10 Gifts Canada Gave to Me
1) PEOPLE
When my brother Andy was sick with leukemia we experienced true love and care beyond expectations from strangers: church people we didn't know, neighbours in my condo, teachers, doctors, nurses and social workers, and even the lady handling my brother's health care care paper work. They did not just took care of their 'jobs' (e.g. doctors healed). Little things like finding hot food by my door, books sent to my little brother in Peru a year after he spent 2 months in school here from his Grade 1 teacher, strangers visiting us every day at the hospital....
2) BELONGING
Being born in Hong Kong and then living in Peru, I never felt I truly belonged anywhere. I had a British passport that said I was not British, I Hong Kong Identification Card I could not read, and a Peruvian Residence Card that pretty much only said I was living in Peru for now. It was Canada where I finally felt home, and welcomed. Whether it was as a overseas student on a student visa, a temporary worker, or a permanent resident, I always felt Canada accepting us into the big family. And when I finally sang "O Canada" in my citizenship ceremony, I could not stop the tears flowing through my eyes thinking back of the journey that has been and the journey that will be.
3) CREATIVITY
Being in Canada encouraged me to discover who I am. Canada showed me there is no need to be a cookie cutter - and that there is a lot more to the world than what I knew. I have since discovered amazingly creative Canadians who have encouraged me to pursue my creativity.
4) OPPORTUNITY
Which leads me to all the opportunities I have now here in Canada. I see it in me and my kids - there are so many opportunities for growth here in Canada I know I would never have in Hong Kong or Peru.
5) EDUCATION
You can criticize the Canadian system as much as you may want but I am blessed to have had 3 years taste of High School, and then post secondary and graduate schooling here in Canada. To be encouraged to think for myself. To learn what it means to own your own education instead of being given and told what to study. To learn to express my feelings and observations on paper. To discover it is within me to learn new things if I work on a research paper. Every time I graduated I was reminded that all these were gifts from God through Canada to me - it is an add-on I vowed to never misuse or forget
6) NATURE
I have never enjoyed nature as much as history in the past being Canadian now I have had a chance to see more of Canada - the lush green in the West, the strong and mighty Rockies, the sandy beaches of the Great Lakes, the amazing Atlantic ocean...and much more. And not just nature - for Peru is full of nature too...but to meet Canadians who truly appreciate, enjoy and care for their Country is a blessing indeed and it is contagious!
7) GIVING
Canada introduced me the concept of volunteering for community service. I looked in admiration when I first came to Canada how people completely disconnected otherwise would volunteer their time, money, love and resources to help the community.
8) COMMUNITY
Though not perfect, I am learning to appreciate my city councillors, and all they do for the city. I may not agree with everything but because of a stronger sense of community in Canada my family enjoy water parks, parks, community centers, festivals, clean streets (garbage, snow days, etc), etc. etc. Sure, of course we all pay for 'it'. But there is a stronger sense of care here than in the other countries I have lived in.
9) ABIDING by LAW
I know Canada isn't perfect either but one of the things that bogged my mind when I first came to Canada was something Canadians told me was called "honor system". That is, things that were in place for the public to follow and abide by but in which no enforcer (e.g. police) was around to 'check'. I still remember in shock how people would not lock their front doors (they don't any more but how many of us still unlock the backyard door..or...how many locks do you really have in the house? one or two at most?). I came from a country where houses have steel bar windows and steel enforced doors and minimum 3-5 locks. I noticed how everyone would buy their train tickets in Calgary even though there was no one really checking (except spot checks). I noticed kids playing floor hockey on the streets. I notice people throwing garbage in the community garbage cans. And I noticed dog owners cleaning after their dogs, amongst other things.
10) HEALTHCARE
Who could skip this in their right mind? I know we pay a lot of taxes...but I for one have been blessed by the care system. When my brother got sick we were only here on a student visa and yet the system accepted us, cared for us, and treated my family as their own. We did not spend a single dime on anything that had to do with his treatment. Above that, they sent each one of us social workers to care for us. My little brother was sent to public school instead of being cooped up in a Children's Hospital. They helped us find resources available to help families like us. They helped us fill paper work so we could have some help with transportation and food.
I know we take it for granted, but I have not paid a dime, nor any co-pay, to treat anyone in my family ever since we have been here in Canada. Not for a cold, not when my husband had appendicitis, not even the 9 months I had been seeing my OBY-GYN to have kids.
Of course, I am not saying Canada is perfect. There are still people who do not abide by the law, or waiting lists for people to get surgery, kids being bullied at school, and people who may feel trapped with no opportunities. But I don't think anyone in their right mind will say any society is perfect. What is great though, for me, at least, is that there are still many more of the good here than the bad.
Thank You Canada for being who you are. You are a blessing to many. We salute and celebrate you!!!
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