Breaking the myth of cultural difference

Before moving to Canada, I knew it would be a different experience.

- Nungshi Singh

Before moving to Canada, I knew it would be a different experience. I had heard countless stories of how life would change—the sights, the festivals, the lifestyle. My excitement grew with every new thing I learned, especially about the kindness and politeness of Canadians. However, I didn’t expect just how different, or perhaps how similar, life would turn out to be. As I settled into this new environment, I began to reflect on the nature of cultural shock, and how, despite superficial differences, people are largely the same, no matter where they are from. This realization, while comforting, also led me to think deeply about how my initial expectations of Canada differed from reality, and how this mirrors the experiences of many immigrants around the world.

When I first arrived in Canada, I anticipated encountering a world that was vastly different from what I had known in India. I expected to be overwhelmed by new festivals, new traditions, and new ways of life. There’s a widely shared belief that moving to a new country, especially a Western one like Canada, will be a complete departure from one’s own culture. Yet, as time passed, I found that the people here are not so different from those I left behind in India.

Canadians are often stereotyped as extraordinarily polite and kind, a perception shared globally. In India, I heard this narrative repeatedly: “Canadians are so nice!” While this is true to an extent, what I discovered is that kindness and rudeness exist in equal measure everywhere, whether in India or Canada. People, irrespective of their nationality, have good days and bad days. Some are warm and welcoming, while others may be less so. What makes someone ‘nice’ or ‘rude’ has less to do with nationality and more to do with individual personality.