Tag: Immigrant
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November Life Update
We’ve assimilated to life as Canadians in all but one aspect—I still do my spring cleaning in October/November, like I would in the southern hemisphere. And, as luck would have it, my intense spring cleaning fever coincides with something big this year. We’re moving. For many immigrants, purchasing a home is a long-term dream. Moving…
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How Immigration Influences My Writing
I’ve lived on three continents, in countries with 14 national languages collectively, of which I was fluent in 2 and passable in one. An adventure, people call it. For me, amid the culture shock, those times it felt impossible to adapt, and those wondrous instances of ‘I’m really here, this is really happening to me’,…
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Accidental Accent
Okay, the title might be confusing, considering we moved to this country almost six years ago. 🤠But this topic feels like a natural extension of my post about our citizenship. While living in Germany, we could get by with things we regularly said in South Africa. ‘Ja’ is a staple there, pronounced identically to…
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Citizenship Achieved
In August 2015, we left everything we’d ever known. That’s a big statement. A heavy one. Full of unknowns, challenges, and anxiety. But it didn’t hold us back; we were determined. Our adventure led us across continents, exposed us to diverse cultures and languages, and tempered us in ways we couldn’t imagine. But it took…
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The Truth About Weather
Immigration changes you in many ways. Big ways, definitely. If you’re interested, I’ve chatted about our experiences, wins, and struggles as immigrants in past posts (find them here). But there are also the small ways. For example, I now have this weird not-Canadian, not-South African accent going. 😅 I think it might be because of…
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Five
It was unreasonably sunny, after the ordeal we’d had. Kayla–not yet two–had experienced the worst possible first flight. She’d been sick and unable to sleep, and while I’d struggled to soothe her, the creepy flight attendant had flirted with me all night. I’d also been motion sick, overheated, and generally uncomfortable, but all of it…
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Four Years an Immigrant
I was pretty shocked to realise our four-year immigration anniversary came and went on the 25th of August. I was feverish with writing the final chapter or two of A Trial of Sparks & Kindling, so I didn’t even realise the anniversary had passed until a few days later. Four years an immigrant. In the…
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Survival Tips for New Immigrants
Lately, I’ve constantly been thinking about life as a new immigrant. I know so many people who have either just moved or are about to make a home in a new country, and they’re sharing so many firsts photos in their feeds. It’s difficult not to get all nostalgic about the same time in my…
Yolandie Horak 