Saturday, August 22, 2009
Tourist with some work to do....
Globalisation and its various forms are continuing to bring people closer and closer together. We - people living in the west specifically, have loads of opporunity to go out into the world and explore different countries and cultures. Although we as interns have come to our host countries to work and apply our skills and knowledge to the working environment, I believe that we are still tourists. I can speak firmly for myself - I am a woking tourist. When a person arrives to a country where they have never been to, they automatically want to see the all of those exciting cultural landmarks that have been printed in magazines such as GEO and National Geographic. I'll be honest, I was a little upset when I was not able to go and see the Red Square in Moscow in the first week after my arrival. When I finally got to it, I saw bundles and bundles of tourists. It almost seemed that there were no locals around me. I noticed that there are a lot of Japanese, Italian and French tourists in the center of the city. After that, everyday after work I went to do more sightseeing...Tretyakov Gallery, Kremlin, Armours Chamber, Almaz Fond, WW2 Victory Park, Tsaritsino Park, Doctors Garden, VDNH (to look at Soviet Architecure), and varuous orthodox cathedrals and churches that are just gorgeous! As a tourist I was able to see the country and the culture in its "physical form", people who travel as tourists are only able to see just that for the most part. A key factor that makes us, interns, stand out from the "average" tourist (apart from our dress, i hope) is that we were able to see the country and the culture from within. This is why working abroad opportunities are so important. Throughout our placements, we were able to communite and work with people from the culture which we are exploring. Hopefully every one of us was was able to find out certain attributes that apply to their host countries' culture. Personally I found that overall Russian people are very warm, welcoming, and helpfull - once you get to know them. They are also unpatient, demanding, and its abolutely fine if they raise their voice and are sarcastic - that is the way the communicate - and if you communicate the same way in return it would not be considered rude. I believe that as interns, we were able to experience the "physical" attributes of the nation as well as get "inside" the nation and obtain real knowledge of the culture and the people.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Assignment #3
To change or not to change...
When I first came to Russia I thought that I know so much about the country and the people - due to the fact that my culture and upbringing is very similar - but this is not so. To be honest I did not think that I would personally change so much.
A part of my culture is kissing people close to you, like friends and family, when saying greetings or saying goodbye. Here, this also takes place. Bartering does not work at shops, but when at market places, I definitely do my best (Unfortunately I am not very good - I can manage to get about a 10-15% discount).
Oh...funny story - I was looking to buy a Manchester United, Ronaldo T-shirt for my cousin in Lithuania and I seen a teenage boy wearing it, so I asked: Where did you buy your T-shirt? He answered: In Azerbaijan. That was a loss of hope for me, so I left his stand. About 5 minutes later, a man approached me and said: Go and ask him for the T-shirt, he will sell it to you! I found that a little weird - that a person is willing to sell the T-shirt off his back to me!!!
Anyways back to the changes.... Now during rush hour, I stand very close to the "yellow line" when I wait for the subway, and once the train arrives I push through other people to get inside. You have to do that here, you have to be assertive so that people dont push you around - otherwise you will have to take the next train.
When I walk into a store, before standing in the line, I wait and decide exactly what I want, then I tell the cashier clearly what I want (because they tend to be inpatient when you are indecisive and take a long time to order). Before I used to speak more softly and very polite- now I am am more assertive in the langauge that I use, I speak loud, clear and straight to the point so that there will be no misunderstanding. I think this a very good quality that I have obtained.
In the beggining, I used to come to work looking very professional, but the environment here at Oxfam is very relaxed and not soo overly sophisticated, so I began wearing nice jeans and t-shirts (The look that I am used to and feel most comfortable in).
Digging deeper...
Effective communication is so important in life. In the beginning at work, I was not getting much feedback so I decided to ask for feedback instead of waiting for it. Sometimes, it was negative feedback and I learned to take it in and work with it. Other people around us see our negative side much more than we do ourselves, so feedback is a large part of the personal growth process. I learned to look at my actions and my work more critically, considering all possible outcomes and consequences of my actions at work and outside.
I learned to accept Russian people and the culture here. Before, sometimes people seemed rude, irritated, and cold at times. But I was able to look beyond that and I realized that sometimes this is just the way they are, this is their norm and I must accept that.
