Yes, I knew I wanted to move to Canada and I had done a good job of researching most of the information I needed about the new place I would call home. No research however prepared me for some of my discoveries about moving to Canada from Nigeria. Check out some of my preconceptions versus the reality in my one year of living in Canada.
Canada Never Gets Hot: One of the things you have probably heard over and over again about Canada is that it is very cold. This was the mantra I was used to as well. Somebody however forgot to mention it could also get extremely hot as well; not just hot, heat-wave kind of hot. Yes, this happens in the Summer. Surprise!
There Will Never Be a Reason to Stand in a Bus or Train: The picture I had of myself on bus or train in Canada was me with my legs crossed, ear phones stuck in my ears while reading a book. While this happens 60% of the time, there are those rush hours where the bus or train is full and you still have to get to where you’re going. What do you do? Hop on and try not to fall. Hello Downtown Toronto workers!
It’s Hot as Long as it’s Sunny: Why would the sun produce anything but heat right? Well Canada sun produces heat but it’s no match for the cold winds. The day could be bright and Sunny but still very cold outside especially in Spring and fall. Don’t fall for it, take your jacket with you!
My Egusi Soup Will Never be as Sweet: I used to be worried that my Nigerian soups won’t be as good because I don’t have all the ingredients I had access to back home. What do you know? They are not bad at all thanks to African stores and really good vegetable substitutes as well. But please if you know anyone coming to Canada from Nigeria and they are able to help you bring those ingredients, jump on the opportunity. They are much more affordable in Nigeria. Don’t dull!
I will Have to Replace my Stylish Clothes with Sweaters: My imagination of fashion in Canada was turtle necks in all the different colours of the rainbow and Photoshop colour palette. While these will be useful, I was however so wrong to have left some of my best clothes at home. You can still wear them here. As a matter of fact, you will still need some of them. You don’t want to know how much I spent to replace some of my nice clothing I left behind. Hello Zara!
I will Have to Dump My Heels for Sneakers: Same thing goes for shoes. I had imagined if Canada was snow land, all I will need are boots and sneakers. Again I was wrong. I have had to buy a few here but nothing compared to what I left. I miss my heels!
Most People in Canada Are Canadians: I mean it makes sense for me to have thought that most Canadians were originally Canadians right? This is so wrong. Canada is the most multicultural country in the world with Toronto ranking as the most multicultural city in the world as well. There are people from diverse backgrounds who now call Canada home; Turks, Irish, Jamaican, Venezuelan, Mexican, Indian, Poles, Ethiopian, you name it!
I will Waltz into A New Job Two Weeks After Landing: This is an entirely different topic I’ll be discussing on my YouTube channel soon but I did not land a job in two weeks or even two months after I landed Canada. How hard could it possibly be? I asked myself. I found very quickly I had to unlearn a lot of things I knew about the Nigerian job market and relearn about the Canadian job market very quickly. You will get a job if you take the right steps; fear not!
My Boss Would Tell Me What to Do: When I finally got my job, I also found out the work culture here is very different. There is little of no micromanagement and you are expected to drive your projects start to finish. Yes, I get feedback periodically but no one micromanages me. That’s how the work culture with many Canadian employers is. You’re the boss!
$50 Price Tag Actually Means $50: It took me a while to get used to the fact that 13 percent tax is added to every item I buy upon checkout. This means if I buy a dress worth $50, what I actually pay at the checkout point is $56.05. I’m actually still not used to this to be honest. So if I had to buy an item worth $250, what I’ll actually part with is $282.05. My chest!
Bras Cannot Cost Up to 20,000 Naira: There I was in a bra shop asking if I was actually going to part with $150 for three bras. It took me a long time to come to terms with this. Yes, great quality bras from the top underwear brands in Canada are expensive. No, they won’t increase your breast size!
Turkey Wings is All There is to Turkey: For some reason, the only part of turkey I had ever seen being sold in Nigeria or bought are the wings. It never occurred to me that just like chicken, turkey definitely had other parts like the breast, thigh, even drumstick. Now, this is my question; why do cold rooms in Nigeria sell just turkey wings?!
