Kung Hei Fat Choy! Today we are celebrating the beginning of the year of the Dragon. No matter if your horoscope says that it’s going to be a good year for you, when it comes to Chinese culture, the tale seems more important than the actual outcome. I am not an expert in Chinese culture, I tried to learn Mandarin once and used to think that the Dog was my Chinese sign. However, my buddy Anne taught me enough to understand that Chinese culture lives through the oral tradition. The Chinese horoscope has survived for so many years because of its tales and people’s commitment to pass the stories on to the next generation.

“Do you want to hear a story that my father used to tell me when I was little?,” asked Anne after she had me convinced that I was in fact a Rooster, not a Dog in the Chinese horoscope. “Of course,” I said. “Do you know why the Rooster crows every morning?,” she inquired. My blank stare said it all and the story went more or less like this:

“The Rooster used to have beautiful horns and receive complements from all the other animals for its beauty. One night, the Dragon noticed how beautiful the Rooster’s horns were and had the Rooster convinced that he would still be a handsome Rooster even without the horns. The Dragon really wanted to wear the Rooster’s horns for a party and since the Dragon was a good friend, the Rooster decided to lend his horns to the Dragon for one night. 

However, when the time to return the horns arrived, the Dragon realized that he was very fond of his new horns and refused to give them back. The Rooster caught up with the Dragon and demanded his horns back, but the Dragon just shook his head and flew away as fast as he could.

So, now, every morning, the Rooster wakes up early to yell ‘Give my horns back,’ in hopes that the Dragon will listen and return them.”

Through telling me a simple story, my friend Anne not only had me immersed in her culture, but created curiosity and a memory filled with meaning regarding my own identity as an honorary Rooster. As Dr. Pamela Rutledge says, powerful stories provide triggers for our memories, emotions, and experience and, in doing so, envelope us. It doesn’t matter if your story will be played throughout different platforms if you don’t have an interesting story to tell. Folklore and tales are powerful because they stimulate memories and emotions that are known to all of us. No matter if you’re a Rooster or Dragon, you’ll probably sympathize with the Rooster after reading how he lost his horns.

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Do you know what your Chinese sign is? Have an interesting tale to share?

Read More:

All The World Is A Story

Be lucky: Millions of Chinese around the world welcome in the traditionally prosperous Year Of The Dragon

Day #23: How I Feel About The Dragon as an Honorary Rooster… is a post from: MadameHeringer.com

                          

The internet went on strike yesterday. For 24 hours, Wikipedia, Reddit and thousands of other websites blacked out their content to raise awareness around SOPA (the “Stop Online Piracy Act”) and PIPA (the “Protect Intellectual Property Act”). Independent media and content producers currently believe that corporations will use both bills to regulate the distribution of commercial and/or non-commercial IPs online. These bills are being proposed to stop copyright infringement by foreign websites, however, the current proposal has led Internet activists to believe that both SOPA and PIPA will be used to regulate content production and sharing.

As a content producer, I would need to be able to prove that the content that I publish here does not infringe any copyright laws. Even though the bills are being proposed in the USA, if my website is somehow identified as a threat to another registered IP the content would be immediately blocked and I would be responsible for proving authorship of my posts and pictures. For most bloggers and Internet users, an international law suit would require time and money that most of us don’t have to spare. SOPA and PIPA are not just a threat to our capacity to interact with each other and share ideas, but also a potential barrier to the maintenance of our cultural identity. From the transmedia storytelling point of view, both bills would also stop us from creating trends, fan sites and memes based on mainstream media IPs. Would you like to live in a world like that?

If you’re unsure about how SOPA and PIPA would affect your user experience, Professor Clark Sirky’s TED will probably help you understand the scope of both bills.

Read More:

Results of the Blackout and looking ahead

In Fight Over Piracy Bills, New Economy Rises Against Old

Day #19: The Day The Internet Went on Strike… is a post from: MadameHeringer.com

                          

Our first winter in Toronto has been fairly atypical. Until now, we saw some snow sticking to the ground for two or three days after Christmas and that was it! My 600 fill parka has been more for fashion than for survival. However, on this Friday the 13th, it seems that winter came to stay here in Canada’s biggest city.

