Bunmi like me, moved to Ontario in April of 2018. She is very much in the honeymoon phase 🙂 that’s why she’s talmabout Canada having such great weather…loool… if I hear, when winter’s comes ehn?? Bunmi is a bubbly soul, and I enjoyed reading from her. Hope you do too, and please support her cooking business. Direct link to her business IG page below: 1. Introduce yourself in an artistic way (You can chose to give your government name or…
House sharing: Factors to consider
written by Akata Salowo
There is a housing challenge in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area); I did a Twitter thread about it. Painfully so, because Ontario has the highest population of people in Canada. Also, because this appears to be the 1st city of choice for new immigrants. Toronto is also prided to be the most diverse city in all Canada. While this is amazing in terms of helping you settle in faster, it is horrible in finding a decent place for you to…
Guest Feature: Miss P
written by Akata Salowo
Dear Team BlackMigrantGirl Blog, I am eager about celebrating my black sisters and brothers who have migrated on their own terms from wrongly perceived ‘third world’ countries to Canada. This newly introduced guest feature will on a month to month basis share the inspiring stories of these everyday people. Their courage in leaving all that they know behind and their drive to begin all over again, in a new country; new region is worth celebrating. This 1st guest feature is…
I failed my road test
written by Akata Salowo
Yes, I did. Full stop. END OF STORY … … ???? Pardon me, I’m still recovering from the heartbreak of failing the test. Me, a very qualified and cautious driver in all of Nigeria? One who went to a driving school in Lagos? I’m the only person I know who actually performed a driving test at FRSC (Federal Road Safety Corps) before my Nigerian Driver’s license was issued? How can I now arrive here and fail a G2 drive test…
A Tale of Two Picnics
written by Akata Salowo
What happens to a puff-puff uneaten? Does it shrivel up or grow cold Does its texture become harder with gradual exposure to the elements or does it simply find its way to the gullet of someone else? I pondered these words- a mutilated version of Langston Hughes, Harlem, as I returned home at 8 pm on Saturday, 30th June 2018. I had spent the most part of that day navigating my way to Mississauga Valley Park for a picnic organized…
The road to financial freedom
written by Akata Salowo
This past Saturday was a busy and interesting day for me. I was up as early as 7 am to attend two events in the Mississauga area. The 1st event was on financial literacy. A polite Nigerian gentleman I met at a previous Nigerian event works for the organizing company. He has been very dogged in trying to convince me to attend one of the classes. Yesterday morning he offered to drive me to the event venue and I obliged…
People Disappear… In Canada too?
written by Akata Salowo
Oh yes, they do. In my 4th week here, attending interviews out and about in the York University area, I chanced upon a ‘Missing’ poster. It came complete with a full description of the physical features of the missing person. She was a young, undergraduate, last seen a couple of weeks before, at a bus station, walking home. My first reaction was shock, then disbelief and probably horror. I think the reason for my shock was that I wasn’t expecting…
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities… The principalities I’m talking about here is that of very high demand and scarce supply of decent places to rent, especially in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). Brethren, these early months of settling-in are truly a testimony. So, as soon as I found a job, I confirmed my start date for early June. The job location- Brampton is so far away from Stouffville where I currently stay that it…
Today, the 28th May 2018, exactly 5 weeks and 4 days after my arrival in Toronto, Canada, I signed off on a decent job offer here. This job is comparable to the level I had in Nigeria, with a higher salary even. To say that I have been blessed since I arrived Canada would be stating the fact through and through. I knew I was going to eventually get a good job, but even I am stunned by the speed…
The time has flown by quickly. One day I was on the longest flight of my life heading to Toronto, and today I look at the calendar and realize 30 days have gone by since I landed. In true Naija fashion, once I checked the date and realized it was my anniversary, I broke out singing like my mother. Indulge me for a while yo ?? It wasn’t easyyyyyy, it wasn’t easyyy. It wasn’t easy but it was worth ittttt.…