For Eric Eh Gay, involvement with the Community Cup as a player and more recently as a volunteer has had a positive impact on his integration efforts and sense of belonging in Canada.
Eric, who immigrated to Canada in 2006 after growing up in Burma, was encouraged by the Ottawa Catholic Immigration Centre to attend the Community Cup for the first time in 2007 "just to look around" as he describes it. Since then, he has participated in the event as a player and more recently as a volunteer in the Language Village.
"I found it very interesting," explains Eric. "There were people from different cultures. We built relationships. We shared activities. It was very interesting."
Eric spent the years before he moved to Canada living in the Mae La Oon refugee camp in Thailand just across the Burmese border. Mae La Oon was established in 2004 to house refugees from numerous smaller camps after the Burmese army took control of territory which was previously home to villages and new settlements inhabited by the Karen people.
Although Eric is shy about his ability in English, he is able to clearly articulate the importance of having an open mind in learning about the cultures of others. Asked how the Community Cup played a positive role in enabling him to integrate into the Ottawa community, Eric reflects, "It has helped me a lot as it has given me the chance to communicate with other people, to meet with and listen to community leaders speak, and to build relationships with volunteers as well as players. Soccer is a fun game, a relationship game.
"Cultural sharing is very important," Eric continues. "For example, in Burma when we fold our arms, it means that we are concentrating on what others are saying to us and is a sign of respect towards our elders, whereas in Canada, folding your arms means you are angry. In Burma, people feed their children in public whereas this is not done here."
For Eric, there have been aspects of moving to Canada which have not been easy. For instance, he has felt that it can be difficult at times to get close to people here. He thinks this may have a lot to do with the hectic demands of our Canadian lifestyle. The connections and relationships formed through events which bring people together, such as with the Community Cup, can do a lot to bring people out of their shell however in Eric's mind.
Eric has sought to introduce the sporting traditions with which he grew up to Community Cup players and volunteers. The sport of caneball, or takraw as it is referred to in the Thai language, involves a single person in the middle of a moving circle while those on the outside of the circle keep a rattan ball in the air using a variety of foot and knee contacts. Since moving to Canada, Eric has also developed a love of our homegrown sports - hockey and skating - as well as a variety of other recreational activities. He hopes that his children will have the opportunity to enjoy these sports in their adopted country.
It is important for Eric and his wife, who is from Burma also and who is expecting their fourth child, to see the preservation of their cultural traditions through their children. "Older people in Burma find it very hard to adapt to a change like coming here, whereas their children or grandchildren often have an easier time," Eric reflects. He goes on to provide an example of a cultural shift brought about through coming here. "In burma, girls must wear surongs when they play soccer, which means they can not run well. At a certain point, it became acceptible for girls to play in long pants and this is better for them, but there is still the problem of sweating. Finally, it became okay for them to play in short pants."
Eric, 35, is pursuing a social services diploma at Algonquin College and works as a cleaner to support his family. These are commitments which he says may prevent him from being able to attend the Community Cup this year. Regardless of whether he is able to participate in the flesh this time, for Eric the event has provided a meaningful opportunity to meet and get to know new people and to feel welcomed through a celebration of diversity in our community.
Story by Jason Dunkerly
