This is a particularly pleasant morning.
Just the four of us in the tennis court
while the world still seems to be in deep slumber. My usual early morning Canadian
pals assemble at the Erin mills lawn tennis court as we have been doing
religiously with great fervor for the past five years.
The same faces, same place and the same
game. We have all been so closely acquainted during this period and known each
other so well that there is nothing more to discover about each other. Or so it
seems. But still strangely the
excitement of gathering at the same spot week end after week end doesn’t seem
to wear off or wane.
The fact that we are four different personalities
from four wildly varying cultural backgrounds – Ukrainian, Chinese and Egyptian
and, myself, South Asian – doesn’t bother any of us or make us feel
uncomfortable with one another. In fact I find it exciting and spiritually
uplifting to interact with others who look different from myself. At times, I
wonder if I do not have a better vibe with these associates and feel closer to them
than even my own family members. Never
mind our variations in facial features, color, religion, cultural beliefs and
practices, race or even the way English is spoken etc.
As one who has had a peep into the
world of psychology, I can say that psychological truths and factors governing human
relations apply equally to everyone without exception, whatever culture or whichever
region of the world one belongs to. The only requirement to be able to
appreciate this is a willingness to see and understand things different from
one’s own with an open mind.
On a lighter note, the numerous
different ways the supposedly same language is spoken makes me wonder sometimes
if all of us are speaking English at all. I am not saying this out of any
prejudice; it’s just a statement borne out by reality - one that I find
exciting and enjoyable.
Sometimes, of course, it takes quite an effort to
decipher what someone is saying, even if the ideas are quite straightforward, and for sure, I realize that I stand on the same footing myself. I am very
conscious that one’s native tongue influences one’s accent and pronunciations
while speaking another language. But after all, language is only a means to
convey ideas, and if that purpose is served reasonably well, why bother about
other insignificant variables; accents in particular?
Catching up again on my tennis club
culture, let me say this: If a non-Canadian wants to understand the
multicultural character of Canada, all he or she needs to do is visit our
tennis club on any given summer evening when the majority of members congregate
for a game of tennis, friendly chatter and banter. A representation of the
multicultural ethos and unique values of Canada can be seen being practiced in
our tennis court, with fraternal feelings running strong. Members stretch
themselves to be appreciative of the culture of people different from their own
without being condescending. Of course, they are all bound by the common thread
of love for tennis and, even better, proud of their common identity as Canadian.
I think the best way to explain
anything is through one’s own first hand experiences. So speaking a little
about my own story and experiences after I migrated to Canada from India about
a decade back would be in order. No change is absolutely easy to manage. The
more drastic the change, the harder it is to face up to it with equanimity. So
when someone tries to uproot the whole of his being and that of his close
family members from one’s culture to something vastly different, it is bound to
cause a flurry of disturbing emotions and psychological responses in ever many
different ways.
This is so in spite of the best
preparation. Fear of the unknown causes tremendous anxiety and, to be sure, is
only one of the many factors causing great stress and perhaps distress at times.
I still remember the day when I first
placed my foot on Toronto soil at Lester Pearson along with my wife and young
son on the 1st August 2006, lugging ten big suitcases, and not a
soul waiting expectantly for us at the airport. I knew no one in Toronto. The
money we had on hand was substantial by Indian standards but hardly enough to
survive for long in Canada. The fact that the responsibility was all mine and
mine alone for the well-being of, not just myself, but my family members as
well weighed heavily on me. Fortunately I did have a small dingy basement
apartment in a far corner of the city rented y prior arrangement through the
internet.
Now for someone like me who was very
well settled professionally and personally and well provided for financially in
my native land, choosing to migrate for reasons that may appear questionable or
unwise to some, you would expect the initial experience to be really nerve-wracking.
But let me assure you that it was far from being unpleasant. Canada, the country
of immigrants, seemed to know all about my predicament and the struggle every
new immigrant wages to settle down and find his or her feet.
I found Canada and whoever I had to
interact with welcoming from the word go. Completing the initial formalities of
getting a SIN card, opening of bank accounts, attending acclimatization
training programs, attending job fairs, presenting myself for interviews, etc. –
wherever I went or whatever I did, I realized that as long as I remained
earnest in whatever I wanted to accomplish and strove sincerely, the society
and system here would take care of the rest.
Certain environments encourage
creativity and others discourage creativity. The Canadian environment, without
a doubt, is one which reaches out to encourage creativity and enables newcomers
to slide smoothly into the community and to identify with the larger society.
Lastly, I must say this: While every
country on this planet may be able to claim with justification and pride that
it is better than others on some count or the other, for me no nation comes
even close to Canada on a variety of parameters, particularly on the inclusive
nature of the society; the multicultural ethos and values; the egalitarian and
sophisticated culture; in welcoming immigrants, refugees and the displaced from
all parts of the world; and in much more – Canada is indeed in a league of its
own
Shankar Swaminathan immigrated to Canada from India in August 2006 along with
his wife and younger son. Besides being a HR and Training Consultant in India,
Shankar was a freelance writer for over a couple of decades and a regular
contributor to various national dailies in India. He also edited and regularly
wrote for a monthly journal by name, Nandini
Voice for the Deprived run by the nonprofit organization he was closely
associated with. Presently Shankar is active as a
freelance counselor and writer and has his Counseling website http://www.speakurmindcounseling.com/
See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.
