When I first came to Canada, my English wasn’t good at all. I hated talking to people, especially strangers. I’d go to the stores and try to keep the conversation to a minimum.

I soon realized I just couldn’t do that. No matter how hurried I tried to look, or how clueless I may have seemed, people would always talk to me. Canadians love small talk.

I think prospective immigrants should be given the whole picture and I don’t believe wearing pink-colored glasses really helps on the long run.

This is not about bashing Canada or North America, or saying that other countries on earth are by comparison much better. This is about giving some other facts, for once a bit on the “minus” side.

A while ago, I was invited by The Writer to talk about Canadian food I like…or hate.
This was actually hard. Canada is such a multicultural country, we all tend to eat ethnic food. I could list Chinese, Indian, Vietnamese dishes I loved or hate, but Canadian? I needed to think. Overall, the food here is quite straightforward. No insects, no blood sausage, nothing too weird. Yet, I have my pet peeves!

National Aboriginal Day is a day for all Canadians to celebrate the cultures and contributions to Canada of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples

I have never been lucky with bureaucracy in France. But moving to Canada had turned my luck around… until I decided to take some classes at university.