a Canadian identity
I remember when I took the train from Frankfurt to Copenhagen, the train stopped at the Germany-Denmark border for the immigration officers to check the passengers.
I sat in a room with an Algerian woman. I believe she's Algerian, because a Chinese passenger living in France spoke to her in French, and learned that she somehow got all the way to Denmark by train. She spoke only a few words of English. She told me she had lived in Canada for a few years. My impression was that she seemed well-traveled.
When the Danish officers came to our room to check our travel documents, I had my back toward the officer, and I handed my passport to him over my shoulder. I did not turn around to face him. He did not bother to check my face against the photo on my passport. In fact, he did not even look closely at my passport. However, when he inspected the Algerian's travel document, he looked front back left right up down, and asked many questions. I almost could not stand how he scrutinized her.
It was at that moment that I came to appreciate of the value of a Canadian identity.
I sat in a room with an Algerian woman. I believe she's Algerian, because a Chinese passenger living in France spoke to her in French, and learned that she somehow got all the way to Denmark by train. She spoke only a few words of English. She told me she had lived in Canada for a few years. My impression was that she seemed well-traveled.
When the Danish officers came to our room to check our travel documents, I had my back toward the officer, and I handed my passport to him over my shoulder. I did not turn around to face him. He did not bother to check my face against the photo on my passport. In fact, he did not even look closely at my passport. However, when he inspected the Algerian's travel document, he looked front back left right up down, and asked many questions. I almost could not stand how he scrutinized her.
It was at that moment that I came to appreciate of the value of a Canadian identity.
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