I am very attached to my family and my life in Canada. A lot of people do not realize what they have until they do not have it anymore. My experience here made me think about how lucky I actually am to have what I have and all of the possibilities that lie for me in my future.
Future sucess lies in the ability to learn, and change from your mistakes and from others. This is what I am working with, and will continue to work with in the future.
When I first came to Russia I thought that I know so much about the country and the people - due to the fact that my culture and upbringing is very similar - but this is not so. To be honest I did not think that I would personally change so much.
A part of my culture is kissing people close to you, like friends and family, when saying greetings or saying goodbye. Here, this also takes place. Bartering does not work at shops, but when at market places, I definitely do my best (Unfortunately I am not very good - I can manage to get about a 10-15% discount).
Oh...funny story - I was looking to buy a Manchester United, Ronaldo T-shirt for my cousin in Lithuania and I seen a teenage boy wearing it, so I asked: Where did you buy your T-shirt? He answered: In Azerbaijan. That was a loss of hope for me, so I left his stand. About 5 minutes later, a man approached me and said: Go and ask him for the T-shirt, he will sell it to you! I found that a little weird - that a person is willing to sell the T-shirt off his back to me!!!
Anyways back to the changes.... Now during rush hour, I stand very close to the "yellow line" when I wait for the subway, and once the train arrives I push through other people to get inside. You have to do that here, you have to be assertive so that people dont push you around - otherwise you will have to take the next train.
When I walk into a store, before standing in the line, I wait and decide exactly what I want, then I tell the cashier clearly what I want (because they tend to be inpatient when you are indecisive and take a long time to order). Before I used to speak more softly and very polite- now I am am more assertive in the langauge that I use, I speak loud, clear and straight to the point so that there will be no misunderstanding. I think this a very good quality that I have obtained.
In the beggining, I used to come to work looking very professional, but the environment here at Oxfam is very relaxed and not soo overly sophisticated, so I began wearing nice jeans and t-shirts (The look that I am used to and feel most comfortable in).
Digging deeper...
Effective communication is so important in life. In the beginning at work, I was not getting much feedback so I decided to ask for feedback instead of waiting for it. Sometimes, it was negative feedback and I learned to take it in and work with it. Other people around us see our negative side much more than we do ourselves, so feedback is a large part of the personal growth process. I learned to look at my actions and my work more critically, considering all possible outcomes and consequences of my actions at work and outside.
I learned to accept Russian people and the culture here. Before, sometimes people seemed rude, irritated, and cold at times. But I was able to look beyond that and I realized that sometimes this is just the way they are, this is their norm and I must accept that.
I am very attached to my family and my life in Canada. A lot of people do not realize what they have until they do not have it anymore. My experience here made me think about how lucky I actually am to have what I have and all of the possibilities that lie for me in my future.
Future sucess lies in the ability to learn, and change from your mistakes and from others. This is what I am working with, and will continue to work with in the future.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Seliger 2009
On July 19-20 my fellow co-workers and I have attended “Seliger 2009” which is a Russian national youth festival and camp. The theme of the festival for that week was “technology of good” which can be interpreted as “doing good deeds for people and the society as a whole”. Russian youth presented various social projects that they are currently implementing in their home towns and regions as well as their ideas for future activities. The social projects that were presented were based on many issues such as - the struggles of the disabled, elderly, those living with HIV/AIDS, and environment and climate change. Their projects also promoted healthy citizenship and the development of a strong civil society in those spheres.
One of the most important issues in the world today is one of climate change and the environment. There has been much contemplation that Russian youth do not care about environment and climate change. In reality this is not so. On July 19, over 500 Seliger participants came to see Pushpanath Krishnamurthy – the global campaigner of Oxfam’s Climate Change campaign, speak about climate change. This number shows that indeed, Russian youth are interested in climate change and environmental problems, and that they want to do something about it. The energy and passion which filled the room was incredible! You could see their concern and urge to learn more, especially when they were presented examples of climate change consequences in regions of their own country. Many people in Russia do not realize that there are changes happening in Russia, they believe it happens somewhere else in the world – a remote place which they have no concern for. Pushpanath Krishnamurthy explained to them that it is happening “here and now” and that it is their duty to be the “pilots” of the planet for the future. It was an interactive conversation almost, where young people were able to ask a global campaigner, a person who had seen climate change consequences with his own eyes, questions and get some answers to help them understand the severity of this issue on a much more advanced social level. Pushpanath became the “local celebrity” for the two days – he listened, motivated, and showed much support towards Russian youth. Young people were constantly coming up to him for advice and consultations on their projects, ideas and barriers that stand in the way of their implementation.
