Havana, Cuba

[justagirrl]

To save money, I'm renting a room on a monthly basis until our application is approved. In the meantime, I've been looking at apartments for rent or sale, mostly to keep myself occupied. What do people here think, is it better to move into a neighbourhood with a large Spanish speaking population to ease the transition, or not use that as a factor to speed the transition?

I know my wife can adapt to wherever we live, but I'm more concerned with my step-daughter (12) and school as ESL.

Honestly, I believe a neighbourhood with Spanish speaking population would be helpful. It is mostly English where I live and my husband is overwhelmed. He can speak some English but he says the English he used to speak in Cuba is nowhere near what he hears here. He wants to learn English as much as possible so he is not down about it but I know it is difficult. If you are able to live in a Spanish neighbourhood, I would highly recommend it to ease your wife and her daughter into Canadian way of life.

 

[Mapleson]

if your wife is cuban i doubt she will adapt to ''where you live'',,canada has a culture which is 100x different than ours,,you speak different,think different,act different,,i would suggest you to move where there are cubans around for her to speak to,otherwise she will be homesick to death and lets hope the worse doesnt happpen,,anyways,,just a friendly advice.

I find it amusing how many Cubans define everything according to their own perspective. I'm going to assume that you are not integrating well and are "homesick to death". Am I correct? Have you been working?

 

[Mapleson]

Honestly, I believe a neighbourhood with Spanish speaking population would be helpful. It is mostly English where I live and my husband is overwhelmed. He can speak some English but he says the English he used to speak in Cuba is nowhere near what he hears here. He wants to learn English as much as possible so he is not down about it but I know it is difficult. If you are able to live in a Spanish neighbourhood, I would highly recommend it to ease your wife and her daughter into Canadian way of life.

Yes, most Cubans end up learning American English and don't realise that Canadian is as unique a dialect as Cuban Spanish is to Mexican. I've been researching neighbourhoods with significant Spanish speaking populations. I know it will ease the transition, but I don't want it to be a crutch that prevents them from learning English, etc.

 

[lokyy]

I find it amusing how many Cubans define everything according to their own perspective. I'm going to assume that you are not integrating well and are "homesick to death". Am I correct? Have you been working?

i speak english and french and let me tell you something my friend Cubans dont integrate to this country because we find people extremely cold(compared to us) im talking on behalf of every cuban i have met and know here in canada both in toronto and quebec...
let me tell you there is a 90% your spose might leave you and not because of you but because ive met canadians that cant deal with this country Let alone an Imigrant!!!!!

 

[lokyy]

Yes, most Cubans end up learning American English and don't realise that Canadian is as unique a dialect as Cuban Spanish is to Mexican. I've been researching neighbourhoods with significant Spanish speaking populations. I know it will ease the transition, but I don't want it to be a crutch that prevents them from learning English, etc.

actually i prefer the canadian accent,when i lived in miami americans used to say i spoke too proper lol....but the language is the last reason why cubans leave their spouses in canada trust me.

 

[ALazi]

To save money, I'm renting a room on a monthly basis until our application is approved. In the meantime, I've been looking at apartments for rent or sale, mostly to keep myself occupied. What do people here think, is it better to move into a neighbourhood with a large Spanish speaking population to ease the transition, or not use that as a factor to speed the transition?

I know my wife can adapt to wherever we live, but I'm more concerned with my step-daughter (12) and school as ESL.

Personally, I would just move where it's most convenient for my husband and I. The reason why I wouldn't necessarily chose a Spanish speaking neighborhood it's because it might be harder to ''integrate''. The simplest reason why, it's because there will always be a tendency to speak Spanish because it's more comfortable, whereas if you're in an area with not too much Spanish speaking population the person is kind of ''forced'' to learn the language.
I found it funny that other Cubans living in Canada would tell me to keep my husband away from the Cuban community in general because they're up to no good. I know it's a generalization but it still surprised me to hear that.

 

[lokyy]

Personally, I would just move where it's most convenient for my husband and I. The reason why I wouldn't necessarily chose a Spanish speaking neighborhood it's because it might be harder to ''integrate''. The simplest reason why, it's because there will always be a tendency to speak Spanish because it's more comfortable, whereas if you're in an area with not too much Spanish speaking population the person is kind of ''forced'' to learn the language.
I found it funny that other Cubans living in Canada would tell me to keep my husband away from the Cuban community in general because they're up to no good. I know it's a generalization but it still surprised me to hear that.

the up to no good might be planning on taking a bus to go to the US or to go pick up some girls lol...never heard of cubans doing crazy things like killing their children or robbing a bank lol

 

[ALazi]

the up to no good might be planning on taking a bus to go to the US or to go pick up some girls lol...never heard of cubans doing crazy things like killing their children or robbing a bank lol

I didn't think of the US part. And I might agree with picking the girls haha.
I guess, also that here you have to actually have a proper job because you can't live ''del invento'' lol.

 

[lokyy]

I didn't think of the US part. And I might agree with picking the girls haha.
I guess, also that here you have to actually have a proper job because you can't live ''del invento'' lol.

vivir del invento!!! hahahah that was funny!!!!

yeah in cuba we say the most important thing is to habe time for ourselves,to enjoy life,laugh,dance,,,but here the time is only to go to work so,it is prettyyyy different.

 

[Mapleson]

the up to no good might be planning on taking a bus to go to the US or to go pick up some girls lol...never heard of cubans doing crazy things like killing their children or robbing a bank lol

Just because it doesn't make the news in Cuba, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. My wife is an emergency room doctor and has plenty of horror stories. Canada is a very safe country, it's just much easier to find out about the rare exceptions.

