A visit to Canada from a Dominicana's viewpoint

Lottusflower · #1 08-09-2004, 09:32 PM

Dear All.. This is the whole draft....

Comming to Canda was a great and lovely experience... From a dominican point of view my first and most candid surprise was to see when flying from Toronto to Sudbury Lake Ontario... I thought it was the sea and had to ask... just to find that it is the smallest of the 5 great lakes.... Then when arriving to Sudbury, I was greated with rain and wind and cold.. and we where in summer....!!! But as I alwayes said, I brought some Caribeean sunhine with me and the following days never showed any rain....

I travelled the same day thru the Spannish Forest to Chapleau, where I felt the urgent need to pee and my dainty ars encountered the first of many big ontario mosquitos... My opinion on them is the following, being bigger does not mean being smarter... I found them to be quite dumb flying and easy to spot and kill... Not the same for Pine bugs... but luckily I got out safe of those...

I can proudly say that Canadians are Canada's best asset. They are well educated and sincerely nice. They have this warmth to them and a good and sincere kindness that is easy to spot. They will trust you to say the truth and will trust your answers... that was a bit disturbing since I deal everyday here in D.R. with so many people that lie.

I was awed by the amazing beauty of the scenery and the quietness and the respect for the individual that they had. Although I missed guys turning around the minute I walked by, to stare at my a.., I can say that their respect while adressing me at all times was more than compensation for us dominican girls egos...

I had the opportunety to visit White Lake Provincial Park, and go for a true camping experience... My first try at fishing I caught a small Pickerel.. which my beau with his brother and nephew made me return to the water...The next day, when I finally got the casting right, I caugth a big Pike... Which we also ended up returning since, I found out the fish meat is not so nice...

When in confrontation of a Canadian lake, you can't help but to ask GOD, why did he give them so much and us so little... But even God compensated us by keeping the cold winter months away... A deep sense of Peace was encountered.. a feeling of not having to control what is indeed beyond us humans was also reafirmated....

I made friends who ask my beau about me all the time... They asked him as well how did he get this Caribeean girl to come to Canada and cut some yard grass... But any Dominican girl would know that we like things pretty and neat. I can also say that in Summer, Canadians are very proud of their flowers and their yards.... No wonder, I saw all kinds of beautifull flowers...I couldn't help but taking as much pictures as I could for my grandma...

Canadians can also be very open about discusing sex, that was always a surprise for me beacuse we are more tabuish about it, and any good old dominican girl does not discuss such things in public. But they do, and seem to be OK with it...

When comming back, I experimented two new feelings. One, a deep sense of compasition for all of those and us Dominicans who will never see a place as clean and beautifull as Canada, or who will never know that a society like that exists... along came rage, against those who are in our Goverments, and in our Politics, beacuse they have seen what we could become, and knowingly take advantage of the dominicans ignorance....My last fealing was that of comfort to know that Canada does exist and that such multicultural society works with tolerence and a preach of non-violence. It's not a myth...

Finally, when comming back to apagones that last 24 hours, lack of gas, corruption at the airport, and that darn President we still have (HM), I broke down to tears in the JetBlue Flight... to which a nice attendant, replied providing the necesary Scotch, to gulp it up...Free of Charge....

Hope you liked the story...

Loti

AnnaC · #2 08-09-2004, 10:09 PM

Thank you for that wonderful story. I guess we that live here sometimes forget how lucky we truly are. Hope you come back soon eh!

Rosemary · #3 08-09-2004, 10:22 PM

After reading about your trip Loti , perhaps the fishing idea for a romantic date is not that great after all ! LOL ! I'm so happy you found Canada and Canadians to be the way I knew they would be ! I can well imagine your feelings looking out over the lake, I always feel that way when I try to take in the vastness of this country ! And the deep respect Canadians have for it and it's elements ! We truly are lucky to live here ! I'm glad you shared some of it ! Cant wait till Oct. to hear how the wedding proposal goes ! Much Luck!

MommC · #4 08-10-2004, 12:27 AM

along with those Northerners you got to meet.
Too bad I didn't know you were coming or we could have met in Sudbury (just a short ride from North Bay) and spent a day seeing the sights there!
Maybe your next trip you can PM me and we'll do that! We could visit in Juan Dolio after the 23rd of October this year (my arrival date for our winter stay).
Glad you liked what you saw and had the opportunity to get to know us Canadians a bit better. We do tend to be a "strange" lot at times -must be those cold winter months

but we love to show off Gods' country to newcomers no matter where they come from.

