October 17, 2004

To settle in the West without socio-cultural impediments largely hinges on people’s approach to life and the way they use the resources available to them

TO migrate or not to migrate, that’s the question that’s been pestering a lot of Pakistanis for long. Some are of the opinion that in the post 9/11 scenario, migrating to a Western country may not be a desirable idea, and some think otherwise. But my personal experience of living in Canada may prove quite revelatory to certain people.

I still very well remember the day when I first landed in Canada. I, along with my other family members, entered Toronto’s Pearson International Airport after being on the plane for God knows how long. Shortly after stepping into the terminal building, all new immigrants were warmly greeted by the immigration staff. I heard some of them saying,”Welcome to Canada”. We were all very emotionally touched by the warm reception. As we made our way through the airport and into the baggage zone, we came across the true face of the West. Stranded, with a burden of 10 overweight suitcases — a typical scenario for a Pakistani family — we no longer had the facility of cheap porters, private cars and personal drivers to assist us from the airport to home. However, we did somehow manage to carry our belongings and hired a van and a taxi, which drove us to our destination.

Despite the tedious flight, when we paid the drivers in dollars, the entire family began converting the amount into Pakistani rupees. It was an instant reaction, a sort of inborn cultural trait. That day was just the beginning to a series of events that we were to experience in the days to come.

Climatically speaking, our first winter in Canada was a record breaking one. It was one of the first few winters when the temperatures exceeded -30 degrees Celsius. I remember standing alongside a bus stop, a little apprehensive as to what Canadian university life would be like. My eyes were runny, my nose and ears were numb, and as the squally wind blew hard, it felt as if a thousand ice pellets had hit my face. I was wrapped in layers of clothing. I had never worn so much clothes at a time in my life — a shirt, a pull-over, a cardigan, a scarf wrapped around my neck and a long fur coat — I had slipped into all of them. And despite that, I was still feeling cold. At that moment I missed my personal chauffeur and that private car that would take me around Karachi. I would have rather sat in the scorching heat of Karachi. Having said that, in spite of the horrid winter season in Canada, one does get to experience here all four unique seasons in a year.

Many Pakistanis harbour the impression that residing in a foreign land makes it difficult to practise Islam. On the contrary, my experience was a tad different. For instance, during Ramazan, all the Muslim students at the York University would gather to offer their Maghrib prayers and shortly after Namaz, we would break our fast. I can still recall the first time I entered the Muslim federation building, I came across a fellow Muslim, who greeted me by saying, “Salam sister”. I turned and looked at her, still unsure as to whether she was addressing me. At that instant I felt a little strange and found the word “sister” a bit amusing. After a pause of about five seconds, I greeted her back by saying “Walaikum Asalam sister”. I soon realized that all the Muslims belonging to the Muslim federation at the university were referred to as ‘brothers’ or ‘sisters’. The experience was amazing and it seemed like enjoying the best of both worlds — a true blend of the East and the West.

During our initial days of migration, we lived in an apartment in Mississauga. Even though it was a prestigious building in the heart of downtown Mississauga, the open-kitchen concept presented a problem to us. Different kinds of odour while cooking would waft along the air and into every nook and corner of the house — no air fresheners or carpet deodorizers proved to be curry-friendly. Whenever an outsider entered our home, he would be welcomed by a distinct whiff of Indian spices.

As far as social acceptance is concerned, Canada is a truly multi-cultural, cosmopolitan country, especially the city of Ontario. There are numerous nationalities, ranging from Chinese and Indians to east Europeans. That’s one of the best things that Canada can boast of; a heterogeneous workforce, all with their own set of norms and values, yet working as a team. In this respect, comparing the Canadian society to the Pakistan society is a pretty disturbing scenario. The Pakistanis are often found entangled in so many trivial rivalries and conflicts that never seem to end.

Discussing the issue of diversity, I’d like to share my initial experience while I was on a local transit bus. When I hopped onto the vehicle, I was overwhelmed by a variety of different languages; some I’d heard, others seemed familiar, while many sounded to be beyond my grasp. Then I heard a gentleman seated at the rear end of the bus say, “Paji, tada ki haal hai?” to the person seated next to him. It was not what the man said that caught my attention, but the pitch of his voice, his body language and the tone of expression. When I reached home I realized how diverse Canada truly was, and more so, how every ethnic community was free to express themselves the way they deemed appropriate.

In fact, these days the Pakistani population in Canada is increasing at a rapid pace. I have friends at the University of Toronto in Mississauga who say that if one is not a Desi, a Canadian cliche for Indians and Pakistanis, he or she is in a minority.

