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Mourad Regragui: From Morocco To Ottawa

Welcome to my new series, Ten Immigrants, Ten Interviews.

You guys all know my story by now, and you have a pretty good idea of what my life in Canada looks like. I thought it was time to let other immigrants and new Canadians speak. I contacted ten of them, who each have their own story, their own reasons to come to Canada, their own point of view on how life is up North in the igloos. They all answered ten questions, bringing a new perspective on immigration.

A new post will be published every Saturday.

Mourad At Winterlude

Let me introduce you to Mourad, from Oujda, Morocco. Mourad applied for permanent residence through the Québec skilled worker program and was granted his visa in the summer of 2009. He is a patient guy… The immigration process took an astonishing four years and a half!

Nonetheless, Mourad is happy to be here. He lives in Gatineau, QC, minutes from Ottawa where he works as a French language instructor.

The story of how Mourad and I met is funny. Last year, when we were traveling in Brazil, he found my blog and sent me an email regarding info about Ottawa. I did my best to answer his questions and wished him luck. Last September, I showed up at the language school at was then working for. A “new guy” looked at me and asked: “are you Zhu, by any chance?” He knew I was living in Ottawa, and he recognized me from the few pictures I have of myself on this blog. The world is a small place…!

What brought you to Canada?

I guess I chose Canada because it’s a beautiful (and huge!) country. Besides, I like the fact a substantial part of the population speaks French. Canada is also a multicultural country (and it welcomes immigrants). Finally, I like the fact it is so close to the U.S.A.

Did you find the immigration process difficult?

To me, the immigration process was a grueling experience. It was long and expensive. It took me over 29 months to get my CSQ (Québec selection certificate) and it took another two years for my application to be approved by the federal government. If you decide to start the immigration process, it takes time and tenacity.

How long did it take you to find a job that you liked in Canada?

I landed on August 14th, 2009. I didn’t start to look for a job right away: instead, I toured the National Capital Region, around Ottawa, for three weeks. My ex-girlfriend’s friends invited me to stay at their place for the first couple of weeks. Then, I had to look for my own place to live. It only took me five days.

At the end of the third week, I started to look for a position as a French instructor in one of Ottawa’s many language schools. I listed all of them, along with their addresses and phone numbers. Meanwhile, I filled in a job application at my local supermarket, just in case I wouldn’t find a teacher position right away.

But barely two days after I sent out resumes and cover letters, I was asked for an interview in a language school. I was hired on the spot. I have been working there for five months now. I like it even though I may not stay.

Where did you learn French/ English? What was your second language level when you first came to Canada?

I learned French at school in Morocco. It then became my major and I studied French language and literature at university. I also taught French in high school for a long time.

English isn’t my strength (Note from Zhu: I translated this interview from French). I try to practice this language as much as I can, but I think I should take classes in order to truly progress. I do try to speak English with my friends but we almost always switch back to French!

What was your biggest culture shock?

I don’t think I experienced a big culture shock. I mean, Morocco is very different from Canada, on many levels. But I didn’t really feel the culture shock everybody talked about.

I did live in France for a while and to me both countries are fairly similar.

I think I’m still at the honeymoon stage. I don’t spend my time comparing Morocco and Canada because there are way too many cultural and practical differences. I try to understand these differences. I also try to adopt a new way of life – it’s a lot of fun.

What haven’t you gotten used to yet in Canada?

I’d love to know how skate like a true Canadian! Obviously, winter sports are very new to me and I’m still not used to all these hockey, ski, and snow rackets things.

Did immigrating to Canada match your expectations?

I think I mostly wanted to immigrate to see if I could be up to the challenge, but also to discover the world. It is a chance to get to know me a lot more… to see what I’m capable of. So far, so good. I’m discovering a lot of new things and I’m living in a new culture, I see new scenery, I meet a lot of new friends… like you, Zhu!

But it is also true that immigrating is also a way of running away… That said I have expectation for myself, no matter where I am in this world.

Do you find life expensive in Canada compared to your home country?

Yes, Canada is super expensive compared to Morocco. Food (especially meat and fish, which I love) are way more expensive.

Will you apply for Canadian citizenship?

Of course! Once I meet the requirements I will definitely apply for Canadian citizenship. I can’t wait. I think it’s going to be a milestone in my life.

What advice would you give to someone interested in immigrating to Canada?

My best advice? Think twice about your immigration project before you start the process. You need to be strong, confident and able to pull yourself together during uncertain times. You must also be strong-willed in order to succeed.

And last but not least… the immigration process takes a lot of time – use this time wisely and starts to learn to speak both French and English.

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Zhu

French woman in English Canada.

Exploring the world with my camera since 1999, translating sentences for a living, writing stories that may or may not get attention.

Firm believer that nobody is normal... and it’s better this way.

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