Personal Values

Courtesy and respect towards elders

There are times my personal values contract with Canadian societal values. In my country we are very friendly with our neighbours but I have noticed that it is not the same here. People just go about their daily lives oblivious of others around them. In Jamaica I was taught that I should always be courteous, meaning it is not polite to pass people on the street without saying “Good morning” or “Good afternoon”. However when I came to Canada I realized this was not the case here. I greet people on the street and in the elevator but they would not even glance in my direction or acknowledge my greeting. I was quite annoyed and embarrassed but over a period of time I realize it was just how the culture is here. 

My first time in a Canadian school was quite challenging. My family taught me to be respectful to other especially my elders, and the high school I went to back home also drilled this into me. I am used to calling my teachers “Mr/Ms/Mrs So-and-so” or Sir/Miss but here I was allowed to call the teacher by their first name?? How rude!!! Needless to say habits are hard to break and I continued to acknowledge the teachers the way I was taught, until a teacher pointed out that they didn't like it. In Canada it is as if you are the teachers “buddy”…weird but I have learnt to accept it.

Photo Credit: Google Images

Preserving the environment and privacy

However there are also times when my personal values align with Canadian societal values. A city doesn’t have much trees but I can see where Toronto tries to preserve their environment. I do believe it is our responsibility to protect the environment and I am glad to see that the city has established ways to accomplish environmental awareness and environmentally-friendly practices. Everyone, even the few who are not so “green” does their part.

I value my privacy. In Jamaica I was not able to have this much privacy, if I went to the shop when my mother was at work … she would know what time I went and what I brought before she came home from work or even if I am walking home from school she would probably know that I am on my way home before I get home. People in Jamaica don’t mind their business and they make your business their own. However, in Canada I am able to have some level of privacy, no one is running around telling anybody who, what, where, when or why of anything about me. I do tell my mother most of everything but living in Canada- where people don’t pay attention to other people business as they do back home- she listens to what I have to tell her instead of saying “Oh! I heard.”