I am not going to say that winter is my favourite season, but after 5 years living in Canada, it has become part of my lifestyle. It’s super cold and I am not going to refuse a round-trip to Mexico if you decide to sponsor my winter escape. However, it doesn’t feel right to start the year without some cold, snow and scarves

The BlogTO published some vintage pictures of snow storms in Toronto today. It’s interesting how snow always brings some quiet time and silence to our lives, it almost feels like the time has slowed down a bit to be re-born again in the spring…

Day #13: And the Winter has Arrived… is a post from: MadameHeringer.com

                          

You say I have an accent, but I don’t hear it. As far as I can tell, the English words that reverberate in my head are perfectly understandable and my pronunciation is spotless. I know that I mumble a word here and there, and sometimes replace common words for more elaborate ones that I can pronounce a little easier. However, if I can understand a variety of accents in Canada, dude, you should be able to understand mine. But, I don’t know how, sometimes you don’t, so I decided to write you three quick tips to help you communicate with me:

To start, my first language is Brazilian Portuguese. Unlike English, my mother tongue has pretty much only one way to enunciate vowels and weird structures such as ção and há. It’s like French, you learn the sounds, you know how to say any word. You won’t necessarily know what you’re saying, but at least you can say it! English, on the other hand, doesn’t make any sense. For example, you can participate in a contest, but you contest your grade. The potato is “load-ed” with good stuff, but it was baked, not “bake-ed.” I am progressively mastering these diferences, but please don’t make a weird face when I don’t stress the syllables the way you expect. If you live in Toronto, I kinda expect you to have a trained ear…

Secondly, I am not deaf. In all fairness, this is not an English-speaker thing. My Mom also insists on yelling at Mr. Ames in Portuguese thinking that it will help him understand what she is saying. However, if you are having a normal conversation with me and you suddenly raise your voice, chances are that you’re going to scare the hell out of me! I have never been in a situation that I had to literally run away from a conversation, but after five years in Canada, I am starting to think that this day will arrive soon. The problem here is not that I don’t understand you, YOU are the one who is having a hard time understanding what I am saying! Just take a deep breath and try again. I’ll do my best to use new words to help you understand what I am saying.

Finally, there is no problem in asking me to repeat what I just said or spell out the word that you can’t understand. I am a smart girl and would feel respected if you just asked for clarification. Because, you know, if you keep talking I will know that you didn’t understand a word of what I just said and are trying to be polite by carrying on with the conversation. Remember when I said that I hate to be patronized? Yeah… that’s exactly how I will feel about you.

Seriously, this can work! I have been here for five years and so far I’ve been successful in making myself understood while working in the communications industry. I sometimes have a hard time understanding you too, but I always try to give you a fighting chance. I know that there are days that I am tired or have been speaking Portuguese before I met with you and my accent is super thick. I will give you that! Give me a minute or two, it will get better…

Disclaimer: This blog post is not meant to attack anyone that I know. It’s just a collection of funny situations that I hope will make you laugh and inspire your future interactions in English.

If you want to expand on the multicultural discussion, you should check out the Coop Culture website.

Day #12: Read in Case of Accent Emergency is a post from: MadameHeringer.com

                          

(Clique aqui para ler em português)

When we she is around, we fight all the time. When it’s time to say goodbye, we look at each other and just cry. The dynamics between a mother and a daughter can be very weird sometimes. My relationship with my mother is one of the most interesting that I’ve heard of. We love each other so much, but we criticize each other way too much. The person who made me who I am did it the toughest way. I was an A student my whole life, the best in whatever I decided to do, and that’s all from her.

So, every time that she comes to visit or I go to Brazil, we always experience happy reunions, challenging stays and emotional goodbyes. It seems that we fight to pretend that we don’t love each other as much as we do…

Safe travels, Mom!

(Maria Rita sings “Encontros e Despedidas,” my oficial ex-pat soundtrack)

Day #5: Reunions and Goodbyes is a post from: MadameHeringer.com

                          

Yes, I am working on my 3.0 version. This upgrade comes with different letters after my name and has its release scheduled for Fall 2012 As nice as it sounds, let me tell you, going back to school is very hard. Going from a professional to an academic mindset is no easy task. It felt like I was reinventing myself at the beginning, trying really hard to make sense of theories that I left behind at PUC-Rio’s pilotis. However, with time, thoughts and ideologies go back to where they were supposed to be. In fact, they were always there…

As you might know, this is not the first time back to university since I moved to Canada. I’ve always taken post secondary courses here and there. This time has been exceptionally exciting and rewarding though. A masters program is demanding, but it gives me the opportunity to develop research in what really interests me (new media, broadcasting television and audiences).

The only pitfall of this journey are my own expectations. I don’t remember myself as a big nerd, but apparently, I am. I get all worried about my grades and sometimes just forget to have fun. It’s a shame but it’s getting better! And luckily, when I am close to losing my cool, my wonderful classmates always come up with something that makes me laugh really hard. Apparently, the the last weeks of the Fall semester have been extremely inspiring to us. The latest is the #MPMemes!

 What about you? Are you back to school working on reinventing yourself? Are you enjoying the experience?

