對大部份新移民來說,來到一個全新的城市,只要活過第一週,就代表你稍微能鬆一口氣。93Please respect copyright.PENANAa4nW1pIdTT
93Please respect copyright.PENANAmPOywRirgL
從這裡開始,你大概知道哪裡有超市、該怎樣坐巴士、哪幾個街角不該亂走,當生活開始有規律,那種剛建立起來的安全感,加上仍在探索新環境的新鮮感,確實會令每天都過得充實又興奮。93Please respect copyright.PENANA75g9MO2ooU
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而這,亦正是最容易出事的時候。93Please respect copyright.PENANAmm6CRDYkpA
93Please respect copyright.PENANASu2Qsemi5F
1989年6月,我們一家移民到溫哥華的第二週。93Please respect copyright.PENANAwr5FcAo2oV
93Please respect copyright.PENANAyMQzOtMQuV
當年我睡在父母隔壁,跟兩個弟弟睡不同房間。某天清晨,我還在睡夢之中,忽然房門外面傳來一陣騷動。儘管還沒完全睡醒,但我確切地感到有事發生了,於是便趕快跳下床,衝出房外。93Please respect copyright.PENANATZgzdrLpnj
93Please respect copyright.PENANAjuwQir2CBF
然後我就看到,一個白人男人站在走廊盡頭,一邊牽着我二弟的手,一邊敲我父母的房門。93Please respect copyright.PENANAepI95dVx6m
93Please respect copyright.PENANApn7pEZxM2A
移民前,我家曾經遭賊人入屋行劫。那次我和我兩個弟弟還在熟睡,賊人就拿我們的性命威脅,將我父母反綁起來再洗劫整個單位。93Please respect copyright.PENANAdVWy2opkPt
93Please respect copyright.PENANAsWJW2TpHJf
所以當下我腦中閃過的念頭不是「他是誰」,而是:「又來了嗎?」93Please respect copyright.PENANA8HdRpRt5cx
93Please respect copyright.PENANAJYDKeMTMxC
就在我還驚魂未定之際,我媽已經「咔」一聲打開房門跟對方打了個照面。93Please respect copyright.PENANARn7vXVgDq2
93Please respect copyright.PENANAm9i2Ww9qpn
然後,我聽到我爸的呼喝聲,顯然他跟我一樣馬上就想到被人入屋行劫——93Please respect copyright.PENANAaMRLyV4PfW
93Please respect copyright.PENANAIwdhY8Qg8F
「等等!」那個白人男子突然舉起雙手,語氣溫和的問:「這孩子是你們的嗎?我在公園看到他一個人在玩,所以帶他回來囉。」93Please respect copyright.PENANAMh5reF9rdj
93Please respect copyright.PENANAIshDr82JYC
這下,所有人都愣住了。93Please respect copyright.PENANA7IkRYkAszO
93Please respect copyright.PENANAeG0xV9BoSV
原來,這位好心人清晨六點出來晨運,在公園看到我弟一個人穿着睡衣在盪鞦韆,嚇得趕緊牽着我弟找回來,沒料到我家竟然中門大開,裡面安靜得像發生了命案一樣。93Please respect copyright.PENANAA3a2yxjYWs
93Please respect copyright.PENANAcYDPAI43ok
白人男子說完,走廊的氣氛變得超級尷尬,所有人的目光都落在我弟身上。93Please respect copyright.PENANAwQG9A22lCA
93Please respect copyright.PENANAkApRZ80jRN
我弟當年8歲93Please respect copyright.PENANAuRqeg8do3k
清晨5點多,讓家裡中門大開,一個人跑到這個公園玩93Please respect copyright.PENANAlJcGPj04rb
93Please respect copyright.PENANAulUhFHhAeX
在剛移民的幾年,我經常被本地的親戚叮囑:「別把以前住在香港那一套帶來加拿大。」93Please respect copyright.PENANAxk5KcC67H2
93Please respect copyright.PENANAaMW6JMol1W
他們說,加拿大人的淳樸,不只是對你微笑點頭、寒暄幾句那麼簡單。93Please respect copyright.PENANA8g385oa48C
93Please respect copyright.PENANA1vGMqDzjQh
這裡一直都存在着某種心照不宣的默契,一種靠誠信維繫的「Honor System」。很多事不需要寫進法律,大家都會自覺遵守。93Please respect copyright.PENANAhdx3qNpgPE
93Please respect copyright.PENANAfPqklhyAkx
你守規矩、不是因爲怕被抓,而是因爲你認爲那是對的。93Please respect copyright.PENANAll9ToAYv9P
93Please respect copyright.PENANA5hN2wucoCZ
你不會偷,不是因爲到處都有監視鏡頭,而是因爲你不是賊。93Please respect copyright.PENANALxly8MC7Fr
93Please respect copyright.PENANARjBSTqferU
信任、誠實、互助,這是1989年在加拿大默默流動的做人原則。93Please respect copyright.PENANAgbrQqlzkWJ
93Please respect copyright.PENANAlqVUG1vRXR
即使鄰居彼此不太來往,整個社區依然維持著一種互信的平衡。93Please respect copyright.PENANA0ZCEx636E4
93Please respect copyright.PENANABHZ88wcjSM
你家門一整天沒關也不怕,有事附近的人們會來幫忙。93Please respect copyright.PENANAyTKeftp1mY
93Please respect copyright.PENANAv8dMd3W5P8
單車丟前院、孩子偷跑出去,不用擔心從此下落不明,因爲沒人會順手牽羊。93Please respect copyright.PENANA3cqfDT4w7b
93Please respect copyright.PENANAFXvzkgaKTb