Overall, such dialogue was not only important for Russian youth but for the Climate Change program coordinators as well. In fact, they were able to find out more about what Russian people actually know about the issue, and how they could coordinate future climate change programmes in a more effective manner that would be the most beneficial and informative for the general public.
It is truly amazing that through festivals such as Seliger, young Russian people may thrive and learn more about the key issues that are happening in society and become more motivated to participate and change the world for the better.
One of the most important issues in the world today is one of climate change and the environment. There has been much contemplation that Russian youth do not care about environment and climate change. In reality this is not so. On July 19, over 500 Seliger participants came to see Pushpanath Krishnamurthy – the global campaigner of Oxfam’s Climate Change campaign, speak about climate change. This number shows that indeed, Russian youth are interested in climate change and environmental problems, and that they want to do something about it. The energy and passion which filled the room was incredible! You could see their concern and urge to learn more, especially when they were presented examples of climate change consequences in regions of their own country. Many people in Russia do not realize that there are changes happening in Russia, they believe it happens somewhere else in the world – a remote place which they have no concern for. Pushpanath Krishnamurthy explained to them that it is happening “here and now” and that it is their duty to be the “pilots” of the planet for the future. It was an interactive conversation almost, where young people were able to ask a global campaigner, a person who had seen climate change consequences with his own eyes, questions and get some answers to help them understand the severity of this issue on a much more advanced social level. Pushpanath became the “local celebrity” for the two days – he listened, motivated, and showed much support towards Russian youth. Young people were constantly coming up to him for advice and consultations on their projects, ideas and barriers that stand in the way of their implementation.
Overall, such dialogue was not only important for Russian youth but for the Climate Change program coordinators as well. In fact, they were able to find out more about what Russian people actually know about the issue, and how they could coordinate future climate change programmes in a more effective manner that would be the most beneficial and informative for the general public.
It is truly amazing that through festivals such as Seliger, young Russian people may thrive and learn more about the key issues that are happening in society and become more motivated to participate and change the world for the better.
There is a really big problem with rats in the city of Moscow. Here is one trying to eat some left over marinade!
Me, Pushpanath Khrishnamurthy (Oxfam GB Global Climate Change Campaigner) and Eugene from Ecowiki (Oxfam GB partners.
Here is me translating for Pushpanath Khrishnamurthy during a press conference at the WWF Russia office.
Me helping some Seliger 2009 participants brainstorn ideas for their climate change short video clip.
Me and my co-worker, Andrey, at the Seliger 2009 Festival.
Pushpanath Khrisnamurthy speaking about Climate Change during Seliger 2009.
Entrance to the exciting Seliger 2009 festival. It was highly secured and posters with quotes from Mr. Putin and Mr. Medvedev were everywhere!
Meeting with Pushpanath Khrisnamurthy - he is such an inspiring speaker!
Me inside the Kremlin at one of the cathedrals, it is enormous and so beautifull inside!
Entrance to the Kremlin.
One of the beautiful churches located inside the Kremlin.
At the office.
One of my amazing co-workers, Jemma, she is one crazy accountant with that paper clip in her hair!
Park Pobedy - dedicated to the WWII veterans. St. George monument.
St. Petersburg - St. Issaac's Cathedral.
Moscow - Aleksandrovsky Park. Monument to the WWII veterans, with eternal fire burning.
Peterhof, St. Petersburg. So many gold plated statues!
Oxfams Health Day!
Peterhof, St. Petersburg.Sunday, June 28, 2009
Assignment #2
I came to Moscow having so many expectations about my intern placement and about the city in general. I thought that the placement will automatically be a great hit for me from the start and that the people would all be so kind, I did not think I would be facing much challanges since the I was going to a country that was close to my 'origin' of culture in a way - I was wrong.
