It is hard to believe that it has been 4 months since we came here. I am still trying to figure out what brought me here. I meet different people, talk to them, observe them and I still feel I do not see a clear aim of being here. I desperately wanted a change, now I am desperately coping with it.
I had a temp job in one of organizations and had a chance to work with other immigrants. I am not sure I liked it much although it was a great experience that I learned from. The information I got from this experience. i got a glimpse of immigrants' life in Canada and most of the experiences I saw were not the happy ones. This country never stops surprising me. A. keeps attending English classes and more than English he is taught LIFE SKILLS. At his level he already knows how to read and write and has quite good speaking and does shopping on his own. Why would he be taken to a grocery store to learn how to read prices and the names of fruit and veggies?! I understand that some people might need that but not at his level. People in his class have already been here for ages, they surely know how to ask 'how much something is'.
Sometimes I feel people here think that those who come from overseas are dumb and need to learn essential things here. I remember a friend of mine from work was asked to attend a presentation by Alberta Health on reproductive health and they were teaching the participants how to wear a condom. That is just hilarious! They were actually showing how to wear it and had an artificial d...k they put a condom on. I would be so embarrassed!!!!! I wouldn't even attend that show. I thought this country was suffering from the opposite problem and they would teach people how to encourage people to multiply not prevent birth. Another thing that surprises me is the courses they offer. I recently saw a certification course on FUNERAL EDUCATION!!!!!!!!!!! A Director of Funeral services and an Embalmer. WHAT A DEGREE! I am sure one day they will require people to get certified to offer these services. It is an invaluable degree for the job, which costs $8585 with Mount Royal University. I almost peed my pants when I came across that degree. This is something that people do for FREE in many parts of the world. In Judaism and Islam this is something that is encouraged and people volunteer to do it. I wonder if they have a class on how to not take advantage of the corpses and not violate them as morticians are known to do. I read an interview with a mortician from California who violated corpses.
Another degree that is just ridiculous is Certificate in Janitorial Services. People who come here certainly need that when they want to work as cleaners. You surely need to have a degree in it. One woman told my friend that this certificate actually helped her to get into cleaning business and get a job as a cleaner. They had a class where they were taught how to MOP FLOORS......She thought it would be some magic mop but it was a regular mop from dollar store. This is a paid certificate course. Soon I am sure one will have to be a licensed cleaner to get a job as a cleaner.
Of course, it is clear this is one of the ways of making money. They offer certificates in everything to make more money.
Another thing that I find shocking is how people here think how great this place is and it is the best in the world. Nowhere else did I see so many homeless people that are so dirty. This state has so many shelters and so much help is being poured into eradicating poverty that I can't imagine why anyone would want to live like this. I often heard Canadians say how shitty other countries were and how great Canada is. I am not denying the second part but I have a big problem with the first part. I used to have a complex back home when I saw garbage dumps and dirty buses and thought how dirty everything was. Public transport here is no better in terms of cleanliness. The buses are so filthy that I have to clean my bags with a disinfectant every single time I use the bus. On the C-train you see footprint on every seat, I have to carry wet wipes to clean the seat. I know, I am OCD but even back home I have never seen this dirt. People touch the sole of their shoes and then touch the handles. I carry a sanitiser with me wherever I go, I am too squeamish. The only smell I haven't smelled yet on the bus was garlic, which I am sure I will one day. Why I am mentioning that is because when I saw Canadians abroad I felt like they all belonged to royalty and this dirt could exist ONLY in 'underdeveloped countries'. This is actually the term I heard on CTV (Calgary TV) - 'underdeveloped countries'!!! I actually met a couple of people who took buses in Saudi Arabia and complained like hell about the buses being dirty. I did take a bus too and it was no different that anywhere else, to be honest. Those people who complain need to take Forest Lawn buses...I do admit thought that public transport in Europe is impeccable, even in overpopulated London buses and metro were much cleaner. It is just the superiority complex that this country has that gets to me...........Just don't think this a perfect place just because you get people who never saw electricity and shat in the streets, not all people that come here are the same....................
Calgary has nice things as well and I am slowly discovering them. I don't feel lonely here anymore. I met nice people here who we became close to. We met a fantastic family from Georgia and visited them twice this month. We had great discussions and fantastic food. I met some other that are worth mentioning. I was invited to a Pakistani lady's house one Saturday and had a great with her and her friends. I love that woman, she is so genuine, hospitable and sincere, which I thought would be hard to find here. Another girl is my coworker too who I invited to my Friday pizza. I realized that I keep meeting the nicest people and I absolutely enjoy their company.
