What changes has living in Quebec brought to me?

First, I can't drive, and I'm used to growing up on wheels.

In China, even if you live in the suburbs, there are convenient buses, and then compatriots are generally strong. It's okay to walk two or three kilometers or even five or six kilometers. However, the territory of Quebec is several times that of France. Our village has a population of less than 3,000, but it has more than 200 square kilometers, and some people have (at least) hundreds of thousands of square meters of land! It is unrealistic to walk around, which is also a big reason why private cars are more popular. Most people have cars and can drive.

Partly because of my work, I have traveled to six and a half provinces in Canada's ten provinces and three districts, but I basically rely on planes, trains and long-distance buses. In fact, due to its vast territory and sparsely populated area, Canada's travel and transportation costs are considerable. In contrast, inter-provincial tourism in China will be more expensive than the neighboring countries in Central and South America. It is unfriendly to people who can't drive, and most people will choose to go to road trip.

Do everything possible to travel nearby this year. Thanks to my special caring partner, he took me around the province every chance, even if it was only for half a day. The prosperity of Montreal gradually lost its appeal to me, preferring to go to small places, at least one or two small towns in the province every month.

Second, stay away from the temptation of modern prosperity.

When I am in China, I will go to the library to borrow and return books regularly, and occasionally go to the movies and eat out with friends, which belongs to the kind where the consumption level of urban population has shrunk to a very low level. If you live in a big city, such as Montreal, you may occasionally go to a shopping mall and eat out. Very opposed to consumerism, we are located in the countryside, and our hearts are relatively quiet. Can't we go to restaurants several times a year to buy clothes and all kinds of popular things? It's not necessary. Our leisure activities are basically doing housework (! ), cooking, swimming, he watches TV and I read books. Unconsciously saving energy and reducing emissions.

Third, closer to nature.

When I was in China, I always liked places like Botanical Gardens, on the one hand, because the air was better and the noise was relatively less in places with dense vegetation in the city, and on the other hand, because I always liked gardening. Not only have I planted dozens of pots at home, but I always want to know more about it online when I see all kinds of flowers and plants. To some extent, I like nature better than human beings. Quebec is not only rich in forest and fresh water resources (all in Canada), but also rich in wildlife. The forest area in the village also exceeds that of farms and pastures, and there are rivers, streams and ponds on the roadside at any time, not to mention a large freshwater lake next to us. Go out for a walk or stay at home, sometimes you will see squirrels, beavers, otters, groundhogs, raccoons, skunks, turkeys, geese, wild ducks, eagles, owls and so on. . . . . . Swimming in the lake, sometimes there are wild ducks and small fish swimming under you without fear. . . . . . Not to mention the countless wild flowers that bloom in the Woods and fields every day in spring and summer. Oh, wait a minute, you will see some varieties in the places where potted plants are sold in the city. At least ten or eight pots of flowers and plants grow everywhere, which is much more energetic than working on a flowerpot.

I think the harmonious state between man and nature is closely related to residents' consciousness. Every time I send photos in a circle of friends and share the wild animals or birds I meet, my domestic friends will leave a message like "Why don't you catch up and eat?" Really from the heart. I can't help thinking that, to some extent, we have chosen and created our own environment, destroying the ecology endlessly, and the serious pollution of air, soil and drinking water will in turn harm our health. Aren't we hurting ourselves?

Another advantage of living in the country is that camping costs almost nothing. Summer is also the camping season here. Every Friday afternoon, huge traffic flows from the city to the countryside. Some people buy or rent a camping car directly, while others tow a car behind the car. My family can camp as long as it is in the yard. Of course, there is no need to do that. I am already in nature, and I am very satisfied.

Fourth, the residence is more empty than empty.

In China, when I lived upstairs and downstairs alone, it was relatively empty. In Quebec (the countryside), everyone is an independent house. I found that houses with larger neighbors in the village often only live in one or two people. I can't help it It's so capricious that the land is vast and the population is sparse. Most families have groves. The last time I visited a house, the forest on someone's site was big enough to walk in, and there was a small river crossing it, so hunting and fishing could be realized on our own site. By contrast, my family is really dwarfed.