I am working at Oxfam GB office in Moscow. It is truly an amazing workplace, the people that I work with are extremely nice and interesting - interesting because they have truly seen the world while working on various projects with Oxfam and with other NGOs. My work entails a lot of translation, english-russian and vice versa. Considering the fact that my Russian is at about a gr.7(?) level - it has been extremely challaging for me to translate form english to russian specifically. Furthermore, although I am completely fluent, the Russian that I use on a daily basis is basic and I use it on a strictly personal level when I communicate. Here, my translations must be done in a professional manner - professional russian is quite different, very complicated for me at the moment, and it is a certain level that I am definitely not used to. I explained that to my supervisor, but there are a lot of expectations of me and I am doing my best not to diasspoint, but this aspect of my job is one of the biggest challanges for me!!! I know already that this experience will definitely enhance my professional russian skills but at the moment, it is definitely putting a lot of pressure on me.
This internship is teaching me to handle and work with a different kind of employee/boss relationship in a professional environment. My previous work experience has been in restourants/bars which are not very professional environemnts. Thus, I am extremely happy to be learning this type of communication skill because I know that in my future it will definitely be a crucial asset.
So far, Oxfam GB participated in 2 conferences in the past month. One was on Health Care in Russia, in which other members of the GCAP movement also participated. I attended the conference and found out many of the problems that exist within the Russian health care system, as well as the positive impact that NGO's (working within the health sector) have on helping citizens obtain their rights concerning medical assistance. The second conefernce that I attended just recently, was in the Higher School of Economics (A State University) where I have met some very interesting people. One of the individuals that I met was John Kirton who is the director og the G8/G20 Research group at the Munk Center of International Studies (U of T). I was able to have some interesting conversations and make very strong contacts with professionals in my field of study which is absolutely amazing.
Furthermore, I have been quite proactive in visiting a number of sites in the city such as the Tretyakovka Museum, the Kremlin, Church of the Lord our Saviour, and Gorky Park. I also had a chance to go to a theatre play and a a National Russian Dance Show. I am extremely excited for this weekend because I planned a trip to go to St. Petersburg. Everyone, even here in Moscow, has told me to go there because it is a tuly beautiful place. Hopefully I will be able to see much of the citys attractions in so little time.
PEOPLE IN MOSCOW
Moscow is a very multicultural city, in a way it reminds me of Toronto. People from all over come to this city to find work. One of the big differences between Moscow and Toronto is that multiculturalism is not very much welcomed here. By multiculturalism I mean people of differenent races - not necesserily cultures. There are a lot of illegal persons here coming from places such as Tajikistan to work as cleaners/drivers/movers. A lot of Moscolites (people born and raised in Moscow) are appaled by the vast migrants who come to find a 'prosperous' life here in Moscow. I have talked to various people about this topic and I found out that there deinitely exists much hostility towards individuals of different races coming to work here.
I have also noticed that it is a "seller market" here in the stores - not a buyers market. The customer service that exists here is definitely not like in Canada. Ex. I went into a store to buy shoes and I asked an employee to bring me a size 7.5 and an 8. She brough me only one pair - a 7.5. I asked: Is there not size 8? She responded: Whats the difference, it is the same thing! The tone of her voice showed her annoyment with me for asking such as question. Thus, the impression that I get here is that, a seller does a customer a favor for selling them a certain product. In Canda, this would never fly because businesses in Canada are all about customer satisfaction. Here in the stores it is totally different. But....when you are in a large market place, the tables turn.
Yesterday I went to the "Chirkizovo" market place. It is one of the biggest market places in Russia where vendors from Georgia, China, Moldova, Tajikistan, Armenia... are trying to sell their products. Once I got into this market place it reminded me of a chicken farm that I went to when I was in the US once. Everyone at this market place is crazy! There is millions and millions of products to choose from and everyone is begging you to come in their "part" of the market to look and buy something - anything. It seems that every vendor is fighting for your money and for your business. At this marketplace you can find anything - toys, furniture, blankets, bags, fake name brand clothing, any kind of tools etc.... The most important thing is to bargain with the vendor about the price - unforuntaley I am horrible at bargaining, but my roomate was able to get me some pretty cool deals, so after 5 hours in the "chicken farm" I was happy with my purchases :)
Oh, about my living! I found a roomate on the internet through a russian website. I was really scared about the fact that I must use the internet to find a person/place to live with/in because you know what they say about the internet! (Its a scary place). Unfortuntaely the internet was my only choice, because I did not know of anyone who could have offerened me a place to live for only 2 months. Luckily I found a very nice girl in a 2 bedroom apartment that is about a 10 minute walk from the subway. Althought the apartment building was only built 8 years ago it look extremely old. But, there is a bed and internet access - that is all I need. My roomate is very cool, outgoing and active. Right behind our building we have a huge park and we go jogging almost every evening together.