My only concern at the moment is getting a better job that will pay the bills. Otherwise I will leave before I become a financial burden on this country......
I had a temp job in one of organizations and had a chance to work with other immigrants. I am not sure I liked it much although it was a great experience that I learned from. The information I got from this experience. i got a glimpse of immigrants' life in Canada and most of the experiences I saw were not the happy ones. This country never stops surprising me. A. keeps attending English classes and more than English he is taught LIFE SKILLS. At his level he already knows how to read and write and has quite good speaking and does shopping on his own. Why would he be taken to a grocery store to learn how to read prices and the names of fruit and veggies?! I understand that some people might need that but not at his level. People in his class have already been here for ages, they surely know how to ask 'how much something is'.
Sometimes I feel people here think that those who come from overseas are dumb and need to learn essential things here. I remember a friend of mine from work was asked to attend a presentation by Alberta Health on reproductive health and they were teaching the participants how to wear a condom. That is just hilarious! They were actually showing how to wear it and had an artificial d...k they put a condom on. I would be so embarrassed!!!!! I wouldn't even attend that show. I thought this country was suffering from the opposite problem and they would teach people how to encourage people to multiply not prevent birth. Another thing that surprises me is the courses they offer. I recently saw a certification course on FUNERAL EDUCATION!!!!!!!!!!! A Director of Funeral services and an Embalmer. WHAT A DEGREE! I am sure one day they will require people to get certified to offer these services. It is an invaluable degree for the job, which costs $8585 with Mount Royal University. I almost peed my pants when I came across that degree. This is something that people do for FREE in many parts of the world. In Judaism and Islam this is something that is encouraged and people volunteer to do it. I wonder if they have a class on how to not take advantage of the corpses and not violate them as morticians are known to do. I read an interview with a mortician from California who violated corpses.
Another degree that is just ridiculous is Certificate in Janitorial Services. People who come here certainly need that when they want to work as cleaners. You surely need to have a degree in it. One woman told my friend that this certificate actually helped her to get into cleaning business and get a job as a cleaner. They had a class where they were taught how to MOP FLOORS......She thought it would be some magic mop but it was a regular mop from dollar store. This is a paid certificate course. Soon I am sure one will have to be a licensed cleaner to get a job as a cleaner.
Of course, it is clear this is one of the ways of making money. They offer certificates in everything to make more money.
Another thing that I find shocking is how people here think how great this place is and it is the best in the world. Nowhere else did I see so many homeless people that are so dirty. This state has so many shelters and so much help is being poured into eradicating poverty that I can't imagine why anyone would want to live like this. I often heard Canadians say how shitty other countries were and how great Canada is. I am not denying the second part but I have a big problem with the first part. I used to have a complex back home when I saw garbage dumps and dirty buses and thought how dirty everything was. Public transport here is no better in terms of cleanliness. The buses are so filthy that I have to clean my bags with a disinfectant every single time I use the bus. On the C-train you see footprint on every seat, I have to carry wet wipes to clean the seat. I know, I am OCD but even back home I have never seen this dirt. People touch the sole of their shoes and then touch the handles. I carry a sanitiser with me wherever I go, I am too squeamish. The only smell I haven't smelled yet on the bus was garlic, which I am sure I will one day. Why I am mentioning that is because when I saw Canadians abroad I felt like they all belonged to royalty and this dirt could exist ONLY in 'underdeveloped countries'. This is actually the term I heard on CTV (Calgary TV) - 'underdeveloped countries'!!! I actually met a couple of people who took buses in Saudi Arabia and complained like hell about the buses being dirty. I did take a bus too and it was no different that anywhere else, to be honest. Those people who complain need to take Forest Lawn buses...I do admit thought that public transport in Europe is impeccable, even in overpopulated London buses and metro were much cleaner. It is just the superiority complex that this country has that gets to me...........Just don't think this a perfect place just because you get people who never saw electricity and shat in the streets, not all people that come here are the same....................
Calgary has nice things as well and I am slowly discovering them. I don't feel lonely here anymore. I met nice people here who we became close to. We met a fantastic family from Georgia and visited them twice this month. We had great discussions and fantastic food. I met some other that are worth mentioning. I was invited to a Pakistani lady's house one Saturday and had a great with her and her friends. I love that woman, she is so genuine, hospitable and sincere, which I thought would be hard to find here. Another girl is my coworker too who I invited to my Friday pizza. I realized that I keep meeting the nicest people and I absolutely enjoy their company.
My only concern at the moment is getting a better job that will pay the bills. Otherwise I will leave before I become a financial burden on this country......
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