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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAI2zdGhedNg
116Please respect copyright.PENANAn1pFZS4RAB
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAc2c58rvfnn
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而這,亦正是最容易出事的時候。116Please respect copyright.PENANAbIfjrlAig5
116Please respect copyright.PENANABVU9uUXpqr
1989年6月,我們一家移民到溫哥華的第二週。116Please respect copyright.PENANAK90o3XkMU6
116Please respect copyright.PENANAOuiL9nlzn1
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAlgM5jCo38u
116Please respect copyright.PENANA1cjOjCJ2ul
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAEq5R0eKQo8
116Please respect copyright.PENANALGoP4Fwo7P
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAslCVCVuf9G
116Please respect copyright.PENANARiAqmfiVDQ
所以當下我腦中閃過的念頭不是「他是誰」,而是:「又來了嗎?」116Please respect copyright.PENANALByiSmCiV7
116Please respect copyright.PENANAa3PkGQt4si
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAUKt3sVC8Xn
116Please respect copyright.PENANAzudPuYC6Qx
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——116Please respect copyright.PENANAj2nclra34R
116Please respect copyright.PENANAJkRU2oLwnu
「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。」116Please respect copyright.PENANAjVW5IqJ56f
116Please respect copyright.PENANAN5cD4PBBek
這下,所有人都愣住了。116Please respect copyright.PENANA2kOzQOl7bU
116Please respect copyright.PENANAio8w3eaFO3
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAO8Up9RaK97
116Please respect copyright.PENANAHzXFkdCbVf
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAuQFc75wOzj
116Please respect copyright.PENANAu9ev4dvsU4
我弟當年8歲116Please respect copyright.PENANA2QRSO1I9SH
清晨5點多,讓家裡中門大開,一個人跑到這個公園玩116Please respect copyright.PENANA9cMuJp809Y
116Please respect copyright.PENANAI85M5amwF8
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。」116Please respect copyright.PENANAnl8G8syqox
116Please respect copyright.PENANAwMU0FGtGuc
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAWIPaqyMwac
116Please respect copyright.PENANAT3qn8WeSZP
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAt6TX0cy7QD
116Please respect copyright.PENANAcqFsYY8HAg
你守規矩、不是因爲怕被抓,而是因爲你認爲那是對的。116Please respect copyright.PENANAJdtuQ31IJ1
116Please respect copyright.PENANAMs8aEpzJbY
你不會偷,不是因爲到處都有監視鏡頭,而是因爲你不是賊。116Please respect copyright.PENANA4vcr1Q48ZX
116Please respect copyright.PENANA1gUUMa6bzx
信任、誠實、互助,這是1989年在加拿大默默流動的做人原則。116Please respect copyright.PENANAm1FvUTnYDQ
116Please respect copyright.PENANAgb8M3zi1ZR
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANADhP7QmjM47
116Please respect copyright.PENANARPTABLOwvJ
你家門一整天沒關也不怕,有事附近的人們會來幫忙。116Please respect copyright.PENANAsWbLV1qP3f
116Please respect copyright.PENANAEG8DEBS345
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAK61W8y3Icd
116Please respect copyright.PENANASDWlsMItRV
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAIA2Zpf9DdR
116Please respect copyright.PENANAPvzLRKHMOg
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAJLX5E0Xyan
116Please respect copyright.PENANAI2s0bTXNFN
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116Please respect copyright.PENANAXkPGZTM5AI
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
116Please respect copyright.PENANATpq5tMc7mc
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAspfgYOQGGk
116Please respect copyright.PENANAcg0z9PjOyU
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAsdzd7gmLgy
116Please respect copyright.PENANA4NdJ6bnw1X
「奉公守法」被取笑是「蠢」,上前阻止更被反罵「憑什麼」。116Please respect copyright.PENANAnX6N8UiQQ7
116Please respect copyright.PENANAWqML2avd8D
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANA6CuxiQBukA
116Please respect copyright.PENANApMv8ov9UtQ
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAZdEwQA8nTs
116Please respect copyright.PENANAE5EJoq9Qpj
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAyQePngKW4H
116Please respect copyright.PENANALLmKbqu3ms
然後,這座城市「學乖了」。116Please respect copyright.PENANAkcahBt2gHe
116Please respect copyright.PENANAZCQX6JufAn
家家戶戶都關上大門,Skytrain裝上閘門還要派人抓逃票。116Please respect copyright.PENANAreMtqiSsqg
116Please respect copyright.PENANAXPpBDgnbqc
現在誰敢把單車停在外面?116Please respect copyright.PENANAPFLrlnJkMw
116Please respect copyright.PENANA0XnMsW1ZTn
就算上鎖了,還是要擔心一轉眼就被人偷走。116Please respect copyright.PENANABhfPJMFKiA
116Please respect copyright.PENANAAGVAN65Mqz
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
116Please respect copyright.PENANAlIhZmSLN4A
這根本不是進步,是戒心。116Please respect copyright.PENANA2AD1ag3E59
116Please respect copyright.PENANAVoCtQTJQfl
人變得警覺了、冷了、疏離了。116Please respect copyright.PENANA0dge5emw2i
116Please respect copyright.PENANANCnc8DpTP4
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?116Please respect copyright.PENANAw54zFp8Bey
116Please respect copyright.PENANAndTnUZ4a3h
有些東西,當初不珍惜,到消失了才來抱怨。116Please respect copyright.PENANA0Ri2CQA4jG
116Please respect copyright.PENANAJk11eIrryL
是它變了,還是你讓它變了?116Please respect copyright.PENANAazq9j31Q2G
116Please respect copyright.PENANA0gyohs3YRe
作爲一粒楓糖魚蛋,我太清楚什麼叫不上不下。116Please respect copyright.PENANAjIDpTK5gmd
116Please respect copyright.PENANALqAMV9K2d9
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAEMRip0xQxE
116Please respect copyright.PENANAc7n7oz7qRw
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAUYId49S7zB
116Please respect copyright.PENANAaiMv9YXETz
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAyPuV1S8Thp
116Please respect copyright.PENANAAsAbUW3OuI
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANA172hDt6LSC
116Please respect copyright.PENANAvgUdRxDJZG
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAMgt5lScLNJ
116Please respect copyright.PENANANsKsI9sjJ1
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。116Please respect copyright.PENANAPohwa1G8kG
116Please respect copyright.PENANASQm8WegXNc
因爲這麼一來,這裡就不再是加拿大了。