Before You Bring Parents to Canada

-


Immigrants want to leave their countries for new lands like Canada and U.S. but do not want to abandon the culture of the old country. What do they do? They fly parents to the new country to preserve religious and cultural norms that do not conform with norms of the adopted country.

That is why there are certain factors you must consider before flying your parents over to live permanently with you in Canada and U.S.  In most cases parents insist they want to visit, not because they miss sons. It’s because they come as inspectors to see if the old country is maintained in how sons live. The daughter-in-law is an after thought. Whether your parents are coming for a brief or permanent visit this is what they are going to find.

Grandchildren

They are not docile like grand kids in the old country, that run errands for parents and grandparents. They are also not forced to attend prayers at a certain time. It’s child abuse to make them switch off their phones, wear special clothes and do cultural things.

Daughters-in-law

They were subservient to in-laws in the old country. They hold the power in Canada and U.S. It’s not unusual to see grandparents mutely following daughters-in-law at the mall. In one instance, they woodenly stared at the daughter-in-law helping her kids sit on Santa’s lap. That was before the COVID-19.

Small spaces

Most immigrants start in apartment buildings because you must be a millionaire to rent or buy a house in the new country. Therefore, immigrants struggle to live on top of each other, with no open spaces where adults can say: Kids, go outside and play.

Conclusion: Parents who live with married kids in the new country will have a great time if they are willing to accept that they will not have the power they had in the old country and that grandchildren might not be interested in old languages, because they have news ones: internet languages.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Elections And Political Bullies

-
Image
Forget democracy.   It should be called political bullying. We are watching it in the prelude to the Canadian election on the 19 th of October, 2015.   Americans have also started their political bullying for the looming presidential election next year. So many trees wasted on books about democracy.   Some countries have big budgets for invading other countries ‘ to defend democracy’ but it is seldom practised in campaigning for elections.   Calling opponents names and printing flyers attacking each other is behaviour that will not be tolerated in kindergarten, but it is all legal, in campaigning.   It is irritating and such a let-down to the whole notion of democracy.   Grown-up men and women behaving like Grade One kids. It is also misleading because many voters believe it is real hatred.   Don’t let that fool you.   These politicians play golf together, attend the same dinner parties, eat and drink at the same social events, share jokes and cut deals in parliament.   They
Read more

Comfort Food As Regret Food

-
Image
Chicken curry. Comfort food is good for the soul, which usually bleeds in winter from icy roads, bad drivers that want to annihilate pedestrians, frozen fingers and toes that take a sabbatical.   What happened to my toes?   I thought I was wearing special socks for boots? We therefore have a right to comfort food which throws doctors’ orders out of the window and has no loyalty to calories.   No calculator on the table, thanks very much.   Piece of bread 5 calories, half a banana 10 calories, sugar-free cheesecake 2,000 calories.   Ah! Ah!  We only live once. Naw!   Comfort food is old school food with its compulsory second helping.   It involves licking fingers and giving a big sigh, about the good life, which is shelter, food, love and debt.   The problem is the zip.   The jeans remind you that comfort food can also be called you will regret food .   Home sweet home is even sweeter in winter after surviving blowing snow and bumper to bumper traffic. What is more welcoming th
Read more

No Air Miles

-
Image
I don’t have Air Miles.   I’m considering putting that on a T-Shirt because I cannot go to the drugstore (chemist) or coffee shop without the cashier asking me if I have air miles. We waited for about two minutes the other day, while this guy looked for his Air Miles card in his overweight wallet.   For what?   For a few points. I don’t have air miles because Mathematics is a foreign language.   I was never good in numbers. That is why I squashed the idea of being an investment banker very early in life.   I understand you can invest in cornfields before the soil is turned up or pork bellies even before a baby pig is born. That is how I view air miles, investing in tomorrow or the unknown.   I’m the dumb one.   Some people understand this air miles’ thing so well, I overheard one customer saying: I can even convert my points into cash. Points and air miles are the same thing in Canada and the U.S.   Drugstores or clothing stores even give you a card to collect point
Read more