Hi there!
Shall we greet with the traditional French cheek kiss or would you rather attempt one of those awkward North American hugs?
Think about it while I introduce myself properly.
I’m Juliette, aka “Zhu”—this is not random onomatopoeia but my Chinese name, 珠.
I was born in Nantes, France, in 1983—go ahead, do the math, I age more quickly than I update this page. At 16, I travelled solo to China to attend summer classes at a Beijing university and caught a bad case of wanderlust. I left France a few days after graduating high school and I arranged to complete my Chinese studies university degree while abroad. I worked in Hong Kong, then joined Feng, my Chinese-Canadian then-travel partner and now-husband for several backpacking adventures through Latin America and the South Pacific.
We eventually picked Ottawa, Canada’s national capital, as our home base. I was granted permanent resident status in 2005 and became a Canadian citizen on July 3, 2009. I have dual citizenship, French and Canadian. You can read my full immigration story here.
I worked as a French as a second language teacher from 2005 to 2009, then embarked on a translation career. After several positions in the public sector, I decided to go freelance to embrace different roles—English-to-French and French-to-English translator, as well bilingual copywriter, editor and proofreader.
Our son, Mark Floyd, was born in 2012—not quite fluent in Mandarin and French yet, but he does love some cheese on his Chinese noodles, so that’s a start.
Overall, I consider myself lucky. I absolutely love my job and I know what makes me happy in life.
The only tiny problem is, I can’t just pick one road, one storyline… so I divide life into several chapters.
In Canada, I’m productive. On the road, I’m creative.
When I’m in Canada, I work long hours and translate as many words as needed. In my spare time, I write stories I try to get published—no luck so far, life isn’t that perfect. I’m not quite the perfect North American mother either and even though I’ve been living in Canada for half of my life, I still find cultural differences amusing and occasionally puzzling.
But everything of value I own fits in a backpack, which is just as well because there’s always a point when I just pack up and go travelling. This is not a holiday but a way of life—whether it’s the three of us or just me alone, there are no plans and no hotels booked, only the thrill of jumping into the unknown and waking up in a new city every few days. On the road, I’m still working, but I’m also focusing on photography projects and writing.
I can’t settle down, and I can’t travel all the time, so I try to balance both lives—coffee and to-do lists help, and so does a sense of humour.
Obviously, it’s a bit more complicated than I make it sound but that’s the gist of it.
Yeah, well, I am not the easiest person to live with. I know.
Correr es mi destino… isn’t it?
Zhu (珠）
It’s a pity that you abandoned Chinese. Since you have learned Chinese for 12 years, you must speak very well. Have you ever been to China? Since you can speak mandarin, travelling in China won’t be difficult for you.
Hi,
Yep, been to China five times, the last time was in 2008 for the Olympics. I wouldn´t say I gave up on Mandarin, I still speak it with my in-laws ,-)
Hi there Juliette!
First, congrats and thanks on a blog well done! I stumbled on it by pure chance while browsing some other Canada-immigration websites and it’s a real pleasure going through all its sections, plenty of useful information for immigrants-to-be!
Now going through your profile, I found similarities and have become very curious about how you managed to become a teacher then a translator for instance. I myself worked as a translator (French/English/Arabic) for 11 years in my country of origin and I’ve been advised to try teaching once in Canada (will be moving to Montreal, Quebec in a couple of months as a first point of entry). Any tips or pieces of advice you’d like to share?
I was also planning on starting a blog to keep relatives and friends updated on my new “whereabouts” with pictures (post my photos on Flickr) and blog entries… so yours is very inspiring to say the least!
Keep up the good work!
Meriem
Zhu,
Your story is so beautiful. I lived in the Ottawa region as a child, but have spent most of the U.S.. I also lived in France. I really love France, but I understand your obstacles. And in the U.S., there hasn’t been a day in my life during which I have not felt “homesick”. Your story has inspired me to plan for a permanent return to Canada. It really is a great place.
Best,
Jennifer
I sent you an email 🙂
Canada is a great place, glad it accepted me in 🙂
Found your blog via First-Time Travels, got inspired by your story. In some ways, I guess I’m like you, looking for a place where I would belong. I admire your courage though, it’s hard living in another country (Hongkong) at such a young age. I wish I have that courage too.
Blog hopping here. 🙂
Nice to meet you and thank you for your comment!
I’m so glad I found your blog through a google search about traditions in North America! It looks like you and I have switched places – I’m currently residing in France and you are in my home country! I’m sure we will have a lovely time swapping stories. So while you write about your culture shock in Canada, I’m going to have a blast writing mine in France! Love to exchange stories! : D
Hi Charmaine! Nice to meet you! Indeed, this is funny. Where about are you in France? Checking out your blog right now to find out!
I’m living in a suburb outside of Paris – but I consider myself in Paris anyways! I go there enough! 😀
La banlieue is definitely Paris 🙂
Very nice to have discovered your blog though a comment you made on Alex’s Memographer site, Zhu. What an interesting background you have! All the best from Santiago.
Thank you for visiting Andrew! Santiago, Chile? This is a great city, one of my favourite.
Aaaah, c´est ici qu´on peut se présenter. J´avais pas vu.
So, I´m French and I am permanent resident in Canada since 6 years. I first lived in Québec (administratively speaking, I was more confortable with French language for the beginning) during 1 year and a half, then move to Alberta, working for the same company I start working for in Québec.
I choose to immigrate in Canada because, as a truck driver, it is easier to have long run drive compared to the european situation. Since I drive here, I have crossed every 48 contiguous states in the south and gone from Victoria, BC to Halifax, NS in Canada.
