One thing that comes with immigrating to a completely different place is going through a culture shock, or perhaps, multiple culture-shocks. We have gathered a list of things that many international students have found either odd or amusing after they moved to Canada.
Self Gas Pump
If you came from Asia, it probably never occurred to you how one would set up the pump for your car at gas stations. In many places in Asia, there are usually representatives that assist you to fill up your tank. However, it’s not the same in Canada as labour is more costly. Hence, you will see in this article that there’s a lot of services that you will have to serve yourself.
Self-serving Take-out
Another self-serve that a lot of international students have found odd is that in some restaurants, when you ask for your food to be packed to go, the servers may actually give you the take-out boxes and have you pack it yourself.
Self Check-Out
On the rise of technology, more and more services are becoming self-serve. In most Canadian grocery stores, you have the option of scanning out your own grocery items. Not only this is an amusing thing to do, this involves a lot of trust in the people.
Yelling “Thank You” to the Bus Driver
According to popular belief that Canadians are polite, it can be reflected even while they are stepping out of the bus. You may hear a lot of people yelling, “thank you,” to the bus driver as they arrive in their destination.
Electric Train
It may be a new thing for some people that inter-city trains in Canada do not have an operator. You can take the front seat and enjoy the view when you are on the train!
No Stray Animals (cats & dogs)
As much as we love cute animals, we never know what to do when they are strayed on the street. In Canada, you will barely see this. Most animals are regulated.
Unlimited Soda Fountain
Another scene of trustworthiness is when you go to fast food restaurants in Canada, they will give you an empty cup and you’re more than welcome to fill it up with any soda you’d like, as much and as frequent as you desire. You’ll get used to it!
No Uniform
Canadian public schools don’t require uniforms for its students. Most of the time, uniforms are only worn for private schools.
Ability to Return Paid Items
As weird as it sounds, most stores in Canada take returns of any items. Whether it be clothing or packaged food, Canadian businesses prioritize their customers’ health and satisfaction. One tip though, keep your receipts!