One the other hand, I am very excited because summer has not ended yet.  There are still long, hot days to enjoy; they are perfect for short trips or just spending time in the closest park.

I’ve been taking advantage of Sundays to learn baseball with a friend.  It is an enjoyable but tiring sport.  I get tired because my opponent often hits the ball very far, forcing me to run hard and sweat a great deal.  Baseball is enjoyable because I am good at hitting the ball.  The last time we played, someone hit the ball into a neighbour’s yard.  There was nobody at home so we were unable to ask for the ball.  We didn’t have an extra ball, so we had to decide who would go into the neighbour’s yard for the ball. One member of our group volunteered to go and came back agitated because he had felt guilty about going into a private yard.  He was fearful that someone was observing him.  Nevertheless, the game was fun.

I doubt I will be playing baseball this week because of the many school assignments that I have to finish for next week and also because I have to prepare for my final Statistics exam, beside that, there is not much to say for this week.

Edwin L.

However, time flies by. I have just one week left with this course. Of course, I still have so many things to do.

Anyway, today is happy Friday, rainy day though. I have a party for my friend’s B-day. We are planning to visit one of nice Japanese restaurants in downtown. The course drives me crazy, but I am OK. There are still lots of thing to have fun.

Yuna

I am in eleven weeks now. I never had so much fun going to school. I feel that I get along with my friends who came from many different countries. We have study group meetings every weekend. It is very helpful for all of us. The workload that we should be covering for exams is often overwhelming. However, as we help each other study, it takes shorter time and it is much energizing and fun. I am thinking to invite my friends to my house after the final exams are finished to celebrate our successful semester

Shannon

I cannot tell you how very good it feels to be here.

Linda is such a neat person that she keeps the home the most clean place on this planet with the most classic and elegant decoration,which I really heart for.

It feels good staying in an apartment like this.

And I am just so amazed that after her work,her busy activities,she would still have the time to make such a beautiful home.

I have all the reasons to believe what she said in that afternoon drink we had together;she said:”Life is goooood!”After a sip of her drink.

I feel so thankful for this arrangement (even though it is only going to be 5 days).

Look at the view outside the window,the ocean is so close,the sea walk is right down the stairs.

Look at the big screen MAC that she asked me to feel free to use for this few days,and the crystal stones,the plants.

And the fireplace is so beautiful,I so wish that it is Christmas so that we can turn this beautiful thing on.

I know that I will not be able to spend the Christmas together with Linda this year,because I will be in China.

But,next year,hmm we will see.

Linda is really a special friend to me.

Her love to me makes my staying in Canada such a wonder.

I will honor this for my entire life.

Love,

Serena

We went there on Friday evening and stayed till Sunday noon. The camp place was not far from Hope. From there we visited Hells Gate Airtram in the Fraser Canyon that is the narrowest and the dippiest place of the Fraser River. There was amazing view on the river from gondola and bridge at the area. We also went to the tunnels that were built in the rocks at the beginning of XX century for railways. Besides we went hiking and visited some lakes.

This weekend was the most incredible during my staying in Canada.

Sofiaa

The way we came back to Vancouver was pretty tried. We didn’t have any more energy to chat. It was good enough having fun.

Yuna

This week, the weather was really hot. Vancouver has a shorter summer than Korea. Whereas summer starts in June in Korea, it starts in July in Vancouver. I get skin itchiness when it is hot, so I prefer shorter summer. This week was hot until the midnight. I am actually enjoying this heat because it seems summer is already passing by and autumn is coming.

This Tuesday, my classmate gave me green beans that her husband planted in their yard at home. It was all organic. I was so thankful that she gave me such gifts like that. I came back home and I made a salad with green beans. I boiled the green beans for 2 minutes and mixed with other vegetables, such as broccoli, mushroom and onions, It was a wonderful dish and I shared it with my husband as a meal at dinner.

I am so happy these days, even though I have so many things to do for school. I enjoy going to school and talking to my classmates and teachers. They have good personalities and I am sure they will make good nurses when they are out in the professional nursing field.

Shannon

One night last week,I went out with my girlfriend and her girlfriend to watch the movie “Salt”.

Well,the movie was ALright,but not so worth mentioning.

What warms my heart is the friendship.

My friend’s name is Linda,she is a typical Canadian lady.

It might sound strange to a lot of people if we tell them that they are friends because of our age difference.

Linda is a very successful woman;she works as human resources manager in ICBC.

We met each other through her son Jordan.

When I met Jordan,I got to know from him that his mom and I share birthday.

Poor us,no one would want to come to our birthday party because we were both born on January 4,right after Christmas and New Year,a day on which everyone is already feeling tired of parties.

Well,but whatever,it is our big day,we still need to celebrate.

We went out for ice skating together and got our friendship going ever since.

