2 Weeks in Canada
It's been 2 weeks since being back in Canada. The biggest worry I had about coming home turns out to be the most frequently asked question these days "how are you adjusting to life back in Canada?". So I thought I'd write about it.
Here are some of the things that caught my attention and surprised me being back in Canada:
-people speaking English and being able to overhear and understand other people's conversations. When I landed in Toronto - an airport worker said something to me, after looking up confused and wondering 'was he speaking English to me? could I REALLY understand him?' ...he then stopped, walked towards me, and said "I'm sorry, do you not speak English?". Talk about feeling like a foreigner in your own country. I assured him I was Canadian, waved my passport, and told him I was fluent in English even if it didnt seem like it!
-cars not honking and having the tendency and urge to honk while driving. honk to pass, honk to get someone's attention, honk to tell someone to move, honk if you're happy, honk because someone's driving too slowly, just honking. now that I'm cycling again - I wish I had a honker on my bike to translate for me "move over, get out of the way, I'm coming through".
-When I landed in Toronto and started driving - I felt like I was in the countryside while in the largest city in Canada. I was wondering where all the people were. I wasnt sure what would happen when I arrived in my hometown of 5000 people! Clearly - I survived.
-Having to remember that friends in Asia are now 12 hours ahead and that all my friends and family here are in the same time zone.
-Still responding and agreeing to people in Chinese when people are talking to me. The other day in class, we were having a class meeting about changing our timetable and when times were proposed, I spoke up and kept saying "keyi, keyi (可以)", which means can, can.
-It's COLD! I arrived in Canada just as it got cold. Fall has arrived and I'll be lucky to get another few weeks on my bike before it gets too cold to ride.
Here are some of the things that caught my attention and surprised me being back in Canada:
-people speaking English and being able to overhear and understand other people's conversations. When I landed in Toronto - an airport worker said something to me, after looking up confused and wondering 'was he speaking English to me? could I REALLY understand him?' ...he then stopped, walked towards me, and said "I'm sorry, do you not speak English?". Talk about feeling like a foreigner in your own country. I assured him I was Canadian, waved my passport, and told him I was fluent in English even if it didnt seem like it!
-cars not honking and having the tendency and urge to honk while driving. honk to pass, honk to get someone's attention, honk to tell someone to move, honk if you're happy, honk because someone's driving too slowly, just honking. now that I'm cycling again - I wish I had a honker on my bike to translate for me "move over, get out of the way, I'm coming through".
-When I landed in Toronto and started driving - I felt like I was in the countryside while in the largest city in Canada. I was wondering where all the people were. I wasnt sure what would happen when I arrived in my hometown of 5000 people! Clearly - I survived.
-Having to remember that friends in Asia are now 12 hours ahead and that all my friends and family here are in the same time zone.
-Still responding and agreeing to people in Chinese when people are talking to me. The other day in class, we were having a class meeting about changing our timetable and when times were proposed, I spoke up and kept saying "keyi, keyi (可以)", which means can, can.
-It's COLD! I arrived in Canada just as it got cold. Fall has arrived and I'll be lucky to get another few weeks on my bike before it gets too cold to ride.
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Allison