that they present an incomplete story.
Trust me when I say that you won't regret spending 19 minutes of your life watching this:
Favourite quote from the talk: "All these stories make me who I am. But to insist on only these negative stories is to flatten my experience and to overlook the many other stories that formed me. The single story creates stereotypes. And the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make the single story the only story."
A Teenager Finally Finds His Voice
As youth, it is important to let the world hear our voice. Oftentimes, however, finding our voice is not that easy. Many factors may hinder us from speaking out. In the case of Musharaf "Mushy" Asghar, his impairment prevented him from speaking out. His impairment not only made the process of speaking out difficult for him, but it also gave bullies a chance to tease him. In this video, we learn how important it is to recognize that everybody experiences different types of difficulty, and that bullying will not make anyone's difficulty easier. Thankfully, Mushy's teachers never stopped supporting and encouraging him. Watch him bring his classmates to tears as he find his voice:
Because of his strong will, determination, and the support of his teachers, Mushy was able to overcome his impairment, and his classmates were able to hear him speak out for the first time. This video reminds all of us, youth immigrants, that even though there may be factors (such as language issues and/or an environment that's entirely different from our country of origin) that make it difficult for us to speak out, it is never impossible to find our voice.
- Sean
5 Stages You'll Go Through When Adjusting To Your Life As a Youth Immigrant
1)
Early excitement
At this stage, you are very
excited about a lot of things. That’s normal. You are new to this country, so
you try to imagine all the amazing possibilities that can happen to you in this
new place. You think about the new friends you will make, the new places you will visit, and the different type of freedom you will experience in this country. For those of
you who moved from a tropical country, you might be excited about winter
and/or the snow. (I must admit I was at the beginning!) Then come winter, you'll be disappointed to find out that the snow melts so fast because of rain.
2)
Shock and longing
At this stage, you realize that moving from
one place to another is not that easy, especially if this is your first time
doing so. After being excited for the first few weeks, you now feel
overwhelmed. You now know that your life here will never be the same as your
life in your motherland. You realize that it will take a lot of time before you
build friendships as meaningful as the ones you have made in your home country.
You start to miss your best friends and relatives back “home”. Feeling like you
can’t cope up with the changes that are fazing you, you constantly debate with yourself trying to figure out whether
moving here is the right choice or not. Tears may or may not be part of this
stage.
3)
Gradual adaptation
After being overwhelmed with your new
surroundings, you now realize that there’s no better person to help you with
your adjustment but yourself. You now start making friends with people who
understand you and whom you understand. You slowly let go of your fears. You
begin trying out new things, becoming involved in your community, and exploring
the city you’re in.
4)
Optimism and renewed excitement
After letting your guard down, excitement
starts to fill your mind and heart again. You are once again excited about the
numerous opportunities that this country offers. You start discovering your potential, which empowers you to remain involved in your school or community.
You now regularly hang out with your newfound friends, and you enjoy their
company a lot. Waking up for school is now less dreadful than it was during the first month of school. Now, you look forward to living a new exciting life
in this country—as a student and as a youth.
5)
Continuous swim between the currents of two (or
more) cultures
You are now well adjusted to your life in
this country, but that does not mean that there will not be times when you will
suddenly miss your motherland again. Every now and then, you think
about what your life could have turned out to be if you did not emigrate your
home country at all. You will constantly ask yourself where your true “home”
is. Oftentimes, there will be no clear answer. That is okay, because here’s the
truth: the country that you left, and the country that you are now in are, in
one way or another, both your homes now. Do not worry about being confused as
to where your true loyalty lies. Even though you now are having a blast in this
country, you will still long for some memories that you created in your native
country. You can never entirely abandon your love for either country. So
there’s no point debating where your true home is. Just remind yourself of how
blessed you are to have two places that you can call home--not everyone is
given that chance.
- Sean
- Sean