I’m Pursuing a Masters Degree in Canada! is a post from: MadameHeringer.com

                          

Wow! My fifth year in Canada arrived faster than I expected. This year’s celebration happened under a pile of assignments and recommended readings (not complaining, just reporting the facts). The confusion between October 15th and 16th continues and I still need to check my old passport to confirm that my first day in Canada was actually October 14th, 2007. (Please note that jet lag and time zones can affect ones’ memory forever!) As I have mentioned here before, this last year was filled with changes, new opportunities, good byes and new beginnings. It feels like I am becoming a professional migrant…

Leaving Vancouver was hard on all of us. We tried to do our best with meeting with our friends and explaining the reasons why we decided to move. Four months have passed since we arrived in Toronto and gradually things are starting to make sense to us. The TTC delays are now part of our daily routine, the sunny days definitely make us happier and we are constantly being offered new and exciting professional opportunities. Toronto is all that I expected to be (sometimes even better), but I do miss our friends, the Vancouver tech scene and the long walks on the sea wall.

Last year around this time, I was saying no to Toronto and giving Vancouver a second chance. I was tired of the lack of professional options in the city and the disgusting real estate prices. Our family and friends were all that kept us in the city for one more year. It’s undeniable that after living in a place for a while, you grow roots, you establish yourself and you create specials ties to that city. However, as much as I love Vancouver, with time, I started thinking that something was wrong and it had to change. Starting over is scary, any new Canadian can talk for hours about that, but I assure you that starting over twice is even scarier! Maybe the third time will be easier, who knows?

But, how’s life now?

Exciting! Our Toronto friends were incredible in welcoming us. My Masters program at Ryerson University is everything that I expected but better. Between all my three part time jobs, I am getting to try a little bit of everything and work on inspiring and challenging stuff. The program is intense, very intense, and deserves its own blog post. For now, all that I can say is that our new city is treating us very well and allowing us to start growing our new roots.

So, what do I expect form this new year?

It definitely feels that the sky is the limit. Since we are living in a big travel hub, I really want to take advantage of it and explore the world. Vancouver made me stronger and I will to use that to my advantage. This time I’m more open to challenges, new friends and cultural explorations. I also want to merge the energy of writing essays and papers into more blog posts here and on my professional blog. I have big plans for this ride. Stay tunned and enjoy the trip!

5 Years Later: What Changed? is a post from: MadameHeringer.com

                          

I love Toronto! Life seems easier, easier than I thought it would be. Toronto isn’t the centre of the universe, but surely makes you feel like you’re in the middle of it. There is so much going on here! So many events, places to see, that it’s hard to keep track of what’s happening around us all the time.

Here are some pictures of our first months as Torontonians. Enjoy!

Mr. Ames and I are trying keep our Flickr accounts updated. I am also on Instagr.am, if you’re looking for daily snapshot of my life.

Toronto: First Memories and Pictures is a post from: MadameHeringer.com

                          

“We are relocating.” Since I married Mr. Ames, this has been one of the most common sentences of my expat life. I blame him a little considering that he is the one responsible for me “relocating” to Canada. I say that I relocated here seeking social acceptance, since “falling madly in love for a Canadian man” isn’t the most professional way to introduce myself during a job interview.

Throughout the two years that we lived in the Okanagan, I felt that our boxes were never empty and suitcases were always ready to go somewhere else. Things were different in Vancouver though. For three years, we were able to settle and grow some roots, have friends who were always a block away from us and create a few Sunday morning traditions. So, why relocate again?

Honestly, because my life gets boring if I live forever in the same apartment, city or province. Yes, that’s my very honest answer! The rationale behind our relocation to Ontario involved my scholarship to the masters in media production program at Ryerson University and the opportunity to explore a bigger job market. I know, It seems more “put together’ if the move involves jobs and a one of a kind opportunity, doesn’t it?

My mom called me a Gipsy and, as a good honorary British Columbian, told me that she didn’t like Toronto even though she has never explored anything but the Pearson’s airport on her way to Vancouver. All our friends were very sad with our departure in an almost cruel way (we know they meant good). And we were scared, very scared! Afraid that we would hate the weather, worried that we would never find a good coffee shop in our neighbourhood, and trying to believe that everything would happen exactly as we planned.

Two months have passed since we set foot in Toronto. We did lose one box in the move and we miss our family and friends and the smell of the ocean. However, yesterday, Mr. Ames happily told me that he never had so much Summer in his life before and I’m going back to school with a great tan! We also welcomed some new amazing friends to our lives with new perceptions of the world, hobbies and ambitions.

After so many years living as an expat, I know that relocating has nothing to do with replacing. It’s all about exploring and re-adapting.

And you, are you ready to pack again?

The Real Meaning of Relocating is a post from: MadameHeringer.com

                          

Grande parte dos visitantes novos deste blog chega aqui procurando informações sobre o processo de imigração canadense. Embora este blog não seja sobre imigração, emails pedindo informações sobre o processo de imigração para Canadá chegam quase que diariamente ao meu inbox.