Now,in this particularly difficult time in my life (why is it difficult?At this moment,it is too personal,and also too long to tell it here,I will write a book in the future to share my stories with the world.),she reached out her hand to warm me up.

I am planning to go back to China next month to spend some time with my family after so many years departure.

My roomates just moved out,I could not live in downtown any more,and there is no way that I could find a place to stay just for one month,I am just moving around to stay at my friends’ places.

Linda is a very private person.

She doesn’t even want to have her relatives to stay over at her place.

But when she got to know my situation,she offer this without even any thinking:”Why don’t you stay at my place for one week.”

I was stunned!

Obviously,she treates me like a very special person.

Oh!My God!I really look forward to staying with her and spend time with her in her apartment in West Vancouver with the most beautiful ocean view.

After the movie this night,I just stayed over for one night.

When I was going to take shower,Linda gave me a soap bar,with smile on her face.

Oh,it feels so warm!Because that was made in China.

The name of the brand was Bee Flower;its jasmine aroma slides around on my skin;it feels like a dream,so warm,so cozy.

The sleep that night was peaceful.

I will never forget a friend like this,and her name is Linda.

Love,

Serena

Time has been flying by and so much has been happening lately that it is hard to keep things all straight in my head. Our second semester is now more than half over and my new classes are going well. This semester I’m taking: Intro to the Essay, Statistics, Macro economics and International Business. While intro to the essay is easy for me as I’ve always found writing enjoyable, I still see the need for it in the program and I’m enjoying the way Mrs. Skau is presenting some of the material. Statistics is one that sometimes gives me trouble, not because I have a particular problem with math but because I don’t always spend the proper amount of time doing the homework assignments so there are some principles which I have not fully grasped yet. International business is enjoyable but has quite a bit of work involved; I’ve heard some referrals to “Alex” classes, Alex being the teacher who assigns the most demanding exercises and homework. But I find the theme enjoyable so I don’t mind too much. Macro economics is an interesting area of study but unfortunately I fell that the professor does not give it the time it deserves and works a little to hard to prepare us for the exam rather than ensuring that we really understand the principles we are talking about.

Apart from all that I am still working as a landscaper while the weather is nice. It is a pleasure to be outside during the summer months and I’m learning a bit about landscaping that I didn’t know before, I have a good crew and foreman so it has been enjoyable so far.

Finally where the family is concerned we have hit a few snags in the road so to speak. My wife and son were supposed to return to Colombia at the beginning of August so that my wife could finish her final semester at university there while her parents looked after our son. However as it turns out, since we’ve applied for her to become a landed resident of Canada she is not allowed to leave the country until the issue of her residency is solved. The unfortunate thing about this is that they tell us it could take as long as a year. She will have to return in January at the latest or she will be forced to update some of the courses she has already completed at university which will then prolong her graduation even more. It is a bit frustrating to get so close to something and then be denied it by silly technicalities but we are playing along and hoping things get worked out before Jan. The most frustrating part for her is that while she is here waiting to hear the outcome of her application they don’t allow her to work or study or anything of the sort so she is bored and frustrated and rightfully so. It bothers me that the Canadian government does not make it possible for someone in her situation to be a productive member of our society (at least while she waits). I see everyday in the news articles about immigrants and refugees who are going to be here for years learning the language and feeding from social services, and here I am living with a 24 year old woman with most of a university education who is fluent in English and would like to be working and paying taxes to bolster said safety net, and the government won’t let her. Just one of the many infuriating things that we all find when dealing with beaurocracy I guess.

So far I am greatly enjoying my experience at school and I continue to be very thankful to Sprott-Shaw for providing me with this wonderful opportunity.

Until next time……

Last Saturday I organized a trip to Lytton, where Meghan a friend of mine lives. Meghan’s family own the biggest Rafting Agency in Lytton, therefore I was the honour guest.

My trip to Lytton with Kumsheen was one of the most memorable I have ever had, the facilities are fantastic and the staff are truly professionals. It is rare to find staff that are always friendly and helpful all of the time, Kumsheen found that staff. The young ladies and the guys who looked after me at meal times and during the rafting were the greatest.

The cook was terrific. I was expecting hotdogs and fries not gourmet meals, a fantastic buffet all around me, so many different types of food, it was like paradise.

During Rafting, everything was laughing hysterically at the guide’s tall tales, screeching with delight, bouncing around the boat, it was awesome.

I was very impressed with the facilities and services of Kumsheen. There simply aren’t enough words to describe the service provided and the trip I had. Everything about my trip was awesome, from the Rafting to the amenities.

I want to thank to Meghan for this wonderful experience I had in Ly Lytton with Kumsheen, and for sure I would recommend you guys to get involved in an unforgettable experience before summer ends.

Edwin Levita