My First Canada Immigration Stamp – Pearson International Airport, October 14th, 2006

The confusion started in 2008 and since then, I have been celebrating my first day in Canada anniversary on the 16^th of October. Apparently, my blogging laziness has been affecting my memory as well. Just in case, I added an appointment to my Google calendar, hoping that in 2011 my commemorative blog post will go out on the 14^th.

Canada immigration policies have been widely discussed in the news lately, and as much as we’d like to find a definitive solution, we know it will take us generations to settle into being a true multicultural society. We also know that from the day of their landing, every single immigrant wants to make of Canada the most successful chapter of their life. I am no exception. Even though my story is slightly different (staying in Canada was a complete accident), I must admit that once I decided to make this country my home, my expectations changed drastically!

The Accident – February 25th, 2007

I don’t even know how many nights of sleep I lost obsessing over the idea of finding a job, starting a career and succeeding in Canada while I was waiting for my permanent residency. However, as attractive as starting fresh can sound, not belonging to a community does make one’s life difficult. I am not complaining, nor am I blaming Canada because I know that any foreigner living in Brazil would face the same barriers or even worse. What I am trying to say is that settling into a new country can be one of the most challenging things that anyone can impose on themselves. Expectations tend to drive newcomers nuts and saving face can become a common habit when speaking to friends and family when visiting their original country.

In 2008, if you would have asked me why I wanted to stay in Canada I would answer that I was choosing quality of life over my career. Yes, my answer was super-hypocritical, since 10 out of 10 newcomers need and value a job. Two years and a lot of blog posts and tweets later, I can now say that I chose to stay because my life is here. I have built a great list of amazing friends and I am very proud of what I have achieved both personal and professionally. 4 years into a “Canadianization” process I can say that it takes time to knock down walls and allow oneself to be honest…

Working hard with Lili Vieira de Carvalho at the 2010 VLAFF – September 12th, 2010

So, what do I want from here? Immigrating to Canada didn’t kill me, it definitely made me stronger. Now that the initial barriers aren’t there anymore, I want to overcome what is left and keep giving back to my new country. Some questions will never go away (Is my English good enough? Are my jokes funny? Why is this person making a weird face while I speak? Are they really interested in what I have to say?), and I’ll never be able to get a straight answer either (now I am blaming Canadian hospitality and politeness). But, since Canada chose me, I am here to build a country and fight. So, bring on the next 40 years, I am ready!

P.S.: This month, I came across this wonderful talk by Lionel Laroche at the 2008 ISAP Conference. He’s brilliant! I learned so much from the four videos that I recommend them to anyone who is an immigrant or is planning to come to Canada.

Happy Birthday, Canada!

After being fully blessed by our Queen Elizabeth and having acknowledged our most important and recent victory, the Olympic Gold Medal for hockey, I felt extremely motivated to finish editing my interview with Nick Noorani. I know… it’s a gift from a late guest, but I made sure that I kept the most important clips from my conversation with Nick. It’s also a double gift; since most of Nick’s Canadian milestones were conquered on past Canada Days.

Enjoy!

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