Culture shock: 10 things that surprise Brazilians in Canada

Man, I thought I was ready. I swear. I watched videos, read articles, talked to people already living here. But when you actually land in Canada, you find out no amount of prep shields you from culture shock. It’s a visceral thing, you know? Like when someone tells you sea water is salty. Fine, you know that, but the first time you drink it, it’s another level.

I’ll tell you 10 things that caught me off guard. Some of them I still laugh about. Others I’m still processing.

1. The silence on public transit

Look, the SkyTrain in Vancouver feels like a library on wheels. In Brazil, a bus is a social space. There’s the guy on speakerphone, the lady gossiping with her friend, gospel music at full volume. Here? Total silence. Everyone with headphones in, staring at nothing, pretending the other people don’t exist.

In my first week, I answered the phone on the bus in a normal tone. Like, Brazilian normal, right? The number of looks I got… man, it was like I’d cursed out loud in church. These days I’m just like them: headphones in, staring out the window, pretending I’m part of the seat.

2. Dinner at 5:30 p.m.

Folks, Canadians eat dinner at FIVE in the afternoon. Five. In the afternoon. I thought it was a joke when they told me. Restaurants start filling up at 5 p.m. and many close the kitchen by 9 p.m. For a Brazilian used to eating dinner at 8 or 9 p.m., and that’s already early for a lot of families, this is surreal.

The trick that worked for me: I pushed lunch a bit later and started pulling dinner earlier. Now I eat at 6:30, 7 p.m. Every now and then my mom calls and I say “I just had dinner” and she goes: “Dinner? It’s 4 p.m. in Brazil!” Anyway, you adapt.

3. The constant “sorry”

Canadians apologize for EVERYTHING. I bumped into a guy at the supermarket, I was the one who bumped into him, and he apologized. I stepped on a woman’s foot on the bus and she went: “Oh, sorry!” I’m the one who stepped on HER foot.

At first I thought it was fake. Then I understood it’s genuinely cultural. It’s like their version of “excuse me”, but on steroids. And the worst part? After a few months you catch yourself doing the same thing. The other day I tripped over an empty chair and said “sorry” to the chair. Brazilian, right? It’s over for me.

4. Tipping is mandatory (in practice)

Man, this one nearly killed me with embarrassment. Literally. Let me tell you.

In Brazil, the 10% is optional. Here in Canada, a 15-20% tip at restaurants is practically mandatory. Not leaving a tip is considered extremely rude. And now they ask for tips even at cafés and takeout. The “tipflation” is real, the card machine already comes with options for 18%, 20%, 25%.

But my most embarrassing moment was at the barber. He was an Iranian barber, or Iraqi, I’m not sure, and the guy gave me a flawless cut. Then when it was time to pay, I paid the exact amount. No tip. Because in my Brazilian head, tipping a barber wasn’t an obligation, you get it?

Man. The looks from my friends who were with me. That awkward silence. I didn’t get it in the moment, but when we left, they explained: “Caio, you have to tip the barber.” Man, the shame I felt… I went back the next day and gave like a 50-60% tip as an apology. The barber was confused, but I needed to clear my conscience. I still go red remembering it.

Moral of the story: research the tipping culture BEFORE you get here. I learned the hard way.

5. Winter is more than cold

Every Brazilian knows Canada is cold. But knowing and feeling are VERY different things.

Here in Vancouver, winter is milder than Toronto or Montreal, sitting between 0°C and 5°C most days. But it makes up for it with rain. LOTS of rain. Months of nonstop rain. “Ah, this is just a few little drops of water” is what I said in the first month. By the third month of nonstop rain, I wasn’t quite so optimistic.

And the hardest part isn’t even the temperature or the rain itself. It’s the darkness. In winter, it gets dark at 4:30 p.m. You leave work and it’s already night. You wake up in the dark, you come home in the dark. The impact on your mood is real, and a lot of people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I talk more about this in the winter survival guide.

6. Extreme punctuality

If the invite says 7 p.m., people show up at 6:55. Showing up 15 minutes late, the famous “little Brazilian delay” we all normalize, is frowned upon here. Doctor’s appointments, work meetings, and even social gatherings follow the clock to the letter.

