I have really enjoyed my time spent in Canada and Abbotsford both in my education and personally. I think studying abroad has definitely helped me to understand the subject of diaspora much more clearly, as I was able to relate to certain topics within the diaspora experience with more understanding than if I had studied it in Northampton. From my experience of Canada as a whole, my studies and friendships formed here I have learnt a lot from an academic and personal point of view and has helped me to develop opinions and outlooks on new diverse subjects and the world around me.
Many social activities took place around sport, which is very similar to home; even though the sports involved are different it was nice to see people uniting over a common hobby.
I also experienced a difference in the education systems between the two countries and it was interesting to see the variation in teaching styles. There were a lot more small assignments, more like the homework I had encountered at school, rather than larger pieces of work that hold more percentage of your grade at Northampton. While I enjoyed all of my lessons at UFV and learnt a lot, I still think I prefer the teaching methods and set up of assignments back in Northampton.
I definitely noticed a strong difference between Canadian and English histories, to begin with Canada is a much newer country so there are less old and historical buildings around, I think one of the oldest buildings in Abbotsford is the Sikh Gurdwara, which was built in 1911 and so to me seemed positively modern! There is also a lot of emphasis placed on their Native History and the importance it has for many Canadian people, so this was a new experience for me and was interesting to learn about. In addition I also learnt a lot about Indian and Sikh culture that I didn’t know before.
I was pleasantly surprised at how friendly mostly all Canadians are and hope eager they are to try and help you if you need it (this is extremely helpful when you are lost in a new town and don’t understand the bus timetable!). I also always felt very involved with university life at UFV, (I think this was probably helped by living at Baker House) there was always a university event to attend from Chinese New Year, International Potluck Dinners and sports events. This was a very positive experience and helped me to form friendships with people I probably wouldn’t have spoken to before.
In a more materialistic sense I was also surprised by the Canadian fashion and dress sense, I had been told it was slightly behind the UK but I didn’t really believe this until I arrived! Canadian dress sense seems a lot more casual and relaxed than I am used to at home, with people wearing tracksuits to lectures and to go shopping etc which I would feel uncomfortable wearing. I think this could have been because Abbotsford’s malls did not have lots of clothes shops and the ones they did have were slightly behind the times. In contrast to this when we visited Vancouver the dress sense was more similar to that of home and I assume this is because it is a major city and very metropolitan so many more popular clothing stores are available than they are in Abbotsford. A couple of times I felt slightly out of place in clothing I would give no second thought to wearing in England!
Another odd thing to surprise me was that you couldn’t but alcohol in supermarkets! I’m so used to popping into Tesco to buy my cider etc I found it slightly awkward to have to go to a completely different shop to buy it!
Both England and Canada are ethnically diverse but while in Canada I learnt a lot more about the Sikh religion than I have previously at home, as I have spoken about in earlier journals the Sikh presence in Abbotsford is very strong. In England I had never spoken to a Sikh or been a Sikh temple and I have done these while being in Canada and found it very interesting and I feel I learnt so much more than I would have back home. As I have said before I also learnt a lot about the Native History of Canada, as there are many museums and various exhibitions taking place at museums and galleries about the First Nation people and their culture and history.
National identity is very important in Canada and incorporates many different aspects, from a love of hockey to religion, from native history to various international histories. Those from diasporic backgrounds embrace both their home countries identity and their host countries identity, making a hybrid identity, especially those of 2nd or 3rd generation. It is very inspiring to see people from many different races, religions and countries embracing multiple and a common identity. This is something I witnessed when I attended the Sikh New Year festival of Vaisakhi; there were countless different people who had all come together to celebrate with one another.
Being in my own kind of mini disapora definitely helped me to tackle the subject with more understanding that I feel I would have done before. I felt I displayed some of the characteristics that disaporic communities go through, at some points a longing for home and home comforts and at other times a feeling of wanting to assimilate with the host country and its communities. Sometimes I do still feel like an outsider in Canada but through the friendships I have made (with Canadians and other international students) I feel I am part of a global community that was made possible by Baker House at UFV. While I am very excited to return home and see my family and friends, I am also sad to be leaving Canada and all of the new friends and relationships I have made here, and I believe these friendships are the most important part I am taking away from this experience.
Studying diaspora in Canada has made me more aware of diasporic groups, I feel now I will be more aware and understand them and the issues they face with more depth when I’m back in the UK. The DSC Exchange has been a valuable and constructive experience that has given me the chance to live and study in a foreign country, to learn about a new and topical subject and the opportunity to form new friendships.
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