1. I am little more busy as school has started here. and I am supposed to take graduate courses and you guys know how much work that is! So, be patient with me. patient is a viture it is told.:)
2. When I was saying Khatami was alright... Read the Financial report here!
3. Before you read the following article I have to write disclaimer, anything you read in the following text is my own and my dog's opinion. The dog passed away few years ago! so,...
So, you are more than welcome to criticized it:-)
I went back to Canada after almost 3 months being away. The city I usually go to is Toronto. Toronto is known for its multicultural fad among all other cities in Canada. Perhaps, I can claim that you can see there from any nationality you ever think of !
The first thing that would capture your eyes as soon as you arrive is the fact that you could rarely see any white population! It seems they are in minority more than ever. The city is filled with Indian, Chinese and Iranians. Contrary to 12 years ago when I first arrived in Canada where many Iranian would come and dwell in downtown, the North part of Toronto is more or less in hands of Iranian immigrants.
About 12 years ago there had not more than 3 to 5 Iranian restaurants established now perhaps in every corner you can see an Iranian restaurant!
One of the significant changes is the fact that new community is not what so ever similar to the old immigrants who used to come, study, learn, improve and then enter slowly to the society for different hierarchies as they aimed for. What we were skill-less immigrants. However, the new generations of immigrants are rich and skilful. The new comers who are trained back home are directly injected into Torontonian society. What this means is that as soon as they arrive they buy a house, a car. Soon after, they take their own leap to society and start to promote their own individual values based on their previous perception from around the Iran. They are implementing proudly these attitudes by saying “this is a free country”! These new comers almost never get a chance to learn many differences between new country and their own country per say.
I have always been under impression that knowing history of art (Da vinci, Renoe, etc.) would promote class and culture. It gives a language and topic to exchange and convolute with others. These cultural values would reach its heights if it is combined with ethics and respect. However, I felt these values are quite changed among the new Iranians who are residing in the Greater Metropolitan Toronto.
Many study new profession because they are competing by one another not that they wish to learn. Talking to many I get to know it didn’t seem that they are involved with art and history (beside their own profession) or how to interact with other based on respect. They have become successful but in one dimension, of course this is my perception!
I would like to provide couple of examples. My instances are based on my observation on culture of driving and traffic. 13 years ago when you were driving in Toronto hardly you could hear a single horn coming out of cars. However, this past week I heard on average 10 car horns per couple of hours of driving! Many fellow Iranians have no idea about the right way yield. If you yield when turning left, they bang on their car’s horn to tell you, hurry up showing their anger with moving their hands or bad mouthing you!! Toronto traffic used to be only during rush hours. Now it is all day around! (This is not only because of Iranians, non-Caucasian and other immigrants are also big contributors to Toronto’s traffic).
I could see rumor similar to Iranian society back in Iran is still deeply rooted in Iranian-Torontonian community. It has even got worse in some extend since the community is small compare to Iran and gossip travels quite fast.
I observed many girls have not adopted positive aspects from both cultures. They are gone to extreme to either side.
On the positive notes any Iranian store is available in Iran is also available in Toronto. From Tavazo (all dry fruits and pistachio store) to Alborz, Nayeb restaurant! And many others that you ever think of.
There is no place that at least an Iranian wouldn’t work there.
According to my friends now if there is an Iranian night club, it is located all the way in north part of city. People go in masses, so there is big line up or completely sold out night. Those days, 1993 or 1994. if there was a night club, it would be in down town and usually not more than hundred people would show up if any.
In my humble opinion the gap between the old comers and the new comers is becoming larger as older society is melted into the other part of society and new immigrants have their own safe heaven among themselves. More and more I could see segregation among different levels of Toronto society. Stick to your own was major concept I could sense that and the fact of being suspicious of other races were evident. I would think that in long run such a society may suffer from many major set backs, not to mention divisions among the immigrants and cultures may create cultural conflict; as a result a deep rooted violence may be generated. What I believe we can see in England's today!
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