The Happy Immigrant 2007 Journal
This is an Immigrant Journal, written by the Happy Immigrant. I have been in Canada more than 35 years, and these are my reflections on life in Canada.
I live in Ontario, not too far from Niagara Falls. On this page I will make regular "immigrant journal" entries about everyday living in Canada the way I see it. No heavy discussions, just my reflexions on life brought to you with a bit of humor.
Entry Date: December 1, 2007
The fluctuating $ Value
The value of the Canadian Dollar has been going up a lot in the last few months. Is this good or bad for the Canadian economy?
Many Canadians love the higher value of the Canadian money. Products imported from the USA become cheaper, and when Canadians travel to the USA, they can buy more for their money.
The manufacturing sector, especially the automotive sector, depends on our export markets, mainly the USA, to buy their products. If the USA does not buy our product because of the value of our money, then the Canadian worker is the one who suffers the most. Every time Canadian money rises in value, Canadian manufacturers loose money.
When they don’t make enough money, the Canadian workers won’t either. And the Canadian economy as a whole suffers.
For me personally Canadian money higher in value makes the products I buy online in the USA a lot cheaper. But when I look at the whole picture, I am happy that our loonie is around par right now. I am sorry for the Canadian “snow birds” who spend their winter and Canadian pension money in Florida, but I am a Canadian and for Canada as a whole, a Canadian dollar worth 10 % more than the American, is devastating.
I can live with a "loonie" being at par, or even slightly below par with the USA.
Entry Date: November 26, 2007
This week I met a couple going to Scotland. They wanted to experience their immigrant roots. The couple is 4th generation Scottish Canadian and they travel to Scotland to visit the town of their ancestors. At about the same time my brother send me a DVD from a movie made about life in my hometown in 1952. It was an amazing experience to travel back in time.
Some of the town's people found it a good idea to make a movie about life in our town in 1952. I am forever grateful for it. I watched the movie, which was set on DVD.
The movie showed everything that went on in town. The things that struck me the most were how many children and babies there were. It seemed like every woman had a young child in her hand.
Living in the polders there was water everywhere. Many families had lost a child through drowning, including our family. So the movie showed a demonstration about saving a drowning victim. First they trow him in the river, then people from the road jump in, then they bring the victim ashore and revive him. It was sort of comical the way it was done.
The movie shows school children making toys, frog leaping, and riding sheep. It shows the local music band, the women's clubs, the sport clubs and the many other organizations active in town. Most women wore aprons and many people wore wooden shoes. Another thing that was noticable were the bad teeth.
The couple going to Scotland were going to the town's archives, the newspaper archives and the churches, hoping to find out as much information as possible about their ancestors.
It is important for our decendents to know their immigrant roots, the history behind them. I made a copy of the DVD for each of our children. They, and their children always have the chance to go back to Holland and visit the town we were born in. But by having this DVD, they also have the chance to see how life was like in that town when we were 6 years old.
For that I have to thank those people in town who decided it was a good idea to record life in Aarlanderveen, the way it was in 1952.
Entry Date: November 23, 2007
The First Winterstorm
he first Winterstorm of the season was here. Freezing rain, snow, icy road conditions and cancelled school busses. Somehow when the first storm of the winter hits us, we always seem to have to learn all over again that we should adjust our driving to the road conditions.
This fall I enrolled back into College. I leave at 7.30 in the morning and I drive 40km each way. I can take the freeway or an alternate route through towns. This morning I decided to take the alternate route. A very wise decision, as there were 700 accidents reported that morning. Mostly fender-benders and rollovers in the ditches. Luckily no fatalities. At one time during morning rushhour an accident was reported on the freeway every minute.
I drove the 40km without seeing a single accident. The road conditions were not good and it took me about 10 minutes longer than usual, but I got where I had to be in time.
I enjoy driving on the Freeway, but I also realize that the speed is much higher than on the alternate routes, so whenever there is freezing rain or a snow storm, I tend to stay off the Freeway. Normally we have to deal with school busses on the alternate routes, but in weather like this most schoolbusses are cancelled.
