CultureShock! Canada

Whether you’re encountering the mountainous Rockies, the coastal areas of New Brunswick, or the French-speaking province of Quebec, this guide covers every aspect, providing you with all the tips and pointers you’ll need to make a smooth transition. Understand what is truly meant by the Canadian ‘mosaic’ through learning social customs and etiquette, immerse yourself in the nation’s love for ice hockey, and be fully aware of the community ‘ honor’ system. Not sure where to live? This book covers every possibility, from log cabin to trailer home, small-town to sprawling city. Discover where to sample Canada’s huge variety of cuisine, be it Saskatoon berries, maple syrup, or oka, a highly flavored cuisine brought to Canada by Trappist monks. Whatever your preference, whatever your needs, CultureShock! Canada will guide you through the vast expanse of this fascinating country.


Guek-Cheng Pang was born in Singapore into a large Peranakan (Straits-born Chinese) family. She received her education in Singapore and was a journalist and sub-editor with The Straits Times for 13 years. After having written articles for magazines and newspapers, she has naturally progressed to writing books now. Guek-Cheng has travelled widely. The places she has not been to are South America, China, Africa and Greenland. She believes in travelling as a mind-broadening experience. She lived in England for a year, and is now a permanent resident of British Columbia, Canada, together with her husband and two children. Guek-Cheng loves reading, music, travelling, hiking, biking, skiing and playing tennis. Born in England, Robert Barlas has always had wanderlust in his veins. At the age of 19, he migrated to Canada, which has been his home—on and off— for the last 25 years. A retired teacher, Bob has worked in international education all over the world. Among the countries he has worked in are England, New Zealand, Singapore, the People’s Republic of China and Sri Lanka. The Barlases have been back in Canada since 1989. Bob enjoys reading, writing, skiing and sailing, and, of course, travelling, which has taken him and most of his family to over 80 countries so far—the rest of the world he is still working on!