A Letter to My Parents

Dear Mom and Dad,

It has been a month since I left my beloved country. I had landed at Toronto airport on December 10th and directly went to an apartment downtown which was booked by friend Abrim. I'm afraid; life in Nepal and life in Canada are entirely different. I know that you are really worried about me and might be waiting to know about my experiences here in Canada. In this brief letter, I am going to tell you how new surroundings are like and how they are affecting me.

As you know that Canada is a cold country, the temperature of Toronto, at this moment of writing letter, is   -10 Degree Celsius. However, I am not feeling cold. Isn't this interesting? Every house has central heating system which makes the walls of the houses warm and maintains the temperature. Every buses and subways has heating system. We don't have to stay out longer than five minutes. Almost everyone has their private car which is called automobiles here. Those who don't have automobiles ride on the public buses or trains to go to their works. Everyone should have social identification number which comes in a card like ATM. This is the basic requirement to every newcomers and it makes us easier to open bank account, to do insurance, to have medical access and many more. Everything functions with system. In comparison to Canada, we have a wild democracy in Nepal where system has long been imprisoned. 

People are introvert and they hardly make friends in this country. Even if they have friends, they do not entertain gossips and backbiting; either they are at home busy with their works or they are in the work places. They do not loiter on the sides of the rods or any parks like most of the Nepalese do. If they break the traffic rules, they never get chances to bargain or punch on the nose of the traffic officers. I see my friends using social security cards while riding on the buses or purchasing the goods.  I have also applied for SIN in the immigration Management Department. I think, I will receive it in a week.

Canadians respect multiculturalism. Since Canada itself is the land of immigrants, millions of people are entering into Canada every year. Life for the beginners is quite hard. Many of the new comers do the difficult jobs, like clearing the snow on the roads, washing dishes and cleaning kitchens in the hotels, carrying blocks in the construction sites etc. I haven't seen natural smile on the faces of my friends for a month.  Every time they think what to do the next. However, they have a determination to be well settled in Canada. But nobody knows what that mean. They are confused of everything. They are confused of their identity. They are confused of the culture. They are confused of language. They are like the people searching vinegar in darkness.

I have been living in a old tenement house rented by immigrants from Bulgari, Burundi, India, Pakistan etc. They all look scary. So, I haven't talk to them for a month.  There are two rooms with a small kitchen in my apartment. There are a few amenities like a second hand small cot and dinning with three chairs. Abrim’s family lives next to my room. I have bought some pieces of furniture and kitchen ingredients. Abrim had given me a blanket and bed sheets for the temporary use. It is really hard to manage the room. Everything is available in Canada. But it is not for the people like me who are seeking water in the ocean like “water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink." 

The houses are made up of wood mostly in the residential areas. But buildings for commercial purposes are tall and dark. May be there is light inside where haven't been since I came here. The houses are small in the outskirts of the town, but they have many things inside the house. One of my friends said in our last meeting, “Houses in Nepal are large but only a few amenities inside; whereas houses in Canada are small but they have more amenities inside." Might be? I haven't gone inside anyone's house here, nor did I in Nepal.

Dad and Mom, I have been searching a job for a fortnight. Some of the friends assured me the job at Gas Station (petrol pump) but I denied first. I thought I could get some good jobs. But I have realized that finding the jobs according to our expectation is a far cry. Soon I will join any kind of job which at least pays me a few dollars to pay skyrocketing house rent and buy a loaf of bread for my churning stomach. I am also planning to join University for Canadian model of education.

At last, I am confident and determined to be SETTLED in Canada. Let’s see how it will sound to be well settled. Take care of your health and diet. Don't forget to have medical checkup in time. I will keep on writing in the days to come.

Love you.

 Dilip