當年,這邊的巴士車票只是一張司機隨手撕下的紙條,憑着撕痕判斷有效時間。架空列車(Skytrain)更是連閘門都沒有,大家自動自覺會去買票,不用人盯、不用入閘,也沒人會懷疑着系統會被濫用。93Please respect copyright.PENANAAEPWfK6AdQ
93Please respect copyright.PENANAZgaM3IyvZt
這是因爲大家都知道:交通局要營運、城市要進步,大家就得乖乖掏錢,沒什麼好討價還價的。93Please respect copyright.PENANAW2XwWWmIdV
93Please respect copyright.PENANA2gegFOVt98
當年巴士司機旁邊有一疊這票,隨手一撕就是票的有效時間93Please respect copyright.PENANAhtr0w1cI4g
因爲上車時候不會檢查太嚴謹,很多人就自己動手腳來「延長」有效時間囉
93Please respect copyright.PENANA3sMGfleUYw
直到有一天,加拿大人發現這一套,跟世界各地的文化相差很遠。93Please respect copyright.PENANASohpyej3ct
93Please respect copyright.PENANAKduNsWCmRB
有些國家的人,對「鑽漏洞」、「佔便宜」這種事,非但不覺得羞愧,還把這種事跟「聰明」畫上等號。只要沒被抓住,那就你技高一籌,甚至可以拿去到處炫耀。93Please respect copyright.PENANAweyCRdGYgs
93Please respect copyright.PENANAmXvQ0j2Oys
「奉公守法」被取笑是「蠢」,上前阻止更被反罵「憑什麼」。93Please respect copyright.PENANAyZtfsq8xRB
93Please respect copyright.PENANAYompW7Vpbb
我不是針對哪一個國家的人。只是這些年下來,加拿大的移民政策確實有漏洞——不是每個來到這裡的人,都願意理解這裡的文化,或尊重這裡原有的規則。93Please respect copyright.PENANAS6H84gF1aY
93Please respect copyright.PENANALKXHZg5fGd
加拿大人痛恨自己一向擁護的價值觀被扭曲,但在「尊重多元」與「文化包容」的信念之下,他們選擇了忍耐。93Please respect copyright.PENANAbofnk1x0h5
93Please respect copyright.PENANAbV0hhCzr0T
結果,話說了一遍又一遍,解釋過、提醒過、教育過,最後還是有人把「怎樣不被抓到」當作值得炫耀的生活智慧,沾沾自喜地四處分享。93Please respect copyright.PENANAs694i20UgN
93Please respect copyright.PENANA4OKlKG0XAE
然後,這座城市「學乖了」。93Please respect copyright.PENANA0TEAKrGAUj
93Please respect copyright.PENANAdf5gqCJ4yM
家家戶戶都關上大門,Skytrain裝上閘門還要派人抓逃票。93Please respect copyright.PENANAcxr1J3osNX
93Please respect copyright.PENANAsrKgxRzYnA
現在誰敢把單車停在外面?93Please respect copyright.PENANAQEiLUaDBFT
93Please respect copyright.PENANAwZ70wJZwBu
就算上鎖了,還是要擔心一轉眼就被人偷走。93Please respect copyright.PENANAbwxHORGOXH
93Please respect copyright.PENANAGyoGF4aSj9
現在別說是把單車停在自家門前,就是上鎖也很快被人偷走
93Please respect copyright.PENANAwb0Zk7a9HI
這根本不是進步,是戒心。93Please respect copyright.PENANAs2jaJbSyUn
93Please respect copyright.PENANARrL2uiCRyi
人變得警覺了、冷了、疏離了。93Please respect copyright.PENANAyacTfr67AP
93Please respect copyright.PENANAchN5g7qJNf
然後,新移民一副發現貨不對版的嘴臉問:加拿大人不是很熱情、很淳樸的嗎?93Please respect copyright.PENANAr29XKVtyvw
93Please respect copyright.PENANAMsfRrIEiUY
有些東西,當初不珍惜,到消失了才來抱怨。93Please respect copyright.PENANApePG2AZUnw
93Please respect copyright.PENANA8zhM88CkwU
是它變了,還是你讓它變了?93Please respect copyright.PENANALf3WBZ32rI
93Please respect copyright.PENANAnFj8tSWZT2
作爲一粒楓糖魚蛋,我太清楚什麼叫不上不下。93Please respect copyright.PENANAwmJE863RkZ
93Please respect copyright.PENANAxpyP0fWrz6
要我徹底融入加拿大那套,我做不到;要我全盤認同原居地的文化,我也不願意。93Please respect copyright.PENANAU1chNWtFNo
93Please respect copyright.PENANAsjgjly5JAJ
我既不是道地的加拿大人,也不是既定印象中的那種本土香港人。93Please respect copyright.PENANAm3HWlDI0WI
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但正因爲卡在中間,我反而看得更清楚兩地文化的優點和缺點。93Please respect copyright.PENANAcjDP2Exupe
93Please respect copyright.PENANA4nq6PfZ89C
香港的效率高、反應快、腦筋靈活,這些都是加拿大辦不到的事。93Please respect copyright.PENANATsaQNgx6Nh
93Please respect copyright.PENANAwOj64TkrTJ
尤其我曾回流香港工作十多年,回來後,看到這邊的種種更是刺眼:官僚、愛搶道德高地、該動的不動,動起來又拖拖拉拉。93Please respect copyright.PENANATUljSMtouh
93Please respect copyright.PENANAQsAsWoV2E9
加拿大確實有太多需要改進的地方,但這不代表,所有文化都能無條件搬進來,當作理所當然。93Please respect copyright.PENANAjSMGtUYxZ1
93Please respect copyright.PENANA2zkZfiBbXc
因爲這麼一來,這裡就不再是加拿大了。