A Stay in Canada
This summer vacation, I went to Victoria in Canada to do a home stay. Victoria is near Vancouver. I stayed there for one month.
The house where I lived was very near my school. While I stayed in Canada, I went to GEOS Academic Language School. There were so many Japanese in this school, but we had to speak English rather than Japanese when we were in school.
The most exciting thing was the Avril Lavigne concert I went to, which was held in many cities all over the world, including the USA and Canada. It was really exciting. There were many people at that concert. She is a famous musician all over the world, and she is Canadian.
But most important, I think, were the people I met, most of all my landlady, whose name is Melrose. I was so fortunate because she was a very nice lady. First of all, she is a cooking expert. So, I already miss her cooking.
She is also a great dancer. She dances aloha dance. Her dance always made me happy. While I stayed in Victoria, I could see her dance show four times. These dance shows were held both indoors and outdoors, and I watched them with my friends or hers. And, my birthday is August twenty seventh, and there was a show that was held on the same day! Therefore, I could have a great time on that day. This birthday is the best one I have ever experienced! Besides, she gave a birthday party for me. I will never forget this wonderful birthday!
The biggest reason why I was fortunate is that she is very kind and has a lot of patience. I think that it is natural for native speakers to be irritated when they talk to people who can’t speak their language very well. But, because she has a lot of patience she was hardly irritated. I really appreciate her kindness and I can’t thank her enough.
Actually, when I went through hardness and I couldn`t understand what she said because she spoke very fast, I wanted to go back to Japan. This may have been “culture shockâ—I don’t know. But in such cases, it was always my landlady that could cheer me up.
As time passed, little by little, I found it easier to understand her. Of course I couldn’t understand all of what she said, but I could communicate with her. And, I think we made a good job of keeping our relationship pleasant and friendly.
Anyway, I am sure that studying English is very important and fantastic because if you can speak English you can meet and communicate with many people all over the world. I managed to make some friends among Koreans and Taiwanese. It is very nice for me, and good for me.
I’ll never forget this wonderful home stay. After I came back to Japan, I continue to keep in touch with the people I’ve met. I’d like to treasure these relationships. In the near future, I will visit Melrose again. I am looking forward to seeing her again.
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Comments (6)
Rudolf
wrote on October 14, 2005:
Good to hear you enjoyed your stay abroad!
I remember there was another student of mine who went to a language school in Victoria B.C. a couple of years ago—is Victoria a particularly popular destination for language students from Japan?
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Bee
wrote on October 14, 2005:
This sounds like a wonderful trip and stay. When I was in high school, ions ago, I spent six months as an exchange student in Michigan. It was an illuminating experience as it was the first time I was on my own, living in a different country and a different culture.
What aspects marked you as being very different from your own culture? Were you shocked by any behaviour?
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Heather
wrote on October 15, 2005:
Kayo, I live in Vancouver (and have lived in Victoria, as well) and am very glad to hear you enjoyed your visit to Canada.
You write that you believe native speakers get irritated when someone cannot speak their language well. I want you to know that is very much not the the case for me. I think it is absolutely wonderful when people from an entirely different culture come to Canada to learn the language (and, in some cases, stay to become Canadian citizens). It makes me feel very proud of where I’m lucky enough to call home.
My best friend’s family has had Japanese homestay students staying with them for as long as I can remember. Meghan, my friend, still corresponds with one of them more than fifteen years later! I hope you found that kind of penpal, as well.
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Kayo
wrote on October 28, 2005:
Bee— Thank you for your comment! I didn’t find much “shocking behavior”. Ths reason why I thought such a thing is “culture shock”, maybe.
The aspects maked me as being very different for my culture are most Canadian don’t have discrimination amd tolerant for foreigner, I think. I like these aspects. I have great respect for Canadian culture.
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Kayo
wrote on October 31, 2005:
Heather—Thank you for your comment! After I read your comment, I found waht you say is really right. I am really happy to find that, and be able to alter my opinion. So, thank you so much!
I really happy to hear that your friend, Meghan, still corresponds with one of them more than fifteen years later. As your friend does, I really want to correspond with my land lady and my friend. You wrote that you thought it was absolutely wonderful when people from an entirely different culture come to Canada to learn the language. It made me so happy. More and more, I want to go to Canada!
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Kayo
wrote on November 10, 2005:
Rudie—Thank you for your comment! I think Victoria B.C. is a particularly popular destination for language students from Japan.The reason why are maybe warm weather, pleasant and beautiful surroundings,kind people, I think. And Ths point I decided to go to Victoria is such a thing.
There are many places where many japanese student go all over the world. Therefore, I’d like to recommend to go to Victoria because I am sure you can enjoy your life in Canada very much.
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