Survival

My family permanently moved to Canada in 1998. Some of my close relatives immigrated to North America about 30 years ago. But it was in 1996 that my parents and their close friends (7, 8 families) finally packed their bags, and decided to call the home country history.

I started university in September 99, as a full time student and a part-time employee. Some semesters I was a full-time employee and a part-time student, making sure I could make ends meet, while my parents were trying to fit in, find jobs or go to school occasionally.

Survival, the story of immigration!

But the story really began for me when I was only 8. My family moved to India and applied for Canadian immigration visa. But in July 1988 the war between Iran and Iraq ended, and so did my family's quest for relocation. Less than ten years later, we started all over again.

I can recall, as if it only happened yesterday: finding a place to live, registering my brothers at the local highschool, my parents going to "job find" classes and me, working at the local Tim Horton's or ESSO gas station to save some money.

Two years passed by, before my parents both had established careers and finally took on a mortgage of a house. A year later, my brothers graduated from highschool and I found my first engineering job in Guelph and moved out.

My mom, who had a bachelor of business administration, went back to college part-time, and graduated this past year, just before she turned 50. She is a pre-school teacher now.

My parents are going to worry for another two years, before my brothers finish university and move out on their own two feet. That's when they can finally start planning their retirement.

Each and every family that moves to Canada goes through the same process, more or less: looking for temp jobs at the local retail store, finding a good school for the kids, taking part-time courses to enter the job market and finally save enough money to buy a house or apartment.

I try my best to give them the facts. I tell them "it is not easy, but you will get through it, like everyone else."

My dad called last night to tell me that he heard from another old friend who just immigrated last week. My good old friend Maryam e-mail me two days ago to tell me that she and her husband will be soon on their way to Toronto.

It might all sound boring to you, but it's the story of my life:

Survival, the story of immigration continues.