First Abroad Travel - Canada

It was my first trip to Canada. My first foreign travel will perhaps remain as the most beautiful memory of my life though it was short lived only for 3 months…well, 3 months is again debatable to be called short or long but certain experiences which I can not but have to share.

It was a strange positive feeling gripping me as soon as I landed in Toronto airport. I was highly impressed with the cleanliness of the place; absolutely dust free environment, automatic parking fee payment, 4 storied parking space, eight lane roads, some trees covered with gunny bags to protect them from harsh winter, and patches of accumulated snow at places…

When I went there it was still winter in the last week of February and temperature was 10 degree C below freezing, on the day of arrival it was a welcome snow of 2 inches in the midnight which is an unmatched experience having to see snow for the first time in my life! I played in the snow for a while and that’s all for the rest of the days and neither there was snow nor bright sun, it used to be either cloudy or with –15 deg C wind chill which rendered me absolutely confined to the house.

First one month went of without much excitement as I was getting adjusted to the place, to the weather with weekend visits to Niagara falls, Toronto down-town, skiing, Malls and going around the place in the car. The place looked technologically highly advanced with people behaviors highly influenced by so much of inculcated discipline and respect for rules and policies. Few of the experiences with people are particularly noteworthy.

In a shop, I was standing in front of a picture and was lost, and after few moments I realized some one is standing by me. She was an octogenarian, with a smile said, “I did not wish to pass through your view”! I was so surprised at the respect people give to others, such small things like she was waiting patiently until I was conscious of my surroundings! In our epics also such kind of respect to fellow individuals, other living beings and plants is amply depicted but some how, somewhere we got caught in the hurly burly of 100 crore population and forgot our basic values.

In a departmental store I bought a cream; I got the bill and forgot the product. When I realized I was upset and apprehensive, still thought I would like to go back and check in the customer service of the store. Next day, to my surprise the customer service executive on the counter pulled out so many things from below the counter, which were supposedly left by customers after purchase! She did not get my cream in the lot but she directed me to the cosmetics block to pick a new product and finally when she was handing over the cream ‘here you go’, said with a smile! In the entire duration, she never suspected my intentions nor made me feel as if she had done a big favour to me. On the contrary she was sincerely serving the customers, and was happy to see a satisfied customer.

Quite a few experiences set me thinking a lot about our values and our people. The kind of honesty, customer service, and professionalism they exhibit as ordinary people, I found it to be of high standards. In day-to-day life what more can I expect from my surroundings. Some one is true to self and others around, we immediately call the person is different! And I see the whole nation different there…

We stayed in a hotel in Ottawa the national capital of Canada. The day we checked out about an hour later I realized that I have left my gold finger ring in the bathroom. I called with panic the hotel and told about the same. After an hour when I went on to check lo… the ring was there! And the girl at the reception says ‘how small it is, it does not go into my finger’. And my husband remarked “all over the world the girls are just the same, what she will get trying someone else’s ring for a moment”? I feel well, one must try things just to see how they look and that is how in the malls I spent so many days/hours without getting bored. All stores are fully automated and secret camera is fitted to catch shoplifters. The stores were huge with lots of parking space in front of all malls, public places or parks. And the staff is so polite in all shops; My India made watch was giving problem for some time and I was thinking of changing it. I had no idea about Rolex watch and went into a Rolex watch shop and was looking at the watches. The salesman came up to me and asked politely if I need any assistance and I asked for the price of a watch and he said its 12000 and I asked him 12000 CAD?!! He nodded. But he did not make me feel small through any of his gestures, which may very commonly happen here in a premium shop. Since then it’s a matter of fun to my husband. He says ‘there is a Mercedes shop in the corner why don’t you go and check the price’.

How much cold and cruel the weather may be some one will be readily mowing the roads off the snow (so that others may not face problem) because he is doing his duty. And not a day or two but it is his way of life, he has to work because he is paid for it. And all of them balance their work and personal life so well, every one is returning home by 5 pm! Offices are empty by 5.30pm and they are the dedicated work force for eight hours during which work is worship. And the country is running so smooth in spite of harsh nature with minus 40 deg C temperature they are managing with just 30 million people. And here going home at 6.30 pm is considered our privilege not right! May be during appraisal the superior will point out going home early at 7pm is the reason for not getting a promotion!

