Post #2: On Canada
As the sole Canadian that most of my friends in Addis know, I have been asked to define Canadian values on several occasions. This has been a more difficult task than I expected. Some basic ideas come to mind: kindness, braving the elements, support of one another, diversity. Some images also come to mind: ice hockey, Tim Hortons, mountains and lakes, a Canada flag patch on a backpack.
These are not clear definitions of culture or values to others, but they painted a very clear picture to me.
In an effort to give a better answer I turned to the internet for support, and found an interesting answer from none other than the CBC. For the reference of any non-Canadians reading this, the CBC is a state-owned media broadcasting organization, which is a much more harmless statement in Canada than in many other countries. In 1972, the CBC’s Peter Gzowski asked Canadians to come up with our equivalent of “as American as apple pie”. “As Canadian as…blank”.
The winning submission fascinated me: “As Canadian as possible, under the circumstances”.
To me, this perfectly captured what it means to be Canadian even if it is inexplicable. Being Canadian means…being as Canadian as one can be. It seems like a cop out answer that can be used for any country, but it reflects the diversity of Canadians as well as the circumstances we find ourselves in. Despite having a small population (fun fact: Canada’s population is roughly a third of Ethiopia’s), there truthfully is no easy way to define what “Canadianism” exactly is. Being as Canadian as possible will be different in urban versus rural areas, in English versus French cultures, as a first-generation immigrant versus as a fourth-generation immigrant, and at home versus abroad, but many Canadians can still form a picture in their mind of what that would entail.
Being “as Canadian as possible” takes an interesting turn when part of the circumstances are that you are the only, or one of few, Canadians around. The perfect example of this is Chris Hadfield, the first Canadian to walk in space and command the International Space Station.
For those that have not followed his adventures in space, some of Hadfield’s famous accomplishments, other than the big two previously listed, include filming a music video in space (to David Bowie’s Space Oddity, naturally), filming educational videos about both exciting and mundane tasks in space, and broadly focusing on teaching the public about space as much as possible as opposed to solely completing his designated tasks.
And he wore a Toronto Maple Leafs shirt while rocketing back to Earth during a pivotal do-or-die playoff game against the Boston Bruins in May of 2013. As Leafs fans know too well, the team blew a large lead late in the game and lost in heartbreaking fashion. “It turns out,” Hadfield would remark in his autobiography An Astronauts Guide to Life on Earth, “both of us went down in flames on the same day”.
Given his circumstances, Hadfield was optimistic, supportive of others, open to sharing, and of course, die-hard in his passion for hockey. If that doesn’t scream “Canadian”, I don’t know what does!
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Personally, I never feel more Canadian than when I am abroad. Maybe it’s because there is more attention drawn to my national identity or maybe it’s because I need to correct every new person I meet that assumes I’m American; either way, my Canadian pride ironically never shines brighter than when I am outside of Canada.
I have always found it good to be a Canadian abroad. People like Canadians and are typically pleased to be informed that we are not Americans. In this global political landscape, however, people really like Canadians. The international, young community loves Justin Trudeau and has several examples of, let’s say, subpar leadership in other democracies. Despite what Canadians think of Trudeau, whether good or bad, he has certainly given Canadians a good brand abroad. Our brand is also bolstered by an openness to diversity, a stronger commitment to the environment than many other countries, and generally progressive social values. So being Canadian prescribes a certain stereotype onto me.
Being primed with a certain stereotype can influence one’s behaviour. In a 1996 Stanford study, psychologist Claude Steele ran a series of experiments comparing test scores of a control group with test scores of a group that has been informed of how their gender or race would stereotypically perform on that test. For example, a group of white male students were told that Asian students performed more strongly on a difficult mathematics test and subsequently performed worse than a control group of white males that were not given this information.
Inverting this “stereotype vulnerability” implies that being consistently reminded of my Canadian identity would implicitly make the way I work, act, and think more “Canadian”. Personally, I have noticed increased levels of tolerance and openness in my approach to work. I have become far more patient and understanding. Overall I have more optimism about the future despite being in a country that is far less developed. While some of these qualities are a product of my new surroundings, I also attribute them to my old surroundings. Being consistently reminded that I am Canadian and that that holds significant, unique meaning creates a sense of responsibility and a sense of self. When living in Canada, being Canadian is not unique so we are not constantly reminded of it. Living with no other Canadians forces Canadian-ness upon me, which I certainly cannot complain about.
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In Addis, I am basically a walking advertisement for Canada, as my friends here can probably attest to. Their mental image of Canada and Toronto must be some magical place where everyone is accepted, you can find any type of food or entertainment you desire, and there are good career opportunities in any field.
And what are the drawbacks to living in Canada? Well, being outside for half the year is only fun if you can ski. . .and that’s mostly what comes to mind. Things aren’t perfect in Canada, but part of being Canadian abroad is realizing that the Toronto housing market, Kevin O’Leary’s brief Conservative leadership bid, the country’s over 20-year Stanley Cup drought, and other more serious imperfections are outweighed by a lot that Canadians are privileged with.
A few friends in Addis have talked to me briefly about moving or studying in Canada. There are legal requirements for becoming a Canadian citizen, but becoming “Canadian” is a much less tangible concept.
Obviously landing in a new country without sharing the culture is always very challenging, as I continue to learn firsthand, but becoming a bit Canadian should be easier than taking on other cultures or nationalities.
I don’t think these friends should worry about coming from a different culture or holding certain religious beliefs, as that diversity is a big part of what makes Canada unique and strong. They can hold and practice their culture as long as they are willing to share it.
They also shouldn’t worry about changing their diet because you can find a little bit of anything in Canada. They can eat their own ethnic food as long as they are willing to at least try poutine.
And they shouldn’t feel forced to adopt local entertainment, as long as they give Hockey Night in Canada a shot. After all, you can watch it in English, French, or Punjabi!
For people coming to Canada, I ask that you consider becoming as “Canadian” as possible. But I would never want you to do so if it means neglecting your own circumstances.
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At the end of each post, I will pivot to a separate topic to address something else on my mind, based on some piece of media I am consuming.
Fortunately something I have not had to miss in Ethiopia is Netflix, even if I have to download shows from the office and watch offline. Fortunately this allowed me to watch the latest season of my favourite new show of 2015, Master of None, in roughly the same amount of time I could have in Canada.
Please be wary that the following contains some minor spoilers from the show.
Master of None’s main character, Dev (Aziz Ansari), is faced with career and relationship decisions almost constantly that have the power to change the direction of his life. At the end of the first season, Dev takes a major leap outside of his comfort zone and, in season two finds himself somewhat quickly back where he started.
He faces many similar career decisions and relationship questions from before his life-changing season one choice: he still navigates complications in his relationship with his parents, struggles with finding fulfillment at work, and worries about long-term life commitments. And he maintains similar friends, none of whom can fully appreciate the journey he has taken since the end of season one. In fact, only one of them ever really talks to Dev about his experience.
I was asked recently whether I was worried about coming home. For the record, I am not, but I fully appreciate the question. A very small number of people will understand what my experience has been like and, after my initial catch-up with most people, we probably won’t discuss it much. I will have a year’s worth of experiences in Addis and none of the people who I spent most of that time with will be around to rehash it.
This doesn’t mean the year is wasted. Dev’s life was certainly changed by his experience: his priorities changed and some of his experiences followed him throughout season two. That said, much of his life returned to its old “normal”.
I will always carry with me what I learn, see, and experience here, even if it doesn’t follow me home. It should not worry or scare me to leave things and people behind that friends and family at home will never know because life just keeps moving forward.