Anyways, that is it for now. I apologize for the informail language and structure in my blog. There is just so many experinces and so many thoughts running throuh my mind when I start writing!
PS: Food here is good, and the prices are almost the same as in Canada. I am cooking at home a lot to same some money. But today I ate McDonalds here, and for some reason it seemed a little better than the McDonalds in Canada.
I am working at Oxfam GB office in Moscow. It is truly an amazing workplace, the people that I work with are extremely nice and interesting - interesting because they have truly seen the world while working on various projects with Oxfam and with other NGOs. My work entails a lot of translation, english-russian and vice versa. Considering the fact that my Russian is at about a gr.7(?) level - it has been extremely challaging for me to translate form english to russian specifically. Furthermore, although I am completely fluent, the Russian that I use on a daily basis is basic and I use it on a strictly personal level when I communicate. Here, my translations must be done in a professional manner - professional russian is quite different, very complicated for me at the moment, and it is a certain level that I am definitely not used to. I explained that to my supervisor, but there are a lot of expectations of me and I am doing my best not to diasspoint, but this aspect of my job is one of the biggest challanges for me!!! I know already that this experience will definitely enhance my professional russian skills but at the moment, it is definitely putting a lot of pressure on me.
This internship is teaching me to handle and work with a different kind of employee/boss relationship in a professional environment. My previous work experience has been in restourants/bars which are not very professional environemnts. Thus, I am extremely happy to be learning this type of communication skill because I know that in my future it will definitely be a crucial asset.
So far, Oxfam GB participated in 2 conferences in the past month. One was on Health Care in Russia, in which other members of the GCAP movement also participated. I attended the conference and found out many of the problems that exist within the Russian health care system, as well as the positive impact that NGO's (working within the health sector) have on helping citizens obtain their rights concerning medical assistance. The second conefernce that I attended just recently, was in the Higher School of Economics (A State University) where I have met some very interesting people. One of the individuals that I met was John Kirton who is the director og the G8/G20 Research group at the Munk Center of International Studies (U of T). I was able to have some interesting conversations and make very strong contacts with professionals in my field of study which is absolutely amazing.
Furthermore, I have been quite proactive in visiting a number of sites in the city such as the Tretyakovka Museum, the Kremlin, Church of the Lord our Saviour, and Gorky Park. I also had a chance to go to a theatre play and a a National Russian Dance Show. I am extremely excited for this weekend because I planned a trip to go to St. Petersburg. Everyone, even here in Moscow, has told me to go there because it is a tuly beautiful place. Hopefully I will be able to see much of the citys attractions in so little time.
PEOPLE IN MOSCOW
Moscow is a very multicultural city, in a way it reminds me of Toronto. People from all over come to this city to find work. One of the big differences between Moscow and Toronto is that multiculturalism is not very much welcomed here. By multiculturalism I mean people of differenent races - not necesserily cultures. There are a lot of illegal persons here coming from places such as Tajikistan to work as cleaners/drivers/movers. A lot of Moscolites (people born and raised in Moscow) are appaled by the vast migrants who come to find a 'prosperous' life here in Moscow. I have talked to various people about this topic and I found out that there deinitely exists much hostility towards individuals of different races coming to work here.
I have also noticed that it is a "seller market" here in the stores - not a buyers market. The customer service that exists here is definitely not like in Canada. Ex. I went into a store to buy shoes and I asked an employee to bring me a size 7.5 and an 8. She brough me only one pair - a 7.5. I asked: Is there not size 8? She responded: Whats the difference, it is the same thing! The tone of her voice showed her annoyment with me for asking such as question. Thus, the impression that I get here is that, a seller does a customer a favor for selling them a certain product. In Canda, this would never fly because businesses in Canada are all about customer satisfaction. Here in the stores it is totally different. But....when you are in a large market place, the tables turn.
