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。82Please respect copyright.PENANA7MTxaoSmrz
82Please respect copyright.PENANAL4DCeMQBIW
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAIGa1uHyWGn
82Please respect copyright.PENANAQYUNKfWv2Z
而這,亦正是最容易出事的時候。82Please respect copyright.PENANALa9l5KBl4I
82Please respect copyright.PENANACzxfRKUXgt
1989年6月,我們一家移民到溫哥華的第二週。82Please respect copyright.PENANAr6X4ZL2zMk
82Please respect copyright.PENANAc5invg684z
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAkGqEnjEd4Q
82Please respect copyright.PENANA0nZKBXEeOI
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAa1xeMU48fX
82Please respect copyright.PENANAc2yy7XhsMh
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAEooicJsR2C
82Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZzJQlqKXw
所以當下我腦中閃過的念頭不是「他是誰」,而是:「又來了嗎?」82Please respect copyright.PENANAR3GQxdmVJ3
82Please respect copyright.PENANAgRDAsGWaQF
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAbcZOI0G3A0
82Please respect copyright.PENANAy6QnXU4Xue
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——82Please respect copyright.PENANAUDv8WgZ76Y
82Please respect copyright.PENANAhCbSdskZvz
「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。」82Please respect copyright.PENANArWomlouURY
82Please respect copyright.PENANAe229O8RHBU
這下,所有人都愣住了。82Please respect copyright.PENANApQaEj3dWrl
82Please respect copyright.PENANAnEGuWvwxS6
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANA4aVXCbCW3F
82Please respect copyright.PENANAafzSMcXsVE
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAfiQhihfpGO
82Please respect copyright.PENANAztEVnPtOUO
我弟當年8歲82Please respect copyright.PENANAaKIXhSiiXS
清晨5點多,讓家裡中門大開,一個人跑到這個公園玩82Please respect copyright.PENANA5hmlkhmofP
82Please respect copyright.PENANAP4j0d0719d
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。」82Please respect copyright.PENANAbWTbqa8IAR
82Please respect copyright.PENANAAGr9ozIGbH
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAA534zEOFYu
82Please respect copyright.PENANAzx0BSLv6CH
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAtWS3saXt4J
82Please respect copyright.PENANA9igg75VsF9
你守規矩、不是因爲怕被抓,而是因爲你認爲那是對的。82Please respect copyright.PENANAUzDMWQtRmT
82Please respect copyright.PENANAn3HYK8nnSA
你不會偷,不是因爲到處都有監視鏡頭,而是因爲你不是賊。82Please respect copyright.PENANACX4UxbphzZ
82Please respect copyright.PENANAcvibVA7FVX
信任、誠實、互助,這是1989年在加拿大默默流動的做人原則。82Please respect copyright.PENANA5CSJ6ywHMW
82Please respect copyright.PENANAZXzrkN4rut
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAYZMGjjOc88
82Please respect copyright.PENANAvHimEoZpjT
你家門一整天沒關也不怕,有事附近的人們會來幫忙。82Please respect copyright.PENANA4ZTvNWco9O
82Please respect copyright.PENANAEPX6POpa0O
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANA5F58cSWEyS
82Please respect copyright.PENANA65n4XRHZ6E
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAzIDzBDckBc
82Please respect copyright.PENANAKt6leBUydC
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANA8yyINRhPeK
82Please respect copyright.PENANAA6a5hbraO2
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82Please respect copyright.PENANAGA4UTyZsKz
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
82Please respect copyright.PENANAqAQN4xoLYo
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANASfbVAVGA5D
82Please respect copyright.PENANALeEiTLfnwd
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAbtfVPGuzE7
82Please respect copyright.PENANAzluMDgM2gS
「奉公守法」被取笑是「蠢」,上前阻止更被反罵「憑什麼」。82Please respect copyright.PENANAlLZx3PkEYq
82Please respect copyright.PENANA3HIlPStSdF
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAiYHEAERD2M
82Please respect copyright.PENANAtGIDWuKuhC
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANA6gEtY7LrxI
82Please respect copyright.PENANA8Z69mTtdAG
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANA8pVeTJUMT5
82Please respect copyright.PENANAm8ISlIaq32
然後,這座城市「學乖了」。82Please respect copyright.PENANATbEWXVhf6u
82Please respect copyright.PENANA35lsjUN2FN
家家戶戶都關上大門,Skytrain裝上閘門還要派人抓逃票。82Please respect copyright.PENANA7sq7QuMi4A
82Please respect copyright.PENANAgEbkIz9FW3
現在誰敢把單車停在外面?82Please respect copyright.PENANAVuRuMjiwmt
82Please respect copyright.PENANAoXvoJtZpqa
就算上鎖了,還是要擔心一轉眼就被人偷走。82Please respect copyright.PENANA4FeecxihEl
82Please respect copyright.PENANAoUvEcjkwkO
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
82Please respect copyright.PENANAF20HXW1eW7
這根本不是進步,是戒心。82Please respect copyright.PENANAJrNWECJ1zc
82Please respect copyright.PENANAhIG5rdaSv4
人變得警覺了、冷了、疏離了。82Please respect copyright.PENANAQp7DsgKZnt
82Please respect copyright.PENANACqoLU4fulz
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?82Please respect copyright.PENANAOV1NNbSnCs
82Please respect copyright.PENANAtrARLerXGW
有些東西,當初不珍惜,到消失了才來抱怨。82Please respect copyright.PENANA6Y76PrT3HV
82Please respect copyright.PENANAjrQNJ5V83p
是它變了,還是你讓它變了?82Please respect copyright.PENANA1LccYgLH1U
82Please respect copyright.PENANAIo9Jpux6Jh
作爲一粒楓糖魚蛋,我太清楚什麼叫不上不下。82Please respect copyright.PENANADpznSQaTtF
82Please respect copyright.PENANAG6jjxSEWWv
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAD5yEDQGqQ8
82Please respect copyright.PENANAUJBSpbmHyA
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAl8xQKSBKAk
82Please respect copyright.PENANAIa6Rgp6iJw
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANATtzVqlz6pE
82Please respect copyright.PENANAoOEsVKGVU1
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAl1nVF2750R
82Please respect copyright.PENANArvZSbB8Crj
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAfIpzdalV16
82Please respect copyright.PENANA2uKaveGgrD
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。82Please respect copyright.PENANAWm1XFreeJ0
82Please respect copyright.PENANAM6jg0zFXHb
因爲這麼一來,這裡就不再是加拿大了。