Verb (abbreviation for verb) consumption degradation

At home, I feel that I am more careful than everyone I know, but I am single and unconstrained, and I often can't respond to the "single tax". After all, a small family has been formed here, and the house and car are the bulk of the expenses. To maintain a comfortable little life at home, you should learn to be more careful with my other half. For example, I used to buy new clothes without wearing them and books without reading them. Bye. Basically, I only buy necessities and shop around. What the capitalist market economy buys but doesn't sell, all kinds of advertisements can be packaged enough to confuse people: it's really cheap. If you don't take (buy) this convenient (commercial) product, you will suffer. But is it really cheap enough? Is the low price on the label really the lowest? Occasionally open the supermarket to make a "special price" price tag. The normal price and special price of the lower bid are actually the same. This trick is used to cheat silly children with little life experience. In short, we must continue to fight against profiteers.

Sixth, I am more willing to visit physical stores.

I am proud of the developed online shopping in China. I sat at home, lit my mobile phone with my mouse or finger, and waited to receive the goods. I heard that most of the retail in Europe and America still rely on physical stores, and I feel that "China is the best in the world". . . . . .

After I arrived in Quebec, I lived in the country. However, a city with a population of more than 100,000 kilometers away (according to domestic standards) has various hypermarkets. Needless to say, there are more than one home building materials hardware store and art goods store, which are both competitive and complementary, and there are also chain stores that started in this province.

I can't help but recall my life in China, the capital city with a population of several million: can I buy any type of screws or any decoration materials with open and transparent prices at any time in the local assured store? Can you guarantee that this is not a fake? Can the wall paint be used up to ensure that there is no odor within three days? Can I go to the physical store to buy colored lead at any time or try the color of the stylus at that time? Can there be a row of passages filled with watercolor pens in the shop?

At least I personally prefer the present shopping experience.

Seven, more generous than before (? )

I have always felt that there are still some animal characteristics in people's bones, such as territorial consciousness. Everyone needs a certain physical space. It is precisely because the denser the population, the greater the tension between people, which brings some psychological pressure, so some people say that cities are the abyss of evil. And we introverts sometimes feel the pressure and tension of others because we are more sensitive.

When I arrived in Quebec, I probably felt more at ease because I lived in a sparsely populated country. Walking on the road, some folks will slow down and say hello when driving or cycling by, and I have changed from the person who wanted to hide in the city to the person who waved first when I met others on the road.

Eight, more cold-resistant

Not as cold as I thought. . . . . .

First of all, the weather forecast in Canada will say "the temperature is XX degrees" and "the body feels XX degrees". Under the same temperature conditions, depending on whether there is rain or snow, what level and direction the wind is, and even individual differences, it will be different.

Besides, when you go out, drive away from the garage. There is heating everywhere, and the heating in public places is more popular than that in Dabei.

Fear of cold can also be adjusted from the diet. When I was in China, I ate more dairy products (milk, cheese, etc.). ) than the average person. My physique is more pungent than the average person with cold hands and feet. Although I can't catch up with the natives here, I am more adaptable.

Thirty or forty degrees below zero? Only occasionally use a second-hand knee-length cotton-padded coat for winter, and even shovel snow in the yard every day, saving money for lifting iron in the gym.

Nine, enjoy the convenience of life.

Needless to say, the dishwasher frees your hands. Except a few dishes that must be washed by hand, put them in the dishwasher and wash them regularly (almost once a week).

Prominent examples are washing machines and dryers. Hand washing? It doesn't exist, but it can be sterilized at high temperature anyway Some families hang their clothes in the yard in order to save some electricity. In our yard, pine trees are often stained with turpentine, so we rely entirely on the dryer.

-the dividing line of summary.

In short, I have experienced a rural life closer to nature, and my personality is better than before, and I am not so afraid of the cold. These are all developing in a good direction for me. All the above are personal subjective experiences, and I look forward to giving some reference to friends who want to live in rural Canada in the future.

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Alice by the lake

Lifelong learner, settled in Canada.

Sixteen years experience in immigration industry.

You can find me in the "Letter from the Beaver King" on the official WeChat account.

Will continue to update more related contents of overseas life and foreign language learning.