Life as an immigrate to Canada

There is no denying that Canada is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Every year, the United Nations selects the most suitable countries for human habitation from 174 countries around the world, and Canada has ranked first for six consecutive years. If Canada is the most beautiful land on earth, then Vancouver is simply the most dazzling pearl on that land. Although the entire city only has a history of about 100 years, in the minds of the world, Vancouver has almost become synonymous with paradise. So what is immigration life in Canada like? Let’s take a look with the Overseas Immigration Network.

Vancouver is located on the western edge of Canada, backed by the Rocky Mountains and facing the Pacific Ocean. Census figures from Statistics Canada show that the total population of the entire Greater Vancouver area was just over 1.6 million in 1991, rising to more than 1.83 million in 1996, an increase of nearly 230,000 people in five years. Based on this growth rate, the current population has exceeded 2 million, making it the third largest city in Canada after Toronto and Montreal. The place name of Vancouver is taken from the name of a man named George Vancouver. This British explorer led a team to western Canada by ship in 1792, so the area was named after this explorer.

Vancouver is also a city that combines mountains and rivers. Bay courts, large and small, extend into the city and even into the mountains. Vancouver is also a city full of flowers and trees. In those spring and summer days, all the streets are blooming with countless exotic flowers and plants, and the whole city is filled with the intoxicating fragrance of flowers day and night. Even in the long and rainy winter, there are still thousands of dark green or light green pines and cypresses everywhere. All year round, the fresh air always carries the fragrance of pine, and from time to time you will see black squirrels jumping between the trees outside the window.

A Malay couple born and raised in Singapore. The man has his own company and business in Singapore, and the woman works as a senior secretary in a Chinese multinational company in Singapore. Singapore is described as a garden country, and its ecological environment is as good as you can imagine. The couple's life in Singapore is also very affluent, so it stands to reason that they should be satisfied. But after they visited Vancouver, they were deeply moved by the beautiful environment here and started thinking of immigrating. In order to act cautiously, the man visited Vancouver three times and made repeated tests. Finally, he made up his mind to give up Singapore and immigrate to Canada.

Those who are ambitious

Canada is indeed beautiful, but it is not necessarily suitable for all immigrants from mainland China. A boss Gu I know may be one of the people who regrets the most.

According to him and his wife, Boss Gu has successively invested hundreds of thousands of Canadian dollars in order to immigrate to Vancouver, but the situation has not improved. The main obstacle is that he doesn't speak English and can only move around Chinese circles. After all, the Chinese circle is too small, and the Chinese market is only 1/5 of the mainstream market. Therefore, only 1/5 of his 100,000 towels have been released so far.

Facts have proven that Canada is not suitable for ambitious and energetic Chinese immigrants. When the author talked with some foreign CEOs and managers of local companies in Canada, even these native-born foreign devils all agreed that Vancouver is actually just a place suitable for retirement and enjoying life. Vancouver can be regarded as a resting home, but it is not a business place. Even Canada as a whole is not a good place to do business. Only the United States, and of course China, are countries that can make people full of passion and vitality. Therefore, if you want to do business, you must go to China or the United States.

Immigration always means migration and turmoil for a person or a family, and re-establishing roots in a strange land requires hard work and huge costs. For mainland Chinese, immigration means the beginning of a completely different new life. This new life was once the dream of many people. Now people's dreams have come true, but people also wake up from the dream.

For skilled immigrants from mainland China, choosing to immigrate is a voluntary rather than a forced one. It is an active choice rather than a forced one.

If you have already taken this step, you really have nothing to complain about, because it is you who, after having a successful career in mainland China, wants to obtain a Canadian identity so that you can show your talents on the international competitive stage in the future; it is you who, through various means over the years, You have made a lot of money in mainland China through your own channels or efforts, and you want to retire and come to Canada to enjoy life. It is you who want your wife and children to live a better life, especially you want your children to receive Western education as soon as possible, so that they can have a better future. A better future; and you, too, want to try your skills in Canada or even the United States, learn some foreign skills, and hope that your life and career will be improved in the future.

Immigration life in Canada

It has been a year and a half since I came to Canada. I have adapted to everything I need to get used to. I still remember what I encountered when I first came here. Most of the various problems have now become daily jokes with friends. When new immigrants arrive for the first time, they will inevitably encounter unpleasant or troubled things. Today I will share with you the experiences I have learned in life in Canada. They are some small life details and customs. I hope it can help those who want to come to Canada. Or some help for someone new to Canada.

Chinese people who have just arrived in Canada will be surprised by many of the habits here, or even do not understand them, because after all, it is a brand new place with a different social environment and cultural background from us, and many of them are common in China. Things that we see every day when we open our eyes don’t even exist here. This is a bit exaggerated, but it is a fact that we must try to accept.

