My Life in Canada

My NEW Life in Canada

2008-10-30T09:17:00.005-04:00

My NEW Life in Canada

Even though I selected where I was going to, there were lots of stuff to improve. I had spent two whole months to prepare for the trip. Which school? Which city. Obtain a visa and how long was I going to stay and so on.

My first step in Canada was at Sep. 7. 2006. Canada was totally another world. When I came out of the airport, It was so..quiet. There was just a few lights in the city far from the airport. It wasn't so late. It was almost 11 pm. If I were in Korea, It would feel like the daytime at this time. There are lots of neon signs at Friday night, flashing brightly.

I needed to get used to here and my homestay house. On sunday, I was supposed to find a way to get to school with my friend. She also came here with me. I asked my homestay mother how to get to the subway. When I was about to leave home, she asked me "can you make it??" with nervous voice and sighs. I nodded confidently.

It was proved soon that I was wrong after walking only one block. I had just got lost for 30 minutes. I wasn't a brave girl to ask a Canadian. When I found the subway, I was exhausted. Actually it had been in front of me and It had a really small sign compared with Korea's.

After I have been staying here for 6 months, I have figured out some differences between Canada and Korea.

Canadian's life style is a bit slow. For instance, they don't complain even when the subway is out of service suddenly. If the subway is out of service in Korea, many Koreans become a very annoyed crowd. It is posted as a main topic in the morning news, whereas it is just a common thing here in Canada.

Canadians spend lots of time with their family. They are enjoying their life and sports. In my case, I just hardly have seen my family in a day, sometimes I wasn't able to see my family during a whole day. My parents go out at 7: 30 AM and get back at 7 or 8 pm from their work. I was supposed to be in my high school from 8am to 10pm. After it, I also had to go academy school for 3 hours. That means I got home about 1 am while my parents were sleeping. I think the work time is until 4 or 5pm in Canada. It is such a nice aspect to a family.

Also Canada has summer time. when I heard I needed to change time 1 hour back at winter last year, I was so confused. I didn't catch why time was changed. Because it isn't in Korea. It was an interesting thing to me, and I felt I had got one more spare time. Still I'm not sure I've got used to the summer time.

A few days ago, the summer time finished but I didn't know that. At the day, I had a plan to go shopping with my friends at 3 pm. I was just watching a DVD, my phone rang. On the phone, she told me it was 3pm already. However, my clock indicated 2 pm. I was embrassed and she told me the summmer time had finished from the previous morning.

Just what I want to change in Canada is the subway problem and if it's possible, also the brutal cold in the winter season. If you live in Toronto and you usually take the subway the Toronto subway can be out of service. The Canada subway needs to be renovated, fixed and not to be out of service so often.

Also, Toronto is so cold in the winter. I heard it had been warmer than usual in last winter, but still it was extremely cold for me. It frequently had been below 0, like -10 or -15, and it was colder with wind chill I don't want to picture it. Just imagining also makes me feel cold.

However, I'm enjoying the comfortable vacation in my life. I don't need to worry about the difficult tests, what I'm going to do and so on. I've been feeling I'm out of all of things I want to dodge. I like Toronto's life style, multiculture and beautiful nature.

When I'm walking on the street under the bright sunshine, listening to music, I don't envy whoever in the world. Toronto island, high park and Lake Ontario and so on. There are lots of fancy places to shake your mind as like spring wind. Just sitting in these places or seeing the sights is pretty enough to make you happy and get a shiny smile on your face.

Story By: Sue Gyeong Choe ESL in Canada Intern student

Original Post: http://my-canada-travels.blogspot.com

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My Canada Life Blog URL
http://my-canada-life.blogspot.com/

My name is Yuko S from Saitama Japan

2008-04-21T10:05:00.004-04:00

My Canada life

Hello

My name is Yuko S, from Saitama, Japan.

I came here on June 28th 2007. I have been here for 8 months. I came to Canada because I wanted to speak English and live in a foreign country.

I studied at ELS language centre for three months.

After that, I traveled to Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec. It was so good.

I started to work at a Japanese restaurant but I will quit, because, I found another job.

It is Timothy's world coffee. It will start training on March 5th. I am nervous, but exited!

Yuko

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My Canada Life Blog URL
http://my-canada-life.blogspot.com/

The students Talk

2008-04-09T20:59:00.004-04:00

How to select the best school

I have studied English in Canada for 10 months. During the 10 months, I have had lots of experiences. So, if you want to study English in Canada, I would suggest these tips.

Firstly, when you choose your new school, you should take trial lessons at least at 3 to 4 schools. Each school has different strengths and weaknesses. Through trial lessons you can recognize which school is going to be good for you. Even when your agent or friends recommend a good school, sometimes you can’t be satisfied with the school which means the choice totally depends on you.

Secondly, after you choose a new school, you should register for a short-term period. If you apply to a new school for a six-month or eight-month period you may get tired of your school. I mean, after paying the tuition fee, whether for good or for evil, you will be stuck in your school.