Visiting Wal-Mart at the Square One Mall in Mississauga is a unique experience. The store is a central place to have the ultimate Pakistani touch. It is literally inundated with Pakistani women, attired in Shalwar Kameez, screening through aisles, grabbing on to anything that has an ‘on sale’ tag on it.

It is a fact that every student finds it exciting to begin his university classes. Well, I must say the exposure to a Canadian university proved quite enriching to me; but, at the same time, for those living on the campus it’s not so easy. How does the sound of cooking, cleaning, working and doing your own laundry by yourself seem, and simultaneously coping with the demands of obtaining a degree? Surely, many people living on the campus do enjoy the hustle bustle of campus life; however, quite a few also go through those initial moments of homesickness. I myself was not a victim of direct campus life, as I had my family with me in Toronto.

In this regard, I spoke to Mr Habib Ramzan of the Royal Services in Mississauga, who deals with new immigrants and guides them how to overcome the initial teething problems. He said: “When families migrate from Pakistan, they go through severe employment difficulties and many individuals are faced with situations of not finding occupations that match their skills and qualifications. Some immigrants are forced to do odd jobs and may also have to enrol in college courses in order to get decent employment. Of course, the chances of finding a managerial level job in Canada are slim, even if you were enjoying a good position in Pakistan. But if you are willing to work your way up through the ladder, then surely the prospects are bright.”

He added: “As new immigrants do not have a credit history in the country, they encounter problems in obtaining loans for cars and home mortgages.”

For Niloufer, a Parsi resident from Toronto, the experience of migrating to Canada was relatively easier, mainly because her husband had been guaranteed a secure job. She said: “Canada holds ample second and third generation Parsis, numbering approximately five to six thousand in Toronto and in the surrounding areas. In addition to that, as individuals, Parsis are more adaptable to the idea of starting from a lower level and gradually moving their way up within the organization.”

I also discussed the issue with another immigrant, who had moved to Canada a few years ago. She said in the first few months she felt isolated as she did not have any family members in Canada and only gradually befriended a few people. Also, due to license issues she had to use the local transport system, which proved quite exhausting. Furthermore, she complained that within two years, her savings began to recede and only after three years of struggling and going back to school she eventually found a steady job, which enabled her to pay utility bills and mortgage. However, she did not expect life to be a bed of roses and did prepare herself for the ills as well as the joys of migration.

That brings me to another issue. When you first come to Canada, you do become a little overwhelmed by the variety of fast-food chains in the country. But within a month, you begin missing your food — the real food: chaat, haleem, biryani and all those mouthwatering dishes available on the streets of Karachi.

It is absolutely important for my family, at least once a month, to visit the Gerard Street (a street in downtown Toronto, where one has access to Pakistani cuisines, clothes and music) and relive the moments of enjoying the food we once never quite appreciated.

The best thing about Canada is that being a woman does not make you inferior to a man. Here, society accepts you as an individual first and then as a woman. I can go take a stroll down the lane outside my house and feel comfortable. Can a woman go for a walk alone outside her home in Karachi?

Acquiring a driver’s license in Ontario is a big deal. The ministry of transportation in Ontario asks the interested applicant to pass three tests before he or she is considered a fully professional driver. The left-hand drive system also presents a problem to many drivers, especially when they are used to driving on the right side of the road. Initially, you have to keep a handy roadmap with you until you become familiar with the different routes. An alternative and convenient means of travel is to use the public transport. The local transportation system is a reliable and pretty reasonable one. Also, mothers do not have to worry about dropping and picking their children to and from school, since there are free school bus services available to them.

A lot of people are unaware of the many government services, and taking advantage of all available resources is the best way to get through those initial moments of confusion. I often hear about people complaining that life in Canada is pretty tough. As far as the Canadian government is concerned, it’s very cooperative and tries to assist new immigrants in a number of ways.

Every country in the world has its own charm as well as shortcomings. Some people living in Pakistan dream about leading their lives in Canada, while some individuals in Canada love to visit their friends and relatives back home. So either way, we, as human beings, are never completely satisfied with the surroundings we live in. I’ve lived in countries as culturally diverse as England, Pakistan and Canada and I still cannot make a judgment regarding which of these countries is the best place to get settled in. It wouldn’t be disputable to say that environment plays a pivotal role in making people feel content, but satisfaction in life also largely depends on individuals and the way they exploit the resources available to them in order to have the best of what life has to offer.

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