Dear Mary,
I am glad you agreed that my tough love approach is to the best interest of our
English learning friends. I’d rather be frank and upfront than to see them in huge shocks when they come to terms with harsh reality in any English speaking countries. In real life, not all native English speakers are as forgiving and tolerable as their ESL teachers. It’s not uncommon to see these people simply walk
away from newcomers in disdain, if your English is not as good as the local folks. We recently have a lot of new immigrants from Northern China in my city, and
I’ve seen them being treated with disrespect far too often. Life in the fast lane is always demanding and unforgiving, and I can understand why some people are
less patient and courteous than they should be with newcomers. Such minor and innocuous “social malaise” can be attributed not only to Caucasians, but Canadian born or raised Asians as well.
I am surprised you think my English is up there with Uncle Ben’s, but I myself
know better. Just look at how bewildered I am when it comes to the proper use of
single and plural forms? I am always at a complete loss, no matter how many books I’ve read! Although I came to Canada quite a few years younger compared to
Uncle Ben, I didn’t marry an English-speaking spouse, and that ought to make a
huge difference in language proficiency. But I can bet you ten dollars that as long as I continue to read, write and learn, in twenty five years when I reach Uncle Ben’s age, my English will be equal or at least a tad better than his now ;
-)
The population with non-white ethnic background in my city increases exponentially these few years. I wouldn’t be surprised if the stats show it to be one third. I wonder if the burgeoning demographics shift would have an effect on the overall local English accents?
It’s true that among the numerous cultural communities, there are a lot of people who are perfectly content with residing within their own sub-cultured group,
quietly clinging to their own living style and passively flow adrift in the river of life. They totally refuse to spend any effort learning the country’s official language, they never vote, and they have no intension of taking part in the
larger Canadian society. I’ve met people that have been in Canada for over forty years and still speak broken English. If they refuse to blend in, they’ll always remain the outsiders. And I can’t see how their quality of life can be enhanced if they have no sense of belonging.
My mom is going to Vancouver with a tour somewhere near the end of July. She’ll
have a chance to stay overnight at your city and meet with my cousins. I remember the first time I was at your city, that was back in 1980, we couldn’t even find a decent Chinese restaurant to dine, but now the population could easily quadruple? Since your city is the preferred retirement spot for all the golden age
people, the aging demographics will provide sufficient demand for your city to continue to expand. I sure wish I bought a piece of land in K town years back. Had I done that in my young and reckless years, I could be watching Bay Watch, or
drinking some German beer called Becks and shooting the breeze with Uncle Ben as
we speak.
Having visited France and a bit of Italy last year, I see clearly that Canada is
a much wealthier country than them. We are a behemoth in terms of landmass compared to them, and we have only a fraction of their population. We have more than
ten times the natural resources and our highway conditions are far more modernized and superior to theirs, not to mention our A+ quality of life. Better yet, my city has, and I assume the rest of Canada also has, a recycling system that is
second to none, and which I find surprising that the French don’t have. It made me feel uneasy seeing the French simply toss away all their empty beverage bottles, no wonder they’re poor in resources. We recycle milk boxes and jugs, cardboard paper, flyers, magazines and newspaper, or any waste paper from the households. We also recycle plastic and glasses containers, used toys and clothing, motor oil, paint, lumbers, electronic and computer parts and appliances. It’s these kinds of proactive actions taken by the municipal government that will help preserve our natural resources, eliminate waste and benefit many future generations.
However, as I look to the south, suddenly that euphoric feeling in my heart disappears. Year after year, we seem to lag behind the Americans in economic growth.
Our scientific and technological advancements sure seem second class compared to that macho country south of us, and we continue to lose more medical talent to
the south. We now have insufficient number of doctors to care for the people and there’s no sign that this will improve soon. Where is this leading to? My family has a lot of relatives in New York and California and they all sure have more economic clout than those of us living in Canada. Their living standards and earning power are indisputably higher than ours. I knew a girl who found a husband in Boston. She’s been pushing her husband to move back to Canada to live with
her own parents, but that man refused on the reason that the kids could be educated in MIT or Harvard University if they stay in Boston. U of C has no value in
his eyes. Unfortunately I have to agree with him on that note. What are your and Uncle Ben’s opinions on this? Are we too slacken off and not aggressive enough compared to our counterpart in the south? If the gap between US and Canada continue to widen, will we be kicked out of the race completely? May be what I’ve
been hearing is a one-sided story? May be the outlook is not as bleak as I thought? Then please tell me otherwise and reinstall my confidence.
Neil