To give a very small example, such as thermos bottles, wash basins and other things that every Chinese home has, you can’t see them here unless you go to Chinatown and look for them. Canadians like to drink cold water. Regardless of the level of banquet, cold water with ice cubes always has a place. Drinks such as juice, milk, and beer are also placed in the freezer and taken out to drink directly, whether it is breakfast or a nightcap. When visiting a friend's house or going to a restaurant, if there are no special requests, the dish will always be cold water. Since the quality of tap water in Canada is guaranteed, people often drink water directly from tap water pipes.

Of course, what Canadians pay attention to at the dinner table is not just cold water with ice. Canada, like most Western countries, eats with a knife and fork. They are accustomed to holding the fork in their left hand. The food on the table is distributed according to the head. There is a strict meal sharing system. You can only eat what is on the plate in front of you. You can talk while eating, but generally it won't be too loud or exciting. According to my observation, they don't open their mouths to chew when eating, let alone make any "squeaking" sounds.

Canadians are also different from Chinese people in terms of diet. The animal offal that we eat with relish is not edible in their eyes, and the fat meat that men like to eat is something they don’t like to eat. From this point of view, Canadians pay more attention to the nutrition and quality of dishes. They believe that offal and fatty meat are not good for health.

Canadians like to eat meat products such as beef, chicken, eggs, and sardines, as well as fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, greens, potatoes, and cucumbers. There is no such thing as soy sauce or dark soy sauce in the seasonings. stuff, replaced by ketchup, butter, etc. The preparation methods are usually frying, roasting or deep-frying, which is the main culprit for me gaining 15 pounds in a year and a half. They like sweet, sour, light, non-spicy food, and they like to drink original clear soup. The condiments will be placed on the table for people to add freely according to their own taste.

At the dinner table, whether it is at someone else’s home or in a restaurant or bar, there will be no persuasion to drink, even if you get together just for the purpose of drinking. Chinese people like to be humble, but Canadians prefer to be casual. This point goes deep into the social etiquette of the two peoples. We Chinese are more reserved in our social expressions, but Canadians are straightforward. These differences need to be gradually reconciled.

Speaking of drinking, if you drink while walking on the street with a bottle of wine, in China people will at best walk around you, but in Canada, you will be taken away by the police after a while. , because Canada stipulates that drinking can only be done in places with liquor licenses or in residences, and drinking elsewhere is illegal. Moreover, alcohol sales in restaurants, bars, etc. are usually between 11:00 and 1:00 the next day. Of course, the above drinking scenarios are all based on the fact that you have reached the legal drinking age. Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec require people over 18 years old to drink, while other Canadian provinces require people over 19 years old.

In addition, the federal government stipulates that you must be over 18 years old to purchase cigarettes, but some provinces require that you must be over 19 years old. Ontario also stipulates that no one may sell or provide cigarettes to youth under the age of 19, and offenders may be fined up to $50,000.

Canada is a country on wheels. You don’t have to be unable to walk here, but you don’t have to be unable to drive. Foreigners who come to Canada can use their original driver’s license to drive legally in Canada for 90 days. But after 90 days, if you still want to drive in Canada, you must obtain a Canadian driver's license. In Canada, disabled people can also get a driver's license. All public parking lots have special parking spaces for disabled people. These parking spaces are located in the most convenient locations and are wider than ordinary parking spaces.

When driving in Canada, you must remember to drive on the right, absolutely abide by the speed limit, and drive strictly in accordance with the traffic signs. Both drivers and passengers must wear seat belts at all times, and fines will be imposed if they fail to do so. When you see a school bus taking children to or from school with flashing red lights on the street, or you see children crossing the road holding a "STOP" placard, other vehicles must stop on both sides of the road to let them cross the street first. Anyone's vehicle No exceptions.

If you don’t have a car for the time being, or feel that driving is troublesome and unsafe, cycling is also a good choice, but it is completely different from riding a bicycle in China. Bicycles are considered vehicles in Canada and must abide by the same traffic laws and cannot be ridden on sidewalks. Cyclists under the age of 18 must wear a bicycle helmet. At the same time, if a bicycle is on the road without a brake, it will be fined hundreds of yuan.

After talking about living habits, let’s talk about how to communicate with Canadians, social etiquette and other aspects. The first thing you need to know is that China's method of "dropping in" to enhance friendship between friends and neighbors will not work. Canadians like to make an appointment in advance before doing anything. They need to make an appointment for both business and private matters. They need to make an appointment before job interviews, treats, and even going to a friend's house. Uninvited guests are not welcome.

Be polite and courteous when communicating with Canadians. ?please?, ?thank you?, ?excuse me?, and ?sorry? are words that often come to your lips. After the conversation, you usually Say something like: ?have a nice day/evening/weekend? to conclude. Avoid talking or arguing loudly in public places. It is also impolite to stare at others.