Many students apply for school for six-month or 1-one-year periods because they want to get a long period student visa. I think it doesn’t really matter because you can extend your visa again whenever you want. It is easier to change your visa than changing schools. Many schools will not refund tuition fees.

Thirdly, when you want to use agents, you should compare agents to each other. Some big agents give lots of activities and information likewise school, home stay, region information, and so on, but, instead of these you need to pay higher tuition fees than at small agents. Oppositely, small agents give lots of discounts, but they don’t give activities and enough information. Remember agents recommend schools that give lots of agent’s commissions.

My suggestion is when you look for a new school; you can get information on the Internet or from friends. You can make a reservation for trial lessons by yourself. After selecting your school then you go to a small agent to register for your new school and you can negotiate with the agent for a discounted tuition fee.

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Hello My name is JaYoung. I’m a student from Korea and study Journalism at Chun-nam University.

I have been in Toronto for 10 months. When I came to Canada I couldn’t speak English well. I had lots of problems talking with native English speakers and foreigners.

I traveled to French Canada, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, Kingston, New York and Niagara Falls. Toronto summer is especially fantastic. Everyday Toronto has festivals and you can have so much fun.

During my time in Toronto, I think Toronto is a multi-cultural city which offers many diverse experiences. I mean not only studying English but also learning about international cultures. If I want to get other country foods in Korea, its cost would be twice or more. However, I could get real traditional foods easily at a cheaper price in Toronto.

If you want to be the best, you should study hard before coming to Canada. It will make you confident and can save your time and money as well.

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Hello My name is Susann.

After finishing High School I was confronted with a lot of possibilities …shall I study, work, take a break or travel …Well, I decides to go to Canada, learn English and have some time for myself.

I chose Toronto through a selection process… I have been in England and South Africa so I didn’t wanted to go there again. Australia has to many strange animals which I don’t like and America has too many strange people I don’t want to meet. So Canada seemed perfect for me. Especially after I heard that Toronto is a multi-cultural city with a lot of foreign influences and international flavor, I couldn’t wait to go there. Besides, the USA is not that far away so I thought I could maybe visit New York, Washington D.C. or Boston someday.

As I arrived here in Toronto, I was a bit surprised because Canada is not that different from Germany. I felt immediately at home and it was not hard for me to find friends. Now, after 4 months in Toronto, everything became very familiar to me. Even speaking English became somehow easy and natural. I don’t have the feeling that I'm on vacation in a foreign country but I feel home and happy here.

I had the possibilities to try a lot of stuff and I also learned a lot about myself. The stay here in Toronto gave me the possibility to relax, to try new things and to meet new friends from all over the world.

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My Canada Life Blog URL
http://my-canada-life.blogspot.com/

My Life in Canada

2007-03-27T12:52:00.003-04:00

Every year thousands of international students discover Canada. Huge mountains, vast plains, sparkling waters and diverse multi-culturalism spark wonder. Read their stories about their life while visiting Canada.

Hello
My name is Sayaka, from Kobe, Japan. I’m a university student. I came here in September 10th 2006. I’ve been here in Canada for three months.

I came to Canada because I wanted a challenge an internship in the English world. I think Canada is a good country for students to have a work experience. People and companies have a lot of experience with foreigners and they are more open-minded to foreign students compared to other countries like UK or US.

After three months studying at ILSC, I started working with ESL in Canada. I was interested in tourism and education fields, so this workplace is perfect for me.

To get this job, I prepared my resume and cover letter, and practiced for my interview. Everything was new for me, but my coordinator helped me a lot so I could get this job. I think those were good experiences to know Canadian business culture.

Hello My name is JaYoung.
I’m a student from Korea and study Journalism at Chun-nam University.

I have been in Toronto for 10 months. When I came to Canada I couldn’t speak English well. I had lots of problems talking with native English speakers and foreigners.

My first school was Hansa, which is the oldest ESL school in Toronto. I had lots of fun in Hansa and met many good friends and teachers.

I think Hansa can be good for advanced students and bad for beginners because beginners need a systematic and strict program for setting up their English. Actually, Hansa is very casual which means you organize your schedule by yourself without information. In this case, you will be confused and maybe waste time choosing wrong classes.

I went to BEST, which is a business English school in Toronto. Teachers at BEST Ric and Brenda were very kind and friendly and taught well. After graduating from school, I found an internship for marketing, advertising, and translations with a Canadian company "ESL in Canada", which offers me speaking opportunities with Canadians and becoming familiar with Canadian business practices.

I also traveled to French Canada, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, Kingston, New York and Niagara Falls. Toronto summer is especially fantastic. Everyday Toronto has festivals and you can have so much fun.

During my time in Toronto, I think Toronto is a multi-cultural city which offers many diverse experiences. I mean not only studying English but also learning about international cultures. If I want to get other country foods in Korea, its cost would be twice or more. However, I could get real traditional foods easily at a cheaper price in Toronto.

If you want to be the best, you should study hard before coming to Canada. It will make you confident and can save your time and money as well.