Yesterday I went to the "Chirkizovo" market place. It is one of the biggest market places in Russia where vendors from Georgia, China, Moldova, Tajikistan, Armenia... are trying to sell their products. Once I got into this market place it reminded me of a chicken farm that I went to when I was in the US once. Everyone at this market place is crazy! There is millions and millions of products to choose from and everyone is begging you to come in their "part" of the market to look and buy something - anything. It seems that every vendor is fighting for your money and for your business. At this marketplace you can find anything - toys, furniture, blankets, bags, fake name brand clothing, any kind of tools etc.... The most important thing is to bargain with the vendor about the price - unforuntaley I am horrible at bargaining, but my roomate was able to get me some pretty cool deals, so after 5 hours in the "chicken farm" I was happy with my purchases :)
Oh, about my living! I found a roomate on the internet through a russian website. I was really scared about the fact that I must use the internet to find a person/place to live with/in because you know what they say about the internet! (Its a scary place). Unfortuntaely the internet was my only choice, because I did not know of anyone who could have offerened me a place to live for only 2 months. Luckily I found a very nice girl in a 2 bedroom apartment that is about a 10 minute walk from the subway. Althought the apartment building was only built 8 years ago it look extremely old. But, there is a bed and internet access - that is all I need. My roomate is very cool, outgoing and active. Right behind our building we have a huge park and we go jogging almost every evening together.
Anyways, that is it for now. I apologize for the informail language and structure in my blog. There is just so many experinces and so many thoughts running throuh my mind when I start writing!
PS: Food here is good, and the prices are almost the same as in Canada. I am cooking at home a lot to same some money. But today I ate McDonalds here, and for some reason it seemed a little better than the McDonalds in Canada.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Assignment #1 - Culture
I have been procrastinating this assignment for some time and now that the second assignment is up I need to catch up! The reason for my procrastination is that it is really hard for me to define my culture and I am very confused as to which culure I belong to. I belive I belong to a mixture of culture. Lets start from the roots:
I was born into a very multicultural family. By blood, my mother is 1/2 tatar (a minority nation that lives within the borders of Russia), 1/4 Lithuanian and 1/4 Polish. My father, by blood, is 1/4 Ukranian, 1/4 Russian, 1/4 Latvian and 1/4 Polish. Basically, my blood line mostly consists of Eastern European blood, thus, by blood I can be considered as Eastern European or Slavic.
Now, I was born in Lithuania and lived there for the first year of my life. After, my family moved to Latvia where we lived until I was 10 years old. The language spoken in my family, and my first language was and is Russian - this is understandable since everyone in my family is mixed, and the only language that unites everyone is Russian (This is also explained by the fact that mostl of the nations that I mentioned above were a part of the Soviet Union). Consequently my traditions were also mixed, but were very much dominated by the Russian traditions. Unfortuntaely though, I was not able to fully feel that I am Russian - afterall, I have never been to Russia in my life (until now!) and by blood I am only 1/8th Russian.
There were many ways in which Latvian culture impacted my family as well - we ate national Latvian food, celebrated some traditional holidays like LIGA (If I remember the name correctly) and I had to learninn the latvian language in school. Thus my family belonged to the minority group known as the "Baltic Russians". Hence, my culture from the beginning of my life is, well, "Baltic Russian" I guess.
