I like anniversaries: I often think
“X years ago in this moment I was doing…” even about stupid things. Well, at
least today I have a valid reason: it’s been exactly one year I arrived in
Canada.
One full year spent in Vancouver,
far from home and trying to reach my goals. I still remember the day I arrived:
cold and snowy, the queue to get the visa, the obvious excitement that I had done something maybe
even too big to me. Hopes mixed in uneven way with fears, and the awareness I
had to put all my commitment to find a job.
What has changed ever since? Aside of the cover image of my blog as a mark of this “celebration”, 3 accommodations (+ the host family), 2 jobs and half, people who came and people who went, my dreams and expectations challenged by a reality not easy as expected.
I am actually now in a sort of limbo: not unemployed, but not fully employed with a sponsorship about to come to stay in Canada. Something I could not foresee at all, with a deadline that seems to be permanently postponed like the countdown of the old arcade games when you inserted another coin.
I met awful people here, like my former landlord when I was living in Yaletown: the most selfish and squalid person I’ve ever dealt with since I’ve been in Canada, a man I learnt from how not to be a father.
What has changed ever since? Aside of the cover image of my blog as a mark of this “celebration”, 3 accommodations (+ the host family), 2 jobs and half, people who came and people who went, my dreams and expectations challenged by a reality not easy as expected.
I am actually now in a sort of limbo: not unemployed, but not fully employed with a sponsorship about to come to stay in Canada. Something I could not foresee at all, with a deadline that seems to be permanently postponed like the countdown of the old arcade games when you inserted another coin.
I met awful people here, like my former landlord when I was living in Yaletown: the most selfish and squalid person I’ve ever dealt with since I’ve been in Canada, a man I learnt from how not to be a father.
I also met wonderful people like the
Filipino couple of my homestay, and got to know some new people thanks to great
bloggers and the meetings they organized (thanks Diego & Jle) that diluted
with some laugh and good chat the sense of loneliness of spending a Christmas
far from my family.
What have I learnt? I learnt Canada doesn’t care if you have already passed some hard exam living abroad somewhere else: this is not a sentimental land, and it constantly challenges yourself, no matter what your story is. I thought I was adequately prepared for this adventure after 5 years in Ireland and I was wrong, for the logical reason this is Canada and not Ireland.
What have I learnt? I learnt Canada doesn’t care if you have already passed some hard exam living abroad somewhere else: this is not a sentimental land, and it constantly challenges yourself, no matter what your story is. I thought I was adequately prepared for this adventure after 5 years in Ireland and I was wrong, for the logical reason this is Canada and not Ireland.
Unlike Dublin, Vancouver does really
leave me no spare time: I had planned a post to talk about my last year’s eve
(nothing special, just about the funny party I was at) but couldn’t finish it.
That’s ironic, as Vancouver has much more to offer than Dublin (just think of a
walk on English Bay or Granville Island), but now I have so less time to do
anything else than working, commuting, and going for my survival shopping.
Balance? I know it could have been worse, and right now I could be fully unemployed in Italy, but still I’m not happy with what I’ve got, and I’m aware there’s much more to do to adjust the things and make everything less precarious, maybe to be able to write a post over my second Canadian anniversary. Once again it’s up to me.
Balance? I know it could have been worse, and right now I could be fully unemployed in Italy, but still I’m not happy with what I’ve got, and I’m aware there’s much more to do to adjust the things and make everything less precarious, maybe to be able to write a post over my second Canadian anniversary. Once again it’s up to me.
