First Impressions

What do Canadian men do? a distinguished-looking Somali man asked me one day in class. The 40-something-year-old had recently arrived as an immigrant from Saudi Arabia, where he had been working in a bank.

What do you mean? I asked.

Well, whenever I go into a bank, I see women everywhere. In Saudi Arabia, I would never see a woman in the bank because there were separate banks for men and women. Men worked in the men's bank - and the women's bank had only female employees. I worked in a men's bank. If I had to give something to a woman employee in the women's bank, I passed it to her through a small hole in the wall. I never saw her. But here - in banks, stores, coffee shops, school, everywhere - I rarely see men. I mostly see women... Where are all the Canadian men?

Where do you think they are? I asked, curious to hear his interpretation of the situation.

I don't know... Are they at home, looking after the children?

I smiled... But he didn't - he was completely serious... So I explained that in Canada, young women often serve the public, so they are the ones you see. But men also work in banks, schools and stores - often behind the scenes, in decision-making positions...

For him, this totally different way of doing things - in Canada - was almost beyond comprehension.

He may someday laugh at his first impressions, just as another student - a young Somali woman - did when she told me about her arrival in North America.

Her husband was supposed to meet her at the airport in New York City, but he wasn't there when she got off the plane. Not knowing what to do, she went over to the information kiosk to try to get help. But she couldn't speak English. The person in the kiosk called over a woman security officer to help her. This security officer was wearing bright red nail-polish - something my student had never seen. So she panicked! Thinking the woman's hands were dripping blood - and having heard of the dangers of New York City - my student assumed that the woman was going to attack her! She was so frightened, she fainted!

What happened next? I asked, laughing.

When I woke up, my husband was there, standing beside me.

I was so stupid, she laughed, recalling the event. I really didn't know anything about life in North America!

Experiencing another culture can be very confusing!