Settlement

When I left Korea, I was little bit nervous because I had never experienced the security checks by myself in the airport. However, despite my worries, I arrived in Canada safely. I was also worried because I brought my dog with me on the plane.  After thinking about it, I realize how uncomfortable my dog must have been in a small cage for such a long flight.

My family and I did a homestay for a year during the time we lived in Coquitlam and, when we decided to go places, we wanted to go to places where there were few Koreans in order to improve our English.

Recently, I have heard that I need to be careful when I talk to Canadians as the culture is very different from Korean culture. Often, Canadians don’t like people asking what religions they believe in, what politicians they like, and how many children they have because they find these types of questions intrusive. When I heard this, I felt that it was due to cultural differences, though I also thought it was a little weird.

When I arrived at Vancouver Airport and took my first breath in Canada, I felt that the air was fresher than in Korea. Nowadays, the air in Korea in not so fresh due to the smog coming in from China. It seem like two thirds of the year it is raining here. It’s already getting dark around 4:30 p.m. in autumn and winter so I think many people can get depression.  Despite the early darkness, I really like living in Canada.