There's several Dominicans living here in North Bay (altho' I haven't met them personally my hubby has!) and I listen to Spanish daily in my back yard as there is a Mexican/Canadian family who lives across the stream on the next street over. We holler greetings across the way when we are tending our gardens (altho' I haven't really met them either) and when my grandson plays soccer there is a girl on his team who hails from Peru so it's kind of nice to be able to speak Spanish occassionally.

Even the mosquitos are friendly in that they warn you of their arrival (they sound like a dive bomber) and being large enough to see you can swat them before they do much damage.

Hope you visit again soon (as does your bf!

)

chuckuindy · #5 08-10-2004, 02:11 AM

I am neither Canadian nor Dominican but this story actually brought tears to my eyes. How refreshing it is to hear of this experience. I am at a loss for words right now, as this story has touched my heart. Anna, please repeat this in the trip report section so more will read it. I will make more comments later.
Charlie

Lambada · #6 08-10-2004, 02:38 AM

Loti,
What a wonderful story & so well written. Now if only that rage against politicians could be harnessed...........please, share that anger with your Dominican brothers & sisters, if enough people know what you mean, we could all move forward!

Hillbilly · #7 08-10-2004, 10:14 AM

Apparently not all Canadians ignored your nice arse. The mosquitos didn't!!

:

Nicely written post. Thanks.

HB

Lottusflower · #8 08-10-2004, 10:33 AM

The ones that have asked to meet when I am back in Canada in December... we will.. I always visit the site, so I will be in touch.... The complete experience was very fullfilling and it has lasted... Regarding those who asked about the visitors visa process... It was easier than I thought it would be a simple invitation letter, and a bank reference letter, plus employer letter and patience, and patience did it.... I hope that this story has a happy ending for all of you as well....

Loti

chuckuindy · #9 08-10-2004, 12:50 PM

May be not all who read this thread will feel the way that I do but you will have to admit that it is a breath of fresh air. So many things in it touched my emotions.

First was the joy of hearing a Dominican speak of how wonderful my neighbors to the North are, and how she was welcomed with such open arms. Her joy in seeing the Great Lakes parallels my excitement in seeing the crystal clear waters of the DR for the first time. I must say that those Canadian guys who did not take notice of a Dominican woman’s a** in those tight pants they ware must be nuts. I can hardly drive in the DR, because I am always looking and getting slapped by my novia.

The way Lottus said “they have this warmth to them and a good and sincere kindness that is easy to spot”, could as well have been said about most of the Dominicans I see in my visits there.

Her thoughts on things we take for granted like, flowers and yards made me laugh a little. I try to explain to my novia that I am planting 25 pots of petunias and 13 flats of other annuals, and it only cost me $275 this year, she thinks I am crazy. Just imagine if I told her that the grass needs to be cut twice a week, or that I like to get in my outside Hot Tub when it is zero degrees in January.

I must say that I got chocked up as she wrote of her return to the DR. It is such a shame that in a country like the DR that so many wonderful people will never have the opportunity to live the lifestyle we enjoy in North America. I guess it is because I have a loved one in the DR that I am outraged my novia and her child are dentin to live in poverty in a nation that could be so much more.

How profound is this statement?

“When coming back, I experienced two new feelings. One, a deep sense of compasition for all of those and us Dominicans who will never see a place as clean and beautiful as Canada, or who will never know that a society like that exists... along came rage, against those who are in our Governments, and in our Politics, because they have seen what we could become, and knowingly take advantage of the Dominicans ignorance....My last feeling was that of comfort to know that Canada does exist and that such multicultural society works with tolerance and a preach of non-violence. It's not a myth...”
For those of us who love the Dominican Republic and its people it is so sad.

KateP · #10 08-10-2004, 02:59 PM

Thanks so much for sharing your story. I haven't been back home (Quebec) for over 4 years and reading your post reminded me of all the stuff I miss most. Even the flowers...

I'm glad you had a nice time and once again thanks sharing with us what you felt.