So, I recently moved from my country of origin to Canada through the IEC program, which gives me a year long work permit. Sweet, enough time to travel and play, enough time to work, see how living here works for me. After a couple of meetings with a job counsellor, I landed my first interview in a day-care.
I was a teacher in my country of origin, so I thought that this would be the kind of a job where you leave it behind you the moment you come back home. The salary is… Well, 14.25$ is the minimum you make in Qc, I'll be paid 16$. Sucks, but could have been worse, eh?
Well, idk, but today I came back and I just can't stop crying.
The workplace offers a 1h long break during the day, which is great. What it doesn't offer, is a staff room with adult sized chairs, so that you can eat like a human being. Most of my time there is spent squatting next to kids' little playtables, or couching over toilets that are great for kids, but not for my adult ass.
It's been almost a week. I didn't receive my working hours sheet, so I just hope when it comes to being paid, they won't try to scam me.
I know that sometimes you have to take low paying jobs to survive and stay afloat, and that complaining about the lack of chairs may seem funny or petty. But, after 7hrs on my feet, carrying toddlers up and down the stairs, changing diapers, sitting on the ground while trying to lull them to sleep and listening to the same lullaby on loop for 2hrs, I feel like I'm in some kind of hell that sucks out my soul day by day.
Is it the workplace or is it me? That I don't know, could be a mix of both. But after a week there I realize it doesn't matter. I want out. I need some encouragement. I need to vent. I feel like being an immigrant should not mean you forget about your dignity and scrub toilets or do whatever, thankful, that you were able to leave whatever shithole you came from.