O texto abaixo estava engavetado desde julho de 2010 e para evitar que perguntas sobre o processo de imigração se percam no meu gmail, resolvi publicar a minha trajetória aqui para referência dos corajosos imigrantes.

O MadameHeringer.com continua sendo um espaço sobre cultura, comunicação e viagem. Existem inúmeros blogs sobre imigração em português, alguns deles listados no blogroll deste blog, que já fazem um trabalho sensacional. Perguntas serão apenas respondidas via comentários neste blog post.

Enjoy!

Em 2006, no auge da minha inquietude juvenil, eu decidi que precisava viajar e conhecer o mundo. Não sabia pra onde ia e nem por quanto tempo; mas estava certa de que precisava desbravar um país novo, de preferência bem longe do Brasil e com uma estada planejada de pelo menos seis meses. A maioria dos brasileiros que imigram para o Canadá desembarcam no Person’s com um plano detalhado, certos de que na corrida de táxi entre o aeroporto e a primeira casa temporária, existe um Service Canada aberto e um recruiter oferecendo emprego para quem chega. Bem, esta não é a história que eu tenho pra contar…

Eu cheguei ao Canadá com um plano que começou com desembarque previsto no John F. Kennedy airport, em Nova Iorque. Como eu sempre trabalhei em mídia, achava que pedir demissão do emprego brasileiro em televisão para um estágio em Nova Iorque fazia mais sentido para a minha carreira profissional. O plano estava indo muito bem até que eu decidi explorar outros países através das comunidades do orkut. Três meses antes de “fechar negócio” com uma agência de intercâmbio, eu acabei conhecendo brasileiros que viviam no Canadá completamente apaixonados pela cultura e pela qualidade de vida que encontraram aqui. Assim eu disse Good bye, “I *heart* NY” t-shirt…

Eu cheguei em Vancouver em outubro de 2006 com vistos de estudo e trabalho garantidos pelo pacote de intercâmbio que comprei no Brasil. Voltar a vida de estudante em tempo integral foi muito bom, especialmente depois de quatro anos intensos de faculdade e trabalho no Brasil. Quando a parte prática do programa chegou, eu estava mais que pronta e cheia de curiosidade para conhecer Kelowna, uma cidadezinha ao norte de British Columbia.

Meu primeiro trabalho no Canadá foi como caixa de uma cafeteria no Big White Ski Resort. Foi uma experiência interessante, aprendi a falar inglês na marra e acabei conhecendo Mr. Ames. Entre o meu desembarque no YVR em outubro de 2006 e o meu casamento em fevereiro de 2007, eu tive muito pouco tempo para pensar no que eu realmente queria conseguir aqui ou até se queria ficar e construir uma família no Canadá. Ironicamente, o processo de imigração foi longo o suficiente para me dar todo o tempo que eu precisava para pensar nos meus próximos passos (e até na morte da bezerra!).

Como eu não conhecia ninguém no Canadá, social media (leia-se orkut) foi a solução mais viável que eu encontrei para me familiarizar com o processo de imigração. Na Brazil Canada, eu conheci o Otávio Gouveia e depois de muito email documentando a consultoria, resolvi contratá-lo para cuidar do meu processo de sponsorship. Toda a documentação provando o meu relacionamento, até então um longo casamento de menos de dez meses, seguiu para Ottawa no final de 2007 pesando quase três quilos.

Eu recebi a minha residência permanente em junho de 2008. Em uma semana encontrei o emprego na minha área em uma ONG. O mercado na época estava bem mais aquecido, e confesso que tive muita sorte em encontrar alguém que acreditasse em mim e me oferecesse uma oportunidade (Hey, mas não é de momentos assim que a vida é feita?).

Até agora não tenho do que reclamar. Sim, são inúmeras as dificuldades. Não, não é fácil, e sem humildade e persistência não se chega a lugar algum. Mas embora tudo tenha acontecido muito rápido nos últimos quatro anos, fico feliz por ter apostado na minha vontade de mudar e explorar o mundo. Conheci pessoas interessantes, expandi meus horizontes e passei a ver a vida por um prisma multi-cultural.

Imigrar é uma experiência interessante; pode ser um renascimento para alguns ou se transformar numa vida de lamento para outros. Depende muito on which path you choose. Eu ainda prefiro sempre apostar porque, como dizia Pablo Neruda, “o mundo é grande demais para nascer e morrer no mesmo lugar.”

(Sim, o casamento vai muito bem, obrigada. Marido canadense é o que há!)

[Fridays in Portuguese] Canadá: Imigração is a post from: MadameHeringer.com