Sometimes accidents do happen, and when you are caught in one, it can be a very unnerving experience. The first storm of the season is well known for causing a lot of accidents.
My advise to new immigrants is to listen to the radio or TV, stay off the road if you don't have to go somewhere and adjust your speed to the road conditions. If possible stay of the major highways during storms and especially during the first winterstorm of the season.
Entry Date: November 3, 2007
Wedding Traditions
Different countries, different wedding traditions.
In October we had a wedding, our daughter got married here in Canada. Most of our family lives in Holland, and some of them came over for the event. There is a lot of difference in tradition.
In Holland, the couple goes to city hall, gets married and a church celebration might follow. They have a witness for the bride and one for the groom. The just married couple walks into the church together and has the church celebration. Pictures are taken, and then an open reception follows at a local restaurant. Here, anybody can come, congratulate the couple, give their gift and have drinks and snacks. This usually lasts 2 hours. Afterwards is dinner and dance for invited guests.
Here in Canada we have a "Buck and Doe" party, bridal showers, general rehearsal followed by dinner, there is a large wedding party, consisting of best man, maid of honor and several bridesmaids and groomsmen.
You buy tickets for the Buck and Doe party, where there are prizes, games, lots to eat and drink. The profits of the night go to the bride and groom. A party like this can result in barely breaking even, to several thousands of dollars of profit.
At a bridal shower, given by both families, friends, co-workers and neighborhoods, people come and give gifts to the bride. Usually household related gifts. A bride can have anywhere from one to numerous bridal showers.
The day before the wedding a rehearsal is held in the church, followed by a dinner for the bridal party. On the day of the groomsmen lead the guests into the church. When the ceremony starts the Groom goes to the back of the church and brings his parents to the front. The best man then brings the mother of the bride to the front. One by one the bridesmaids and groomsmen come from the back of the church, last one being the maid of honor and best man. Then the father of the bride brings his daughter to the front and hands her over to the groom.
My dad had seven daughters, I was the only one who got married in Canada, and as such, I was the only one he led down the aisle. An emotional event he enjoyed very much.
In Canada you can sign the marriage papers in church as the clergy has the authority to sign the wedding registration papers. After the ceremony you can congratulate the party at the back of the church. Again, pictures are usually taken and there will be dinner and dance for invited guests.
Other traditions at the party are for the bride to toss her bouquet to the single girls, and for the groom to remove a garter from his bride’s leg, and toss it to the bachelors. Whoever catches the bouquet or garter is to be the next bride or groom. Sometimes a breakfast or brunch will be held the next morning for the bride and groom and family, where all the presents are opened.
Being the mother of the bride, I thoroughly enjoyed the Canadian tradition and I know my husband was thrilled to walk his little girl down the isle. Altogether, a Canadian wedding is a much larger event than a Dutch wedding, but from experience I can honestly say that the Canadian tradition is my favorite.
Entry Date: October 12, 2007
Ontario Election
We had an election in the Province of Ontario. From the day I was allowed to vote in Canada, I have exercised that right. This time around we went to the advance poll. We have recently moved and we needed to make those changes at the polling station.
A very simple procedure, but it took forever. The clerk checked and double checked all information, and I still had to tell her she forgot part of our new address. Which just goes to show you that in politics it is not what you know, but whom you know.
Not only did we vote for our preferred political candidate, we also had a referendum about if people want to make changes to the voting process. Right now we vote for a regional candidate, the one with the most votes gets the job.
If the new process would be approved, we also vote for a political party, and a certain amount of politicians will become part of the government based on the percentage of votes their party gets. It would be a more fair representation of the popular vote. It would also bring more parties into parliament, increasing the chance of minority governments. Altogether it was a boring campaign, there was nothing to get exited about.
We elected a majority government, and the majority of the voters do not want to make changes to the electoral process. Next we will vote for the Federal Government and hopefully there will be more excitement.
Maybe I should apply for a job at the polls, I know am much quicker and more precise than the person who processed my information!
