Growing up Canadian While Living Abroad by Geraldine Mac Donald-Moran

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Far Away but More Canadian Than Ever When you travel or live abroad for lengthy periods of time there occurs a strange phenomenon; perhaps, regardless of the cultural conditions in which you were raised.

It cold be coined or clichéd as 'birds of a feather flocking together' or simply described as circumstantial camaraderie but nonetheless it happens.

The encountering of two similar souls: the recognition of familiarity.

I finally met another Canadian!!!

Here! Of all places to meet!

She presented me with her business card! It was distinctly Canadian (may have been the maple leaf, flag-like symbol and the red and white colours-coloUr spelled the Canadian way, I might add).

Did lightning strike? Were there sparks?

It's so obvious now: The vision of a woman sans make-up, wearing jeans and running shoes; drinking a cold beer, on that fateful hot autumn day at a ranch, in central Mexico. No fancy hair-dos and no fake nails. No maid trailing behind her child. She didn't kiss people but rather shook their hands in greeting.

It was not I, this time.

The influx of American and other foreign companies into the area, of late, has created a cultural dynamic that is changing the face of central Mexico. Signs and advertisements are frequently in English, whether planned and purposeful or necessary. English as a second language schools have sprung up on every street corner. Business is booming. People, in society, dress and act differently, even when the change is measured.

And so, as a self-proclaimed ambassador to my country, and my people, it so happens that protecting and promoting our culture abroad has deepened a personal awareness of how we look and behave, as well as how we are perceived.

It can be an enjoyable pastime to hypothesize where other ex-patriots come from, based on observational skills.

This lady was Canadian: I could see it in her eyes.

Inevitably, the birds flock and swoon; yet, those first conversations tend to be tainted with comments of 'do you like it here' or worse 'how did you meet your husband' when in the end all we really want to ask is 'could you be a friend to me?' Could you be the one with whom I could truly tell a joke, give knowing glances and be comprehended; hang out and let our children play together, understand without the need for explanations. Be Canadian abroad?

It happens there too. Look closely at our large commercial centers and urban communities where folks gather into familiar circles in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and the whole of the Maritime Provinces. People from similar backgrounds cluster into city blocks and create microenvironments; mini-cities or barrios. They negotiate with those similar. They herd their sheep on the same pasture or so to speak.

Roots. Familiarity. Understanding. Culture.

We can't deny that the trend exists (maybe its built into our genetic code) and when it happens to you, you'll comprehend the necessity just a little bit more.

It's so nice to meet someone from home!

© Geraldine Mac Donald-Moran


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