Working to find a job sending me in Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Newfoundland, I´ve quitted the first company I work for last year because I wanted to specialize in heavy haul transportation, where one has to drive without unplugging the brain. After a few days without a job, I was hired by a company doing sometimes the kind of stuff I like. One year later, I´m now trusted enough to have the possibility doing very interesting hauls.
You are my hero. Seriously. I have always fascinated by truck drivers, it’s such a unique job, a tough one too I’m sure! I can definitely see the appeal of the new continent for you.
It is tough depending how you handle it. If you let dispatches, customers and so on pressure you to meet impossible schedule, it´s rough, but with experience, you become the only one responsible of the job : when you pick-up a load, it´s your responsability to secure it, let dispatch and consignee know when you´ll be able to deliver, planning for your path, driving according to the weather and traffic conditions and U.S DoT/ Canadian MoT rules.
At this point, no worry, particulary when working in a field requiring drivers. I can easily say no to a dispatch if a job cannot be done, and I have no fear losing my place, but I know that dispatches respect my opinion (and I do not count the fact that the job is well paid — in the company I work for now, it doesn´t enter in consideration for my career choice).
By the way, it seems very easy to get the Class A (for semi-trailer heavy truck) in Ontario. New career, maybe ?
I guess it takes a strong backbone to make sure you (and the load) are safe, that clients and the boss are happy, etc. How do you find road conditions in Canada compared to Europe? We have some pretty bad stretches of road here in Ottawa with potholes and all, I assume it’s the same in the rest of the country. Does it affect your driving?
Edmonton and Calgary are pretty awful in spring because of potholes, and highways in Québec are in some parts particulary bad, compared to Ontario, maritime or western provinces. It doesn´t mean that there is no bad roads elsewhere in Canada.
Compared to France, canadian network is worst, but the weather conditions are very hard especially in spring when the ground thawed (and french network is relatively good). However, it doesn´t affect my driving that much, even if sometimes I slow down to limit bouncing. And if you leave main highways, you can eventually end up on a gravel road (township and range roads in western provinces, and some roads in northern Québec, going to the Bay James or to the Labrador border), leading sometimes to hours of fun.
In Ontario, the 4xx series highways are in fact pretty good, even if some stretches of the 401 can be bumpy, but between Toronto and Montréal, it´s the most frequented highway in North America.
The other problem is that there is more wildlife on the side (or in the middle) of the road, and it can be dangerous for cars. In spring, deers and big horn sheeps like to lick the salt which stays in rainured middle lane (it´s regular on highway 16 between Hinton and Jasper in Alberta) for example. And they don´t move away when trucks and cars pass beside them.
One thing that´s surprise me is that a lot of drivers don´t know how to handle ice and snow. For a country in which snowfall is so frequent, I find it curious.
On the south side, however, U.S roads are generally in better shape than their canadian counterparts (not counting the awful 476 toll road in Pennsylvania, between Philadelphia and Scranton).
Another thing which change from Europe is the different weather conditions. Snow and ice in the north in winter, and wind in the plains and the U.S midwest are stronger than their european counterpart. With 120km/h gusts, it is important to firmly hold the wheel (the best is to stop as soon as possible and wait). And reduced visibility because of dust storm or snow storm is not uncommon (less than in Europe).
Besides road conditions, some basic rules of circulation don´t seem to be well understood by a big part of north american drivers (an idea of what is a safety gap ? a turning light ? a mirror ? how to handle a downgrade ? ) compared in France (even if the situation in France in far away to be ideal). One of the reason could be that until recently (at least in Québec) there was no need to go to a driving school, so young were formed by their parents who had bad habits that were copied by the children, never corrected and so on.
And driving in New York City (they are completely crazy behind the wheel, there) or in the Nevavda´s desert is not the same thing.
One thing which is very nice in North America, compared to Europe, when you drive on long distances, is that you can plan your trip only by looking which highway you´re going to take, each junction is clearly indicated (highway number and direction — N,S,E,W, just follow the signs). In France, you have to know the name of a town in the direction you want to take, and it is not always the one you noticed that is written.
It´s really easy to plan a trip when you have understood the concept. No need for a shitty GPS navigator. And in US, Interstate numerotation is well though ; when you know how it works, it can simplify your life.
One thing about the strong backbone : like in lot of jobs, experience is the most helpful thing to have, but it´s not something you can learn. That´s why it is interesting to follow advices of older drivers, without leaving one´s common sense, naturally.
Oups, I need to learn how to curb my enthousiam when I talk of my job.
Please, don’t curb your enthusiasm! First, I love it when people are passionate, second, I’m learning something! (May I add that your English is perfect too?)
I noticed that people in Ottawa can deal with snow but are totally hopeless when it comes to rain. It’s like no one knows how to drive anymore!
Hello dear Zhu :
I’m so glad that I knew ur website .
I’m from Syria , I have applied for perminant resident visa one year ago by my Canadian wife .
I got my visa approved but waiting to put it on my passport .
Your web answer me many questions about the immigration process : thank you 🙂
I wish we can meet one day ..
Thank you Zhu
Welcome to Canada! I am glad this website helped you.
What a great description of your journey to Canada! I’d say welcome to Canada…but I’m living abroad right now. I totally understand your wanderlust tendencies. I’ve had them too. I wrote a blog post about it which you can read here:
I’ll be back to visit your site!
Cool, I’ll take a look when I have a chance 🙂
Why do you have a Spanish motto (correr es mi destino) and not one of your three other languages (French, Mandarin and English)?
Good question! I guess I adopted this one while traveling in Latin America (and I can only think in one language at the time ;-))
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