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Culture Shock! Canada: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette PDF

312 Pages·2009·9.49 MB·English
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Preview Culture Shock! Canada: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

ABOUT THE SERIES Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away from one’s comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of culture shock whenever they move to a new country. Written by people who have lived in the country and experienced culture shock themselves, the authors share all the information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a style that is easy to read and covers a range of topics that will arm readers with enough advice, hints and tips to make their lives as normal as possible again. Each book is structured in the same manner. It begins with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the people—where they came from, who they are, the values and traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette. This is covered in the first half of the book. Then on with the practical aspects—how to settle in with the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through topics such as how to find accommodation, get the utilities and telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in school and keep in the pink of health. But that’s not all. Once the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food, enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be immersed in the language of the country before discovering more about the business side of things. To round off, snippets of basic information are offered before readers are ‘tested’ on customs and etiquette of the country. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource guide and list of books for further research are also included for easy reference. CONTENTS Acknowledgements Dedication Map of Canada Chapter 1 First Impressions Arrival Size, Climate, People Chapter 2 Overview of Canada Geography History The Political Spectrum Chapter 3 The Canadian Vision What is a Canadian? Canadian Stereotypes Multiculturalism in Canada Canada’s Young and Young at Heart Senior Citizens The Canadian Mosaic The Gender Issue Chapter 4 Living in the Canadian Mosaic A Question of Size The Honour System Rights of the Consumer The Luck of the Draw Garage Sales Door-to-Door Addressing a Postal Problem A Manner of Greeting Perceptions Becoming Part of the Mosaic Social Customs and Etiquette Chapter 5 Settling In Documentation and Formalities What to Bring Where to Live From Log Cabin to Trailer Home Shopping Coping with the Seasons Living in the North Financial Matters Health and Hospitals Keeping in Touch Getting Around in Canada Chapter 6 Food and Entertaining Canadian Smorgasbord A Typical Canadian Menu Shopping for Food Canadian Cheer Dining Out Pot Luck The Perfect Guest Chapter 7 Canada at Play Celebrations The Long Weekend Cultural Pursuits Canadian Music Our Sporting Selves Chapter 8 Canadian Language The English Canadian Language English Canadianisms Language and ‘The Two Solitudes’ French and English Canadian French Heritage Languages Body Language Chapter 9 Doing Business in Canada Entrepreneurship in Canada Starting a Business in Canada Finding a Job Working for a Living Job Security Types of Work In Canada Common Management Strategies Canadian Business Etiquette Chapter 10 Made In Canada Famous Inventions Acronyms A–Z Fast Facts Culture Quiz Do's and Don'ts Glossary Resource Guide Further Reading About the Authors Index ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS When we first met each other, we remarked upon the happy chance that we were indeed ‘opposites’—Caucasian and male, long-term resident of eastern Canada complementing Asian and female, a newcomer to western Canada—and could bring different viewpoints to CultureShock! Canada. Since then, many hours of cross-Canada telephone time have gone into the creation of this book, and a friendship has been formed. What we lacked ourselves, we supplemented with information solicited from many sources and with suggestions from our own friends. Writing this book has therefore placed us in debt to a large number of people. To all of you who made contributions in one way or another—thank you for your support. Special thanks must go, however, to those who so ably helped us research the facts which we needed to make this book accurate: From Bob: to Robert Amesse, Elizabeth Mitchell and Norm Tompsett—first- class librarians all—to Denise Maxfield, Mike Filip, and Jim and Joanne Rich, whose contributions to various parts of the text were invaluable, and to Vern Shute and Charles Clarke, who proofread my text with great accuracy and precision. Finally, especial gratitude to my good friends Bill Murtha and John Mortimer, whose artistic suggestions and contributions helped immensely in visualising the text as it was being written. From Guek-Cheng: thanks especially to Shirley Hew and Shova Loh who made me an author; to John Bartle, Mark Looi and Diane Quinn, for their invaluable help; to Bob and Clare Looi, who introduced me to this beautiful country; and to my Canadian friends who have welcomed me into their midst. Last, but by no means least, our gratitude and love to our families whose constructive criticism and moral support have been invaluable during the weeks and months it took to put this book together. DEDICATION From Guek-Cheng: To Pius, Christopher and Kimmy, my fellow-adventurers in exploring a new country. From Robert: With love to my wife, Nancy, my children, Richard and Sharine, and my mother, Ann.

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Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.