This is not about market research. When I woke up last night I had a vivid memory of standing outside a door in an apartment building in Germany. There was the door, thickly painted wood, and the doorbell that I was about to ring. The stone floor cold under my feet, grayish-white speckled, sort of like marble, but definitely much harder than marble. Quiet, cool air in the house, and faint noises from playing children in the courtyard. A few steps down, a landing with an old double window. The window sill about 50 centimetres wide, it had some potted plants of the durable, all-season nature.

So many times I have been to places like this, stood outside of apartment doors, slightly apprehensive. The setting evokes a range of associations. The building as a microcosm. People have lived together for many years. Someone lovingly waters those plants, and dusts them off every once in a while. The floor is kept spotless, and I am sure there is a schedule posted somewhere, that tells which party is responsible for cleaning which week.

A place of comfort. A place of confinement. Long-standing relationships, set ways, ancient enemies. There probably is a lady on the third floor who bangs a broomstick against her ceiling every time the family above her is audible. The couple on the ground floor always gripes about people not cleaning off their shoes properly and trudging dirt through the house. When kids talk loudly on the steps, someone will stick their head out their door with a disapproving look.

Fast forward to Toronto, Canada. First of all, a lot of people here own their own home. And not just rich people. Many single-family dwellings are not more than ten, twenty years old. My house was built in the 1940ies and is considered ‘old’. Having your own house means a lot of things. It means making as much noise (inside) as you want. Children jumping down the stairs, jelling, turning your music up. There are no rules to follow (well, very few), no customs to adhere to. Wear what you want, talk however you want, cook whatever you want. You are free to strike new relationships, don’t have to follow ‘what is proper’. What is proper and acceptable is negotiated every single day as people of different cultural backgrounds mingle and co-exist. Make no assumptions about others – speak to them and see what they are all about.

This place is new, feels new. The depth is lacking, the ties woven through centuries (unless you go into small towns and more traditional parts of the country). It is a country full of opportunities. You have a good idea, you can get things done, we can benefit from it, you’re in. Don’t worry if your email contains grammatical errors, if you speak with an accent. Here in Toronto, most people are from somewhere else.

Your house is a blank slate. Make of it what you want.

Disclaimer:

I realize that I am writing this from a particular vantage point (as one usually does!). In Canada, there are many people who do not have the same opportunities as they have been open to me. If you arrive without language skills (English / French), without family connections and without financial backing, getting a foothold and making use of opportunities can be tough. However, I argue that the opportunities here are still greater than if you were to arrive in Germany with the same skill set and resources.

Conclusion:

Germany and Canada, both sets of circumstances can breed great things. Born out of the freedom to dream large or out of the necessity to come up with creative solutions in confined circumstances. Good luck to you all!