I’ll admit that at first I still found my little way to show up 5 minutes late. But when you realize EVERYONE is already there waiting for you, shame cures any habit. Today I’m the guy who shows up 10 minutes early. My friends back in Brazil don’t believe it.

7. Small talk is an art

Canadians are masters of small talk, those surface-level conversations about the weather, sports, and the weekend. “How’s it going?” isn’t expecting a detailed answer. “Good, thanks!” is enough. If you start telling them your whole life story, the Canadian goes into panic mode.

At first I found it fake. When a Brazilian asks “how are you?”, they really want to know. They want to hear the whole soap opera, the family problems, what the dog did. Here it’s more of a social formality, and that’s okay. It’s their way of building connection without invading the other person’s space.

It took me about 3 months to calibrate. Now I can do small talk on autopilot: “Hey, how’s it going?” then “Good, thanks! How about you?” then “Can’t complain!” And done, social interaction completed successfully. You get it?

8. Taxes aren’t in the price

That CAD 10 product on the shelf? When you pay, it becomes CAD 11.30 (13% HST in Ontario) or more, depending on the province. Here in BC it’s 12% (5% GST + 7% PST). In Canada, displayed prices are ALWAYS without taxes.

Man, in my first days I’d get indignant at the register. “But it said 10 dollars!” Yes, plus tax. You get used to doing the mental math, but at first it’s too frustrating. After a while it becomes automatic. You see CAD 10 and you already think CAD 11.20.

9. The bureaucracy is fast (compared to Brazil)

This one’s the positive culture shock. Get a SIN? 15 minutes. Open a bank account? 30 minutes. Get the health card? One visit. Folks, in Brazil I spent 3 hours trying to sort out one thing at the notary office and left without sorting out a thing.

Of course there are exceptions. Immigration, I’m looking at you, IRCC. But day to day, things just work. When I went to apply for my MSP here in BC, the process was so fast I thought I’d done something wrong. “That’s it?” Yes, that’s it.

10. The diversity is real

Man, this one got me in a way I didn’t expect. I live in south Vancouver, near Richmond, and my neighbourhood is predominantly Asian. My neighbours are Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean. The restaurants around me are almost all Asian. The closest bakery to my place sells Japanese bread.

And you know what’s craziest? Nobody finds it strange. Here in Vancouver, you hear Mandarin, Cantonese, Punjabi, Tagalog, Spanish, Portuguese, all on the same block. The diversity isn’t a campaign slogan. It’s everyday life. It’s real. And for me, as a Brazilian, as an immigrant, it’s comforting to know I’m not “the foreigner”. Everyone is from somewhere else, in a way.

Canada’s multiculturalism isn’t perfect, no system is, but it’s the closest thing I’ve ever seen to people from completely different backgrounds living side by side in peace. That gives me hope, genuinely.

The shock passes (but the longing stays)

Culture shock is most intense in the first 3 to 6 months. I know because I lived it. There were days I wanted to go back to Brazil just because I couldn’t figure out how the building’s washing machine worked. Sounds silly, but when you’re tired, homesick, and nothing works the way you expected, anything turns into a mountain.

But it passes. You adapt, you build new routines, you find your balance. I found mine largely through church. That’s where I found community, friends, even an apartment lead and a job. Everyone finds their own path, but the important thing is not to isolate yourself.

What doesn’t pass is the longing. For family, friends, pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread), the warmth of Rio. But even the longing becomes something you learn to carry with affection instead of as a weight.

Oh, and one last thing I have to tell you. Crossing the street outside the crosswalk, jaywalking. In Brazil, we cross wherever we want, right? It’s part of the culture. Well, here in Vancouver I did that a few times and got scolded. Not by the police, by the pedestrians themselves. A guy looked at me with that disapproving face and I thought: “Brazilian, right? A Brazilian goes abroad to screw things up.” Since that day, I wait for the green light just like a Canadian. Lesson learned.

If you’re getting ready for the move, check out our guide to the first steps when you arrive in Canada and prepare for the cold with the Canadian winter survival guide. And to understand more about the emotional journey, read why I decided to leave Brazil.

I got your back on this journey. Anything you need, reach out at @morar-fora.