Newcomer puts the right foot forward

By Ketaki Shah

Image credit: Jopwell on Pexels

I was a teacher in India, teaching high school students, but as a newcomer, I struggled to find employment in my field in spite of several years of experience.

While my husband found a job quickly enough, and that helped pay the bills, we still needed a second income and I worked at a local coffee shop while doing courses to upgrade my qualifications. It wasn’t easy, working part-time, taking care of our home and kids as my husband put in long hours, and studying late into the night, but I was motivated and determined to get back to teaching.

After I got my certifications began the process of applying for teaching positions. The few calls I got for interviews were for teaching assistants or as a supply teacher. I took those as they helped me gain Canadian experience, but I continued to hope that I’d land my dream job as a full-time teacher.

One day, I got the call I’d been waiting for. An interview for a full-time position. Not wanting to mess it up, I ran across to my neighbour Asma who had become a good friend. She would baby-sit for me occasionally and was also helping me learn Canadian ways.

I showed her the outfit I’d picked out for the interview. Heels or sensible shoes?

“You’ll do great,” she assured me with a smile. “You’ve got it covered.”

She sat me down for a coffee and a little pep-talk, and then as I was leaving, said, “Break a leg!”

I’d never come across that expression before. It was also winter and I was petrified of the newly-discovered black ice on which one could slip and literally, break a leg or another limb.

I looked back in disbelief. Why was my new friend saying something so inauspicious?

She caught my expression and realized something had been lost in translation. “What’s wrong?” she asked.

“I just don’t understand why you said that,” I mumbled, miserable, all my excitement of a little while ago dissipating at her choice of words.

“I was wishing you luck!” she exclaimed, pulling me in for a hug. “It’s just another way of saying all the best!”

It originated with a way of wishing actors luck, but was now used in a wider context, explained Asma, who is a third-generation Canadian and speaks they way Canadians do. “You are going to ‘perform’ at that interview and it seemed the appropriate way to wish you!”

I still think it’s a strange thing to say, but it obviously works, because I landed that job!