How many of us grow up knowing and appreciating two different cultures? If I'd have to venture a guess, I'd say that this number is growing increasingly and at a much more rapid pace than we realize. In 2001 the Canadian census revealed that 18% of the Canadian population are immigrants. This number is projected to increase to at least 56% by 2017! Approximately 21% of the total Canadian population has a mother tongue other than English or French. I am part of that statistic – I immigrated to Canada in 1994 and my mother tongue is German. I spent my childhood in Germany, surrounded by the German language, German traditions and the amazing German food. A lot of people I meet tell me that Canadians save up their entire life for that dream vacation in Europe, so why would anyone move to Canada and leave those endless travel possibilities behind? I moved to experience change and realized that I have grown tremendously as a person during the process. It's not in everyone's blood, but I do have a venturous spirit and crave change from time to time. Is there a benefit in knowing two cultures inside and out? You bet! My German background is actually what ended up landing me in the translation business. And so the story begins… As a child growing up in Germany I was lucky enough to have a father that worked at the airport. Hence, airplane tickets were available to my family at discounted rates. While most of my friends vacationed in Germany, France or Italy, my parents decided to fly all the way to the United States with me. I was very lucky, as I got to spend several summers in the sunshine state of Florida! I remember those times fondly. I enjoyed the climate change, the outgoing people and the gorgeous scenery that was so vastly different from Germany. Already during the flight across the ocean I'd try to drum up a little conversation in my broken English with the stewardesses and passengers… As I grew up learning English in school and singing English pop songs over and over again, my fondness for the English language and people grew. At one point in time I had it set in my mind that I would spend a year in the US on a student exchange program. But apparently someone had something else in mind, as I ended up falling in love with a Canadian. Hence, my story changed and before I knew it I was whisked away on my first vacation to Canada, which left a very favourable impression on me. Although the subsequent decision to move to Canada was not an easy one, I anticipated my new life with great excitement! By the time I moved here in 1994 my English skills had improved dramatically and before long people approached me to translate German documents for them. I quickly realized that the translation profession could be beneficial to me in many ways – it would help me keep in touch with my German roots and fine-tune my language skills. Now I feel blessed to be able to look back on 15 successful years in business with Premier Focus! I started out as a German freelance translator, but by now my translation agency translates documents and websites into all major languages from around the world! Since my move I've had many chances to enjoy both cultures – I speak both languages fluently, I understand both cultures inside and out, travel back and forth between both countries, enjoy cooking their cuisines and what's most important to me: I get to pass the traditions, language and values down to the next generation – my children! I enjoy teaching them about the German culture and I let them know that change is okay – change can help you grow stronger and wiser. Furthermore, exposure to other cultures can teach you to be more open-minded. I am very grateful that I can experience the joy of knowing two cultures, as it enriched my life more than I ever thought possible. Now I really understand and believe in what Jawaharlal Nehru (Indian Prime Minister 1889-1964) meant when he said: "Culture is the widening of the mind and of the spirit." |
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