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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAhBcsmG54aU
137Please respect copyright.PENANAQhjVMDkf5b
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAtyd13qPR1i
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而這,亦正是最容易出事的時候。137Please respect copyright.PENANABwvBiY1YCi
137Please respect copyright.PENANATqadUhz4fm
1989年6月,我們一家移民到溫哥華的第二週。137Please respect copyright.PENANASWPQgDFNVz
137Please respect copyright.PENANAKstAv8K4MV
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAqwvJRDiNe9
137Please respect copyright.PENANACjDuBXHcZs
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAAoYV8WCzOE
137Please respect copyright.PENANATHSQtt6MsY
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANA9LVzgXLd2m
137Please respect copyright.PENANAW8xd2wYtN9
所以當下我腦中閃過的念頭不是「他是誰」,而是:「又來了嗎?」137Please respect copyright.PENANAPWcHDQ8piN
137Please respect copyright.PENANAEdCPQdeqAY
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAeez6qb7atj
137Please respect copyright.PENANArJxEMVLEJI
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——137Please respect copyright.PENANAkHKXlRWgVm
137Please respect copyright.PENANAMfCBofxrP2
「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。」137Please respect copyright.PENANAR0i2RXRKxf
137Please respect copyright.PENANAaMddfSECbw
這下,所有人都愣住了。137Please respect copyright.PENANAf1mg1OlcNR
137Please respect copyright.PENANA0Qd3Dl7qkF
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAhiPyxSrBpM
137Please respect copyright.PENANAJQHYVGM9oN
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAS0jc273FCo
137Please respect copyright.PENANA2SLZdLstLy
我弟當年8歲137Please respect copyright.PENANAe9NmtA79Qv
清晨5點多,讓家裡中門大開,一個人跑到這個公園玩137Please respect copyright.PENANAw4LdC4mlNm
137Please respect copyright.PENANABhgdzM1LZa
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。」137Please respect copyright.PENANAiUK4GcgPku
137Please respect copyright.PENANAOnoAEeqvIX
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAlRi0eJoRBD
137Please respect copyright.PENANAq5g0rxEKuw
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAbkL5yeqfm7
137Please respect copyright.PENANANdW9hiwcPA
你守規矩、不是因爲怕被抓,而是因爲你認爲那是對的。137Please respect copyright.PENANAgOHaMs73Lz
137Please respect copyright.PENANAVJsI51iqhf
你不會偷,不是因爲到處都有監視鏡頭,而是因爲你不是賊。137Please respect copyright.PENANARZQAKz1dpn
137Please respect copyright.PENANAXt3WWbeHhu
信任、誠實、互助,這是1989年在加拿大默默流動的做人原則。137Please respect copyright.PENANA2SHwaUc9bZ
137Please respect copyright.PENANA272ePaoj5c
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAPxzl3xBH3o
137Please respect copyright.PENANAhGEDyMQ0CM
你家門一整天沒關也不怕,有事附近的人們會來幫忙。137Please respect copyright.PENANA3SYPurD6uA
137Please respect copyright.PENANAOR3DSscGZf
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAbkDkmGT17z
137Please respect copyright.PENANA7fsDrFIo32
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAPogRf1ehzb
137Please respect copyright.PENANAdqV2yPyKME
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAw7fNlAwENJ
137Please respect copyright.PENANA5LzVEpFE1S
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137Please respect copyright.PENANAdtcHd0RJAb
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
137Please respect copyright.PENANAW0o22kaJQt
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAqRjOAMONcA
137Please respect copyright.PENANAGP53l98kRd
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAWqWRskHyVJ
137Please respect copyright.PENANADr4BMHU94z
「奉公守法」被取笑是「蠢」,上前阻止更被反罵「憑什麼」。137Please respect copyright.PENANAHvoKAEkvTl
137Please respect copyright.PENANA6tpFiwd1Vk
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANA5qOrP6cWXc
137Please respect copyright.PENANAxtoTtTgpvA
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAtBEv5tXwtb
137Please respect copyright.PENANAQrvv4HY67X
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAYOQEfoKwBU
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然後,這座城市「學乖了」。137Please respect copyright.PENANAtwbKhth6u7
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家家戶戶都關上大門,Skytrain裝上閘門還要派人抓逃票。137Please respect copyright.PENANAEiO5WTCXQ6
137Please respect copyright.PENANAoFcFG9KJHw
現在誰敢把單車停在外面?137Please respect copyright.PENANArO3Pj0mIGD
137Please respect copyright.PENANAo8hBQB4W7V
就算上鎖了,還是要擔心一轉眼就被人偷走。137Please respect copyright.PENANAjLHYsryoHp
137Please respect copyright.PENANAU4aiws68O7
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
137Please respect copyright.PENANATKzrw6QEyQ
這根本不是進步,是戒心。137Please respect copyright.PENANA1tG6U5sgap
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人變得警覺了、冷了、疏離了。137Please respect copyright.PENANAqQBSTNhme1
137Please respect copyright.PENANAl97mgbUmG4
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?137Please respect copyright.PENANAwHl2eeXaJM
137Please respect copyright.PENANAlWaYGyYiRi
有些東西,當初不珍惜,到消失了才來抱怨。137Please respect copyright.PENANAzG9Jv70gwa
137Please respect copyright.PENANActamXcW8OL
是它變了,還是你讓它變了?137Please respect copyright.PENANAca8ZF4Onzs
137Please respect copyright.PENANAXHn9Lusi9V
作爲一粒楓糖魚蛋,我太清楚什麼叫不上不下。137Please respect copyright.PENANAJivZLIpy3J
137Please respect copyright.PENANA2xKD3Dkg0j
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAf18rrmkEjU
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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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAzbyaVHjPZ4
137Please respect copyright.PENANA6QrbZE2nK9
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAbSvKyoqiFW
137Please respect copyright.PENANAZQpOSG7NXN
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANA7fACk1LHxn
137Please respect copyright.PENANAS01gPXVVmX
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANAx4UUOagFVA
137Please respect copyright.PENANAFTUurOJEqb
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。137Please respect copyright.PENANA7ZvPqEJbiD
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因爲這麼一來,這裡就不再是加拿大了。