If there were a 90% chance of returning to Cuba, wouldn't Cubans have learnt by now that immigration isn't for them as a nation? I'd put the number closer to 40%, significant but not a majority. Do you live in Toronto or Quebec? They are very different places with different cultures.

If not language, what is causing you to reject the Canadian lifestyle, beyond taxes and winter? It took my sister-in-law 15 years before she enjoyed her first winter.

 

[lokyy]

Just because it doesn't make the news in Cuba, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. My wife is an emergency room doctor and has plenty of horror stories. Canada is a very safe country, it's just much easier to find out about the rare exceptions.

If there were a 90% chance of returning to Cuba, wouldn't Cubans have learnt by now that immigration isn't for them as a nation? I'd put the number closer to 40%, significant but not a majority. Do you live in Toronto or Quebec? They are very different places with different cultures.

If not language, what is causing you to reject the Canadian lifestyle, beyond taxes and winter? It took my sister-in-law 15 years before she enjoyed her first winter.

ill give you a couple months until she runs for the border....
its not the language ITS the people!!!!
i have many friends in vancouver,toronto,quebec and i have never been told by any of them that they enjoy this country..because of the taxes and its stupid laws...they let chinese and arabs come here but not cubans maybe like someone told me once"maybe they are afraid cubans will steal the women from the canadian guys" lol....bottomline...Canada is not made for cubans or cubans are not made for canada..

 

[Mapleson]

ill give you a couple months until she runs for the border....
its not the language ITS the people!!!!
i have many friends in vancouver,toronto,quebec and i have never been told by any of them that they enjoy this country..because of the taxes and its stupid laws...they let chinese and arabs come here but not cubans maybe like someone told me once"maybe they are afraid cubans will steal the women from the canadian guys" lol....bottomline...Canada is not made for cubans or cubans are not made for canada..

You don't actually seem to answer any of my questions. More Cubans per capita are allowed to come to Canada than Chinese or "arabs". In the past, Cuban immigration was even higher, but the high levels of infidelity and failed/sham relationships has made Cuba subject to higher levels of scrutiny. A visa is required from Cuba, and not Barbados, because too many Cubans didn't go home.

If taxes and "stupid laws" are all we have to worry about, then we will be fine. I'm trying to avoid my own confirmation bias, but if none of the Cubans you talk to like Canada, I would suggest either that some are just placating you or that the ones that can and do integrate well aren't hanging around the same circles as you.

 

[lokyy]

You don't actually seem to answer any of my questions. More Cubans per capita are allowed to come to Canada than Chinese or "arabs". In the past, Cuban immigration was even higher, but the high levels of infidelity and failed/sham relationships has made Cuba subject to higher levels of scrutiny. A visa is required from Cuba, and not Barbados, because too many Cubans didn't go home.

If taxes and "stupid laws" are all we have to worry about, then we will be fine. I'm trying to avoid my own confirmation bias, but if none of the Cubans you talk to like Canada, I would suggest either that some are just placating you or that the ones that can and do integrate well aren't hanging around the same circles as you.

Cubans allowed to come to canada? mmm when was that? 1940???? cuban immigration was higher? mmm when was that? go figure the cuban population in canada is the least of all comunities,,,
the high levels of infidelity(exactly wait for your turn) sham relationships? I wonder,,do the cubans come to canada and marry the canadians here or do the ''lonely canadians'' go to Cuba? and get them there? trust me my friend you dont wanna go to that subject..
too many cubans didnt go home? NOPE,,,because cubans went to US(didnt stay here ilegally) and Canada is afraid of getting their wrists slapped,thats why...
cubans who have integrate well? mmmm,,,gotta see that,,,like i said,,,ill see you posting here in a couple months saying what happened to you maybe,,,cuz like i said,,there is a 90 % that might happen,,,a cuban can love you,fall in love with you and he-she will be the best loving and caring husband-wife you will have,,,you just have to play your cards well and get to know your spouse and of course DONT EVER make him-her feel as if you are in charge of the boat and his-her freedom.

 

[Krys]

Cubans allowed to come to canada? mmm when was that? 1940???? cuban immigration was higher? mmm when was that? go figure the cuban population in canada is the least of all comunities,,,
the high levels of infidelity(exactly wait for your turn) sham relationships? I wonder,,do the cubans come to canada and marry the canadians here or do the ''lonely canadians'' go to Cuba? and get them there? trust me my friend you dont wanna go to that subject..
too many cubans didnt go home? NOPE,,,because cubans went to US(didnt stay here ilegally) and Canada is afraid of getting their wrists slapped,thats why...
cubans who have integrate well? mmmm,,,gotta see that,,,like i said,,,ill see you posting here in a couple months saying what happened to you maybe,,,cuz like i said,,there is a 90 % that might happen,,,a cuban can love you,fall in love with you and he-she will be the best loving and caring husband-wife you will have,,,you just have to play your cards well and get to know your spouse and of course DONT EVER make him-her feel as if you are in charge of the boat and his-her freedom.

This is a forum to help other people just like you with questions about their application...
Not a forum to bring people down and give attitude lokyy

Mapleson, if you live in Ontario then i would suggest Toronto (if your wife is from a big city) or Mississauga (if your wife is from a smaller city) they both have big latin communities that could help your wife feel more comfortable

 

[ALazi]

Quebec is processed differently from the rest of Canada.

I saw this and had to ask! what do you mean by processed differently? in terms of time (does it take more or less?). I know the only difference is the CSQ but I wanted to know what you were referring to if you don't mind sharing!