Canada attracts migrants not only with its economic prosperity but also with its beautiful ecology
My name is Elena Palatnik. I went from being a junior manager for immigration and employment from Ukraine to Canada, the USA, the UK, and other countries, to independently moving and 'self-processing' into Canada after a long selection of this country among all others that open up rainbow opportunities, and to opening my own center for immigration and study abroad, including in Canada.
Given my deep commitment to the exact sciences, I will divide this article into «plus», «minus», «multiply», and «divide».
Plus
It was enough to get to Canada to understand that «it was worth it.» I won't say that everything consists of solid advantages, but there are clearly more of them than there were in Ukraine; otherwise, probably no one would have thought about immigration at all.
Ecology… immediately became tangible, it could practically be felt… after the dusty bustle of Ukraine, 12 layers of street dirt and clogged road drains, I wanted to say thank you to someone there, in Canada, for the fact that my eyes rest, not seeing such things.
Work… as a manager of a recruitment company in Canada (my first job abroad), with knowledge of four languages, including English, French, and two native languages, I received an employment contract with a salary of $40 per hour. And that's not even the main thing: the main thing is that for the first time in my life I understood what a 'standardized working day' is, 44 hours a week, and a complete absence of the need to work myself to the bone, as was always the case at home. Never mind the ecology – just from this factor alone, breathing became easier.
A house and a car appeared after a year of my fruitful work, of course, on credit. But with a full understanding of the word 'credit' in Ukraine, I was quite surprised by the conditions, simplicity, and transparency of the same word in Canada.
People and mentality. I will dwell on a tiny example that, in my opinion, most vividly characterizes the people and mentality of Canada compared to Ukraine. After six months of living in Canada, I came home to Odesa, went into a store, greeted the salesperson at the checkout, and asked: 'How are you today?' In response, they looked at me in the «old Russian tradition» in such a way that I really started to care only about my own affairs, namely whether the salesperson would pour a bag of my own milk on my head. I remembered that in Ukraine it is not customary to just smile, just say hello, and ask 'how are you' to seemingly strangers; instead, it is customary to furrow your brows and immediately wonder 'what do they want from me?' In Canada, I did not encounter this and really got used to people just smiling and being just happy to meet your eyes.
Minus
Would I miss home? This question intrigued me in a way until I got to Canada. The answer pleased no one - I missed it so much that sometimes I wanted to howl at the moon, give up everything and go back, just to fall asleep in my own bed and see the faces of my family and loved ones. This lasted about six months, then I finally went home and… began to miss Canada, my work, the smiles 'just because', the comfort you quickly get used to.
A way out of bilateral nostalgia was found quite spontaneously. I was able to help myself and other people who moved to different countries to live, work, and study – I can help others too, while being partially in Ukraine and Canada, as they say, 'without leaving the production line'.
Stability and tranquility. Canada is so calm and prosperous that this factor can be regarded as both a «plus» and a «minus». The «minus» is that the concept of «activity» in Canada differs from «activity» in Ukraine as much as one can imagine in the most sophisticated fantasies. This is the opinion of many people who moved to Canada from the countries of the former USSR. In Ukraine, you are always running after something or someone: not to be late, not to arrive early, to buy cheaper, to sell more expensive; in summer, to manage simultaneously: to be at the dacha, to renovate the apartment, to send one child to camp and the other to grandma, to do the shopping, to walk the dog, and of course to look great in combination with all of the above. These are realities, and you get used to this rhythm so much that when suddenly free time appears after work, it takes several months just to get used to the idea that it can be used for the benefit of yourself and your health. As they say, «so calm that you want to disturb the peace at least once».
Weather. In winter there is a lot of snow, and 'a lot' is putting it mildly. But it's worth enduring the winter at least to make sure that Canada is not always «far and cold»; all other seasons are very similar to Ukraine.
Multiply and divide
I managed to multiply experience, wealth, the number of people I was able to help and change their lives for the better, knowledge in everything related to Canada, immigration, education, and life in this country in general, friends and work colleagues, and many other useful things that you can afford in Canada.
I had to divide my life in half – life in Ukraine, life in Canada: airplanes, airports, customs, very dissatisfied people in Ukraine and sometimes too satisfied in Canada. All this had to be divided and add a percentage of confidence that all this was not in vain and could not have been better. I was able to find myself.
Is it worth it for you to go to Canada? Only you can answer. Everywhere has its «plus, minus, multiply, and «divide».
By Elena PALATNIK,
Director of the Center for Immigration and Education «Palleonn» (Ukraine)
and of Palleonn Immigration and Recruitment Services Ltd. (Canada).