When I was 10 my family moved to Canada. I disliked it in the beginning, but now as I grow up I truly realize how much I love Canada and how much impact Canadian culture had on my previous one. Here in Canada I have acquired many Canadian values (which also exist in some other cultures as well). I am a tolerant, respectfull, polite, wine drinking, beer drinking, potato loving, parade going, other language learning, soccer loving (watch only), art loving, various ethnic food eating, greek/french/arabic/italian music loving, cultural festival going, travel loving, person. I have noticed very much that Canadians are extremely polite and tolerant. Everyone says thank you and please all the time! If you do not say that it is considered rude. People smile at you on the subway and everyone is respectfull when it comes to staying in line at a grocery store. Canadians are tolerant to other cultures, races and ethnicities. A lot of people in eastern europe are not so tolerant and respectfull and polite as Canadians are. I have acquired those Canadian ways and values. I have also maintained my roots that I was born into - my Baltic Russian roots. I continue to keep up my first language, I follow many of the Russian traditions, and I absolutely love Russian and Baltic food. I am also learning French, Canada's second official langauge, I feel that it is a big part of Canadian culture which is a part of my culture now. I am used to having a lot of space - in Canada there is a lot of space. I am used to being able to buy what I want (most of the time) because I am able to work - Canada gives many opportunities for those people who want to work, make money and support themselves. I appreciate Canadian opportunities, values, cultural tolerance, Toronto's Multiculturalism and the fact that I am able to encounter and communicate with a person who immigrated to Canada from a land far far away. I would not have been able to do that if my fammily had never left Latvia. But I do not feel that i am 100% Canadian. I feel that I must add something else to it. Therefore I prefer to consider myself as a "Baltic Russian"- Canadian. Or maybe, this type of classification indeed is a part of Canadian culture itself, since virtually everyone who lives in Canada has roots that came from somewhere else.
I was born into a very multicultural family. By blood, my mother is 1/2 tatar (a minority nation that lives within the borders of Russia), 1/4 Lithuanian and 1/4 Polish. My father, by blood, is 1/4 Ukranian, 1/4 Russian, 1/4 Latvian and 1/4 Polish. Basically, my blood line mostly consists of Eastern European blood, thus, by blood I can be considered as Eastern European or Slavic.
Now, I was born in Lithuania and lived there for the first year of my life. After, my family moved to Latvia where we lived until I was 10 years old. The language spoken in my family, and my first language was and is Russian - this is understandable since everyone in my family is mixed, and the only language that unites everyone is Russian (This is also explained by the fact that mostl of the nations that I mentioned above were a part of the Soviet Union). Consequently my traditions were also mixed, but were very much dominated by the Russian traditions. Unfortuntaely though, I was not able to fully feel that I am Russian - afterall, I have never been to Russia in my life (until now!) and by blood I am only 1/8th Russian.
There were many ways in which Latvian culture impacted my family as well - we ate national Latvian food, celebrated some traditional holidays like LIGA (If I remember the name correctly) and I had to learninn the latvian language in school. Thus my family belonged to the minority group known as the "Baltic Russians". Hence, my culture from the beginning of my life is, well, "Baltic Russian" I guess.
When I was 10 my family moved to Canada. I disliked it in the beginning, but now as I grow up I truly realize how much I love Canada and how much impact Canadian culture had on my previous one. Here in Canada I have acquired many Canadian values (which also exist in some other cultures as well). I am a tolerant, respectfull, polite, wine drinking, beer drinking, potato loving, parade going, other language learning, soccer loving (watch only), art loving, various ethnic food eating, greek/french/arabic/italian music loving, cultural festival going, travel loving, person. I have noticed very much that Canadians are extremely polite and tolerant. Everyone says thank you and please all the time! If you do not say that it is considered rude. People smile at you on the subway and everyone is respectfull when it comes to staying in line at a grocery store. Canadians are tolerant to other cultures, races and ethnicities. A lot of people in eastern europe are not so tolerant and respectfull and polite as Canadians are. I have acquired those Canadian ways and values. I have also maintained my roots that I was born into - my Baltic Russian roots. I continue to keep up my first language, I follow many of the Russian traditions, and I absolutely love Russian and Baltic food. I am also learning French, Canada's second official langauge, I feel that it is a big part of Canadian culture which is a part of my culture now. I am used to having a lot of space - in Canada there is a lot of space. I am used to being able to buy what I want (most of the time) because I am able to work - Canada gives many opportunities for those people who want to work, make money and support themselves. I appreciate Canadian opportunities, values, cultural tolerance, Toronto's Multiculturalism and the fact that I am able to encounter and communicate with a person who immigrated to Canada from a land far far away. I would not have been able to do that if my fammily had never left Latvia. But I do not feel that i am 100% Canadian. I feel that I must add something else to it. Therefore I prefer to consider myself as a "Baltic Russian"- Canadian. Or maybe, this type of classification indeed is a part of Canadian culture itself, since virtually everyone who lives in Canada has roots that came from somewhere else.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
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