Country of My Choice: Blessing or Mistake?

“We left our native country Pakistan because we wanted to pursue higher education. I got admission to the Ph.D. program at the State University of New York. My husband used to go to college in the morning and work in the afternoon. It was a difficult time as being international students we had to pay enormous amounts of the tuition fee. Then one of our good friends suggested that we should apply for Canadian immigration”.

This is a story of my mom and dad, and how they end up in Canada. My mom said that at that time they didn’t give serious consideration to the suggestion, but later when things were getting more and more difficult, they decided to give it a try. To their surprise, they got the immigration, so they decided to move to Canada even though she was still in the process of getting her degree.

“It was freezing cold and the temperature was -20 C when we landed at Niagara Falls at 2 am on January 27^th, 2007. When I asked mom about their decision to choose Niagara Falls as their destination, she replied, “Sometimes things don’t work out as you planned” they choose Niagara Falls because my dad was studying Hotel & Restaurant management and being a tourist city with lots of Hotels it would be easier for him to get a job.

During the period of early 2000, the pace of the Canadian Economy was very slow and especially in the Niagara Falls, it was very difficult to get a job for the newcomer as they did not have Canadian Education and Canadian job experience, finally, they decided to move to Toronto. It is true that Canada is a land of opportunity for many but according to my mother “It may not be for everyone, for some it’s a continuous struggle.” In Toronto, my father was able to get a job and they were able to buy a Condo in the Etobicoke region.

A struggle to survive without family

Despite her Ph.D. degree, my mom was not able to get a job in her area of specialization. Recounting the events of the past she became gloomy and narrated that after that how after the death of her parents, it was difficult for her to emotionally manage the situation. Neither of my parents have any of the family members in Canada.

My mom believes that there are tremendous opportunities in Canada, but to avail of these opportunities, one has to make the right decision at the right time. She further said that she read a quote somewhere, “Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them”.

The best thing about Canada is that there is no age limit for improving or changing skills and career choices. She is planning to have a career change and for that, she is exploring different skills that have a demand in the market.

“This is the major difference in Canada and Pakistan, as in Pakistan it is unthinkable to opt for a career change after a particular age, especially if you are above 40 and woman.”

Endless opportunities for those who struggle

My mom believes that there are endless opportunities for those who are passionate and work hard. My parents are working hard to provide me with the knowledge and skills so that I can have those opportunities that they have missed.

She then quoted Warren Buffet, “Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago”