Montreal v. Berlin: The Visible Minority
(Parc Lafontaine, Montreal)
The plan is to come back to Montreal. Definitely. Maybe. Sure. I really like this town. Especially now that it’s sunny and spring and warm. It’s really saddening that I only have one month left in Montreal when it’s just getting back to sidewalk cafes, walks in the parks, and ice cream. Just the other day, we ran into a German-Canadian couple in the park who we’d connected with before pounds and pounds of snow descended upon the city for 5 months. It feels like things are just starting to come back to life.
A couple of weeks ago, new statistics were released showing that one in six Canadians is a “visible minority.” Here, I rarely think about life in terms as a visible minority. In Berlin, I’m clearly visible and a minority; it is a present cloak around daily affairs. In Montreal, it rarely enters my mind. I wake up, leave the house, and by the time I’ve made it downtown, I’ve probably seen at least one person of every ethnicity that I could think up randomly on any given day.
There are no stares or bizarre comments. People approach me to say how cute my daughter is instead of using her as an opportunity to have an unwanted discussion on race and genetics. Those are the moments I dread when thinking about moving back to Berlin. Being away from all of that has been a welcome change. A little moment to exhale. Coming home each day without a “Would you believe…?” story. I think I’ve smiled more this year than in the last 3 but that’s probably due to the most adorable little girl in the world.
Tally: Montreal 1 – Berlin 0.
I’m just realizing how much children make situations bearable.:-) We don’t have any, but I believe if we did, the “Would you believe” stuff would pale in comparison to a giggle from a tot. I think since you’ve lived in Berlin before, the shock won’t be as shocking…perhaps.
Viel Glück und viel Spass!
Thanks, Rashunda! I always think I’ve been there, done that with culture shock but there’s always someone to prove me wrong… I’ll have to do a pro-Berlin post soon
[...] Montreal v. Berlin: The Visible Minority « goldfish in a blender “In Berlin, I’m clearly visible and a minority; it is a present cloak around daily affairs. In Montreal, it rarely enters my mind. I wake up, leave the house, and by the time I’ve made it downtown, I’ve probably seen at least one person of every eth (tags: Canada Montreal Quebec Berlin Germany race racism visibleminority) [...]