The New Canadians

Inukshuk Blog Award - Immigrant Story

We find this delightful blog that has been on cyberspace for the last three years (since 2006).  It is a blog about the adventures of a French Canadian immigrant  who settled in English Canada; about immigration, life as a French teacher and snow !

Her name is  Juliette, aka Zhu. Yes, she’s not Chinese, but she’s  studies Mandarin for 12 years and can read and write Chinese.

Here’s an excerpt from her blog:

“Anyway… I’m French and I have been living full time in Canada’s national capital, Ottawa, since 2004. I first came in 2002 and lived between France and the other side of the Atlantic Ocean for a couple of years. In 2004, I got a Working Holiday Visa, and I applied for permanent residence in Canada in 2005… and it took only five months! I became a Canadian citizen on July 3rd, 2009 and now have both passports, French and Canadian.

Immigrating to Canada has been a very good experience so far. I experienced culture shock for the first few months but recovered quickly enough. Although I still don’t get how Canadians can walk around wearing only shorts and tee-shirts when it’s barely above 0ºC.

I have been working as a French teacher in Ottawa for almost four years. I always found it ironic I ended up teaching French after learning Chinese for 12 years…

I love travel and street photography. And I keep on thinking I should do something with my real passions, writing and photography… and traveling. I’m also a backpacker: once in a while, I just pack and go travel the world.

I chose to settle in Canada because I love this multicultural country, and because I wanted to belong somewhere — I had never felt I was meant to stay in France. Yet, I still have the urge to travel and discover the world. Was I made to settle somewhere? A part of me enjoy “normal life”: a job, a place to live, I city I now know well, friends, languages I master and a relatively steady income. But the other side of my brain just want to blow it all and pack. Pack and travel other continents, other oceans, sleep in long distance buses and trains and walk in a new city everyday.“

Follow her adventures living in Canada and travelling around the world.  You can find her blog on:  http://correresmidestino.com

Her blog serves as an Inukshuk for the rest of us,  offering tips and advices, and sharing her adventures.

For more information about what an Inukshuk is, and the significance of an Inukshuk Blog Award,  click here.