The public washrooms are so clean, because everyone uses things just for whatever they are meant, no one misuses or abuses any public property. Littering fine is enforced and no one dares to litter for the fear of social stigma and legal implications. In our country can we think of a lakeshore, which is without litter, filth or garbage? The traffic is so disciplined and it’s so easy to drive there because only one rule applies to all “just follow the traffic rules” and the police are so effective, it’s not easy to get away by breaking the rules. And the traffic is so decent they do not honk at all! In fact it is considered indecency to honk and they blow away only to avoid an accident but not at any cost to squeeze one’s way ahead.

And the emergency response is so quick… in a casino a man suddenly fall off the chair and in two minutes there was a doctor, a wheel chair and a security officer to take the man to nearest medical unit. Similarly there was an accident and in 5 minutes the place was beaming with police car, an ambulance and a towing vehicle to clear off the road. Will any one mind paying huge income tax for such kind of public services?

With so much of unemployed youth if we could only change our weakness into strength by providing work like maintaining cleanliness in the neighborhood, in the tourist places, may be to some extent our unemployment problem could be addressed.

China has used so effectively its population growth that most of the products in Canada are made in China. The labor is cheap and abundantly available and so we pick any thing in the shop it has to be a product from China.

And people stand in a queue with having 4 feet gap between one another. In a mall a man was drawing money from an ATM machine (it is not a closed cabinet like here we have) and I suddenly remembered to draw money and stood with 3 feet gap for him to finish. Then some one from a distance said ‘Excuse me’. I looked to my side and saw there were about 6 people standing in a queue for the ATM at a 15 feet distance - the privacy provided for ATM, and the lady in the front smiled and said “We are in the queue”. I excused myself and with a bit of embarrassment went away. She was suggesting joining them in the queue very politely. And the same thing I again was forced to remember in our National Capital domestic airport. We were standing with 3 feet gap for luggage check in on the conveyor belt. The passenger in front of us had put heavy baggage on the belt, and the belt had not moved ahead yet and it was our turn after his baggage. Two air hostess’ came and put their bags on to the belt busy over the cell phone, okay we were still waiting, their baggage went on and a couple standing behind, hardly with any gap and breathing on our neck, the lady came to the front gave us a impatient/irritated look suggesting why we are taking this long and put her hand bag on the belt …and her attitude was that of an educated mainstream folk, fully convinced of our laziness/dull act.

So these are the instances which make me feel perhaps all of us who can afford to go to western countries must go and stay for some time just to learn being honest and respectful to fellow individuals, being true to their work and establishing a better work culture with quality being visible in everything we do. And it is not to impress boss but to lead a quality life and spread quality around. Quality should not be any more our privilege which happens to be basic right in other places. An orientation of people to give best service to the customers both internal and external makes it real cool place to work for and over a period of time may be a brand name to reckon with. A strong training on all basic etiquettes / needs and on interpersonal dynamics may bring in change over a period of time.

Then came spring from mid April onwards!!! Oh my god, so beautiful our planet can be, blessed is the place with natural grass all over and those yellow flowers dotting the entire lawn which are called weeds!!! The nature turns so colorful and its all in the neighborhood, we don’t have to go to valley of flowers to see the beauty of nature. All the main roads are lined with 4 feet wide footpath, which are favorite trails for bikers, roller skaters, and joggers and just for walking. I used to walk a long way to see the beauty of nature because the path is lined with grass and weeds. The trees are full of flowers and so many varieties of colors. In such short span of time I tried first time skiing, golf, bowling, billiard and bit of gambling in the casino (which was the most expensive sport!). And in the winter when the Rideau Canal in Ottawa freezes they do ice-skating! And in May visitors were having ferry ride on the canal. The nature is bountiful and the entire nation comes together to maintain it!

I am happy that I had a beautiful time for 3 months and people say honeymoon is the best time in life and so I call it my honeymoon trip, which will remain as an affair to remember for the rest of my life. And of course I will be dreaming someday my country will be as clean and sophisticated as western country and our standard of life will be qualitatively comparable too. And I wish all professionals visiting abroad might implement and improve the work ethics and quality with an urgency of here and now!!