“1055”

A really good thing about the restaurant 1055 at 1055 Yonge Street is that they offer a special menu just for the students of LSI. The restaurant wanted to create a menu that tastes good while taking the student’s budget into consideration. The menu items of the restaurant, which are usually available for $9 to $22 are available for students for $3.50 - $6.50. The 1055 chefs are also not averse to customize a dish for this price.

The student menus are a continental fusion, which means they have ingredients from a lot of countries from around the world. They serve North African Cous Cous, Mexican Tortilla Wraps, a traditional Greek Caesar Salad, Sicilian Pasta, Italian Fusilli Pesto and much more.

Furthermore, 1055 takes special care of their ingredients and everything they serve is fresh. This can be the reason why from time to time the same Grilled chicken sandwich, for example, tastes different and has different ingredients. If they cannot find fresh vegetables and meat, they will not use it for their menu. So not only the menu items and cookies change a bit every day, but also the whole menu changes every season.

Therefore, the customer can be sure to get something different once in a while. Moreover, the chef doesn’t use fatty oil but vegetable oils, which is healthier.

Brian, the owner of 1055 and chef cook was trained in Europe and worked for 2 of the best restaurants in Toronto for 15 years. Because of his experience and knowledge, he is able to easily create original dishes and train the other cooks of 1055. Nowadays the most popular dish at 1055 is duck.

1055 offers students a tasty, healthy and excellent meal for lunch. This is of real benefit for the students who are on the two meal homestay plan. Students can enjoy two meals at their homestay and an exotic international meal at 1055 for lunch.

Story By Susann and Sayaka Reporters for TLC Club
Original Post
http://tlc-network-club.blogspot.com/

The Travel Language Culture Network Club is the new name for the ESL in Canada Social Club that has operated in Toronto, Canada for seven years. The new name reflects the expanded functions of the club. The TLC Network Club will still arrange language exchanges and organize educational meetings, culture events and activities. The TLC Network club will work with high quality suppliers to offer special group travel trips and tours.

TLC memberships are available to international students and teachers, Canadian students, teachers, homestay providers and suppliers. The TLC Club provides Canadian work experience internships for students. Students can use the registration form to apply. Several of the ESL in Canada/TLC interns have already enjoyed free travel trips as part of their internship.

Our Thanks to TNT Tours for providing this excellent free trip to the TLC interns. The following are pictures of Montreal, Quebec, Ottawa and the Ice Hotel.

Pictures of Sayaka, Suzi, Serina and Jung Min on the wonderful Magic Bus Tour of Niagara Falls. Our thanks to Magic Bus for providing this excellent tour of Niagara Falls, Niagara on the Lake and the Niagara Ice Wine Region

My Life as a Tour Guide in Toronto
By Sayaka Sawa

I’d like to tell my experience about welcoming my family from Japan to Toronto. My mother and younger sister visited me during the Christmas vacation from Dec 24th to Dec 29th. I had to be a tour guide and an interpreter for them. I planned an inexpensive and relaxing tour.

This was my schedule:

December 24th (first day):
Their flight arrived at Toronto around 3pm. When I went to the airport they told me the wrong gate, so it took some time to meet them. Luckily I told them my cell phone number, so it was helpful. We used the TTC to travel to my host family’s house. My mom and sister stayed there with me. I really thanked my host family for inviting my family to stay. We went to the CN tower the first night but it closed early because it was Christmas Eve.

December 25th (Second day):
Relaxing day. My family was tired because of the long flight from Japan. We woke up at noon and exchanged Christmas presents with my host family. It was fun! On Christmas day, everything was closed in the town. So we went to see things where we can enjoy the outward appearances like City Hall, Casa Loma and the U of Toronto and tried a street hotdog.

December 26th and 27th (Third and fourth day):
Niagara falls two-day trip. I used the “Casino bus” to get to Niagara Falls. The casino bus costs $5 for two ways. (If you’re interested in, I can tell you their phone number.) We really enjoyed Niagara Falls sightseeing. We went to the I-MAX theatre, Behind the Falls tour, Rainbow Bridge and Clifton Hill, etc. We didn’t forget to go shopping, too. We went to the USA outlet shops across the Niagara Bridge to the USA and my mother bought me a MP3 and a lot of clothes. I was happy. We stayed at the Backpackers hostel for $22 per person including breakfast and tax. It was a cozy and nice place.

December28th (fifth day):
In the morning we went to Harbourfront Center for ice-skating. There were only a few people there so we could enjoy it. After lunch we walked around Union station, then went to the Eaton Center for shopping. I got a new coat there. This night we cooked Japanese food for my host family.

December 29th (sixth day):
I took my family to the airport and said goodbye. They didn’t use a lot of money in Toronto, so they gave me all money they had left, which was great.

Our Suggestions for Family Tour Guides

The TTC weekly pass and day pass are very useful for short staying travellers. You can choose the one that fits your plan. If you go to airport to pick up someone, I recommend that you bring a weekly or day pass for him or her because they usually don’t have coins.

Especially during holiday seasons it’s better to make it sure that the attractions are open. Even though you can check on the web, you had better make a call, because sometimes they don’t update.

Story by Sayaka Internship student at ESL in Canada

My Canada Life Blog URL
http://my-canada-life.blogspot.com/